It was spring break before her senior year in college and Elizabeth Thatcher was ready to let loose, forget about studying and term papers and her part time job that barely paid for her coffee addiction.

She wanted to enjoy Paisley Island, just off the coast of North Carolina. Beach bonfires and margaritas and walking in the sand barefoot.

"Beth! Let's go!" her best friend Rosie LeVeaux yelled from her little black convertible, a gift from her Dad for high school graduation. "We are going to miss EVERYTHING if you don't get your cute little butt in gear."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Rosie's dramatic ways. She was absolutely used to it, having known her since kindergarten but some days it was a little much.

"Relax, Rosie. It's ten am. We have plenty of time."

"We are meeting Lee at Connor's for breakfast."

"And Lee will wait. He would wait a year for you to show up somewhere."

They were sickeningly in love and at the age of twenty two, when they all graduated, Lee and Rosie were getting married and then were moving to San Diego, all the way across the country from their hometown of Hope Valley, North Carolina, a small town north of Raleigh..

Lee was going into the Coast Guard and Rosie couldn't be more proud of her "honey bunny" as she called him. She would be the epitome of a military wife and likely they would have a handful of kids as soon as possible.

"You're so quiet," Rosie mentioned, swerving into the left lane and passing a car that was going much too slow for her.

"Yeah."

"Missing home already? We haven't even left Raleigh yet."

"No, I…no. I'm just ready to be on spring break."

"Of course." Elizabeth turned up an old 90's pop song and started dancing and singing, trying to convince her best friend but she knew her too well.

"Beth, what is it?"

"Do you think that you'll be happy so far away after graduation? Your Dad is here and me…I know Lee is more important, as it should be, but won't you be homesick?"

"Maybe a little but I'll be working and hopefully starting a family. I don't know how much time I will have to be homesick."

Elizabeth nodded and just kept her eyes on the road. Elizabeth wanted to have a concrete plan for the future but she didn't. She knew what she wanted to do but had no idea how to get there. She didn't have any boyfriend or even a prospect, not for lack of wanting one.

Not that having a boyfriend was necessary at the age of 21. But every one of her friends at school either had a boyfriend or was at least dating casually. Elizabeth didn't even do that.

She concentrated on her classes, wanting to get the best grades possible and she rarely went out of the apartment that she, Rosie, and their other roommate Fiona Miller shared. Or at least not to hang out.

Except now. She was heading out of town, and she was going to enjoy herself. Maybe even meet a guy.

As she, Lee and Rosie sat in a booth at Connor's, she felt like a third wheel, now more than ever. They had always tried to not make her feel that way but now that she was overthinking things, she wanted someone next to her to rub noses with…because yes, Rosie and Lee were rubbing noses.

Elizabeth took a sip of her diet soda and then stood up. "I'm going to wait in the car."

"Beth, I'm sorry," Rosie said as he saw Elizabeth's face.

"It's fine."

Lee and Rosie followed her shortly after paying their bill, kissing before Lee got in his own vehicle to follow them to the beach.

"I'm sorry, Beth. I didn't think," Rosie told her as she joined her in the car. "We will be more careful in the future."

"Please don't. I don't want you and Lee to stop showing each other love, ever. I am happy for you, really."

"You know, one of Lee's buddies is coming on spring break too. Maybe you and he…."

"I don't want to be set up. If I meet someone, that's great. But blind dates are a terrible idea."

"I don't necessarily mean a date. Just maybe a spring fling…"

"Rosemary LeVeaux! That is not going to happen."

"Don't discount a fling. It can be fun. Look at Lee."

"What do you mean? He wasn't a fling, was he?"

"I didn't know him and we met through a mutual friend. I was nineteen and I absolutely wasn't looking to fall in love. So he asked me out and I said yes because he was cute and I thought it might be fun."

Elizabeth always thought of a fling as something she would never do.

Apparently, their versions of the word were different.

"I'd be open to meeting someone…"

"Oh good!"

"On my own terms, Rosie."

"You're no fun."

"Maybe that's my problem."

"You know that's not what I mean. You're just serious."

"Maybe I want to change. Maybe I know I'm boring and that no one would like to get to know someone boring."

"You are not boring, Beth."

"Compared to you, yes I am."

"No one is comparing you to me."

"I am, okay? Let's just talk about something else."

Rosie patted Elizabeth's knee as they pulled up to a stoplight. "You are my best friend, Beth, so I get to say this. I feel its my duty."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and looked at her friend, ignoring the tears that had fallen down her own cheek.

"You are so kind and beautiful from the inside out. You have always supported me in anything I want to do and I will always do the same for you. Anyone that compares you to me, including yourself, needs to take a good look at you and how amazing you are. Who cares if you aren't a party person? Who cares if you'd rather read a book or do homework than go out for drinks or a movie? You are a gem and anyone that meets you is blessed."

"Thanks, friend. I really needed to hear that."

