I know that she moved to the city and Mika was really excited about it.

I know that she likes Mika’s heavy-handed drinks at the bar.

I know that her other best friend is Denise, who is my best friend’s girlfriend.

I know that she’s obsessed with Nerds Clusters, like me.

And I know that she doesn’t care for what she edits, but she likes editing.

That’s the extent of it.

So listening to her is fascinating, because the way she speaks is different from the way she presents herself. She’s slightly jaded, a little rough around the edges, has a good sense of humor, but doesn’t show it often. She’s a bit grumpy most of the time but also lighthearted when she’s excited about something…like a black eye.

She’s observant, constantly watching the people around us, processing their body language. She’s serious but also comical. She can let loose but also holds herself together almost all the time.

She’s captivating, full of depth, and someone I want to ask a ton of questions to, because I want to get inside her brain. Unfortunately for me, I’m stuck answering dumb questions that mean nothing.

“What are your thoughts on rocky road ice cream? Too much, too little? If you had to add one more ingredient, what would it be?” I ask. What a fucking stupid question.

She shakes her head and cuts another piece of her eggplant parm. “These questions really are ridiculous. Like the Cheetos one. If they weren’t orange, what color would you want them to be?”

“I still think my answer was a good one,” I say.

“Black was not a good answer. Do you know how much food dye would go into those? Your innards would turn black.”

“My thoughts exactly,” I say. “Seems like a fun science experiment.”

She plops another bite of eggplant in her mouth while I reach for a piece of garlic bread. I’ve almost devoured the entire basket. Not sure what recipe they used, but the ratio of butter to garlic and the broil time in the oven is absolute perfection. Crispy, buttery, so much goodness.

“Now come on, answer the question. Sanders is going to be starting soon, and these are our last two.”

“Fine,” she says on a sigh. “Um, I’ve never been a huge fan of rocky road ice cream, so I would say there is too much going on, but if I had to add something…probably graham cracker. Make it a bit like a s’mores treat.”

“Solid addition. I was thinking another nut.”

She shakes her head. “That’s too much chewing. Ice cream should be sucked on, not chewed.”

“Reasoning you could use on other things you put in your mouth,” I say, causing her eyes to widen, which makes me smile.

Did I mention she’s a bit of a prude?