“Depends on what?”
“On when he started. Colin didn’t start until a couple of years ago, so he’s right on schedule. He wants to be an elementary school teacher, just like me. And if you’re curious, his grades are probably better than mine. He takes his classes very seriously. He sits at the front of the class and takes ridiculous notes.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because it’s obvious that you’re interested in him.”
“I’m not interested in him.”
“You’ve been making that clear all night,” Serena agreed, feigning innocence. “He’s definitely not the type you’d ever want to go dancing with. A guy that handsome? Please.”
Maria opened her mouth to respond but closed it again, knowing that saying anything more would only encourage her sister further. In the silence, Serena’s phone pinged and she peered down at it.
“Steve’s downstairs. You ready to go? Or would you rather wait here for a bit?”
“Why? Because you want me to hit on Colin?”
“He’s not here.”
Maria looked up; sure enough, Colin was gone.
“He was working the afternoon shift, so he’s probably off the clock,” Serena added, sliding off her stool. She hitched her purse over her shoulder. “Thanks for dinner, by the way. Do you want to walk down with me?”
Maria reached for her purse. “I thought you said you didn’t want me to meet Steve.”
“I was kidding. He wants to be a lawyer, by the way. Maybe you can talk him out of it.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Do you really need me to answer that question after all you’ve been through?”
Maria was silent. Serena, like their parents, knew how hard the last couple of years had been.
“Still,” Serena said, “it’s a shame.”
“What’s a shame?”
“I know Colin was busy tonight, but you never did thank him for changing your tire. You might not want to talk to him, but it was a nice thing for him to do that night, and you could have told him so.”
Again Maria said nothing, but as she followed Serena to the stairs, she found herself thinking that her sister was, as usual, right.
Steve was cute in a preppy kind of way, right down to the plaid shorts and light blue polo that matched his Topsiders. He came across as nice enough, though it was apparent within minutes that he was a lot more interested in Serena than she was in him, since she spent most of her time talking to Melissa. Though Maria chided herself for it as she started in the direction of her car, she found herself envying the ease with which her younger sister seemed to navigate every facet of her life.