The Conspiracy of Baby-Switching novel Chapter 86

I chuckle as I hold up a checked shirt and eye it suspiciously.

"That's fucking hideous, man."

"True." I put it back on the hanger and keep looking.

"So what is this town actually like?" he asks as we keep looking.

"It's..." I shrug. "I hate to say it, but it's kind of growing on me."

"Why?"

"Violet and the kids are there." I pull off another checked shirt and hold it out to look at it.

"Can I come this weekend to meet them?"

"No, not yet."

"You say that every week." He takes it off me and puts it back. "What's happening with Violet, anyway?"

"She hates me."

His eyes flick to meet mine. "I thought you were all in love."

"It's one-sided."

"Your side?" He frowns.

"Yep." I hold out another shirt. "Maybe I should get a belt with a big fuck-off cowboy buckle?"

"Maybe you shouldn't." He holds up a T-shirt, screws up his face and puts it back. "How's Ariana?"

"I called her yesterday to check on her."

"And?"

"And...I'm officially the worst human in the world. While I'm breaking her heart, someone else is breaking mine." "Karma." He nods all knowingly.

I fake a smile and drop it immediately.

"So what do they wear in this town?"

"I don't know." I shrug. "Average dad stuff."

"Do you mean to tell me we're shopping to try and make you look like an average dad?"

"Yeah." I nod. "Exactly."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"All my kid's life he's been different because he didn't have a dad." I pick up a shirt and throw it over my arm. "I just want him to feel normal. With a normal dad who does normal things."

"Except...you're not normal, you will never be normal. You're one of the wealthiest men in the world."

"Yeah, well..." I pick up another shirt. "That means jack shit to him." I throw another shirt over my arm. "You want to come over to my place for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah, okay." He takes a shirt off me and puts it back. "This one is better." He passes me another shirt from the rack.

"So what's the plan, long term I mean?" he asks.

I think for a moment. "Convince Violet to love me."

7 p.m.

"Chop the onions into thin slices." I watch the woman intently and follow her directions. I carefully chop the onions.

"Marinate the meat in a closed container," she instructs.

Alessio opens a beer and the boys start chatting while I go to grab a container. I look in one drawer, then another, then another. I can find the bottom...hmm.

The onions sizzle. "They're burning," Alessio calls.

"Shit." I grab the pan with my bare hand. "Ahhh, its hot!" I flick it away and it nearly all tips out.

"You are so bad at this."

"Shut up."

I keep searching. "I know why it's called Tupperware," I snap. "It's

Tupper, where is the lid."

"So am I going home, or are you calling Mom tomorrow?"

"I'm not apologizing to her, she was in the wrong." The onions are smoking. "Stop distracting me, shit's burning over here."

"You just have to call her."

"I don't care if you don't stay. Fuck off home, then."

"And I don't care for food poisoning. Deal or no deal?"

"No deal," I snap. "Leave my mother to me and stay out of my business."

Alessio sips his beer. "If this tastes like shit, we're going out to eat."

I peer into the pan at the burned onions. "High possibility."