Wyatt smiled at her, fatigue in his face.
“Promise you’ll at least pretend to watch Top Chef ?”
“Promise.”
Eva pulled up in front of Wyatt’s. “Call me tomorrow and let me know what happened,” she demanded.
“There’ll be some nail-biting tension about plating on time and a chef will be eliminated.” Wyatt clambered inelegantly from the coupe. “Prying myself from that tin can is going to give me a heart attack someday.”
“Chuck Norris will never have a heart attack. His heart isn’t foolish enough to attack him.” Eva waved as she pulled away.
Fifteen minutes later, Eva joined her date on the patio at Gaucho Grill.
“Sorry I’m late. Wyatt needed a ride.” She grabbed a piece of calamari and ignored Bryan’s disapproving look. “Mmmmm.”
“How does Wyatt manage when you’re not fussing over him?”
Eva ignored Bryan’s tone. “He drives his car, silly. His baby mama was supposed to pick him up today, but she no-showed.”
“Baby mama?”
“He’s adopting.”
“I didn’t think Wyatt was married. What would you like to drink?” The waiter stood by.
“White Rioja, please. He isn’t.”
Bryan frowned. “Is he gay?”
“No. Why would you ask that?”
“I never heard of a straight guy wanting a kid on his own.”
“Why should a straight guy be any different from a gay guy or a woman?”
Bryan looked uncomfortable. “I don’t know. Why doesn’t he get married?”
“He hasn’t met the right woman.”
“Isn’t he fifty?”
“Almost.”
“And he never found a woman?”
Eva thought Bryan was being a little holy for a single guy pushing forty. “He dated someone for ten years, but she waffled on the kid thing. Eventually she decided no kids. He wants one.” Wyatt’s words at the time had stayed with Eva: I was shocked to find myself alone, then I was shocked to find how easy it was .
“I never heard of a straight man adopting before,” Bryan repeated. “It’s weird.”
Eva controlled her irritation. “Don’t you think men have paternal urges?”
“No,” Bryan said. “That’s why women make the babies.”
“There are lots of single dads.”
“Those are their own kids. They aren’t adopting strangers’ kids.”
“Why is adopting normal for single women or gay men, but not straight guys? You don’t give men much credit.”
“I don’t know.” Bryan looked uncomfortable. “It seems odd. Pervy.”
Eva snorted. “Society sends some pretty mixed messages. We want men involved with our children, but if they’re too into it, they must be perverts.”
“Look at that guy in San Diego with the kid in his basement.”
“You think any straight man left alone with a child not of his loins will lock them in the basement and do something terrible?”
“I—”
“Do you think all priests are pedophiles?” Eva pressed.
“Of course not. Priests who molest children are criminals.”
“Did your sixth-grade math teacher want to give you special lessons? Your swim coach? Your Boy Scout troop leader?”
“No.”
“But you think adult men left unattended around children want to commit lewd acts?”
“This argument is ridiculous.”
“Your reaction is ridiculous. You’re saying a man can only be alone with his children if he can go home after hiking or Indian Guides and fuck his wife.”
“I’m not saying that at all.” Bryan gave her a leer. “But after I take our kids to Indian Guides, I’m going to want to come home and fuck my wife.”
“It’ll have to be after golf with your buddies. You know I don’t want kids.”
“You didn’t want kids,” he corrected. “But we’re in a relationship now.”
“I don’t ever want kids,” Eva assured him. “Snot and mashed peas and bed-wetting. Ugh.”
Bryan wasn’t laughing. “You don’t mean that.”
“My name is Eva but I’m no Eve.”
“You don’t like apples?”
“I don’t want to be the mother of humanity.”
A furrow creased Bryan’s forehead.
Eva
“Promise you’ll at least pretend to watch Top Chef ?”
“Promise.”
Eva pulled up in front of Wyatt’s. “Call me tomorrow and let me know what happened,” she demanded.
“There’ll be some nail-biting tension about plating on time and a chef will be eliminated.” Wyatt clambered inelegantly from the coupe. “Prying myself from that tin can is going to give me a heart attack someday.”
“Chuck Norris will never have a heart attack. His heart isn’t foolish enough to attack him.” Eva waved as she pulled away.
Fifteen minutes later, Eva joined her date on the patio at Gaucho Grill.
“Sorry I’m late. Wyatt needed a ride.” She grabbed a piece of calamari and ignored Bryan’s disapproving look. “Mmmmm.”
“How does Wyatt manage when you’re not fussing over him?”
Eva ignored Bryan’s tone. “He drives his car, silly. His baby mama was supposed to pick him up today, but she no-showed.”
“Baby mama?”
“He’s adopting.”
“I didn’t think Wyatt was married. What would you like to drink?” The waiter stood by.
“White Rioja, please. He isn’t.”
Bryan frowned. “Is he gay?”
“No. Why would you ask that?”
“I never heard of a straight guy wanting a kid on his own.”
“Why should a straight guy be any different from a gay guy or a woman?”
Bryan looked uncomfortable. “I don’t know. Why doesn’t he get married?”
“He hasn’t met the right woman.”
“Isn’t he fifty?”
“Almost.”
“And he never found a woman?”
Eva thought Bryan was being a little holy for a single guy pushing forty. “He dated someone for ten years, but she waffled on the kid thing. Eventually she decided no kids. He wants one.” Wyatt’s words at the time had stayed with Eva: I was shocked to find myself alone, then I was shocked to find how easy it was .
“I never heard of a straight man adopting before,” Bryan repeated. “It’s weird.”
Eva controlled her irritation. “Don’t you think men have paternal urges?”
“No,” Bryan said. “That’s why women make the babies.”
“There are lots of single dads.”
“Those are their own kids. They aren’t adopting strangers’ kids.”
“Why is adopting normal for single women or gay men, but not straight guys? You don’t give men much credit.”
“I don’t know.” Bryan looked uncomfortable. “It seems odd. Pervy.”
Eva snorted. “Society sends some pretty mixed messages. We want men involved with our children, but if they’re too into it, they must be perverts.”
“Look at that guy in San Diego with the kid in his basement.”
“You think any straight man left alone with a child not of his loins will lock them in the basement and do something terrible?”
“I—”
“Do you think all priests are pedophiles?” Eva pressed.
“Of course not. Priests who molest children are criminals.”
“Did your sixth-grade math teacher want to give you special lessons? Your swim coach? Your Boy Scout troop leader?”
“No.”
“But you think adult men left unattended around children want to commit lewd acts?”
“This argument is ridiculous.”
“Your reaction is ridiculous. You’re saying a man can only be alone with his children if he can go home after hiking or Indian Guides and fuck his wife.”
“I’m not saying that at all.” Bryan gave her a leer. “But after I take our kids to Indian Guides, I’m going to want to come home and fuck my wife.”
“It’ll have to be after golf with your buddies. You know I don’t want kids.”
“You didn’t want kids,” he corrected. “But we’re in a relationship now.”
“I don’t ever want kids,” Eva assured him. “Snot and mashed peas and bed-wetting. Ugh.”
Bryan wasn’t laughing. “You don’t mean that.”
“My name is Eva but I’m no Eve.”
“You don’t like apples?”
“I don’t want to be the mother of humanity.”
A furrow creased Bryan’s forehead.
Eva
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