She leaned forward over the table and spoke to the guy in a whisper as if they were conspiring together. "It looks like there's more than one couple going on a blind datetonight."
His head spun back and forth, as he took in the room. "Really? Do they need us to move to anothertable?"
Us? Oh,noooo.
He didn't understand, and still thought Harmony was his date. She thought she might die from secondhand embarrassment. Harmony was almost tempted to invite him to eat with her just to avoid making him feel bad, but reminded herself of the guy who was coming to meet her. Pax was her dream guy, the perfect match thanks toMorgan.
Besides, the guy standing next to her table had a date he was meeting too. She didn’t want him to miss out on it. Maybe he was matched by Morgan too, and they would both get a happily everafter.
Harmony took a deep breath. "No, I mean I'm waiting on someone else. Maybe your date hasn't gotten here yet. I bet the hostess could help though." She leaned over to steal a quick glance at the front door. Still no Pax. That was a good thing. She would still have a chance to regain her composure before they met for thefirsttime.
The guy didn't move. Instead, he was pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. He looked down at it, and back up at her. "You're Harmony, right? HarmonyDaniels?"
A sinking feeling hit her stomach, and any remaining warmth left her face. "Yes,that'sme."
The guy looked even less confident than he had before, if such a thing was possible, but didn't move. He stood stiffly and handed the paper in his hands to her. Harmony grabbed it and gave it aquicklook.
It was a date outline from Morgan. Everything looked the same as Harmony’s. Dinner at this very restaurant and then a painting class to follow. The same date, the same time. The only thing that was different from the paper she currently had stuffed in her purse was one name. Just a handful ofletters.
While her date plan said Pax, his saidDominick.
"Do you mind if I sit?" The guy, whose name she now knew was Dominick, gestured toward the empty seat in frontofher.
"Yes." He lowered himself into the chair, so she clarified. "No, what I mean is yes, I mind. No, you maynotsit."
For the first time, hurt flashed across his features, but he remained seated. "I'm confused. We both signed up for the Date Maker,right?"
Harmony noddedherhead.
"And we're both at this restaurant, waiting for our dates. My paper has your name and your picture, which means your page has my name and my picture. But it seems like you don't want tobehere."
Harmony reached into her purse and pulled out the picture of Pax. She slid it across the table toward Dominick. "I want to be here, but I thought I was meetingthisguy."
"But thepaper?"
She reached into her purse, pulled out her date outline, and proceeded to slide it toward Dominick as well. He grabbed it tentatively, and read it over, all under her watchful gaze. The moment he connected the dots, his eyes went wide, and he looked back up atHarmony.
"There was amix-up."
Harmony bit back the cutting remark on her lips and noddedoncemore.
"So, does this mean you're supposed to be here with me? OrwithPax?"
She knew which one she wouldpreferto be here with, and it wasn't the insecure guy sitting across from her, no matter how warm his initial smilehadbeen.
If Harmony looked closely, she could see a small tremor in Dominick’s hands as he continued to hold the paper. Even his voice shook as he asked, "Should wetexther?"
Why hadn't she thought of that? Oh, that's right, because she was too busy cursing Morgan for mixing her date up. Harmony pulled out her phone and messaged Morgan, aware that Dominick was also typing something on his cellphone at thesametime.
Harmony: What the hell??? You messed upmydate.
When text bubbles didn't immediately pop-up indicating Morgan texting back, Harmony sent another. Andanother.
Harmony: Please tell me my date was supposed tobePax.
Harmony: You DID NOT set me up withDominick.
Harmony: MORGAN. ANSWER YOURPHONE!!!!!!
