The Dating Itinerary

by Brooke Williams

“There was no kiss of any kind. Just drop it, will you?”

  Geo smiled. He was really getting to her, and he wasn’t doing a thing. But now…why not poke the bear a little? “Are you going to see him again?”

  “Well, I might, but I don’t think there are any reunions coming up.” Penny slammed her hand over her mouth.

  Bingo. She’d said too much, and she knew it. George leaned forward. “What kind of reunion? Penny, what are you talking about?”

  Penny sighed. “You’re a reporter. Can’t you guess by now?”

  Geo narrowed his eyes. “Reunion. No kissing. Penny, did you know this guy?”

  “You could say that. Okay, okay, I can’t hold it in any longer. He was my cousin…second cousin? I don’t know, something like that. But we were definitely related.” Penny covered her face in mock embarrassment.

  Sure, it was awkward that she’d been set up a date with her cousin, but it wasn’t like it was her fault. And, now that he knew more about the date, he knew they could use it for her article. Geo scooted closer and pried one finger away from her face at a time, revealing her red cheeks and the spark of teasing in her eyes.

  Once he had his forefinger beneath her chin, his gaze met hers, and he knew he was in trouble. He leaned close enough so he could feel her breath on his mouth. He no longer cared about the details of her date, Sasha, New York, or anything else. He wanted to take in every detail of the gold specks in her eyes before he claimed her mouth as his own.

  Geo knew he’d moved too slowly when she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and exhaled. “It’s pure gold.”

  “What?” Geo dropped his hand onto her knee and sat back.

  Penny nodded and scooted back. “Don’t you think? I was on a date with my cousin! I mean, that’s got to bring in the ratings, right?”

  She wasn’t wrong, but George wanted her to take the words back so he could recapture the moment. “Ivana Date, the famed matchmaker extraordinaire, set you up with your cousin?” He dropped his hands into her lap.

  Penny sighed, let out a sharp giggle, and nodded. “Can we get to work now? I don’t want any of this to fade.”

  Geo looked down at his hand, still laying in her lap. He could feel Penny staring at the side of his face, and he finally gave in and turned to meet her gaze.

  “Work, yeah, let’s do that. This cousin thing…”

  Penny turned to the laptop.

  Geo pulled his hand back and licked his lips, watching her enter her password into the computer and bring the screen alive as alarms sounded in his mind. What was wrong with him? Was he having trouble connecting with Sasha because all he could think about now was crossing the distance on the couch and taking Penny’s lipstick-free lips again? When had she engrained herself so deeply in his psyche? If all went well with their work, he’d be off to New York in a matter of weeks. It would never work between them once he was gone.

  “Let’s get to work.” Penny brought up the research she’d done and handed the laptop to Geo as he cleared his mind of romance completely to concentrate on the task before him. There would be plenty of time for love later. The fact the articles they were working on revolved around the issue was not lost on him.

  …

  Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match

  By Geo Monais

  This week, I met with a matchmaker who pried all sorts of information out of me. She had a form to fill out, which guaranteed that she would find me the woman of my dreams. I found that matchmaking is a mysterious business. Matchmakers need to be instilled with somewhat of a sixth sense. They need to be able to see deeper than what’s on paper to make a true match.

  I have to admit, when I met with the matchmaker, Ivana Date, I had my doubts. She asked all the right questions and went through the motions, but I had an inkling that she wanted me to settle. And, when it comes to love, who wants “good enough?” We all want the best of the best, right? That one person we were meant to find and spend our lives with.

  In the interest of not sounding like an over-the-top romantic, let me tell you about the matches Ms. Date had for me. On my first date, I found that the woman was overly ambitious in the conversation department. She seemed like a perfectly nice woman, but I found myself wondering what Ivana Date thought I wanted when she set me up with someone who spoke so rapidly it was hard to follow her train of thought.

