Tyler stands up and pulls out my chair. I didn't agree to go outside but I follow him out there anyway.
"What's going on?"
"I thought those two might want some time to themselves."
"Did you and Walter plan this ahead of time?"
"Maybe." He smiles as he sits down on the porch swing. "Care to join me?"
I sit beside him. "Walter is quite the ladies' man."
"He's really not. It took him forever to find someone after my grandma died. She died before I was even born."
"When did he remarry?"
"I think he was probably around 60 when they got married, but they dated a few years before that. It about killed him when she died. I'd never seen him so depressed."
"When did she die?"
“It’s been almost three years. Pops is a lot better now but he's lonely."
"You know, maybe you should talk to him about Grams. I know he really likes her but she doesn't feel the same way. I don't want him getting hurt."
"Yeah. I was going to say something but I don't think I need to. I think he knows she's not interested, but he still likes hanging out with her. If he could just get her to do that now and then, he'd be happy."
"Then maybe I should talk to Grams. I know she and Walter haven't gotten along well in the past but maybe this dinner can be a new beginning. Maybe they could be friends now. She won't admit it, but I know Grams is lonely too. My grandpa was everything to her. Since he died, she hasn't been the same."
"Like how?"
"She used to be more relaxed. More fun. She didn't get angry as much. She loved my grandpa but I think she's angry at him for leaving her and takes it out on the rest of the family. She's better now than she used to be. Now she just gets angry at her neighbors." I smile.
"That's for sure," Tyler says, rolling his eyes.
We sit quietly for a moment, the glow of the twinkling lights all around us. It's a very romantic setting. If I were on a date, this is when the guy would give me a kiss, but the guy I want to kiss me won't do it.
What if I kissed him? I wonder what he'd do?
"So how long since you broke it off with your ex?" Tyler asks.
"About six months," I answer, surprised by the question. Why is he asking me about Tom?
"And you haven't dated anyone since?"
"No. My friends all told me I needed to take some time for myself. So I did. I focused on finishing school, applying to grad school, and getting ready to move."
"Six months, huh? That's a long time to go without…dating."
I smile at him. "You were going to say sex."
He laughs. "Okay, yeah. Sex. It's a long time to go without sex."
"It is, but I also miss the other stuff. Hugging. Cuddling. Kissing. But I'm not going to date some random guy just so I can do that stuff again."
"Like Paint Store Guy?"
"His name is Brian, but yeah."
"So what type of guy are you looking for?" He turns toward me, putting his arm up along the back of the swing.
"I've actually been thinking about that. And I think I want someone who's totally different than Tom. He was never right for me, but I thought he was because other people told me he was."
"What was he like?"
"He was all about impressing people. His clothes. His car. His hobbies. Everything he did was to impress other people. Like golf. He doesn't even like golf but he learned to play because he thought it made him look refined or…I don't even know. Half the time I couldn't figure out who exactly he was trying to impress. I just knew that I didn't like the person he was becoming. He wasn't like that when we first started dating but the closer we got to graduating, the worse he got."
"People change."
"Which can be a good thing, but not with him. I was heartbroken when I found out he was cheating but our breakup turned out to be good. I'm so relieved I never married him."
"So what are you looking for now? What type of guy?"
"Someone who can just be himself without worrying so much about what other people think. Someone who doesn't brag about himself, which Tom did constantly. Someone who doesn't go places just so he can be seen by the right people. I want someone who can just hang out