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I would not give him the satisfaction of being right, so I just shrugged and continued to fill cups. “I like smiling. Just like you enjoy collecting facts.”
“I do enjoy collecting facts. Tell me about GoWithFriends. How long have you been there? What do you do?”
I was out of cups to fill, and nobody was visiting the refreshment table while bingo numbers were being called, so I leaned against the wall. Isaac did the same, his arm brushing against mine and his eyes intent on me. I could get lost in his smile if I wasn’t careful, so I focused on our height difference. I hadn’t grown an inch since middle school, but Isaac sure had. He was probably six-feet tall, if I had to guess. He wore it well. He wore everything well, even that ridiculous checkered apron.
What were we doing? Right, he’d asked about my job. “I don’t know if Sadie told you, but we both used to work at a greeting card and gift company called Connecting Hearts. That’s where we met. We mostly did web design for them, but it was mind-numbing and there was no chance of moving up. So, about a year ago, I defected, and to my surprise, she did too.”
“I didn’t know you and Sadie had known each other that long. Do you both do web design for GoWithFriends?”
“She works with the matching algorithm that puts people together, and my official title is Corporate Account Concierge. I work with a lot of spreadsheets behind the scenes, making sure we know where and when people are meeting up using our app. I also scout locations for GoWithFriends for their group dates, and when it works out, I get an ongoing reservation.”
“So, you visit a lot of places.”
“Yes.”
“Does anyone go with you on these scouting trips?”
“Yes. I rarely go alone.”
“That’s good. It’s good to have people.”
Oh, I knew exactly where he was leading me. And he knew that I knew. Which was why he was the one now smiling like he was secretly plotting something. The awful man. I tilted my head. “I think you’ve collected enough facts, Isaac.”
“I have a thirst for knowledge that can’t be quenched.”
Somewhere in our conversation we’d turned our bodies to face each other. Maybe to hear better or maybe because despite my best efforts, I kept falling into his orbit. Isaac reached out and tucked his fingers under the ties of my apron where I’d looped them around in the front. He gave a tug, bringing me even closer. I swallowed, reminding my hands to stay at my sides. No touching. We were just friends. It solved everything. It made everything manageable.
“Ah,preciosos.” Maria’s voice announced her presence before she was reaching across the table for our hands and clasping them in together in her surprisingly strong grip. “Look at you two.” She beamed at us before letting go and leaning back. Which was a good thing. She was about to topple into the cookies.
She winked at Isaac. “I won’t hold you to that other date,jovencito. Not when you’re clearly so taken with this one.”
Isaac looked embarrassed for a moment before he smiled. “Guilty as charged.” He put his arm around my waist and tugged me closer. As if he could pull the same move I’d tried and get away with it.
“What’s this about another date?” I asked, sliding out of his reach. I straightened a few napkins and smiled back at him innocently.
Isaac almost imperceptibly shook his head at me. This wasn’t over. That’s what he was saying, but he’d started this war, and I wasn’t about to back down now.
Maria took a cookie and picked off the sprinkles, depositing each one in the little trash can next to the table. “Isaac agreed to two dates. Dessie will be so disappointed. She even took Friday night off so she could be available. I was coming to tell you, Isaac. But I will find her someone else.” She took a bite of her now sprinkle-free cookie.
“Oh, there’s no need,” I reassured her. “I don’t mind if he goes out with Dessie.”
Maria looked confused.“¿No manches?”
“Isaac and I barely know one another. He’ll need lots of dates to see if someone is the one.”
“This is true,” Maria murmured. “There are many fish in the sea. Maybe Dessie is your fish?”
I had Isaac trapped, and he knew it. He looked at the two of us, both determined in our own ways, before finally nodding. “You two are so wise. My one true love could be anywhere. So could Carmen’s.” He glanced around, as if the idea had just occurred to him, but I knew exactly where his finger would land before he pointed across the room. “Like that bingo caller. He could be perfect for Carmen. Wasn’t Edna just saying how perfect the two of you would be together? I bet Maria could make it happen. You could do that, couldn’t you?”
“Well, I’m sure I could…”
I braced my hands on the table. “Maria. You promised me. No more dates after Isaac. Just the one.”
Thankfully, Maria was a woman of her word, and she deflated at my reminder. “But Friday with Dessie, yes?” She looked up at Isaac hopefully.
Isaac nodded. “Friday. You’ll send me the details?”
Maria held her phone up. “Sí. Mañana. Tomorrow.”
