“Women’s classes,” Meesha noted. “But even taking a class with guys isn’t the same as going to a party. When was the last time you even went to F5F’s dance club? When was the last time you had fun, Sonia?”
“I have fun...”
“At home with your books. I feel like I work in the chastity society,” Meesha grumbled, flicking a glance at Jacquie.
“Don’t look at me.”
“I am looking at you!” Meesha complained. “Neither of you even make the cut for the shipping board.” She indicated the screen on the wall that displayed a constant feed of images shared on the club’s social media. The shipping board, where members made fictional ‘relationship’ matches for others at the club, was Meesha’s pride and joy. “That makes no sense. You’re so pretty, Sonia, but you slip under everyone’s radar.”
“Maybe I like it that way.”
“Why?” Meesha asked but Sonia turned to her own desk, evading the question. Meesha exhaled with obvious frustration and jammed gadgets into her purse.
Jacquie wondered why as well but didn’t ask.
Instead, she tried to encourage Sonia. “When I was your age, I had four kids to raise on my own. I would have killed to have gone out to a party with people and had fun, just once. You’re letting your life slip by you.”
Sonia’s expression turned stubborn. “Maybe I’m just waiting for Mr. Right.”
“Some day your prince will come?” Meesha shook her head. “Are you really going to find him in your apartment making dinner when you get home?” She waved a hand. “You need to make something happen sometimes. Take a chance. Do something different to get different results.”
“I did!” Sonia insisted.
Meesha turned on Jacquie. “And you,” she continued. “I thought you were going to go wild when your kids moved out.”
“It wasn’t as easy as I expected,” Jacquie said, feeling herself bristle.
“They’ve been gone since New Year’s,” Meesha reminded her, even though Jacquie could have told her the exact number of days. “It’s been six weeks. Haven’t you gotten any yet?”
Jacquie shook her head. As much as she’d made plans for taking advantage of finally having some privacy, the reality of an empty apartment was another thing. She missed her kids, their noise, their demands and their mess. She wasn’t entirely sure that she knew who she was without them around, but she’d never make Meesha understand that.
The two younger women then closed ranks together, folding their arms across their chests and staring Jacquie down.
“It’s been a long time since Mitchell died,” she insisted. “I haven’t been impulsive for a long time.”
“Start now,” Meesha advised.
“I’ve been making a plan.”
Meesha snorted, her opinion of that clear. “Plans, schmans,” she muttered. “It’s action that matters. How is a plan going to help you be spontaneous?”
“What kind of plan?” Sonia asked.
“I’ve been making a list of contenders,” Jacquie said. “This place is full of them. Now I have to choose the lucky candidate.”
“There’s nothing wrong with letting one choose you,” Meesha grumbled, then shook her head. “Okay. Choose now.”
Jacquie glanced out the door, just in time to see the man in the number one position on her list. He was headed across the lobby with his usual purpose, no doubt headed for the men’s change room. He was wearing jeans and a dark T-shirt and jacket, as well as those horn-rimmed glasses that she loved. His hair was more salt than pepper but he was in perfect shape.
Pierce was at the rock wall every Monday at six, and Jacquie had taken in the view more than once. Her heart fluttered just a little. “Okay,” she said, feeling bold. “Him.”
Sonia and Meesha leaned forward as one, looking out of the office without revealing themselves. Sonia smiled. “Pierce Aston. Good choice.”
“Mmmm hmmm,” Meesha said. “Now that’s a silver fox.”
“Not one ounce of body fat,” Sonia added.
“Rock hard abs,” Meesha said. “Probably the endurance of a man half his age. Nate said he used to be a Navy SEAL.”
“No. Really?” Sonia asked and Meesha nodded, her gaze unswerving. Sonia sighed. “Check out his butt.”
“I do,” Jacquie admitted and they laughed again.
“He looks intellectual, too,” Sonia said. “Like that hot professor at college.”
“Which hot professor?” Meesha demanded and Sonia blushed.
“Or, or, the geek who’s got more than meets the eye. It’s the glasses.”
“Uh huh,” Meesha teased. “Who exactly are we discussing?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Sonia said, so red that Jacquie knew it did.
“But he has contacts for working out,” Jacquie said, hoping Meesha would give Sonia a break.
Her plan succeeded, but that meant Meesha turned her attention on Jacquie. “So, what’s stopping you from doing something about it?” she asked Jacquie.
“He seems a bit mysterious,” Jacquie admitted, instead of confessing that she’d never asked a man out before. “I don’t think he socializes much at the club. I wonder what kind of secrets he has.”
“The point of being impulsive is that you leap before you look,” Meesha noted.
“I don’t want to regret anything.”
“There you go. Playing it safe.” Meesha yawned elaborately. “No wonder this show isn’t getting off the road.”
“But you like mysteries,” Sonia noted.
“True. I don’t like surprises, though.”
“The spice of life,” Meesha insisted.
“You could check his file,” Sonia suggested.
“That would be inappropriate and a breach of policy,” Jacquie said, even though she’d thought about it.
“And who would know?” Meesha asked. “I wouldn’t tell.” She held Jacquie’s gaze in challenge.
“You could get a tattoo,” Sonia suggested.
Jacquie laughed. “No.”
“You have forty-eight hours,” Meesha said, her eyes bright with challenge. “Do something by Wednesday night’s meeting.”
“Or?” Jacquie asked.
“Or I’ll do something for you,” the younger woman threatened, looking as if she’d love it. She shook a finger at Sonia as she grabbed her pink shearling coat. “That counts for you, too.”
“Uh oh,” Sonia said, laughing a little as she met Jacquie’s gaze.
“I’ve got my list,” Jacquie said. “How about yours?”
But Sonia just blushed again. Jacquie also had a policy of not meddling in her kids’ love lives so she left that alone. Sonia left for
