by Solet, Trina
Unexpected Dad: Gay Romance
By Trina Solet
Copyright © 2013 by Trina Solet
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales or actual events is entirely coincidental.
Cover image sources: www.sxc.hu
This novel contains material intended for mature readers.
Unexpected Dad
Gay Romance
By Trina Solet
Chapter 1
Some time last night, Tyler had abandoned his car because he was too drunk to get behind the wheel. The next day he had forgotten that his car wasn’t parked in the garage of his apartment building. It was in a parking lot behind some bar, or along the street in front of some bar. That’s all he knew. He hadn’t needed it until the late afternoon. Then it took him more than an hour to retrace his steps from bar to bar before he found where he had parked it. When he got back home later that evening, there was a surprise waiting for him.
The night before, he and Jake had gone for a “quiet night out”. That meant that instead of a noisy club or two, they had gone to several gay bars. The night was a blur of bartenders scowling at Jake for the obnoxious way he got their attention, patrons threatening Jake with bodily harm for spilling drinks on them, and a kissing contest that Jake won by not letting the cute, blindfolded judge kiss anyone but him. As they stumbled around after being thrown out, Jake tried to defend himself.
“Ty, you know I have a weakness for perfectly proportioned, little, black musclemen,” Jake said as he threw his arm around Tyler’s shoulders and leaned on him heavily.
That was an accurate description of the judge. He wasn’t very tall. Tyler would call him compact to his face, not short. His muscles were textbook perfect. And once he removed his blindfold, he revealed the prettiest brown eyes Tyler had ever seen. Tyler must have said something out loud about his eyes, because Jake objected, “Prettier than mine?”
Tyler took a good look at Jake, pretending that he needed to be reminded of what he looked like. Like that was a sight he could ever forget. If he wasn’t used to him, he would have to call Jake breathtaking. He was tall, muscular but not bulging. His eyes were dark brown and piercing. His hair was dark brown too, and he often let it grow out until Tyler told him it was time for a haircut. “I refuse to hang out with Bigfoot,” he would tell him. That carelessness about his appearance was part of Jake’s charm. His five o’clock shadow was always early. His mouth was always ready to smirk or frown or sneer, but it was always kissable. The whole package was like someone closed his eyes and imagined a perfect man – gorgeous, masculine and easy to be with. But best of all, Jake carried himself like he didn’t know any of this.
After a long look, Tyler gave his verdict on the quality of his eyes.
“Sorry. His eyes were prettier.”
“Well, they weren’t prettier than yours,” Jake said.
Tyler grinned at the unexpected compliment. Not that his eyes didn’t get him plenty of praise. His eyes were green, and he remembered Jake saying to him when he first met him, “They’re not just green. They’re gorgeous.” Right before that, Jake had walked over the university lawn to threatened Tyler. Tyler remembered seeing this tall, gorgeous guy coming at him, looking ready either to fuck or to fight.
“I just walked all the way over here to get a good, close look at those eyes. If they are contacts, I will slug you.” And with his powerful frame to back up his words, Jake was pretty intimidating. But not to Tyler.
“Just try it,” Tyler said, getting in his face. “But for your information, they are just my regulation, standard issue, green eyes with no unnatural enhancements.”
They had been inseparable ever since. At the time, Tyler was still new to being gay. Sometimes Jake was his guide and his mentor. Sometimes he was the guy he had to hustle out of range of a fistfight or an imminent call to the police. Not that Tyler didn’t get into some tight spots himself. But there was Jake every time ready to back him up or make things even worse before they got the hell out of there.
Tyler had worried that they would drift apart after college, but years later, they were still getting into trouble together every chance they got. Not that Jake was an asset to Tyler when they went out. Tyler felt like he always stood in his shadow. He wasn’t unappreciated though. Tyler had wavy blond hair that he hardly even needed to touch. His physique couldn’t compare with Jake’s, but it could more than compete with pretty much anyone else’s. The last guy Tyler picked up had told him, “Your friend grabbed my attention, but you held it.” That was nice to hear. Jake was a powerhouse. He made men drool. And then he made them want to deck him. But there was no shortage of eyes that followed only Tyler. Some of those men could have Tyler for the night, but no one got to keep him for long. Truthfully, Tyler’s only long term relationship was with Jake. For better or for worse, but only as friends.
With his car safely recovered and in the garage, Tyler now went back to his apartment. When he stepped out of the elevator, he wondered if he had gotten off on the wrong floor.
Two middle-aged women and a little girl were waiting outside his apartment door. One of the women, who was tall with straight, dark hair, asked him if he was Tyler Weston.
“That’s me.”
Having confirmed his identity, she turned to the little girl and told her, “Wait here with Mimi while I go talk to your dad.”
“Who?” Tyler asked as the dark haired woman drew him aside, back toward the elevator.
As they stepped away, the woman stared hard at him.
“You really don’t know anything about her, do you?” she said seeing his bewilderment.
“What?”
