Cheryl, Abby, and Ed small talked for a few minutes. Cheryl went to locate a salesman and purchase the bed set she had picked out for her son. Ed and Abby wandered around the sofa section of the furniture store and shared a bit about their lives since college. Abby noted that Ed didn't give many details about what he did for a living.
Mid-conversation, Ed's cell phone began to ring and he answered the call and moved 15 feet away from Abby to continue the call. His face grew pained and he started pacing as the call continued. Abby sat down on a purple love seat; she could not hear what Ed was talking about but she could tell that he was being reprimanded by someone who wouldn't give him a chance to explain. Ed finished the phone call and came back to sit on the purple faux suede sofa and slumped forward.
"You okay?" Abby asked him, not sure whether she should ask or not.
"No," he said softly, running his hands through his hair. "She keeps doing this to me...making me feel guilty. I mean I should be mad at her, not the other way around. We were supposed to look at furniture for us to move in together and she stood me up and then accuses me of cheating," he said in exasperation.
Abby watched him across the fake living room; the garish purple of the furnishings seemed too upbeat for the conversation. Abby made herself stay silent as she studied the look of anguish on Ed's face, a look that told her that Ed was in love with this woman and was unlikely to have cheated on her.
"I'm sorry, Ed," she finally said.
"Maybe I am a cheater and a horrible boyfriend," he grunted.
"I hardly know you, Ed, but something makes me think that's unlikely," Abby said to him quite sincerely.
He straightened and looked at Abby with surprise and then after a few seconds asked Abby, "Are you married like Cheryl?"
"Nope," she said, "I'm kind of a bum magnet."
"What's a bum magnet?" he asked with just a hint of a chuckle.
"Well...a friend of mine called me that because I seem to attract the wrong guys, freeloaders and the like."
Cheryl strode up to their fake living room and interrupted the conversation with, "It's because you are too nice."
"I can be mean," Abby said pouting a bit because she hated being told she was too nice.
"Ha ha," Cheryl said in reply, rummaging through her purse.
Abby shook her head in embarrassment.
"Have you ever been unfaithful?" Ed asked Abby in a soft voice.
"No," she answered quickly.
"Then you are not mean," he said.
Abby smiled softly at him in attempt to convey understanding.
"Wait, who's cheating on who?" Cheryl asked suddenly done with her purse and reconnecting with their conversation.
Ed shot Abby a scared look so Abby announced, "I cheat on my income taxes."
"You do not," Cheryl snapped, "You had a crying episode when you accidentally submitted it one year with a mistake."
"Lots of people cry over income taxes," Abby responded, try to make herself look tougher.
It was hard since Cheryl was her only friend who knew her before and after her self-assertiveness training and sometimes Cheryl forgot how hard Abby had worked. Ed smiled at Abby and whether it was the wonderful smile with a little dimple on the left or the fact that he seemed genuinely interested in talking to her, Abby began to blush at that moment.
"How long has it been since you worked with Peter? So where do you work now?" Cheryl asked Ed.
"Um, let me see," he began.
"Eddie and Peter went to law school together," Cheryl interrupted.
"Oh. Wow," Abby said, trying not to sound too surprised; as a doctor she wasn't too fond of lawyers.
"Abby's a doctor you know. You two professionals should go out," Cheryl said.
"Cheryl, Ed has a girlfriend. Show some respect," Abby said, "Besides doctors and lawyers don't really get along."
"I'm not a lawyer anymore," Ed said with a shaky voice.
"What? Why not?" cried Cheryl.
"I have my own business. I make my own hours and help people," he said, "I'm an electrician."
Cheryl was stunned silent which for her was saying a lot.
"Good for you. Sounds like you enjoy it," Abby said.
Ed was very taken with her nonjudgmental reaction and with the sincere look on her face. He found her more and more interesting.
The salesman returned to talk to Cheryl so Ed was saved from more awkward talk.
"Listen, I gotta go. It was nice to see you Abby. It made my day," Ed told her when he and Abby were both standing.
"Goodbye, Ed," she said, "Good luck."
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