Page 16 of Right Number

CONVERSATION FLOWED EASILY AS Liam and I finished our coffee. We talked about different classes, the upcoming Spring Art Show, and the fact that he was undecided about what he was going to do after graduation.

When it was time to leave, Liam gave me a hug outside of the coffee shop and we made plans to work on my photography together over the weekend. I wanted so badly to feel something with the hug. Some kind of spark, butterflies, lust—anything—but there was nothing. Was I trying too hard? Was that the problem? The only thing I really had for comparison was my relationship with Oliver. Everything had burned so hot and fast with Oliver, maybe I was expecting too much right away with Liam. Maybe a slow build was how it should be. After all, I didn’t want anything with Liam to be like what I had with Oliver.

I continued to mull things around in my head as I walked back to my apartment. I was about halfway home when I decided I should text Sarah and Bree to see if they still wanted to watch Friday night movies, or if they had other plans. I pulled my phone out of my backpack and saw there was a message from Mason. “Tell me if I’m out of line, but is the friend you’re having coffee with a girl or a guy?”

I raised my eyebrows as I read the message over again. Mason and I were in a great place where we could tell each other anything, and because we’d never actually met, it felt incredibly safe to do so. It was weird, but great at the same time. I wasn’t sure how to take his message. Chances of Mason and me ever meeting were slim to none given the geographic distance between us, but I couldn’t help but feel there was a twinge of jealousy in his message. I decided to stop thinking about it and just ask. “Why? Does it matter?”

Mason quickly responded. “I realize we’ve never really talked about relationships.”

“Are we ‘relationship talk’ kind of people now?” I knew my response was just stalling, but I didn’t like where the conversation was going.

“It’s part of the getting to know you process.” I stared at Mason’s message. I had no idea what to say next. A few moments passed before another message from him came through. “Are you seeing anyone?”

After coffee with Liam, that question had become a whole lot more complicated. “Sort of?” I typed. It was a lame response, but I wasn’t sure what else to say. I hit send and hoped Mason would drop the subject.

“What does that mean?”

Dammit. Of course, he wasn’t going to drop it. I sighed as I walked over and sat down on one of the wooden benches that lined the walkways around campus. “It’s complicated,” I wrote back to Mason.

“I didn’t realize you’d suddenly turned into a fourteen-year-old updating her Facebook status.” The message was followed by a series of laughing and winking emojis.

I laughed so hard I actually snorted. I had to hand it to him—the guy had a quick wit. Since Mason clearly wasn’t going to take the hint that I didn’t want to talk about relationships, I decided to be completely honest. We were friends and that’s what friends did. “I was having coffee with a guy. He wants to see if there is something more than friendship between us.”

I sat and stared at my phone for what felt like a really long time waiting for a response. I was almost ready to get up off the bench and start walking back to my apartment when the phone buzzed with an incoming message. I quickly swiped it open.

“Is there?”

“Is there what?” I wrote back even though I knew damn well what Mason was talking about.

“Something between the two of you?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. He checks a lot of my boxes, but I’m not sure there’s any spark.” It felt more than a little strange to be having a conversation with Mason about my coffee date with Liam. It was crazy to feel anything more than friendship with Mason because that’s all we were…friends. Friends that lived really far apart. Friends that talked multiple times throughout the day. Friends who’d learned a lot about each other in a short period of time. Friends who had a lot in common. Friends who sometimes blurred the line and flirted with each other…but it was all innocent, right?

I was so wrapped up in my own head, I didn’t even realize there was a waiting message from Mason. “You need spark?” he asked.

“Yes, I do. There needs to be compatibility and passion to make a good relationship.”

I could see the bubbles indicating Mason was typing pop up and disappear, only to pop up again. Finally, his message came through. “Have you had that kind of passion? That spark?”

I paused and chewed my lower lip as I contemplated exactly how I wanted to respond. As uncomfortable as it was, I decided to take a page from Liam’s book and go with the direct, honest approach. “I have. My one and only relationship was all spark and passion without any true compatibility. Not a good basis for a relationship in case you are wondering.”

“Interesting.”

Interesting? That was it? I waited for another message to come through with some type of follow-up. When it became clear that was all he was sending, I typed out my own message. “Why did you say it’s ‘interesting’? What’s your relationship status?”

“Single.”

“I figured since you were trying to pick up Susan at the bar.” I smirked as I sent the message. I never missed an opportunity to bring up that little golden nugget.

“Will I ever live that down?” Mason’s message included several eye-roll emojis. He’d refrained from using emojis early on after I’d given him a hard time about them, but it became clear the more we texted, he was a big fan. I’d decided to let his oddly frequent use of emojis slide. They might’ve even been starting to grow on me…a little.

I laughed out loud to myself as I sent my response. “My Magic Eight Ball says, ‘Outlook not good.’ Sorry.”

“I was engaged.”

I had to reread the message. I’d been expecting some witty comment back, not a big bomb drop. “Whoa. Didn’t see that coming. Do you mind if I ask what happened? And feel free to tell my nosy ass to shut up if you don’t want to answer.” I wanted to be clear that it was a no-pressure inquiry.

“I would say all compatibility and no spark.”

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