Page 9 of Paradigm

“Sorry?”

“I was sitting over there with my friends, saw you, and thought I’d come over here and offer to buy you a drink, but you are not interested at all, are you?”

“Oh,” Eline said. “That’s what–”

“Yeah.” Marti chuckled. “Was I wrong? I had a feeling you might be, but if you’re not into women, just forget I came over.”

“No, I am,” Eline said quickly and held up her phone for some reason. “I’m actually emailing with my ex-girlfriend right now.”

“Emailing? You don’t text?”

“It’s a long story.”

“I’ve got a minute. My friends just ordered their food, but I’m not hungry.”

“It’s a very long story,” she corrected herself.

“One of those, huh?”

“Yes.” Eline laughed a bit. “I thought she was the one.”

“She’s not?”

“I don’t know. It was a long time ago, and I haven’t talked to her since then, but she just emailed me. I emailed her first, technically, but she emailed me back.”

“Well, what had you emailing her to begin with?”

“I learned that I’m a customer at her company. I didn’t know that she works there until today, so when I found out, I told her that it was me so that she would know. Felt like the right thing to do.”

“And now, you’re emailing back and forth?”

“I guess so.”

“You still think she’s the one, don’t you?” Marti asked with a knowing smile.

“How did you–”

“Been there myself.”

Marti then nodded toward a table behind her, so Eline glanced back and found two women talking.

“That’s my best friend in the world on the left and her girlfriend on the right.”

Eline shook her head, not understanding.

“I’m in love with my best friend; have been for years.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah… It’s bad. I’m pretty sure she’s my soulmate, but she’s got someone else.”

“You haven’t told her how you feel?”

“No, I did,” Marti said with a chuckle. “I told her, and we tried going on a date. We even– Well, you know.” Marti shrugged a shoulder. “Once. I thought it was amazing. She said she did, too, but then she told me that she wasn’t over her ex and that we shouldn’t have done that. That was about five years ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Eline offered. “Is that the girlfriend she had before?”

“This one’s new. They’ve only been official for a month; dating for two, I guess. It’s her maybe tenth relationship since we tried. I’ve had one at some point, but it went nowhere. So, believe me when I tell you that I get it.”