Page 5 of The Valentine's Bet

“Okay, let’s begin,” a voice calls over the PA. I turn to see a man in his mid-thirties, lookingthrilledto be up there. “Usually, we do sixty seconds, but tonight, we’re feeling generous. So, each table gets five minutes, and then the men will shift to the left. Women, you get to stay where you’re at.”

“Let’s go!” The overly excited brunette pumps her fist into the air.

I nearly burst into laughter.

Whoisthis girl?

The buzzer rings, snapping me out of my thoughts—and I have to be courteous, so I turn my attention back to Brenda. “So...”

“So...” she begins, biting her thin lower lip. “I just came tonight because I had nothing better to do, and we get one free drink.”

“I get that,” I say with a smile. “The free drink is nice.”

“Yeah, for sure.”

“Yep.” I drum my fingers on the table, not really caring that it’s starting to feel awkward. That’s what these things are:awkward.

But man, I can’t stop staring at the woman across the room.

She’s a good ten spots away, but the way she talks andlooksat the man at her table tells me everything I need to know. She’sreallyinto this whole thing, her chin resting on her hands and a gleam in her eye.

She’d probably get along nicely with Weston.

Speaking of, I glance around the room, spotting him waggling his eyebrows at a redhead across the table. She’s blushing and laughing, and I already know that he’ll probably get her number.

That’s what he does.

And then it never works out past one or two dates.

We eventually fill the silence—by talking about the weather.

“Time’s up!”

Thank goodness.

I give Brenda a nod and move to the next chair. She doesn’t really pay me any attention, her eyes already fixed on the gruff hipster taking my place. He must be more her type or something. I don’t mind, though, because I’m too busy watching the mystery woman on the other side of the room who’s seemingly drooling over every man that sits across from her...

And it’s just as intriguing as it is painfully hilarious.

I can’t wait to get to that one.

After fifty brutal minutes of making my way through a bunch of women, most of them doing the majority of the talking, some just sitting there awkwardly attempting small talk, I’m finally pulling out the chair in front of the woman I’ve had my eyes on all night...

“I’m Amy.” She beams, a bright smile on her face. However, it doesn’t exactly reach her eyes.

“Rough night?” I ask, running my fingers through my blond hair. “You don’t look nearly as excited as you did when this thing started.”

“I just haven’t felt a connection with anyone,” she admits. “But it only takes one to make a lifetime.”

I swallow the chuckle threatening to slip out. “Uh, I guess so.”

Honestly, Amy is even prettier up close, with freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose and plump natural lips.

“How’s your night going?” she asks. “Have you met anyone special?”

I blink a couple of times. “Um, no. I don’t think I’ve ever metsomeone specialat one of these things.”

Her brows furrow. “Wait, you’ve never had any success at these events before? Do you come to them often?”

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