by Emma Easter
Frank did not back away. Instead, he said again, “No, Nick. I know you are ready for a serious relationship right now.”
Nick scowled at him. “I just told you I wasn’t.”
Frank smiled and said again, “I know you are ready to give your heart to Christ and start a relationship with him now.”
Nick shook his head slowly and said, “Frank, that is so corny! Be serious!”
Frank put his hand on his chest and said, “I am being very serious. You are the one that isn’t serious, Nick. There’s only one relationship you actually need right now, and that is a relationship with Jesus.”
Nick groaned and then glowered at Frank. “Will you please give it up, Frank? I am not ready to turn religious like you.”
Frank said, “It’s not religion, it’s….”
“Yeah, yeah! I know. It’s a relationship with Jesus.” Nick leaned forward and stared at Frank. “Well, I am not ready for a relationship with Jesus or anyone else for that matter. All I want right now is to find someone to be with while I am in Rosefield so I don’t feel so lonely.”
Trisha said, “I hope you don’t find anyone, Nick. Rosefield is not that sort of place.”
Nick said, partly incredulous and partly teasing, “So there are no lonely people in Rosefield?”
“You know what I mean,” Trisha huffed.
“Yes, I do know what you mean, Trisha,” Nick replied and sighed wearily. He was tired of this conversation. He needed a short break from it. He stood up and asked to use the restroom. When Frank told him how to find it, he thanked him and left the living room.
After he finished using the restroom, he began to make his way back to the living room, and then he stopped abruptly in the hallway, overhearing Trisha and Frank’s conversation. They were talking about him.
“Why would you even tell Nick about her? You know she’s lonely right now and a bit vulnerable. I certainly don’t want them to meet. I want her to find a good man and not someone like your friend. I don’t want her heart played with. She’s a great girl and she deserves the best.”
Frank apologized and whispered something to Trisha that Nick could not make out.
Trisha sighed loudly and said, “I know he is involved with several charities and is a generous person, but that doesn’t change the fact that he isn’t very good with romantic relationships.”
For a long moment, Nick stood in the hallway without moving. He knew he had quite a reputation with women amongst his friends, but he did not know it was so bad that Frank’s wife would talk about him as though he had some contagious disease he could spread to her friends.
Well, he certainly didn’t want to meet that friend or have anything to do with her either. He was handsome and never had any trouble meeting women. He would get his own dates and maybe, just to spite Trisha, he would find a good girl to date, at least while he was in Rosefield. He might even be able to commit to her. But he doubted it. He just wasn’t ready for a very serious relationship right now.
He walked out to the living room again, smiled at Trisha and Frank as though he had heard nothing, and said, “I think I have to go now.” He turned to Frank and said, “I’ll see you at the restaurant tomorrow.” Again, he smiled brightly at Trisha and walked hastily to the door before the couple could say anything. Opening it, he went out quickly. Rather than take a taxi, which was how he had come to Frank and Trisha’s house, he walked briskly to the bed and breakfast. Twenty minutes later, he got there, climbed up the stairs, and went to his room.
He sat on the bed and turned on the television to watch a football game. But he couldn’t concentrate on it. He turned the TV off again and his mind went around and around on what Trisha had said to Frank.
He remembered what Frank had said to him and muttered, “Maybe it is time to give up my player image.” It was probably time to find a woman who he could spend the rest of his life with. He wasn’t getting any younger. However, he doubted he would find her in Rosefield. At least not in person. But maybe he could find her online. Since he had already checked the dating site and hadn’t found anyone he would consider going out on a date with, he would leave off until tomorrow. Then, he would check again and maybe he would be lucky. If not, he would have to settle for someone to share some intimate time with. That was the best he could do right now. He got up from the bed and went to fix himself lunch.
*****
Lauren lifted Ruby into her lap and kissed the little girl’s cheeks. She tickled Ruby and chuckled when the toddler howled with laughter.
“How are you, darling?” Lauren asked, smiling at her.
Ruby laughed as though Lauren had asked her the funniest question she had ever heard. She wiggled around and then slipped out of Lauren’s lap.
Lauren watched her with amusement as she toddled round the living room like a drunken person. Lauren turned to Trisha, who was seated beside her, and laughed. “Maybe Ruby is drunk on milk. I think we should stage an intervention for her.”
Trisha chuckled and then the expression on her face suddenly turned sober. She said to Lauren, “Are you still considering doing that online dating thing?”
Lauren sighed and looked away. She felt even lonelier now than she had when she first told Trisha she wanted to find a date online. She had opened an online dating account and set up her profile. But she had not yet checked to see if she had a match. For some reason, she felt terribly nervous about doing so, but if she wanted to start dating seriously again, she had to muster up courage and check the site. It was the only way she would know if there was a match for her and the only way left for her to find someone right now.
Turning to Trisha again, she said, “I have set up my dating profile, but I haven’t checked to see if I have a match since I did. I will probably check the site this evening or tomorrow morning before work. I mean, I haven’t been asked out by anyone I would ever consider dating in a very long time. I have to do something right now or I might be single for the rest of my life.”
