by M. Ullrich
Why had Berit given Lauren her number? Lauren had met more than a few female Casanovas who’d taken “no” very lightly and continued to pursue women, but that wasn’t the impression Berit gave. When Lauren had taken the receipt from Berit the night before, the moment reminded her how a friend would reach out. Lauren pondered the idea of a friendship with Berit. Maybe such a thing could be possible. Lauren liked the idea of someone new in her life, someone without attachments to her ex, or other friends she’d have to share with. She reached to grab her phone from her nightstand, straining to ensure her back never left her plush mattress, an expensive housewarming gift to herself, but money well spent.
She typed and erased her messaged several times. What if Berit didn’t text? Lauren laughed. If Berit didn’t text, then a friendship between them would never work. She typed out a simple message that didn’t allow for misinterpretation, and she hit Send.
I want to be friends. Lauren read her text, sitting so innocently inside that blue bubble. She wanted to add more, but dancing dots appeared. Lauren was surprised Berit would respond so quickly.
That’s nice, but who is this?
Lauren smacked her forehead. It’s Lauren. From the bar. She considered that answer and decided to add for better clarification. You gave me your number last night.
Lauren! I didn’t expect to hear from you. See you again at the Dollhouse maybe, but not this way. What a nice surprise.
Lauren appreciated the way Berit messaged in complete sentences. Too many grammar rules had been dropped because of texting. You broke some sort of unspoken rule and gave me your number. It’d be rude if I didn’t reach out.
I try to keep myself out of any uncomfortable situations.
Get a lot of admirers?
Yeah. I do.
Lauren laughed at Berit’s honesty. What’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you? Lauren waited after she sent the question. Talking to Berit had been easy and comfortable so far, which relieved Lauren’s anxiety over initiating conversation.
Dancing dots disappeared and reappeared before Berit’s response came through five minutes later. I had a stalker for a while. I had to change my number, file a restraining order, the whole nine yards. Lauren’s eyes widened as she read Berit’s message. She had never really considered how many unwanted advances bartenders dealt with. It all happened while I was at my last job. I was young and naïve and believed all attention was good attention. But that’s a story for another day. How are you?
Lauren smiled at her screen. What an interesting story to withhold. I’ll make sure you tell me sometime.
Over dinner?
Friendship, Berit, Lauren reminded her.
Friends have dinner together all the time.
True, but I mean it. Friendship only.
Why limit ourselves?
Lauren should’ve known Berit would be a rapid-fire responder. She always seemed to be ready with a confident answer. Two could play at that game. Because not everyone wants more with you.
Ouch.
Lauren felt a flash of guilt. But she needed to lay her intentions on the line if she wanted a real friendship with Berit. Are you looking for a real relationship? Something long-term and monogamous? Lauren tossed her phone on her bedside table and stood. She stretched her sleepy limbs and sighed when a few joints popped. Lauren took her time washing her face, brushing her teeth, and rising fully for the day. She could hear the clatter of pans coming from the kitchen. Lauren was in for a cranky Sunday if Briana was making another mess that’d go uncleaned.
Lauren walked back into her room and checked her phone. No response from Berit. Lauren blew out a long breath. She wasn’t at all surprised Berit had been scared away. “So much for making a new friend,” Lauren mumbled to herself. She walked to her closet in search of workout clothes. The sky was clear and the temperature mild, perfect for a run. She pulled on her shorts, sports bra, and tank quickly before lacing up her running shoes. Lauren was surprised they weren’t encased in dust since she hadn’t gone for a run in over six months. She left her house with just her phone and keys, but without a second glance at Jorge, Briana, or Rebecca, who was still snoozing on the couch.
Lauren used the railing beside the front steps to stretch a few times before launching from the steps. She started at a casual pace, reacquainting her body with the motions of running. She felt her phone buzz but didn’t bother checking it. When her phone buzzed again fifteen minutes later, with the steady vibrations of a call, she checked who was calling. She slowed to a stop and slid her finger along the screen to answer.
