Her posture straightens instantly. “A guy?”
“Nothing like that.” I move a carton of eggs to the back of the shelf, pretending that’s suddenly urgent.
Her shoulders deflate. She wants nothing more than for me to find the love of my life. But I’ve come to terms Atomic Fireball candies will always be the one and only great love in my life. She has not.
“He’s someone I know from the bar. He wants to join OneDate.” I lean against the counter next to her.
“And you don’t want him to?”
“I don’t think he’s the right fit.” I exhale. “He’s a nice guy. He really is. But he’s… Miles. Awkward. I doubt he’s been on many dates, and I can’t risk him tanking the app’s reputation before it even launches.”
“But you don’t know that for sure.”
“It’s an intuition,” I argue. “He wants help dating. He thinks the app can fix that.”
“Maybe it can.”
“I’m not here to babysit him.”
“Who says you have to babysit?”
I glare at her. “You’re not helping.”
“I just think everyone deserves a fair chance.”
I groan. “Your wise words of wisdom. Maybe you should go out with him. You could teach him a thing or two.”
“Damn right I could.” She winks. “But I don’t think he’s ready for me.”
A smile tugs at my mouth. “On that note, I’m going to get going. I have Eve’s baby shower this afternoon, and I still need to get a present.”
“Nothing like waiting until the last minute.”
“That’s how I roll.” I wrap my arms around her and kiss her cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you too, sweetheart. Also, think about Miles.”
I roll my eyes, already halfway out the door. “Yeah. Yeah.”
The drive over to Rylee’s gives me too much time to think—about Miles, about Mom’s pointed little smile, about the gift bag on the passenger seat that crinkles every time I hit a bump. A tiny yellow onesie peeks out from the top, cartoon ducks smiling as if they have no idea how chaotic my life is. My chest tightens. Today is supposed to be fun. No emotional spirals allowed. By the time I pull up to Rylee’s place, I plaster on my neutral, I’m-fine expression—even though I’m absolutely not.
Inside, the living room is a sea of pastel and tissue paper. Rylee, Dessa, Eve, and I are surrounded by mountains of gifts. Eve won’t need to buy baby gear for the next five years. Strollers—plural. Pack-and-plays. Toys. Enough tiny clothes to outfit a very stylish infant army.
Eve is Jake’s sister, which already makes her family. With Lach acting as honorary baby daddy, she’s officially one of us.
After the baby shower winds down and most of the guests have left, my phone buzzes again, and it’s another message from Miles. “Ugh, I’m going to kill Lach.” Three heads snap toward me. “Sorry,” I add, glancing at Eve. “I hope you haven’t gotten too attached because he’s a dead man.”
“Technically, he’s not the baby daddy,” Eve counters, unwrapping a box of baby socks. “But he gives me massages and food, so I’d like to keep him around for a little longer. What did he do?”
I drop my phone onto the couch cushion. “He told Miles about OneDate, and now he wants to join to get dating practice. The app is not a tool for education.”
“What’s the harm in him joining?” Eve shrugs. “He’s a really nice guy.”
“Sure, he’s a nice guy. But he also has the ‘I want a girlfriend’ flashing billboard above his head. The purpose of OneDate isn’t to find a partner but to help ease the pressure from others about not having a partner. Miles will be five seconds away from asking out anyone he goes on a date with.”
Rylee crosses one leg over the other, watching me carefully. “I think you’re being a little harsh.”
“Nope.” I shake my head. “I’m trying to run a legitimate business. Not a daycare service.”
