It was close to midnight, long after the dinner party ended, and Blythe was lying on her stomach on the living room floor pretending to do a sudoku. In reality, she was chewing on the eraser of her mechanical pencil and thinking.

First of all, she thought, he’s actually more handsome than I thought. Then there was the fact that he had barely said anything to her and he definitely hadn’t stared at her. Instead he had spent most of the evening answering Jacki and Verna’s questions. Indirectly, Blythe had learned quite a lot about Richard without meaning to. He spoke well and was obviously very intelligent about things she would never understand.

She rolled onto her back and stretched. He liked volleyball and played on a rec league Thursdsay nights at the Francis Anderson center. Blythe had played volleyball in high school. It had always been her favourite sport because it didn’t require a lot of running. Maybe it would be fun to join a rec league again. As much as she loved all her girlfriends, going out for coffee or drinks every week wasn’t that exciting. A little variety might be nice.

And he doesn’t seem like the type to get the wrong idea about me showing up, she thought. He also liked to cook, maybe the most important fact Blythe had learned. High on her list of what she was looking for in a man, was “cooking skills.” This was one of the many reasons that Gary, Andrew and Brad were definitely no-gos, even though she had met Andrew at the PCC. He hadn’t been buying any real groceries, just lunch to go.

Blythe sighed. It had been such a calm evening. Strange to feel so relaxed after spending time with people I barely know, she thought. It was so different than spending time with her family. Her mother talked incessantly, was overbearing and rude about other people’s opinions. Her sister could never let go and started fights with her mother at every opportunity about events in the distant past. A dinner together usually frayed Blythe’s  nerves and left her feeling exhausted and depressed. What a different life it would be to have parents like George and Verna.

George and Verna were classic seniors, full of stories about people no one else knew, that were interesting and funny nonetheless. Leroy provided ongoing entertainment just by being present. Blythe smiled. She liked dogs. Leroy really grinned at people when he opened his mouth. How could anyone feel depressed if they had such a cheerful dog in their lives? Maybe I should get a dog, Blythe thought, I don’t care if it sheds on the furniture.

Josh and Jacki were a fun couple. Lucky to have found someone to settle down with already. Josh had asked her a million questions about her gallery which had segued into an animated discussion about the science of good lighting. Finding another artist who shared the same creative wavelength was rare.

And Richard. There was something Blythe liked about him. Maybe it was just the sensed lack of pressure. He wasn’t pushy. He wasn’t demanding, not even subtley.

Blythe got up and pulled out her Macbook from under the coffee table.

I’m going to buy a dog, she thought, what kind do I want?