My best friend had been hiding something from me, and I couldn’t figure out what. When I finally met her new boyfriend, I was shocked to my core. The person she had been keeping a secret turned out to be someone I never expected, and it changed everything between us.
When you’re past your 40s, and your kids are grown and leaving the nest, maybe you’re like me, divorced, with parents either far away or no longer around. Whether you like it or not, there comes a point when you feel completely alone. In those moments, it’s your close friends who end up saving you.
My friends from school or university were scattered all over the country, and while we stayed in touch, online chats aren’t the same as in-person meetups. But at some point, life gave me a gift in the form of Samantha. She was my new co-worker, and she quickly became my best friend.
She was a few years younger, but let’s be honest, the older you get, the less that age gap matters. I didn’t feel like there was much of a difference between us. It was like we’d known each other for years.
Samantha and I really bonded in just a few months. We joked at work, which made things less stressful, then after work, we’d go out and hang out. I remember one day, a new guy joined our team, Robert, and Samantha scooted her chair closer to mine.
“Look at him, he’s hot,” she whispered in my ear. I laughed. “You kidding me?
He’s, like, 30, maybe younger,” I said. “Well, so what?” Samantha replied. “We’ve got at least 15 years between us,” I said.
“Well, I’ve only got 9 with him. It’s not that much,” Samantha said, and I shook my head. Samantha was way bolder and more open than I was.
I could never get into a relationship with someone so much younger than me, but for her, it wasn’t a problem. Still, for some reason, Robert kept hanging around our desks. At first, I thought he was interested in Samantha, but then, to my surprise, I realized he was flirting with me.
One evening, when almost everyone had left, Robert came up to my desk and just stood there, staring at me with a smile, which was… kinda creepy, I have to admit. “Uh, you… need something?” I asked. “Oh, sorry, I probably looked weird.
Just a little nervous,” Robert said. “So…?”
“Right, yeah. Would you want to have dinner with me sometime?” he asked.
“Like a date?” I clarified. “Yeah,” Robert nodded. “Listen, you’re sweet, and you’re really attractive, but I’m a lot older than you,” I said.
“I don’t care about age,” Robert said. “I have a son almost your age, so I don’t think this is a good idea,” I said. “Take your time,” Robert said.
“But just so you know, I’ll be waiting if you change your mind.” He winked and walked off. Robert kept paying attention to me, even giving me flowers a couple of times, but I stood my ground. Meanwhile, Samantha found out about it and kept teasing me, insisting I should go on a date with him.
The worst part was, I really liked Robert, and when Samantha would say things like, “Then I’ll start dating him if you won’t,” it made me feel really hurt. Even though I couldn’t allow myself to be with Robert, it would’ve been painful to watch my best friend go out with him. “Promise you won’t do that,” I said.
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