Obsessed

I need to set Derrick straight before he gets any ideas. “My work is important. I don’t have time for a girlfriend.”

Derrick stabs me in the chest with a finger. “You need to make time for one, my friend. No one could work the amount of hours you do and stay sane.”

“And since when are women the path to sanity? No offense,” I say to the bartender, but she just laughs and wipes down the bartop in front of us. “Anyway, my psych eval says I’m fine.”

Derrick shakes his head then looks back at the bartender. “He’ll have a gin and tonic and a shot of fun, please.”

“No, I won’t. I’ll have a beer. I’m driving.” I sit down on the stool beside Derrick.

“Did you come all the way out here just to sulk about how you’re not at work?” Derrick asks.

“No. I really do want that game of pool. Been a while since I made you cry like a girl.”

“Yeah, you wish.” Derrick gives me a shove that makes me rock on my stool.

The light-hearted moment turns serious quickly, though. The bartender brings me my beer and I study the label for a moment. “Do you really think I work too much?”

Derrick snorts. “Workaholics would think you work too much. So what’s going on? I’m guessing whipping my ass at a game of pool isn’t the reason you dragged me here.”

“I don’t know. This job has been getting to me lately. I’m bored. I miss being away from a desk.”

“That’s an easy one,” he says. “Take a vacation. Go ziplining.”

I laugh. “Sure. Ziplining.” He’s missed the point. It’s not just the excitement I like. It’s helping people. It’s knowing that I’m needed. That there’s an immediate effect from my actions.

Growing up, I knew I could never rely on my dad for anything. It made me independent. It also sucked. Now there’s nothing I love more than being the person someone can rely on. It feels good to give others something I never had.

Derrick slaps my shoulder. “Seriously, man. Let me set you up. I’ve got some friends who would be perfect for you.”

I make a face at him. He’s really not listening to me. Some best friend. “Why, exactly, do you think a woman will solve my problems? Shouldn’t I solve my problems first and then find a girlfriend?”

“It’s not about a woman solving your problems.” Derrick rolls his eyes as if he’s just said the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s about making you feel like you want to solve your problems.” Derrick takes a sip of his gin.

I stare at him. “When did you become a relationship expert?”

“Since forever. I’ve had six girlfriends in the last year and you’ve had zero.”

“Derrick, six girlfriends in a year is not a good thing.” I’m definitely not an expert, but I am aware that relationships are supposed to last longer than two months. “I’m pretty sure that makes you terrible at relationships.”

“Still better than you.”

He may have a point there. I rake my mind trying to remember if I’ve met any of those six girlfriends. I would absolutely still consider Derrick to be my closest friend, and not being aware of the women he’s dating seems strange.

“Weren’t things going well with Jessica?” I ask.

Derrick stares at me. “Jessica was five years ago. How do you even remember her?”

Fuck. I do work too much.

We take our drinks and conversation and move over to the pool tables. I really need to make more time for hanging out with my friends. It’s suddenly occurred to me that I’ve been pretty bad at maintaining even the most basic friendships. It’s a wonder Derrick agreed to this off the cuff meetup. Hell, it’s a miracle he hasn’t blocked me yet.

Derrick isn’t a very good pool player, so I quickly take the lead.

“If you were open to dating,” Derrick says, leaning on his pool cue, “what kind of things would you be looking for in a

woman? Blonde, brunette?”

I sigh. He’s really not letting this go. Loving is the first word that comes to mind, but I’m not about to say something that sappy to Derrick. He’ll never let me live it down. “Smart,” I say instead. “Funny. A bit of a homebody.”