by Emma Easter
“Hey, Lauren!” Trisha said, smiling. “You didn’t go to the welfare meeting today?”
Lauren shook her head, hugged Trisha briefly, and walked into the house. She sat down on the sofa and turned as Trisha sat beside her. Since Faizan had left, the welfare department hadn’t really been the same. She said to Trisha, “We don’t have as many activities or even ideas as we did when Faizan was the leader of the department.” She sighed and then said more to herself than to Trisha, “I miss him.”
She lifted her eyes and saw that Trisha was looking intently at her. She had shared more about her feelings than she’d meant to and she knew Trisha would think she was strange. Before Trisha could say anything, Lauren chirped, “I know, I know. I shouldn’t be talking about Faizan like that anymore since he is a married man.”
Trisha nodded. “Yes, you shouldn’t. Though I understand how you feel. He leaves such a strong impression on anyone who meets him. I miss him, too.”
Lauren smiled at Trisha, glad that she understood how she felt. It wasn’t like she wanted Faizan for herself anymore. She knew he was married and belonged to someone else. He was just a guy who was easy to fall for and her loneliness these days made her think more about him than she should. What she wanted was a guy who was like him and not someone like her ex-husband, Richie. She took a deep breath and said, “Talking about marriage… it’s why I actually came to talk to you today. I want to get married again and I think it’s time I seriously started dating.”
Trisha tilted her head and said, “I thought you had already started dating.”
Lauren shook her head. “Not really. Actually, I haven’t dated since I got a divorce. Except, of course, for that one date with Faizan.” She chuckled. “I haven’t met any guys that I like the way I liked him.” Lauren sighed and went on, “I have decided to try online dating.”
Trisha chuckled. She stared at Lauren’s face and then sobered. “Please tell me you are just joking, Lauren! Online dating?”
“Yes,” Lauren answered. “I want to use an online dating site to find dates.”
Trisha stared at her with an incredulous look on her face and then frowned deeply. “Are you sure about that, Lauren? From what I have heard, there are so many creeps and scam artists on those online dating sites. You don’t want to be catfished, do you?”
Lauren sighed loudly and looked into Trisha’s eyes. She said, “I am so lonely, Trish. I need to find someone I can share my life with. I know my ex-husband was abusive, but he was also loving and romantic when he wanted to be. I miss that very much. I miss everything about having a significant other.”
Trisha took her hand and searched her eyes. “I can’t imagine how you feel right now, but please don’t be too hasty to get into a relationship because you’re lonely. You might get into trouble and the only thing you’d end up with is a broken heart… at best. You are a great girl, Lauren. I could look out for you and see if I can find someone I think is worthy of you.”
Lauren pressed her lips together as she looked at Trisha. “I’m getting older as the days go by, Trish. I just want to get married and I want to have kids. Soon, I will not be able to have any.”
Trisha squeezed her hand and said, “All right, Lauren. If you want to try online dating, then I won’t stop you. But please be careful. You know what you’re meant to do. Don’t meet any guys you meet online in private. Make sure you only meet them in public places. Okay?”
Lauren laughed and gave her a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am!” She grew serious again and said, “I know all that, Trish. I will be careful.” Trisha didn’t look convinced, so Lauren changed the subject and asked the question that had been on her mind for some time now. “So, have you heard from Faizan lately? How is he doing?”
Trisha sighed heavily and said, “We haven’t heard or spoken to him in a long time. But the last time we did speak to him, he was fine. In fact, he was ecstatic. He’s happy with his Zainah and where they live now, and that’s all that matters to us. Hopefully, we will be able to video chat with him soon. Since he’s banned from entering the country, it’s been hard, but I think Ken is working on that.”
Lauren raised her brows. “I didn’t know that. So, is he a fugitive now or something?” she asked, feeling a little sad that she would probably never see him again.
Trisha answered, “He has been pardoned by the government as long as he doesn’t try to enter the United States.”
