One Degree of Separation by Karin Kallmaker

all-too-familiar voice behind Liddy startled her. “Come here often?”
    Fuck and fuck. “No, I don’t.”
    Ellie at least was looking at her eyes this time. “I apologize if I’ve been obnoxious.”
    “I hadn’t realized,” Liddy said wryly.
    “I’ve been told I come on a little strong.” Liddy shrugged. “I’m not in the dating pool.”
    “So Marian tells me. She’s a sweet person, my best friend is.”
    “She seems so.”
    “I can’t figure out why she’s still single.” Great, now Ellie was matchmaking. Liddy drained the last of her iced coffee. “Some people are meant to be single. The whole world doesn’t need to couple up.”
    “I think you’re right in general, but not about Marian. She’s a born nester. But she had a relationship with a woman who turned out to be a vicious nutso and she’s a little gun-shy now, too.” How many ways do I have to say that I’m not looking, Liddy thought. She was sorry about the nutso, though. Marian really was a bit odd, but she was quietly, gently butch in a way Liddy had always found appealing. “You don’t have to explain about nutso exes. Been there, done that. Everybody gets gun-shy about settling down.”
    “Yeah. I’m not sure I’m meant to be settled down.” Ellie tossed her hair over her shoulder in a gesture she had to know was attractive and flirtatious. Ellie would tip anyone’s meter to the femme side of the scale, and Liddy doubted Ellie would mind anyone’s saying so.
    “But I do like to have fun.”
    Hell. Was there no getting rid of this woman? “I’m here because I’m getting over a bad breakup. And I don’t do the rebound thing. That’s gone sour on me too. In fact, my luck with women has been so bad I’m thinking of going back to men.”
    “Oh, what a waste.” For a moment something other than lust gleamed in Ellie’s eyes. “I seem to make the mistake of repeating bad relationships.”
    “Tell me about it.”
    Ellie’s gaze followed the chaos of children circling the play structure. “We could have a drink and I could tell you some long, sad stories.”
    For a moment, it was an appealing prospect. The Pedestrian Mall was so alive with music and motion that being alone was doubly poignant. She said bluntly, “I wouldn’t want to lead you on.” Ellie laughed. “I got your message. Besides, Marian and I never compete.”
    Liddy couldn’t help but ask, “She doesn’t want to date me, does she?”
    Ellie colored slightly. “I’m sorry, that was not the right thing for me to say. Marian doesn’t date. At least not so you’d notice.” She frowned. “She really is a sweet, kind, considerate person. She’s smart, funny, holds up her end of the conversation. I’d marry her myself if she wasn’t my best friend. Not that she’d have me.”
    “I thought partners were supposed to be best friends.” Ellie stepped out of the way of a massive side-by-side stroller.
    “I’ve never believed that one. I mean, how many partners do we have before we’re through? And how many best friends? Seems to me the best friends are the rarer commodity. I’m not going to fuck that up by fucking her, you know?”
    Having thought Ellie was a bubble-headed stalker, Liddy was surprised by the cogency of the statement. “I do see what you mean.”
    “Everything I fuck I fuck up.” Ellie glanced away for a moment.
    “Well, I’m glad we got to talk. I was obnoxious, wasn’t I?” Liddy grinned. “Yeah. Just a tip for the future. Make sure the new woman doesn’t actually hear you call her Fresh Meat.”
    “Oh.” Ellie swallowed. “I’m so sorry. You weren’t meant to hear that. It’s a running joke.”
    “I understand. Definitely not politically correct.”
    “Heavens, no. We have plenty of that here, but not when it comes to dating. Though no one wants to support my position, which is if we really want to break the patriarchy, we’d all be single and sleep around.”
    Liddy laughed outright. “Spoken like someone in