Page 51 of Can't Win 'Em All
Horror had Zach’s lips curving down. “Rexorita?”
“I think it has a nice ring to it.”
“There’s no way Ruby is letting you name the baby Rexorita. It’s not happening.”
“Ruby won’t even let me debate names at present,” I replied, allowing my disgruntlement to bubble up. “She says we each have to come up with a list of our top twenty names and not tell them to each other. Then we’re going to set a date, right around when she’s six months along, and start going through the lists. I get a say, but she has veto power because she says that pushing out my baby’s big head means she gets to make the ultimate choice.”
Zach pressed his lips together, obviously trying not to laugh.
“You don’t think my head is too big, do you?” I challenged. I immediately started feeling it. “She’s giving me a complex.”
“I think your head is fine,” he replied, reaching for his beer again. “It seems like you and Ruby are spending a lot of time together.”
“We meet three times a week and discuss one topic per meeting. She wants to give each decision the proper weight, so we can’t multitask.”
“I see.” Zach looked as if he was about to lose the battle when it came to laughing. “You sound just like her. You realize that, right?”
I shrugged. “I think she makes a lot of sense.”
“Of course you do.” He hesitated, seemingly waging an internal debate, then pushed forward. “Does Ruby have anything to do with your disinterest in flirting?”
It felt like a gotcha question, so I was carefully neutral when responding. “Of course not. We’re just friends.”
“Friends who are having a baby.”
“So?”
“It’s just … I’ve never known you to completely ignore the possibility of flirting. Even if you’re not interested, you flirt. It’s simply who you are.”
I shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. So I don’t want to flirt. Why would that possibly matter? I have bigger things to think about than flirting.”
“You mean Ruby.”
“I mean my daughter.” Something occurred to me. “Don’t tell anybody it’s a girl just in case Ruby does have a gender reveal party planned. Also, act surprised when she tells you.”
“I’ve got it.” He bobbed his head. “I want to go back to talking about you not flirting.”
Irritation bubbled up and grabbed me by the throat. “Why is it such a big deal? It’s not as if I’m some untamed animal who has to flirt every second of every day.”
“No, but you used to flirt without putting any effort in. It just came naturally to you.”
“Well, I don’t need to flirt.” If he didn’t let this go, I was going to lose my temper. “I have a daughter to focus on. Flirting is for people who aren’t about to be fathers.”
“Uh-huh.” He drank some more of his beer. “Are you flirting with Ruby?” he asked once he’d swallowed.
“What is it with you and Ruby? Can’t I just want to focus on the important stuff and not have it be about your sister? I mean … yes, we’re having a baby together. Yes, she’s hot, and I care about her a great deal. We agreed to be friends, though. I don’t want to risk our relationship.”
“Maybe you wouldn’t be risking it. Maybe you would be building something great.”
I was taken aback. “Now you want me with your sister?”
“I didn’t say that,” he hedged. “It’s just … you’re not looking at anybody else. Something tells me Ruby isn’t either. Maybe you guys can make it work.”
“We would have to risk our friendship to do that. Do you know how hard it would be to raise a baby with Ruby if we didn’t like each other?”
“Yes. I also know how much easier it might be if you guys loved one another.”
“I do love her.” I wasn’t ashamed to say it. “I love her as a friend and the mother of my child. That’s how it’s going to stay.”
