Unexpected Dad: Gay Romance

by Solet, Trina

  “You want to go, don’t you?”

  Tyler sheepishly said yes. “Can you get a ride?” he asked Jake.

  “You’re my ride,” Jake said indignantly and stood up to go too.

  Tyler protested that he didn’t need to leave, but Jake had made his decision. As they walked to the car, Tyler wanted to tell him that he was the father not Jake, that they weren’t joined at the hip, but all he said was, “I owe you a good time.”

  “Just for leaving early? You come cheap,” Jake said, reading more into it than Tyler meant to say.

  “Not that good,” Tyler corrected him.

  “And I was ready to bend you over the hood of your car,” Jake said.

  “I’ll take a rain check on that idea.”

  Tyler wished he could take him up on it right now. If he could, he would go park somewhere less conspicuous and turn this into a night to remember. Tyler smiled at the thought. Jake didn’t see him though. He was turned away, looking at all the dark houses full of sleeping families. Tyler followed his gaze. He could never imagine himself in a house like the ones in this quiet neighborhood. But now he was a lot like the people who lived there. He might not have a lawn or a plastic basketball hoop that came up to his shoulder, but he did have the most important thing. He had his very own kid at home.

  Chapter 11

  Next time Silvia came by, she brought a padded envelope and a box full of videos. She explained that it took her longer to sort through the videos and some of the photos from the time Julie lived with her grandfather and Silvia. She had her son help her copy some of them. After explaining the delay, she handed him the envelope. There were CDs and memory cards in there.

  “The videos go back to the first day Leslie brought Julie home as a newborn,” Silvia said.

  She didn’t bother giving him the box, just set it down. It held old Armstrong family movies. They were some videotapes and camcorder tapes in there as well as CDs.

  “Julie isn’t in these old ones, of course. They are just for her to have,” Silvia explained. They would show Julie what her mother was like as a child and Leslie from the days when Tyler knew her.

  After Julie went to bed, Tyler was left with a treasure trove of her young life. A part of him wanted to devour every second of video, but another part of him hesitated. He knew he wouldn’t just be seeing Julie. He would be seeing Leslie too so he held off. He wanted to call Jake, his crutch, but he stopped himself before he dialed. Maybe he would call him later, after he looked at some of them himself, forced himself to face Leslie again. She used to be just his girlfriend from high school, from his days of misguided effort to be something he wasn’t. Now she was so much more. She was the mother of his child.

  Choosing a video at random, Tyler pressed play. It was a Christmas video, but the Christmas tree was bare. At first its empty, green branches were all he saw. Then Julie came into view. She was little and chubbier than she was now. Her voice was even higher when she spoke.

  “Can we start yet? Can we start yet?” she said excitedly.

  Tyler wanted to reach for her, pick her up and hold her. But she didn’t stay still. She scampered around the tree. He then saw the camera settle, become stationary. That’s when Leslie stepped into the frame. Though he knew to expect it, Tyler was still startled to see her. Her hair was shorter. She looked a little thinner and more serious. But she smiled big when she joined Julie in front of the tree. For a while, he watched them decorate the tree. Julie’s chatter made him smile. Then he heard the doorbell just as Julie and Leslie did, and Leslie shut off the camera.

  In the next video, the Christmas decorating was already done. Someone else was holding the camera. Leslie held Julie in her arms and went around their apartment showing off how it was decked out for Christmas. Julie pointed out her own contributions. But she was most excited by the tree and all the presents under it.

  Tyler mostly watched Julie. But when Leslie would look at the camera, she would catch his eye. It was obvious that she loved Julie with all her heart, but Tyler wished that he could see some little sign that she didn’t hate him. And then there it was. He rewound and paused to make sure. It was on the shelf behind her. Their prom picture stood framed and on display. It was tucked away among some books, but it was there. Tyler couldn’t believe his eyes so he went close to the screen to stare at it.

  Since that picture wasn’t among the ones Silvia brought over, he called her to ask about it. She told him, “It used to be at Leslie’s apartment. I’m sorry. But I’m afraid, after she died, Carl ripped it up and threw it away.”

  Tyler wasn’t daunted. Next day, while Julie was at school, he went to see his mother. When not actually showing a place, she did most of her work on the phone, from home. Though there was an office with her name on the door, she didn’t spend much time there. She was busy, but she took a break for his visit.

  “Mom, you kept all my prom pictures. Do you still have them?” he asked her as soon as he stepped through the door.

  “Of course I do. What kind of mother would I be?” she said offhandedly. Then her eyes widened as she realized what that meant. She hurried off to get them. Rather than wait, Tyler followed her.

  As he walked through the apartment, Tyler remembered when they lost touch with their father. One day Fiona removed all the pictures of her and Tyler with their dad. They had been left around the apartment when their mother took away all the pictures of her and Dad. With no regret, Tyler had watched Fiona dump all the photos into a box, never to be seen again. Remembering that made Tyler very conscious of what Leslie had done by displaying their prom picture in her living room. He hoped her gesture meant that she didn’t hate him, that she might even have had some good memories of their time together.

