Casual Dating

 

It was going to be a rough day today, Random thought as he got Buddy up and ready.

Sandy was coming to pick up Buddy for the day. 

"Yes, I have everything I need," she said testily, shifting the diaper bag on her shoulder.   

"I was just making sure," he tried to keep from snapping.  This was Buddy's first overnight visit with his mom and he was feeling anxious, but he was doing his best to allow his kid to have a relationship with his mom.

"Can we go now?" she said, motioning to the door. 

Not wanting to argue in front of Buddy, he held his hands up and backed away. "Have a great day, Bud," he said with a forced smile.

"Come to Mama," Sandy crooned, lifting Buddy up in her arms.  "Sinjin can't wait to meet you!"

 

"Oh plumbbob."

 

"Hey, how've you been doing, hon?" Danielle answered the phone, pleased to hear the sound of Joe's voice.  They'd casually dated over the years, drifting in and out of love.  

 

"Good to hear your voice too," he told her.  "So, are things serious between you and this guy you're living with?"  He got right to the heart of the matter.

"We're just friends," Danielle told him.  "Not a big deal."

 

"I'd love to see you," he told her huskily.  

Danielle twirled the phone corded around her finger.  "I'd love to see you, too."

Oh hell no, he did not stop by the Boolprop Bop, Random thought with surprise.

He quickly jacked the price up to ridiculously expensive, sure that would turn the home-wrecker away.

Sinjin stared straight at him as he slid his credit card in the Electrono-Ticket Machine.

Oh no he did not, Random thought, stalking over towards the jerk and giving him a hard poke to the shoulder. "You're not welcome here," he said testily. 

Armando Cox looked at the ticket prices with confusion.  "I thought it was less expensive here," he whispered to Goopy. 

"Hey! I'm a paying customer! You can't just poke me! I'll leave a bad review!"

Random gritted his teeth, determined to not do anything to undermine his business.  At least Sinjin was paying out the wazoo to hang out.

Danielle primped one last time while waiting for the taxi.  She got a text from Joe asking where she was. "Don't stand me up," he texted.

"Good things are worth waiting for," she texted back quickly and then prayed the taxi got here there on time.

She slid into the seat in front of Joe at the cafe and blew a kiss. "How've you been hon?" she asked, picking up the menu. 

"I've been good," he told her.  "Keeping busy at work, as usual." 

Danielle rolled her eyes playfully.  Joe was a workaholic and ran his own business.  She knew he did really well for himself.   "As usual," she teased. 

He smiled and nodded.  "I found myself missing my favorite girl, though. It's been too long since we talked," he told her.  

"I've had the same number, Joe," she reminded him.  Joe tended to get tunnel-vision when he was working on a new project.  It was one of the things they'd usually bickered about when they were together.  

"You're right," he told her.  "And I'm working on fixing that."  He paused and shuffled his food around his plate, uncharacteristically reticent. "So, I heard you were pregnant?"

"Ugh, who told you?" she asked.  She'd only started to tell a few close friends.  

"Lyndsey," he answered.  

 

Of course she did, Danielle thought with irritation.  "It's no biggie. I am pregnant, but we're not a couple," she told him."

 

"I don't want to intrude," he told her, reaching for her hand.  

She squeezed back. "It's all good. I told you on the phone, Random and I just friends right now." She paused and tacked on with a laugh, "Who happen to be expecting a baby together."

"This Random guy doesn't deserve you," Joe told her, unabashedly attempting to bash his competition.  When he heard that Danielle was pregnant, he realized belatedly how important she was to him.  He guess he took for granted that she would always come back when he was ready.

 

"I'll call you soon," Joe promised as Danielle gave him a kiss goodbye.

She sashayed away.  "You better!"

Random was getting pretty damn tired of cleaning up the trash. And he had a pretty good idea who was kicking the can.  But, today, he happened to spy a hottie passing by, so he'd be sure to thank Sandy the next time he saw her.

"Hi, I'm Random Boolprop," he said, introducing himself.  You never knew when you might meet a love match.