Page 6 of Dating the Boss

“Yes. Three-thirty.”

“Fine.” He stands straight, his back to me as he walks toward his office. “If I miss you, have a nice night.”

* * *

Margot and I walk into the Overlook Hotel bar and check in at the registration desk. The MatchMakers event staff is friendly and personable, knocking my anxiety down several notches.

“I can’t believe we’re at a speed dating event.” I walk beside Margot, sneaking glances at the other attendees. They certainly vetted the dating pool well. Either that, or everyone has taken the time to dress up in their Saturday night best. I had no idea we had this many attractive single men and women around my age in Spring City.

Of course, I don’t get out much.

“Lots of eye candy.” Margot grins. “Maybe this won’t be so bad.”

I smile at the bartender and hand her my drink ticket. “Cosmo, please.”

“Make that two.” Margot hands over one of her tickets.

After we get our drinks, she and I walk around the edge and take up residence at a high-top table. Trying to come off as casual as possible, because I’ve never admitted to my coworker that I have feelings for my boss, I say, “Did I tell you about my conversation with Mr. Manning this morning?”

“Which one?” Margot slides her eyes my way, a smile plastered to her face for the crowd.

“Coulter.”

“What did he say?”

“He wanted me to work a fundraiser tonight and seemed upset when I said no.”

“Have you ever told him no before?”

“Well, no.”

“Hmmm.” Margot takes a sip of her drink and bats her lashes in the direction of a guy slowly walking past our table. “What do you think it means?”

“I don’t know,” I say honestly.

“What do you want it to mean?” She grins at me, a knowing glint to her eye.

Shit. I knew I shouldn’t have started this conversation with her. It opens up too many questions. “I don’t know,” I say again.

“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to MatchMakers Valentine’s Day speed dating event,” a pretty woman in a flowery dress says into a microphone. “In fifteen minutes, we’ll begin Round One. We had an outstanding response, so today each of you will spend five minutes with twenty of the best singles Spring City has to offer. You’re here because your time is valuable. So, while five minutes seems fast, I personally guarantee it’s long enough to know if you want more time… and that’s the point of this event. Today, focus on creating your list of those who you want to know more about tomorrow. Ladies, you have a table number assigned to you as annotated on top of your scorecard. Tables start with Number One here to my left and increases in this pattern.” She uses her hand to draw a sideway S in the air. “If you can’t find your seat, ask one of our professionals easily recognizable by their black and hot pink polo tops. Gentlemen, you will start at the guest chair marked on the top of your scorecard and go from there, moving to the next seat on your right every five minutes. Hopefully, you have prepared your icebreakers, but if not, use the questions sent as part of your packet. We have copies available at the registration desk. Any additional questions, please seek out a MatchMakers professional, and above all, have fun!”

I clap along with the others, nervously glancing around the bar. “I think I’m going to throw up.”

Margot chuckles. “You’re being melodramatic.”

“I’m not like you. I don’t ooze self-confidence.”

“That’s the best part about this. Five minutes. All you have to do is decide if you want to learn more about them in five minutes. Don’t worry about impressing them, just be open to being impressed by them. That’s it.”

“What are your go-to icebreaker questions?” I pull a three-by-five card out of my purse. I jotted down a few from the sample questions MatchMakers sent me, and then I Googled a couple of others. Yes, I’m that kind of awkward geek.

Margot glances at my card and then shakes her head, a wry smile on her lips. “I want someone adventurous, ready to be monogamous, but not ready for the white picket fence. So, all of my questions revolve around where they’ve been and where they want to go.”

She throws up three fingers. “One,” she bends one down, “What’s the best vacation you’ve ever been on? Two,” she bends another finger down, “If you could go anywhere, right now, where would you go and what would you do while you are there?”

I raise my eyebrow. “And number three?”

“How’s your sexual stamina?”

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