profiles right over. If you like someone, let me know. If not,
don’t worry. I’ll have a few more for you in a couple days.”
“Okay. I’m sorry again about Jeff. He was, on paper,
the perfect match. Even off paper. I can see why you picked
him.”
“Don’t apologize,” I tell her again. I feel dismayed
when she pushes back her chair and stands up.
“Sorry. I have a ton of tests to grade. I couldn’t focus
yesterday and they’ll probably take me the rest of the weekend
at this rate.”
“I hope you’re not worried about—”
“It’s not that.” Steph throws her shoulder bag over her
left arm and holds up her tea to me. She doesn’t tell me what it
is that’s worrying her. I don’t pry, because that’s none of my
business. “Thank you for this. It’s amazing. I’m going to come
here again for sure. I can’t buy a book today or I’d tempt
myself with it and not finish my work, but I’m going to stop
back in and get some when I have some free time.”
The fact that Steph likes to read and is tempted by
books, and gets so lost in them that she neglects everything
else, reminds me of me so much that my chest squeezes in
response.
“Yeah. For sure. I’m going to choose a few. I’ll send
those profiles over when I get back home. In an hour?”
“Take your time.” Steph waves at me and heads out the
door so casually that I almost have the impression that she was
more worried about apologizing about Jeff than she is about
finding a match. That’s not true. Just back to the old wishful
thinking again.
A good book is exactly what I need right now. A