"Hey," Monica grinned, leaning on the table.
"God!" Lucia exclaimed, clutching at her chest. "You scared the heck out of me!"
"Sorry," Monica chuckled. "What're you doing?"
"Just writing," Lucia shrugged. "I need a new piece of paper. You made me smudge."
"Who are you writing to, anyway? Is it to Mister French Fry or something?" Monica asked, going to the desk to get her roommate a piece of paper.
"Potato Guy," Lucia corrected. "And yes. I'm telling him about my trip to Italy."
"Oh, yeah...and will he be joining you? Why don't you meet the guy?"
"I don't know," Lucia shrugged, taking the paper from her friend. "I just...I mean, I know we've been writing for two years and all, but...but I guess I'm just too nervous. I mean, I don't even know his real name."
"You know nothing about him?" Monica asked, sitting across from Lucia. "What kind of relationship is that?"
"I actually know a lot about him," Lucia nodded. "He's smart, kind, funny...he loves potatoes, hence the name. He plays golf and lives on a ranch. He really hates the country, though."
"Then why does he stay there?" Monica sighed as she stood up. "I want a cup of coffee. Want to come?"
"You know I'm always down for some coffee," Lucia chuckled. "And he stays in Montana because he's taking care of his mother. His father died, and Potato Guy's really the only family she has."
"Oh, he's so sweet." Monica rolled her eyes slightly. "You can tell me all about it on the way to get coffee, but I need my caffeine."
"Alright," Lucia sighed. "God, I'm so tired. I stayed up so late last night. I was watching a movie and I was fine until Elizabeth turned Darcy down in the rain and then I broke down crying for three hours. I'm going to be single forever."
They shared a good laugh as they left the house.
"You watched Pride and Prejudice without me?" Monica nudged her friend. "We could have been crying together. I watched Mr. Thornton pine over Margaret."
Lucia rolled her eyes teasingly. "You're so obsessed with North and South. I feel like that's all I ever hear about these days. By the way, is Denny working at the café today? He makes that great latte."
"I don't know. Maybe," Monica shrugged, looking at some of the stores they passed.
"I haven't seen Denny in awhile. Has he been doing those ridiculous experiments again?"
Monica shrugged. "Must have been experimenting on his phone, because he hasn't returned my calls."
"Again? How many times have we told him not to light his phone on fire?" Lucia sighed. "That case is waterproof, not fireproof."
Monica laughed. "Maybe he should invent a fireproof case."
"He tried last month, remember? He destroyed three phones and one of them was mine. Why does he always use my stuff in his experiments?"
Lucia moaned.
Monica chuckled as they talked until they entered the cafe, Java Shot.
The two friends looked for another member of their party, Denny Joseph.
"There he is." Lucia pointed to a tall, young man with brown hair, eyes to match, and a pair of large, black glasses, who was intently reading a book. "Denny!" She called, waving frantically.
Denny looked up from his science book and smiled broadly. "Hey girls."
"Hi," Lucia smiled.
Denny put his book down and they sat together at the table.
"Anyone seen Jonah?" Monica asked, biting her lip.
"He came in earlier. Said he had a job interview."
"Another one?" Lucia laughed. "Didn't he just get a job at the museum two days ago?"
"He got fired," Monica nodded.
"Already?" Lucia frowned. "What'd he do this time?"
"It had to be dumb. He didn't want to say."
"Well, we can ask him now. Here he comes. Hi, Jonah!"
Jonah smiled a little and sat next to Lucia.
"So," Monica smiled, "you mind telling us why you were fired from your new job?"
"Um...it's embarrassing."
"Now, now," Lucia chuckled, "you were there when Denny tried to swim with the mermaid tail he sewed from my raincoat. Nothing could be more embarrassing than that."
Jonah, Monica and Lucia laughed heartily.
"Yeah, yeah. That needs to die," Denny huffed.
"Are you kidding? That's a story that we'll be telling your grandchildren," Monica laughed heartily.
Denny moaned and buried his face in his hands.
"Oh my goodness," Lucia chuckled, "remember the day Jonah and I met, and I didn't have my umbrella because Denny stole it for that stupid experiment?"
—————
Three years ago.
"Alright, boss, I'm heading out!" Lucia called before looking out the window. "Great. It's raining again."
A young man, who was sitting at a nearby table, brought out a blue umbrella. "Here."
"Oh, that's okay," Lucia said softly. "Really, sir, I don't live too far. But thank you."
"No, please. No need to get wet."
"Alright," Lucia smiled, taking the umbrella. "Thank you."
—————
"Yeah, I remember," Monica nodded. "Denny, why did you have her umbrella?"
Denny sighed and closed his book in a professional manner, slowly closing the cover. "I was doing an experiment."
"Right," Lucia said slowly. "But why did you need my umbrella?"
"I was trying to prove Ben Franklin's theory on electricity. I wasn't going to ruin one of my umbrellas. Duh." He rolled his eyes as though it were obvious.
