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“There’s more to life than just working.”
My last couple of attempts at going out were a disaster. One was a pathological liar and tried to convince me that she was a CIA operative undercover and needed my help getting into the Venezuelan Consulate. The next one ordered a meal for her boyfriend to take home to him and proceeded to inform me that I wasn’t who they were looking for to join them in a throuple relationship. But that was nothing compared to the last date, who bailed halfway through the meal only to get stuck trying to climb out of the bathroom window— the fire department was called to help her out.
It’s hard not to think about what, or rather, who is the common denominator in this situation— me.
When I remind Maddie of my disastrous last attempts at finding love, she at least has the decency not to try and tell me that I wasn’t trying hard enough to give any of them a second shot.
“I know more than anyone how any one of those dates could drive a person to a life of singlehood,” she says with a sigh. “But I really think you need to get out there again. You are too good of a guy to close yourself off like that. Think about your soulmate who is just waiting for you to find her. You aren’t going to let her down, are you?”
“What has gotten into you?” I ask. “Why are you so determined to set me up?”
Maddie looks over her shoulder towards the front door of the bar. The rest of the staff is standing around watching us. When they notice us looking, they immediately try to scatter, running into each other in the process.
Smooth guys.
“I’ve noticed that you are more stressed out than usual,” she says.
“And your point?”
“My point being that I think that if you took some time to go out and take a break from working, you might find that your temperament might improve.”
“My temperament?” I ask.
“You’ve snapped at every one of the staff members today, and it’s not even noon.” I open my mouth to deny her allegations, but she holds up her hand and shakes her head. “It’s not up for debate, Roman. You need to get out and have some fun.”
I run my hand over the back of my neck. “Even if I wanted to do what you are suggesting. It’s not like there’s a line of women just waiting around for me to ask them out.”
“It’s nearly Valentine’s Day. There is absolutely a line of women waiting for you.” She pauses. “They just aren’t standing in front of you.”
“Where are they?”
Maddie pulls her phone from her back pocket and holds it up, so I can see the screen. A pair of pink animated lips appear, and I quickly realize what she’s suggesting. Anyone with a pulse knows the logo for theSmittenapp.
“No.” I step past her and pull open the bar door. “I’m not signing up for a dating app.”
“That’s the beauty of my plan,” she says, following after me. “You don’t have to sign up.”
I turn back to her in confusion. “What?”
Maddie passes off the balloons still in her hands to Lucy, our newest hire, before returning her attention to me. “Do you remember all those personal questions I was asking you yesterday?”
“The ones for the—” I start to say but stop when it clicks in my head what she’s done. “You said those were for the website.”
Maddie smiles sheepishly and shrugs like she isn’t really sorry at all for what she’s done. “Did you really think our customers care about what you think is the perfect date?”
“I thought that was weird.” I rub my neck again, feeling like a complete idiot for not putting two and two together on my own.
“Look, I’m not saying you have to do this, but you should know that you’ve already been matched up with someone who I think you might actually like.”
As much as I want to yell at Maddie for crossing a line and setting up a profile for me on a dating app without my permission, curiosity sparks inside me.
“A match?” I ask.
Maddie’s blue eyes light up with excitement. “Yes, and she’s really pretty. At least what I can see in the photo.”
She taps the phone screen and hands it over to me. It’s a photo of a brunette with kind eyes peering over the top of a newspaper. I can’t see anything else, but the mystery of this potential match has me leaning toward agreeing to a potential blind date.
“I can see from the expression on your face that you’re interested,” Maddie says. “What do you have to lose?”
