Unexpected Dreams: Dream Series, Book 4

by Isabelle Peterson

  The waitress chose this very moment to approach the table to see if I would like a drink. Would I? Hell, woman, just bring the whole damned bottle! I ordered my standard, a gin and tonic, and then went back to trying to figure out just what the fuck was going on with my daughter. Everyone else at the table was clearly in the know. Being the last really sucked.

  Another couple, two people I didn’t recognize at all, interrupted our little party again; a man not much older than Charlie named Kevin, and with him a woman, introduced to me as Shelby. Everyone greeted everyone else, and again, I felt like the odd-man-out.

  “So,” Phoebe started confidently. The next several minutes were spent with Phoebe, along with Charlie, Elizabeth, and even Jack, filling me in about some cad named Danny from the school Phoebe was at in Ohio before coming to NYU, and Phoebe’s plans for this baby. She was very grateful that Charlie talked to her about adoption, which was the path Phoebe chose. This past week, along with her first week at school, she interviewed a prospective adoptive couple, and while she wasn’t sure this couple was a match, she was very happy to give a couple the gift of a child. She was moving forward with a couple who were seeking an open adoption situation. Charlie grew up knowing his adoptive parents, but for a while, he only knew them as his Aunt and Uncle. Phoebe’s choice for an open adoption was that she didn’t want the baby to grow up, and later learn that he or she was adopted, and then come ‘hunting’ for her. Charlie had felt he would have done better knowing his Aunt and Uncle were simply his biological parents and unable to care for him instead of not wanting him, and that his adoptive parents where his parents by choice.

  It was so much to process…not simply that my baby girl was pregnant, but that she was so mature. While I wasn’t crazy with the situation, I could certainly see everything was indeed under control. Phoebe had incredible support with Charlie, Elizabeth, and—again—Jack. I guess if my girl has to have a ‘stand-in-Dad’ on the east coast, she could have done worse. Jack was clearly a caring father figure. Phoebe did apologize for springing this on me, especially in public, but she explained that she felt it would be better if I were in a situation where I’d be more likely to stay calm. True, if she had given me this news on the phone or if we were at her apartment, I probably would have started yelling and scolding her. Well played, Princess.

  The next hour was actually very enjoyable. Watching Elizabeth and Jack should have made me angry, but I was actually very happy for her. And Jack was really, well…perfect for her. The smile on her face was the same as I had seen on Tanner’s face… and the way I had felt when I was with Tanner. How had I gone twenty-plus years without having that, yet built a family?

  I got to know Charlie, the man who had clearly stolen Phoebe’s heart. He was actually a TV and film star, and definitely explained why he looked familiar. I learned that Kevin was Phoebe’s neighbor, and the name started ringing a bell but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Kevin was a middle school Spanish teacher. He was actually a Texas native but loved living in New York. Then it started to register for me. Kevin was one of the two men Elizabeth had ‘gotten involved with’ when she was here back in April. The fact that these two were now friends was shocking. Even more so was that his girlfriend, Shelby, was Elizabeth’s friend; also a bartender here at Ed Scott’s.

  Kevin was a handsome man, as was Jack—I had to give that to Elizabeth. Kevin’s scruffy jaw, and tattoos that peeked out from under the rolled up button-down were very disarming though. He only made me think of Tanner.

  Most of the evening I sat listening to fun stories of Phoebe’s internship, and NYU, where Charlie was also taking classes, while working on a few cameo appearances in TV shows and one film that would be shooting in the next month or so. He then planned to take time off so he could finish his college degree—once again; Charlie was working his way back into my good graces.

  We were only about halfway through dinner when I heard a laugh that literally stopped my heart. It was the rich sound that had worked its way into my soul and squeezed my heart. Surely, my mind was playing tricks on me. My asking Tanner to dinner… sitting next to a man who had features similar to Tanner…

  My back was to the bulk of the restaurant and I tried to find a casual way to look behind me. When I did I almost wished I hadn’t, because once I spotted the source of the laughter, I was frozen. There, sitting on the wall opposite where we were sitting, was Tanner. He was still laughing, his head thrown back. My lips itched to kiss his neck, but why was he here? He was sitting with two women, a man, and two children. Panic started to grip me.

