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“Stunning! But it’s up to you, ladies. Your dress is pretty too, Elisa.”
“Uh-huh? Do you see how you said that? I think I prefer stunning over pretty!” Elisa called to their attendant. “Can you please bring that dress in my size? Thank you so much.”
The girls laughed excitedly as the attendant quickly obliged. Elisa disappeared into the fitting room and emerged moments later, looking just as stunning as Serenity.
“We’ve got our dresses!” Serenity squealed, slapping Elisa high five.
“And I know just where to find the perfect shoes. Now let’s go eat. Ha!” Elisa dashed back to her room.
Serenity took one last look at herself from varied angles offered by the multitude of mirrors and headed back to her fitting room, carrying a healthy dose of pride. When the doctor had warned her mother of possible impending diabetes, it had scared both of them. Serenity had supported her mom by changing her eating habits too. They had started out taking walks in the evening and eventually began jogging. Each month they tried something new, so they wouldn’t get bored with working out. Now they could both credit yoga, Pilates, kickboxing, boot camp and Pure Barre classes for better health and fit bodies.
An hour later, the girls were chatting over drinks in one of their favorite Thai restaurants.
“That was fun! At least there were no tears this time.” Elisa laughed. “We were such a mess when you found your dress, Rayne.”
“She looked so beautiful!” Serenity said, with a reminiscent tilt and shake of her head.
“She absolutely glowed. I could have sworn I heard harps playing in that bridal shop when she walked out of that dressing room. Ethan is going lose his mind when he sees you on your wedding day.”
“Thank you. The moment I stepped into that dress, I knew it was the one.” Rayne paused and sipped her ginger martini. “Girls!” Elisa and Serenity looked up. “I’m getting married!” she sang. Rayne closed her eyes and squealed, flapping her hands in the air. Elisa and Serenity squealed along with her. “I can’t believe it!”
The shrieks snagged the attention of the few patrons in the restaurant. Most smiled, signing off on their happy display.
Laughing, Rayne shrunk into her shoulders. “Sorry,” she said to her collective audience.
“I love Ethan. From the moment I met him, he became the big brother I never had.” Serenity leaned left to allow the waiter to place her sushi on the table.
“I know. You did good, girl.” Elisa winked.
“Speaking of Ethan, he asked about your date the other night. He laughed when I told him how horrific you said it was.” Rayne hid her smile behind the martini glass, sipped and stretched her eyes at Serenity.
“Tell him I said it went like this...” Serenity put one hand over her throat and, with the other, she pretended to stick a finger into her mouth. The spectacle made Elisa cover her mouth to keep the wine she drank from spraying the table. Rayne, with her hand over her heart and her head back, laughed so hard she snorted, which propelled the girls into a frenzy of laughter until tears streaked their faces.
“Oh—” Rayne tried to catch her breath “—I can’t believe I just did that!”
Serenity’s sides ached. She panted in an attempt to pull herself together. Each time they calmed down, they would start all over again.
“That’s why I love hanging with you, ladies,” Elisa said. “We can be totally silly. Clint doesn’t get it.” She referred to her boyfriend. “I told him that his friends didn’t know how to really have fun.”
“I know. Ethan thinks we’re nuts too. And when I get home, I’m going to show him just what Serenity thought about that date.” Chuckles spread around the table once again. “Seriously, he actually hoped it would work out.”
“I know. Just let him know I’m no longer interested in his matchmaking services.”
“If we leave it up to you, your next date is likely to be with a floormate at your nursing home!” Elisa said matter-of-factly, before tossing a spicy tuna roll in her mouth.
Serenity’s mouth opened and closed. “What?”
“You always say you don’t have time to date.”
“She’s right.” Rayne nodded her head vigorously. “That’s why Ethan has been on the case, trying to hook you up with his friends and colleagues.”
“I’d make time for the right one.” Serenity squared her shoulders.
“When?” Elisa and Rayne said at the same time.
“Whatever!” Serenity waved her hand, dismissing their interrogation. Of course she didn’t have an answer. Up until recently, she hardly thought about dating. Work and the organization occupied her time and thoughts. “I just don’t have a lot of spare time.”
“We always make time for what we want,” Rayne challenged.
“Besides, what kid are you giving music lessons to at eight o’clock on a Saturday night?” Elisa said.
Having no viable answer, Serenity playfully rolled her eyes at Elisa. “It’s not that I’m not open to dating. It’s just...not easy finding a nice guy. The last few that I went out with were complete disasters. Most of them just want to have sex and text. I want long conversations on the phone. I want to learn a few things about a man before I jump into bed with him...like his STD status. Ha!” All three fell out laughing.