  Needless to say, I reached back out to Ms. Date and asked for a second partner. This time, I have to admit, I was not disappointed. I was set up with a drop-dead gorgeous woman who had personality, intelligence, a sense of humor, and everything else I said I wanted.

  So, did the Matchmaker succeed? Have I met my match? Time will tell. But one thing I learned from the experience is that dating is much more than what you can see on paper. Ivana may have figured out how to read between the lines and find a woman who appeared perfect for me in every way, but one thing I don’t believe she can do is figure out the exact solution to the mystery of love—no one can.

  Love is something intangible that people say you know when you feel it. Unless I’m mistaken, I did not feel that sensation on even my best date, despite the fact that the woman who sat across from me appeared perfect for me in every way. That small piece of the puzzle makes the whole picture come alive. Perhaps it’s something that will grow and come together later or maybe, just maybe, Ms. Date might get another call from me later on.

  …

  When Matchmaking Runs Rampant

  By Penny Coyne

  The Dating Itinerary had me on the Matchmaking track this week, and I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Ivana Date. This is a woman who knows what she wants, and she goes for it. That much I could tell within minutes of meeting her.

  It’s estimated that there are 1,600 independent matchmakers in the country, and they make an average of $200,000 a year. That’s nothing to sneeze at when you’re looking at the dating industry as a whole, which brings in $2.5 billion a year from Americans alone. And while many people run to the dating apps, which are certainly easier and more accessible, there’s something to be said about the old-fashioned feel of meeting with someone, letting them in on what you want, and then setting them on a mission to find that person.

  Of course, Ms. Date was limited to her clients, which I’ve been told are plentiful, but still. I had two dates over the course of the week, and I can’t report that either went particularly well. The first date, well, he wasn’t exactly my type. Too much facial hair and too much food in that facial hair, if you know what I mean. It was bad enough that a rescue was in order.

  The second date, on the other hand, was perfectly clean cut and a lovely conversationalist. We got along so well, in fact, that we talked in depth about our families…only to realize that we had way too many members in common. Yes, that’s right, I went on a blind date with my cousin, however distant he might be. While we enjoyed catching up, there certainly weren’t any sparks of love or a future together—outside of the family reunions we may both attend in the future.

  So, after the week I’ve had, am I a believer in Matchmaking? Yes and no. I’ve heard the stories. I know it can work. But I’m not sure it’s any better than any other outlet. In fact, in my case, it was a bit worse. With matchmaking, you get surefire dates that want to be there as much as you do. They might even be looking for the same things as you and have similar goals in life. But when they’re your cousin, none of that really matters.

  …

  The articles were done, and they were masterpieces. Okay, so they weren’t the Mona Lisa, but they were well written and insightful. As Penny shut her laptop, she expected Geo to grab his coat and leave, but he made no moves toward the door.

  “I’ve been wondering about this game all evening long.” Geo kicked a box on the bottom shelf of the coffee table.

  “Don’t you have that one at home?” Penny laughed. The box he was mentioning w
as Girl Talk, a game from her childhood.

  “Never even heard of it.”

  “You don’t know what you’re missing.” Penny stretched against the couch, trying to work the kinks in her shoulders out after hunching over the computer. She watched as Geo leaned over in his seat and took the game from its spot.

  Geo blew the dust from the lid. “Not a current favorite?” he asked.

  “I keep it for sentimental reasons. It was a lot of fun at slumber parties. You know, good memories and all.”

  “Tell me about these slumber parties…” Geo gave her a secretive look.

  Penny thumped him lightly on the shoulder as he opened the box.

  “Answer the question or receive a zit?”

  Penny rolled her eyes. “They’re just stickers.”

  George pulled a card out of the box. “Tell me about your crush,” he read.

  “Oh, come on, Geo.”

  “No, really, we’ve worked hard. Let’s play.”

  “Seriously? I haven’t played this game since, I don’t know, junior high?”

  “And I’ve never played. Come on, let’s be girlfriends!”

