Charlie popped his knuckles one by one and stood up. “Maybe three weeks? They’re already talking about a seismic exploration job in San Francisco starting next month so that’s probably where I’ll go next. But I really like Jane. I don’t want to think about leaving right now.”
“San Francisco isn’t exactly the other end of the world, Charlie.”
Charlie let out a long sigh. “You know I don’t do long distance relationships. It was a disaster when I tried it with Angela.”
“You didn’t even try with Angela. You started ignoring her phone calls within days, and the one time you answered, she ended up crying and hanging up.”
“That’s not true. I did try. It just wasn’t meant to be.”
“Whatever.”
The doorbell rang, and Will rubbed his forehead, trying to rid himself of the headache already forming. Jane and Elsie walked in and sat down, Jane smiling at him, Elsie avoiding his gaze.
Charlie walked over and gave Jane a light kiss before leading her into the kitchen to make popcorn. Elsie put her elbows on her knees and bit her lip, still not looking at him. It took everything in him not to apologize. Though for what, he wasn’t sure. Maybe for his existence.
He picked up a deck of cards from the coffee table and absentmindedly shuffled them over and over again. Elsie turned at the noise and watched, somehow fascinated by his simple bridge shuffle.
“How do you do that?”
“This?” He bowed the cards and let them tumble into a neat pile before picking them up again. “It’s nothing.” He handed her the deck and moved to sit by her on the couch. Her face went from interested to mildly panicked, but she managed to pull it together and give the card deck a sloppy attempt.
“Put your thumbs against the front of each pile. Like this.”
She matched his hands, but though she successfully weaved the two piles together, she couldn’t seem to pick them back up again to do the bridge part.
“Don’t bend them quite so sharply. That’s why they’re popping back at you and flopping everywhere.”
Elsie blew a strand of hair out of her face. “We can’t all be perfect like you, Will.”
“I sense some mockery there.”
She smiled at him. “Just a bit.”
“Are you looking for perfection?” He took the cards out of her hands and began shuffling them again, this time using a one-handed method he’d learned from a book of magic tricks when he was ten.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you believe there’s one perfect guy out there, and you just have to find him?”
She stared at the moving cards. “Like soul mates? Absolutely not. I think everyone has flaws, and you have to find someone you love so much you’re willing to overlook them.”
“And have you ever loved anyone that much?” She was starting to look suspicious, but he liked hearing her answers. He could think of a million things he’d like to ask.
“Jane. But that’s a sisterly love. That’s different.” She folded her arms. “What about you, Will? Are you looking for your soul mate?”
He set down the cards and tapped them with his finger. “I’m looking for someone with certain qualities I admire. Someone with intelligence and courage, a sense of humor. Naturally beautiful, but not vain. Someone kind who could soften my sharp edges.”
She smirked at that last part. It was no secret his sharp edges had rubbed her the wrong way on more than one occasion. “Go on. I know there’s more to that list.”
He leaned forward. “Someone who takes great enjoyment in life, but knows what has value.”
She eyed him curiously. “You’ll have to explain that last one.”
“Some people like everything. And then nothing really stands out as special to them. Take Charlie, for instance.” The second the words were out of his mouth he knew how she would take it.
Her brows dipped down. “He doesn’t find anyone special?”
No. But he wouldn’t say that. “He’s just different than me. That’s all.”
