New installment
I'm really liking this story so far. :) Enter Uncle E...
After Jo left, and Tara felt she could breathe normally again, she sat down at the antique oak desk and opened her laptop. Glancing at the piece of paper in her hands, she laid it on the surface next to the computer and once again studied the names and numbers written there: Jo’s references. Should she call right away, or would that be too eager?
Sighing, she leaned back in the chair and was startled slightly by the sound of a new instant message. Looking back at the screen, she wasn’t surprised to see who was contacting her. She sat up and carefully considered her response to her ex’s greeting.
MariMe86: hey beautiful. How’s your day so far?
ItalianGirlTC83: hey Mari. I put up flyers for a roommate this morning and already had a bite.
Tara figured “putting up flyers” wasn’t that big of a lie, after all, she had been in the process of doing just that when she met Jo. She really didn’t want to tell Mari about how she had met Jo for fear Mari might jump to the wrong conclusions. Even telling Mari about Jo at all might not be the best idea, but Tara figured if Mari was going to find out, better she heard it from her.
MariMe86: Wow, that’s fast! I didn’t even know you were looking for a roommate.
ItalianGirlTC83: I can’t afford the bills on my GA salary. Figured it couldn’t hurt to try the roommate thing.
MariMe86: I thought your parents were going to help you.
ItalianGirlTC83: They have been. I don’t want to rely on them forever.
MariMe86: …but you’ll accept help from a stranger?
ItalianGirlTC83: Mari, come on. People have roommates all the time.
MariMe86: I could be your roommate.
Stunned, Tara sat back from the keyboard, not really sure how to respond. There was the obvious answer (no), but Tara didn’t want to hurt Mari’s feelings. Hell, she’d already broken up with her, why not drive the knife in deeper? While she was considering that, she thought, “Why am I still friends with my ex? What was I thinking?”
MariMe86: I take it from your silence that you don’t like that idea.
ItalianGirlTC83: You don’t even have a job. How would you help with the bills? Besides, you don’t want to move to Germany.
MariMe86: I’d do it for you.
ItalianGirlTC83: No, Mari. Don’t say that.
MariMe86: Why not? We could give us another chance.
ItalianGirlTC83: I thought I made it clear you and I are over.
MariMe86: ☹ Can’t blame me for trying.
Groaning, Tara leaned back in the chair and ran her hands over her face. This was getting ridiculous. Even in Germany, she couldn’t help but lead her ex on. Once again, the idea of not speaking with Mari was sounding like a good one.
Just then, her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. “Hello?” she asked into the receiver, glaring at the conversation still on the computer screen.
“Well, hey there! Why are you hiding in that house of yours? Won’t you come out and play?” a familiar voice greeted her with cheerful tones.
Tara couldn’t help but grin. “Eddie! How are you?” Eddie was her oldest friend in Germany. They had played together as children and saw each other every summer that she had visited her great aunt. When she decided to move, he had been the first person she had e-mailed.
“I’m a little hurt. You’ve been in town a whole week and haven’t come by to see me,” her gay best friend, as she liked to refer to him, responded. She knew he was partially joking, but she still detected some truth under the humor.
“I’m sorry, Eddie. I’ve just had the worst case of jet lag ever, and I’ve been trying to square things away with the house. I do want to see you, though. Promise,” she replied, typing a quick message of good-bye to Mari and closing the computer. She had the distinct impression Mari was going to upset the next time they talked, but that wasn’t her main concern at the moment.
“Mm-hmm. A likely story,” he replied, but she knew he couldn’t pretend to be mad at her much longer.
She laughed and shook her head, leaning back in the chair. “Why don’t you come to see me? I mean, if you want. Then you can drag my ass out of the house yourself.”
“Oooo, I’d like that,” he replied. “I’ll be there in a bit.”
“Don’t get lost,” Tara admonished.
“That was a one time thing, Tara Carafello!” he retorted. “See you in a bit.”
She chuckled and hung up the phone, setting it on the desk on top of the paper with Jo’s references. Drumming her fingers on the hard surface, she once again considered calling them. Still, Eddie would be here soon, and she didn’t know how long the calls would take. She’d talk to Eddie about what was a reasonable amount of time to wait before calling them.