“I prefer texting,” Lauren said between rapid breaths.
“I did text you, but you didn’t answer.” Lauren could hear the cocky smirk in Berit’s voice.
She pulled the phone from her ear and checked her messages. Berit did answer her, telling her how she wasn’t opposed to a relationship. “We’re not going to date, Berit. I’m serious about wanting to be just your friend.”
“Why are you breathing like that? I’m sorry if I’m interrupting something, unless I shouldn’t be.”
“Ha ha. I’m out on a run.”
“I should’ve known you run. You have great legs.”
As much as Lauren loved the compliment, she had to put an end to this. “Berit, are you in for friendship or not?”
“I don’t understand why—”
“Because!” Lauren said a little louder than necessary. “I’m not what you’re looking for. No matter what you’ve been telling yourself, I’m not your type. I’m not easy or casual, and quite frankly, you may not even like me as a friend.” A long silence stretched on after her outburst.
“I think you’re right,” Berit said curtly. “Let’s be friends. Meet me for coffee later, just coffee. And for clarity, I get coffee with my friends and family often. It’s my favorite way to catch up.”
Lauren stood on the corner slack jawed. “O-okay, yeah, sure. What time? Do you have work?” Lauren started to lightly jog in the direction of her house. “What am I saying? You always have work.”
“I do, but it’s easy to get away on Sundays. We’re only open for short hours, more like an after-dinner shift, but I’m fully staffed. Meet me at Mel’s around four? I’ve been craving a cappuccino.”
Lauren looked both ways before crossing at the corner of a busy intersection. “Cappuccino, huh? I pictured you as a milk and sugar gal.”
“Which is why I agree we should be friends. There’s a lot for you to learn about me. See you at four.”
Lauren jogged home with an easy smile on her face. She hadn’t had a good cup of coffee in a while, and Mel’s had wonderfully indulgent fresh baked cookies. Delicious snacks, coffee, and some good conversation was exactly how Lauren wanted to spend her Sunday afternoon. Even if she’d have to stretch what little money she had left to satisfy her cravings.
* * *
Berit buzzed around her apartment, tossing articles of clothing to and fro. Where Berit was organized and tidy at the Dollhouse, she was relaxed at home. She had clean clothes strewn across chairs because she didn’t have time to fold them and put them away, and most of her dishes stayed packed in the dishwasher. So quickly finding a perfect outfit for coffee with Lauren proved to be a challenge. Berit was fine with Lauren wanting nothing more than friendship, but what she wasn’t okay with was how Lauren assumed so much about her. Normally Berit would get pissed and write a woman off for speaking to her the way Lauren had, but something about her had gotten beneath Berit’s skin. She craved the satisfaction of proving Lauren wrong.
Berit picked a simple white T-shirt and dark wash jeans, a worn pair of Chuck Taylors complementing the classic look. Berit mussed her wavy hair to give it a perfectly tousled look, hooked a leash to Hugo’s harness, and made her way out the door.
Berit’s apartment wasn’t far from Mel’s and she knew the café had plenty of outside seating to bring her dog along. Hugo loved long afternoon walks when the weather balanced perfectly between hot and
cold. “C’mon, little man. Let’s go meet a pretty lady for coffee.” Hugo looked at Berit and tilted his head before following her down the front steps of the building.
The warm air felt wonderful as it whipped around Berit during her half-mile walk to Mel’s. Both the café and the Dollhouse were on the busiest streets of Morristown. People milled about, spending their Sunday in the sun rather than cooped up indoors like they had all winter. Berit’s hometown, her favorite city, was coming alive again.
Berit came to a stop in front of Mel’s. She knelt to scratch between Hugo’s ears and said, “The vet told me you’re putting on a little too much weight, but that doesn’t mean you can’t share a biscotti with me.” A shadow cast over her. Berit stared at white running shoes before looking up over her red Wayfarers to catch Lauren smiling down at her.
“I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what the vet meant,” Lauren said with a giggle. She crouched down to Berit’s level. “Who’s this?”