“I’m Silvia Armstrong. That little girl is Julie Armstrong. Armstrong, does that ring a bell? How about Leslie Armstrong? Leslie was her mother.” She frowned deeply and searched Tyler’s face for recognition.
“Was?” Tyler asked. He had caught the past tense when she spoke about Leslie.
“Leslie died two years ago. I guess you don’t know about that either. I’m sorry.” She looked less stern and more sorrowful when she said this.
Tyler closed his eyes, struck by the news of Leslie’s death. Silvia gave him a minute before she continued.
“After her mother died, Julie was living with me and her grandfather. But now her grandfather is gone. An aneurysm.” She paused for her own sake this time and blinked a few times before she went on. “Julie is a dear, sweet girl, but I have my own children and grandchildren. Julie is your daughter. She is your responsibility.”
Tyler looked from Silvia to the little girl. That’s when he noticed the two small, red suitcases that stood behind the other woman and the little girl, Julie. He looked at her closely for the first time, and she smiled at him uncertainly. Her smile was crooked where new teeth hadn’t filled in the gaps yet. She looked like she was about 6 years old, which was about right if she was his. Her hair was the same long, unruly, light brown mess like her mother’s. Her eyes were green like Tyler’s. And those eyes were now looking at him questioningly as he stared at her.
“Let me introduce you,” Silvia said as they went closer. “Julie, honey, this is your dad.”
“Hi,” Julie said and smiled again.
“Tyler, this is Julie, your daughter.”
Tyler gulped.
“Nice to meet you,” he s
aid, and Julie’s smile grew bigger.
When no one said anything more for a while, Julie spoke up.
“Am I going to live with you now?”
Tyler looked at Silvia, who was ready with the answer.
“Yes, you are, honey. It’s all been arranged,” she said.
Though Silvia had answered her question, Julie still looked at Tyler for confirmation.
“Is that your stuff?” he asked her pointing to the two suitcases.
Julie nodded.
“OK. Let’s bring them in,” he said and unlocked the door.
His heart was racing. He was in a daze. And he had to hold it all back because this little girl wouldn’t take her eyes off him. Her look was still questioning but also pleased. It was like Tyler had met her expectations somehow. If that was the case, he certainly wasn’t going to disappoint her by having a freakout in front of her. He would save it for later. He wondered if that was why Silvia had presented him with a done deal instead of breaking the news to him gently. This was the equivalent of being pushed off a cliff straight into fatherhood. Tyler felt like he was still falling, waiting to hit the ground. For now, there were practical matters to attend to, and Silvia wasn’t going to let him forget that.
“Do you have a spare room?” Silvia asked him as he carried Julie’s bags into his apartment.
“I have an office,” Tyler said.
“Not any more,” she informed him.
Tyler’s apartment was spacious, but it was only meant for one person to spread out in comfort. And his office was absolutely necessary to him. Just looking at all the equipment in there should have told Silvia as much. But all she was interested in was whether the couch in his office would be adequate as a temporary bed for Julie. Unlike Silvia, Julie wasn’t eager to take Tyler’s office away from him.
“I can sleep on that couch,” Julie offered, pointing to his leather sofa in the living room.
“No. You need your own room,” Silvia told her.
Julie again looked at Tyler for the final decision. She seemed to think that he had some say in what was happening. She was wrong.
Tyler noticed the plump woman, who Silvia called Mimi. She had also come in with them so Tyler introduced himself to her.
“I’m Mimi, a friend of Silvia’s. I’m just here for moral support,” she said, and she patted his arm. Then she handed Tyler a box. She said it was “Julie’s paperwork”.
It was a big box and it scared him a little. Coming over, Silvia took out one of the folders and explained about Julie’s school. Tyler got a quick peek at the contents of the box. It held three photo albums and a smaller box with more photos. There was also a set of memory cards that weren’t labeled but might have come from a camera. As Silvia took Julie to his office to set up her things, Tyler flipped through one of the albums. There was Julie as an even younger kid and as a baby often with Leslie in the picture, holding her. Seeing her was a little overwhelming for Tyler. He set the album aside. Also in the box were more papers and folders about Julie’s school, dentist, and pediatrician. What got his full attention was Julie’s birth certificate with his name on it as the father. The sight of it made this even more real for him. He looked up just as Silvia called him over. He caught a glimpse of Julie poking around in one of her suitcases.
Silvia was obviously used to taking charge, and so far Tyler had let her. Now she wanted to reorganize his office, move some stuff out. She volunteered herself and Mimi to help him carry out some of the heavier things. But Tyler had reached his limit. He hadn’t had a minute to absorb any of what he had just learned.
“Thank you,” he said.
Thinking that was all he meant to say, Silvia started giving instructions, “We can shift this over and ...”
Tyler had to interrupt her.
“I mean, thank you for the offer. I appreciate it. But I can handle all this,” he told her.
“I don’t think...” Silvia started to object, but this time she stopped herself. “Right. Of course.” She looked over at Julie sadly. Going over to where Julie stood next to the couch in the office, she kissed her on the forehead. Then she got her purse and joined Mimi by the front door.
