"And you've got a thing for him."
"It's just a crush, I think," I said with a shrug. "He's good-looking and he's nice to me. He lives near here, so we go to and from work together. When I get used to him, it'll probably fade. And I don't think it'll go anywhere. He isn't interested in me, I don't think."
"What makes you say that?"
"He's really shy, the kind of guy who doesn't talk easily to anyone, let alone someone he's interested in, and he talks to me."
"You are easy to talk to."
I rolled my eyes. "It's my curse. But it's not like he talks to me about anything other than business, not even when we're on the subway. I couldn't begin to tell you what he does away from work."
"Yeah, it doesn't sound like sparks are flying." She must have seen my face fall, for she frowned.
I drank some wine, then laughed. "Isn't that how it always seems to go? The ones you like just want to be friends. Why can't I seem to break out of high school dating patterns?"
"Because men never really mature." She put her wineglass down on the table and crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, here's how I see it. Don't give up on him.
Even if nothing else happens, friends are good to have, and you never know what friendship can grow into. Now, I know just the way to distract you from your problems. Are you going to be able to make it tomorrow night?"
"Tomorrow night?" Then I remembered what I was supposed to be doing. "God, Gem, I'm sorry, I totally forgot about it and said I'd go out with some of the women at work. I knew there was something I was forgetting."
"Don't worry about it. I'm not sure he was right for you anyway. Go out with the work people. But after that, you could use some masculine distraction. When was your last boyfriend?"
I got up to check my sauce so I wouldn't have to look her in the eye. "Steve Sprague," I said softly.
"Steve? Junior year Steve? You haven't had a serious relationship since then?"
I white-knuckled the wooden spoon as I fought to keep my composure. "Well, we made that no boyfriends, no entanglements that will hold us back from taking on the world vow our senior year before y'all left for New York. Then I was stuck in Hicksville for a few years, and there's no big singles' scene there. All the guys got married while I was off at college. Since I've been in New York, I haven't dated anyone more than once or twice. I just seem to go on blind dates that don't go anywhere." As soon as I said it, I regretted it. She'd worked hard to help me fit in after I got to New York, and I didn't want her to think I was criticizing her efforts.
"The 'like a sister' thing has
a double effect here," I added with an attempt at a laugh.
"Okay, no more blind dates just to be dating. We're looking for a real boyfriend for you."
A boyfriend, huh? It sounded nice. I'd never been the kind of girl or woman who needed a man in my life to make me feel complete. I was perfectly happy on my own. But I liked the idea of trading dressing up, going out, and meeting guy after guy for having that one special guy. I had a sudden craving for a quiet evening at home, wearing sweats and snuggling on the sofa together, eating takeout and watching an old movie. That wasn't something you could do on a blind date. It was a definite boyfriend activity.
"That sounds good. Just pick a good one for me."
"I'll have to look around. Until now, I haven't been thinking about long-term prospects when I've been arranging things."
The front door opened and Marcia came in. "Mmm, dinner smells good. Katie must be cooking tonight."
"Hey!" Gemma protested, but she was grinning. She'd be the first to admit that her favorite recipe was a Chinese delivery menu.
"What's going on?" Marcia asked as she tucked her briefcase into the end table that also served as her nightstand.
"We're getting Katie a boyfriend."
"We are? What brought this on?"
"I'm tired of all the dating," I said before Gemma could say anything. "I'd like the chance to really get to know someone."
"You do realize you'll have to date some in order to find a boyfriend, don't you?"
Gemma teased.
"Does this mean you are or aren't joining us tomorrow night?" Marcia asked, peering into the pot of tomato sauce and giving it a stir.
"I'm not. But not because of the boyfriend thing. I'm going out with some people from work. I figured it would be a good chance to get the real scoop on the office politics."