One thing I do really appreciate about the Duncan-Zoey friendship is that it’ll be really good for Zoey to have friends that aren’t through Mike. Mike loves her dearly, but I don’t know how many of her hobbies he’d be fully into. He accepts her hobbies, obviously, and takes an interest when she talks about them, but I can’t see him going to a loud concert or going out to dye his hair or anything like that.
Zoey would tell Mike that she’s going out to a rock concert with Duncan that night, and Mike’s totally cool with it. Why wouldn’t he be? She wanted to see this concert and doesn’t want to go alone, but the loud atmosphere would stress him out and he doesn’t know anything about the band, so he’d rather not. But Duncan’s cool with the band that’s playing (I’m admitting to not knowing much about rock music, but I feel like a punk and an indie would be able to find SOMETHING), so he goes with her. They have a great time, and Mike’s just happy that Zoey had a good night, he lets her talk about how she got an autograph from the drummer, Mike asks for pictures…
Hey, they don’t need to be together every night of their lives. As long as she’s still on for B-movie night tomorrow, right?
And of course she is. She has her traditions with both of them, never blows off her plans with one for the sake of the other, but her interactions with both guys remain sufficiently different that there’s no mistaking the fact that Duncan’s just a good friend she can indulge in her alternative hobbies with, while Mike is the man she loves, who she can be silly and impulsive with, the only man who still makes her heart flutter after all this time.
Both men serve different purposes in her life, and it’s pretty great.