Pompous Player (Cocky Hero Club)

Part of me wishes Harry would find a fuck buddy, so he’d stop looking at me like I’m some sort of sex goddess he can’t live without. He’s just horny and this is how he operates.

It doesn’t help that he adores Avery. I find it so damned attractive when he goes out of his way with silly faces and dances just to make her smile. He knows just how to tickle her feet to make her grin, and she even laughed for him once.

She’s three months old now. Harry and I have been caring for her together for six weeks now, and even though he’s still a shitbag in general, he’s a really good dad. He talks to her, cuddles her and I’ve even heard him singing to her. He was singing an Eminem song, but still…she liked it.

“Okay, so what are we thinking?” I ask as my next client sits down in my chair.

She wants a color, cut and highlights, so I mix her color and listen to her wedding plans as I go through the process of applying the color first. After I get the highlights applied and the foils wrapped, I sit my client under one of the dryers and go back to the break room, eager to see if Harry texted again.

I only have one missed call from Aubrey, so I sit down and call her back while I wait for my client’s hair to process.

“Hey!” She sounds happy, and I smile.

“Hi, how are you?” I say.

“Almost to the waddling stage, I think.”

“You’ll still be gorgeous.”

“Well, thanks. I’m actually out shopping for baby clothes now.”

“Sounds like fun.”

She sighs and gushes, “It’s so much more fun than I expected it to be. I just can’t wait to see that sweet little face and hold him.”

“I can’t wait to be an auntie.”

“Baby Bateman and Avery will be so close in age. I hope they end up being the best of friends.”

“Me too,” I say, feeling a pang of worry.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just know this arrangement between me and Harry can’t last forever.”

“You think he’ll get married or something? Didn’t you say he’s a manwhore?”

“Well, yeah, but I can’t help worrying that at some point he’ll settle down.”

“You think he’d cut you out of Avery’s life if he did get married?”

“No, I don’t think he would. But I just worry, you know? His mom has been on some five-month tour of Europe and Asia, and she’ll be back in a month. She lives in New York, but she’s coming straight to Chicago to meet Avery when her trip ends. What if she wants to move in and take care of Avery and Harry boots me out?”

“Don’t worry about things that haven’t happened yet.”

I exhale a sigh so big that a stray curl by my forehead flies up a little. “I’m trying.”

“Remember how you said you haven’t dated in a while and you might like to start putting yourself out there?”

I furrow my brow. “That’s not what I said, Aubrey.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure you did.”

“No, I’m good. I like things just as they are.”

There’s a pause before she says, “Oh, well…you should start dating again. You’re a catch, you know.”

“What did you do?” I ask, suspicious.

“Don’t be mad.”

“Tell me.”

“Oh, you should see these little baby Converse shoes! I have to have them.”

“Aubrey, focus,” I say, exasperated. “If you set up a dating profile for me, I swear I’ll come to California and eat every last Pop-Tart in your kitchen.”

“I’ll fight you, so good luck with that.”

“Seriously, I only have like ten minutes left for my break. For the love of God, please tell me there’s not a billboard going up somewhere with my phone number on it.”

She laughs. “No, nothing like that. I have this friend from law school, Stephanie, and her brother lives in Chicago. He’s single, attractive and he’s a partner at a financial management firm. Really successful. I had her show him a picture of you, and—”

I groan. “You didn’t. Why did you do that?”

“One date, okay? Just go out on one date with him. Please.”

“I really don’t want to add any more complications to my life right now.”

“We both know you’re lonely, Winter. You told me so yourself. You deserve to be with someone amazing.”

“I love you for thinking so, but I’m…content.”

“Just let this hot guy take you out for dinner. That’s all I’m asking.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Really?”

“Probably not,” I concede. “I’m good, Aubrey. Really.”

She sighs into the phone. “Okay.”

“Tell me about you. How’s it going? How’s Chance?”

“He’s really good.” I can hear the smile in her voice. “I have this feeling that I’m finally where I’m supposed to be, and I love it.”

“You deserve it.”

“You do, too.”

I feed some quarters into the break room vending machine and press the buttons for my guilty pleasure—Nutter Butters.

“I’ll figure things out eventually,” I assure my sister as I reach down and retrieve my package of sugary goodness. “Right now I choose Avery, and I’m happy I get to be with her. Maybe someday I’ll meet someone and have kids, and maybe not.”