May

Their fifteen minute walk down to the sushi place somehow turned into a thirty minute jog. May never understood why Julie always insisted they squeeze in exercise whenever possible, but she supposed that without her best friend’s pep, she’d never end up leaving the office.

After an extra twenty minutes to order off the menu and another ten minutes spent trying to figure out where they should eat, the two of them didn’t find a place to sit until around midnight. They decided on a small park bench outside of an ice cream shop that afforded a great view of the city. Even at this hour, the streets were aglow with life and light, which was perfect for a late night sushi run like this one.

“So, tell me about him,” Julie said as she took the first bite of her spicy dragon roll.

“Tell you what about who?” May asked as she too began to dig in.

Her roommate paused to gaze at her with annoyance. “Is Erik Clayton as good looking as they say? Do his eyes really sparkle, and does his hair really look like spun silk?”

May almost spit out a half-eaten tuna roll. “Are you kidding me, Julie!?”

“What? I’ve seen Erik’s pictures. Even if he’s a jerk, you can’t deny that he’s still smoking hot!”

May rolled her eyes. “Who cares what he looks like?”

“As someone who works with art and is used to admiring beautiful specimens, I do, and so do a lot of other women. What’s wrong with admitting that he’s good looking? It’s not like it’s an opinion at this point. It’s a straight up fact. And you love facts!”

May snickered. “Is that so?”

Julie nodded with all seriousness. “Yup. Even someone like you can’t deny that he is way more attractive than the average guy you see at the coffee shop. So, give me all the details. Exactly how gorgeous is he?”

“Well, he does have nice eyes, I guess,” May admitted.

“Go on,” her roommate teased.

“But that’s it, really. I’m not all that into guys with long locks or facial hair. Plus, he dresses like a teenager who lives at the beach.”

“Oooo! So, he’s rugged looking? I kind of like the sound of that.”

“Of course you do,” May laughed.

Julie shrugged. “What can I say? I have a type.”

“I don’t understand why everyone always says that. What’s the point in having ‘a type’? If you ever actually met Erik, I doubt you’d like him.”

“Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn’t. And you know what? I don’t think you’re allowed to judge me, because you also have ‘a type’.”

“What? No I don’t.”

“Oh yes you do. James wasn’t the first guy you ever liked, he was just the first one you ever dated. But even before him, you always did like geeky guys.”

“James wasn’t geeky!”

“Oh please! You act like I haven’t known him for as long as you,” Julie said with a snort. “I remember the day he moved into your parents’ neighborhood too. He was a total dork who was always spouting random science facts right before making a lame joke. Then he acted like the coolest kid around just because he got a lot of attention from the other girls in school.”

May couldn’t keep herself from laughing. She had nearly forgotten about that phase in James’ life! Maybe he had been a bit geeky.

“He really was cute, wasn’t he?” she mumbled quietly, thinking back on their fifth-grade year.

“Sometimes,” her friend admitted. “But I’ll be honest, I never understood what you saw in him. Sure, he was nice, and your families became close friends, but even so, I never felt that James was good enough for you. He never even tried to acknowledge your feelings until after you both came back from college. And at that point, I think he just finally noticed how smart and beautiful you really were.”

May dipped one of her chopsticks in wasabi before grabbing another piece of sushi. “Well, none of that really matters anymore.”

“Then why do you act like you’re still hung up on him?” Julie asked with a snicker.

“What are you talking about? I don’t act like I’m hung up on James.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t!”

Her friend rolled her eyes. “Then why were you sighing and thinking about him with such a sad face back at the apartment?”

May felt her face heat up with embarrassment. “I was just reminiscing a little.”

“How is that different?”

“Because girls who stay hung up on their ex don’t know how to move on with their lives. But I’m not like that! I didn’t lie down and give up. I worked hard to overcome my fears and to fight off my insecurities, even when I felt all alone. And now look at me! I run my own consulting business and was just hired by one of the richest men in the world to save his son’s company!”

“Whoa, easy there, tiger,” Julie said with a grin. “I know how much you’ve been able to accomplish over the last three years. I was here, remember?”

May nodded. “Exactly. So, why do you doubt me?”

“Probably because you haven’t gone on any dates ever since the breakup, and all you do now is work,” her friend shot back.

“I already told you, I just don’t have any desire to date. I want to keep focusing on my career,” she retorted.

Her roommate leaned in. “And maybe you’re also a little scared of getting hurt again?”

May shook her head. “I’m not afraid, Julie. I just don’t see the point in dating when I have yet to meet anyone who seems halfway decent.”

“So, if you just so happened to meet a cute guy who made you feel like you did around James, you’d consider dating him?”

May shrugged. “Well, he would also have to be honest, genuine, and at a good place in his career. And he shouldn’t have too many ex-girlfriends either, because that just makes me think he’s a player and isn’t serious about relationships. I’d also expect him to have a clean record and a history without debt, and I’d want to see if he can get along with his family and if he has friends who seem just as respectable and trustworthy. Plus, I’d have to have enough time to get to know him a little before we went out.”

Julie began to giggle. “Right, so, as long as all of those things fall into place, and he’s literally perfect in every way, then you’d go on an actual date?”

“Yes.”

“But there’s no way you’ll ever find a guy like that!”

May finished her last bite of food with a smile. “How is that my problem? I already told you, I’m fine even if I never date again.”

Julie stood up and threw her bag of garbage away. “Okay, fine, I give up trying to set you up with someone new.”

“Now, ready for some ice cream?” she asked.

May stood up to join her. “Always. What kind do you want this time?”

“I’m feeling like a scoop of cookie and a scoop of chocolate. You?”

“The same as always. Two scoops of strawberry, with fresh pieces of pineapple on the side.”

“How about you try something new for a change?”

“Or, I could just get what I already know I like,” she teased.

“Like a boring person?”

“Like the most boring person you love to hang out with.”