Potato Guy's letter once again didn't come and Lucia felt nervous. Was it something she said? Did she write too many letters and he was tired of her? Did he not like her?

Lucia loved writing to someone who listened and gave advice without telling her what to do. It made her feel really good and she felt heard.

Potato Guy always wrote back. What had happened?

Lucia gave a sigh and went into the coffee shop. "Hey, Denny. Hey, Jonah," she said as she opened the door. "JoJo, don't you have another interview today?"

Jonah nodded. "At the zoo."

"Why the zoo?" Lucia frowned.

"They needed another monkey," Denny laughed.

Jonah nudged him. "No. It's a seasonal job to just give me some extra cash to keep me afloat."

"A seasonal job as a monkey?" Lucia laughed.

"No. Forget the monkey," Jonah huffed. "I'm interviewing to be a tour guide."

"For the monkey habitat?"

"No!"

Lucia laughed heartily. "Sorry, JoJo. Couldn't resist."

"JoJo?" Denny chuckled.

"Don't you call me that," Jonah said pointedly.

"Oh, come on, JoJo. Don't be like that," Denny laughed.

"Stop," Jonah huffed.

"Oh, don't get mad, JoJo. If I knew you were mad, oh, I'd just die," Denny teased in a fake Southern female accent.

Jonah huffed and punched his friend in the arm.

"Ow," Denny frowned.

"Stop it."

"Oh, come on, it's fun," Lucia chuckled.

"No one calls me JoJo."

"Except me," Lucia grinned.

Jonah nodded slightly.

"You're so cute when you're mad," Lucia said teasingly, pinching his cheeks.

Jonah huffed but smiled a little.

"She's right...JoJo," Denny grinned.

"Who's JoJo?" Monica laughed as she came in, setting her purse down on a chair.

"That's what we call Jonah now," Denny nodded.

"Why do you guys insist on torturing me?" Jonah sighed.

"Because we love you," Lucia chuckled. "And we're your friends. It's in the job description."

"Ugh."

"Hey, you know, Denny and I were planning on going mini golfing. Why don't we all go?"

"I could use a distraction," Monica smiled.

"What do you say, JoJo?" Denny grinned. "Gonna join us?"

"Fine. I do have my interview at three, though."

"Perfect," Lucia nodded. "I'll drive."

They got their drinks to go and headed off.

—————

"Nice shot, Denny," Lucia smiled.

"Thanks," Denny smiled, stepping back.

"Although," Lucia smirked, "you've yet to get a hole in one."

"It will happen."

"Mhm. I'll believe it when I see it. Your turn, Mon."

Monica hit her ball.

"You're worse than Denny," Lucia chuckled.

"Can't argue with that," Monica laughed.

"Okay, my turn," Jonah nodded.

"Try not to suck," Denny laughed.

"That's Monica's job."

"Hey," Monica huffed.

Jonah laughed and set down his ball before hitting it, getting a hole in one.

"I loathe everyone," Monica sighed. "Why did I come, again?"

"You love me," Lucia smiled.

"Yeah, true."

Lucia chuckled and took her next shot. "Yes! In the hole, baby!"

Denny high-fived her.

"So...I haven't heard from Potato Guy," Lucia said after a moment with a sigh.

"Oh?" Monica asked.

"I've sent him two letters. No response."

Monica furrowed her eyebrows in thought.

"Maybe he met someone," Lucia sighed despondently.

"Maybe. But he'd tell you." Monica rubbed her friend's back.

"Maybe his girlfriend doesn't want him to write me anymore."

"He'd still tell you."

"I don't know."

Monica hugged her friend before they moved on to the next hole.

Jonah was going for his second putt, but stepped on the ball and slipped, falling backwards.

"Oh gosh, Jonah, are you okay?" Monica frowned.

Jonah was a bit stunned.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Lucia frowned.

Jonah shook his head.

"Do you need help getting up?"

"Nah. I'm good." He stood up.

Denny laughed. "It's my job to get hurt. You can't just go stealing my job."

