“Of course, I remember you, Theresa,” Mrs. Morgan says, ignoring my hand and going in for a warm hug. “I loved chatting with you that night—it was one of the highlights of the wedding for me.”
“For me, too.”
“Plus, there’d be no forgetting who you are, what with Josh talking about you so affectionately when he and I went ring-shopping together last week. He couldn’t stop talking about how indispensable you are to him—and how trustworthy and kind.”
“Really? He said that? Wow. Thank you for telling me that, Mrs. Morgan. That means a lot to me.”
“Please, call me Louise. Or Lou—that’s what my friends and family call me. Actually, if you really wanna make my day, call me Momma Lou.” She giggles. “Josh started calling me that the other day and it tickles me pink. I’m hoping maybe he and Kitty will teach the baby to call me Gramma Lou.”
“Momma Lou it is. But only if you’ll agree to call me the name my friends and family have always called me: Tessa.”
“Oh, that’s pretty.”
“Thank you. I’m named after my Grandmother Teresa, so my family has always called me Tessa to avoid confusion. Actually, nobody outside of work has ever called me Theresa—I’ve always been Tessa.”
“Tessa suits you. It’s elegant and down-to-earth, all at once, just like you.”
I blush. “Thank you. I could say the same about you, Momma Lou.”
We talk for a bit about the success of the party, and then Mrs. Morgan looks at me sideways, a sparkle in her eyes.
“So,Tessa,” she begins, “I know this is maybe an incredibly forward thing to ask, but are you single, by any chance? I meant to ask at the wedding but chickened out.”
I open my mouth and close it again.
“The reason I ask is I’ve got this son who just broke up with his girlfriend last week—thank God—apparently, she was a real piece of work. And I really think you two would hit it off. I thought about setting you two up the minute I met you at Jonas and Sarah’s wedding, actually—I know my son’s taste in women and I’m positive he’dreallylike you—but, like I said, he still had a girlfriend a month ago so I decided not to meddle. But now that he’s single—thank God—I feel like it’s fate you’re both here today.” She leans forward. “I’ve actually got quite a gift for matchmaking. Ask anyone.”
Okay, I’m having several simultaneous thoughts here:
First, Kat has a brother? Who knew? I must say, if he looks anything like his jaw-dropping sister, he’s one dude I wouldn’t kick out of bed for eating crackers.
Second, oh my God, Louise Morgan is adorable. Would I want my own mother to meddle in my love life the way she’s trying to do for her son? Hell no. But, hey, Mrs. Morgan’s not my mother so I’m actually finding her meddling irresistibly charming.
Third, no offense to Louise intended, but whatever type of woman she thinks her son wants to screw, I can almost guarantee he secretly wants the polar opposite. In my experience, mommies really don’t know their grown sons as well as they think they do.
And, finally, fourth, but not least, there’s no way in freaking hell I’d hook up with Mrs. Morgan’s son, no matter how handsome he surely is, even if she’s right and I’m somehow his idea of the perfect woman. Why? Because he’s Kat’s freaking brother! I mean, come on, what if this guy and I were to hit it off and miraculously fall in love and get married and have three gorgeous babies (which, at the end of the day, is the point of dating in the first place), am I truly gonna feel comfortable having Josh and Kat as my brother- and sister-in-law? Ha!No.The idea gives me hives. Plus, besides all that, I honestly don’t care about meeting Mrs. Morgan’s son right now, however gorgeous and wonderful he might be, because I’m currently way too obsessed with the idea of finding Ryan Number Eleven to think about any other man.
“Wow, thank you, Mrs. Morgan—Momma Lou,” I say. “I’m honored you’d even think of setting me up with your son. The thing is, while I’m technically single at the moment, it’s because I want to be. I’ve had a string of bad luck in the romance department lately. My last boyfriend was a real doozy, and then, just last week, this guy I really liked asked me out on a date and then turned out to have a girlfriend.”
“Oh no.”
I laugh. “Yeah, that guy last week really took the wind out of my sails. So I’m taking a bit of a break from the ‘search for love,’ as it were, just for a while.” Reflexively, my gaze drifts across the gym to confirm that Josh made it to the interview with Jonas. He did. “So, um, I mean no disrespect, Mrs. Morgan, but I think I’m just gonna lay low for a little while longer, at least until I figure out why I seem to be attracted to cheating scumbags.”
“Well, if you don’t mind me saying, it sounds to me like you’ve got it backwards, honey,” Mrs. Morgan says. “If you’ve been meeting nothing but scumbags lately, that’s all the more reason for you to meet my son. He’s one of the good ones, honey—and, like I said, he’s for sure single. He and his girlfriend broke up last week. Thank God.”
I grin at her. Damn, she looks so earnest and hopeful—but if her son and his girlfriend broke up only last week, then that’s even more reason for me to avoid him like the plague: being some guy’s rebound relationship isn’t high on my List of Things to Do. “Thank you, Mrs. Morgan.Momma Lou.You’re so sweet. But I’m just not up for getting my feet wet in the man-pool quite yet. Let’s give your son a bit of time to play the field after his break-up and me some time to restore my faith in mankind again, and then we’ll revisit the idea at some later date?”
Mrs. Morgan smiles. “All right, honey. A rain check it is. It sounds like we’re gonna be seeing each other again at a certain wedding, so perhaps I’ll introduce you to my wonderful son then.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
We say our goodbyes as the band launches into an energetic cover of my all-time favorite song “Bailando” by Enrique Iglesias (one of the perks to being the girl who organized the party is approving the band’s song list). And then, for a long moment, I watch Louise dance her way across the gym to join her husband... who’s standing next to a human slab of godly perfection leaning on crutches. Oh my effing God! Isthatguy Mrs. Morgan’s “wonderful” son? I feel like screaming, “Wait, Momma Lou! I take it all back! Introduce me now!” I laugh to myself. I think I’m a wee bit horny these days. And, holy hell, that guy on crutches is gorgeous! Actually, now that I’m getting a good look at Mr. Handsome on Crutches, I’m realizing he totally reminds me of Ryan from The Pine Box.
Ah, jeez. There I go again. Hello, Ryan NumberTwelve!
I’ve got to get a grip.
It’s not like Ryan and I had some sort of soul connection, even though it felt that way at the time. I have to remember Ryan had a girlfriend when he was saying all that amazing stuff to me, even the part about him “looking for something real.” And that means Ryan from The Pine Box is a liar and a scumbag and a player and I shouldn’t believe a word he said. Which is why I’m going to wipe the guy from my mind forever and never think of him again... right after I find Ryan Number Eleven.
