Page 14 of Role Play
“Because…who do you play with when I’m at school or when I’m with Mommy and Henry?”
I pout at her, puckering my bottom lip. “I don’t play. I sit and sulk until I get to see you again.”
“Daddy.”
“Koda,” I mimic in her whiny tone. “Is that why you wanted me to go give the lady her cookie back?” For fuck’s sake. Apparently my dating life is so sad that my four-year-old daughter is trying to be my wingman.
She hangs her head. “She’s pretty.”
She definitely is…
“What’s her name?” Dakota asks.
It suddenly dawns on me that I never even asked for her name. Nor did I introduce myself. Okay, make thatfourthings I should’ve done differently.
Before I can save face and make up a name for the woman to appease my kid’s curiosity, my phone rings. Dutifully, Dakota hands over my phone. That’s the one rule she respects. I let her play Kiddopia as much as she wants, but she is never,everto answer my phone. My burner number still connects to my device and one of my worst fears is my clients knowing about my daughter. These are two worlds I work desperately to keep apart.
I mouth “thank you” to my daughter, then glance at the caller ID.Finally.
“Hannah, where are you?” I ask, slightly panicked. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just finished a hot yoga class at the club. Why?”
“Koda’s school called you like four times. They said you didn’t answer.” I press my lips together hard, bracing myself. “I took her home early. She’s with me. I know it’s not my day, but some punk in her class was bullying her and?—”
“Forrest. It’s fine.”
“You’re not mad?” Now, I’m puzzled. Taking our daughter without her permission is a prime opportunity for her to yell at me. Hannah loves any excuse to bite my head off. She’s still mad at me for being the cause of our breakup, and I think she’s determined to punish me until the end of time.
“No. She’s been asking for you, anyway. It’s good you’re spending some quality time together.”
“Were they handing out edibles at this yoga class or something?”
Hannah chuckles, and now I’m very suspicious. “No. I um… Well, hey, can you keep Koda tonight?”
I tap my fingers against the table. “Why?”
“What do you mean why? Don’t you want to keep her?”
“Of course, but it’s not my weekend. And I have to work tonight.”
Hannah grumbles into the phone. “What kind of financial consultant has to be on call on Friday evenings?”
“It’s for a big acquisition overseas. They requested a video chat. It looks better if my client’s advisor is there as a show of support.” I stare at the wall as I lie. I hate to say it, but it’s becoming easier and easier to fool everyone into believing my pseudo-career in financial consulting. No one wants to hear about finance portfolios, so my fake profession tends to shut down probing questions quickly.
“Well, fine. Can you bring Koda to my parents’ house, then?”
“Will they be there?” My eyes snap to my daughter who is lost in her bag of pretzels. She’s sticking her finger deep into the bag, trying to catch the loose grains of salt.
“I don’t know… The housekeeper should be, though.”
“The housekeeper? Do you even know the housekeeper?”
“Forrest, don’t tell me how to be a mom. My parents have security cameras all across their estate. It’s fine. She’ll be safe.”
I can’t believe the words that are about to come out of my mouth. “Can she just stay with Henry if you’re going out? At least that’s her home and her toys are there.”
“No… Henry and I have to sort some stuff out tonight. In private.”