“So, partly pardoned.”
Trisha shrugged and said, “His handler, Jake, thankfully talked the high-ups out of hunting him down. As long as he doesn’t try to come into this country again, he’s fine. Nobody will trouble him where he is. The only problem is he wants to try to limit the contact he has with the outside world as much as possible so as not to compromise the place where he and Zainah are now. There are a lot of Christian refugees there, and making multiple calls might put them at risk if their location is found out.” Trisha shook her head. “At least, that is what I am told. It’s all so weird and confusing to me.”
“Wow!” Lauren looked up thoughtfully. “Well, I am happy that he is happy… even though I wish I was the one with him.”
Trisha laughed out loud. “Really, Lauren! You really think you could live a life of a semi- fugitive with Faizan?”
Lauren laughed along with her. “Maybe. I am so lonely right now that I could do anything.”
Trisha grew sober again and she shook her head slowly. “Lauren, please be careful. You shouldn’t say things like that. Remember, you don’t have to be so lonely. I’m here, and you can always come and play with Ruby anytime you want. I know it’s not the same as having a husband and a child of your own, but in the meantime, it could help stave off loneliness.”
Lauren looked away, frustration growing in her heart. “Just like you said, it’s not the same.”
Trisha thinned her lips and took Lauren’s hand. “Please, Lauren, don’t be so desperate to be with someone that you lose yourself or do something stupid and let some guy take advantage of you. Remember to value yourself and know that on your own, you are enough.”
Lauren sighed and nodded. She had heard all this before. But that didn’t change the fact that she was lonely, very lonely. Nor did it change the fact that she was getting on in age and she had no children, even though she wanted that for herself with all her heart. She was already thirty-four. If she wanted children, she had to find her life partner now.
Trisha squeezed her hand again and said, “I remember when I was married to Stan. I was so blind to everything he did. I thought I was completely in love with him. I made excuses for all his bad behavior and let all the warnings from other people fly over my head. I should never have married him. Please, don’t make the same mistake I did. If I had not married Frank, I would never have known what true love meant. I would never have known what it meant for a man to truly love me. I want you to wait for that kind of guy. For a man like Frank.”
Lauren smiled sadly and said, “I do know what you mean, Trish. I was once married to someone like Stan as well. Just that he didn’t cheat physically on me. But you know that he brutalized me.”
“Then you know what I mean when I say you should wait for the man who will truly love you and respect you; that will treat you the way you should be treated.”
Lauren nodded. “I will do that. But I have to date as many frogs as I can before I find my prince, don’t I?”
“No. No, you don’t,” Trisha said, frowning. “Your prince might be near you, but you probably have never noticed him. Please, promise me you’ll wait for a man that will love and treat you like a queen. That is what God wants for you, and that is what you should want for yourself.”
“I already told you I will, Trisha,” Lauren said. She smiled widely at Trisha and then asked, “Talking about Frank, where is he today?”
“He went to put Ruby down for a nap when you came. He is probably preparing to go out now, but I think he will be down any moment now. He has to pick up his frie
nd from the airport.”
As if on cue, Frank walked into the living room and Lauren smiled at him. He smiled back at her and bent down to kiss her cheek. He straightened again and said, “I’m off to the airport. Nick has already arrived and he’s waiting for me.”
Trisha nodded and bade him goodbye.
After Frank left, Lauren turned to Trisha and asked curiously, “Who is Nick? Is he single?” Her ears always perked up in instances like this—a guy friend of a friend in town.
“Really, Lauren!” Trisha shook her head and laughed. “Nick is Frank’s friend and business partner. He is single…” Lauren smiled and Trisha shook her head again. “Stop smiling at me like that, Lauren! The guy is a rogue, and he’s not a believer. If you are thinking about dating Nick, stop right now. He is completely out of the question.”
“Because he isn’t a Christian?”
“Yes, and because he is a terrible womanizer. Don’t even think about him and if you ever see him here in the house or outside, ignore him.”
