3.37 The best of women

The day I’d been longing for arrived at last. Excitement about seeing Sophia again ran through me like a hot cup of tea, and I woke up much too early for a mid-day meetup. I ran, did yoga, meditated, watched TV and still had too much time on my hands. After a while, I couldn’t stand it anymore and went to Oasis Springs, anyway. My early arrival made time for scoping out the bar where we were meeting and find a nice, quiet spot for us to talk before she arrived. Or I could check out the neighborhood. I’d only been to Oasis Springs the one time we looked at a house. I didn’t mind it at all, but I was a pretty simple guy with few requirements. Dad didn’t like the weather and lack of greenery. Plus, I think he was secretly holding out for an affordable three-bedroom house. Watching my dad through the house hunting process taught me a lot about parenthood—not that I’m trying to be anyone’s parent anytime soon. I saw how parenting never actually stopped. No matter how old we got, Dad and Mama would always consider our needs. I thought that was beautiful, especially given how some parents threw their children to the wolves upon aging up. I think that’s what happened to Dad.

My heart almost beat out of my chest when I arrived at the bar. Sophia had already arrived; I guess we were both anxious. I saw her standing on the sidewalk near the front door, looking more radiant than I remembered. Sometimes, when we chat on Social Bunny, I’d stare at her picture and try to remember her smiles and expressions. It got harder to do as time went by. But there she was, live in the pixels. I wanted to embrace her, but I knew I’d never let her go. Heh, I’d probably never go back home. Would that be so bad, though? I could just be with Sophia and forget about trying to date my friends and all the complications that might bring. Things with Sophia were simple and calm, just as they should be. Still, I kept my cool.

We greeted from a distance and went inside. The bar had an industrial style, but it was such a strange venue. It looked like the owner couldn’t decide who their clientele should be and decided to cater to everyone. It was a bar with coffee shop and lounge vibes. Truthfully, it worked. It made for a nice date spot, not that we… Nevermind.

I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, but I couldn’t stop staring. All this time, she’d been just a floating head on my devices, and her every moment fascinated me. I could have sat there all day watching her breathe. If only I could have had all these revelations earlier, we could have been together this whole time. But I enjoyed getting to know the heart of who she was without the complications, consequences, and whatever of physical attraction. I mean, yeah, I was attracted to her initially, but after communicating all this time without seeing each other, I could confidentially say she was even more beautiful inside than outside, and she was insanely beautiful.

Her phone chimed, and I watched her read and respond to someone with a cute grin. I had to mess with her a little.

“Your boyfriend?“

She laughed.

“Luca! You know I don’t have one of those.”

Though I was joking, her reply relieved me. We weren’t in a relationship, and almost two seasons had gone by. She very well could have found someone braver than me, but she didn’t.

“It’s just Social Bunny,” she clarified.

It could still be a dude, but deep down, I knew her well enough to know I was the only man in her life. She wouldn’t have shown up early if she were attached.

“Can I tell you something?” I asked.

“Tell me everything.”

“You’re beautiful.”

Her flushing cheeks and awkward, surprised grin made me smile.

“I, uhh…thanks. You’re very easy on my eyes, too.”

“That’s not what I meant, though. I mean, yes, you are fine as hell, but I’m talking about you. Everything about you. The entire package, heh. You are a beautiful soul.”

Her cheeks reddened even more.

“Luca, stoooop!”

“Okay, I’ll stop. I mean every word, though. So, how’ve you been? Have you decided if you’re enrolling yet?”

She sighed.

“Still thinking about it. I want to be a nurse so bad, but I’m not really cut out for school.”

“I feel you on that. I thought about university one time. Then I remembered how much I hated school work.”

“Ugh! Don’t remind me. I mean… Sometimes I think, ‘at least I work in the hospital.’ That’s enough sometimes. Other times I want more for myself than cleaning bedpans and mopping floors.”

“Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Like, in school, they throw a bunch of stuff at us we’ll never use again. But in university, you’re learning things you actually want to know about. It could be fun.”

“Ha! School and fun should not be in the same sentence!”

“I realized that as soon as the words left my mouth. I couldn’t stop them!”

Her laugh was so infectious. I wanted to say something else stupid just to hear it again and again.

“You make good points, though,” she said. “I hadn’t thought about it that way. I’ll consider it. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. If you decide to enroll, I’ll help you.”

She looked askance.

“How are you going to help me, Mr. I Hate School?”

“Ha! That’s fair. I could…I could make you coffee when you study late! Or…dinner! I can do dinners. That’s all I’ve got.”

“Awww! That is incredibly sweet. Would it be wrong to enroll just to receive this premium service?”

“You don’t have to enroll. Just ask.”

I meant what I said, though I didn’t mean to say it out loud. It left us in a weird yet not weird space, gazing into each other’s eyes. She was so easy to talk to, and I felt safe with her. I looked away before I started confessing things I wasn’t ready to confess.

“Can I buy you a drink?” I asked.

“Yeah, sure.”

I liked her. A lot. A whole lot. I had zero reasons for why I shouldn’t throw caution to the wind, forget the whole dating thing, and ask her to be my girlfriend. Yes, my feelings were that strong. I kept them locked in a box somewhere deep inside where I couldn’t reach. But being near her freed them from prison, and I couldn’t get them back inside. Still, I had a tiny amount of fear left inside, and I wasn’t ready to choose her just yet, no matter how badly I wanted to.

“Oh,” she shouted. “I forgot to tell you about an idea I had the other day!”

“This is going to be great. I just know it.”

“Stop! You should record your yoga sessions and upload them to SimTube!”

“My classes at the spa?”

“No, your personal sessions at home!”

Can’t say I expected that one. It wasn’t a bad idea, but I also wasn’t sold.

“You said you want to reach more people, right? Well, there’s a whole world of sims out there who will never come to San Sequoia. You can be like the yogis who inspired you back when you got started!”

That made more sense than I wanted it to make. What I did at home was for me, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted strangers peeking in on that. Maybe I could do it as if I were hosting a class.

“Wow. That’s actually a good idea. Can you believe that never crossed my mind?”

“I figured.”

She couldn’t be more amazing if she tried. She was the epitome of a true friend.

We talked a little while longer about my social media strategy. The bar got crowded, so she asked if I wanted to walk with her; I’d go everywhere with her. There was a park a few blocks up, so we went there and enjoyed the view for a few moments.

I wasn’t ready to leave, but several hours had gone by. I knew she’d let me sit there next to her for the rest of the day, but I wanted to be sensitive about the lives we both needed to get back to. So, I made the move.

“Can we do this again? I mean, not this…the bar…I mean, it was nice… Can I see you again soon?”

I really hoped one day I wouldn’t sound like a mumbling idiot when I talked to beautiful women. I felt so stupid when I couldn’t get my words right.

“Of course. Just don’t take too long next time.”