(Complete) When Tim Burke meets Julie at a party, she isn't impressed. When they see each other again, Julie decides to give him a chance. As Julie faces burdens and sorrow in her own life, Tim and his family provide the support and love she needs...
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Lindsay had been excited about her dinner party all week. Michael was convinced she would try to fix him up. Unfortunately, Michael had already met the girl for him, but she only wanted to be friends. He was a patient man, although he wondered if she really was as busy as she said. He had suggested grabbing breakfast, lunch, dinner, or drinks - early or late. He stopped trying to make plans. Every time she said no, he imagined her tangled up with her faceless kinda boyfriend. He wanted to be her real boyfriend, instead he was going to a dinner party knowing his hostess was attempting to fix him up.
She had invited their friend Rodney and his girlfriend Amber. Amber reminded Michael of Aria but since he wasn't the one dating her, she was fun to hang around with. When he had met up with Toby the day before, his friend complained.
"She will be cooking all day for this crazy dinner. I don't know why we don't just throw steaks on the grill."
"What's she making?" Lindsay was a great cook, so at least the food would be good.
"Something with lobster. She bought it in cans. Don't ask me."
Michael immediately thought of Clare and Maine at the mention of lobster. Canned meat must eliminate the mess she had told him about. Would she think it was awful, if he told her he'd had canned lobster?
He ripped off the proverbially bandaid. "So who's invited?"
"Sorry man, but she has a new friend. She's been texting. I have a feeling she's from her yoga class, because it's her new fad."
Michael would be forced to make nice conversation with a yoga person in order to spend an evening with his friends and eat Lindsay's lobster. He rebelled and dressed in a pair of old jeans which were a little snug in the seat and a Stanford tee. He wasn't ironing for a yoga girl he didn't want to meet.
When he arrived, Amber called out. "Hey Michael. I'm helping in the kitchen."
It looked like she helped open the wine and poured it into her own glass. He walked over to Lindsay and kissed her cheek. "Can I help?"
"Would you cut those lemons into wedges for me?"
He nodded and went to work.
Lindsay rushed out of the kitchen, mumbling. "She's here."
Michael hadn't heard a knock. He was comfortable with a knife and as he sliced, he asked Amber. "Is Rodney still working?"
Amber rolled her eyes. "Rod is always working."
Michael laughed, because she was just like Aria. He was still laughing when Lindsay appeared. His laughter abruptly stopped when he saw her.
"Clare! Linds, I didn't know you knew Clare." He knew he sounded like an idiot.
Lindsay smiled "We met in the park."
"Teddy found me again."
Then she smiled, and he thought his heart would get bruised, as it dropped and bounced back into place. "You never said. Neither of you said." He still sounded like an idiot.
