Page 35 of It's a Date (Again)

“Something is appealing to me.”

I cock my head. “That doesn’t seem helpful for me, the one dating them.”

“I think it is. We like the same things.”

Debbie returns with a wineglass filled to the brim. She settles back into her chair and takes a long sip, making a refreshing sound when she’s done.

“Debbie, it’s two in the afternoon,” Maya says.

“I’m retired, Maya. Time means nothing to me.” She drinks again and places the glass on the end table beside her. “So, have we narrowed it down yet?”

“No, I don’t think I can until I actually have a date with each of them.”

“That’s true,” Maya says. “We’re just going off initial impressions and text messages.”

“But I don’t know how I’m going to date them when I don’t even know who I am. How do I talk to them about my likes, dislikes, beliefs, values—any of it?” I deliver a worried look to both Maya and Debbie.

They glance at one another and nod. “Time for a crash course on you,” Maya says.

“We got thirty-two years to cover, so buckle up,” Debbie adds.

This will be interesting. Being able to learn about myself from the viewpoint of those who know me. I wonder what kind of person I am or what makes me happy. Hopefully, it’s all good stuff. I re-situate myself and fold my legs into a pretzel, getting comfortable. “Okay, what do I like to do for fun?”

Maya and Debbie start listing off things rapid fire. I pick up a fair amount and try to commit it all to my memory. Long walks, but Maya called themhot girl walks. I’m not entirely sure what that is. Reading. Mostly romance novels. I gathered that from the bookshelf in my office. Going out for dinner and drinks. My favorites are fried chicken sandwiches, Caesar salads (but not the healthy kind), and lemon drop martinis. I can’t do spicy. Apparently, sometimes I findMcChicken sandwiches too spicy if there’s too much black pepper on them. Comedy shows. I’m not sure if that’s true or if Maya is plugging her own show again. Watching movies. I love rom-coms and horror films. Attending Broadway shows. I guess I’ve seenWaitressthree times. Travel. Hiking. Hanging out with friends. Maya said hanging out with her. Debbie added Robbie. Cooking. I didn’t know I was a good cook. My eyes wander toward the kitchen. Perhaps I’ll have to try to whip something up. Okay, that all seems pretty typical and should be easy to remember.

“Where have I traveled?” I ask.

“You’ve been to Florida, New York City, San Fran, and you did a two-week trip to Europe after graduation with Robbie and me. We visited London, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, Vienna, and Budapest,” Maya says.

I try to commit them all to memory, but I know I’ve already forgotten some of the cities. “That sounds fun. I wish I remembered it.”

“It was a blast ... and you will remember it.”

“The Europe trip was my graduation present to you,” Debbie says.

My eyes go wide. “You paid for a trip to Europe for me?”

“Of course. I did it for my two boys too, when they graduated college.” She says it like the gift was never a question in her mind.

Debbie really has treated me like her own. She’s been so good to me, and I feel like I owe her the world. Technically, I do, since she saved my life. I don’t know what I could ever do to repay her for what she’s done for me. I smile at her, and she returns it.

“I know I probably said it before, but I don’t remember, so thank you.”

“You have many, many times, Peyton. You are an extremely grateful person. That’s something you should know about yourself. You expect nothing, but you appreciate everything.”

Maya’s head bobs up and down as Debbie speaks. “That’s true, and you’re very generous. For my first comedy set, I was so nervous that Iwas going to bomb, and I was freaking out over what I should wear and how I should start. On the day of my set, you gave me a red leather jacket. It’s literally the nicest thing I own. You told me to channel Eddie Murphy from hisDeliriousspecial. He’s an idol of mine. It didn’t help because I still bombed, but I looked good while doing it,” she says with a snicker.

Debbie and I laugh too.

“You were really bad,” Debbie adds. “But you’re killing it now. Everyone starts somewhere.”

“Exactly. Some of us have to restart, though.” Maya glances over at me.

I toss a pillow at her teasingly. “Anything else I should know?”

Debbie leans forward in her seat, and her face turns serious. “You’re a good person, Peyton. You haven’t had an easy life, but somehow you came out kind, and that isn’t always the case for people that have gone through hard times. I know you don’t remember who you are or the experiences you had, but know you deserve the best. You deserve someone that cherishes you, respects you, and loves you deeply. So remember that when you’re dating these men again. If it doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not.” She places her hand on mine, patting it.

Maya hands Debbie and me each a tissue. We dab at our eyes and exchange looks of understanding. I don’t know much about myself, but knowing I’m a good person feels like everything I need to know. But if I’m so good and deserving, why haven’t I found love yet? I consider asking but I’m not sure I want to know the answer.

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