Page 16

Eight

In all my forty-five years I have never been in a situation as awkward as that one and I watched my ex-wife birth triplets naturally. If I could teleport out of that building, I would; instead I take the stairs two at a time and make a beeline for the door. Once we are all in the car, and safely away from anyone that might hear me, I let loose on my children.

“You fucking-little-shits did this on purpose. I have never in my life been so embarrassed.”

“How was Tala supposed to know the suit lady was your Tinderbang?”

“My what?” I almost crash the car turning to glare at Fallon.

“You’re going to bang her aren’t you?” Lycan asks. “She’s hot.”

I must admit, she is very attractive in person. So attractive, when she was on her knees with her face in my crotch looking up at me through her long lashes, I had to give myself the pep talk and start counting in my head to keep things from rising to the occasion.

“I am not going to bang anyone on Tinder. I am deleting that shit!”

“You didn’t look like you wanted to delete it because she was cock-ulating your pants measurements three times over.” Fallon laughs at his own joke. I try to hide my smile. “You should ask her out. She liked what she saw down there.”

“I did ask her out.” I actually really did. “She said she was busy.”

“Oh, cock blocked.”

“She was busy with that shitshow of an appointment, and given the fact she literally acted as if she had never seen me before, I am pretty sure she’ll never say yes now.” I feel dejected, I had enjoyed talking to her. She was ice cold in there though. My children and their shenanigans didn’t exactly help. “You lot acting like idiots didn’t exactly help.”

“I bet they were talking about you in the dressing room,” Tala adds because my ego isn’t bruised enough already.

“Of course they were,” Lycan says.

“I am not fetching that suit, or fitting it — or anything. You fuckers can deal with it. This was your harebrained little plan.” There’s no way I am going back in there.

“You can’t wear a suit that doesn’t fit.”

“I have other tuxedos, Tala.” I really do. I don’t need this one. My usual tailor doesn’t touch me inappropriately, he’s very professional and won’t be swiping left or right on me anywhere. Tinder has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever let these three talk me into. The golf course incident, and now this. I’m done. I think they know just how angry I am because the rest of the drive home is silent. I wallow in the rejection that stung worse than it should have.

This shouldn’t be an issue in my life. I shouldn’t be sitting in my study staring at that stupid flame emoji wishing a notification would pop up from her. But I am. Her shiny eyes and cheeky smile are burned into my photographic memory, and I can’t erase them. Flipping my phone facedown, I open up my laptop and go in search of stamps to add to my collection. An estate sale catches my eye, it’s out of state, and I’d have to be there in person to bid. There’s a stamp there that I want though; it’s worth a four day trip to get it.

“We’re going to the club, Tala has practice. Want to join us for dinner and drink?” Fallon pokes his head in my office. I have no good reason not to.

“Give me a few minutes, I’ll come with you.”

“Okay.” He goes again. I quickly book flights, a hotel, and register for auction making sure my bidding deposit is cleared. Twenty minutes later I’m ready to join them; it’ll be good to see Tala on the horse I paid a small fortune for. After this morning, some fresh air might be good for me. The boys never showed an interest in polo much to their mother’s dismay. With Lycan it was baseball, and Fallon avoided sports at all costs. My daughter, however, had an affinity for horses from very young, and I doubt it’s going to end — ever.

It’s summer, and the polo club is bustling with upper crust families, players, parents, and those there for gossip. I stand at the edge of the field away from the group of overzealous moms cheering their grown kids on, and watch Tala. Children remember who shows up, who actually watches — and I want my daughter to always remember that was me.

“Kalon, hi,” Selene greets me. Our girls have been riding together since pony club, and we have spent many summers standing next to the field just like this. Selene lost her husband to a sudden heart attack a year before last, but before that he would have been here with her.

“Hello. How are you?” She’s one of the harmless ones here, I don’t need to fear being molested.

“Good, glad the girls are home for the summer. This college thing is hard. Empty nest is a real feeling.” I can relate, it’s a strange feeling when your kids leave home.

“I know; today I am ready to send mine back though. I forgot how much no-good they get up to.”

Selene laughs. “You know you’re the talk of the clubhouse today?” She adds cautiously, “Apparently you’ve been spotted on a certain dating app.”

Oh dear lord. This is the exact awkwardness I was trying to avoid.

“That no-good I was talking about. My kids decided to add me to Tinder — as a joke.”

Her face falls slightly, and she looks at the horses, not me.