difference between the various types of caviar. He just wanted to get to know you .”
Charlene’s words stabbed Aimee’s already wounded ego. She turned away from her friend and stared down at the river, while fresh tears trickled down her face. Charlene patted her arm and waited.
“I’m sorry,” Charlene said finally. “Forget I said anything. You’re a great person, and if Frank can’t recognize that, he doesn’t deserve you.”
“Thanks for the best friend sympathy,” Aimee sniffled. “But I needed the truth. You’re right. I’ve got to stop letting Tom influence the way I think or behave.”
“Maybe you’re not ready to date yet?” Charlene suggested.
Aimee thought for a moment. “I am. Actually, I’ve been getting over Tom for months, ever since he first left town without me. When he took a job in Colorado and said he didn’t want me to go with him, I thought I couldn’t make it without him, but I did. And yes, I was stupid enough to agree when he got the caretaking job and wanted me to join him. But when I was finally able to see he was just using me, and I left. I don’t think I would’ve been able to do that if I hadn’t already had time apart from him. Time to see I could manage without him and to begin to realize how completely he had been running my life. Better late than never, right?”
“I agree. Learn from the situation, so you don’t make the same mistake again.”
“I don’t think Frank’s anything like Tom. Do you?” Aimee asked.
“From what I’ve seen, no,” Charlene confirmed. Aimee nodded thoughtfully, and when she didn’t speak, Charlene suggested, “Maybe you should try another match.”
A slight breeze stirred the strands of Aimee’s hair, and she brushed them away from her face. “I want to see Frank agan,” she said.
“But he’s getting another match.”
“I know.”
They sat in silence for a minute. “What are you going to do?” Charlene asked.
Aimee shrugged. “Maybe I’ll write him a note,” she said. “Explain what happened. I could send it to Edwina and ask her to pass it along to Frank if his second match doesn’t work out. If we’re meant to be, we will be.”
Charlene studied her for a moment and then nodded. “I’ll say a prayer for you.” She stood up. “Are you okay? I hate to say it, but I’ve got to get back to work. Lots of terribly important lawyerish things to do, you know.”
“Sorry! I’ve taken up too much of your time.” Aimee felt guilty at interrupting her friend’s day, especially for the type of emotional crisis someone as much in control of her life as Charlene couldn’t really understand.
“No, you haven’t,” Charlene told her firmly. “Call again if you need to. And let’s get together this weekend for a girls’ night, okay?”
Aimee nodded. “That’d be nice.”
Charlene headed back down the pathway, and Aimee stayed on the bench. She watched the flow of the water, the pattern of its movement, faster here, slower there, and then swirling in circles over a hidden rock. The talk with Charlene and the peaceful setting gradually helped to calm Aimee’s agitation. She didn’t know if she still had a chance with Frank or whether she could take the risk of asking for a second match. But she was lucky to have a friend who’d drop everything to come ease her out of a crisis. Maybe she wasn’t totally incompetent at life.
Finally she got up and made her way to her car. Back at her apartment, she did as she’d told Charlene she would: wrote a note to Frank to tell him why she thought he should see her again. She emailed it to Edwina and felt much better. Charlene might have looked doubtful, but Aimee felt certain. If Frank was the man she was supposed to be with, he would answer her note, and they could try again.
Chapter 6
After her depressing meeting with Edwina on Monday, Aimee’s week didn’t get any better. Her car refused to start, which made her late for work, and she had to pay for
Charlene’s words stabbed Aimee’s already wounded ego. She turned away from her friend and stared down at the river, while fresh tears trickled down her face. Charlene patted her arm and waited.
“I’m sorry,” Charlene said finally. “Forget I said anything. You’re a great person, and if Frank can’t recognize that, he doesn’t deserve you.”
“Thanks for the best friend sympathy,” Aimee sniffled. “But I needed the truth. You’re right. I’ve got to stop letting Tom influence the way I think or behave.”
“Maybe you’re not ready to date yet?” Charlene suggested.
Aimee thought for a moment. “I am. Actually, I’ve been getting over Tom for months, ever since he first left town without me. When he took a job in Colorado and said he didn’t want me to go with him, I thought I couldn’t make it without him, but I did. And yes, I was stupid enough to agree when he got the caretaking job and wanted me to join him. But when I was finally able to see he was just using me, and I left. I don’t think I would’ve been able to do that if I hadn’t already had time apart from him. Time to see I could manage without him and to begin to realize how completely he had been running my life. Better late than never, right?”
“I agree. Learn from the situation, so you don’t make the same mistake again.”
“I don’t think Frank’s anything like Tom. Do you?” Aimee asked.
“From what I’ve seen, no,” Charlene confirmed. Aimee nodded thoughtfully, and when she didn’t speak, Charlene suggested, “Maybe you should try another match.”
A slight breeze stirred the strands of Aimee’s hair, and she brushed them away from her face. “I want to see Frank agan,” she said.
“But he’s getting another match.”
“I know.”
They sat in silence for a minute. “What are you going to do?” Charlene asked.
Aimee shrugged. “Maybe I’ll write him a note,” she said. “Explain what happened. I could send it to Edwina and ask her to pass it along to Frank if his second match doesn’t work out. If we’re meant to be, we will be.”
Charlene studied her for a moment and then nodded. “I’ll say a prayer for you.” She stood up. “Are you okay? I hate to say it, but I’ve got to get back to work. Lots of terribly important lawyerish things to do, you know.”
“Sorry! I’ve taken up too much of your time.” Aimee felt guilty at interrupting her friend’s day, especially for the type of emotional crisis someone as much in control of her life as Charlene couldn’t really understand.
“No, you haven’t,” Charlene told her firmly. “Call again if you need to. And let’s get together this weekend for a girls’ night, okay?”
Aimee nodded. “That’d be nice.”
Charlene headed back down the pathway, and Aimee stayed on the bench. She watched the flow of the water, the pattern of its movement, faster here, slower there, and then swirling in circles over a hidden rock. The talk with Charlene and the peaceful setting gradually helped to calm Aimee’s agitation. She didn’t know if she still had a chance with Frank or whether she could take the risk of asking for a second match. But she was lucky to have a friend who’d drop everything to come ease her out of a crisis. Maybe she wasn’t totally incompetent at life.
Finally she got up and made her way to her car. Back at her apartment, she did as she’d told Charlene she would: wrote a note to Frank to tell him why she thought he should see her again. She emailed it to Edwina and felt much better. Charlene might have looked doubtful, but Aimee felt certain. If Frank was the man she was supposed to be with, he would answer her note, and they could try again.
Chapter 6
After her depressing meeting with Edwina on Monday, Aimee’s week didn’t get any better. Her car refused to start, which made her late for work, and she had to pay for
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