Having no viable answer, Serenity playfully rolled her eyes at Elisa. “It’s not that I’m not open to dating. It’s just...not easy finding a nice guy. The last few that I went out with were complete disasters. Most of them just want to have sex and text. I want long conversations on the phone. I want to learn a few things about a man before I jump into bed with him...like his STD status. Ha!” All three fell out laughing.
“That’s funny but so true.” Elisa punctuated her statement with a fork in Serenity’s direction. “I agree.”
“Seriously. It seems like men don’t want to take their time to get to know women these days. I’m kind of an old-fashioned girl. I want to be courted.”
“You’re right, Serenity. I think that’s why I fell for Ethan. He didn’t pressure me to sleep with him on the first date like some other guys I dated. We spent time getting to know and really like each other. We’re friends.”
“That’s what I want! Someone willing to be my friend.”
“It’s so important. I believe that the friendship that Ethan and I have will get us through the rough spots that are sure to come up. Without friendship as a foundation, what can a couple stand on when a little turbulence hits the relationship?”
“Exactly.” Serenity sat up straighter. “Think about it. Most friendships outlast relationships. Have you ever wondered why?”
Elisa slowly nodded her head in consideration. “You’re right. Some of my friendships, like ours, date back to childhood.”
“And before Clint, you didn’t have a relationship that lasted more than two years!” Serenity saw the realization dawning in Elisa’s eyes. “That’s because friendships play by a different set of rules. We accept our friends for who they are, regardless of how great or zany they may be, but we look for people to date who will conform to our expectations of them. It’s not fair. If we treated our relationships more like friendships, maybe they would last just as long.”
“Whoa! Look at you giving solid relationship advice.” Rayne nudged Elisa. “Did you hear that?”
“She’s absolutely right.” Elisa nodded in agreement.
“The real question is, how do I find a great friend that could become a great boyfriend?”
“You should try one of those online dating sites so you can expand your options,” Elisa offered.
Serenity’s head reared back. She jerked into a rigid upright position. “Not with all those crazy people! No way! Do you want me to come up missing?”
“Serenity,” Rayne almost pleaded, “I know plenty of people who met online and even got married. It’s not like it used to be. Everyone does it these days. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Serenity shook her head and wagged her finger. “Those people lie. They’ll post a profile picture that looks like Denzel and, when you meet them in person, they look more like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. No. No. No.”
“Since you don’t get out much, it could be convenient for you. Bypass the profiles of any you don’t like. That way you won’t have to waste time going out on bad dates. If you find someone, we won’t let you go on the date alone. Rayne and I will be there, lurking...watching.” Elisa shaded her eyes with her hand and bent forward, pretending to spy. “We’ll make sure he’s not Quasimodo in disguise.”
“I don’t know about this.” Serenity pressed her lips together and took a deep breath.
“I’ve done it,” Rayne admitted, waving off Serenity’s objection as if it were no big deal.
“Me too.” Elisa shrugged. “Met a few cuties too. Nothing panned out, but it wasn’t because they looked like Quasimodo and shouted ‘Sanctuary!’ when we went out.”
Serenity’s laugh caught her off guard. She sipped water to push down a piece of rice that had caught in her throat.
“I didn’t know you had both dated people you met online.”
“Remember Don? The guy I dated before Ethan?”
“Oh, yes! You did meet him online. I totally forgot about that. Remember how nervous I was when you went on your first date with him? I tried to talk you out of going.”
“Yes, you made me give you my log-in information so you could track my phone.”
“No!” Elisa said in disbelief. “Serenity, you really did that?”
“Sure did!”
Elisa reached across the table. “Give me your phone. We can download an app and sign you up to one of the sites right now.”
“Yes!” Rayne cheered.
“No!”
“Try it out for a few days. Check out the guys and, if you still don’t feel comfortable, just delete your profile and account. I think if you see what it’s really like, you might be a little more comfortable with it. Right, Rayne?”
“Just give it a try, Serenity.”
After a long pause, Serenity slid her phone over to Elisa with a grunt.
“Okay. Let me show you how to do it.” Elisa scooted closer to Serenity.
The three peered at the phone together as Elisa explained the differences between the various sites. Serenity picked one, and watched as Elisa downloaded the app. Elisa typed the answers to the questions on the site as Serenity provided the responses. She then instructed Serenity to pick a selfie that she really liked for her profile picture. It wasn’t long before the profile was complete.
“All done.” Elisa presented Serenity’s phone to her.
She took back her phone as if it were an unfamiliar object. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” What had she just agreed to?
Chris dragged himself into his luxury condominium. One of the few high-rise structures of its kind on Long Island. He loved the charged atmosphere of the city but didn’t want to deal with its noisy, restless backdrop the entire night. His condo offered the best of both worlds, with modern city-like living in a serene, suburban setting, but without the steady buzz of people and honking of car horns. He’d kept his place in Manhattan to hang out there when he had to handle business or had grown too tired to make it back home.
Tossing his keys onto the antique side table by the door, Chris trudged into his sleek kitchen to grab a bottle of water. Moonlight filtered through the glass walls in the living room, casting an amber glow throughout the spacious apartment. Propped against the white marble countertop, he nearly drained the water in one long gulp. He set the almost-empty bottle down, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Moments from the evening flashed in his mind’s eye and a smile eased across his lips. The Reserve had been packed to the gills. He perfectly recalled the pop of corks, the hum of voices and rumble of laughter that had filled the space. Blackwell’s performance had been stellar. He had breathed life into his sax, capturing the audience in a melodic trance. Collectively, fingers tapped, heads bobbed and the small area where Trina suggested they keep clear of tables and chairs was filled with dancing couples. At one point, the audience urged Chris’s eldest sister, Chloe, to join Alfonzo onstage for a duet—her voice and his sax had joined and floated soulfully through the air, lifting everyone with them. By the time they were done, Chris felt like the floor was miles below his feet. The staff hadn’t had a free moment all night, but by the time they had left, they were all happily exhausted.
Chris sniffed a chuckle, remembering the gorgeous blonde who had kept flirting with him. Her green eyes sparkled and her