“What?”
“Nothing, it’s just—”
“It’s just...?”
“You were married once,” I say. “So obviously you’re a guy who sees the benefit of a relationship—”
“But I’m also a guy who sees that relationships eventually end.”
“Not all relationships,” I say. “My grandparents were together for sixty years.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “No way.”
“Yeah,” I say, sadness washing over me at the realization that if they were still here, they’d be so disappointed that my marriage ended. I feel like such a failure.
“It’s a nice sentiment, but it’s not reality for most people,” he says.
I meet his eyes. “That’s because too many people look at other people like they’re disposable. The apps make that worse. You swipe through people the same way you shop for a new winter coat.”
He goes still and then nods slowly. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”
I go back to eating, unsure how the conversation led us here. “I know I’m still a little bitter about the way my marriage ended.” I look up at him. “But I don’t want to get so jaded that I swear off marriage forever. I have to believe there’s someone out there who is honest and kind and good.” I pause, then add, “And not a total jerkface.”
“All right,” he says, chuckling softly. “I hear you. But you won’t find him if you don’t see what’s out there.” He clicks off his profile and back to Roger’s. “Plus, I have the perfect not-boring date idea for you and Roger.”
That night, while I’m lying in bed, I open the Matchedapp on my phone. I ignore my messages, and for reasons I hope to never have to explain, I navigate to Miles’s profile.
I open the photo and stare at it. He has a kindness about him. Perfect blend of well-groomed meets messy hair and just the right amount of stubble, with sandy-blond hair and genuinely piercing eyes that crinkle at the corners when he smiles.
But then my eyes find the words he’s written under the photo, and I reread them again in hopes they’ll bring me back to reality.
Nice guy looking to have fun.
Judging by who I’ve seen him with, a forty-something divorcée is the opposite of what he’s looking for.
I’m definitely a “swipe left.”
Claire: Guess who got a job!
Minnie: No way!
Claire:
Minnie: Wait. You’re working at a coffee shop?
Claire: Yes! I just got done with orientation.
I think the girl training me is twelve.??
Minnie: Are you having an identity crisis?
Claire: No! I’m giving myself the summer to have a fun job until I figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.
Minnie: I give it a week.
Claire: What? Why? I’ll be great at this!
Minnie: You’re WAY too used to being in charge. You are SO not going to be okay taking orders from teenagers and serving coffee to professional people going off to do jobs you could do in your sleep.
