Page 5 of Love in the Time of Conversation Hearts

“But you’re single and ready to mingle!” I protest. “Maybe someone hot will bid on you, and you’ll fall in love.”

“Every person in this room is single,” Charlie states. “Except Dorothy.”

“I’d still do it, though.” Dorothy raises her wine glass in a toast and takes another long drink. She covers her mouth and lets out a small burp. “You need me? I’m in.”

I ignore this. “Everyone else has jobs. They’ll be busy. You won’t,” I reason.

Harrison clears his throat. “How many times does the woman need to say no, Cora?”

I turn to him. “Are you going to be at all helpful?”

“I’m trying to be,” he says. “Well, this time, I am. She doesn’t want to. Leave her alone.”

“Come on,” I whine. “It would be perfect. And you could even set it up with someone to bid on you so you don’t end up going on a date with some random person.”

Charlie squints one eye shut and tips her head back and forth, considering. Her gaze lands on Harrison, then back on me. “If I do this, I’m not spending a dime of my own money,” she warns me.

I bounce in my seat in premature excitement. “Of course.”

“And I’m going to be perpetually sick and unable to reschedule if some creepy dude bids on me,” she adds.

“I’d expect nothing less.”

She tips her head back to the ceiling. “Fine,” she groans. “I’ll do it.”

I happily write down Charlie’s name under the list of date auction candidates before officially kicking off our discussion of this month’s book. Harrison grunts, then gets up to refill his plate. Lauren, Aubrey, and Dorothy do a toast with their wine glasses. I sigh in contentment. I love this town. I love my job. I love this fundraiser. I love our book club.

Harrison was right. This is shaping up to be the best fundraiser yet.