Page 19 of The Matchmaker and the Marine

What was his problem? It wasn’t like I was offering to hold the glass while he sipped something through a straw. Sometimes he gets so prickly. She took a pitcher of lemonade from the refrigerator and filled her glass and one for Adam with ice cubes, filling them almost to the rim with the pale, yellow liquid and then for an extra touch added a twist of sliced lemon. She put everything back in the fridge. Before going outside, she thought, I guess I was a little prickly too. I’ve spent too much time at home alone. Having someone around more forces me to talk to a human being. Maybe this project is good for me, making me connect with more people than just clients.

Picking up the glasses, she walked through the door backwards pushing it open with her foot and turned to hold it open with her hip. She took a step back and she couldn’t feel the door. She tossed a look over her shoulder to discover Adam holding it for her.

“Thank you.” Despite the heat, she could feel the pink rise in her cheeks. Hoping he wouldn’t notice, she dipped her head. “Lemonade.”

“What,” he teased, “no cookies?”

She handed him the glasses and grinned. “You take these and I’ll bring out the jar.” She couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you like a Cookie Monster or something?”

Adam stood in the back door and called after her, “I heard you, ya know.”

“I wasn’t trying to whisper.” She carried the clear cookie jar to the door and then handed it to him, noticing the glasses were on a box. She teased, “Making yourself useful?”

Giving her a mock bow, he said, “At your service, miss.”

Melinda followed Adam outside. It had been a long time since she had bantered like this with anyone. It felt good to be able to have a conversation with a real friend that was lighthearted and easy.

In the few minutes she was inside, Adam had put two lawn chairs under a lush maple tree. Then he set a small cardboard box, turned upside down, as a table where their glasses sat glistening with sweat from the afternoon humidity. Melinda sat, facing the back of the house. “So tell me, how did you really come by handyman work after being in the military?”

Adam grabbed a cookie and ate it in two short bites, seeming to stall for time.

“Earth to Adam,” she prodded.

He picked up his glass and took a long drink. “This is good stuff; did you squeeze the lemons yourself?”

She had a stab of suspicion. “If you don’t want to talk about it, just say so. No need to dance around the question.”

The grin he wore seemed to fade. “I don’t really like to talk about my past. But if you don’t mind, I’d rather talk about my date with Susan.”

Melinda turned her attention to look at him. “I’m glad you brought it up. I was really surprised you weren’t a good match.”

Adam took another cookie. He said, “She wasn’t at all what I expected from her profile. In her picture she looked more like the girl next door, wholesome and outdoorsy. In person she wore a lot of makeup, I tend to think less is more. She was late and I value punctuality. And then she orders for both of us. Like she’s in charge or something. Hot chocolate and chocolate croissants.” He shrugged a shoulder. “I would prefer someone a little less controlling.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t just nerves on her part?”

He replied, “She said she was a little nervous, but wait, it gets better.”

Melinda had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that this woman had misrepresented herself. “I’m not sure if I want to hear what comes next.”

“Trust me, you do. If for no other reason than you’ll be able to update her profile in your system.”

“Okay…” She dragged out the word. “I’m listening.

In a rush he said, “She hikes only for exercise and because she likes the view from the peaks. Otherwise she’s not a fan of outdoor activities. As she’s telling me this she’s cleaning the plate with her finger by licking it and plucking up the crumbs. I wanted to ask her if her momma taught her any manners.”

Melinda bit back a laugh. This really was starting to sound comical—if it hadn’t been one of her clients, that is. “So how did you leave things?”

“Well, for one, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. In being totally honest with you, I made up a story about having to leave. Then she said she’d be waiting for my call.” Adam’s tone became tinged with sarcasm. “Um, like that is going to happen.”

Melinda leaned forward and patted his arm. “I’m sorry, Adam.” She could tell he hadn’t been on a first date in a long time. His reaction was a bit over the top.

“Wait, there’s more.”

Melinda had to smile again. “You keep telling me to wait, there’s more. How much more could there be? The date didn’t last that long,”

He snorted. “The best part of this entire conversation, she said she thought people made things up on their profiles and even thought I did too.” He leaned back in the chair, seemingly not the least bit annoyed. After talking, he actually seemed to find the humor in the situation.

“Oh, Adam. I want to reassure you that is not how I run my business, or what I ask clients to do.”

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