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“I love him!” Eva says heatedly looking between cameras as though trying to decide which one is capturing her best angle.
“Good,” I tell her. “It’s important to love somebody other than yourself.” I turn to Trina and tell her, “I’m your second person off the show tonight. If you have a problem with that, take it up with my lawyers.” Then I walk out the same door Paige went through.
I wouldn’t say I feel good about how tonight went, but if I can get Paige to hear me out then maybe, just maybe, I can get my life back on track. I hurry out to the parking lot, hoping to find her, but she’s already gone. Picking up my phone, I text her.
Paige, I’m sorry. It’s true that Cami and I were only pretending to be a couple, but that’s because I didn’t think I stood a chance with you. I’ve just left the club. Can we please talk?
When I don’t hear back from her, I leave a voicemail message. “Paige, I’m sorry. Please hear me out.”
Sitting in my car, I wait for her to get back to me. After thirty minutes, I finally back out of my parking spot. As though on automatic pilot, I drive by her house. I don’t want to ambush her, but I need to tell her how much she means to me. I need to explain that when I told her I was open to love, I was talking about her and nobody else.
Paige’s car isn’t in her driveway. Being that there aren’t any tire tracks in the freshly fallen snow, I’m guessing she hasn’t come and gone. I’m not sure what to do right now. I finally decide to go home to make another much needed apology.
My parents are sitting in the living room when I walk through the door. It’s clear neither of them is going to make the firstcomment, so I open with, “I’ve been a little unhinged lately. I’m sorry about the way I yelled at you earlier today.”
My mom looks at me with an expression full of hurt. “We love you, Tim. We would never do anything to embarrass you.”
I walk toward her. “I know, Mom. I’ve been struggling a lot since Eva left, and I think I finally just broke.”
“I understand that, dear, but even so, there was no reason for you to make the scene you made today.”
“I know.” Then I drop the bomb. “They ambushed me with Eva on the show tonight.”
“Really?” This from my dad. “That’s kind of surprising, isn’t it?” Yet, somehow I’m not sure he’s that surprised.
I sit next to him on the sofa and tell him, “I suppose I should have seen it coming. I mean, why else would they go to such lengths to get me on the show?”
“There’s no saying why people do what they do,” my mom says nervously.
“What did Eva say?” My dad wants to know.
“She pretended she felt sorry for me that I couldn’t get past our breakup. It was one big pity party, and I was the star.”
“Shouldn’t you still be at the club?” my mom wants to know.
“I walked out of the show,” I tell her. “Let them sue me if they want, but if they do, I assure you, I’ll talk to every news outlet on the planet and let them know the kind of showMidwestern Matchmakeris.”
“I can’t say that I’m not a little disappointed. I was so hopeful you were ready to get out there again.”
My dad adds, “Not because we need you to be married, but because we want you to be happy.”
“I can be happy without a woman,” I lie. I can’t ever imagine being happy without Paige in my life. I don’t know if we could go the distance, but right now I’d sure as heck like to find out.
“Of course you can, dear.”How is it that my mom can sound so patronizing while agreeing with me?
“Mom?” I stare her right in the eye. “I need to be happy withmyself before I can be happy with someone else.” I don’t bother to mention that I’m already pretty chill with the man I am. I just don’t need any more pressure from her.
“Didn’t you mention you’d already met someone on the show?” my dad asks.
“I don’t think so.”
“Huh, I thought you did.” It’s possible I told him and forgot, but I’m guessing he’s either fishing, or Trina told them about Cami.
“So you’re off the show for good?” my mom asks.
“I will never go back.”
“Do you want me to cover for you at the club for a while?” my dad asks hopefully. Leave it to him to see this as an opportunity to go back to work.