  Tyler’s mother buried herself in her bedroom closet. Trying to decipher some of the labels on the boxes of photographs, she finally pulled out one of them. Then she went to sit with it on the bed. Tyler sat next to her. After opening the box, she handled the photos gingerly, knowing they were precious.

  “There she is,” she held up a copy of the same picture that Leslie had framed. They both gazed at it.

  Tyler couldn’t really see the picture. His eyes were clouded over with the past. He remembered dancing with Leslie at the prom. She wore a dress that was somewhere between turquoise and blue. The color was beautiful on her. Later they went to a party. He made her laugh, and she had to cover her mouth not to spew her drink.

  “Beer went up my nose!” she said. She tried to hit him, but he dodged and laughed at her. She threw her shoes at him, and he caught them. When he tried to give them back to her, she said, “I don’t want them. They hurt my feet.” After that she walked around barefoot.

  “She looks so much like Julie,” his mother said, bringing him back to the present. Her eyes filled with tears. She had only met Leslie a handful of times, briefly. She might not have even liked her. And now she was crying over her picture as a mother and as a grandmother. As tears fell from his mother’s eyes, Tyler put his arm around her and kept his own feelings in check. He focused on what he planned to do. He would frame the prom picture and give it to Julie.

  When he presented Julie with the framed picture, at first, she didn’t understand.

  “Who is this guy in the picture with your mom?” Tyler asked her.

  “A friend of Mommy’s,” Julie answered immediately. But then she took a closer look at the guy. Her eyes went wide, and she gasped excitedly, “It’s you!” She hugged him then went back to looking at the picture.

  “You’re with Mommy. You look nice,” she said in a shaky voice.

  She looked like she was going to cry but held it back.

  “I framed it for you. You can put it in your room or wherever you like,” he told her.

  She looked up at him, and Tyler hugged her while she hugged both him and the picture.

  Chapter 12

  As Tyler worked, he could hear that Jo was making Julie laugh. It was Friday, and Tyler had hoped to
start his weekend early. So far that wasn’t happening. He was feeling sorry for himself when Jo came up to him.

  “Hey, Daddy Warbucks...”

  “No,” Tyler said, cutting him off.

  “I didn’t even finish,” Jo complained.

  “Nothing good comes after ‘Hey, Daddy Warbucks.’” Of course Tyler wasn’t in the best mood since he was stuck dealing with an unreasonable client while Jo got to have fun with his kid.

  “Let me earn some money. Babysitting, whatever,” Jo said.

  “Earn? Actually, you can take a look at this for me.” He wasn’t sure how much help Jo would be, but he needed a fresh set of eyes.

  When Jake came by, he found Tyler and Jo sitting at the computer together. He tried to figure out what that was all about.

  “With a kid in the house, I know you’re not looking at porn. So what are you doing? It’s not that video of a python swallowing a pig, because that’s the same as porn.”

  “Shut up about porn,” Tyler told him. He didn’t want to explain to Julie what that was, or rather lie to Julie about what it was. “This designer wants a website that’s so ultra cool and sophisticated it will never sell a thing. She wants the prices to be discreet. And she rejected all the options my guys gave her. Jo is my consultant. He’s helping me figure her out.”

  Then Jo spoke to defend himself.

  “I was drafted against my will. I’m not a hide the price kind of guy. I’m a rummage in the thrift store kind of guy.”

  “Does this mean I should take Julie off your hands?” Jake asked since he could see that he wasn’t going to budge Tyler from his computer while he was in the middle of something.

  “Don’t pretend you’re doing it for us,” Jo accused him. “You are just dying to play daddy to that kid.”

  “I’m the daddy,” Tyler objected.

  Jo had to get sarcastic in response to that.

  “These days kids can have more than one dad, in case you haven’t heard.” Then he turned to Jake to say, “We’ll call you Big Daddy.”

  After Jake and Julie left, Jo narrowed his eyes at Tyler and made a serious accusation, “You like being a dad, don’t you? Just admit it.”

  “Why wouldn’t I admit it? Too cool for school is your thing. I have a great kid, and I’m really getting into this whole dad thing. I just wish I had more time for her.”

  Jo had his own ideas about the drawbacks of having a kid.

  “You’ll never again be able to turn up the volume on porn.”

  “My life isn’t all about porn,” Tyler told him.

  “Then you’re not living it right,” Jo said then he grew thoughtful. “I think I’m one of those guys who is always going to be alone.”

  Tyler laughed, but then he saw that Jo was serious.

  “Jordan Michael Cunningham. I can promise you that you will not be alone.”

  “When?” Jo asked.

  “Ever. You aren’t alone now,” Tyler pointed out.

  Jo grimaced.

  “Are you talking about you and Jake and my other stupid, asshole friends? What good are any of you?” Jo said with extreme ungraciousness.

  “Oh my God! And I was trying to be nice to you!” Tyler said, regretting it deeply.

  “That was your first mistake! Your next mistake was trying to pity me! I will kick your ass!” Jo said standing up and looking ready to fight.

  No, pity was definitely not called for.