“Is he staying here with you and Frank?” Lauren asked, trying not to sound intrigued. She knew better than to be even slightly curious about this Nick, especially with what Trisha had just told her. But Trisha’s description of him only made her even more curious about him. It was something in her she’d been trying to fight for a while. She was attracted to bad boys. That was why she’d broken up with Ken and married Richie. And she had also admitted to herself that it was why she was so attracted to Faizan. His past as a terrorist had intrigued her and drawn her to him, just as his handsome face had. Now, rather than repel her, which had been Trisha’s intention, Trisha’s words had unwittingly made her eager to meet this Nick.
Trisha frowned, her eyes studying Lauren. “He is supposed to stay at Hattie’s Bed & Breakfast, but Frank wants to convince him to stay here with us.” Suspicion clouded her features. “What does where he‘s staying have to do with anything, Lauren?”
“Well, you both are very exemplary Christians. You could convert him and then, if he’s cute, maybe we can start dating and get married.” Lauren roared with laughter at the look on Trisha’s face. “I’m just joking, Trish. I know. It’s wrong to want someone to change just so you can date that person. The guy is not a Christian and so he’s out of bounds. I’m certainly not looking to date or marry another unbeliever like my ex-husband.”
Trisha sighed loudly. “You can’t exactly compare Nick to Richie, but he isn’t any good, either.”
Lauren chuckled and then her expression sobered again. She said, “But there is a very important question I need to ask, Trish.”
Trisha stared quizzically at her. “What is it?”
“Is Nick cute?”
Lauren hid a smile as she watched confusion momentarily creep into Trisha’s face. Trisha rolled her eyes and exclaimed, “Lauren! Be serious!”
Lauren threw her hands up and laughed again. “All right, Trish! I was just joking.”
But are you?
She was glad when Trisha changed the subject and talked about her new pregnancy. Trisha had already told her she was pregnant on the phone yesterday and Lauren was very excited for her. But she was also slightly envious. Trisha was married to a good man she loved and who loved her. Now she was pregnant again. She was expecting her second child while Lauren had no children at all. Worse, apart from Faizan, she hadn’t met any godly man in a long time that she could fall in love, marry, and start a family with. She woke up alone every morning, ate breakfast alone, came back to an empty house, and went to bed alone. She was sick and tired of it. She didn’t want to keep living her life alone anymore.
She listened to Trisha talk about her and Frank’s plans for their new baby while trying to control her envy. And then they talked some more about their exes. Half an hour later, the sounds of Ruby’s cries filled the air and Trisha smiled apologetically. “Let me go and check on her,” she said.
Lauren stood up to leave. “I should go.”
Trisha walked her to the door. Before she stepped out of the house, Trisha said, “Remember what I told you, Lauren. Wait for the right guy.”
Lauren didn’t say anything. She hugged Trisha briefly and walked out of the house.
*****
Nick leaned his back against a truck outside the small airport in Rosefield. He stared at his phone as he scrolled through the different profiles of women on the online dating site he’d joined a day ago. From time to time, he looked up to see if his friend, Frank, had arrived. Frank was supposed to have picked him up about ten minutes ago, but he was late. Nick glanced at his wristwatch again and then focused on his phone screen once more. He had set up the dating profile just ten minutes ago, immediately when he arrived in Rosefield. He had never had any problems meeting women and his dating life was rich, but he had decided to try something new now that he was in this small town.
He had joined the dating site because he was coming to Rosefield. Frank had told him a lot about the small town and the clean image it had. Maybe he could meet someone who lived here in Rosefield through the online site. He wanted something new. Not that he thought that an online dating site was the best place to meet girls, but he was here for work. Serious work. He probably wouldn’t have time to go out and actually meet women. Usually, he met a lot of the women he’d dated or hooked up with at nightclubs and parties. But Frank had told him there weren’t really any nightclubs in Rosefield. So, between work and a dearth of places to meet women, he knew he had to settle for online dating.
