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“Hardly. I guarantee you that is not going to happen. The guy has the emotional capacity of tapioca. He may not even notice.” Zoe’s eyes brightened. She snapped her fingers. “That’s it! He has no passion! He’s blah.” She paused. “Yes, he can carry on a conversation, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him get really excited. About anything. Even though he’s a Red Sox fan, he still barely musters a cheer. Huh.” Another pause. “It’s true what they say about stepping back from a situation and looking at the big picture.” They both chuckled. “Alright. I am on it. Wish me luck,” Zoe said as she ended the call.
And so it went. Zoe gave Brian the old “It’s not you, it’s me,” routine, which he took quite well. They were still cordial when they ran into each other in the building. No one would ever guess they had broken up. Actually, no one would have thought they had ever dated in the first place.
* * *
Zoe shook her head, remembering that episode in her dating life, such as it was. Much to her peers’ surprise she wasn’t concerned about her biological clock. She would respond with “Does an alarm go off? Just checking.” It didn’t take an engineer to figure out that forcing something that should not be forced could lead to irreparable harm, whether it was a building, a bridge, or a relationship.
Zoe’s private reminiscence was interrupted by an exceptionally large, furry dog lumbering up the stairs. He nudged her arm. “Oh, are you my escort?” Rufus gave a soft woof and a downward-dog pose. Zoe scratched his head and his big floppy ears. She called down to Izzie, “Coming! My date just picked me up!”
Zoe checked herself in the mirror. Her face looked relaxed for the first time in weeks. Maybe it was the change in scenery. Maybe it was the dog. Maybe it was being with a good friend. Maybe it was all of the above. Maybe she would be able to put things in perspective.
Zoe bounced down the steps behind Rufus and turned the corner that opened to the kitchen area. A beautiful antipasto platter was sitting on the counter next to a basket filled with an assortment of bread. “This looks lovely.” Zoe eyed the delectable tray.
“Just a little something to hold us over until dinner. Yoko invited us to her house. She is going to make something traditional.”
“Sounds great.”
Izzie stopped. “Oh, but you probably get good Japanese food in the city.” She handed Zoe a plate.
“Yes, but it’s not homemade.” Zoe pulled out a stool from under the island countertop and sat. She automatically placed her napkin on her lap.
Izzie poured some Pellegrino, added lemon wedges, and chuckled. “Glad to see you have maintained your etiquette,” she said as she plucked a napkin for herself.
Zoe began to serve herself pieces of prosciutto, salami, and provolone. “Now this is something I could eat every day.” She ripped a piece of focaccia bread and dipped it in a dish with olive oil, pepper, and grated cheese. “When did you become the hostess with the mostest?”
Izzie chuckled. “With Abner’s and my schedules, we make it a point to create a fine dining experience at home. We try for once a week. We’re lucky if we make it once a month.”
Zoe stared out the large windows. “Must be nice having someone to share your life with.”
“Is that what’s on your mind?”
“Who? Me?” Zoe looked surprised. “No. Not really. I mean, occasionally I feel lonely, but only when everyone else is coupled up and I don’t have anything on my calendar.”
“Really?” Izzie gave her a dubious look.
“Honestly.” She was being sincere. “The past few years have been a hustle. I’ve been traveling all over the world.” She took a bite into the sandwich she’d built. Between chews she continued. “But lately they’ve been keeping me in the States mostly. And not overly exciting places either. Not that there is anything wrong with West Virginia, but I spent enough time growing up there. I did everything I could to escape a very small-town atmosphere.” She wiped some crumbs off her chin. “Don’t misunderstand me. The people are lovely, but there is little to do in most of those places if you’re there on business.”
“So, what brings you to the middle of nowhere?” Izzie asked as she assembled her own version of a sandwich.
“Large construction jobs. Mostly bridges.” Zoe took a sip of the sparkling water.
“You pretty much grew up in that area.”
“Silver Bridge?” Zoe snorted. “That was exactly what I was trying to get away from. For a while I was working on new construction jobs. Condominiums mostly. In exotic and interesting places.” She swallowed. “But then they shifted me over to a different department.”
“Didn’t they do that to you once before?”
“Yes, but I enjoyed that change. This one? I’m not crazy about.”
“Did they give you a reason?” Izzie asked casually.
That’s when Zoe froze. She turned to Izzie. Her face was taught. “They didn’t say, but I have my suspicions.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“It just might be.” Zoe took another bite.
“Well, you are going to have to explain that to me, tout de suite.”