  Penny shook her head. Geo must be getting a little slap happy after the long stint with the laptop. “Fine, what was the question again?”

  Geo raised the card again and read, “Tell me about your crush.”

  “Zit.” Penny held out her hand.

  George searched through the box and found a sheet of well-used red stickers. He peeled one off and pushed Penny’s hand aside. “Allow me.” He stuck it directly to the center of her nose. “Red looks good on you.”

  Penny scoffed. She’d never admit it to him, but it was fun to break loose from all the work and just enjoy the moment. Her memories of playing the game with her friends were nothing but good. It always ended in giggles and snacks. She didn’t expect Geo to giggle, per se, but they could still have some light-hearted fun after all the serious work. She grabbed a card from the box. “Tell us about the cutest boy in your class.”

  Geo batted his eyes. “Oh my gosh, he’s, like, so hot.”

  “Zit for sarcasm.” Penny stuck a red sticker to his ear.

  Geo pressed the sticker into his skin. “How do I look?”

  “Like that hot guy in your class.” Penny made sure her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

  Geo pulled another card. “Oh, a dare. Blindfold yourself and do the Electric Slide.”

  “Seriously? I haven’t done that dance since the last wedding I attended.” Penny wasn’t sure she liked the idea of dancing in front of Geo.

  “Come on.” He grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet. “I’ll do it with you. No blindfold.”

  “There’s no music,” she resisted. It was one thing to trade silly secrets. It was another to dance. She’d never had much rhythm.

  “Do do do,” Geo began to sing the song and dance the dance.

  Penny zeroed in on the zit atop his ear. He looked so ridiculous she couldn’t resist. “Fine.” She sighed as she joined him in sliding around the room.

  “It’s electric, Boogie Woogie Woogie,” Geo sang.

  Penny went the wrong direction and turned into Geo. He caught her just before she fell into the wall. “You did say it’d been awhile,” he teased.

  “My turn.” Penny slid back down to the couch, trying not to let her cheeks flame with embarrassment as they normally did. “When was the last time you cried?” she asked.

  Geo sunk into the seat next to her. “Cried?”

  She turned the card in his direction so he could read it for himself. “Yep, cried.”

  “Zit,” he said.

  “Oh, come on, you can’t take a zit every time. You made me dance!” Penny protested.

  “I didn’t make you do it alone!”

  “Fine, I’ll answer, then you’ll answer, deal?”

  Geo nodded.

  “The last time I cried was when I was helping Q move and I dropped her velvet Elvis painting on my toe and broke it.”

  “The Elvis painting?”

  “No, my toe.”

  Geo chuckled. “She really has a velvet Elvis?”

  Penny nodded.

  “Are you sure it wasn’t the painting that made you cry?”

  “It really messed up my toe! Look!” Penny pulled the socks from both feet and placed them on Geo’s lap. She spread the toes on one foot like a hand. “See how I can spread my toes?”

  “Boy can you.” Geo leaned over and inspected the toes.

  “But this foot can’t do that anymore.” She strained to spread the toes on the left foot, but only the little toe moved slightly. “It’s stuck. All because of that painting.”

  Geo ran his fingers across the toes on her left foot. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he said with what appeared to be feigned sincerity. “Has it been hard for you? Not being able to spread your toes?”

  Penny jerked her feet away and put her socks back on. “Shut up.”

  “What I really want to know is…how’s the painting?”

  “The what?”

  “The Elvis painting. Is it okay?”

  Penny sighed. “You can’t stall anymore. ’Fess up. The last time you cried. And go.”

  Geo resumed his position on the couch with his head back and his eyes closed. “I guess it was the day I had to have Pepper put to sleep.”

  “Pepper?” Penny asked, shifting on the couch so her legs were beneath her.

