“And the best part of the brief encounter was how he looked at me. He looked like he was gazing upon God.”
“Reel it in, Leo,” Sewa laughs.
I ignore her because his eyes—those mesmerizing, dark bronze eyes—are on my mind.
“It truly felt like I was the only girl in the world.” I raise my palm to stop anyone from pointing out the cliché line, and Anjie’s jaw closes. “It felt great to be looked at like that, with reverence. After everything…”
My energy dips, remembering the incident. My friends rub my back.
“And this will not be the last time, trust,” Anjie coos.
We finish the episode. The killer’s still at large and now someone’s poisoned a dog. There’s more to go, but it’s getting late, and we all have early days tomorrow.
“So, before we go. About the offer fromCupid’s Bow. You’re gonna take the refund or what?” Sewa says, putting on her jacket.
“If you don’t want it, you can give it to me,” Anjie jokes.
I bite my lip, thinking of the grave error I made in telling these two about the offer. “I never even asked the amount…” I say and then cringe at their reactions. “I don’t know if it’s for the whole amount I paid or not. I was a little distracted at the time. It was in the middle of work.”
“Sure…” Sewa rolls her eyes.
Anjie reaches for the business card. “Let’s call and find out.”
“It’s a Sunday,” I protest.
“We might get lucky,” Sewa says.
Anjie waves the card in front of my eyes. It’s a simple white card with pink-and-purple detailing alongside the company logo with a customer care number below. I don’t know why I kept it in plain sight like that. I’ve had the chance to throw it out, but it stared at me every day, not as intensely as Niyi did, but close.
Fuck it. I have nothing to lose and only my money to gain back. I hand Sewa my phone, and she dials as Anjie reads the numbers aloud. She shoves the phone to my ear. It’s ringing.
A moment later, a smooth voice I don’t recognize picks up. “Cupid’s Bow, Head of Operations. How can I help?”
“Hi, this is Moyo Adegbite. I received this number from theCupid’s Bowrep, Niyi, some weeks ago,” I say, pretending I don’t remember the exact day. It was precisely two Mondays ago.
“Oh, yes! Moyo,” the voice says, becoming lighter and more familiar. “This is Vinny Carr or, better yet, Mercury. How can I help you this evening?”
My jaw drops, and I mouth “Mercury” for my audience. Their jaws also drop. Of course, I recognize the name. Mercury is one of the most prominent young business owners in the city. No one knows much about the internal structure ofCupid’s Bow, but Mercury is a local celebrity in the young Black professionals’ space.
“Hi, Mercury, sorry to interrupt your Sunday evening—”
“Not an issue. How can I help?”
“Your rep came by my office and said something about a monetary refund package?”
“Oh, yes. I can write the check right now. I’m so sorry things didn’t work out with your previous match. But I’m curious, were you also interested in our personalized coaching service?”
My father’s voice rings in my mind. I want someone that I am sure of. But to search for love? I don’t know if I can handle another grand disappointment. I could use another app, but statistically,Cupid’s Bowis the best. The numbers and reviews don’t lie. And even though I lowkey want them to so I have a reason to give up, true love can’t lie.
Sewa nudges my arm.
“What’s happening?” Anjie whispers.
“I…” I peter out. I don’t have an answer.
Mercury comes to my rescue. “You know what? Take some more time to think about it. I want to compensate you for that previous match andrenew your faith in love and inCupid’s Bow. There’s a mixer for current and previous app customers this Wednesday night at 6:30. If you have time, I’d love for you to join us.” They pause for a response, but I have nothing to say as I digest the information. “Regardless, I’ve signed your check, and if you’d like, I can send someone right now to deliver it.”
“Right now?”