"Right?" Monica laughed. "What's next? Becoming a scientist?"

Jonah laughed. "Biologist," he joked.

"Oh, no," Lucia chuckled.

They shared a good laugh.

"Hey, what time is it?" Jonah frowned.

"Three ten," Denny nodded.

"What?! I'm late!" Jonah exclaimed, pulling out his phone.

"It's not three ten," Lucia frowned.

"I know," Denny chuckled.

"You're evil...I like it."

Jonah called the zoo's office. "I'm so sorry I'm late for my interview."

"I'm sorry. Who is this?" A woman asked.

"Jonah Swinson. My interview was at three."

"We don't have a Jonah Swinson. We have a Jonah...Swanson."

"That's me. But it's Swinson. With an I."

"So, it's Swansoni?" The woman frowned. "Odd name, but okay."

"No...ugh, never mind. When is my interview?"

"At three," the woman nodded.

"But it's three ten."

"Sir...it's two twenty-five."

Jonah paused. "What time?"

"Two twenty-five."

Jonah sighed. "I'll be there."

"Alright. See you soon, Mr, Swansoni."

Jonah hung up the phone. "I hate you guys so much."

"I'm sure...Mr. Swansoni," Monica laughed, high-fiving Denny.

"Ugh. Why did they do that to my name?"

"I may or may not have had something to do with that," Monica chuckled.

"What?"

"I may or may not have helped her," Denny smirked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"And just to clarify, I had no part in this," Lucia sighed, taking her next shot. "Yes! Hole in one!"

Jonah blinked slowly. "Why did you guys do that. Ugh."

"Lighten up, man. It's just a joke," Denny laughed.

"It's my next job."

"If they hire you."

Jonah sighed.

"I'm sure they'll hire you," Lucia nodded.

"I hope so. I need extra cash."

"Don't we all?" Lucia chuckled.

Jonah sighed and kept checking the clock.

—————

"Ah, Mr. Swansoni," the woman at the front desk nodded. "Mr. Steele will see you now."

Jonah nodded and followed the woman, who brought him to a small office.

A young man in his early thirties sat at a desk in the middle of the room. "Ah, Mr. Swansoni, I presume?"

"Yes, but sir, it's Swinson," Jonah gently corrected him.

"Oh, sorry, Mr. Swinson. My secretary must have written it down wrong."

"No problem. Just want to get it right in the beginning. But thank you." Jonah gave Mr. Steele a firm handshake.

"So, Mr. Swinson, let's see your résumé."

Jonah handed it over and sat down, feeling a little nervous.

"I see that you got fired from your museum job just a few days after being hired. Why is that?" Mr. Steele frowned.

"Um...I was fired because I overstepped my boundaries. I tried to fix something and a priceless vase fell on me and broke," Jonah admitted.

"Well, fortunately, we don't keep vases around her," Mr. Steele chuckled. "The monkeys tend to throw things."

Jonah smiled.

—————

"So, Denny," Lucia sighed, "what do you think's up with Potato Guy?"

"You said his mom is sick?"

"Well, yeah, but last I heard, she was doing better."

"Maybe something happened."

"I hope not," Lucia sighed.

"You don't even have his phone number?"

"No, sadly not."

"Hm...maybe he'll write you."

"I hope so," Lucia nodded. "So...have you given any thought to returning to experimenting?"

"Um...I have."

"And?" Lucia said hopefully.

"I might try it again."

"Really?" Lucia smiled. "Denny, that's great!"

"But I'm going slow."

"I'm very okay with that."

Denny smiled. "You liked my experimenting?"

"Yeah," Lucia smiled. "You're a smart guy, Denny."

"Thanks."

"What if we go try an experiment now?"

"Now?"

"Yeah," Lucia nodded.

"How about tomorrow? I'm ready for some ice cream."

"Wait, that's perfect! We could make our own ice cream with liquid nitrogen."

"You sure?"

"I think it sounds like fun."

"I still have some left."

"Awesome. Let's do it."

