I told myself I wasn’t going to rearrange my schedule for another guy. Not again. I’d done it too many times in the past and I always ended up in the same place. Alone with enough self-loathing to last through a box of chocolates, two bottles of wine and an afternoon of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix. I knew a little something about emotional abuse. But this one seemed different. When I looked into his green eyes I saw a hint of laughter at the edges mixed with genuine interest. He listened when I spoke and not only heard what I said but responded animatedly, engaging in a give and take conversation that could last minutes or days. He began at a polite distance so when he moved closer I didn’t feel preyed upon. I never felt like a prize, always an equal. So when Whitney asked why I wasn’t going out for drinks on Thursday like we always did I looked at my calendar and realized – I had rearranged my schedule. My breath caught in my throat. And now I wait.