Who Gets the Friends? Read Online Free PDF Page B

her apartment, doffed his coat, then took a closer look at her living room. Her bookshelves reflected an eclectic taste in literature, covering everything from the classics to contemporary fiction. He noticed one shelf that contained numerous snow globes with angels.
    “They’re all around us,” she said.
    He smiled at her. “Snow globes?”
    She laughed. “No, not snow globes. Angels. Don’t you believe that?”
    “Yeah, I do.”
    She rested her hand on his arm. “It just so happens I have a terrific chardonnay on ice. Could I interest you in a glass?”
    “Sold.”
    Jessica returned in a moment with two glasses and handed him one. He took a small sip.
    “Very nice. Is this from the Napa Valley?”
    “Yes, it is. I tried this on that trip and fell in love with it.” She curled up next to him on the couch. “I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier, about not having anyone to share the holidays with.”
    “What about it?”
    She looked into her glass. “When my marriage broke up I was faced with the same thing. I hadn’t met anyone and there weren’t any immediate prospects. I was a little hesitant about getting back into the dating pool and I wasn’t looking forward to my first Christmas alone, either.”
    “What did you do?”
    “The first thing I did was accept all the overtime I could so I wouldn’t be home alone. That didn’t really solve anything so I volunteered at a local homeless shelter, serving meals to those in need.”
    “Did that help?”
    She looked at him. “Actually it did, giving my time to those who appreciated it. Made me feel good inside, at least temporarily.”
    “What about afterward?”
    “I learned to enjoy the solitude and how to entertain myself.”
    Tom chuckled. “Funny you said that. Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed that I actually enjoy a little peace and quiet, too.”
    “Things were chaotic before?”
    He smirked. “That’s putting it mildly. I think Afghanistan was probably a calmer battle front than our house.” He sipped his wine. “One of the first things I learned to appreciate was a little me time.”
    Jessica laughed and ran her fingers along his shoulder and arm. “I don’t know what it is about you, but there’s definitely something I like.”
    He gazed into her eyes. “Thank you. There’s something I like about you, too.”
    She tucked her leg under her. “Care to share what that might be?”
    He turned to face her and put his palm on her shoulder. “You’re really easy to talk to and you don’t judge.”
    “That’s my liberal upbringing.”
    “Your turn.”
    She giggled. “Okay. You seem pretty laidback and I get the feeling that if the room were invaded by a herd of angry buffalo, you’d just take it in stride.”
    “Yeah, that’s me—play the hand I’m dealt.”
    “You never get mad?”
    “Sometimes, but I reserve my wrath for those who really deserve it.”
    “Like your ex?”
    Tom thought. “Not even her. In looking back, I realize that she is what she is. I did the best I could with the relationship but the deck was stacked against me from the start.”
    “How so?”
    “Are you sure you want to hear this?”
    “Yeah, I’m interested.”
    He took another sip. Why not? Just don’t share too much . “Her old man made a killing in tobacco. Has a couple hundred acres up in Darke County. She was an only child and accustomed to pretty much getting her way and she never wanted for anything. I’m sure you know that college grads starting out in the financial industry don’t rise to vice president overnight, but what should’ve been a good starting salary for most newlyweds fell short as far as she was concerned.” He paused. “Plus our backgrounds and lifestyles were polar opposites.”
    “How so?”
    He sipped his wine. “Let me put it this way—she was champagne, I was beer.”
    She traced her finger over his arm. “Is that what you meant about fitting in with the dress-up crowd?”
    “Yeah. Her idea