As she stared at her face, she realized she was done. The moment had finally come. She had been inching toward this for some time, with all those gearing-up pauses before she could come into the club and those Dial-scented crying jags in the shower and those panic attacks in the confessionals, but the approach was no longer.

The arrival was here.

She wiped her hand on her skirt and took out the folded bills. Taking the man’s palm, she put the money into it. “I believe you’re right. Neither of us should be doing this.”

The guy nodded and squeezed the money hard, looking hopeless. “I’m such a pansy.”

“Why?”

“It’s just so typical of me. I always choke in these situations.”

“For what it’s worth, you didn’t choke. I did. You were…kind.”

“That’s me. The nice guy. Always the nice guy.”

“What’s her name?” Marie-Terese murmured.

“Rebecca. She’s in the cubicle next to me at work and she’s really…perfect. I’ve been trying to impress her for about four years now, but all she does is talk about her love life. I thought maybe if I could tell her about a date of mine where I get lucky…Trouble is, I never get lucky and I’m a rotten liar.”

He tugged at the sleeves of his shirt as if he were trying to spiff himself up in the face of his reality.

“Have you asked her out?” Marie-Terese asked.

“No.”

“You think maybe she’s hoping to impress you with all those dates of hers?”

The guy frowned. “But why would she do that.”

Marie-Terese reached up and turned his face back to the mirror. “Because you’re actually good-looking and you’re nice, and maybe you’re reading the situation wrong. The thing is, if you ask her and she blows you off, you don’t want to go there anyway. There’s no reason to be one of many.”

“God, I can’t imagine how to ask her for a date.”

“How about…‘Rebecca, what are you doing Thursday night?’ Make sure you go for one of the weekdays. Too much pressure for a weekend.”

“You think?”

“What do you have to lose?”

“Well, she is next to me at work and I see her every day.”

“But you’re not exactly having a good time now, are you? At least you can have some closure.”

He met her eyes in the mirror. “Why were you crying?”

“Because…I can’t do this anymore.”

“You know, I’m glad. I picked you because you don’t seem like the kind of woman who…” He flushed. “Ah—”

“Who should be doing this. I know. And you’re right.”

The guy turned to her and smiled. “This actually worked out okay.”