“She was horrible.” I nodded and took a sip of my milkshake. “What happened this time?” As he regales me with the story of yet another crazy. I look around. The red booth seats cracked and dipping from all the wear over almost a century. The neon lights outside still streaming through the windows giving this almost a magical glow. “Evie , are you listening to me. “ I shake off my thoughts and refocus on him. “We have come here 8 times in the last month alone”. “We just keep finding bad matches. She can’t help that yours offered to pay for you time or mine offered to carry my babies”. That got me to crack a smile, “babies on the first date , wow”. He shakes his head and smiles “I knew you weren’t listening”. I shrug “I was thinking about how we only come here after a bad date and there’s been a lot more here lately. . To many. . . Teddy, I miss just being held.” We ask for the checks and pay before heading out to his apartment. We lay down on his bed and he close in his arms. “Why didn’t you come cuddle sooner ? I can feel the stress.” I straddle his his and then lay back down so my head is cradle in the nook of his neck. “Mmmm , extra strength cuddles , this isn’t good news then” , he says as his body stiffens under me. “I wanted something real before I left for my new job in Charleston.” He paused just a second before questioning “real?”I sigh “yes, you are my best friend in the entire universe but I wanted cuddles from someone who wants me as a woman. It’s been so long” I don’t dare look at his expression as he thinks over what I said. “How long ?” I can hear the humor in his voice already. I sit up and it’s plastered all over his face. “Two years and you aren’t doing much better!” I say as I move closer to jab my finger in his chest. I hits me I’m a hair from his lips. The rest of my words die on my lips as I look into his eyes. He’s not resplused , just curious.

I lean in and kiss him softly at first. The softness fades away to hunger as our hands feel each other. Clothes fall to the floor and he move in time with me. We let it all out that had been building for so many years.

Then in the early mornings, I hear his voice again. “Evie , Evie” I wake up and stretch. “Yes, Teddy”. He looks as serious as one can naked with their hair going every which way. “I’m not going to ask you to stay because that’s not fair. But in 5 years if we are both single, I want you to consider coming back here and marrying me. Don’t give me an answer now, just think on it” To say I was surprised was an understatement, everything from getting dressed to saying goodbye felt like I was in a fog cloud.

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Our friendship faded over those five years and we never did talk about his pact request again. Then I received an invitation in the mail, “you are invited to the wedding of Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Wells.”