Robin Alexander - Pitifully Ugly

come first, so I put my head down and got to it. I paid invoices

4

Pitifully Ugly

and reconciled two store accounts that kept me until five. I made

myself a salad and took a seat at my computer. My heart skipped

a beat when I noticed a new message from Newbie.

Hi, P.U.,

I really would like to get to know you better, so please don’t

take this the wrong way. I’m not ready to meet anyone in person

yet. I’m still getting comfortable with my surroundings. I hope

you understand.

Newbie

My beat-skipping heart sank. I’d never met this woman, and

our messages were really only small talk, but I felt down in my

bones that this woman might be worth getting to know. She didn’t

shut me out completely, but it was a rejection nonetheless. I didn’t

respond.

Instead, I took another long bath after eating half my salad. I

was in bed by eight and asleep almost immediately.

I got up the next morning, took a shower, and was nursing a

cup of coffee when the phone rang.

“Good morning, sis,” Kalen chirped happily. “How are

things?”

“Things are fine.” I decided to save the happenings at the

Canal Street salon for when she got back. No need to trouble her

with crap while she was sailing the ocean blue. “Are you and

Toad having a good time?”

“I sure am, but Todd is in our room nursing a hangover. I have

video of him doing the robot last night on the dance floor. It was

awful. He’s gonna be so embarrassed when he sees it. I can’t wait

for him to wake up.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing that myself,” I said with a

grin. Todd was the most reserved stick in the mud I’d ever seen.

He must have been trashed.

“I think we need to send Mom and Dad on a cruise for

their anniversary next year,” Kalen said around a mouthful of

something that was no doubt delicious and fattening.

Robin Alexander

“They live in the Keys. Why would they want to go on a

cruise?”

“Well, it doesn’t have to be in the Caribbean. We could send

them on one that goes to Alaska.”

“I’m game if you think we can get Dad off the golf course

long enough to go. Mom will be equally as difficult. She doesn’t

do the cold.”

“Let me work on Mom. She’ll love it if she’d give it a

chance.”

I was glad that we were on the topic of Mom and Dad that

kept her from pressing me about work and badgering me about

my lack of a life.

“Okay, honey, I’m gonna run now. This call is costing us a

pretty penny. Love you.”

“Love you, too, sis.”

On my list of personal things to do, I wanted to have gone on

a date while she was away, so I could show her that I was capable

of finding my own girlfriend. Sadly, I realized that it had always

been that way with us. She was always trying to take care of me,

and I was always trying to show I could do it on my own.

Kalen was the consummate planner for everyone. She was

the one who convinced our parents to retire and move to Florida.

Todd was her high school sweetheart, and she mapped out his

college education, then steered him to a premier architectural

firm. I think she dressed him each day for work. The one thing

she never had success with was my love life, though she tried her

hardest.

I booted my computer and took a look at my new messages.

I weeded out most of them, but there was one that appeared

promising.

Hel o, Pitifully Ugly,

All the profiles on here seem to be the same, but I have to say

your personal note is a standout. I LOVE the picture.

If you’re real y a woman, and you’d like to chat, I would be

very interested in hearing from you.

Charity *smiles*

Pitifully Ugly

Okay, sweet Charity, let’s give it a whirl.

Hi, Charity,

I am definitely a woman…at least last time I checked.

I’m so clever.

Glad you liked my profile. I was at a loss for something to

say, and the picture, well, it was too easy to pass up.

Tell me about yourself.

P.U.

I dug into the bank reconciliation for the Rampart store that

took me through lunch. I was proud of myself for having a few

slices of boneless skinless chicken grilled with a dash of seasoning

and an apple. Then I checked my messages.

Hello again,

About me, okay, here goes. I work at Charity Hospital as

a pediatric ICU nurse, hence the user name. I’m not much of a

party girl, but I do enjoy having a few drinks with friends. I love

being outside, and I spend a lot of time in the garden. I grow all

my own vegetables. I can’t wait for spring. I love reggae music. It

reminds me of another favorite place, the beach. I celebrated my

thirty-seventh birthday in Panama City this past summer.

I’m looking to make a friend first, and if that develops into

something more, that’s fine by me.

Your turn,

Charity

She had me at vegetables.

Hi, Charity,

We’re about the same age, and it sounds like we share some

common interests. I enjoy the beach and outdoors. I also love

homegrown veggies. I don’t grow them, but I love to eat them. I

like the spring and summer the best.

I’m an accountant for a couple of local businesses, and I

work from home. I have the luxury of a flexible schedule. On

Robin Alexander

cold weekends, I’m usual y curled up in front of the fire with a

good book. Old movies are a passion. Anything with Doris Day

or Deborah Kerr is a winner. I guess they remind me of my

childhood. I used to sit curled up on the sofa with my mom as a

kid watching them.

Okay, your turn.

P.U.

Wow, that was really simple. Why didn’t I think like that when

I was writing my profile? I took it as a positive sign that I might

be becoming a conversationalist, even if it was on a keyboard.

I’d been working for an hour when I saw that I had a new

message from Charity.

Hi, P.U.,

I loved Deborah Kerr in The King and I . I’m reluctant to

admit that I’m a huge Rogers and Hammerstein fan. Does that

make me gay?

I work shift work, and I’m off today and tomorrow. Would

you like to meet me for coffee? No pressure.

Charity

Oh, damn. I wasn’t expecting that. I kind of thought it would

play out slowly like it had with Newbie. I took a deep breath. I

could do this. We could meet in a public place, and if things didn’t

work out, we could simply walk away.

Hi, Charity,

That sounds good. How about Café Du Monde around

eleven? I’ll be wearing a green hoodie and jeans.

P.U.

Her response was immediate.

Meet you there. I’ll be wearing a blue peacoat and jeans. I

look forward to meeting you in person.

Pitifully Ugly

And just like that, I had a quasi date. I couldn’t focus on work

any more after our chat. The day was sunny, and I felt like a walk.

I dressed and headed out.

“Feeling better?” Hailey was sitting on a bench in the