  “Greg? Are you okay?” Elizabeth asked.

  I pulled myself from the twisted form my body had taken to turn and look behind me. I cleared my throat and drained the last of my drink. “Yeah. Yeah. Just stretching my back. The plane ride…hotel mattress… just a little stiff.”

  I noticed in front of me a framed piece of art, and on the glass of that framed art, I could actually make out Tanner. I was dying to get up and ask him what in the hell he was doing here. Why was he in New York? Was he following me? How did he find out that I was coming here? Who was he sitting with?

  CHAPTER 30

  I watched that glass framed art closely, practically ignoring everything going on at the table. I tried to pay attention to the conversation…I really did. But it was so hard to concentrate. I tried taking deep breaths to calm myself, but I would get hints of the bath gel that Tanner (and now I) used, and that would just ramp up my desire to go over to him. I couldn’t shake the nagging curiosity of what he was doing here. New York. Ed Scott’s.

  I had to watch myself because I caught Elizabeth watching me, even glancing behind her to the framed art on the wall. To the average observer, it was just an abstract oil painting of nothing. Seriously. Just color thrown and dripped on a canvas, behind glass I guess because it was maybe valuable, or maybe just to protect it from spills or smells of the restaurant.

  Suddenly, I saw Tanner set his glass down and head toward the hallway where I knew the men’s room was. I was practically desperate at this point to follow him, but Phoebe was talking in her typical longwinded way. I was getting anxious, because I wanted to catch Tanner in the Men’s Room and ask him what was up. I mean…stalking me? To NYC? As soon as Phoebe finished, I quickly excused myself and hastily headed to the hallway.

  He was just coming out of the bathrooms, and we nearly collided.

  “Greg! Oh my god! What are you doing here?” he said, a smile toying with his lips, but confusion on his face.

  “Are you stalking me?” I growled.

  “What?” he laughed. “I think the question is are you stalking me?”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “At Ed Scott’s? Or New York?”

  “Yes. Both.”

  “Well, if you must know, I’m here at Ed Scott’s having dinner with my mother, sister, her husband and two kids. I’m in New York for the 9/11 memorial services. So now, I ask you. What are you doing here?”

  My heart stopped and I felt like a big, steaming pile of dog shit. Tears actually hit my eyes as I remembered Tanner telling me that his father had died in the World Trade Center Towers on 9/11 in 2001. It had already registered to me that this was the anniversary week of that horrible day. How could I have been so stupid? Of course, he would be here for that.

  Without a second thought, I pulled Tanner into my arms and hugged him. He hugged me back and I couldn’t have felt any more at peace. It all clicked into place, right then. This was it. Being in Tanner’s arms was where I belonged. We embraced for a few moments, and I felt calmer just breathing in his scent…the gel and his musky signature.

  “I’m sorry. It’s been a stressful day,” I said pulling back and stuffing my hands in my pockets, an attempt to hide the semi that had cropped up. I quickly recapped the past hour or so: that I was here for my daughter’s birthday, her surprising me about her pregnancy, meeting her very serious boyfriend, and watching my ex with her new boyfriend.
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  “Lets meet up later? After our family dinners?” he asked.

  “God, I would love that. I’m staying at Hilton Midtown. You?”

  “I’m staying with my mom, along with my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew in a tiny three bedroom condo in Morningside Heights. It’s like there’s a second Grand Central in this town,” he laughed.

  I laughed with him and it felt so good.

  “I’ll come by around ten-thirty? Eleven? Is that too late?” he asked.

  I checked my watch. It was already a quarter after eight, and we were nearly done with our dinner. “That should work.” I said.

  Tanner leaned in, cupping the back of my head and gently pressed his lips on mine, while grabbing my ass, which brought my half hard dick to almost full blown wood, but I didn’t care. It felt so good.

  “Can I introduce you to my family?” he asked tentatively.