Denny smiled and they left.

Lucia drove to his apartment, and as they entered the kitchen she asked, "So, how do we do this?"

"I have my mixer. We put everything in, mix it, and slowly add in nitrogen."

"Right," Lucia nodded. "You know...my mom and I used to do all sorts of science experiments when I was a kid."

"Yeah?" Denny asked, bringing out all the ingredients.

"Yeah. There was this one time when we made this pink stuff, and when you threw it at someone, it would turn into this like powder and go everywhere. It turned our kitchen pink for a month," Lucia chuckled, getting out the mixer.

"That's an awesome craft, but I'd choose blue."

"Yes, well, we're girls. We chose pink," Lucia laughed. "My father wasn't exactly happy, but then we turned him pink too and he started laughing."

"You're dad's really cool."

"Thanks," Lucia smiled. "He's the only family I have now that my mom's gone."

Denny smiled a little and set everything out. "What else did you guys do?"

"There's this one we'd always do every winter...on the coldest day of the year, we'd take a pitcher of water and heat it up, getting it super hot, and then we'd go outside and throw it up in the air and it would turn to ice."

"That's dangerous."

"Maybe a little," Lucia shrugged, "but it was fun."

Denny smiled at her before watching as her smile faded, moving over to kiss her cheek.

Lucia turned her head at that moment to say something, and was stunned when her lips clashed with Denny's.

Denny's eyes widened and he pulled away in shock.

"What the heck, Denny?!"

"I was just being nice and kissing your cheek," Denny spluttered.

"Um, if you haven't noticed, you missed," Lucia scoffed.

"I'm sorry!"

"It's, uh...it's fine," Lucia sighed. "You know, you're...you're good...at that."

"It didn't mean anything, I promise!" Denny kept apologizing. "I didn't mean it. We can just forget it. I don't need to remember that."

"It's okay," Lucia laughed. "Accidents happen."

Denny's face was bright red.

Lucia chuckled and kissed his cheek. "Really, it's fine. I was just shocked, that's all...I haven't been kissed in awhile. Not since Sean."

"Right. But you know we're... just friends, right?"

"Of course, you idiot," Lucia laughed. "Now, what's the first ingredient in ice cream?"

Denny's face stayed red while they made the dessert.

"You really don't need to be so embarrassed."

"It was just so- so unexpected."

"Yeah," Lucia shrugged.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," Lucia chuckled. "Trust me, it's fine."

Denny nodded.

"Now, is it safe for you to touch the liquid nitrogen, or should I do it?"

"I can do it. Just wear gloves and goggles."

"Okay," Lucia nodded, putting everything on.

Denny did the same and started putting everything in.

"Be careful."

Denny nodded and slowly poured in the nitrogen, the smoke pouring out.

"Ooh," Lucia grinned.

Denny smiled.

"Denny...thank you for being here."

"Why?"

"Because I don't have much in life," Lucia sighed. "Everyone leaves eventually."

"You've got such awesome friends."

"Yeah...but you'll all get married eventually and I'll be alone again."

"You'll find someone. And because I am as accident prone as I am, no one would want to marry me."

"Any woman would be fortunate to have you, Denny," Lucia said softly.

He smiled. "Thanks."

—————

Lucia sat in her living room and gave a sigh. Not knowing what else to do, she pulled out a piece of paper and began to write:

Dear Potato Guy,

It's been about two months now since you've written. I don't know if maybe I did something or what, but I thought I'd try writing you again.

Well, Jonah got a new job as a tour guide at the zoo. They thought his name was Jonah Swansoni at first. Haha. Oh, and I finally found out what he did to get fired from the museum. He was just rearranging something and a vase fell on top of him and broke.

Oh, and guess what. Denny kissed me. I know what you're thinking, and it's not like that. I was telling him some stuff about my mom and he went to kiss my cheek, and at the same time, I turned my head and we just sort of kissed. Pretty funny, right?

Well, I hope to hear from you. Say hi to your mom for me.

Love,
Lydia