Berit smiled down. “This little guy is Hugo. Hugo, meet Lauren.” Hugo’s tail wagged excitedly as Lauren lavished him with attention. “He likes you, so you passed the first test.”
Lauren laughed loudly as Hugo snuck a quick lick of her chin. “I’m being tested?”
“Of course,” Berit said as she stood. She motioned for Lauren to take a seat at an open table before securing Hugo’s leash to a chair. “You think I become friends with just anyone?”
“I do, you have that kind of personality.”
“And what kind of personality is that?”
“A social butterfly. You’ll flit around and talk to everyone around you.”
Berit was ready to argue, to shoot down another assumption Lauren was so easily making, but their waitress approached. Her smile was warm and friendly.
“Hi, guys. My name is Alyssa, and I’ll take your order if you’re ready.” She placed two glasses of water on the table before pulling a pad and pen from the pocket of her apron.
Lauren was ready to order right away. “I’ll have an iced caramel latte with skim milk and an oatmeal cookie, please.” Alyssa jotted down the order and looked expectantly to Berit, who sat in thought.
“Alyssa, do you have any of that delicious chocolate chip cake today? I woke up craving it.”
“Oh no, sorry. We sold out early,” Alyssa said, looking genuinely pained to deliver such terrible news.
Berit sighed. “Dang. I guess I’ll take a cappuccino with a sprinkle of cinnamon, two almond biscotti, and a surprise.”
“A surprise?” Alyssa and Lauren said simultaneously.
“Yes. Surprise me. Bring me anything.” Alyssa looked skeptical before writing the order slowly. She left as gracefully as she had appeared. Berit looked at Lauren, who sat smugly as she sipped her water. “What’s that look for?”
“You proved me right. You’re a social butterfly that flirts and flits.”
Berit rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, skim milk has no soul.”
“What?” Lauren said through a laugh.
“Skim milk, fat-free cheese, sugar-free candy,” Berit said, raising a finger for each food, “all soulless.”
“Says the beanpole at the table. Some of us are body conscious.”
Berit smirked. “I’m very conscious of your body.”
Lauren’s smile fell, and she sat back. “We didn’t even have coffee yet. I thought you were going to take my friendship request seriously.”
“I am.” Berit removed her sunglasses and set them aside. She leaned forward and looked directly at Lauren when she said, “I would say the same thing to my friends. Contrary to many of your abundant assumptions about me, I’m not always hitting on people. I’m flirtatious, yes, but most of the time I’m just being playful. If you really want to be my friend, you’ll have to get used to it.” Their order was delivered a moment later, and much to Berit’s delight, Alyssa had placed a slice of chocolate chip cake in front of her. She beamed at Alyssa. “You’re truly an angel.”
Alyssa ducked her head and blushed. “It was really nothing. I remembered they were already working on a batch for tomorrow. Can I get you two anything else?”
“I think we’re good, thank you.” Berit’s grin of pure elation had yet to subside. She watched unabashedly as Alyssa walked away.
“Does every woman fall all over you?” Lauren said.
Berit frowned. “Excuse me?” She broke off a piece of biscotti and gave it to Hugo. His small chewing sounds filled the moment of silence between Berit and Lauren.
Lauren took a long sip of her latte. “Am I the first woman to turn you down?”
Berit’s eyebrows rose. Truthfully, Lauren was the first woman to deny her immediately, but how did you say that without sounding gross? Berit bought herself time by removing the saucer from beneath her coffee cup and pouring a little water into it for Hugo. She placed it in front of her dog and sat back up. She blurted the first comeback she could think of. “Maybe.”
“I had a feeling.” Lauren chewed on the tip of straw, pulling Berit’s attention to the slight, uneven shift of her front teeth. Berit was fond of the charm something so small added to Lauren’s already captivating face. “Thank you for hanging in there and taking a chance on a friendship with me. The truth is…” Lauren bit her lip and watched as a couple strode by hand in hand. “It’s been a long while since I’ve had a real friend.”
