"When do we get to meet him, Mattie?" Fran leaned her head down into the cool breeze and held onto the burgundy head scarf tied in a knot under her chin.
"Well, we're going to head off to Pennsylvania the day after tomorrow." Mattie pulled her fur-rimmed hood up as another gust hit them. She smiled at her friend as they slammed the black iron gate behind them. "It's been a long three days since he left," she sighed. "Maybe we can all go out to dinner one weekend." She laughed as she saw Fran eye her, a grin on her face. "What?"
"Hmm.." Fran narrowed her eyes at her. "Mattie...it's wonderful to see you so happy. I don't think you've dated anyone since you broke up with that scoundrel, Robert, and moved to Brooksford, have you?"
"I will never count that blind-date that Tricia set me up with the first year I was here, as a true date, so the answer is no. I was done with men after Robert, and only did it as a favor to her."
"Tricia from the science department?"
"Yes. That was a truly calamitous evening, Fran, in every sense of the word." Mattie laughed. "He was her boyfriend's old college roommate and he was a nervous wreck the entire time. He almost fainted when I told him that I had a prosthetic. I can laugh about it now, but that evening was painful. We were all sitting around the table at the restaurant looking at our watches."
"You did tell me about that, now that I think of it."
Mattie stopped as they reached her home.
"This isn't dating, Fran," she eyed her seriously. "We both already know how we feel."
"Then, I'm truly happy for you, Mattie." Fran pulled her scarf down over her bangs as a gust of wind hit them. "That's a rare thing."
Mattie nodded solemnly, knowing her friend was right. It was a rare thing, and she would not waste one minute of their precious time together playing games.