the kids were starting to pair off too. Well, at least those two. Axel had always seemed smitten with Scarlett. And vice versa. I glanced over to James, who was watching his daughter and Axel playing. He had a scowl on his face. At least Scarlett hadn’t ditched him for Axel like she’d just ditched me. I looked at the two juice boxes in my hand, now certain one of them wasn’t for me. Scarlett had literally sent me away to fetch the two of them a beverage. She’d conned me.
I shook my head and walked back over to them. “Your juice boxes, madam,” I said with a slight bow.
She giggled. “Thank you.” She grabbed both and then handed one to Axel.
Ouch. I wasn’t really offended. It was actually cute. Even though she was a manipulative little thing. She’d probably waved him over as soon as I stood up.
“Let me know if you two need anything else,” I said.
I sat down next to Rob’s daughter, Sophie, instead. “Hey, Soph.”
She’d abandoned her puzzle. Well, kind of. She was building a 3D house with the pieces instead. I lifted up a piece to help.
She grabbed my hand. “Uncle Matt, don’t. You’ll make it fall.”
I laughed. “I’m not going to make it fall, Soph. Look.” I gently placed a piece on top of her makeshift house. And the whole thing fell over. Shit. “Sorry, let me…” I reached for a piece to start the building over.
But instead of letting me take one, she reached both her arms out and raked the pieces back toward her. “No thank you,” she said.
“Come on, I won’t make it fall again. I was just getting used to it.”
“Go play with my daddy instead. He’s bad at houses too.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. I knew when I’d been dismissed. Soph and Scarlett had both refused to entertain me today. Apparently I was the outcast in this social group too.
“Later, Soph,” I said and patted her head.
She ignored me, her little tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on her construction.
I walked over to my friends and sat down in an empty spot next to Tyler. Probably because out of everyone here, he was the only one who wouldn’t ask me how my dating life was going. “Hey,” I said.
Tyler cursed under his breath as the Eagles fumbled. He was an Eagles fan like Penny since they both grew up close to Philly. “Hey, Matt,” he said when he calmed down. “The kids giving you a hard time?”
I laughed. “Just the usual.”
Tyler turned his head to glance over at Axel and Scarlett silently doing the puzzle. “I always wonder if they’re up to no good when they’re quiet.”
“Just drinking too many juice boxes and being controlling over puzzle pieces.”
Tyler laughed. “Axel hates puzzles. I don’t even know what he’s doing right now.”
Flirting. The kid was already a pro. Although, I couldn’t actually see Axel and Scarlett being together one day. They weren’t related, but they called each other’s parents aunt and uncle. It would just be…weird. They were pretty much cousins.
“What have you been up to recently?” Tyler asked. “You haven’t been to the last few game days.”
Seriously? Even he was going to question me? Come on, Tyler, I sat here for a reason. “Just been busy with work and stuff.”
“And stuff. Right. It wouldn’t have anything to do with that app that Penny’s constantly on?”
What the hell? I looked over at Penny and she was laughing at something on her phone, not even paying attention to the game or anyone around her.
Did everyone know that I was on a stupid dating app? “She told you about that?”
Tyler laughed. “No. I happened to see her screen when I was grabbing a drink. And she was texting some girl and they were talking about you. I think it was safe to assume Penny is not on a dating app as herself hitting on other women.”
“Fair.” If Penny was looking to date someone that wasn’t her husband…it would be me.
“I thought you didn’t really date,” Tyler said.
“I don’t.”
“So the dating app thing…”
I sighed. “All Penny’s idea.”
“That woman is relentless,” he said with a smile.
Yes, yes she is. “If you’ll excuse me for a second.” Penny had just gone into the kitchen and I needed a word with her. In freaking private. I followed her through the archway. She was laughing quietly again as she texted. She was completely oblivious to the world around her. For just