The Rom-Commers

by Katherine Center

“I’m not, by the way,” he added. “Not what?” “In love with you.” “Oh,” I said. Then, in case my voice sounded weird, I added, “Of course not!” “I googled it,” Charlie continued, “and I’m not.” “You googled whether or not you’re in love with me?” “I googled how long it takes to fall in love.” “And?” I asked. “How long does it take?” “Eighty-eight days,” Charlie answered, definitively. “And we’ve only known each other for thirty-one. So. Problem solved.” Why was Charlie googling this? And what nutty professor came up with that number? And what problem, exactly, were we solving? “I wish I’d known that back at the coffee shop,” I said then. “That would’ve been a great comeback.”