“Alright, here come the real questions. Be honest.”
“I’ll try,” she giggled.
“Do you watch romantic movies?”
“Sometimes.”
“Do you think men you date should be like a character from a movie? If so, which one?”
I didn’t care about the answer so much as the tone. I’d noticed that many women got dreamy when answering this question, but Liz didn’t fall for that trap.
“No. That’s not fair at all. Men in movies have a script. Real life doesn’t work like that. I wouldn’t want to be compared to a female character in a movie, so why should I compare men?”
I noted the lack of dreaminess in her voice and moved on. “Fair enough. Do you think personality or physical appearance is more important in a partner?”
“Personality, of course.”
Ninety percent of the women I surveyed said the same thing. But the next question always separated the honest answers from the ones that danced around the truth.
“Take a moment to think about your perfect mate. Then tell me three things he must have. Only three.”
Most women had at least one physical trait in their answer. I’d heard everything from “nice eyes” to “strong arms,” and a few even gave only physical traits. I waited patiently for Liz’s answer.
“Sense of humor, charm, and honesty.” Her voice was confident, louder now.
Interesting. Liz was a rarity, someone who seemed to care more about personality than looks. But I needed to dig deeper.
“Can you explain those choices?”
“I love a good joke, so humor’s a big one. I think it’s incredibly sexy when a man’s got charm—when he knows how to treat people well, not just me but everyone: whether it’s a friend of mine or the waitress at a restaurant. I want a gentleman. And honesty because there’s nothing worse than being lied to. It’s more than just telling the truth, though. Sometimes not telling someone something important is a lie. I want someone who’s open, who doesn’t hide their feelings.”
To me, it sounded like Liz was the real deal. I asked my final question based on her previous answers. “You said personality is the most important thing. Do you think physical appearance plays no role at all?”
She laughed softly. “Of course not. People notice physical traits, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. But in the long run, I don’t want to be stuck with someone whose personality is awful when all those looks are gone. Personality is what matters.”
I followed up, “What if you meet someone with the best personality but they’re just not physically attractive to you?”
She paused, and for a moment, I thought I’d stumped her. Then she answered, “I guess it would be harder to notice them. If they’re not attractive, I wouldn’t see them right away. But I’m sure, given time, I’d see their inner beauty and be happy with them. Does that make sense?”
I smiled. “So, you’re saying that beauty gets attention right away, but without it, you’d still fall for someone’s inner beauty?”
“Exactly. Though I wasn’t that eloquent about it,” she said, laughing.
“Liz, you’ve been incredibly helpful,” I said, feeling an unexpected sense of admiration.
“That’s it? No invasive questions?” She sounded amused.
“Nope, non-invasive, as promised. Thanks again, Liz.”
“No problem.” We hung up, and I sat back, thinking about how refreshing her answers had been. Even then, I hadn’t fallen for her—at least, not yet—but I was definitely intrigued.
Chapter 2
Liz, February 24
Ben was an exchange student at my high school during Senior year, almost a decade ago. He had blonde hair, green eyes, a chiseled torso, and abs that practically screamed “British heartthrob.” He had the kind of magnetic energy that made him impossible to ignore. The kind of guy I’d probably chase now—if I were bold enough—but back then, I was just too much of a wallflower.
In high school I was toothpick-thin, all elbows and knees, just another brunette in a sea of blonde bombshells. I was quiet, bookish, always more focused on my grades than on boys. I doubt Ben even knew I existed during the ten months he spent in the Arizona desert. Sometimes, I wasn’t sure if anyone noticed me at all. So when I heard from him years later, I was completely blindsided.
