Update

     “I’m trying to figure out,” said Marrianne, “why you aren’t going to call this woman again.”

     “What?”  I asked, leaning against the counter, wine glass in hand.

     “Why would you not want to call her back to hang out again?  She sounds like a perfect candidate for your cell phone check mark thing.”  She dismissively waved the spatula in the air.

     “It’s not me.  I would love to hang out with her again.  She’s age appropriate. She’s in fact 3 years OLDER.  I think her profile said she’s 50 or 51.  She’s a doctor, or she was when she lived in France.  Her kids are grown and out of the house and she’s hot as hell.  Do you know who Helen Mirren is?  She looks like her 20 years ago but French.”

     Marrianne shrugged her shoulders.  She and Kyle had started the divorce process.  Financially she was much better off than he was. The question was, does she pay him alimony?  This was not a question she was happy with answering so she was ignoring it, for now.

     I would stop by every two weeks to make sure she was ok.  Her world had become work, kids, and this house.  No time for dating.  Sometimes I would bring food.  Sometimes she would cook.

     “Here I’ll show you.”

     As I pulled out my phone to show her the pictures of how much my French Connection looked like Helen Mirren the phone went from 50% to 5% then immediately shut off.

     “Motherf....”

     “You installed the new update, didn’t you?” she asked tasting the sauce for the chicken fettuccine.  “You installed the new update on that old ass phone and it isn’t working, is it?”

     I saw her charger on the side of the kitchen island.

     “Well at least they didn’t change the chargers yet.  Do you mind?” I asked plugging in my phone.  A moment later and it was back on but only up to 10%.  I showed her the photos.

     “So what do you think?”  I asked Marrianne.

     “She’s really pretty.  And yes she does look like a taller, younger Helen Mirren.  I just don’t understand why you won’t call her.”

     “It’s not me.  She has a checklist that she’s working through.  There’s shit she never did before she got married that she is 100% going to do before she settles down again.  If she’s still interested in the future she might call me.

     “Hook up with a younger, black guy?  Check.”  I clicked a check mark off in the air. 

     She raised an eyebrow.

     “At least the update you gave her actually worked!” she looked at my phone, then poured the pasta and chicken into the Alfredo sauce.