now and when we left for Sequim. We were walking a little over half that on our morning walk, so we’d either have to add another loop together, or pick up the rest of the slack individually. I’d been doing pretty well for the last few days, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t backslide.
“A quarter for your thoughts,” a male voice said behind me.
I jumped.
“Sorry.” One of the scruffy guys stepped up beside me. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“That’s okay,” I said. This was the guy with the lighter hair. Dick?
He held out his hand. “Rick,” he said.
I shook it. He had a nice handshake, firm but not bone crushing, but also not one of those wimpy handshakes some men use with women, as if they think you’re too delicate to handle a real handshake. A handshake like that is a big red flag.
“Hi,” I said. “I’m…”
He smiled. It was a warm, friendly smile, backed up by good eye contact. And nice eyes, too, almost cat green. “I know, Noreen, but you’re contemplating Nora, and Gloria’s definitely not going to fly.”
I switched into flirt mode, just so I wouldn’t get rusty. “Impressive. Have you been taking notes or something?”
His smile got bigger. “Only the important things.”
“So, what’s your recommendation? You know, in the name department.”
He let go of my hand and shook his head. “Boy, I don’t know. I can barely decide what kind of coffee to order at Starbucks these days, not that they make it easy. I like Noreen though.”
“Thanks,” I said.
We just kind of looked at each other. “So,” I said. “How was your après small-group coaching session tennis match?”
The smile was back. He was looking a little more put together with every smile. “I killed him,” he said. “Ever play any Wii sports?”
I shook my head.
“Come on,” Rick said.
We walked right past the Fresh Horizons South door. At the end of a long hallway, we stopped at a door with a sign that said SOUTH SHORE SENIOR CENTER LOUNGE .
“This can’t possibly be good for my post-redundancy self-esteem,” I said.
“Shh,” Rick said. “I just have to make sure nobody’s using it.” He looked over his shoulder, then turned the doorknob carefully. He gave the door a little push and stuck his head inside the room.
“Coast is clear,” he said. He reached in and flicked the light switch, then held the door open for me.
“Oh, right,” I said. “Make me go first.”
I tiptoed in. I was expecting card tables set up for bingo, but it was a real lounge. Padded red leather, or at least red leatherette, banquettes surrounded black button-top tables. A whole row of red recliners, with cutouts in the arms to hold drinks, no less, were lined up facing an enormous flat screen TV.
“Wow,” I whispered.
“I know,” Rick said. “I’m okay with getting old now. I mean, how bad can it be? Anyway, I think we’re good till after lunch. I’ve never seen anyone in here at this hour. Meals on Wheels delivers to a café at the other end of the building, so they’re all chowing down right now. And after that, they have a session in the activity room.”
He walked over to a schedule on the wall and ran his finger down the list. “Well, what do you know, today’s Senior Speed Dating.”
“You made that up,” I said.
“See for yourself.” Rick walked over to a table and plugged a cord from a white rectangular boxlike thing into the TV. He placed another long thin gray thing on top of the TV. “The motion sensor,” he said.
“What happens if we get caught in here?” I said.
He turned around and wrinkled his forehead. “I guess they ask us for our IDs, and when they find out we’re not old enough, they kick us out. Can’t be any worse than getting carded at a bar for underage drinking back in the day. Hey, maybe we can get fake senior citizen cards made. You know, I never thought about that until just this second.”
“This is insane,” I said.
“That’s what makes it
“A quarter for your thoughts,” a male voice said behind me.
I jumped.
“Sorry.” One of the scruffy guys stepped up beside me. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“That’s okay,” I said. This was the guy with the lighter hair. Dick?
He held out his hand. “Rick,” he said.
I shook it. He had a nice handshake, firm but not bone crushing, but also not one of those wimpy handshakes some men use with women, as if they think you’re too delicate to handle a real handshake. A handshake like that is a big red flag.
“Hi,” I said. “I’m…”
He smiled. It was a warm, friendly smile, backed up by good eye contact. And nice eyes, too, almost cat green. “I know, Noreen, but you’re contemplating Nora, and Gloria’s definitely not going to fly.”
I switched into flirt mode, just so I wouldn’t get rusty. “Impressive. Have you been taking notes or something?”
His smile got bigger. “Only the important things.”
“So, what’s your recommendation? You know, in the name department.”
He let go of my hand and shook his head. “Boy, I don’t know. I can barely decide what kind of coffee to order at Starbucks these days, not that they make it easy. I like Noreen though.”
“Thanks,” I said.
We just kind of looked at each other. “So,” I said. “How was your après small-group coaching session tennis match?”
The smile was back. He was looking a little more put together with every smile. “I killed him,” he said. “Ever play any Wii sports?”
I shook my head.
“Come on,” Rick said.
We walked right past the Fresh Horizons South door. At the end of a long hallway, we stopped at a door with a sign that said SOUTH SHORE SENIOR CENTER LOUNGE .
“This can’t possibly be good for my post-redundancy self-esteem,” I said.
“Shh,” Rick said. “I just have to make sure nobody’s using it.” He looked over his shoulder, then turned the doorknob carefully. He gave the door a little push and stuck his head inside the room.
“Coast is clear,” he said. He reached in and flicked the light switch, then held the door open for me.
“Oh, right,” I said. “Make me go first.”
I tiptoed in. I was expecting card tables set up for bingo, but it was a real lounge. Padded red leather, or at least red leatherette, banquettes surrounded black button-top tables. A whole row of red recliners, with cutouts in the arms to hold drinks, no less, were lined up facing an enormous flat screen TV.
“Wow,” I whispered.
“I know,” Rick said. “I’m okay with getting old now. I mean, how bad can it be? Anyway, I think we’re good till after lunch. I’ve never seen anyone in here at this hour. Meals on Wheels delivers to a café at the other end of the building, so they’re all chowing down right now. And after that, they have a session in the activity room.”
He walked over to a schedule on the wall and ran his finger down the list. “Well, what do you know, today’s Senior Speed Dating.”
“You made that up,” I said.
“See for yourself.” Rick walked over to a table and plugged a cord from a white rectangular boxlike thing into the TV. He placed another long thin gray thing on top of the TV. “The motion sensor,” he said.
“What happens if we get caught in here?” I said.
He turned around and wrinkled his forehead. “I guess they ask us for our IDs, and when they find out we’re not old enough, they kick us out. Can’t be any worse than getting carded at a bar for underage drinking back in the day. Hey, maybe we can get fake senior citizen cards made. You know, I never thought about that until just this second.”
“This is insane,” I said.
“That’s what makes it
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