Page 40 of Roommating

Marcia sits on the side of the couch. “I’ve actually been thinking it might be time to try again, but I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

Standing in front of her, Adam and I say, “The apps,” at the same time.

“But not Tinder!” Adam says.

Marcia looks up at us. “What’s wrong with Tinder?”

“It’s mainly for hookups.” Adam’s ears turn red like uttering the word “hookup” in a conversation with his grandma is outside of his comfort zone.

I giggle, and he grunts in response.

I flash him a teasing smile, then turn to Marcia. “Not necessarily. I know several people who met their significant others on Tinder. Sita from work. One of Carley’s cousins. That said, it’s definitely known for hookup culture.”

“Maybe that’s what I want,” Marcia says quietly.

Adam and I freeze.

“Why is it young people assume sex is for the under-forty crowd?”

I lower my gaze. I don’t think this. But I also don’tnotthink it.

“Leonardo DiCaprio is fifty and has no problem getting laid,” Adam says. “But his partners are all under twenty-five, so it doesn’t count.” He points at me and laughs. “You’re almost too old for him.”

I roll my eyes.

“Truth be told, it’s not all I want. I miss companionship with people my own age.” Marcia darts her eyes between us. “No offense.”

“Understandable,” I say.

“But I also want sex.” She smiles. “When I first lost Robert andtried dating, I used dating sites like Match, Jdate, and eHarmony, but everything is on our phones now. I’m intimidated by this swipe culture!” She stands and paces the room.

“We’ll help you!” I bring up Google on my phone and search “best dating sites for retirees.” The top three results are OkCupid, OurTime, and SeniorMatch. All three have website options too, but I’m confident between me and Adam, we can get Marcia comfortable with “swipe culture.”

“I’ll do it under one condition,” she says.

I look up from my phone.

Adam, who’s now sitting on the side of the couch Marcia vacated, freezes with his finger on the remote. “What condition?”

There’s a glint in her blue eyes. “You two set up profiles too.”

“Already done,” Adam says.

My stomach dips. He’s on dating apps? I wince inwardly. Of course he is. Why wouldn’t he be? “I’m already on them too, but I haven’t been active in a bit… preoccupied with other things.” I swing my gaze toward Adam, hoping he’ll say the same thing.

He’s silent.

It occurs to me he might have met the girl from Keybar on an app, and my heart quickens in jealousy. Has he seen her again? Is he with her when he’s not at home or at work? Desperate to change my focus, I wave my phone at Marcia. “Now that your conditions are sorted, let’s work on your dating profile.” I gesture for them to join me in the kitchen, where I scoop a large handful of green grapes from the refrigerator, rinse them with water, and set them in a bowl on the table.

When the three of us are seated together, I take ownership of Marcia’s phone to fill in her basic preferences. She tells us she’s open to men and women between the ages of sixty-five and seventy-five who live within a ten-mile radius of the Union Square zip code.

I’m about to ask if she’s looking for new friends, long-term dating, short-term dating, or hookups—I won’t make assumptions—when Marcia says she’s happy to be able to openly search for both men and women. “I don’t care what anyone else has to say about it.” A relaxed smile crosses her face. “That’s the best part of getting old. I have no more fucks to give.”

Adam whispers, “Did she get that phrase from you?”

I shiver at his breath on my ear. “No comment.”

He shakes his head but laughs. “I assume byanyone, you mean my dad.”

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