Page 44 of Baby Daddy
CHAPTER 20
Drake
Iwas having the best time of my life. Seriously. At least, in a very long time. Okay…maybe ever.
I hadn’t been to the Santa Monica Pier in years. The last time I went was when I graduated high school. A bunch of kids in my class, including Brock, had gone there to celebrate. After college, I avoided it like the plague, worried that the kid-infested stomping ground would be filled with my offspring. Mini-me’s, one of whom would recognize that I was his or her real father. But somehow, today I managed to put that ridiculous fear to the back of my mind.
My temporary assistant, Dee, was fucking adorable. I loved the way she screamed on the roller coaster—or should I say the boner coaster. She totally turned me on. My heart rate’s reaction from the thrill ride combined with my physical attraction to this girl had increased my blood pressure and led to an erection of mega-proportions. It got worse. The whole time I was wondering—was this the way she screamed when she came? I was dying to find out. All throughout the Ferris wheel ride, which we did next, I kept fantasizing about her sitting on my lap and riding me. I was positive she knew I had a hard-on because I’d put her hand to my length on the roller coaster and her eyes never strayed from my face on the wheel. As the wheel spun around, wicked thoughts of coming with her were spinning in my head.
We went on several more rides, including the bumper cars and the old-fashioned carousel. After the rides, we grabbed some corn dogs and then played carnival games as well as arcade games. Dee found her calling with Skee-Ball, landing the almost impossible 100-point hole three times in a row, hence winning lots of prize tickets. I, in turn, managed to win one of those rigged carnival games when the ring I tossed slipped over one of the dozens of lined-up soda bottles. To the attendant’s chagrin, I won Tyson a ginormous plush frog that was bigger than she was. Overjoyed, she named him Froggie and carried him proudly across The Pier, everyone we passed in total awe. The cutie-pie was having the time of her life. All day long, she laughed and wore a big smile. Knowing I gave her that smile made my heart swell with pride. I wanted to give her so much. And I felt the same way about her mother. I had a growing attachment to both of them that I was unable to fight. Each minute I spent with them, the more I liked them. Or should I say more than liked them? Was I was falling in love with a girl that was all wrong for me, at least on paper, and wasn’t even available?
There was only one way to find out. One last amusement park attraction to visit. Zoltar. Fingers crossed that the mechanical fortune teller I fondly remembered from my youth was still here. Sure enough, he was. After all these years, he hadn’t changed a bit. Still sitting before his crystal ball and sporting that jet-black mustache and goatee as well as his bejeweled turban and vest. The only thing different was he now commanded a dollar for your fortune instead of a coin.
“This machine is bogus,” Dee protested. “We should go now. It’s getting late.”
Ty came to my rescue. “No, Mommy! I want to hear my fortune. I bet I’m gonna get a really good one because it’s my birthday.”
“I agree.” I shot Dee an already triumphant grin.
“Fine.”
“Dee, you go first.” I handed her a buck and watched as she inserted it into the bill slot.
His voice deep, Zoltar began to speak. “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice.”
“Cool beans!” shouted Ty. “He can talk!”
Dee rolled her eyes. A few moments later her fortune spewed out of the machine.
“What does it say, Mommy?” asked Tyson as Dee read the card.
“It says: You will fall in love with a tall, dark, handsome stranger.” She rolled her eyes again. “That is so typical. I bet everyone gets that or something like: Life will bring you many riches.” She turned to Tyson. “Cupcake, you do it.”
After I gave her a dollar bill, the eager little girl repeated her mother’s actions. She handed Dee the fortune. “What does mine say, Mommy?”
Dee smiled smugly. “Ha! It says: Life will bring you many riches and surprises.”
“That’s a good one, right?”
“It’s a great fortune,” I replied before Dee could respond.
“Yay!”
Dee turned to me. “Okay, Mister. Your turn.” Her skeptical gaze stayed on me as I inserted a dollar and retrieved my fortune. Reading it, my eyes grew wide and my heart skipped a beat.
“Tell us, Drake. What does it say?” begged Tyson.
I caught my breath. “It says: You will meet a beautiful woman who will change your life forever.”
Dee muttered a small, shocked “oh.”
Our eyes met and I wondered if the ageless fortune teller in the glass case was always 100% right.