Page 86 of Matchmaking On The Menu

“Never,” Shelly says.

“Absolutely not,” Mary adds.

“I genuinely thought it would work,” Quadri says.

“That somehow makes it worse.”

“I know.”

“And for the record,” Dannica continues, “you all lose.”

Shelly blinks. “We what⁠—”

“The bet. You made it, which means it plays out. And I’m the outcome.” She gestures between herself and me. “Which means you all lose.”

Quadri’s mouth opens. Closes.

“You each owe me a shift,” Dannica says. “And you’re deep-cleaning the diner tonight.”

Shelly groans. Mary sighs with her whole body.

Dannica doesn’t move. “How did you get Luke involved, anyway?”

“They flirted with me,” Luke says from across the room, cheerful about it. “Except Mary. She just manipulated me.”

“You owed me,” Mary says.

“Hey, I didn’t flirt,” Shelly shouts.

“There was that whole service thing,” Luke says.

“That was a genuine mistake.”

“All right, everyone.” Dannica brings the whole room’s attention back to her. “We’re square now.”

“Mary,” Dannica says, “you are never staging a crime again.”

“Define crime.”

“Mary.”

“Noted.”

A breath slips out of me before I can stop it. I press my mouth together.

“And Shelly, you’re getting my bike fixed.”

“I can do it for free,” Luke calls immediately.

Dannica doesn’t even look at him. “No, you will not.”

“I’m very good with bikes⁠—”

“Luke. You’ll charge a reasonable rate.” She pauses. “And they’re taking you out to dinner.”

A brief silence. Then Mary says, very quickly, “I’ll take him. I was going to anyway.”

Does Diane look disappointed? She does. That’s interesting.