The other thing she’d have to deal with, Mari and her ever insistent tries to get back together…well, that would have to wait. She resolved to talk with Eddie about that, too. He had some relationship experience, and he would probably have some good advice. Which would probably be exactly what her gut was telling her to do and cut her off completely.
*
Tara opened the door and was hugging him within seconds. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed him until she saw him standing on her porch with that enigmatic smile of his, and she couldn’t help but hold him tightly. Maybe it was because she had been feeling very alone until he called, but she couldn’t help but feel close to this man. He was the first person she had told that she was attracted to women, and in turn he had told her that he was attracted to men. They shared a bond that she felt with no one else. He was, quite simply, family to her, and that made him the only family she had in the entire country.
“You silly, silly man,” she said, pulling away and grinning at him. “I should have called you the second I got to the airport.”
Eddie smiled and nodded. “Hell yes, you should have.” He hugged her again. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too,” she replied. “Want to come in?” she asked, motioning to the open door behind her. “Or do you want to kidnap me and force me to be social?”
He laughed and shook his head. “I’ll come in for now.” He looked around the porch suddenly as if spooked before turning back at her. “I could have sworn I saw something moving. It looked…blonde.”
Her eyebrows rose in surprise and curiosity. “Blonde? You should have invited her in so I could meet her!”
He laughed again. “Who says it was a she?” He winked at her. “I happen to like a handsome blonde myself.”
She shook her head and glanced around the porch. “Well, whatever it was is gone now. Why don’t you come in, and I can fix you some tea?”
“Tea?” He asked, following her inside. “Not that dreadful American sweet tea, I hope,” he said, winking at her again.
She laughed and nodded, making her way to the kitchen. He always pretended he hated southern sweet tea, but she knew he loved it. She preferred hers a little less sweet, but she didn’t begrudge him his tastes.
“So,” he began, leaning against the doorframe into the kitchen and watching her as she worked on their drinks. “What is it that you’ve been doing the past week?” He gestured behind him to the living room. “I don’t see that you’ve changed anything in the house.”
Shaking her head, she placed the kettle on the stove and turned on the heat. “No,” she admitted sheepishly. “I mean, I’ve gotten my bedroom the way I want it, but mostly I’ve been sleeping and communicating with people back home via instant messenger.”
“Ah,” he said, appearing very thoughtful. “You miss America.”
She shrugged, looking through her selection of teas. “Yeah, I guess so. It’s just a big change, that’s all.”
He nodded and pushed off, coming to stand by her. He reached around her and pulled the box of tea bags away from her. Making his selection, he placed the box on the counter. “That’s normal. I mean, you haven’t visited your aunt in, what, five years?”
Sighing, she ran a hand through her unruly hair and nodded. “I was going to school, you know.”
This time, it was Eddie who shrugged. “There’s always some excuse.”
“Eddie,” Tara protested quietly, but she knew he was right. She hadn’t been the niece or the friend she should have been. “I’m here now. That’s good, right?”
He nodded in response. “You just have to figure out if this is where you want to be, Tara. No one can do that for you.”
They went into the living room to wait for the tea to be ready. “I met someone today,” Tara said, changing the subject.
“Oh, yeah?” he replied, settling onto the couch sideways so that he was facing her.
She did the same, nodding. “For a roommate. She’s in the Air Force, living on base right now.”
“What’s she want to move in here for?” he asked, and she smiled in response.
“She’s got pets. A dog and two cats. That’s not allowed on base,” Tara replied.
He seemed to study her closely, and she looked away from the intensity of his gaze, blushing slightly. “So is it the pets or the woman that you’re excited about?” he asked.
“Eddie!” she responded, shaking her head and smacking his knee lightly. “Why would you ask that?”
He shook his head and held up his hands in the sign of surrender. “Don’t shoot me now, but I know you. You’re allergic to cats, and you always swore you’d never live with one. Now you’re considering living with someone who has two?”
She shrugged. “Jo said she’d keep them away from me. I believe her.”
“Oh, Jo said,” Eddie replied, grinning. “Well, if Jo said it, then I guess everything will be all right.”
He winced a little when Tara smacked his knee again, and she almost regretted doing it. “You can tease all you want, mister, but I think it’ll work out.”
“Oh, sure,” he replied, backing up on the couch so that she couldn’t reach him, “It’ll work out right down to the wedding chapel.”
