"And what happens if you like this girl? What if you want to go out with her again? It's a little bit of an issue that she lives in a different state."
EJ let out a sigh as he sat down at the bar with his dinner. "Look, Dom. Right now, I feel like I should follow any good leads for a woman I can get. You and Lila are both married, and, look, I am so happy for you guys. But I want to find someone I like and want to spend time with. I want to chill with someone when I come home from work. I'm sitting here about to eat some meal prep that a lady brought to my house when I wasn't even home. It's delicious,but I want the lady eating next to me. I want noise in here."
"You could have noise any day of the week. You know about eight different people who would happily come over right now. E, they'd move in and be great roommates."
"I want a woman, Dom, and a dog, and eventually some kids running around."
Dominic sighed. "You could have a woman, but you're too paranoid. Kayla was a saint. She wasn't out to get you and your money."
"You say it like money is what I care about, but I don't, it's personality. That just didn't click. Something didn't click with us. And she was a nice girl, but I wouldn't call her a saint." EJ didn't mention the lingerie.
"Still, you need to figure out what it is you're looking for in a woman," Dominic said.
"I feel like I'll know it when I see it. You never know. It might be this girl in Pittsburgh. I used to really like her, but I just never could tell anyone about it because I lied to Gram and Pa about where I was. I knew they wouldn't let us be over there alone."
"You told me about it afterward. You couldn't shut up about this girl you kissed over and over."
"When did I tell you about it?"
"For like two months after you came back that fall. I thought you were lying because you wouldn't give details about her."
"Because I knew I'd get in trouble. I don't even remember telling you anything," EJ said.
"Oh, you did. Only a hundred times. But that was the fall when you started playing quarterback. You forgot all about her after that. You had more women than you could shake a stick at by October."
Middle school. It seemed like a lifetime ago. EJ was lost in thought and didn't respond to Dominic right away. The phone was now on speaker and resting on his counter.
"So, you're going to her even though you're not sure?" Dominic asked. "Did you book an appointment for a haircut?"
"Yes, I did. Originally, I had it booked for next week, but I told them to call me if something else came up, and they did."
"Are you flying there?"
"I'm driving. It's seven hours. I've been meaning to read the book Hank wrote. I told him I would. I'll get the audiobook and do that while I'm driving."
Dominic knew what EJ was referring to. Hank was a patron at their Chicago gym and also an ex-Chicago Bull basketball player. The book in question was a sports biography.
"Are you going there and back in one day?" Dom asked.
"Yes, the haircut's at noon and it's an hour later there, so I have to leave bright and early."
"You're unbelievable. I can't believe you're doing that."
"You can't?" EJ asked sarcastically, making Dominic laugh.
"Okay, maybe I'm not that surprised."
"She's sweet. And she's cute, Dom. From what I can see in the pictures, she's really cute. And it looks like it's still her maiden name."
"How sure are you that she's the same girl you knew?"
"Only about sixty percent, especially seeing how she lives in a different city. But it's a few hours of my life. It's worth it."
"A whole day," Dominic corrected.
"Either way, it's worth it. What if something happens? What if she's the woman of my dreams?"
"Are you going to tell her who you are? Are you being honest? What name did you make the appointment under?"