"Denny, you do realize that Ben Franklin has alright been proven right, right?" Monica frowned.
Denny blinked. "Yes, but I wanted to do my own experiments."
Lucia and Monica both face palmed.
"You're certainly an interesting guy, Denny," Jonah chuckled.
Denny sipped his coffee. "Well, at least I don't follow science blindly."
"Excuse me," Lucia scoffed, "but what's scientific about stealing my raincoat, sewing it into a mermaid tail, hopping around with it on, and then trying to cannon ball into the pool?"
"Okay, that was purely for fun. But I'm usually trying to make a scientific break through."
"You ended up falling into my rose bush," Lucia frowned. "Not one of your best ideas."
"Whatever. It's in the past."
"Nope. It lives on in my camera roll," Monica grinned. "I still have the video."
"I should hijack your phone and delete it."
"Do it and die."
Denny sighed and hid his face to avoid further teasing.
"Hey, Luci," Jonah smiled, "how's that pen pal of yours?"
"Potato Guy? Not so good. His mother's health is declining again," Lucia sighed.
"That's bad. Think we'll get to meet him?" Jonah asked.
"I'm not sure," Lucia shrugged. "Probably not. She keeps him busy."
"I guess I could understand that. Nice he cares."
"Yeah, it is," Lucia nodded. "I sometimes wish I had spent more time with my mother before she passed, though it was virtually impossible since I spent almost every waking moment with her."
Monica held her best friend's hand. "I loved her like my own mom. She would be so proud of you, and I know she appreciated the time you had together."
"She loved you," Lucia smiled. "Do you remember how she would always pinch Denny's cheeks?"
Denny smiled and gave a small chuckle. "She always loved my dimples."
"I only wish...well, it's stupid, but I wish I would have given her grandchildren," Lucia sighed.
"Have you been thinking about Sean again?" Monica frowned.
"Yeah," Lucia nodded.
"Sean was nice, but you guys were immature. It's fine to move on," Monica shrugged. "If he really deserved you, he'd have come back."
Lucia knew that her friend was right, but inside her nagged her about saying no.
Denny scoffed. "No guy does that. Only in the movies."
"I just wish I would have accepted his proposal," Lucia sighed.
"Why? What would have changed?" Monica frowned.
"I'd be married."
"Okay, but then you wouldn't be free to just go to Italy. Or hang out all the time at Java Shot. Or be my roommate."
"Of course you'd be my roommate," Lucia chuckled. "I'd just tell Sean to deal with it."
Monica smiled a little. "Have you tried calling Sean to talk?" She asked as Jonah went to get everyone coffees.
"I don't even know his phone number. The one I have was disconnected years ago," Lucia sighed.
Monica held her friend's hand.
"How could I have been such an idiot? Sean was perfect. I shouldn't have let him go."
"You were young."
"Still...I should have said yes."
"So, Denny, what's the current experiment?" Jonah asked, handing him a cup of coffee.
"It's recently been the study of poison ivy and Windex."
"What does one have to do with the other?" Monica frowned.
"The itching."
"Windex makes you itch?" Lucia chuckled.
"No. The Windex should help with itching," Denny clarified.
"Wait. You gave yourself poison ivy?!"
"I haven't done any experiments yet."
"Thank god," Lucia sighed. "Don't. Just don't."
"But I have to start experiments this afternoon. Want to come?"
"Sure," Lucia, Monica, and Jonah said in unison before chuckling.
Denny smiled and they drank their coffee together.
Monica bought everyone a snack and they talked about Lucia's upcoming trip.
"When do you leave?" Jonah asked.
"It's still not for another year," Lucia shrugged. "I figure that I'll have come up with the money by then."
"We're so excited that you get to go. Any ideas of what you'll be doing?"
"Well, I'm going for two weeks and I'm going to Tuscany, Rome, and Italy. Other than that, nothing's really set in stone."
"You should go on a food tour. You'll just weigh more when you come home," Jonah chuckled.
"I'll keep my figure, thanks," Lucia laughed. "I have to give myself some shot at finding a husband. I expect to bring back some Italian guy who doesn't speak a word of English but finds me completely fascinating."
The group shared a chorus of laughter.
Monica smiled. "Only bring him home if he has a brother."
"And two sisters," Jonah nodded, nudging Denny.
Denny nodded. "Might as well just bring the whole family back to Seattle."
"Including Aunt Cookie," Lucia chuckled. "I'll see what I can do."
They laughed and finished their cookies.
Denny smiled quietly. "I hope your trip goes well."
"You guys should come," Lucia nodded. "My dad's joining me."
"Really? Oh, that's awesome."
"Yeah," Lucia smiled, "it is. Well, should we get going?"
"To my green house, or do you guys have other plans?" Denny asked.
"Hello. This is me you're talking to. I don't have a social life," Lucia laughed.
"Me either," Monica chuckled. "To the green house!"