Sharon was too tired to fight. “I can’t explain it to you. It’s complicated. I don’t even know if I can explain it to myself.”

“Hello Sharon,” he said remorsefully.

“Maybe he should meet a shadchan.”

“How attracted?” he repeated.

“Joey? What’s going on?”

“Don’t get all Gemara on me!” Erica cried. “Just answer the question!”

“Hello Joey,” she said as she came closer, startling him.

. “Just don’t get so frum that you never talk to me again,” she warned him coldly.

Erica said, “he’s looking again.”

Sharon waited with eager eyes. “So…what’s your real name?”

“There’s no girl,” he said in mock-sorrow.

“You still live here…with your parents?” Anna asked.

“Making dinner at this hour?” she exclaimed. “At this hour? Where’d you go after work?”

“OK,” she started, looking down as she wrote. “What is your full name?”

“Well, Sharon, I called you this Saturday night to declare that I am giving up. I’ll just wait until I can buy myself a trophy wife.”

“I see. I’m sorry. Is it hard for you to hear she’s getting married?”