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“Then don’t! You’re young and hot and newly single. You should start dating.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

Because I am already fucking a guy who rocks my world and it is terrifying how much I like him and I don’t know what to do with it all.

But I can’t say all that, so I say, “Shouldn’t people heal first after a long relationship?”

“Is that like a rule?”

“Yeah, so you don’t bring your old baggage into a new relationship.”

“But that’s for a serious relationships. I don’t think you have to be healthy or healed for a rebound,” Roxie says. “You can just fuck a guy for sport.”

“I don’t think that’s me.” I’m lying through my teeth. It’s totally me. “I don’t have a lot of experience beyond Jake.”

Roxie waves off my concern. “Guys aren’t that complicated. I’m sure you will be fine.” Then she grins. “Speaking of guys, how was Jake in bed?”

I almost spit out my drink. “Erm, good. He was good.”

“Good?”

“Very good.”

“You were going to marry a very-good-in-the-sack guy?”

“I didn’t know then.”

“What do you mean you didn’t know then? How do you know now?”

I lower my head and raise my shoulders in mock embarrassment. “I might have ... rebounded.”

“Elizabeth!” She throws a cushion at me. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Just a guy,” I say, keeping with the torrent of lies. “We’re keeping it casual.”

“So much for being a heartbroken wallflower. Miss Elizabeth Jensen, rebounding like Wilt Chamberlain.”

“Who?”

“Only the best rebounder in NBA history.” She sees my confusion, and chuckles. “Remind me to tell you the sad tale of a tall girl with a college knee injury.”

“Tell me now!”

“That will require another beer,” Roxie says and gets up. “You want another?”

“Sure, thanks.”

While she’s up getting our drinks, I pick up my phone.

Liz: Hanging out with a girlfriend

I was thinking of coming over tonight, but realized it was late so I won’t

But it still feels like I should tell you this because I thought you might like to know that I was thinking of it

Casually of course