“I’m always positive about love, Nina. It’s my job!”
Nina smirks. “Not like this.”
“This guy…he’s my complete opposite,” I articulate, thinking out loud. “I can see it now. His hunger for money and obsession with data will be too overwhelming for me and how I make decisions, which some might call too emotional. He’s secretive and doesn’t show his cards right away, whereas I like to know things immediately. I wouldn’t be able to tell what his true motives are, and that would annoy me. He’ll want feedback on every little thing, and I’ll be turned off by someone who isn’t self-assured. You see? It’s useless to even pretend there could ever be something between us.”
Nina leans over, her elbows digging into the side of her knees. “I haven’t decided yet if it’s charming or exhausting when you do that ‘I can see it now’thing. You know, just because you and your ex weren’t compatible doesn’t mean you can’t ever be with someone incompatible again, right?”
“He has nothing to do with this,” I say, putting my hands up in defense. “I’m providing context based on what I’ve learned about Bennett so far.”
“You really learned a lot about this guy at one baking class,” Nina says skeptically.
“I get paid to analyze people quickly,” I rationalize.
“I think it’s a matter of perspective. His data is numbers. Your data is traits,” Nina says.
“My data? That’s not how I view love. Based on traits and elements, I help create a—”
“Spark, right?” Nina asks.
I hold my hands out toward her. “Exactly.”
“Just like an algorithm, you’re trying to make sense of love. You bring order to it for others.”
“I’m not trying to have a debate about this.”
Still, her words linger.
She sticks out her lip to pout. Nina lives for a good debate. It’s what makes her a respectable, albeit exasperating, comic book editor. If authors can reasonably explain their points, Nina’s willing to go along with them.
“I just want you to be as happy as I am,” Nina says. “You used to love being in love.”
I stretch my legs out in front of me. “I am in love. With my work.”
Nina leans her head back against the treehouse wall and laughs.
“And I am happy,” I continue. I reach for the moon and horse pendants around my neck. “I have Lunar Love and my clients and my family and my health and Pinot andyou.And cake. There’s never a shortage of cake. Honestly, what more do I need?”
Chapter 12
Iwake to the sound of buzzing against my wooden nightstand. Sensing movement, Pinot climbs over my body to meow in my face for attention. Half-awake, I feel around for my phone.
A cryptic text from Bennett appears on my screen.Date details coming later today, just need you to make sure your profile is up-to-date.
I flop back against the pillow, checking the time on my alarm clock. 6:15 a.m. I hold my phone up in the air with extended arms, my eyes adjusting to the bright glow of my screen in the dark.
I check ZodiaCupid, remembering Bennett’s text on Saturday about the product launch.Where’s this app update you keep alluding to?I respond.
Bennett messages back immediately.Happy Monday to you, too! It’s launching this afternoon.
Before I can respond, another message appears.
Breakfast on me? I can give you a sneak preview.
Obviously, I need this sneak preview. I check my phone calendar for any client sessions—nonexistent—and meetings before agreeing to his offer. Except for a few check-ins with Alisha, my schedule is worryingly open.
After a couple hours of anticipation, I meet Bennett outside of Urth Caffé in downtown LA. I almost don’t recognize him in his white T-shirt, workout shorts, and running shoes. We take our place in line, which luckily isn’t as long today as it is most days.
“Looks great,” Bennett says, looking around at the quiet morning crowd. “I looked up this place on a buddy of mine’s newly launched dish-rating app and found a few items with four stars that we could try.”