“That’s funny but so true.” Elisa punctuated her statement with a fork in Serenity’s direction. “I agree.”
“Seriously. It seems like men don’t want to take their time to get to know women these days. I’m kind of an old-fashioned girl. I want to be courted.”
“You’re right, Serenity. I think that’s why I fell for Ethan. He didn’t pressure me to sleep with him on the first date like some other guys I dated. We spent time getting to know and really like each other. We’re friends.”
“That’s what I want! Someone willing to be my friend.”
“It’s so important. I believe that the friendship that Ethan and I have will get us through the rough spots that are sure to come up. Without friendship as a foundation, what can a couple stand on when a little turbulence hits the relationship?”
“Exactly.” Serenity sat up straighter. “Think about it. Most friendships outlast relationships. Have you ever wondered why?”
Elisa slowly nodded her head in consideration. “You’re right. Some of my friendships, like ours, date back to childhood.”
“And before Clint, you didn’t have a relationship that lasted more than two years!” Serenity saw the realization dawning in Elisa’s eyes. “That’s because friendships play by a different set of rules. We accept our friends for who they are, regardless of how great or zany they may be, but we look for people to date who will conform to our expectations of them. It’s not fair. If we treated our relationships more like friendships, maybe they would last just as long.”
“Whoa! Look at you giving solid relationship advice.” Rayne nudged Elisa. “Did you hear that?”
“She’s absolutely right.” Elisa nodded in agreement.
“The real question is, how do I find a great friend that could become a great boyfriend?”
“You should try one of those online dating sites so you can expand your options,” Elisa offered.
Serenity’s head reared back. She jerked into a rigid upright position. “Not with all those crazy people! No way! Do you want me to come up missing?”
“Serenity,” Rayne almost pleaded, “I know plenty of people who met online and even got married. It’s not like it used to be. Everyone does it these days. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Serenity shook her head and wagged her finger. “Those people lie. They’ll post a profile picture that looks like Denzel and, when you meet them in person, they look more like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. No. No. No.”
“Since you don’t get out much, it could be convenient for you. Bypass the profiles of any you don’t like. That way you won’t have to waste time going out on bad dates. If you find someone, we won’t let you go on the date alone. Rayne and I will be there, lurking...watching.” Elisa shaded her eyes with her hand and bent forward, pretending to spy. “We’ll make sure he’s not Quasimodo in disguise.”
“I don’t know about this.” Serenity pressed her lips together and took a deep breath.
“I’ve done it,” Rayne admitted, waving off Serenity’s objection as if it were no big deal.
“Me too.” Elisa shrugged. “Met a few cuties too. Nothing panned out, but it wasn’t because they looked like Quasimodo and shouted ‘Sanctuary!’ when we went out.”
Serenity’s laugh caught her off guard. She sipped water to push down a piece of rice that had caught in her throat.
“I didn’t know you had both dated people you met online.”
“Remember Don? The guy I dated before Ethan?”
“Oh, yes! You did meet him online. I totally forgot about that. Remember how nervous I was when you went on your first date with him? I tried to talk you out of going.”
“Yes, you made me give you my log-in information so you could track my phone.”
“No!” Elisa said in disbelief. “Serenity, you really did that?”
“Sure did!”
Elisa reached across the table. “Give me your phone. We can download an app and sign you up to one of the sites right now.”
“Yes!” Rayne cheered.
“No!”
“Try it out for a few days. Check out the guys and, if you still don’t feel comfortable, just delete your profile and account. I think if you see what it’s really like, you might be a little more comfortable with it. Right, Rayne?”
“Just give it a try, Serenity.”
After a long pause, Serenity slid her phone over to Elisa with a grunt.
“Okay. Let me show you how to do it.” Elisa scooted closer to Serenity.
The three peered at the phone together as Elisa explained the differences between the various sites. Serenity picked one, and watched as Elisa downloaded the app. Elisa typed the answers to the questions on the site as Serenity provided the responses. She then instructed Serenity to pick a selfie that she really liked for her profile picture. It wasn’t long before the profile was complete.
“All done.” Elisa presented Serenity’s phone to her.
She took back her phone as if it were an unfamiliar object. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” What had she just agreed to?
