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Marsie got up, took her cup and Beck’s, then went into the kitchen and made another cup of tea. When she returned with their tea, Beck had snuggled deeper under the blanket. She pulled her arm out from under the blanket and stretched it out for the cup.
“Careful, it’s hot,” Marsie said, turning the mug in her hand so that Beck could grab the handle.
“Am I pathetic enough that I need to be reminded tea is hot, like I’m five?” The words sounded sharp, but Beck was trying to smile, so Marsie took them to be an attempt at a joke and smiled in return.
“The heat of your tea is probably the last thing on your mind.”
She shrugged. “I’m tempted to burn my mouth just so something other than my heart hurts.”
“Oh, honey,” Marsie said, her own heart heavy, “don’t do that. It will take time, but the pain will go away. The body and the heart heal.”
“I know. I just want to think of something else for a time, and a burned mouth is as good as anything.” Beck wrinkled her nose. “Tell me something good. Tell me that you’ve gone on a bunch of dates with some really hot guy who’s good in bed. Tell me that the world is full of possibility. I won’t believe you right now, but I want to hear it.”
Marsie searched her friend’s face, looking for clues to her sincerity. Beck’s eyes were still damp and her hands shook a bit while she held her mug, but her voice had been steady when she asked for good news, so Marsie decided to believe her.
And, because they were best friends, she was going to be honest. Beck would be hurt if she later learned that Marsie had made something up to make her feel better.
“There are good men in the world,” she said, thinking of Jason and his search for a woman he could be completely loyal to and in love with for the rest of his days. “I went on a second date with a really interesting ER doctor, but I can’t tell if he’s good in bed.”
“Does he seem like he’d be good in bed? You know, likes to touch you, seems to have an instinct for the right type of pressure, even if it’s only his hand on your knee?”
“I don’t know.”
“Two dates and you don’t know? You’ve touched, right?”
“Well, sure, we’ve shaken hands.”
Beck put her cup on the coffee table, then slapped her hand over her heart and let her head fall back. “Be still my heart! You’ve shaken hands.”
Her friend sat like that for several seconds until Marsie finally said, “Oh, stop it. I get your point.”
Beck’s head snapped up. “I’ve shaken hands with a divorce lawyer. And I shake hands with customers on a regular basis. It’s all been hot, hot, hot.”
“It’s just not been the right time or place for a kiss or anything.”
“Is there a right time, or a right person?”
“Well, both, I guess,” Marsie said, thinking about how she’d left the date early to come to Beck’s house—and how she had been relieved not to have to figure out how to dodge a kiss at the car.
But Trevor was perfect.
Except for the not wanting to kiss him.
“In this case, I’m sure it wasn’t the right time.” God, even she could tell that there wasn’t any conviction in her voice.
Beck rolled her eyes. “I’ve seen your algorithm. I’ll bet that he’s the right guy for the algorithm and the wrong guy for you. Your math-based method of finding true love leaves a lot to be desired.”
“Hey now, not if I find the perfect man for me. One who compliments me and challenges me.”
“Yeah, but you’re looking for you, with a penis.”
“Why didn’t you say anything when we were first looking at the men online?”
Beck shrugged. “I was so caught up in the fun of it that I didn’t stop to think about the what of it.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not fun,” Marsie grumbled. Jason was a liar when he said it was. “Just wait until you have to try it.”
Beck tried to hide her falling face by reaching for her cup of tea, but Marsie saw the new hurt she’d caused her friend. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Neil just moved out today and you wanted to hear about fun.”
