Page 77 of The Blind Date

It was time to start acting!

I smiled brightly as I approached my parents, but it slowly slipped off my face when my eyes ran over the three other people sitting at the table with them.

"What's going on here?" I asked, pretending to be shocked. "What have I just walked into?"

"We turned up for dinner, and the Barlowes just happened to be here,” Dad told me, briefly lifting his gaze from the football game he was watching on his phone with Alfie.

“What a happy coincidence!” Alfie chimed in, and Yasmin sent him a sharp look from across the table.

Cillian snickered. His presence this evening was unexpected, but it was far from unwelcome. If we played our cards right, we could use him as a tool in our grand plan.

"A happy coincidence indeed, but there doesn't appear to be much space left at the table,” Yasmin murmured, a frown on her face.

"Saff, Cedric and you can grab a table to yourselves, or you can squish up here,” Mum told me, gesturing to the only chair left at the table–it would be a tight squeeze for both Cedric and I to sit there between Mum and Cillian, and she knew it.

"Cedric's going to be here, too?" I frowned in question as I pulled back the chair and took a seat, deciding that it would be far more interesting if they had a front-row seat to what we had planned for this evening.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Cillian chuckled from beside me. “I’m sure my brother will be just as elated as you to find out we’re all having dinner together. Again.”

“I’m so excited.” My tone dripped with sarcasm.

I just hoped Cedric waited the full five minutes before arriving and pretending to be surprised to find me here. If he didn’t, then all this prep work I was doing would go down the drain.

“How are you on this fine Sunday evening, Saffron?” Cillian asked, mirroring his brother’s smug smirk.

"I'm very well, thank you,” I replied politely. "Though I would be far better if my parents weren't obsessed with setting me up with your brother." I sent pointed looks to my parents and internally laughed at the way Dad pretended not to hear while Mum merely grinned back at me, not the least bit ashamed.

“How do you think I feel being roped into this mess?” Cillian snorted.

“Oh, so you’re not part of the plan?” I laughed.

“No. My parents thought that if they brought me along, it would make this a whole lot more believable. They’re essentially using me as a prop, but I’m just here for the free food.”

“And how’s that working out for them?” This time, I made a point of turning and sending Alfie and Yasmin a pointed look, wanting them to know that I saw right through their act.

“Seeing as you figured it out before even sitting down, I’d say terribly,” he chuckled. “But moving past that, how was your week? What’s it like working in tech in the finance industry?”

“Your brother and I pretty much do the same job at different banks.”

“You two are opposites attract in every sense of the word except your career.”

"I'm not so sure about that,” I chuckled.

“That’s funny because that’s exactly how I would describe you two.” Mum turned to butt herself into the conversation, Yasmin right behind her.

"Not that we're trying to set you up anymore, of course,” Yasmin was quick to add, her eyes wide, almost as if afraid that I would see through their act. It was humorous since it was pretty transparent, and both Cedric and I had seen right through it straight away.

"I'm glad,” I smiled. "Anyway, November isn't far away now, so I'll be kind of busy with my ten blind dates."

“Ten blind dates?” Yasmin asked, her eyebrows furrowing in the middle.

Mum sent her a pointed look as if to say that she would explain everything later. Well, she certainly had a lot to explain. Yasmin and Alfie would no doubt think that they were bizarre for coming up with the idea, but after how hard they had been trying to spice up Cedric's love life as well, I wouldn't be surprised if they adopted the idea themselves.

I bookmarked the uncomfortable feeling that washed me at that thought for later.

“Your mum was telling me a little about those ten blind dates earlier,” Cillian grinned when I turned back to face him. “I’m intrigued. Tell me more.”

I pulled a face. “There’s nothing much to tell. My parents got me drunk at my best friend's wedding a couple of weeks ago and made me agree that I would go on ten blind dates every month until I met my soulmate.”

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