Dating-ish (Knitting in the City #6)(44)

He lifted his chin and I got the distinct impression my response had surprised him. "Well said."

"Thanks."

"Maybe you're not over him," he suggested, his eyes wandering over my face, tinged with something I couldn't identify.

I shook my head slowly, my attention drifting to the right and focusing on nothing but my thoughts as I debated this theory. "No. I think I am over him. In fact, I think I was over him before he dumped me. But he was safe. And kind to me. And I didn't want to lose that."

When I refocused on Matt, I found his gaze lowered to the ottoman, a secretive yet rueful smile tugging his lips to one side.

"Matt-"

"I need to leave." He stood, stuffing his hands in his pockets for the first time all night, and walked the short distance to the door.

My heart jumped to my throat and started beating out a frantic staccato. What should I say?

Should I apologize?

What for?

The friend-zoned comment plagued me. I want to be friends with him, that much is true, but-

He was already at the door and the time to explain was now or never, yet I had no idea what I was going to say.

I started with, "About what I said, I didn't mean that I wanted-"

"I consider it a compliment." Matt turned back to me, his voice even and steady, reasonable, aloof. "I've never been any good at biologically motivated displays of testosterone superiority, and I wouldn't want to waste the time of someone who requires them." He finished with a small smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Or maybe it did.

I couldn't be certain.

Anxiety clouded my vision.

I wasn't in the most rational state of mind.

Nevertheless, I tried, "But I don't understand how friend-zoning, in our case, given what-"

"It's a relief you said something first. Pragmatically it saved me the conversation. You're not at all my type." He shrugged, like everything was perfectly fine.

His words made my breath catch. And my heart hurt. Because . . . I guess he would know? He had the data. He'd read my dating profile. He knew all about women like me.

"I'm not?" I licked my lips, they were suddenly dry.

"No." Matt's smile grew tight, and then he pulled me forward and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"Goodbye, friend Marie," he whispered. "Thanks for dinner and pie."

He turned and walked away.





12





Desktop companion robot

A proof-of-concept desktop companion robot unveiled at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with "human-like" movements and communication skills. The robot is able to access and use cloud data, and communicate with devices in other locations. The size of a standard kitchen countertop blender, the robot includes an embedded projector that is enclosed within the egg shell-shaped device. The robot can also move backwards and forwards and up and down, and has been designed to mimic human movements. The decision to make the robot sound child-like was deliberate to build a sense of attachment with its human owner.



       
         
       
        

Source: Panasonic



Janie had a scare during the latter part of June, giving me a (figurative) heart attack.

I received the call Sunday. Elizabeth phoned me from Janie's room while Sandra and I were at her place, working to finish knitting Janie's baby blanket; Sandra took one end, I took the other, and we'd set a bottle of wine on the coffee table next to us.

"Is she okay? Is the baby okay?" My hand flew to my chest and I fumbled to switch to speakerphone, bracing for the worst.

"She's fine," Elizabeth said.

Sandra and I locked gazes and exhaled our infinite relief as Elizabeth continued. "There was some spotting, we thought it was early labor, but it wasn't. We've also ruled out placental abruption. The baby looks good. But Janie will need to be off her feet for the rest of her pregnancy. She's only twenty-eight weeks, so we're looking at months of bed rest. She'll stay in the hospital for the next few days, just so she can be observed around the clock." Then under her breath Elizabeth added, "Thank God I live next door."

The short surge of adrenaline waned, leaving me with its simmering aftereffects.

"What can we do?" I asked, feeling like I needed to ask.

I heard Janie in the background cursing. Actually cursing. This was significant because Janie never cursed with actual curse words, preferring instead to use Thor!

I winced.

"Nothing, for now. But it would be great if you could visit over the next few weeks, stop in."

"Absolutely."

Sandra chimed in, "We'll all visit."