“Quick questions just to see. Answer however. Ready?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Okay. Marriage?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Kristina said. “I did it once before, and it didn’t exactly work out, so I’m a bit on the fence about doing it again, but I know I want one person andmaybemarriage. Is that okay?”
“It’s how you feel, so yes,” Sharon replied.
“You?” Kristina asked her.
“Yes. Kids?”
“Yeah, if I can. My ex and I wanted at least two in the beginning, but she changed her mind. I would still like at least one. I don’t care ifIhave them, or my partner does, or if we adopt or something like that, though. You?”
Sharon shook her head and said, “Never wanted to be a mom. I kept waiting for it to hit, and it hasn’t. Yes, I know I’m only twenty-seven, so it still might hit me later – that’s what everyone always tells me, anyway – but I don’t want to be your ex, you know? I don’t want to say yes to somethingthatimportant, and then it never hits me.”
“I get it,” Kristina replied. “Pretty important difference, huh? Me wanting them and you not.”
“It’s weird talking about all this stuff when we only just met.” Sharon smiled over at her. “Like, is this an actual date? We just had some great sex, but we haven’t even kissed. We are at a matchmaking event, a singles’ week thing, and we’re already talking about marriage and kids.”
“I don’t know if it’s a date,” she said and smiled back. “But I really do want kids, Sharon. I’ve always wanted to be a mom. Even if my ex hadn’t started treating me like crap, we wouldn’t have lasted because she changed her mind on having them. It’s important to me, building my family with kids, and I think it’sprobably good to tell someone that early, especiallygivenmy experience with my ex-wife.”
“I get it. And I want you to have that, especiallybecauseof that bitch of an ex-wife. I don’t know how she could look at you andnottell you how beautiful you are every day.”
“You have no idea how much I needed to hear someone say that.”
“I’ll say it again, if you want.”
“You’re very sweet,” Kristina said as she smiled at the beautiful woman next to her. “Do you think maybe we were meant to have this really great sex tonight because we both needed it, but that that’s all it was meant to be? Not that I’m saying we can’t do it again another time this week, but maybe we have the sex chemistry but not the compatibility thing?”
Sharon nodded and said, “Maybe so. I think we could be compatible in other ways, even if we’re not going to leave here and pursue a romantic relationship.”
“Do you want to do the cards for fun anyway?” Kristina asked. “To see?”
“Yeah, totally. Let’s do it.”
CHAPTER 25
Debra
“What’s your dream vacation?” Carrie asked and looked up from the first card of their mandatory thirty minutes.
“Oh, that’s easy,” she said and sat up a little on the bed. “Somewhere in the English countryside. Just a rustic little cottage, some tea by the fire, a good book and I’m all set.”
“Really? What would you do? Besides drinking tea and reading, I mean.”
“That’s about it. It’s a vacation,” she stated. “I suppose I would love someone there to share it with me, so we could go on walks and talk, share a crossword or two, and well, then there’s the obvious.”
“Sex?” Carrie asked.
“Yes.” Debra chuckled. “My wife and I always meant to go on vacations together, but we were always just so busy. All those years together, and we only went on a few. I regret that. I lost her young, and we spent so much of our time working. We were supposed to grow old, retire, and have that dream vacation.”
“I’m sorry,” Carrie said.
“Me too. My vacation sounds boring to you, huh?”
“Not boring, exactly.” Carrie smiled at her. “Just not my thing.”
