But wait?—
My smile sagged.
That wasn’t Jamie. It couldn’t be.
I frowned, confused, as the dog owner came to a stop a few feet in front of me. The verymaledog owner.
“Hi,” he said, voice airy as he tried to catch his breath. “This is Bruno, right?”
“Right,” I said.
“So you must be Hank, then.”
I set Bruno down on the ground, and the Labs, Lady and Tramp, Jamie had called them, surged forward to greet him, dragging this guy close enough I could make out the green flecks in his eyes and the spray of freckles over his noseand cheeks.
I took a hurried step back. I wasn’t used to a guy standing so close and looking up at me like that…
“So, where’s Jamie?” I blurted.
“Huh?”
“Did she get cold feet? I knew I put my foot in my mouth last night. I was just kidding around. Tell her I’m?—”
“What are you talking about?”
I stopped, confused. “Well, Jamie’s not here, is she? Unless you’re just watching the dogs while she runs an errand?”
I glanced around the park, as if I’d even recognize Jamie if she were walking right up to us. Still, I looked in the hopes some woman,anywoman, would approach and set my fears to rest. Because the way this guy was looking at me? It wasn’t like a platonic stranger who’d been sent to give me Jamie’s regrets, but rather like?—
“I’m Jamie,” he said.
Shit. Like that.
I laughed nervously. “But you were supposed to be a woman.”
He blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Sorry, it’s just…Iola has thrown me for a loop here. I thought I was signing up to date a woman, and you’re…not one.”
Red crept into his cheeks. I was sure I wasn’t faring much better. Being a ginger, my face gave away all my emotions.
“You’re not bisexual, by chance?” he asked, peeking up at me.
“Sorry, no.”
“Not even a little curious?”
I chuckled. “Not really, no.”
“No.” His lip jutted out in a pout. “Noooo. Iola didnotsend me a straight man after weeks of waiting for a match!”
I winced. “There must have been a mixup. She swore she had the perfect woman for me.”
Jamie sighed and hung his head. “That means it’s back to the drawing board for me. Too bad the drawing board is freaking blank.”
“Sorry, man. Looks like we both have shit luck with dating, then.”
Jamie rolled his eyes. “You’ve got no idea what it’s like to be a gay guy in this town. You can walk across the park and meet another date. I mean, look at you!”