  “My dog. We had two dogs when I was in high school, Salt, a little white furry thing, and Pepper, a big black lab. When my sister and I got past college and moved out of our parents’ house, they wanted us to take the dogs. It was hard to split them up, but we got them together at the dog park every week or so. She took Salt, I took Pepper. Salt ran away shortly after, but Pepper always stuck close to me.”

  Penny wasn’t sure what drove her; his soft voice, the fact that his eyes were closed, or the emotion on his face, but she put her hand on his shoulder and gently rubbed as he spoke.

  “Pepper was getting on in his years, he had to have been fifteen, and he had a lot of white in his fur replacing the black. He wasn’t running and playing as much, and I was having trouble getting him to eat. When I took him to the vet, they took some blood and told me he had some kind of cancer. There were plenty of tests they could do to figure out what kind, but in the end, the results were the same. He wasn’t going to be with me much longer.”

  Penny scooted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder, moving her hand down his arm.

  “I took him home, and he declined pretty fast. When he couldn’t get up and go outside anymore, he just laid on the floor with this pitiful whine, and I knew it was time. He was in pain.”

  It surprised Penny to feel her own eyes prick with tears. She loved animals, and this wasn’t a happy story.

  “So I took him to the vet, said my good-bye, and held him as they gave him the shot. He wasn’t in pain anymore.”

  Penny didn’t want to break the silence. His story was deep and thoughtful and brought about more emotion than she would have guessed. She stirred only when she felt him move beneath her. Sitting up, she noticed a card in his hand.

  “Dare,” he said. “Call the last person your phone dialed and prank them.”

  Penny wiped her eyes. No tears had fallen, but they were definitely close beneath her lashes. It was obvious that Geo wanted to move on and not dwell on the sad story any longer. Penny grabbed her phone from the table and dialed the last number in her recent file. Her sister Q, of course.

  “Hey!” Q answered quickly, having seen who it was.

  “Is your refrigerator running?” Penny asked in a mock deep voice.

  “What? Um, probably.”

  “You better go catch it then!” Penny had barely hung up the phone when s
he burst into laughter. “I haven’t done that in years!”

  “Zit!” Geo called.

  “What, why? I did it!”

  “It’s not the same now. It used to be so random, calling in a prank. Now everyone knows who everyone is.”

  “True, but I still did it.”

  Geo leaned toward the box and extracted another red sticker. He placed it soundly on Penny’s cheek.

  “Whatever.” She grabbed another card from the box, glad things were back on the fun track. “What’s your deepest darkest secret?” she read from the next card.

  Geo sunk into the seat next to her, frowning. “Hmm, I still take Flintstones vitamins?”

  “You do not.” Penny tossed the card back into the box.

  “I sleep with a teddy bear?”

  Penny whacked his arm. “Deeper, Geo. Way deeper.”

  Geo caught her gaze and held her eyes. “Call me George. I like it when you use my full name.”

  “Okay…George.” She’d finally gotten comfortable enough with his nickname to use it, and now, he didn’t want her to.

  Geo laid his head back against the couch and closed his eyes. Penny watched him think and took the opportunity to study his profile. His nose had a slight bump in it, and she wondered if it’d been broken in the past. He worked his jaw as he thought, and she watched the muscles jump and accentuate the strong line of his face. He took a deep breath. “I’m lonely.”

  “What?” Penny’s voice was barely above a whisper. She couldn’t have heard him right. Geo? Full of confidence Geo? Eligible bachelor, could have any woman he wanted Geo?

  “It’s true,” he spoke even softer. “It doesn’t matter how many people are around me. I feel like they don’t really see me…for me, you know?”

  “Not even your dates?” Penny asked.

  “Especially not them.”

  Penny didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t like she could fix the way he felt. She opened her mouth and said the first thing that came to mind. “I am, too.”

  “Really?” Geo sat up.

  “I mean, I have my sisters and you have yours, but it’s not always enough.” Penny couldn’t stop herself. It wasn’t her question. Why was she answering without provocation?