“I’d like to stop by tomorrow after work. That would be around 6:00. It’s not a short drive. I won’t be doing that often, but I just need to reassure myself about Julie. I hope that’s all right,” Silvia said. She wasn’t really asking, but her tone was milder than before.
“It’s a good idea,” Tyler told her. He was very aware of Julie standing next to him. She waved to Silvia and Mimi until the elevator doors closed.
Though he had wanted them to go, now that they were out of his hair, Tyler wanted to call them back. He was left alone with Julie and felt an enormous pressure almost crushing him. It was hard to believe a little kid could have such a strong effect on a grown man. There she was in her jeans, pink sneakers, and a pink shirt that was frilly on the bottom but otherwise perfectly normal. She looked so innocent and not at all like the tidal wave that had turned his life upside down.
“Are you hungry?” Tyler asked her.
“No. We ate before we came,” Julie said in her sweet voice.
Tyler had hoped she would say yes. He wanted the distraction of foraging for food. He decided to sort out his office. Looking at it, he didn’t know where to start. Where would he put all his stuff? Would the room need all new furniture? How long could Julie sleep on the couch? Could he turn the dining room into his office? He had a daughter? He, Tyler Weston, had a daughter?
Instead of having a meltdown in front of a little kid, Tyler dialed quickly.
“What do you want?” a gruff voice asked him.
“I have a daughter. Remember me mentioning Leslie from high school? Leslie is her mother.”
“Are you mental? Are you tripping?” Jake asked.
“Here. Listen to this,” Tyler said then he put the phone to Julie’s ear. “Tell him who you are.”
“Hi. I’m Julie. Who is this?”
Tyler leaned down to hear and also to make sure Jake didn’t say anything obscene. He heard Jake say, “Hi. I’m Jake.”
Julie turned to Tyler and said, “It’s Jake.”
Tyler thanked her and got back on the phone.
“You need to come over,” he demanded.
“Did I just... Did I just meet your daughter over the phone?” Jake asked.
“Come meet her in person and help me move furniture.”
There was only silence on the other end.
“That wasn’t a request, Jake. Move your ass.”
“Are you supposed to say ass in front of a kid?” Jake asked.
“Jake, if you are not here in ten minutes, we are coming over there,” Tyler threatened.
“We?”
“Me and Julie!” Tyler then hung up and checked the time. He was going to give him fifteen minutes, but then he and Julie were going to be knocking on his door.
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Chapter 2
Twelve minutes later Jake was there. He hardly spared a glance for Tyler. His eyes were glued to Julie.
“You weren’t kidding,” he said in astonishment. He kneeled in front of Julie and stared at her.
“That’s Jake,” Tyler told her.
“He’s big,” Julie said. What she meant was that Jake was even taller than Tyler and with better muscles than someone as lazy as him had any right to. Tyler worked out at least twice as hard to gain his mass and definition. Tyler was no slouch, but only if Jake wasn’t standing next to him.
“Hey, Julie, go and see if we have anything in the fridge to make a sandwich for Jake. Jake and I are going to look at the office,” Tyler told her.
Jake must have known that this was just an excuse to get him alone. Tyler would never volunteer to make him a sandwich. Jake was too spoiled anyway.
When they went into the office, Tyler told him what he knew.
“Leslie died two years ago. Julie was living with her gr
andfather, but he died just recently. Now she’s all mine,” Tyler explained not hiding his bewilderment or fear.
“I would ask you if you’re sure she’s yours. But not after seeing her,” Jake said and put a hand on Tyler’s shoulder. “Ty, man, that’s your kid.”
“I know it. Weird, right?”
“You are so not ready for this,” Jake said, unhelpfully.
Tyler punched him in the arm.
“Be supportive, and help me move some of this stuff. We’re just dragging it into the living room for now.”
Tyler wanted to get his desk and his computers out of the office so he could use them while Julie slept. Jake complained about having to do hard labor though he was more than built for it. Meanwhile, Julie came over to report on the sandwich situation.
“You don’t have any bread or meat or cheese. You only have this weird mustard that’s brown so I think it’s gone bad.”
“It’s supposed to be brown,” Tyler told her.
“Really?” Julie said. She was going to continue her report on Tyler’s pitiful food supply, but he stopped her.
“We’ll order in. There is a drawer in the kitchen full of takeout menus. Can you find it?” Tyler asked her.
Once she was gone, Jake gave him a look.
“Ty, you’re giving her busywork?’
“I don’t know what to do with her,” Tyler whispered. “I can’t sit her in front of the TV until I set up some parental controls on that thing. I don’t even want to think about what she might stumble across.”
“Just put on some cartoons and hide the remote.” That was Jake’s suggestion, but the real reason Tyler couldn’t do that was guilt. He couldn’t bring himself to dump her in front of a TV just to avoid dealing with her.
He and Jake shifted Tyler’s office into the living room. Unless he was throwing a party, the living area had always seemed too big. Now Tyler was glad there was so much room. With Julie’s help, they made up the couch in the former office with sheets. The dark blue sheets didn’t look right for a little girl.