  “Sit back down. You started it. You were begging me to pity you,” Tyler told him.

  “I was not. I just want a boyfriend. I’m sick of all the countless, random guys who can’t resist me,” Jo boasted.

  “Then try what straight people do to find someone. They get a job,” Tyler said while trying to do his. “Every straight couple I know met at work. The workplace is a total meat market. They should just be upfront about it and serve martinis.”

  “So that’s why people get jobs. I always wondered. But I need to meet a guy. Preferably a gay one so I don’t have to turn him.”

  Tyler laughed a little at Jo’s belief that he could turn any straight guy.

  “Then just make sure your workplace is stocked with gay guys. And make sure you don’t neglect Julie in the process. I’m counting on you.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I may be looking to branch out, but I never disappoint my fan base.”

  Tyler worried about his own prospects. He worked from home, hung out with guys who didn’t want a serious relationship. Now that he was a father, he wondered where he should go to meet the right guy. Of course when he thought about the right guy, he had trouble picturing him. His thoughts went to all his friends in committed relationships, and he cringed. Guys like those weren’t for him. So how was he supposed to find the perfect man if he didn’t even know who the hell he was looking for?

  Chapter 13

  As Jake took Julie on a stroll through town, he noticed that she wasn’t hard to please. They could just walk around, and she was happy. He did take her to a fancy candy shop to buy her some chocolates. He knew how to show a girl a good time. He wasn’t a slacker. She did take an incredibly long time picking them out though. Their aimless meandering took them to within a few blocks of his building. When his apartment building was in sight, Jake pointed it out to Julie.

  “You live there? Can I come visit you?” Julie asked.

  “Sure. You want to go now?”

  “Yes!” she said and practically raced him there. Boy, was she going to be disappointed.

  Since he wasn’t expecting visitors, Jake hadn’t made any effort to make his place presentable. The coffee table was covered with read and unread newspapers and junk mail. There were some beverage containers here and there. Some of his clothes were draped over chairs. He had tripped over a pair of shoes that morning, and he still didn’t put them away. Quickly, he made sure that he didn’t leave out anything that wasn’t kid appropriate. But that didn’t stop Jules from objecting to the state of the place.

  “It’s so messy,” Julie said in astonishment as she peered curiously at all the things he had left lying around. “Jake, why are you so messy?”

  If anyone else said the same thing, Jake would tell them where they could stick it. And that included Ty when he came by and complained. But Jules could say whatever she wanted.

  “Because I can be. It’s one of the perks of living alone,” Jake told her.

  “Dad was never messy, was he? Is that why Dad doesn’t want to be your boyfriend? Because you’re too messy?”

  “What do you mean he doesn’t want to be my boyfriend?”

  “He said, ‘Jake is not boyfriend material,’” Julie quoted.

  “Not... He should be so lucky!”

  “Are you mad?” Julie asked him since he had gotten all worked up about it.

  “Yes, I am. Want a snack?”

  He was going to offer her some chips and salsa and hope she could handle the heat. Searching some more, he saw the takeout container of sesame chicken that had only been there since yesterday so it was probably the freshest thing in his fridge. He decided to skip the salsa and served up the chips with the chicken. Julie had no objections to the strange menu. She probably didn’t even know it was strange. After Jake cleared off his breakfast table, they sat down to eat.

  “You could get a dog,” she said suddenly.

  “Mgh. Don’t talk to me about dogs,” Jake grumbled. He didn’t question her motive for saying that. Kids always said weird stuff for no reason.

  “You don’t like dogs?” she asked.

  “I like them. I used to have one.”

  “What happened?” she wanted to know. From Jake’s sad look, she guessed. “Did he die?”

  Jake couldn’t deny it, but he didn’t want to get into it with a kid who had recently lost her grandfather and before that her mother.

  “Yeah, he died, but he was old,” Jake told her so she wouldn’t feel too bad.

  “Oh, no,” Julie said. She looked like she was ready to cry.
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  “It’s OK. He was really, really old.”

  “It’s still sad,” she said. She came around to his side of the table to give him a hug.

  “You’re the best kid in the whole world,” Jake told her.

  “And you’re the best Jake in the whole world.”

  “Did you get sauce on me?” Jake asked seeing that neither her face nor her hands were clean.

  “I’ll go wash my hands,” Julie said.

  “Face too. You’re a messy eater.”

  “You’re a messy eater!”

  Not sure what the state of his towels was, he got her a clean one, but she still complained about it.

  “Your towels are scratchy.”

  “I’ll use fabric softener from now on just for you,” he promised her.

  “Good. And get more food. Get some cookies.” She had not been happy to find out he didn’t have any.

  “You should make me some cookies,” Jake told her.

  “I only know how to make cookies with grandma and Silvia. Buy some cookies.”

  “I only eat homemade cookies.”

  “You’re so difficult. You’re like my grandpa.”

  “God, no,” Jake said, but then he saw how she looked at him. “I mean, I’m not old like your grandpa was,” he said since he did promise Ty he wouldn’t badmouth Julie’s grandfather in front of her.