Dean.

               On occasion, when I have no idea what to do, I call my sister. I hate to admit it, but I do. Even though I am seven years old, she's always been too smart for her own good.

"Dom," I said. "I have...an issue."

"Oh, well, what a surprise." She laughed. "Is it the ex-wife or the kids? Or maybe it's that viper, Anita."

"It's Kayla..." I said.

"Oh no...how pregnant is she?"

"She's not...we haven't... just listen, ok?"

"Ok, big brother. Tell me all your troubles."

"So, she came home last night. Well Jerry and Allison brought her home. She was drunk. I guess she went out with her lawyer friend and he tried to take advantage of her."

              "Oh no," Dom whispered. "Luckily she has good friends to save her. She's so young, and trusting, and pretty. Kayla is a doll, you know."

"I know," I said. "Anyways, apparently Kayla is really honest when she is drunk. So naturally, since jerry is an asshole, he starts asking her if she likes me. I mean, she's young and gorgeous, so I am just waiting for the 'no, I don't like the old man...'"

"But she does," Dom said. "I could have told you that. I have eyes."

"She went on and on about how she had this dream about me where I was....well. Let's just say I've taken a cold shower since then."

"So you didn't hook up with drunk Kayla," Dom asked.

"No."

"Then the problem is..."

                 "I know she's attracted to me and it's messing with me," I said. "I just, God Dom. It's insane. She's too young, we're both freshly divorced. Technically, on paper, we're married to other people."

"But you're in love with her," Dom said, as if it were a fact.

"What, no! I have feelings for her, but not love. I've known her for three weeks,"

"So," Dom said. "I fell in love with Liza after three days."

"Well, you and Liza are annoying," I grunted. "You're too mushy, and you have all those pet names for each other."

"Oh, Liza is coming to Candice's birthday party," Dom said. "Since your homophobic wife won't be there, I'm bringing a date."

"Awesome," I smiled. "And what do I do about Kayla?"

                   "You need to decide what you want from her," Dom said. "If she is your nanny, treat her like a nanny. If she is potential girlfriend material, maybe she should come live with me so it doesn't get too complicated."

"I want her to be the girl's nanny," I said. "God, you should see her with the girls. They love her. They're doing their homework, we spend time together. Do you have any idea how nice it is to have dinner on the table every night? We sit down and eat like a family and I just..."

"You just think she'd be amazing mom to those girls," Dom said.

"Please," I said. "Even if we went into crazy land and I married Kayla, she'd only be their step-mom."

"Their real mom was never really a mother," Dom said. "Kayla is giving them the love they have never had. The only question is, why not make it permanent. I think you love her. Just figure out what you really want, and go for it."

"I couldn't... Dom I haven't been with a woman in years. I haven't dated in over a decade. She deserves someone younger, better."

"That's her choice," Dom said. "But until you figure out what you want, keep your dick in your pants."

                  "Good advice," I said. "Bye Dom."

"Bye big brother."

I hung up and looked around my office. God I was screwed.

*

*

*

            I looked up from my desk to see Anita smiling at me.

"Hiding from the real world in your paperwork," she asked.

Anita was wearing a low-cut dress that hugged all the right places. I should have glanced her over, but I wasn't feeling it today.

"Something like that," I said.

"Let me take you out to lunch," she said. "My treat."

I looked at my mess of to-do lists and shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" I asked.

I stood up and we walked out the door. Outside my office, Kayla was waiting for me. I waved at her and she approached us. She wore her hair back in a bun and had on glasses, probably hiding the bloodshot eyes from last night.

"Hey you," I said. "How you feeling?"

"Better," Kayla said. "I was hoping we could talk."

                 "Of course," I said. "But I was going to go to lunch with Anita. This is my coworker, Anita Rodriguez. Anita, this is my good friend Kayla."

Why I said friend and not nanny was odd, but it felt right. She was more than a nanny. Kayla was practically family.

"Oh," Anita said. "We can reschedule lunch you know."

"I don't mind," Kayla replied. "I just need to have a quick word with Dean and then I'll be gone."

"Maybe the three of us could have lunch," Anita said. "Any friend of Deans is a friend of mine."

"Of course," Kayla said. "It's up to Dean, though."

"Sure," I said.

"I'll go grab my purse and we can head out," Anita grinned.

                  She turned and walked away, and Kayla's eyes settled on Anita's silhouette.