Even though she knew he was teasing, she could feel his words cut into her. She had considered that she had ulterior motives where Jo was concerned, but it hadn’t seemed that important. She had resolved to keep her attraction to Jo hidden, but here was her friend, seeing right through her. Was it that obvious? Or was he just teasing her because it was easy to ruffle her?
“It’s not like that,” she replied, getting up to check on the tea. “She needs a place to stay, and I need someone to help out with the bills. That’s it.”
She could feel his steady gaze on her back until she reached the kitchen. Then she heard him get up and follow her as she poured the boiling water into the waiting cups.
He stood watching her for a few minutes as she measured the sugar and tried to ignore his presence. Finally, he seemed to come to a decision. She watched as he walked over to her. He turned her to face him. “Tara, you know I’m just teasing, right?” She nodded, but other wise didn’t respond, keeping her gaze on his shirt. “I don’t know what, if anything, is going on with you and this Jo, but I do know something is bothering you. You know you can talk to me, right?”
Sighing, she nodded and moved away to work on their drinks. “I know,” she replied as she put the sugar in the cups and moved away to let the tea steep for a few minutes. She sank into a nearby chair and looked up at him. “This is all a lot for me, you know?” He nodded and pulled up a chair, sitting down next to her. “I broke up with my girlfriend of over a year, moved out here, I’m going to be starting graduate school soon and a job that I have no idea what to expect.” She smiled sadly, taking deep, calming breaths. “Jo seems like the right, easy choice for a roommate. I don’t want complicated right now, which is what a relationship with my roommate would be.”
He nodded and reached over, taking one of her hands in both of his. “There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m sorry for teasing. I didn’t know.”
She smiled and pushed her hair away from her face. “I know,” she replied, placing her other hand on top of his. “I know, Eddie. Hey, do you know anything about calling roommate references?” she asked, laughing lightly. “I find that I have no idea what the protocol is.”
Shaking his head, he smiled and replied, “Nope. I assume you call, ask about the potential roommate, and make your decision based on that.”
“How long after the interview do you think I should wait to call?”
Laughing, he pulled back and shook his head again. “I don’t know. I’m assuming you can call any time you want.”
She nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll call after you leave. Wouldn’t want to waste any of my time with you.” Grinning in his direction, she went to finish the drinks.
“I’m here for you, Tara,” he said as she reached into the freezer for the ice. “Anything you want. A shoulder, a buddy, relationship advice, whatever.” She placed the ice in the cups and handed him his sweet tea.
She nodded, going back for hers after putting the empty ice tray in the sink. “I know, Eddie.” Suddenly remembering something else she wanted to ask him, she grinned and laced her arm through his as they walked back into the living room. “Actually, there is something I want to ask you.”
“Come on, Tara, you know it would never work between us,” Eddie replied, winking at her as they took the same positions on the couch as earlier.
Laughing, she shook her head. “Never fails to get old, that one,” she remarked, tucking her legs under her. “I’m in a bit of an awkward situation,” she started, trying to figure out how to word her question.
One of Eddie’s eyebrows rose questioningly. “How awkward?”
“Well, remember that ex I mentioned?” she asked, taking a sip of her tea. Still warm, she thought sullenly as she placed it on the coffee table and willed it to cool off.
“Yes,” he answered, doing the same with his and crossing his arms over his chest.
“I’ve been talking with her a lot recently.”
“Define a lot,” Eddie replied.
She sighed and glanced toward her computer. “Like, every day for hours. She’s mostly who I IM with.”
He let out a low whistle and shook his head. “And let me guess, she wants to get back together.”
Nodding glumly, Tara turned back to him. “What do you think I should do?”
“Well, I’m assuming you broke up with her for a reason,” he replied, seeming to look into her very soul. She nodded. “And you, being the good little lesbian you are, said you could still be friends.”
“Yeah,” Tara answered, her cheeks beginning to burn.
He shook his head again and reached for his tea. “Not possible. Especially not if she wants to get back together.”
“That’s what I thought,” Tara said glumly, leaning against the couch and gazing at her friend across from her. “I feel like an idiot.”
“Nah,” he replied, taking a sip and smiling over the rim of the cup at her. “You’re just a good-hearted person. This sort of thing happens to the best of us.”
“You?” she asked, watching him closely for a reaction.
He shrugged. “Once or twice.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Oh, Eddie, I’ve missed you.”