Trisha looked at her with disbelief written on her face and said, “No one in church has asked you out?”
Lauren sighed. “You know that most of the good men there are already taken.”
“There are some eligible bachelors,” Trisha said.
“Not many. And I think part of the problem is that I am divorced… I don’t know. I only had one guy at church ask me out some time ago, but he isn’t someone I could ever consider dating.” Trisha frowned and Lauren shook her head. “Don’t look at me like that. I can’t just date anyone because I am single, and you know that.”
“Well, what is wrong with the guy from church who asked you out?”
Lauren sighed again. “He is staid and boring. Not my type.”
Trisha shook her head. “By boring and staid, you mean he is not a bad boy. You could consider dating someone different this time, Lauren. Why not give him a chance?”
“Are you kidding me, Tricia?” Lauren stared at her friend incredulously. “I know I sound kinda desperate, but I still have standards. Do you want me to drop my standards just so I can date someone?”
“I am not saying you should drop your standards, Lauren. I am only saying you should try something new. Remember the definition of insanity?”
“When you say something new…”
“I mean someone who isn’t the typical bad-boy type you usually go for.” Trisha leaned forward. “And don’t look at me like that. I know that is the kind of guy you gravitate toward, but that needs to change. Give that guy at church a chance.”
Lauren’s mouth fell open and then she shut it again. A slice of shame ran through her and she looked away. She said defensively, “It’s not just the fact that the guy is boring. I want something different for myself, something better… and that guy isn’t it. What is wrong with having standards?” She turned once more to look at Trisha.
Trisha thinned her lips, and then said, “I’m sorry, Lauren. Of course you shouldn’t lower your standards as long as they are reasona
ble standards. I would never ask you to do that. I’m just really worried about the online dating thing. I don’t think I know anyone who has met their spouse through an online dating site.”
“Do you know anyone in Rosefield at all who is on an online dating site?” Lauren asked her.
Trisha did not say anything for some time, and then she shrugged. “Okay, I admit I don’t know anyone who is using an online dating site at this time to find a spouse, Lauren.” She frowned, and said again, “I do know someone I guess, but he isn’t looking for anything serious.”
“And who is he?” Lauren asked curiously.
Trisha waved her hand dismissively, and said, “Just a friend of my husband’s.”
“Is he the one Frank went to pick up the other day?”
“Yes. Just as I said, he’s not looking for anything serious. Anyway, just be careful if you’re truly determined to do the online dating thing. I’ve heard so many stories about scammers catfishing people online. All those stories have made me question the safety and validity of finding someone through an online dating site.”
“You’ve told me all this before,” Lauren said.
Trisha nodded. “Yes, I know I have. But I am repeating myself again because I want you to be really careful.”
Lauren gave Trisha a small smile and said, “Just like I told you before, I will be careful.” She turned to look at Ruby, who was still prancing around the living room, and sighed wistfully. She pointed at Ruby and said to Trisha, “This is why I want to try online dating. When will I have my own little daughter if I don’t start seriously dating now?”
Trisha pursed her lips and said nothing for a few seconds, and then nodded. “I guess I understand. Or at least, I can see why you want to go down the route of dating online to find someone. I guess you just have to pray and believe that the Lord will send you a good man that way. I mean, there’s nothing impossible for Him.”
Lauren smiled. “Yes, there isn’t.” She decided to change the subject and asked Trisha about how she was doing with her pregnancy. Trisha was glowing, either from the pregnancy, or from being deeply in love with her husband, Lauren wasn’t sure.
“I haven’t yet had any real morning sickness, thank God,” Trisha said. “I was quite sick when I was pregnant with Ruby.”
Soon, they began to chat about church, and then about Trisha’s sisters, Sienna and Audrey. When the conversation shifted to their exes, Lauren said, “It’s so strange, but I still miss Richie sometimes.”
Trisha said, “That’s understandable, since you were married to him for years. However, when you find someone who truly loves you, you will soon stop missing him. That is the way it was with me.”
Lauren smiled sadly and said to Trisha, “You aren’t helping my loneliness problem, Trish. Talking about how much Frank loves you only makes me sadder and more despondent about not yet finding the right guy.”
“I am sorry,” Trisha said.
Lauren laughed. “I was just joking, Trish.” But she really wasn’t.
The conversation shifted to random stuff and they continued to chat for another hour. Lauren didn’t want to leave and go back to her lonely apartment. But she had no choice. Frank would soon be back from his men’s meeting at church. Frank and Trisha were shameless with their PDA. Lauren didn’t want to be here when Frank came back. It would only make her yearning for a spouse worse.
She stood up and said, “I have to go, Trish. It’s getting late.”
Trisha glanced at the clock on the wall. “It is just seven o’clock.”
“I have to get up early for work.”
Trisha nodded and followed Lauren to the door.
Lauren hugged Trisha, smiled at Ruby, who was playing with her toys at the far end of the living room, and then went out of the house.
