“Hey there, hot stuff!” Maisy’s eyes lit up as she slid out of the booth and pulled me into a hug.
“Hi, beautiful!” As I hugged her back, I couldn’t help but think that this outfit was seriously going to go to waste if I didn’t have a Holden run-in.
As we both sat, she wagged her brows. “I’m guessing your date went well.”
“My date?” My mouth watered as I looked down at my plate. Maisy had ordered me my go-to lunch at the Spoon: club sandwich, wheat toast, side of fries, and a pickle spear. I grabbed a fry, dipped it in ketchup, and popped it into my mouth.
“You left last night to go on a date, right? And you are glowing this morning, soo…”
I shook my head as I finished my fry. “Oh no, I didn’t…I mean yes, I did go to dinner with someone last night, but nothing happened.”
Her face scrunched up. “Was he the nose picker?”
“He had an itch.” I defended Tyler again and determined in my mind not to tell anyone about my dates in the future. It was difficult enough figuring out what my instincts were about someone without the input of my friends and family clouding my judgment, which was obviously not to be trusted since I’d pined after Holden for all these years.
“So what happened? You just didn’t like him?” Maisy popped a piece of chicken strip in her mouth.
“I don’t know…he’s just…” He’s not Holden. “He’s not the one.”
“What are you looking for in the one?”
“Um…I’m not really sure.”
Her brows lifted and it was clear that she did not believe what I was telling her.
She knew me well enough to know that if I were looking for someone, I would know exactly who or what sort of person I wanted. And she wasn’t wrong. I knew exactly who I wanted. “You aren’t really sure?”
“I mean, I did make a list.”
She rubbed her hands together excitedly. “Oooh, what’s on the list?”
“Obviously, I have to be attracted to them.”
Her head tilted to the side as she studied me. “What is your type? I mean besides Channing Tatum. The actor, not your dog.”
I did love a man that could dance. But other than that, I wasn’t really sure. The truth was, I didn’t really have a physical type. No two guys I’d ever dated had shared similar features or body types. I was attracted to people for different reasons, but no one had ever come close to what I felt for Holden.
“I don’t really have a type. It’s more about chemistry and feeling that spark.”
“Fair enough. So, what’s on the list?”
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about the wedding? I figured that’s why you—”
“No!” She cut me off. “That’s the last thing I want to talk about. I texted you because I needed a break. I don’t want to think about invitations, or seating arrangements, or cakes, or my dress, or anything wedding related. I didn’t sleep at all last night driving myself crazy. I need distraction!”
It didn’t surprise me that she was obsessing about the details. Maisy was more type A than I was.
“So, the list,” she prompted again before stuffing four French fries in her mouth.
“Um…” I picked up my phone and pulled up my Notes app. “Honesty. Sense of humor. Athletic. Kind. Family oriented. Driven. Passionate. Challenging—”
“Challenging?” she interrupted me, looking genuinely confused.
“I get bored very easily. I can’t be with someone who just agrees with everything I say and doesn’t ever challenge me to be a better person or get out of my comfort zone.”
“Speaking of comfort zone!” Her eyes lit up. “Molly told me that you were going to start doing naked yoga,” she whispered the last two words.
I smiled. She was acting like I’d started an OnlyFans account. “I did. This morning.”
“Did you like it?”
“It was okay.” I shrugged. I’d actually thought that I’d feel more rebellious, or something. But all I’d really felt was cold. And I had the strangest feeling, like someone was watching me. It hadn’t freaked me out, or anything. But I doubted I’d do it again.
“Okay, continue.” She waved her hand toward my phone.
“Wants to have kids. Shares the same values and morals that I do. Is handy. Can change a tire and the oil in a car.” I lifted my hand. “Because I can do those things, so I feel like it’s only fair that he can. Which brings me to something that I haven’t written down: he has to own a vehicle.” I’d been out with two guys that were ‘between cars’ and I’d had to pick them up. It was a deal breaker for me.
I looked back down at my list and continued reading, “Ambitious. Is just as happy staying home on a weekend night as going out with friends. Has sex appeal. Has strong friendships. Understands me. No smoking. No drugs. No baby mama drama. They can have kids,” I clarified. “But no baby mama drama.” I set my phone down and picked up a triangle section of my sandwich.
“Wow… that’s…a lot.”
“Is it?” I took a bite and set my sandwich down. “I mean, Bentley would tick all those boxes for you. And Jackson ticks all those boxes for Josie, and—”
“No, you’re right.” She interrupted me. “It sounded like a lot, but I guess that’s not true. There are quite a few guys that would.”
I finished another bite of my sandwich and wiped my mouth. “And you want to know something really depressing? I’ve actually met guys that tick all those boxes for me, but there’s still just something…missing.”
The something being they are not Holden Reed. I sounded like a broken record, one that needed to come off the turntable.
I’d romanticized what we meant to each other for far too long. He didn’t love me. It was that simple. I’d still hook up with him in a hot second, but I had to stop thinking he was ever going to be my happily-ever-after. “But I have two dates this week, so we’ll see.”
Two of the guys I’d hearted this morning had already got back to me.
“Two?”
“It’s a numbers game,” I explained.
“Who are the guys?”
“I matched with them on Love at First Click.”
“What’s their names?”
It had been only a few hours since I’d agreed to go on the date, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember anything about them, including their names, so I answered honestly. “No idea.”
“You’ve been going on a lot of dates lately.” The way she said it wasn’t judgmental at all, but I could hear something in her tone that was more than just observational.
“Yep. Like I said, it’s a numbers game.”
Maisy lifted her coke and took a drink. Then set it down and took a deep breath. It was obvious that she had something to say, but she didn’t want to say it.
“What?” I blurted out.
“I know it’s none of my business,” she cringed. “It’s just a weird position for me to be in now because you’re my best friend so my loyalty has always been to you, but Bentley is my…”