“Morning, sleepy head!” Meryl poked her head in my bedroom door.
I growled, “What time is it?”
“I was thinking we could have a quick rooftop coffee together. Get up. Get up!”
“Okay, okay. Let me grab a blanket.”
I crawled out of bed, snatching my plush throw, and we climbed up the stairs towards the steel door. On the terrace, we sat and sipped hot coffee -- satisfying and warm in contrast with the frigid air.
“Something’s up with you,” Meryl said. “You have that look about you today. . . What is it?”
“Nothing at all. In fact. . . all is well. Very well.”
“Bobbie!” she exclaimed. “What’s going on?” She looked at me intently.
“It’s nothing!” I yelled, but laughed. Every girl in the world had uttered that phrase and knew that “nothing” was always jammed packed with a lot of somethings. “Okay, so I’m lying.”
“Is it. . . boy drama again?”
“Yep. I think you could say yes. Definitely.”
“Oh, no, Bobbie. . . you didn’t get back together with Charlie. Tell me you didn’t. . .”
“No! God, no. It’s. . . it’s not Charlie.”
“Then. . . is it Zander?”
“It’s Oliver.”
“Ohhhh. . . .” She nodded knowingly. “Well it’s about time.” She murmered.
“Now, I know it hasn’t been that long since Charlie and I broke up, and you probably think I should be single for a while, you know, to get my own sense of self together, but. . . I really like him, Meryl, like really really like him.”
“Bobbie.”
“What?”
“I think it’s great.”
“You do?”
“I do. I love Oliver. He’s one of the best guys I know. And I know he’s crazy about you.”
“He is? I mean, you know that? How do you know that?”
“It’s obvious, Bobbie. I can see by the way he looks at you.”
Ahh. . . that warmed my heart, and made me think of something Barbara had said. You’ll know you have found him by the way he looks at you. . .
“I’m really happy for you,” she said, but not with real conviction.
“Thanks. But why am I not convinced?”
“Bobbie, don’t take this the wrong way, but. . . I really didn’t think you’d have the sense to go for a man like Oliver! I really thought you’d have to blow through a few more Charlies before you learned your lesson.”
I burst out laughing. I felt a little insulted by her comment, but I had to admit, I understood it. “So, anyway,” I said, “On to a more important topic. Are we all having dinner on the roof tonight?”
“You betcha. Barbara’s famous chicken cacciatore! Ella and Ivy are in charge of cocktails and wine. Do you want to take care of dessert?”
“Music to my ears. And taste buds. I’m thinking cheesecake. Ella’s been dragging me to her dance classes, and my ass has never been tighter. I’m going to splurge.”
“Dancing is the cure to everything.”
“Yeah, you don’t need to tell me. I’ve walked in on you during your solo Brazilian samba nights, you weirdo,” I laughed, sipping my coffee.
“Don’t make fun of me. I like to samba!”
“Well, that’s great, ‘cause if I have anything to say about it, we’re gonna samba tonight.” Meryl and I spent the rest of the morning chatting about her new beau and the guys waltzing in and out both Ella’s and Ivy’s lives on a weekly basis. I had to say I was surprised. I realized that with all of my recent 911’s in life, I had not taken the time to notice that my roomies had 911’s of their own. I made a solemn promise to myself to turn my attention toward their priorities just as soon as I finished taking the upcoming LSAT. I spent the rest of the day studying, quizzing my roomies on their love lives and, of course, chatting with Olly.