Page 52 of Baby for the Single Dad

Pierre!

I blame her blasted ex-boyfriend! Perhaps if he hadn’t shown up, Giselle would have given me a listening ear. But I’m really to be blamed for dragging my feet for so long, when deep within me, I knew I wanted Giselle for keeps.

“Hey, Miles.”

I lift my head to see Giselle’s brother a few feet away. We have run into each other a few times at the Alvin Ailey Dance School after meeting at the apartment. When I wondered why I didn’t see Giselle anymore, he told me with a knowing look that she changed the time of her ballet class.

“Hi, Gabriel.” We shake hands as I force a smile to my face.

His penetrating gaze, so like Giselle’s, searches my face.

“Why do you look as if you’re carrying the entire world on your shoulders?”

I hide a grimace by rubbing a hand across my jaw. How do I tell him his sister has been causing me sleepless nights?

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” he quickly inserts while I’m trying to gather my thoughts. “I’m tired. I had a complicated surgery today. I’ll see you some other time.”

“Wait.” I put up a hand as he makes to walk away. I decide to confide in him. Possibly, he’ll give me some advice on how to get through to his sister. “I went to see Giselle, and she refuses to speak to me. She has blocked my number. Even when I tried reaching her from another phone, she hung up.”

He gives me a weird look before sighing. “Tell you what. Why don’t we go somewhere and get a drink?”

“That would be great.”

He smiles warmly. “Nothing a good glass of beer can’t handle. Come on. It’s not far. It’s my favorite relaxation spot when the world gets to me.”

A genuine smile crosses my face as I walk with him down the block. My thoughts are all over the place as we make the short journey to a bar around the corner. Fortunately, the place isn’t crowded, and Gabriel leads the way to the back after exchanging pleasantries with the barman and some of the patrons. He orders a glass of beer and does the same for me.

“It’s locally brewed and has different flavors. You’ll love it. Well, that’s if you’re a beer lover,” he says as I glance around the dim interior.

I nod, looking forward to it. I haven’t had beer in a long while. My attention is drawn to the men playing pool in the corner of the bar and the Beatles music coming from the jukebox.

The large glasses of beer are served, and just like Gabriel promised, I love it.

“This is spectacular,” I remark, nodding and licking away the froth that formed a mustache on my upper lip. “I don’t think I’ve ever had beer this good before.”

He grins. “I told you.”

“They just won themselves another regular,” I utter with delight, and Gabriel laughs. He takes another gulp of his beer and sighs.

“Stop me anytime you think I’m prying too much about your relationship with my sister,” he throws in casually.

“I wish I could get through to her,” I say in a resigned tone.

He keeps silent for a few seconds while he stares at me fixedly. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

As there’s no point lying about it, I nod. “I’ve been trying to tell her, but she won’t give me the time of day. She seems to think all I want from her is sex.”

“And is that true?”

Looking affronted, I snap, “No. Of course not. Initially, it was only that for me, though I enjoyed her company too. But somewhere along the way, I fell hard. It took me a while to realize it and accept that it was time to move on from the memory of my late wife. I must have given Giselle the wrong notion about my intentions. Or her recent attitude might have something to do with her ex-boyfriend resurfacing and wanting her back.”

He frowns. “You know about Pierre?”

“Yes.” I eye him warily. “Are they back together?”

He shocks me by laughing. “You don’t have to worry about him, Miles. I don’t think Giselle will ever have anything to do with that toad again. But then again, with women, you really can’t tell.”

The sadness in his voice has me wondering about his life story. He’s a single father, like me, and a successful neurosurgeon, but that’s all I know about him. I struggle to focus back on my quandary, but I won’t ask him what happened to Maddie’s mother. Then I’d be the nosy one.

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