Chapter 4 (#u89e3b525-76d0-54fb-b187-5b30021c0034)
Chris dragged himself into his luxury condominium. One of the few high-rise structures of its kind on Long Island. He loved the charged atmosphere of the city but didn’t want to deal with its noisy, restless backdrop the entire night. His condo offered the best of both worlds, with modern city-like living in a serene, suburban setting, but without the steady buzz of people and honking of car horns. He’d kept his place in Manhattan to hang out there when he had to handle business or had grown too tired to make it back home.
Tossing his keys onto the antique side table by the door, Chris trudged into his sleek kitchen to grab a bottle of water. Moonlight filtered through the glass walls in the living room, casting an amber glow throughout the spacious apartment. Propped against the white marble countertop, he nearly drained the water in one long gulp. He set the almost-empty bottle down, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Moments from the evening flashed in his mind’s eye and a smile eased across his lips. The Reserve had been packed to the gills. He perfectly recalled the pop of corks, the hum of voices and rumble of laughter that had filled the space. Blackwell’s performance had been stellar. He had breathed life into his sax, capturing the audience in a melodic trance. Collectively, fingers tapped, heads bobbed and the small area where Trina suggested they keep clear of tables and chairs was filled with dancing couples. At one point, the audience urged Chris’s eldest sister, Chloe, to join Alfonzo onstage for a duet—her voice and his sax had joined and floated soulfully through the air, lifting everyone with them. By the time they were done, Chris felt like the floor was miles below his feet. The staff hadn’t had a free moment all night, but by the time they had left, they were all happily exhausted.
Chris sniffed a chuckle, remembering the gorgeous blonde who had kept flirting with him. Her green eyes sparkled and her voice dipped an octave, emerging sexy and seductive through honey-colored lips that were made perfectly plump by injections. She had zeroed in on him and he had enjoyed every ounce of the sweet attention she poured over him like molasses. He’d fought the urge to lick his lips when she smiled. He’d begun to wonder what their first date would be like, until she shared that she had just had to meet him when she’d found out he was one of the owners. His excitement shut off like a light. He wondered if she would have given him the same attention if he’d just been a patron. These small indications of superficiality were fast becoming turnoffs.
In his distinctly charming manner, Chris had eased out of her magnetic hold without chipping at her dignity. He had told her how beautiful she was, which wasn’t a lie. With a soft touch slightly above her lower back, he had leaned close to her ear and expressed how he had enjoyed talking to her but unfortunately needed to get back to work. He had thanked her sincerely for patronizing The Reserve and had mentioned that he hoped she and her friends would come again. With a kiss to the back of her hand, he had bid her a wonderful evening and departed, backing away slowly, smiling, without false promises. She had got the message and pouted, seeming a little disappointed, but smiled seductively, still with an arch in her long neck and a bare shoulder pushed forward. She had winked, slid a finger across her lips and said good-night before sauntering away and joining her friends at their table. As he moved around throughout the night, he had caught her staring several times. She’d pout, smile and allow her lustful gaze to linger for seconds before turning away.
Chris finished off the water and tossed the bottle into the recycling bin. Despite being tired, he was still too wound up to sleep and figured a long, hot shower would help him relax. Picking up the remote, he turned off the lights in the kitchen and living room and headed toward his bedroom. Walking through the closet, he pulled boxers from a drawer and continued to the bathroom for the shower. Emerging clean and smelling like mint, he slipped into his underwear and flopped onto the bed, ready for a comforting night of sleep.
A half hour later, the anticipated slumber still hadn’t come. Chris picked up his phone and started scrolling through pictures on The Reserve’s Facebook page. So many people had posted about the night’s performance. Others posted everything from pictures of their food to wine choices to selfies outside with the name on the awning in the background. The blonde had even added a comment to a posted picture about how much she had enjoyed herself and had to come back soon.
Seeing the woman’s picture made him think about the theme common to the women he’d been meeting lately. Chris hesitated a moment, letting his finger hover over the screen of his phone. After a moment he touched the icon that brought up a search engine. He laughed at himself. Was he really considering this? He entered dating sites into the search bar. Several of them came up, as well as options for apps that he could download on his phone. After perusing the list for about ten minutes, he settled on one of the apps that, based on its description, didn’t seem so intrusive. It offered local prospects, which seemed reasonable. He never thought he’d do well in long-distance relationships.
Chris downloaded the app and started putting together a profile using the name Chris Mullins. He completed every swipe, upload, and tap of a letter with trepidation. He selected a full-body picture so that his facial features wouldn’t be as prominent. His thumb hovered over the image. Once that finger connected with the screen, his profile would become visible to a vast pool of companion seekers. He hated to think that this would make him seem desperate. He tried to bear in mind the reassurance of his friends.