Berit felt a tug at her heart. “What about the woman you were with last week?”
“Amber’s one of my best friends, but she’s also friends with a few of my exes, and the women I can’t be friends with anymore because they chose my ex.” Lauren shrugged. “The lesbian world is small and frustrating.” Lauren’s pronunciation shifted at the end of her sentence. Another point of interest for Berit to question later.
“I don’t mean to be a bubble burster, but you know there’s a chance I know one of your exes too, and you mine, right?” Berit took a sip of her cappuccino and closed her eyes while she savored its flavor.
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“I do have one other question.”
“What’s that?”
Berit broke off a piece of cake and brought it to her lips. “Why me?” She popped the cake into her mouth and chewed slowly. Lauren wasn’t quick to answer, so Berit elaborated. “Why do you want to be friends with me? Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy you reached out, but at first I was willing to bet you were disgusted by me.”
Lauren looked shameful. “I was never disgusted by you, you just always saw me on my bad days. Also, I’m usually pretty cold to anyone who approaches me at a bar. Call it survival instinct or just being an old-school romantic.”
“Courting, monogamy, long-term love?”
“Yes,” Lauren said with exasperation. “And it’s all dead in this world. I’m convinced of it.”
“No, it’s not.” Berit loved the idea of falling in love organically, but she couldn’t say so, not without getting barked at by Lauren again for hitting on her. She reached down to play with Hugo’s ear. “There’s plenty of women out there who feel the same way.”
“Oh yeah? Then why haven’t I met one yet?”
“Look at the pool you’re swimming in. You said yourself all your friends know your exes and so on.” Berit scratched Hugo’s chin and he stared up at her in delight. She lost herself in thought as she stared into Hugo’s big amber-brown eyes. How does Lauren think she’ll meet anyone worthwhile that way? She needs help meeting new people and making friends that might possibly turn into more. A lightbulb went off in Berit’s head. She looked at Lauren with a triumphant smile. “That perfect woman is out there for you, and I’m going to help you find her.”
Lauren shook her head slowly. “I don’t think so.”
“You asked for this.” Berit folded her hands behind her head and sat back. “You’re looking at Berit Matthews: friend and matchmaker.” Berit laughed like a mad scientist while Lauren grumbled about regretting every decision she had ever made.
>
Chapter Seven
Lauren should’ve expected her feel-good weekend to decline into yet another shitty week, considering disappointment was her status quo. But she still surprised herself with how low she could feel and how she approached the day with very little positivity. Lauren’s only happiness came from being in a mostly empty office. The lawyers were all in court and Sally was scheduled to accompany Mr. Baxter, leaving her with piles of paperwork to complete and a list of phone calls to make. The downside to menial tasks was how quickly her attention span could wander. Lauren started to think about her home life, the decisions she’d made in the past that led her here—and to Berit.
Coffee with Berit turned out to be surprisingly normal.
They had laughed together, shared mundane stories of their everyday lives, and Lauren directed most of her goodbye to Hugo. The dog had won her heart, and even if she still felt skeptical of Berit’s intentions, Lauren would spend as much time as she could with Berit just to be around the energetic Chihuahua. Lauren smiled as she remembered the way Hugo rolled onto his back and presented his belly to her. She recalled Berit’s joke about trying the same move with her next time they hung out. Lauren had rolled her eyes.
Lauren’s phone buzzed from where it lay facedown on her cluttered desk. She dropped the folder in the corresponding case box and picked up her phone. She had two unread messages: one from Berit and another from Sally. Lauren raised an eyebrow and made a quick decision to read Berit’s message first.
Looking forward to chatting about the kind of chicks you dig Friday night. Should I get a few of my employees to model for you? You can pick your type out of a lineup.
Lauren snorted and chose to ignore Berit’s message for the time being. She’d have to come up with something snarky, and her brain was too exhausted. She checked Sally’s message and her stomach dropped. Berit and her ridiculousness was definitely going to have to wait. She swallowed hard and reread the message.
