They shifted back and forth between Zoe’s calls and Rebecca’sclients, laughing the whole time. Rebecca found herself having a really goodtime, though…it didn’t feel much like a date, and she wasn’t sure why or whatto do with that.
With a glance at her watch, Zoe said, “I need to get going.”
“Don’t forget your coffee,” Rebecca reminded her.
Zoe stood and gave Rebecca a grateful smile. She took a step awayfrom the table, stopped, then stepped back. Palms on the table, she leanedforward and said easily, “So, can we agree that there’s, like, zero sparkhere?”
Rebecca blinked at her.
Zoe waited her out, her expression completely friendly and open.“I mean, right?”
A beat later, Rebecca inhaled slowly and let it out. “You’retotally right. I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out why I’m having sucha great time talking to you, but it feels like…”
“You’re talking to your sister?”
“Yes!” Rebecca burst out laughing. “Oh, my God, that’s exactlyit.”
Zoe’s smile was wide, inviting. “I like you, Rebecca not Becky. Ithink we’re gonna be friends for a long time.” With a wink, she headed to thecounter to get her coffee.
It was a weird, awesome feeling to know you’d made a new friend atthirty-five years old. So different from being a kid, being an age when youwere actively looking for somebody to connect with, when youneededa friend. But inher thirties? Rebecca didn’t need any more friends. She had plenty. That beingsaid, she was keeping this one. She knew it immediately.
“Where’s your phone?” Zoe was back, very large cup in hand. Rebeccapulled it out. Zoe rattled off her number. “There. Now you can text me anytime. And then I’ll have your number, too. Okay?” Zoe’s brown eyes were soft.
“I think this may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship,”Rebecca said, one corner of her mouth quirked up.
“Same.” Zoe held up her cup in a makeshift salute. “Catch youlater, Rebecca not Becky.”
Rebecca watched her go as she sipped the last of her latte.Instead of being disappointed that yet another date hadn’t worked out, Rebeccafelt lighter somehow. Content.
“It was the weirdest thing,” she said to Sherry later as she layon her couch in her living room, phone pressed to her ear. “Like, we had thisfantastic conversation. She’s interesting, but she also listened. She wasfunny. And curious. She told great stories. But…”
“She didn’t do it for you.” Dishes clattered as Sherry must havebeen emptying the dishwasher.
“She didn’t do it for me. And I didn’t do it for her either,apparently.” Rebecca had taken a bit to absorb that. “Isn’t it funny, how weare? I mean, she didn’t do it for me, but I didn’t like hearing that I didn’tdo it for her. You know?”
Sherry chuckled. “Absolutely. Nobody wants to be unattractive tosomebody else. To anybody else. I know I want everybody to think I’m hot.Always.”
“Well, everybodydoesthink you’re hot, so you’ve got no worries there.”
“Oh, thank God,” Sherry said, and Rebecca could envision theplayful smile on her face. “So, I think the takeaway here is, youcanfind a nice girlthrough internet dating. You did tonight.”
“I found a friend, not a girlfriend. World of difference.”
“But still. I think this should renew your faith, at least for alittle bit longer.”
“Maybe.”
“God, you’re stubborn.”
“So I’ve heard.”
They talked for a few more moments before hanging up. Rebeccaclicked on the television, still feeling a bit wired. “This is why I shouldn’tdrink coffee after seven,” she muttered to herself, flicking channels. Anetwork that specialized in older movies was showingFly Away Homeand Rebecca stopped to watchfor about the thirty-fifth time.
Her thoughts drifted back to her coffee date, to Zoe and how muchfun she’d had. She picked her phone back up, scrolled to the number Zoe hadpunched in, and sent a text.
Had a greattime tonight with a new friend. Let’s do it again soon.
She added a smiley and sent it. A reply came almost immediately.
