“Am I the best wingman or what?” Brad nodded his head as he watched me walked toward the living room.

“Guessing, you overheard my call?”

“So when are you going out with Cassie?”

“Tonight,” I grunted painfully.

Brad looked happier than I was. Honestly, I don’t want to go on this date, but I’ve been feeling down ever since Penny told me she wanted nothing to do with me. As much as I wanted Penny, I didn’t want to force her to do anything she didn't want. Even if I knew she was lying to herself.

“Well, I hope you have fun on the date, hopefully she invites you over to her place,” Brad winked at me.

I chuckled trying to play along with him even though I wasn't in the mood. I sat down on the couch and sipped my beer.

I looked over at Penny’s door; she had shut herself inside the second she got home from class. I know she’s busy with midterms and all, but I still wanted to see her. Even if I didn’t get to talk to her I still wanted to see her.

“You know she kind of likes you.”

“What?” I turned over to Brad.

“Pen,” Brad slouched down on the couch, “She kind of likes you.”

“What do you mean?”

He chuckled, “She doesn’t seem to mind having you are around, and she actually smiles at you,” he paused. “I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal but Penelope has always been cold and distant. She’s an old soul. I mean she met her grandma and grandfather a few years ago, and she didn’t even smile at them. She isn’t rude or anything, she’s just extremely timid until you get to know her.”

I scoffed, “And I thought she didn’t like me.”

“No. No. Don’t worry. She has always been like this, even when she was younger.”

I looked over at her door again and felt warm. I still want her.

I cleared my throat, “Can I ask you how . . .” I tried to find the right words. “I thought your daughter was younger. Way younger.”

Brad chuckled softly, “I actually didn’t even know I had a daughter until she was four.”

“What?”

Brad sat up and rested his elbows on his knees, “I secretly dated my 30-year-old college advisor when I was 19,” he chuckled as if it was still unbelievable. “It didn’t work out, obviously. She was just getting out of a bad divorce and then she got fired because of me and moved away. It was a whole big mess,” he rubbed his temples.

I could tell that Brad still felt shitty about the whole situation.

“Wait, why did you never tell me about her? I mean this must had happened a year or two before we roomed —”

“Because she told me not to tell anyone, and I respected her,” he interrupted me. I could hear his voice break a little.

I didn’t say anything.

“Well, anyway, she left. I didn’t see her again until after I graduated college and moved back here for my accounting job. I was 23 and I got a call out of the blue from her, telling me that she needed to see me, ASAP. Well, when she came to Baltimore, she brought her daughter. My daughter. She told me the news about how she was having a hard time finding a job because of me and she couldn't take care of Penelope anymore . . .”

“So, she just left Penelope here? She just dropped off her child?”

Brad took a deep breath, “Pretty much. Tiffany stayed with us for about a day, and then she left. She comes back twice a year to ask for money and then she leaves again.”

“Whoa. Do you actually give her money?” I arched my eyebrows.

He nodded sadly, “It’s my fault she got fired. The least I can do is loan her money when she needs it —”

“But she just left you with Penelope?”

I was having a hard time imagining a woman this . . . bitchy, but then again, anything was possible.

But seriously . . .

How can you just hide your daughter for four years and then drop her off, as if she was some kind of package?

Brad shrugged his shoulders, “I know it’s hard to understand, but honestly it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I mean the second I saw Pen I fell in love with her. I can still remember her stomping into my apartment, walking past me and taking a seat on the chair as she held her little cat toy, Mr. Mix. She didn’t say hi or anything she just looked at me with her big brown eyes, kicking her feet in the air.”

“How does Penelope feel about the whole situation?”

“She loves it. She doesn’t care about her mother as much as you would think, in fact, she kind of hates Tiffany,” Brad laughed.

“Well, I guess that is a good thing.”

We both laughed.

“Sorry, for the sob story, but that's life sometimes.”

“Yeah, life’s a bitch. I mean we haven’t really had time to talk with work and all.”

“Hey, Dad!” I heard Penelope yell out for Brad.

“Yeah!” his voice boomed right next to me.

“Where is my black skirt for work?”

“It should be in your closet, Pen.”

Penelope was still locked in her room. She really was avoiding me at all costs.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

I looked over at Brad who just finished his beer. He nodded.

“Does Penelope ever call you Daddy?”

Brad looked at me with his wide eyes and busted out laughing.

“HELL NO!” he continued to laugh, “Even when she was a little girl she called me dad or father or even Brad. I don’t think I ever heard her call me Daddy.”

“What?” I smirked.

“She says it sounds too childish, and this was coming from a seven-year-old girl. I would love it if my little girl called me Daddy. I mean after all she is Daddy’s Little Girl,” Brad used a baby voice.

“Hmmm . . . well that’s interesting,” I finished my beer.

“Why is that?”

“Nothing. I just thought every girl called her dad, Daddy,” I came up with a lie quickly.

Brad laughed shortly, “It’s funny, all the of guys she has ever liked have been older men. I don’t think she has even liked anyone her age.”

What?

“How much older?” my curiosity was piqued.

“She used to have a crush on Kendall’s dad before he moved away, and then she used to like one of her high school teachers who was around my age . . . maybe a little younger.”

Well now. I thought she was serious about not liking older men, but in reality, Penny loves her men old.  

I looked over to her white bedroom door with a big letter P on it. She needs to stop lying to herself and denying herself what she wants.

I mean she is a Daddy slut after all.

Daddy’s Little Slut.