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"You know what? Maybe I will."
"Really?"
"Sure. Why not?" he smiled.
Tina grinned, and he could tell she wanted to hear it.
"I'm going to miss you like crazy, honey."
"Me too, but I'll be fine, so I don't want you to worry . . . you worry too much."
"I know, but you're my baby girl so I can't help it. Come here."
Daniel hugged her slowly and didn't want to let go, but he made himself do it. She ran off to meet Sarita, and he knew the two girls would watch out for each other.
Daniel tried to imagine going out to a bar all day at work, and the closest he could see happening was maybe shooting pool with Harry. He could see in Tina's eyes that she wanted him to try, so he'd do it for her. He dialed Harry's number and asked if he wanted to go out since it was Friday.
"Sure, where did you want to go?" Harry asked.
"Doesn't matter. Tina says she wants me to go out and meet people. Maybe it's time I did try again."
"So, I'm playing wingman?" Harry chuckled.
"I need all the help I can get, man."
/
Daniel hated the quiet house when he got home after work. Tina's music wasn't blaring, and she wasn't yapping on the phone. It was just wrong.
He ate supper alone at the kitchen table and couldn't help thinking that when she left for college, this would be his life all the time if he didn't find someone.
Harry was coming over to pick him up soon, so he stripped to his jeans and shaved his face in front of the bathroom mirror. He eyed his body skeptically in the reflection and decided he should start working out again; he'd gone a little soft over the years.
After a long shower and changing his clothes about five times, he was ready, and Harry showed up.
"You want to shoot some pool at that new place on Main Street?" he asked.
"Sounds good to me. Do women hang out there?"
"My buddy Ollie from work met a girl there a couple weeks ago."
Harry was a mechanic, and the two guys he worked with were single and had their choice of women. They were both young, fit, and handsome; he wondered if he could still catch a woman's eye with men around like that. Candace had been crazy for him without him even trying; he hoped she wasn't the only one who could feel that way for him.
"It's been a hundred years now since I had a woman, Harry, this is going to be laughable."
"Have you really not been with anyone since Candace?"
"No . . . when was I supposed to do that? I've had Tina all this time, and up until recently I was still bent out of shape over Candace."
"We're going to get you some then, come on."
"I want a wife, and a mother for Tina, Harry, not a booty call."
"First things first, man. You must find a woman, form a relationship with her before she marries you, and play mommy for your daughter.
"I guess you're right."
"Yeah, I wouldn't make marriage and mom duties part of your pick-up game if I were you," Harry laughed.
