Page 30 of Your Pace Or Mine

“No worries. I was just surprised when Cal brought it up.” I don’t mention being sad to miss her birthday since obviously she hasn’t thought about that at all. She’d probably rather spend it with Cal anyway. We walk in silence for a minute.

“Well, if you’re going to grill me about Sebastian, I swear there’s nothing to tell,” I say finally, changing the subject. “He was bored and wanted to watch a movie. I came over, but I was so tired that I slept in his room, and he slept on the couch.”

“Okay,” she replies skeptically. “But since when does he run with us?”

“Oh, that.” I smirk. “I think it’s because I laughed when he said he might join. You know men can’t handle a slight to their manly fortitude.”

She starts giggling. “I won’t argue with that, though I’m impressed he kept up. He’s certainly got stamina.”

“Oh, he’s got stamina,” I reply without thinking, and we both giggle harder. Damn, does he ever. “It’s one of his gifts.”

We’ve already reached my building, so we stop, but not before she can ask, “So there’s really nothing? You guys are spending more time together.”

We are. Our friendship feels different than it used to, but I don’t want to unpack that now. “It’s fine. We’re friends.”

Why does that seem hollow? It’s not like anything real could happen between us. He doesn’t do real.

“Okay, just—” She pauses, and I can almost hear her be careful, even though she doesn’t say it out loud. She gives me a brief hug, and we go our separate ways.

Miss Midtown Reel (with transcript)

Miss Midtown appears wearing a tank top that reads “Beast Mode.” There are weights in the background.

“Hey friends! Miss Midtown here, and today I’m going to talk about activity dates, specifically sporty ones. No, I don’t mean going to a ball game, though that can be fun.

“Since I’m going on a lot of first dates these days, I get tired of the whole drinks or dinner routine. Don’t get me wrong—restaurants are fun, but sitting around isn’t the only way to get to know someone and I don’t want to be out drinking several times a week.

“Recently, I’ve enjoyed doing activities with new guys—anything from mini golf to rock climbing to a simple hike. But the down sides are plenty: You might get sweaty. You might fall on your face. You might end up halfway through a three-hour hike and realize you hate each other, and there’s no other option but to walk the whole way back together.

“The other hard part is wardrobe! I want to look my best on a first date, but if we’re doing something active, the key is to balance that with practicality. I don’t want to be that girl wearing stilettos on the tennis court, or spilling out of a tank top that was made for show and not for function. Not that I’ve ever done that… [shrugs dramatically]

“I want to hear from you about any creative dates you’ve been on or what you’d like to try!”

Comments:

Love this idea! I end up at the same old bars and restaurants all the time. I want to try something new and not end up guzzling down wine on every date.

No way. If some guy is taking me out, I want him to wine and dine me. I’m not getting sweaty unless it’s the good kind of sweaty IYKWIM.

Great thoughts. An added bonus is you get to see what sort of person your date is. If he’s someone who gets mad being beaten at table tennis by a woman, run the other way!

ELEVEN

SEBASTIAN

A week after my movie night with Ashley, my half sister Penelope opens the door of my mom’s house and draws me into a hug. “Sebastian! It’s so good to see you!”

“Same, little sis. It’s been too long.”

Penny moved north of the city last year, and without a car, it’s a huge pain to get up to see her. Plus, we both work way too much.

“What brought you here on a Friday?” I ask.

She grins. “Mom said you were coming for dinner, and I couldn’t resist crashing.”

I look around her as I kick off my shoes. “Is Curtis here too?”

“No. We asked, but apparently he has more fun things to do on a Friday than hang out with us.”