Chapter Six

Izzy

“I’m telling you, it should be a requirement that on first dates you both wear a name tag with your full names, especially when it’s essentially a blind date.” I listened to Zel, one of my very best friends, as she regaled me with the details of her first date with this guy she met on a dating app. The only thing was, this dating app didn’t have photos on the profiles because they claimed it distracted from what was really important—the inside, a person’s heart and personality.

Zel was every man’s fantasy—long, blonde hair, green eyes, well-endowed, and knew how to have a good time—and yet, she was still single. Her mother wouldn’t let her date when she was in high school, swearing that boys only wanted one thing. I didn’t think I needed to spell out what that one thing was, we all knew what she was talking about. But men, well, were they really any different? Although, Zel blamed that for the reason she was still single, said she could’ve been with her high school sweetheart now. If she had one.

To me, the chances seemed slim, but I wasn’t going to burst her bubble.

Zel pulled open the door to the clothing store and I fixed my shopping bags on my arm as we walked in. “So let me get this straight,” I said, trying to make sense of the disaster that was Zel’s date last night. “You were supposed to be on a date with, er, John, but instead you were having dinner with some other guy who was supposed to be on a blind date of his own—we’ll call him Not John—who you did not swipe right on?”

Zel nodded and then chuckled. “Hey, I think I like that. John and Not John. Cute. Anyway, what are the odds they were both named John; crazy, right?” As we started walking through the store, her eyes landed on a rack full of fleece-lined leggings. “You can never have too many warm leggings, right? And these are nice. I don’t have tan ones.” Pulling at the fabric, she eyed me. “What do you think? Should I try them on?”

“Definitely.” Steering the conversation back to the date, I asked, “So then what happened? You know, after Real John showed up.”

Taking the hanger off the rack, she blew bubbles and gripped the bridge of her nose with her free hand. “I was so done, sick of the whole thing that I called it a night. I mean, and the real kicker is that Real John was so handsome. Nothing like Not John who sat across the table from me and picked spinach out of his teeth while we waited for dessert.”

“Yikes.” I let out an exasperated noise. “I’m surprised you stuck around for dessert. Not John sounds horrible.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know,” she agreed. “But dessert is the best part, right? And he started crying when I brought up bringing out the check. He said it was bringing back vivid memories of the time he was rejected by the cheer captain, which was making him want to cry and then he actually did. Cry, I mean.”

I cringed. “You have the worst luck with dates, but this one might just be the worst yet. Honestly, it sounds like you should’ve been the one crying.”

“You’re telling me. I can’t believe I drove all the way into Asheville for it. Whoever I saved him from was one lucky lady.”

“Yeah, or she thought she was stood up and went home and cried about it.”

Laughing, she shook her head. “Whatever. I’m thinking they should use my date as an example for the definition of the word ‘waste’ in the dictionary.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Stop,” I replied.

“Real John and I agreed to try it again. We have a date set for next weekend and, at least this time, I know who I’m meeting.” Shaking her shoulders, as though trying to rid herself of the thoughts and icky experiences, she changed the topic. “You know, I’m really excited for Fiona’s wedding.”

“Fiona’s wedding,” I repeated. “Don’t even get me started on that. I’m working with quite literally the grumpiest man ever.” I shot her a look as we continued browsing. “Bo hates Christmas.”

She gasped, her head whipping around to look at me. “How can that be?” Then she started laughing. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself.”

I pursed my lips and gave her a look as though to say, “Are you done?”

“It’s just, not everyone loves the holidays as much as you. Are you sure he hates Christmas? Maybe he just doesn’t want to wear jingle bell socks and, I don’t know, knit stockings.”

I rolled my eyes. Okay, so I saw her point. I was slightly more obsessed with Christmas than most, but since when was that a bad thing? “No, he seems to have an aversion to it. He says he doesn’t hate it, but I don’t think that’s true. And planning this wedding with his help is torture. He doesn’t get the whole wedding thing, either.”

“Well, I say you invite him to Jesse and Nancy’s ugly sweater party.” Wagging her eyes, she pushed, “Come on! It could be so much fun and now that I know this about him, seeing him in a pool of all those sweaters might just be the highlight of my year.”

“Seems cruel.” Then I added, “For the other people who have to hear his snarls.”

She waved me off. “We can get him one. I happen to need to shop for a new one anyway. I’m certainly not wearing the same one as last year.”

I licked my lips and thought about what she said. Bo aside, I could’ve burst out laughing at the mere thought of last year’s sweater. Let’s just say it moved—and not because it was on Zel, but actually moved on its own—and lit up. Zel insisted we burned the photos, but Nancy framed one since she was the winner at the party.

It was an annual thing and the person who showed up with the ugliest one won the contest. You didn’t really win anything other than bragging rights, but it was still fun. Not that I would ever win because while I chose cheesy sweaters, I never selected anything quite as bad as the one Zel did. Even Holly gave us all a good run for our money. I didn’t know where she shopped, but every year, she seemed to have a more over-the-top sweater. It’d been a couple of years since she won, but I had a feeling she was going to try to steal back the title this year.

“Deal. Nothing too gaudy.”

Holding up the leggings, she decided, “I’m not going to try these on,” walking over to the counter to be rung up. “I’m just going to buy them.”

I nodded and walked with her. “So how’s the painting going for Fiona and Louie?” I asked as she was rung up.

She smiled and gushed, “Amazing. Seriously, I cannot believe you did this for them. They’re going to love it. I would want someone to get me a wedding gift like that one day.”

It wasn’t that big of a deal. I commissioned a painting from a photograph of when he proposed and planned on giving it to them as a wedding present. Zel was one of the most talented artists I knew, so it was a no-brainer.

“Do you ever think about when it’ll be your turn?” Zel asked somewhat out of the blue. Although, I knew exactly what she was talking about.

“Too often,” I answered earnestly. “I want someone who’s excited about the things I am, who shares in my achievements, and makes it their mission to put a smile on my face.” I shrugged as she grabbed the bag and we turned to leave. “It’s silly, really.”

“No, it’s not silly at all. One day you’ll get that. But don’t be surprised if he doesn’t check all the boxes. Love is unexpected.”