Chris had never been the kind to follow the herd, but this time, knowing that many others had searched for mates online seemed comforting. He wasn’t alone in this. He wasn’t the first. This would expand his options. He personally knew someone who had succeeded in finding a great woman online. Convincing himself worked. He touched the screen, making his profile public. It was official.
He sat up in bed and, resting against the headboard, closed his eyes. Letting out a deep sigh and then a grunt, he blew out his concerns. This couldn’t hurt him. In fact, it could prove to be interesting—fun, even. He didn’t have to commit to anything or anyone. He considered it a new method of blind dating, with the benefit of seeing what your date looked like before you actually met. Curiosity captured his focus as he thought about the possibilities.
He swiped through a few profile pictures, surprised at how many attractive women he found there, but wondered if the images they posted were depictions of what they really looked like.
“Ha!” Chris released a hearty laugh into the silence that enveloped his room. What if he got catfished? That would certainly make for a good story with the guys.
Reading through profiles, he formed a few opinions. There were several options for filtering his search, such as location, interests and ethnicity. The site offered a smorgasbord of women, featuring every type of personality. This he determined much from the pictures alone, which showed women in everything from business suits to minuscule bikinis that advertised all their major “assets.” He did come across one or two that he was tempted to send private messages to but seemed to be at a loss for what to say. That never happened when he was in front of a woman in real life.
Chris laughed at himself again. He still wasn’t one hundred percent sure about this, but he was now official. He was in the game despite his reservations. Connecting his phone to the charger, he lay back down on the bed and pulled the covers up to his neck. Nestling into his memory-foam mattress, he thought about the possibilities until his lids grew heavy enough to shut out all thoughts.
Chapter 5 (#u89e3b525-76d0-54fb-b187-5b30021c0034)
Serenity’s phone buzzed. She snatched it off the desk with one ferocious motion. Holding the phone against her chest, she felt it vibrate slightly at the same rapid pace of her heart. She didn’t know how much longer she’d keep that app on her phone. The constant notifications ran her battery down, but curiosity wouldn’t allow her to mute the alerts. With each buzz, a burst of air radiated in her stomach, sending nervous tremors through her core. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and exhaled. She looked up at the clock. She had three minutes before the third-period bell rang and a herd of seventh graders would come charging into the music room.
Entering the passcode on her screen, she opened the dating app. She had more private messages, one from a gentleman who looked like her favorite uncle. She scrunched her nose and deleted his message without reading it. She hadn’t actually read any of the messages fully. She only saw part of the first line, which was previewed under the subject line. She didn’t know if the sender could tell if she had opened the messages or not. Instead she let them pile up, reducing the likelihood of responding. She clicked on a few more profiles.
Despite her reservations, she was entertained by what people wrote in their profiles. Some kept their introductory lines simple, describing their interests and professions. Others got creative. She stopped short at the profile of a good-looking caramel-colored man with a smooth black goatee, assuming she’d be intrigued by his summary. Instead, what she found caused abrupt laughter to erupt from her mouth.
“You’ve got to be kidding!”
She read the words under his picture again.
Roses are red, violets are tan,
You finally found your perfect man.
Giggling, she took a screenshot of his profile with the cheesy poem and tapped a quick text to her girlfriends on their group chat and uploaded the image.
This is why online dating is a bad idea! LOL!
That text would serve as a source of amusement for the rest of their day. Returning to the dating app and shaking her head, she closed the window of his profile. The next one featured a full-body picture of what looked like a rather handsome man. Serenity zoomed in to see his face better. His summary said he loved music, travel and great wines. The information he provided was minimal, and for some reason that intrigued her. She looked at his zip code and realized that he was also from Nassau County.
The school bell rang long and piercingly. She flinched, launching from her seat. One hand flew to her chest, while the other tightened the grip on her cell phone to keep it from flying out of her hand. In that short amount of time, she’d forgotten where she was.
“Goodness!” She recovered her breath, sighed and opened the music-room door. The second bell rang, and students poured from classrooms, filling the halls with a high volume of chatter.
“Hey, Ms. Williams.”
“Hey, Melanie.”
Serenity held her hand up for Melanie and her other students to slap her high five. Some of the crowd carried their loud chatter from the hallway into her classroom. Girls snickered, boys laughed, friends promised to meet after class.
