Empty coffee carafes and scattered donut crumbs were all that remained on the folding table in meeting room three. The veterans group always did a pretty good job cleaning up after themselves. They had even folded up all the chairs and placed them on the rack in the corner of the room. I moved the carafes onto the utility cart and set about spraying the table with disinfectant.

The door opened behind my back and I turned to see Felicity walk into the room behind me. Her long dark braids swaying with her strides. "Hey Rosie! Long time, no see."

"I'd give you a hug, but..." I indicated the damp table and the rag in my hands.

She laughed and said, "Don't be dumb. Give me a squeeze girl. What's the dirt? And you know I'm not talking about that table."

Felicity wasn't the type to gossip. She merely wanted to know what was going on in my life. We'd met last year when she started running the Community Center's youth drama program.

To the casual observer we appeared to be total opposites. Felicity was a strikingly gorgeous black woman, who had the pick of any guy she wanted. She was about a decade older than me, owned her own home, and had a large and loving extended family. But we shared some essential things: like our soft spots for kids, our desire to foster positive energy, and a belief in giving back to others. She'd become a friend. It was rare when we didn't see each other, or at least text, once during the week. Yet somehow we hadn't touched base in nearly two.

She placed her bag down, leaning it against one of the table legs, and we hugged.

Trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, I said, "I actually have a date tomorrow night."

Felicity gasped. "What? That's huge!" She playfully pushed me out at arms length, before shaking me gently by my shoulders. "Why didn't you text me ASAP?"

I giggled and shrugged. "It only happened yesterday. And I knew you were busy with rehearsals. I'm dying to hear how the new play is going."

"I'll tell you, but only if you give me some details about your man first." Felicity wiggled her eyebrows.

She released me from her grasp and I turned with rag in hand to start wiping. "He's not my man. Just a guy from work. I don't know much about him. He only started a couple months ago. Something inside of me makes me want to get to know him better. I think it's fair to say I've developed a bit of a crush on him. Which isn't a typical thing for me. So I figured I should explore it." I finished wiping the table and turned around to lean against it.

Felicity nodded. Many times while we'd hung out, she commented on the guys she was dating, or guys she thought were good looking, and I didn't have many similar experiences to share. So I'd told her a bit about my trust issues, especially regarding men.

"Exploring sounds good," she said with a wink.

Shifting my weight between my feet, I twisted the rag in my hands. "Are you trying to make me even more nervous for tomorrow?"

"Not at all. We can change the subject now if you want to." She leaned against the table, beside me, and bumped my shoulder.

"Yes, please. Tell me about your new directing gig with the Oak Street Theatre."

"It's going so well. Directing adults is a nice change of pace over kids." Felicity beamed and my heart swelled, as always when listening to her talk about her passion for theatre.

"I have discovered the most amazing actor for the main male role. What's crazy, is you wouldn't look at this guy in the real world and think he's a leading man. His face isn't traditionally handsome, and he's kind of awkward when he's just being himself. But, when he gets on that stage, he transforms. He becomes the role. All simmering intensity and lustful longing." Felicity sighed, then added, "I get goosebumps just thinking about it." Then she held out her arm to show me her pebbled flesh.

With a smirk, I said, "It almost sounds like I'm not the only lady with a crush."

"That would be unprofessional. I'm his director," she said, a little too quickly.

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" I asked.

"Maybe both." She chuckled. "In all seriousness, he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy that does things halfway. I'd have to be very gung-ho, and go all in with a man like him. Right now, I'd much rather be his director than his girlfriend."

I'd always had a sense that any guy would take their cues from Felicity, whether on stage or on a date. She was a commanding presence, and that's what made her a good director. But before I could ask if her actor was on board with her directions regarding the personal side of their partnership, the door opened and some of Felicity's young students filed into the meeting room. Their little voices calling out their greetings to her.

"Hey gang! Take your places and start warming up those acting muscles," she said.

I flicked the brake off the wheel of the utility cart with my toe, preparing to vacate the space so Felicity could do her job. "So, when can I buy a ticket? Obviously I'm gonna have to come see if this guy's worth all the hype."

Felicity picked up her bag. She placed it onto the table, rifling through it. "Opening night is two weeks from tomorrow. Your ticket is on me." She pulled one out of her bag, handing it to me.

"Thanks!" I slipped it into my pocket and started rolling towards the door.

More kids scurried into the room while Felicity's voice called behind my back, "Text me if you need help picking out a date worthy outfit. I actually gave the cast a night off from rehearsal tomorrow, so I won't be busy."

"I'll definitely take you up on that," I called over my shoulder before I made my way out into the hallway.

As I closed the door on the din of the improv class, I realized maybe I should have asked Felicity about buying another ticket. Because if things went well with Kyle tomorrow, her play could make a good second date.