Cold Feet and Destiny

"You're home early. How was it?"

"Terrible."

"You were Little Miss Sunshine before you left this morning..."

"I know. I fucked it up."

"Language."

"Who cares. "

"What happened?"

"Ten minutes before I got out of the cab, I chickened out."

"Attack of the cold feet?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'll never grow up. I can't stand rejection. And it would be my third try to ask him out. And it's awful that I had to wait until the art session was over before I could subtlely and tastefully ask him if he'd like to join me for dinner."

"Aww, that is so lame."

"Not to someone who's been doing the chasing. Mother Nature would have smacked me for being Ms Desperate. I'm tired. I'm a walking sad story. After the presentation I just walked out of the gallery and drowned myself in cafe mocha. I finished 2 ventis."

"This is the 21st century. There is nothing wrong with chasing... Wait, I think the correct term should be 'being proactive.'"

"I have a 21st century retort to that. 'He's not that into me.'"

Pause. "Maybe it's you who's not that into him."

Pause. "That's possible."

Removes shoes. Sits down and swings legs on the arms of sofa.

"I'm probably not meant to be with anyone."

"Shush! That's not true."

"It's sad, but it could be, you know. It's not a bad thing -- being single. Maybe this is the way life's meant to be for me."

"Oh, don't give up because of one little mishap."

"It's been a series of mishaps, my dear. And it's not giving up. Maybe it's ... having an epiphany." Looks to sister. "Are you happy with your boyfriend?"

"Let's not change the subject, shall we?"

"My point exactly. Maybe everyone's supposed to be single. We're not built for conflict on a 24 seven basis."

"How about procreation?"

"People have sex all the time, and most of the time there's no emotional connection. It's just body part this and body part that rubbing against each other. Nothing substantial comes from it. It's just a waste of energy."

"That's not true."

"How do you know?"

Pregnant pause again. "Where is all this coming from?"

"The fact that I'm thirty. I'm single. I'm successful but I don't feel I'm living."

"Aunt Celia got married when she was fifty. There's still hope."

"If you're asking me to post my profile on that internet dating service, get off it. I got one out there in the virtual universe and it's disappointing that no one, NO ONE, ever dropped me a line."

"You're angry."

"My eggs are going to die without even seeing a shadow of a sperm cell. I might not have children. Like Aunt Celia. Like old, withered, frigid, Auntie Celia."

"You should talk to her. Aunt Celia. She'll change your mind, am sure of it."

"Where is she?"

"On her honeymoon cruise with John. They're...," looks at watch,"in Seychelles by this time."

"Do you believe in fate? Destiny?"

"Yes. It's my favorite premise in any chick flick."

"Well, I was waiting for the Simpson's movie to start last night, in Rockwell. I was in Fully Booked. Bumped into an old classmate. She had two of her friends along -- a girl and a guy. The guy and I got on pretty well..."

"You got it on?"

"Ano ba? What I meant was 'rapport.' When the movie was about to start, I felt a bit sad because we'd be in separate seats. Because we didn't buy our tickets at the same time. It was really strange you know..."

"Suspense. I can't stand suspense."

"We went in opposite directions, them left, me right. But we arrived at the same row. The guy and I turned out to be seatmates. "

"That's destiny."

"It's not."

"How could you say that when there was a score of other seats available and you two were meant to sit together? You had no hand in the choosing."

"Well, I gave him my business card later after the show. He has not called me since last night. He's not that into me."