en's

e booth that Melody had picked

whole time?" she aske

odded. "Jus

ake you work like th

f months ago when I'd first moved to San Diego. She was open, honest, and extroverted, and we had hit

ork late," I said. "I

eyebrows. "Why?" s

I actually enjoy

ty only deepened. "You're a

ords, and she certainly didn't tiptoe around uncomfortable moments. Some might have found her to

ssistant,"

diffe

a differen

y said. "I know the real rea

," I smiled s

r bo

nd Melody let out a burst of lau

.uh... That's

g," she said, g

enial when the waiter appeared between us with two men

asked, leaning in towards hi

ooking, but in a nerdy sort of way. I wouldn't have thought he'd be Melody's type, but I'd long since learned that my friend

tunately not," he said, t

mpletely undeterred. "We

n here," I said. "An

urse,

king affronted. "Does she

g polite, Melod

ked, in a decidedly seductive voic

"No," he said. "You

" she said. "I was just about to pounce on yo

ted out. "I'll h

, but I smiled and ignored her. "A

," the waiter said, with a pointed

, I'll have to go with the mushroom risotto," she said. "

eptionally pleased, and I rolled m

now that subtlety is

neither is

an ever get anything done in this d

d to be in a relati

said, sounding ann

redulously. "You a

morning,"

happ

n while we were having sex this morning, I

ks ago that you though

three we

eally should ha

ing w

you for almost all of those months, and in that time, you've had two

the time," Melod

t the first time around," I said. "But

to become 'the one,'" she explained. "I give them al

believe that?"

ha

such a thing

certainty. "I believe there's a perfect m

ho've been married multiple times and

soul mate," she said easily.

figured out, have

ried by now and living on

"Is that

ed. "Until then, however,

ur soul

ural

live in another country? Maybe he lives on the other side of the w

better gear up for a worl

ad at her. "Y

id accusingly. "Seriously, what is

ow up to see true love a

id, looking at me as th

aughed. "It's just how

our parents had

they were too painful. It was because they weighed me down. The burden of my mother's past was stiff around my shoulders, and there had been moments growi

box when I was seven. I had looked at it so often over the years that it was frayed and worn at the edges, but it still had power over me. Somehow,

rried in the first place. My father was around only sporadically,

istling under her breat

e point is I saw my mother spend the first few years of my childhood being madly in love, and then s

ody said. "Especially if the man

, too," I said before

ha

ean that she was not

ows. "I feel like there

realized that it was stupid to have thought of my father as

ssed not havi

ather," I said, without much emot

"It all make

t do

and love," she said dramatic

eyes. "I'm

e," Melody continued like

hed. "

sed your he

ery single guy I meet may potentially be the love of my life. Some men come into y

ou think your boss fits

y boss," I pointed out. "

y n

he'd probably want nothing to do with me. I didn't say that, however. I

t where I said he is

ing her eyes. "I've slep

lod

third boss was that she was a woman, a

ld write a book abo

ely change the subject," Melody said. "You have

admitted. "Yes, of course

ut

e mixing busines

ed. "Fine then, your boss is off limits and off your

are," I

ng some of them?" Melody demanded. "The right guy

nvenient if he did

d set y

d immediate

y n

on first dates," I sa

es

o have sex on the

fashioned of y

t to wait until I'm comforta

long is that

m...a couple

me as though I had just revealed

s somethi

dent

t here in the restaurant. It was almost worth doing just so that I could see her reaction. I stayed silent and let her regal