Page 49 of The Single Dad's Guide to Recreation

“Must’ve been something I ate.” I jab the keyboard like I’m actually working here instead of fantasizing about all the ways I’m going to get Josh naked this weekend. “Did you need something?”

She sighs so heavily, I stop pretending to be engrossed in whatever’s on my computer screen. “What’s the matter?”

She grimaces, like she just ate something terrible. “I need a favor.”

“Sure. Anything. You need me to drive the kids somewhere?”

She sighs again. “I need you to go to a conference on public-private partnerships this weekend.”

Nooo!“This weekend? As in, like three days from now?”

“Yes,” she spits out. “When a person says this weekend, they’re typically referring to the one coming up.”

Son of a mother trucker. It’s like the universe is trying to keep me and Josh apart. “It’s such short notice, I—” I can’t use my parents as an excuse because my sister is coming. So I can go away and come with Josh.

“It’s important.”

“Then why aren’t you going?”

She rolls her eyes, like she can’t believe she’s about to say what she’s about to say. “Elijah is going.”

I just raise my eyebrows.

“And yes, fine. I’m not—I mean, I’m over him. It’s not like that. I’m just… still so angry with him. And he irritates the hell out of me, and I don’t think I will be at my best.” Her hands flail around for a moment. I’ve never seen Leia look so helpless. “The mayor called. She basically said that this is an opportunity we can’t refuse.”

When the mayor uses language like that, you can’t say no.

She presses her palms together. “Can you please go? I’ll do whatever your parents need.”

Fudge nuggets.

I can’t say no to her puppy dog eyes, so I look at my computer and click around for a moment. Maybe it’s a sign. Josh and I just have too much baggage between the two of us. I may not be infected with a silent killer of an STD, but I can’t have kids, and he probably wants to be with a woman with a working womb. Maybe I’ll learn something at this conference that will help me find a way to save Playgroup or come up with an alternative that will serve more of the population.

“Sure. I’ll go. No problem.”

Me

Bad news

Josh

You too?

Me

What’s your bad news?

Josh

You first

Me

No you

Josh

Okay

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