Page 31 of In a Pinch

“Thank you, thank you. I have come a long way.” We make our way to the couch with our cups of coffee. As excited as I am for my own space, I will miss our Saturday mornings. No rush, no hustle and bustle, like our regular mornings. Just us on the couch, with a cheesy rom-com playing in the background.

“Okay, so, I need you to be open-minded.” Alarm bells immediately ring in my head. Nothing good ever comes from Isla telling me to be open-minded.

“Ohh-kay. You have me worried.”

“There is this new hire at work. He’s really nice, like, walk your grandma across the busy street nice. And he has a good job and he’s single.”

Knowing exactly where this is going, I have to fight the urge to pump the brakes. “And what does this have to do with me?” I already know, but I have learned a thing or two about assuming.

“Well, I showed him a picture of you, and he wants to take you out.” I immediately pull away, the horror written all over my face.

“You didn’t.” My mouth falls open at the betrayal. Blind dates are the devil incarnate.

“I did.” She looks proud of herself, like she’s doing me a favor. All these years of friendship, and this is where it will end.

“Why? I thought we were friends.” Setting my coffee down on the table next to her, I brace myself for what’s next.

“And that is exactly why I did this. So that you don't have to die alone with a million cats and be the weird lady on the block.”

My expression drops. “I’m allergic to cats. So, I think we're safe.”

“Okay, well, crazy dog lady, then. Listen, you’ve been single for a year. It’s time to get back on the horse.” She grabs my hands, and I feel like I'm stuck in a one-on-one intervention.

My thoughts drift to Sam, which makes me think of the little blond who was all too comfortable putting her hands on him. The fact that it bugged me set off alarm bells in my head. Sam and I are just friends, and barely that. We argue and bicker more than we have casual conversation. Well, until this past week.

It’s not like it was a date. So, why I felt so territorial over him feels stupid now. He probably thinks I’m a psycho, with the way I bailed out of there. I know good and well my face tells my feelings before my mouth ever does.

Little does Isla know the one guy I was interested in was on her blacklist, and now I am seeing why. He’s a bit of a flirt, which is fine, because so am I. Maybe it would be a good idea to let her set me up with someone. Clearly, my choices are from the bottom of the barrel, and she knows me better than anyone.

“What’s his name and what does he look like?”

“YES!” She puts her fists in the air, as if claiming a victory. I’m surprised she doesn’t leap off the couch with the amount of excitement radiating from her.

Shaking my head I point my index finger at her. “I swear to you, if he is a creep, you will rue the day you were born.Rue it!”

“You think so little of me that I would set you up with a grade A weirdo?” I just raise my eyebrows in response. “Hold on, let me pull up his Facebook.”

After a few seconds, she hands me the phone.

Damn it. Well, Shaun is cute. Almost like boyish charm cute, with just enough facial hair to give him an edge. His hair is a dirty blond, well-styled, and he is dressed nicely. I scroll through his page and fail to find a single red flag. Still, I find myself comparing him to Sam, whose dark hair and honey eyes make him impossible to overlook.

Shaking the thought out of my head, I decide to follow Isla on this. “Okay, set us up, Cupid.”

Her eyes go wide and a bright smile stretches across her face. “Shut up. Really?”

I hold up my index finger. “You get this one chance. If he is weird, you are banned from setting me up ever again.”

“I’m texting him right now!” She jumps off the couch, almost as if her excitement won’t let her sit still. I just laugh and lean my head back on the couch.

What have I just gotten myself into?

Chapter Fifteen

Addie

“Does she have a hot coworker she can hook me up with?” Regina asks.

“Maybe you shouldn’t ask to be set up until we know her quality of men. Isla’s radar is usually better than mine, but most blind dates are shit shows, and we both know it.”

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