*
After Jo left, and Tara felt she could breathe normally again, she sat down at the antique oak desk and opened her laptop. Glancing at the piece of paper in her hands, she laid it on the surface next to the computer and once again studied the names and numbers written there: Jo’s references. Should she call right away, or would that be too eager?
Sighing, she leaned back in the chair and was startled slightly by the sound of a new instant message. Looking back at the screen, she wasn’t surprised to see who was contacting her. She sat up and carefully considered her response to her ex’s greeting.
MariMe86: hey beautiful. How’s your day so far?
ItalianGirlTC83: hey Mari. I put up flyers for a roommate this morning and already had a bite.
Tara figured “putting up flyers” wasn’t that big of a lie, after all, she had been in the process of doing just that when she met Jo. She really didn’t want to tell Mari about how she had met Jo for fear Mari might jump to the wrong conclusions. Even telling Mari about Jo at all might not be the best idea, but Tara figured if Mari was going to find out, better she heard it from her.
MariMe86: Wow, that’s fast! I didn’t even know you were looking for a roommate.
ItalianGirlTC83: I can’t afford the bills on my GA salary. Figured it couldn’t hurt to try the roommate thing.
MariMe86: I thought your parents were going to help you.
ItalianGirlTC83: They have been. I don’t want to rely on them forever.
MariMe86: …but you’ll accept help from a stranger?
ItalianGirlTC83: Mari, come on. People have roommates all the time.
MariMe86: I could be your roommate.
Stunned, Tara sat back from the keyboard, not really sure how to respond. There was the obvious answer (no), but Tara didn’t want to hurt Mari’s feelings. Hell, she’d already broken up with her, why not drive the knife in deeper? While she was considering that, she thought, “Why am I still friends with my ex? What was I thinking?”
MariMe86: I take it from your silence that you don’t like that idea.
ItalianGirlTC83: You don’t even have a job. How would you help with the bills? Besides, you don’t want to move to Germany.
MariMe86: I’d do it for you.
ItalianGirlTC83: No, Mari. Don’t say that.
MariMe86: Why not? We could give us another chance.
ItalianGirlTC83: I thought I made it clear you and I are over.
MariMe86: ☹ Can’t blame me for trying.
Groaning, Tara leaned back in the chair and ran her hands over her face. This was getting ridiculous. Even in Germany, she couldn’t help but lead her ex on. Once again, the idea of not speaking with Mari was sounding like a good one.
Just then, her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. “Hello?” she asked into the receiver, glaring at the conversation still on the computer screen.
“Well, hey there! Why are you hiding in that house of yours? Won’t you come out and play?” a familiar voice greeted her with cheerful tones.
Tara couldn’t help but grin. “Eddie! How are you?” Eddie was her oldest friend in Germany. They had played together as children and saw each other every summer that she had visited her great aunt. When she decided to move, he had been the first person she had e-mailed.
“I’m a little hurt. You’ve been in town a whole week and haven’t come by to see me,” her gay best friend, as she liked to refer to him, responded. She knew he was partially joking, but she still detected some truth under the humor.
“I’m sorry, Eddie. I’ve just had the worst case of jet lag ever, and I’ve been trying to square things away with the house. I do want to see you, though. Promise,” she replied, typing a quick message of good-bye to Mari and closing the computer. She had the distinct impression Mari was going to upset the next time they talked, but that wasn’t her main concern at the moment.
“Mm-hmm. A likely story,” he replied, but she knew he couldn’t pretend to be mad at her much longer.
She laughed and shook her head, leaning back in the chair. “Why don’t you come to see me? I mean, if you want. Then you can drag my ass out of the house yourself.”
“Oooo, I’d like that,” he replied. “I’ll be there in a bit.”
“Don’t get lost,” Tara admonished.
“That was a one time thing, Tara Carafello!” he retorted. “See you in a bit.”
She chuckled and hung up the phone, setting it on the desk on top of the paper with Jo’s references. Drumming her fingers on the hard surface, she once again considered calling them. Still, Eddie would be here soon, and she didn’t know how long the calls would take. She’d talk to Eddie about what was a reasonable amount of time to wait before calling them.
The other thing she’d have to deal with, Mari and her ever insistent tries to get back together…well, that would have to wait. She resolved to talk with Eddie about that, too. He had some relationship experience, and he would probably have some good advice. Which would probably be exactly what her gut was telling her to do and cut her off completely.
