Adorable

By Susan Burdorf

Melissa and Tracy sat at the booth in the old fashioned diner wondering what they were doing there. It was a Saturday night, the town was rocking, and they were together but yet all alone.

Both had not had a date in months, the guys they knew were either already married, already committed or needed to be committed. Where had all the good guys gone, was their lament.

They had met at a Mingle for Singles over the summer. Sitting in a corner drinking their complimentary Mai Tais, they had perused the offerings at the event and sighed.

“Too fat,” Melissa had said pointing to a man dancing and sweating with a girl so skinny she would have disappeared had she stood sideways. “He’ll die of a heart attack before the night is over.” Melissa, a nurse in the cardiac unit at Centennial Hospital, had an eye for this kind of thing.

Tracy had nodded in agreement and pointed to another one also sweating and dancing out on the floor but with a chubby girl this time, and said, “He’s probably thinking she is the best thing since sliced bread.”

Both had laughed ruefully and then introduced each other.

“New to town?” Tracy asked taking a sip of her drink.

“Yeah, moved here a couple months ago,” Melissa said looking back out at the dance floor. Not a single interesting character anywhere was her opinion.

Talking about books and movies and places they liked to eat they found they had a lot in common and decided to keep up the friendship.

And here they were, giving thanks they had not ended up with any of the losers at the Mingle.  All alone, yet together as friends, Melissa was grateful for that.

Tracy had seen her through a few rough patches over the last several weeks and she hoped to be able to return the favor sometime.

“So what’s up?” she finally broke the ice.

Tracy smiled at her and lifted her coffee cup. “Remember the trip to my brother’s wedding last month?”

Melissa smiled, how could she forget? They had laughed and agonized over the awful eggplant purple dress Tracy had been forced to wear as a bridesmaid in the wedding, with shoes dyed green to match the bouquet Melissa had teased about how Tracy would look like some kind of wedding salad.

“Sure, how’d it go? You never have talked much about it,” Melissa sipped her coffee and took a bite of her pie.

“Oh, pretty well,” said Tracy coyly then in a rush said, “I met someone.”

“What?” said Melissa choking on her pie.

Slapping her friend on her back Tracy told Melissa everything. How adorable Mark was, how gentle and kind. He knew her sister-in-law from college. “Tall, dark, and handsome,” Tracy finished with a flourish as she showed Melissa pictures of him from her phone.

Melissa, happy for her friend, forced a smile.

Pie forgotten, coffee getting colder by the minute, Melissa made Tracy tell her everything.

“He’s moving to Nashville next month and we’re going to move in together. Maybe we will get married, maybe not. But, Melissa,” Tracy saw her friend was sad and feeling generous due to her good fortune Tracy sobered for a minute and said gently, “you will find your Mr Right too. I know you will, you are just too great a person not to find him, or to have him find you.”

Melissa sipped her cold coffee wincing at the taste as she shook her head sadly in the negative.

Later, Tracy left promising to call her once Mark got to town so they could go out together, “I want you to love him too!” Tracy said her face glowing as she left the diner.

Melissa accepted a warm up on her coffee and watched Tracy through the window as she took a call. Her face lit up and Melissa knew it was her beau.

True to her word Tracy called Melissa a few weeks later and invited her to dinner with them. Melissa, exhausted from a very difficult day, had agreed without enthusiasm.

Dressing for dinner she wore a new black blouse with a sparkly scarf. A pencil skirt that had fit snugly a few weeks before, and now was loose, reminded her she hadn’t had a decent meal in a while.  If for no other reason, she would go to get some good food.

“Okay, here I go,” she said slipping on some silver hoops and her black pumps. Putting on a smile, she walked out the door and was seated at the restaurant with Tracy and her beau.

And he was everything she had said he was. Adorable, hunky, and sweet. He obviously loved Tracy, and Melissa was so happy for her friend that she proposed a toast. Raising her glass of water, she said with eyes twinkling and love in her heart. “Here’s to finding that person that rocks your world and centers your life. I am very happy for you both.”

Tracy smiling at her friend, eyes twinkling said, “Hello Mike, join us why don’t ya?”

Melissa, looking confused turned to where Tracy was looking and found herself gazing into the smiling face of a guy who looked just like Mark.

“Sorry, I’m late,” he said with a wide grin at Melissa.

She grinned back, giving her friend Tracy a what’s this all about stare when she broke her glance from his.

“Melissa, did I forget to tell you that Mark has a brother? A twin brother who is just as adorable?”

Melissa mouthed the word thanks to her friend as she shifted her seat to make room for Mike.