Page 64 of It's a Date (Again)

I study my hands, fiddling with my fingernails. I don’t understand why Robbie would ever think I’d stop being friends just because I was in a relationship. Have I done that before? When I was in one of my short flings? I hope not. Or maybe he thinks it’ll be different this time, but I would never stop being his friend over some guy, no matter what.

“I know. But Robbie is a worrier, always has been, which is why he’s so good at being an actuary.” She laughs as she places a plate and fork in front of me. Steam rises from the eggs.

“But I had boyfriends before. Did Robbie act like this then?” I pick up a piece of chewy bacon and bite off a chunk of it.

Debbie dives into her plate. “No, but it’s different this time.”

Humph. Even Debbie thinks it’s different this time.

“How?” I look to her.

“Well, you were going to tell one of these guys you loved them and that you wanted to be with them before your accident. You’ve never told a man you loved them before.”

“What?” I squint. “That can’t be right. You and Maya said I had past relationships that lasted nearly a year. I would have said it to one of them.”

“Nope, you never did. Some people throw around the wordlovelike it’s another word forpotato, but not you. You’ve always held it close to your heart, only reserving it for family and your closest friends.”

“That’s probably why my relationships never lasted. I can just imagine me responding to ‘I love you’ withAnd I like youorThank you.”

Debbie snickers and constructs an open-face sandwich with toast, bacon, and a fried egg. She bites into it and chews it slowly, savoring it.

“What about Robbie?”

She wipes her mouth with a napkin. “What about him?”

“Has he had any serious relationships?”

Maybe Robbie and I are alike in that sense, and that’s why he’s worried because I’ll be leaving him behind—the last member of the perpetually single and occasional fling-y relationship club.

“He has, but he always finds some silly reason to break up with them or why they’re not right for him,” Debbie says, taking another bite.

“Like what?”

“One girl he broke up with because she didn’t thinkThe Officewas funny. Another he ended it because she didn’t drink coffee.” She taps her finger against her chin. “Oh, and the most recent relationship deal breaker was because the girl only ate chicken tenders and french fries.”

“It sounds like Robbie’s the problem.” I bite into my toast and sip my OJ.

“Yeah, but I did agree with him on the chicken tender girl. He brought her to one of my dinner parties, and she DoorDashed McDonald’s when she realized chicken and fries weren’t going to be served.” She shakes her head.

“Robbie’s the one that said he was going to make sure I found out which guy I loved before my birthday so we didn’t have to go throughwith our silly pact, and now he’s getting drunk and acting weird because he’s worried he’ll lose me. I don’t get it. Am I supposed to just be single until he finds someone too?” I let out a heavy sigh. But I can see where he’s coming from, I suppose. I think it’d be hard for me if he had a serious girlfriend and I was the only one of the three of us without a significant other. No one wants to be last in these situations.

“No, and don’t worry about Robbie. He’ll come around. He always does. Your only concern is getting better and following your heart.”

I lower my head because I do feel bad for him, but also because I’m confused about my own situation. “That’s what I’m trying to do,” I say.

“As long as you’re trying, that’s all that matters. You said Tyler joined you last night?” Debbie asks, changing the subject. “How’d that go?”

“Awkward because of Robbie.” I shrug. “But Tyler was really nice about it. I thought for sure Robbie had scared him off, but we’re still on for our date today. He’s taking me axe throwing,” I say, eating a piece of bacon.

“Axe throwing? Back in my day, dating was dinner and a movie. Axes weren’t thrown until the end of the relationship.”

“He assured me we wouldn’t be throwing them at each other,” I say with a laugh. Wiping my hands off on a napkin, I pick up my plate.

Debbie immediately extends her hand out. “All done?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

She takes the plate and smiles. “And you left your two bites like you always do.”

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