The Friendship List(20)

Ellen winced. “Do we have to talk about that?”

“I’m not complaining. I have an idea.” Unity pulled a pad of paper out of her large handbag and slid it across to the table.

Ellen glanced down. “The Friendship List?” She looked at her friend. “What is that?”

“So you need to convince Coop that you’re totally fine on your own and I maybe need to get out of my rut.”

Ellen wanted to tease that maybe wasn’t the right word, but knew it was too soon. “Okay. And?”

“And we do it together. We make a pact to challenge each other to use the summer to make some changes. Cooper won’t apply to colleges until the fall, so there’s time for you to show him you have a life. Let’s take advantage of that. We would each have a list of things to do and whoever does the most wins.”

“Like a game show?”

“Kind of. The winner treats the loser to a weekend at the Salish Lodge.”

That caught Ellen’s attention. She and Unity had been talking about a girlfriends’ weekend at the Lodge forever. The Salish Lodge was an upscale resort on the Seattle side of the mountains. There was a spa, a couple of great restaurants and amazing views of Snoqualmie Falls. But the glorious accommodations came with a price tag her schoolteacher’s salary couldn’t afford very easily.

“I could really get into a spa weekend,” she said slowly.

“Me, too. And regardless of who wins, going away will help convince Cooper that you’re really okay without him.”

It was an interesting idea. Ellen knew Unity wasn’t the only one in a rut. As she’d been unable to come up with a single idea to fix things with Coop, she was willing to give this a try.

“What about you?” Ellen asked. “Do you want to change? I’m not trying to start anything, but you haven’t even hinted that you’re looking for more than you have.”

“I know, but what I’m doing isn’t working.” She reached for her wine. “I got thrown out of the pickleball league.”

“What? How could that happen? You’re a star player.”

Unity’s mouth twisted. “That was part of the problem. I was told that I’m too young and fit and that I should go find a league with people my own age.”

“I hadn’t thought about it that way, but they’re right.”

“According to Phyllis, I’m a big, strapping girl.”

Ellen couldn’t hide her smile. “Strapping? She said strapping?”

“She did.”

“I hate her.”

“Thank you.”

The oven dinged. Ellen got up and slid in the frozen pizza, then resumed her seat.

“Have you thought about joining another pickleball league?”

“Not really, but I should think about it. Maybe put it on the challenge list.”

Ellen tore off a couple of sheets of blank paper, while Unity dug pens out of her bag.

“Let’s do this,” Ellen said. “Let’s come up with a list of challenges. Things that are scary and fun and help us grow as people.”

“Ugh.” Unity wrinkled her nose. “Sorry. I’m not a fan of change.”

“Me, either, but circumstances being what they are, I don’t think we have a choice.” She pointed to Unity’s paper. “Pickleball. Write it down.”

“I’d rather do something else.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know.” Unity thought for a second. “Skydiving.”

“What?” Ellen lowered her voice. “Are you insane? Skydiving?”

Unity grinned. “Yes, and you should get a tattoo.”

“You first.”

Unity picked up her pen and wrote the word tattoo, followed by skydiving. Her expression turned smug. “Match that.”

“Fine.” Ellen wrote down tattoo on her list. Then she thought about her recent realization that not only hadn’t she been on a date in the past seventeen years, she also hadn’t had sex. Well, at least not with someone other than herself.

Her pen hovered right above the paper.

“You can do it,” Unity whispered.

“What I’d really like is sex with a handsome man. Unlikely, but whatever.” She scribbled the words. “I have no idea how I’m going to make that happen.” She looked at Unity. “I challenge you to think about doing the same.”

“Sex with a man?”

“Or a woman.”

Unity rolled her eyes. “As if.”

“Oh, and in your case, he has to be age appropriate.”

She thought Unity might get upset at that, but her friend only started to laugh.

“I’m definitely not ready for that,” Unity admitted.

“I know, but isn’t that the point? Oh, I have one for you. Get a phone you can text with.”

“Fine. Get some clothes that fit you.”

Ellen winced. “I really should do that.”

“Yes, you should.”

The timer dinged. Ellen sliced up the pizza and set it in the center of the table. Over wine and dinner, they continued to brainstorm their lists. Nearly an hour later, they looked at each other.

“I’m excited and uncomfortable,” Ellen admitted. “Which I think is the point. What about you?”