Or you could leave off dating or hooking up with anyone for now.
He frowned at the preposterous thought. He always needed female companionship. He wanted nothing serious, but he had to have a female to warm his bed at night. Surely, there was nothing wrong with wanting to have fun while working at the same time. And girls were a lot of fun.
He got tired of scrolling through numerous profiles when he didn’t find anyone he wanted to message let alone go on a date with. Just as he logged out of the dating site, he saw Frank driving toward him in a black SUV. He lifted his hand and waved.
Frank stopped the car beside him and grinned up at him. “Look who’s in Rosefield!”
“You’re late,” Nick said, returning the grin.
Frank exited his car and hugged him. He opened the trunk and hurled Nick’s luggage in.
Nick got into the passenger seat just as Frank entered the driver’s seat.
“How was your flight?” Frank asked.
“It was good. And how is your beautiful wife?” Nick asked as Frank started the car and pulled into the road.
Frank’s face lit up at the mention of Trisha, and Nick shook his head. He punched Frank playfully on the arm. “Man, you’re still so taken with your wife. Just look at how your eyes lit up when I mentioned her name just now. Maybe there is truly something to this marriage thing after all.” He chuckled. “Maybe you could find me a beautiful wife like yours in Rosefield. That will be my challenge for you. Find me a gorgeous wife within these few months that I am here.”
Frank laughed and answered, “I think I might know someone who would be perfect for you.”
Nick shook his head slowly and said, “No, buddy! I was just joking. I’ll find my own dates, thank you very much. And I’m definitely not looking for a wife.”
Frank shrugged and said, “Well, suit yourself. The girl I have in mind is beautiful, but I guess you’re not even her type.”
Nick grinned. “I’m not her type? Well, I am sure she is not my type either. I certainly don’t trust you to pick a girl for me. You’d probably pick a plain, mousy little Christian girl I have nothing in common with.”
Frank chuckled and said, “Nick, tell me, is Trisha a plain, meek, Christian girl? She’s a Christian all right, but she is anything but plain or mousy.”
Nick laughed. “Okay. I definitely agree with you. Trisha is certainly not plain or mousy. But I still don’t trust you to pick a date for me… not to talk of a wife. And just like I’ve told y
ou before, I do not want a serious relationship right now.”
“Of course you don’t,” Frank said. “You still want to play the field.” He turned to look briefly at Nick and then turned back to the road. He said, “You really should give up your player image. I think you’re too old to still play these games with women. Most of all, it’s time you stopped running and gave your life to Christ.”
“Ah! Preaching the gospel to me as usual, are you? Whatever happened to not beating people over the head with your Bible? I once heard you say that, but that is all you do anytime I see you.” He pounded Frank’s back good-naturedly.
Frank didn’t say anything more. He only chuckled.
Nick studied his good friend and business partner. Frank now lived permanently in Rosefield because of his wife. He did come from time to time to visit the other restaurants, especially the one in Boise. Nick was here because of the new restaurant in Rosefield. Since it opened two months ago, he hadn’t been here at all. He wanted to see the restaurant for himself. And he wanted to stay here for some time and make sure the financial aspect of the restaurant was being taken care of.
Frank was a great cook and a very nice guy. He would draw people to the restaurant with his warm personality. But whether the restaurant would make any profit in a year’s time was questionable if only Frank was left to run it. That was why he had decided to come to Rosefield. And Frank had fully agreed with him. For a month he would be in Rosefield, planning and looking at different areas where they could maximize their profit, while Frank concentrated on cooking the food and also on the hospitality part. He was great at those two aspects of the business.
Frank was a stand-up guy; someone you could trust with your life. Nick knew that Frank’s character had a lot to do with his faith, and Frank had always talked to him about his personal relationship with God. But he wasn’t ready for that right now. And he didn’t know when he would be. Just like he’d told Frank, he wasn’t ready for a serious relationship, emotional or spiritual.
