I’m not sure they’ll be a match though.
I look to Sandeep, who’s fidgeting with his cloth napkin, the one with the illustrations of penguins sporting Santa hats. He’s folding it and unfolding it as he talks to Imani. My heart lurches. Sandeep has battled some anxiety issues, but said he wanted to try group speed dating because it seemed less stressful than a one-on-one. I’d thought it would be a good introduction too.
Now I’m worried though.
But a minute later, he stops folding and appears to be listening intently. That’s good. Very good. So very good I can check out Rowan one more time, since he’s my wild card.
I jerk my gaze back to him. He’s smiling so wide. He’s chuckling. No—that’s darn near chortling. I’d even go so far as to say he’s downright jovial.
It’s…well, it’s nice to see. But is he truly trying? He says he’s going to, but I’ll know soon if he really means that. I ring a silver bell on the counter as a song about silver bells plays overhead.
“Hello, Christmas matches! Let’s move on to the next pairing,” I say cheerily—more cheerily than usual, which is saying something—but I need to combat this strange headache. “Because more cookies is always a good idea.”
“Sure is,” Rowan calls out, flashing me a smile. A too-big smile.
Hmm. I’m not sure what to make of it.
Is this his way of letting me know he’s finally going along with this? That he’s stopped kicking and screaming into matchmaking and is actually having a good time?
That doesn’t entirely sound like him.
But he did say he’d be festive as fuck.
Maybe this is his way of saying that I got what I asked for.
He rises, giving me another view of his strong body, and a flutter has the audacity to appear in my chest.Annoying flutter. He moves over to sit by Imani. She runs a bookstore and loves rock music. She’s smart and stands her ground. In short, she’s perfect for him too.
So perfect, my jaw grinds as I watch them like a hawk. My eyes narrow. He’d better appreciate her. He’d better not ruin this. He’d?—
Hannah turns around. “Isla? I think it’s time. The alarm just went off.”
Oh, shit. I’ve been staring at them so long I didn’t realize it was time to switch again.
“Of course, of course,” I say, bright and jolly, as they play musical chairs.
And at last, Rowan is with Emily. Now I really need to pay close attention here. For…reasons.
After I check in on everyone, I return to my perch—out of the way, but watchful—as Rowan eats a frosting-on-frosting cookie and clearly praises Emily’s creation.
He smiles.
He laughs.
He says, “Yeah, that’d be great.”
What would be great, Rowan?
The dull pain in my head morphs into a scream. I really need some ibuprofen. I hunt around in my purse, find a bottle, and knock two tablets back with some water.
Then, at last, the event is over. Hannah and Jalen walk to the door together. Sandeep smiles and says goodbye to Imani. Emily laughs once more at something Rowan says as he holds out her jacket and helps her put it on. I grit my teeth but wave brightly and say goodnight, assuring everyone I’ll follow up tomorrow.
But as the hockey star reaches the door, I call him back. “Rowan, do you have a minute?”
“Sure, Miss Christmas,” he says.
I ignore the subtle dig. I can’t wait till tomorrow. As the door clinks shut with a chime, I cut to the chase.
“So what did you think?” I ask, as peppy and upbeat as I can be. I have to be, after all. The more I show him I believe in this, the greater the chance he’ll start to believe too. At least, I hope so. “Who do you pick?”