She got home some minutes later, went into her room, sat on the bed, and set her laptop on her lap. Opening it, she took a deep breath and, with grim determination, went to the online dating website she had joined but had never had the nerve to check. She nervously opened her own profile, and then took another deep breath before she looked at it.
Her jaw dropped at what she saw. She had thought she would be matched with one or, at most, two people; but there were several guys—good looking, interesting guys, judging from their profiles—who were suggested as potential matches for her.
Nervous but excited, she quickly began to check each of their profiles. Three of them had already sent her messages, telling her they were interested in knowing more about her and meeting up for a date soon.
She carefully read their profiles again, and then read the profiles of the guys that had not yet sent her any messages. And then she decided to reply to those that had sent her messages. But before she could start typing out the first message, her eyes went back to the profile of one particular guy.
When she started going through all the profiles, his face had immediately struck her. And it wasn’t just because he was handsome, though he was very good-looking, but there was something about the way he looked that appealed to her. From his profile, she discovered that he was an outgoing guy, but sensitive too. He loved the same movies that she did. Most of all, he was into charitable causes, just like she was. That was why she had joined the welfare department in church. The one thing his profile did not say about him, though, was whether he had a strong faith. It said he believed in God, but nothing more than that. Even though he had not yet sent her a message, she decided to send him one.
What on Earth are you doing, Lauren? She asked herself as she began to type out a message to him. Why was she so drawn to him, anyway?
She told him he looked like someone should would enjoy getting to know and that they had some things in common, things that were important to her. She finally finished typing the message. Before she could overthink it, she sent the message to him, and then shut her eyes as embarrassment settled over her.
Oh my god! Did I just do that? What was it with her being especially forward with guys these days? Since she’d divorced Richie, this was the second time she was asking a guy out. Something she would never have dreamt of doing before. The first guy she’d asked out was Faizan.
Thinking about Faizan brought a mild ache to her heart. She had really liked him and had thought there would be a future with him, especially the day he’d asked her out. She had finally reconciled herself to the fact that he was now married to someone he loved dearly and that she was not meant for him and vice versa. Still, sometimes she thought about him and what it would have been like if he was the one he’d loved and married. Every time she had that thought, she felt guilty and asked the Lord for forgiveness. He was married now. Thinking about him in that way was totally wrong.
She looked again at her online profile, staring at it intently as though by doing that, she could make the guy she had sent the message to message her back immediately. She finally chided herself after a long moment of staring at the screen.
Give him some time to answer, she said to herself. She logged off the website and shut her laptop. She had to give it some time. She would check back tomorrow evening, after work, to see if he had answered. Hopefully, by then, he would have replied to her message with good news—that he was also interested in her and wanted to get to know her better.
The thought sent a shiver of excitement and dread through her. Soon, she would start to date again. Apart from the one date she’d had with Faizan, she hadn’t dated in years. If only she could bypass all of that and just find her spouse and get married right now. Unfortunately, things did not work that way. One would think that in this fast-paced era, relationships would progress quicker, but sadly, things were even slower than ever.
Panic suddenly gripped her and she felt like retrieving the message she had sent to the stranger. What if this online thing wasn’t God’s will for her? What if she was going ahead of God? Maybe Trisha was right. She should wait on the Lord and not try to make things happen for herself.
She covered her
eyes with her hand and said, “Lord, was I wrong to set up this dating profile?” It was too late anyway to take back the message she had sent to that guy. The only thing she could do now was delete her profile from the dating site. She opened her laptop again and went to the site. She stared at her profile for a long time, varying emotions warring in her heart as she wondered whether to delete her profile or not.
Finally, she logged off again, clicked off her computer, and put her laptop aside. She stood up and went out of her bedroom quickly.
In the living room, she prayed again, asking the Lord to accomplish His will, and only His will in her life. “If it’s not your will for me to find my spouse through an online dating site, then please help me to know and I will delete my profile. I just want to do your will.”
She took a deep breath and stretched out on her couch. Just a year or two ago, she would not have cared what God’s will was for her. But now, it was what she cared about the most. She wanted to please the Lord, but with all that was in her, she also wanted to get married. She hoped that was the Lord’s will for her, too. But if it wasn’t, she would have no choice but to submit to His will, and even though it would be very painful, she would stay single for the rest of her life if that was what the Lord wanted of her.
The thought was unsettling and tears swam in her eyes as she thought about staying single for the rest of her life. Her heart ached, but if that was God’s will, then it was what you would do, no matter how hard it would be.
Chapter Nine
Audrey took Ken’s hand as they got off the plane at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima. They both walked into the airport while Audrey’s heart raced with excitement. She couldn’t wait to see Sienna and the baby.
After they had both gone through customs, they strolled through the airport until they saw Sienna and Bryan. Audrey ran straight to Sienna, her arms wide open. They fell into each other’s arms and Audrey hugged her sister tightly.
“It’s so good to see you, Sienna,” Audrey said. She drew back slightly from her sister and looked her over. “You look beautiful as usual.”