*
Tara opened the door and was hugging him within seconds. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed him until she saw him standing on her porch with that enigmatic smile of his, and she couldn’t help but hold him tightly. Maybe it was because she had been feeling very alone until he called, but she couldn’t help but feel close to this man. He was the first person she had told that she was attracted to women, and in turn he had told her that he was attracted to men. They shared a bond that she felt with no one else. He was, quite simply, family to her, and that made him the only family she had in the entire country.
“You silly, silly man,” she said, pulling away and grinning at him. “I should have called you the second I got to the airport.”
Eddie smiled and nodded. “Hell yes, you should have.” He hugged her again. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too,” she replied. “Want to come in?” she asked, motioning to the open door behind her. “Or do you want to kidnap me and force me to be social?”
He laughed and shook his head. “I’ll come in for now.” He looked around the porch suddenly as if spooked before turning back at her. “I could have sworn I saw something moving. It looked…blonde.”
Her eyebrows rose in surprise and curiosity. “Blonde? You should have invited her in so I could meet her!”
He laughed again. “Who says it was a she?” He winked at her. “I happen to like a handsome blonde myself.”
She shook her head and glanced around the porch. “Well, whatever it was is gone now. Why don’t you come in, and I can fix you some tea?”
“Tea?” He asked, following her inside. “Not that dreadful American sweet tea, I hope,” he said, winking at her again.
She laughed and nodded, making her way to the kitchen. He always pretended he hated southern sweet tea, but she knew he loved it. She preferred hers a little less sweet, but she didn’t begrudge him his tastes.
“So,” he began, leaning against the doorframe into the kitchen and watching her as she worked on their drinks. “What is it that you’ve been doing the past week?” He gestured behind him to the living room. “I don’t see that you’ve changed anything in the house.”
Shaking her head, she placed the kettle on the stove and turned on the heat. “No,” she admitted sheepishly. “I mean, I’ve gotten my bedroom the way I want it, but mostly I’ve been sleeping and communicating with people back home via instant messenger.”
“Ah,” he said, appearing very thoughtful. “You miss America.”
She shrugged, looking through her selection of teas. “Yeah, I guess so. It’s just a big change, that’s all.”
He nodded and pushed off, coming to stand by her. He reached around her and pulled the box of tea bags away from her. Making his selection, he placed the box on the counter. “That’s normal. I mean, you haven’t visited your aunt in, what, five years?”
Sighing, she ran a hand through her unruly hair and nodded. “I was going to school, you know.”
This time, it was Eddie who shrugged. “There’s always some excuse.”
“Eddie,” Tara protested quietly, but she knew he was right. She hadn’t been the niece or the friend she should have been. “I’m here now. That’s good, right?”
He nodded in response. “You just have to figure out if this is where you want to be, Tara. No one can do that for you.”
They went into the living room to wait for the tea to be ready. “I met someone today,” Tara said, changing the subject.
“Oh, yeah?” he replied, settling onto the couch sideways so that he was facing her.
She did the same, nodding. “For a roommate. She’s in the Air Force, living on base right now.”
“What’s she want to move in here for?” he asked, and she smiled in response.
“She’s got pets. A dog and two cats. That’s not allowed on base,” Tara replied.
He seemed to study her closely, and she looked away from the intensity of his gaze, blushing slightly. “So is it the pets or the woman that you’re excited about?” he asked.
“Eddie!” she responded, shaking her head and smacking his knee lightly. “Why would you ask that?”
He shook his head and held up his hands in the sign of surrender. “Don’t shoot me now, but I know you. You’re allergic to cats, and you always swore you’d never live with one. Now you’re considering living with someone who has two?”
She shrugged. “Jo said she’d keep them away from me. I believe her.”
“Oh, Jo said,” Eddie replied, grinning. “Well, if Jo said it, then I guess everything will be all right.”
He winced a little when Tara smacked his knee again, and she almost regretted doing it. “You can tease all you want, mister, but I think it’ll work out.”
“Oh, sure,” he replied, backing up on the couch so that she couldn’t reach him, “It’ll work out right down to the wedding chapel.”
