Marin looked up to see Charlotte holding out a packet of tissues, which she accepted gratefully. She wiped her eyes, removing most of her makeup in the process, but it was too late to worry about her appearance. Maybe this was one way to get her attraction to Charlotte under control, because even if Charlotte liked women—which was a bigifsince Charlotte had definitely responded to Marin’s announcement like a straight ally—she certainly wouldn’t be interested in someone as messy as Marin had been in her presence.
Friendship, though. Hopefully that was still on the table.
“Sometimes there’s nothing better than a good cry,” Charlotte said.
Marin managed a shaky smile, surprised to realize shedidfeel better. “Maybe. Still, I didn’t mean to fall apart in front of you like that.”
“Pfft.” Charlotte made a dismissive gesture with her hand. “That’s what friends are for, right? And seriously, I’m just so happy you’re getting that second chance. You’re going to have all the experiences you’ve been wanting. It’s fantastic, and I’m gladder than ever that we’ve reconnected, because I can’t wait to watch youthrive.”
Chapter Five
“So what’s next for you?” Charlotte asked Marin as they wandered down an aisle in the local pet store, looking at puppy supplies. “Any plans to start dating women?”
It’d been a week since Marin’s unexpected and tearful confession, and Charlotte was still so honored that Marin had felt comfortable sharing something so important with her. She was grateful for this new friendship, hoping that maybe she’d finally found purpose in what they’d gone through together that day on the bus.
Surely this was it. Marin would be part of her life now, and maybe Charlotte would find the rest of what she was looking for here in Vermont, too, reconnecting with her dad and hopefully even figuring out what had happened to her mom.
“That’s a terrifying question.” Marin gave her a stiff smile, then rolled her eyes. “The easy answer is yes, god yes, I’m so ready to start dating. I’ve only been thinking about this for twenty years now, but that’s also why it’snotan easy answer, because it’s intimidating as hell to think of putting myself out there. Most women my age will have ...” She huffed, her cheeks going slightly pink. “They’ll havemuchmore experience dating women than I do.”
“Okay, I get that.” Charlotte picked up a purple stuffed dragon with shiny wings that crinkled when she touched them. “Is this not the cutest thing you’ve ever seen? I’m totally buying it for Ember.”
“I love it,” Marin agreed. Her shopping cart already contained a crate, a small dog bed, bowls, and several toys and treats.
Charlotte squeezed the dragon, producing a high-pitched squeak that made them both laugh. “As for dating, when you say you’re worried about your lack of experience, you’re talking about sex, right?”
Cheeks even pinker now, Marin nodded. “I’m forty-seven, and—”
Charlotte held up a hand. “Look, I know this is outside my wheelhouse as a straight woman, but first of all, I think you can’t be the only forty-seven-year-old who’s looking to date a different gender for the first time, and second, you can take dating at any pace you’re comfortable with. I’m someone who needs to get to know a guy before I sleep with him, so when I use dating apps, I start with coffee, then maybe some other casual activity. There’s a lot of ‘getting to know you’ before we make it to the bedroom, so even if that hasn’t been your style in the past, maybe it’s a good place to start now. Get coffee with a woman. Or go to a gay bar and see if someone buys you a drink. That’s not so scary, right? Just ease your way into it.”
“I like the sound of that, but does Middleton even have a gay bar?” Marin asked as she picked up a package of bright-red tennis balls.
“Good question. I honestly don’t know the answer, because we don’t have many bars in general. It’s a college town, which means we have more inclusive spaces than some other parts of Vermont, but you don’t necessarily want to look for women in places where students go.”
Marin visibly shuddered. “God, no.”
“So, online dating could be a good place to start. And we can look and see if there are any gay bars around. I’d be happy to go as your wing woman.” Charlotte grinned at her, flapping the dragon’s wings as she spoke.
Marin chuckled. “I appreciate that, and I could certainly use a wing woman. If nothing else, you can cheer me on while I set up my online-dating profile.”
“Definitely. Just let me know when you’re ready. We can open a bottle of wine and get you all set up to date.”
Marin exhaled slowly. She did that a lot when she was trying to relax herself, Charlotte was starting to notice. “You’ve done this, then? Online dating?”
“Sure,” Charlotte said, remembering that Marin said she had married Andrew when she was twenty-four. That probably meant she hadn’t dated since her early twenties. It would be intimidating, getting back into the game after so long, no matter what gender you were dating. “I don’t love it, but it’s so hard to meet people any other way these days.”
“Iwantto say it sounds exciting,” Marin said. “But honestly, it sounds terrifying to click on someone’s picture and invite them out for coffee. Chemistry is such an indefinable thing. How do you know who you’ll hit it off with in person?”
“You don’t. That’s why you start with something simple like coffee. Then, if there are no sparks, you haven’t wasted too much time and energy on that person. But online datingdoesopen you up to a much wider dating pool than just hoping you’ll randomly meet someone.”
“True.” They approached a long display of collars and leashes. Marin bypassed the camo and studs to pick up a small raspberry-pink collar with reflective strips on it. “What do you think of this one?”
“I think that color would really suit her. She’s solid black, right?”
Marin nodded. “I don’t wear much pink myself, but I think I like it for Ember. Okay.” She placed the collar and a matching leash in her cart. “What else do I need?”
“Chew toys,” Charlotte said.
“You seem to know a lot about puppies,” Marin observed.
