Marissa and Beth

 Marissa: "I always thought that there'd be another kiss. Another lover. Someone would come along and we'd fit together so smoothly that we'd never part. I waited patiently. The years went by - one after the other. There were no more kisses. There was no lover. There's a line in a Simon & Garfunkel song, "I have squandered my existence." That's how I feel quite often."

Beth: "Would you like some more tea?"

M: "Sure, I  wouldn't mind."

B: "How many years have you been alone?"

M: "Let me see...all my life, really, but my last relationship ended over 30 years ago."

B: "Why didn't you date, or go to places where you could meet people?"

M: "I guess I'm socially awkward - I'm uncomfortable around strangers. Kind of counter-productive, I know."

B: "And now you think it's too late for someone new to come along."

M: "Definitely. Besides, who could I trust these days? I'm sure you're aware of all the dating scams out there that have ruined lives and broken hearts. "

B: "Yes, I've experienced that..."

M: "Tell me what happened, if you're comfortable doing so, of course."

B:"Well...I met him online. We hit it off right away. He was charming and had interesting opinions and mirrored me so well. I thought we were soulmates. As a matter of fact, he even said so. He was moving so fast that I felt dizzy. I said we should slow down until we met in person.
 Every week he said he'd come to see me that weekend but every Friday he vanished until Monday came. No contact at all. He never explained - just said he was busy at work but he'd stop by the next weekend.
I asked him why I never heard from him after work. I was becoming suspicious - I thought that he might be married."

M: "Was he?"

B: "Possibly. He denied it, of course. But then he began sniping at me - first so subtly that I wasn't sure he meant to be cruel. Then I started confronting him about his chronic lying. He went silent for a few weeks but then returned and resumed the love-bombing.
By that time, I could see that this was a dead end so I told him it was over and why I didn't want to continue. It enraged him. He made threats. I blocked him. Told him that I had done some research and knew the truth of his pathetic life."

M: "Have you heard from him since then?"

B: "No, thank the gods. Since then, I've also lost interest in meeting new people, so I guess we're both in the same boat."

M: "It's not so bad - at least we're not stuck with horrible partners."

B: "There is that, but it sure would be wonderful to have someone to love."

M: "Yeah. It's better to have trustworthy friends, though, isn't it?"

B: "Oh yes. More tea? Can I tempt you with some tiramisu? I made it myself."

M: "Yes, please... and thank you. Let's watch a movie and chill."

B: "No romantic comedies, though?

M: "No way! Won't be fooled again."

(Laughter)

 ©Ellen Pepper 2023