Even though she knew he was teasing, she could feel his words cut into her. She had considered that she had ulterior motives where Jo was concerned, but it hadn’t seemed that important. She had resolved to keep her attraction to Jo hidden, but here was her friend, seeing right through her. Was it that obvious? Or was he just teasing her because it was easy to ruffle her?
“It’s not like that,” she replied, getting up to check on the tea. “She needs a place to stay, and I need someone to help out with the bills. That’s it.”
She could feel his steady gaze on her back until she reached the kitchen. Then she heard him get up and follow her as she poured the boiling water into the waiting cups.
He stood watching her for a few minutes as she measured the sugar and tried to ignore his presence. Finally, he seemed to come to a decision. She watched as he walked over to her. He turned her to face him. “Tara, you know I’m just teasing, right?” She nodded, but other wise didn’t respond, keeping her gaze on his shirt. “I don’t know what, if anything, is going on with you and this Jo, but I do know something is bothering you. You know you can talk to me, right?”
Sighing, she nodded and moved away to work on their drinks. “I know,” she replied as she put the sugar in the cups and moved away to let the tea steep for a few minutes. She sank into a nearby chair and looked up at him. “This is all a lot for me, you know?” He nodded and pulled up a chair, sitting down next to her. “I broke up with my girlfriend of over a year, moved out here, I’m going to be starting graduate school soon and a job that I have no idea what to expect.” She smiled sadly, taking deep, calming breaths. “Jo seems like the right, easy choice for a roommate. I don’t want complicated right now, which is what a relationship with my roommate would be.”
He nodded and reached over, taking one of her hands in both of his. “There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m sorry for teasing. I didn’t know.”
She smiled and pushed her hair away from her face. “I know,” she replied, placing her other hand on top of his. “I know, Eddie. Hey, do you know anything about calling roommate references?” she asked, laughing lightly. “I find that I have no idea what the protocol is.”
Shaking his head, he smiled and replied, “Nope. I assume you call, ask about the potential roommate, and make your decision based on that.”
“How long after the interview do you think I should wait to call?”
Laughing, he pulled back and shook his head again. “I don’t know. I’m assuming you can call any time you want.”
She nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll call after you leave. Wouldn’t want to waste any of my time with you.” Grinning in his direction, she went to finish the drinks.
“I’m here for you, Tara,” he said as she reached into the freezer for the ice. “Anything you want. A shoulder, a buddy, relationship advice, whatever.” She placed the ice in the cups and handed him his sweet tea.
She nodded, going back for hers after putting the empty ice tray in the sink. “I know, Eddie.” Suddenly remembering something else she wanted to ask him, she grinned and laced her arm through his as they walked back into the living room. “Actually, there is something I want to ask you.”
“Come on, Tara, you know it would never work between us,” Eddie replied, winking at her as they took the same positions on the couch as earlier.
Laughing, she shook her head. “Never fails to get old, that one,” she remarked, tucking her legs under her. “I’m in a bit of an awkward situation,” she started, trying to figure out how to word her question.
One of Eddie’s eyebrows rose questioningly. “How awkward?”
“Well, remember that ex I mentioned?” she asked, taking a sip of her tea. Still warm, she thought sullenly as she placed it on the coffee table and willed it to cool off.
“Yes,” he answered, doing the same with his and crossing his arms over his chest.
“I’ve been talking with her a lot recently.”
“Define a lot,” Eddie replied.
She sighed and glanced toward her computer. “Like, every day for hours. She’s mostly who I IM with.”
He let out a low whistle and shook his head. “And let me guess, she wants to get back together.”
Nodding glumly, Tara turned back to him. “What do you think I should do?”
“Well, I’m assuming you broke up with her for a reason,” he replied, seeming to look into her very soul. She nodded. “And you, being the good little lesbian you are, said you could still be friends.”
“Yeah,” Tara answered, her cheeks beginning to burn.
He shook his head again and reached for his tea. “Not possible. Especially not if she wants to get back together.”
“That’s what I thought,” Tara said glumly, leaning against the couch and gazing at her friend across from her. “I feel like an idiot.”
“Nah,” he replied, taking a sip and smiling over the rim of the cup at her. “You’re just a good-hearted person. This sort of thing happens to the best of us.”
“You?” she asked, watching him closely for a reaction.
He shrugged. “Once or twice.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Oh, Eddie, I’ve missed you.”
*