Page 16 of Somebody To Love

Dana began to look even guiltier. “Well, you see. Since you’ve had some trouble finding someone, Meredith decided that she wanted to help.”

“Ummm ok…” I said still not getting it.

“Meredith has this friend or enemy at school, depends on what day it is… anyway, Danny Schultz,” Dana paused, “You remember Danny, right?”

“Kind of. The one with the wacky mom?”

“Yeah, well it turns out that she’s no longer wacky. She met someone and is now kind of back to normal.”

“And that has to do with me how?”

“Well since it worked for Danny’s mom, Meredith thought it might work for you.”

“What might work?” I still wasn’t following.

“A dating service.”

“A dating service? Hold on, are you saying my niece got me a dating service for my birthday?” I groaned and put my head in my hands. “Oh God, I’m pitiful. Did she save up all her allowance and buy me an eHarmony account?”

Dana laughed. “She wasn’t trusting anything besides the service Danny’s mom used. So, she convinced me and Carter to help her pay for it. It was crazy expensive. Whoever owns it must be rich. Anyway, happy birthday. Go find a date.”

She shoved a pamphlet in my hand and said something about going to check on the twins and then she was gone.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. My niece cared so much about my love life she’d asked her parents to buy me a crazy extravagant gift. I couldn’t accept this.

I stood up and looked for Dana. I found her with Carter.

“Nope,” he said before I could say anything else. “She wanted you to have it. So, you have to keep it.”

“Come on you guys, this is too much.”

“Just keep it. Go out on a few dates. It will mean the world to Meredith. She just wants you to be happy.”

“I am happy.”

“Piper, you’ve been wearing that same pair of pants all week.”

“Wearing the same clothes repeatedly is eco-friendly. I’m trying to conserve water on this planet.”

“Lies. Try again.”

“Come on you guys. I don’t want to go to a dating service. That makes me sound desperate.”

“You should be desperate,” Dana mumbled.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Carter came over and sat down between us. “Look, Piper, just check out the website and see what the company has to offer. We have nothing to lose. It’s a money back guarantee. And the dating service is reputable. Go meet with a dating specialist.”

“A dating specialist? You have got to be kidding me?”

“Stop being such a Debbie-downer, that’s my role in this friendship. You’re supposed to be the risk taker. The fun one.” Dana nudged me and gave me a teasing smile.

“I’m not having fun anymore and I’m done taking risks with love,” I said softly, and Dana’s smile fell.

She reached out and squeezed my hand. “Love is risk, hon. Don’t give up on it just because you met some jerks. Imagine what my life would have been like if I had given up on love after being married to Tom. I wouldn’t have three wonderful kids or my happily ever after with Carter,” she said, gesturing to a family photo of all of them together.

I knew she was right. I just didn’t believe in online dating or dating apps. Or mixing dating and technology. Despite being a millennial, I was old-fashioned. The thought of needing someone else’s help to secure a relationship made me feel like the world’s biggest loser.