I withdraw my fingers. “One thing you’ll quickly learn is I don’t do well with solo vulnerability. I shared about my day, it’s your turn.” His brows furrow and before he can interject, I speak again. “Then we can get to work.”
“Cupid’s Bowwork. Meetings,” he says, giving in. “Just work. My life revolves around the company, so there’s not much to say.”
“Life revolving around work isn’t great. There must be something or someone else.”
“No one else. Just me.”
“Nice,” I say, and a second later my eyes widen, realizing how that must sound. “I don’t mean it like that. I mean thanks for sharing.” The words come out so fast. I must look like a deer in headlights.
“What about you? Any other things aside from work?” Niyi asks.
“Shouldn’t we be getting back to work?” I raise a brow.
“Touché, mademoiselle. Rain check for our next meeting. Getting to know you will have to happen gradually.” He speaks with an increasingly serene tone. I could listen to him on repeat.
Niyi picks up a page that looks like a printout of my currentCupid’s Bowprofile. “First, we’re going to review your profile. And then”—he pulls out another piece of paper that readsCupid’s Bow Questionnaire—“we’ll discuss your dating preferences in detail, I’ll give you some time to fill out this questionnaire, and that’ll be all for today.”
My brows scrunch. “You have my profile right there. What more is there to know?”
“Just expanding on what you have. Some of the details are vague—”
“Like what?” I snap.
“Moving beyond the cliché mainly. For example, when describing your ideal man, you’ve primarily listed physical attributes. Which isn’t inherently bad, but that doesn’t give us much to work with when setting up a match.”
“It wasn’t a problem the last time I filled this out.”
“I just want to make things better. How are we supposed to know what you want when you don’t articulate it?”
I’m not sure if it’s his words or how smoothly he says them, but I’m taken aback. I did articulate it. I know what I want, and I’ve expressed that. I took my time researching and filling out the app to maximize the potential of ending up with a good match. Who is he to tell me I don’t know what I want?
“It’s articulated. I know how to articulate—”
“I didn’t mean it like tha—”
“Don’t interrupt me.” My sharp words act as a shield. “I spent a long time filling out the already extensive profile. And now you want me to repeat everything?”
“I believe it’ll help.”
“How about y’all do your job and we’ll see after the first match? Does that work?”
Niyi nods, his stonewall of a face unchanged. I all but bolt out ofCupid’s BowHQ, my chest heaving with the ferocity of a dragon. Once I’m in my car, cooled down by air conditioning, I regret my childish outburst.
“You can’t lash out because a guy questioned you, Moyo.” I bury my head in my hands. God, what is wrong with me? If I can’t even accept pushback from my dating coach, where does that leave me?
Why didn’t this ever happen with Cole? It was easy, because he gave in to everything. I thought no conflict was a good thing, but maybe there were no clashes because we were hiding our true selves. Cole definitely was.
Did I do that too? No…at least I don’t think so.
Ugh!
Thinking in circles will do me no good. I’ve signed the contract, and I promised my dad and my girls that I’d try dating again. I choseCupid’s Bowagain, so I have to see it through. I also need to apologize to Niyi.
It’s only three dates. And three meetings. I can handle that.
11Niyi
VEE IS SPRAWLED OUT ON MY COUCH, WATCHING TV WHENI walk in. With a weighted huff, I drop my bag, let out a tortured groan, and land in the only Vee-less spot.