  I swallowed. I was more than reluctant. My family was nearby. Surely, they’d see us and wonder. I could always say he’s a client, and that’s not a lie. Would he feel bad if I didn’t return the favor? I nodded, and smiled. “I’d like that.” The smile…his amazing smile, flashed on his face. “But…” I added hesitantly. “Can we hold off a little on me returning the favor? There’s been enough drama at the table with my family…I…”

  “I said I would wait, didn’t I? An introduction to your family would be nice, but I understand, and I take no offense. Are you okay with them seeing me introduce you to my family?”

  I nodded and said, “I can honestly say that you are a client. An easy explanation. I’m sorr—”

  “Stop apologizing. Please. We’ll talk more tonight, okay?”

  Good God Almighty. This man was beyond incredible. I didn’t deserve him.

  “C’mon.”

  I followed Tanner to the table he was sitting at. He made introductions, simply saying I was his financial planner and that we had become friends. His mother, Lenora, looked me over and smiled warmly as if she knew I was more than a business acquaintance. Tanner had told me that his mother was unbelievably supportive of who Tanner was. Tanner had her eyes. She had light colored hair and I wondered if his father was the one with the dark hair. His sister, Samantha, practically a female copy of Tanner in looks, introduced her husband George, and their two kids, Arabella and Nathan. Everyone was very charming and warm. Just like Tanner.

  I wondered how my mother and father would be? My very Catholic mother and father, and fairly Catholic sisters, except the youngest, Noelle; she was a wild one, and my favorite sister. I wondered how my ex-wife, daughter, and two sons were going to take all of this. Holy hell my life was about to get very, very complicated. How would I even begin to explain this to any of them?

  I quickly excused myself and headed back to my table, where no one seemed the wiser. Perhaps they didn’t even notice my talking to Tanner’s family? How long would I be able to keep this hiding up though? Did I want to?

  Oh.

  My.

  God.

  Maybe following Greg to the men’s room wasn’t a good idea, but something was wrong with him, and I only wanted to make sure he was okay. When you’ve been married to a man for more than twenty years, you can tell when something is bothering him.

  I had to process what I’d just witnessed. My ex-husband…with a man…a very handsome man…with an accent.

  I hastily weaved my way back through the restaurant through the sea of people, not seeing anyone or anything, desperate to get back to the table so I could sit and stop my trembling legs. Sitting down, I grabbed my wine and, as lady-like as I could, chugged it. Jack knew right away I was off; perhaps the chugging of a more than half full glass of wine had something to do with that. I gave him my best assurances that I would be just fine, and I would fill him in later.

  I glanced up and carefully watched Greg as he talked to a table of guests with the man from the hallway. As much as I tried, my head would not stop swirling. What I’d just seen—with Greg and the man in the hallway—threw me for a serious loop, and the sleepies I’d been feeling from a long day were long gone. I replayed in my head what I had just heard and seen.

  I tried to get back to the men’s room before he went inside, wanting to make sure that he was really okay with all that was going on, namely Phoebe and me being with Jack. I really was concerned with Greg. He’d started off taking everything so well, but then he suddenly grew tense and odd. I’d needed to make sure he was okay.

  I did not expect to spot him hugging another man. It certainly didn’t look like a Hi-old-friend-been-a-long-time-since-I’d-seen-ya kind of hug either. I hid behind the corner and tried to process what I had seen and then they started to talk. Greg apologized for something and talked about the past hour with what he’d learned about Phoebe. He actually sounded pretty okay with it. But then the next parts of the conversation, talking about meeting up at Greg’s hotel, and Greg’s enthusiasm for this guy to come and meet him, was…bizarre. I chanced another peek around the corner, to try and see Greg’s face and figure this whole thing out a bit more and my heart jumped into my throat to see the two kissing and the man’s hand quickly grab Greg’s butt!

  Hastily I made my way back to the table, and chugged the wine, then watched with utter amazement as Greg talked with the man and his dinner guests. What in the hell was going on?

  As soon as I saw Greg excusing himself from the group with the gorgeous man and those at his table, I schooled my confusion and curiosity, and made like I’d seen nothing at all. At least that’s what I hoped I was portraying.

