ODDS OF LOVE : SEASON 15

Episode 58

                   - Years Ago -

" Richard is working late again," Tania Norland said as she sat with three of her girlfriends in the smoky jazz lounge in the Foggy Bottom  neighborhood of Washington DC. " It's getting ridiculous really. We have not had sex in a week. My vibrator is getting a major workout. "

She laughed as she lifted up her strawberry margarita , her third ,  to her smiling lips. Her best friend Tammi rolled her eyes and leaned across the table, saying," Well , while Scrooge McDuck is busy making more money than his mommy and God you find someone to scratch that itch of yours. "

Tania almost snorted her drink she was laughing so hard. " What? Cheat on Dick ? I love him. I really do. And , I think he loves me. When he remembers he has a wife. I couldn't cheat. "

" Why not? ," asked her other friend Dee Dee with the third vodka soda in hand. " He makes the money. You have the fun. In fact, what about him ? " She pointed at the tall but not too tall , slim White man with dark hair sitting alone at a nearby table nursing a drink.  " What about him? "

Tania glanced at him. He looked a little like Richard. In a way. He was good looking, she admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "What about him? "

" Go talk to him ," both of her friends laughed drunkenly. " Now. We dare you ! Double dare you! Triple dare you ! Go get 'em , gal. "

Tania roared with rowdy laughter as she shook her head and got up from her chair to walk wobbly over in her spiked high heels to the man's corner table. She touched his chest in his blue and white button down shirt and smiled seductively as he glanced at her in surprise.

" Excuse me, ma'am? Do I know you? "

Tania purred ," No but you could know me very very well tonight if you wanted to. My name is Tania. Last names aren't necessary for just one night of fun and games. "

" Good to meet you. My name is......."

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          - Present Day -

Tania sat on the closed lid of the toilet in the ladies restroom, her phone dangling in her trembling hand. She couldn't lose her little boy. Not to this. And , down deep she didn't want Richard to lose him either even if he loathed her now. She never wanted him to find out like this. She never wanted him to find out at all. It had just been one drunken night.

( " Do you even know who the father is? ," Richard had demanded. )

Yes. She did. She did know. And , in a few Google searches and a credit card purchase at a Person Finder site , she knew exactly where he was. And , what his phone number was. That phone number her fingers steadily dialed.

As it rang she prayed to all her gods and goddesses. She couldn't lose her son. She just couldn't.

" Hello," said a tired sounding Winston Arnett after he answered the call. " Whose this? "

Tania hesitated for a second. Then she thought of her son sick and maybe dying in his hospital bed. Her son who just might hate her for lying about who his father was for thirteen years of his life. Then she spoke again, quickly saying," I'm Tania Kaye. We met in DC thirteen years ago. In a club. Smokey Jane's? We had an one night stand. It was when you were still straight. I know you're gay now but......   I had a baby afterwards. He's your son. Lewis Norland is your son. And , he needs your help."

Winston stood up from the dining room table, his meal and wine ignored suddenly, the phone in his tight hand. His husband Joe stared at him in bemusement.

Winston whispered faintly," What did you say?"