"She is gorgeous," Kayla said. "That's your ex-girlfriend?"

"Yes," I said, my voice cracking. "So, you wanted to talk?"

"I wanted to say thank you for last night," she said. "I wasn't doing well. I don't know what I said to you, Allison won't tell me. I know I made a fool of myself."

"Don't worry about it, Kayla. Nothing to be embarrassed about."

"I never get that drunk," she whispered. "I never trust guys. I trusted Lowell, and he almost..."

"I know," I said. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

"I hired a new lawyer, a woman," Kayla said. "Anyways, I just wanted to apologize and thank you for being so nice to me. I'm just glad Jerry and Allison were there."

"Yeah," I said. "Did the divorce hearing go well?"

                        "Yes," she said. "Actually, Darius is moving to India and we parted amicably. I think it's for the best. He told me something about Greta though."

"Did he now?" I replied.

"I guess they split because he decided she was sketchy. Greta is watching you and the girls. She installed surveillance cameras. She wants you to sleep with another woman so she can get a better divorce settlement. Something about mutual infidelity. I think it sounds bogus, but..."

"Good thing I have self-control," I said. "I'll look into getting it taken down. Greta won't cause anymore drama for my girls."

I heard the clicking of heels and Anita was back.

"Ready for lunch?" She asked, her eyes settled on Kayla.

                  I just followed behind them both. How had I ended up on a lunch date with both Kayla and Anita was beyond me. But a small part of me liked the idea. I needed to figure out what I wanted, and watching them interact might make that idea clearer than ever.

*

*

*

                "So what do you do for a living?" Anita asked Kayla.

Kayla was slathering butter on her breadsticks, while Anita picked at her lemon and spinach salad. Boy was there a contrast between the two women.

"I'm a science teacher," Kayla replied. "Right now I am just a substitute. I also am sort of Dean's nanny."

"So you spend all day with children," Anita said with a plastic grin.

"Well, yes," Kayla said. "But Dean's girls are great. Hanging with them isn't work. It's actually been so much fun getting to be with them. I always wanted to have a lot sisters, and I never did."

"At least they're in high school," Anita said. "Small children are so...needy."

"Well, Candice is six," I said.

"We're planning a party for her this weekend," Kayla said. "You could come. We're going to have a pony and a petting zoo. You just have to be willing to wear a princess crown."

                      "So I can eat Costco cake and hang out with farm animals," Anita laughed.

"I think Kayla was being polite," I said. "You don't need to come."

"Well, if these girls are important to you, I could make an appearance."

And suddenly, I had a moment of clarity. The shoes Anita wore were designer, and pricey. The way her dresses always showed her curves. The way she smiled but never really seemed out of her skull happy. She was calculated and perfect. She was a lot like Greta down to the manipulative "I could make an appearance" comment to pull on my heartstrings.

"Do you like children, Anita?" I asked.

"Excuse me?"

"I just wondered," I said. "I know you don't have any. But do you, you know, like them?"

Kayla nearly dropped her breadstick, suddenly taking an interest.

"Not really," Anita chuckled. "But I wouldn't count out a handsome single dad because of that."

She put her hand on my thigh, rubbing slightly. I guess she had clear intentions now.

                    "It's so funny how fate works," Anita continued. "Kayla, did you know Dean and I used to be high school sweethearts."

"I did," Kayla said. "It must be nice to reconnect with old friends."

There was that voice of Kayla's from the other night, the calm and emotionless one. It's what Kayla sounded like when she was annoyed, maybe even jealous.

"I mean, god, the times we had," Anita went on. "You never do forget your first time. I'm sure you can imagine how lucky I was. Dean was just as handsome in high school."

"Uh huh," Kayla said. Emotionless, annoyed.

"Yeah," I said. "Too bad you cheated on me."

"What?" Anita asked. "That was decades ago."

"And now you hate children," I said. "And my kids are my life. It seems, Anita, some people are better off as friends. Don't you think Kayla?"

                "Yes, I do," Kayla said, a slight smirk on her mouth. "Maybe we should toast to that."

I raised up my glass and grinned at Anita.

"To friendship," I said.

She shook her head a Kayla clinked my glass. But secretly, something clicked in my head. Maybe Anita and Greta had more in common than I even realized. Maybe they were the same kind of woman, and I needed something different.