  CHAPTER 31

  I was excited and anxious to get back to my hotel. Tanner would be arriving in less than an hour. He and his family had already left before, but we had stayed late for Phoebe to open her presents and there was a special birthday cake for her. Piled on top of that, was Elizabeth watching me like a hawk since I got back from talking to Tanner’s family. I’d easily explained that Tanner was a client, and how funny it was to run into him across the country. We all agreed it was a “small world after all.”

  As everyone sipped their coffee and enjoyed the cake, Phoebe said, “So, Mom, how is the Glisten-JSS charity gala going?”

  “Funny you should bring that up,” Elizabeth said, flicking a glance my way, then back to Phoebe and Charlie. “I was actually able to book Boxwood to perform. Thank you, Charlie, for helping me contact them.”

  Their conversation was completely foreign. I reflected and realized I didn’t have much of a relationship with my daughter. Sure, Elizabeth living here, and Phoebe in the same city was a bond, but I didn’t have anything of the sort with Phoebe. Maybe in part, because she was child number three, maybe because she was a girl and I didn’t know how to connect—which I didn’t think was a possibility since I’d grown up the only boy in a family with four sisters. I really needed to do something to reconnect with my kids. I felt horrible for being such an absentee father.

  “Boxwood is almost as good as Luke Bryan. Not country, but I like their stuff,” Phoebe said. Kevin and Phoebe laughed, and I vaguely remembered that Kevin had taken my daughter to a Luke Bryan concert back in April. I found it absurd that Phoebe had gone out with a man ten years older than she was. “Their song Southside Miss America is on the Top Forty countdown…

  “At twelve,” Elizabeth finished.

  “Any time, Beth,” Charlie said. “It was my pleasure. Boxwood likes doing charity events. Hearts of gold, those guys. And anything I can do to help the gay community is an honor,” Charlie said.

  I stopped cold, my brain slamming inside my skull. What were we talking about? I thought it was something about a charity and some band named after a bush.

  “Well, Glisten,” Elizabeth said and turned to me. “The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. G-L-S-E-N,” she explained to me then turned back to Charlie, “and JSS, thank you. It’s a shame so many gay and lesbian men and women feel they cannot be who they are. Education is key. Anything we can do to help everyon
e be comfortable with themselves and others is a good thing indeed.” Elizabeth didn’t look directly at me when she said that, did she? She is looking at me. Like she knows something… No, that’s absurd. I’m just being hyper sensitive. She’s probably just reflecting on attitudes I’ve spouted since as long as we’ve been together.

  “Yes, it is,” I choked. I thought about the bullying I’d witnessed in the middle school level of the gay boy, Tommy DeLucca. I wondered if he’d been harassed even in elementary school. I wondered if I had been exposed to the education of this organization if I wouldn’t have supported Prop 8, and maybe realized who I was earlier.

  “GLSEN,” Elizabeth continued, “is involved in improving school climates to prevent bullying from kindergarten through high school. I remember the crap my sister went through when she was in high school.” Elizabeth then nudged Jack, who looked chagrined, although I had no idea why. I knew Jack had gone to the same high school as Elizabeth and her sister, Suzie, and that Jack and Suzie were likely in the same grade or close.

  Phoebe yawned and said, “Well, I want to thank you all for celebrating my birthday with me, but I’m exhausted and need to get to bed. And I have class at eight tomorrow morning.”

  We all stood. Phoebe hugged Shelby and Kevin, and then Kevin tucked Shelby under his arm and the two headed out.

  I stood with Elizabeth, Jack, and Phoebe as Charlie collected Phoebe’s gifts, except the bag, I bought her.

  “I love my bag, Dad,” she said, which she already had stocked and slung over her shoulder. She hugged me tight.

  I asked her, “When are your classes over tomorrow? I’d love to take you out to lunch. A little father-daughter time?”

  “I’d like that,” she said looking me in the eye. “I’d like that very much. I have a break between classes from one until three. Will that work?”

  “Sure. Text me the address you want to meet and I’ll be there.” She kissed me on the cheek and stepped aside.