"And there is someone out there for you and my guess is he might even be on this trip with us."

"Rosie…what do you know?"

"Nothing."

"I don't believe you."

"I want you to be happy too."

"I am….or I was until I realized I'm not."

"His name is Jesse Flynn. He's tall and has cute dimples. His nose may be a little big for my taste…"

"Rosie," Elizabeth giggled.

"But we aren't talking about me. He is going to med school after he graduates this summer."

"And how do you know Jesse?"

"He's one of Lee's friends, as I said. I just think you should at least say hello. Maybe sit next to him at dinner tonight."

"What? Why is he going to be at dinner?"

"It would be rude not to invite him to dinner, don't you think?"

……

Elizabeth knew there were a bunch of fellow students going on this trip, so she hoped to fade into the background a bit and relax as they went on various outings. However, dinner was just Lee, Rosie, Jesse and herself. It felt so uncomfortable to be meeting someone new at a dinner that seemed like a blind date.

"Beth!" Rosie bellowed from the front. "Its time to go."

"I think I'd rather say here."

"Nope. I told Jesse about you and he's excited to meet you."

"What did you tell him?"

"That you are gorgeous and smart and looking for a date."

Elizabeth's mouth fell open and eyebrows hit her hairline as her face burned. "You didn't."

"Of course I did. Its true."

"Rosemary, I am not looking for a date. You made me sound desperate."

"Aren't you?"

She was. Rosie was right. She wanted to be with someone and not feel left out all the time, but she didn't want to be forced into it or seem desperate. That wasn't her.

"Listen, he is wanting to get to know someone too so this is perfect."

Elizabeth sighed and tried not to throw up. "Okay, lets go."

"You look beautiful, Beth. Really."

"Thank you."

As they wandered into the beachside seafood restaurant, Elizabeth took in the surroundings. The walls were open air on three sides and there was seating outside on those three sides. There were paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling and swaying in the breeze.

"Its nice," Elizabeth said to Rosie as they approached the table out on the deck.

Rosie placed a kiss on Lee's cheek for Elizabeth's benefit. Elizabeth sat down next to Jesse.

"Jess, this is Elizabeth. Elizabeth, my friend Jess," Lee said, introducing them.

Elizabeth nodded and smiled, her face heating up again. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," he said, his eyes taking her in discreetly. "You look nice."

"You too," she told him. He wore khaki shorts and a black polo with flip flops. Casual but nice for dinner.

"So what's your major?" he asked her, trying to make conversation.

"Business admin."

"Nice. What type of business do you want to go into?"

"I want to manage properties. Airbnb's mostly."

"Oh wow. That's great and high in demand. Where would these be?"

"On the beach. Anywhere that has a beach."

Rosie smiled at Jesse and Elizabeth and then at Lee. He nodded and put his arm around his girl. He didn't normally like meddling in people's relationships, but both his friends were looking for someone. Why not? And if it made them happy, he'd feel good about that too.

…..

"Rosie said you are going to med school? What type of medicine?" Elizabeth asked.

"Pediatrics. I want to open my own office in my hometown."

"Where's that?"

"A small town in Wyoming no one has heard of but the town doc that has been there forever is retiring soon, so I will be needed."

"Wow."

Even Jesse had a place to go and a concrete plan.

"What happened?" Jesse asked her.

"What do you mean?"

"Your smile disappeared. Like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"Its nothing."

"Elizabeth is a planner," Rosie told him.

"Nothing wrong with that," Jesse said.

"But she doesn't feel like she has one after graduation."

"Rosie? Seriously?" Elizabeth asked. "You and Lee just concentrate on yourselves. I am having a conversation over here."

"You're right. Sorry."

It wasn't as if Elizabeth felt anything for Jesse where they could benefit from being alone but Rosie and her meddling…it was driving Elizabeth crazy.

"Why don't we go get a drink at the bar?" Lee said, standing and offering his hand to Rosie.

"Sure. Do you two want anything?"

"Mojito, extra lime," Elizabeth said. They were her favorite. She wasn't a beer fan.

"Whatever is on tap," Jesse told them.

"Looks like the sunset is going to be nice," Jesse mentioned. "Why don't we go watch it when we get our drinks."

"Sure." Though that sounded romantic and right now, he felt like an acquaintance.

"What can I get you to eat?" their waitress said.

"Calamari with sweet potato fries," Jesse ordered.

"I'll have a lobster roll with fries."

Lee and Rosemary came back with their drinks right then and ordered their food.

"Shall we?" Jesse asked, standing.

Elizabeth took her drink and followed him to the railing on the deck, overlooking the water.

After the sun set, Jesse asked Elizabeth to dance. Was it wrong that both felt like they had as much chemistry as if they were siblings?

When all was said and done, they decided to just be friends. They were going to keep in touch but they both agreed that being in different places in their lives and having different goals, they could be friends and it would work out just fine.