Restless

by Paris Hansen

  Losing money and time were nothing compared to possibly losing her heart. From what she could tell from her sister’s experience, the pain of a failing business was nothing compared to the pain of a failing relationship and a broken heart. Savannah had only been in love once although it wasn’t the all-consuming type of love that she had always heard about and seen when she looked at her parents. It was the type of love that you find in college and when it was over, the split was completely mutual and no one was hurt in the process. The next time she had anything that resembled a commitment was when she was working at a bakery just after graduation. He was her boss and neither of them was in love. The relationship, if it could even be called one, was based on fun and companionship and nothing more. Neither of them had time for anything else and didn’t want to try to explain that to anyone that wouldn’t understand.

  With a sigh, Savannah took another sip of her wine and looked over at the expectant faces of her sister and mother. They seemed to want this even more than she did. Their marriages were two opposite ends of the spectrum and gave her experiences from both worlds for which she was kind of grateful. She hated that her sister had suffered, but her experience had given Savannah and everyone around them something to learn from, even if you couldn’t predict who would go from a seemingly perfect guy to a complete dick in a matter of years.

  “Alright…fine. You guys are right. There probably isn’t a better time than right now to try and put myself out there, but I really have no idea where to even start,” Savannah admitted. “I’m not a fan of meat markets so we can cross out the club and bar scenes or any place packed with creeps and horny men looking to get laid.”

  “That’s not a problem. I have a friend…”

  “Ugh…” Savannah groaned.

  “No…not someone to hook you up with,” Brooklyn clarified. “Kerrigan started a matchmaking service a few years ago and it’s doing extremely well. It’s not online dating or anything like that. She has a whole system that she uses to match people up with potential suitors. I’ve already talked to her about signing you up for her three-month plan. She’ll be meeting you for lunch tomorrow at noon, at that restaurant you love so much, to go over the details and the contract.”

  “Suitors? Really? What if I had said no, Brook?”

  “Then I would have made up a story about you meeting me for lunch tomorrow. No matter what you said tonight, you were meeting with Kerrigan tomorrow whether you wanted to or not. The plan is already paid for, now you just have to make use of it.”

  Savannah knew there was no point in arguing with her sister or her mother. The women in the St. James family were ridiculously stubborn and always seemed to get their way. Whether she was really ready or not, she was about to enter back into the dating pool after more than a five-year hiatus and she had absolutely no idea what she had just gotten herself into.

  *********

  The next day Savannah tried to focus on her everyday routine, but she couldn’t stop thinking about her impending lunch meeting. She was more than just nervous to see Kerrigan again, she was terrified. Not of Kerrigan of course, but of what she represented. Potentially, the man of her dreams was a client of Kerrigan’s and in a few short months they could meet and fall in love. On the other hand, her worst nightmares could also be clients of Kerrigan’s and in a few short months they could turn her off of dating forever.

  She arrived at Arrow at a quarter to twelve knowing that the lunch rush could make getting a table difficult even with a reservation. As soon as she walked in the hostess gave her a huge smile before coming around from behind the podium to give her a hug. Savannah was a semi-regular at the restaurant and knew most of the staff by name. Arrow was centrally located between her house and her first store in the ever growing West Seattle Junction and with her busy schedule she rarely had time to cook any meals for herself. The atmosphere was perfect for a working lunch or for a relaxing dinner after a twelve-hour shift and the food was absolutely to die for.

  The hostess station stood in the middle of the entryway behind a large waiting area. To the right was a long bar that spanned the length of the public area. The bar area had a handful of booths and tables to accommodate guests and the bar itself had stools lined along it. To the left of the waiting area was the regular dining room, which was large and spacious. Both sides of the restaurant were usually pretty busy when she came in and today was no exception.

  “Savannah, it’s been too long since you last came in,” the hostess Sylvia said as she stepped back from hugging her. “I didn’t see you in the shop yesterday either. I stopped by in the afternoon to pick up cupcakes for the staff.”

  “I’ve been craving the stuffed pesto chicken like crazy lately, but the new opening is keeping me way too busy and driving me mad. Brooklyn’s going to start helping out so I’ll probably be in my office more, which means more opportunities to come by here. Jeanine gave you the discount yesterday right?”

  Sylvia smiled as she ran a hand over her sleek blonde ponytail. It was something that Savannah noticed she did a lot when she was talking. The younger woman was extremely pretty and always looked amazing and unique even in the Arrow uniform. She wore the typical crisp white button down shirt and a pair of black slacks that looked like they were tailored to fit her long legs perfectly. With it she wore a pair of coral colored three inch pumps and a chunky coral necklace. From her ears dangled a pair of matching earrings. Most people wouldn’t have been able to pull it off or even try, but Sylvia was always very fashion forward, making the standard black and white outfit anything but standard.

  “Oh of course. Thanks again for that. We all really appreciate it since we can’t get enough of the goodies you sell, even though we have some great desserts here. You know how much Sam hates that we are constantly buying from you instead of eating what he makes.”

  “Poor Sam. You’ll have to tell him I’m sorry that I’m stealing his business, but at least he knows how much I love his tiramisu. It’s definitely the best in town. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ll be getting one after my meeting today. I’m gonna need all the comfort I can get after this.”

  “Well I hope your meeting isn’t too bad. When I got here and saw your name on the list, I made sure your favorite table was ready and not open for seating. Your other party isn’t here yet, but I’ll take you to your table now if you’d like,” Sylvia said as she picked up two menus. “Meghan’s gonna be your server. She specifically asked for you as soon as she saw you on the reservation list this morning.”

  Savannah had barely sat down when Meghan approached her table. She wore the same crisp white shirt, but had paired hers with a black knee length skirt. Her shoes were a little more sensible, with a barely noticeable kitten heel. Her long black hair was pulled into a simple bun and her face was devoid of any make-up except for mascara and lip gloss. Meghan was absolutely gorgeous no matter what she wore, but it always surprised Savannah that she never played her looks up at work, despite the fact that it could have landed her better tips from the guys that frequented the restaurant. She was there to do her job. Once that was done, she kicked her look into high gear. Savannah had gone out with her a few times to Heat and Meghan was always the talk of the club.

  It had been awhile since she last talked to Meghan. They had both been extremely busy and Savannah hadn’t been able to get into Arrow to eat or catch up with her friend. She wasn’t surprised that Meghan had a lot to talk about. She definitely never lacked for something to do on her social calendar. If she wanted to, she could have had a different date with a different guy every day of the week for more than a month…probably two if Savannah was honest. That was one of the many ways she and Meghan differed, but they still got a long so well. Although it seemed like Meghan had found one that she was interested in giving a real shot to.

  After ten minutes of listening to Meghan talk about the new guy she was seeing, Savannah watched her sister’s best friend Kerrigan Foster walk through the front door. As soon as their ey
es met, Kerrigan smiled and walked to their table. Savannah took in the other woman’s put together appearance as she stood to greet her. Kerrigan always looked so professional, always choosing to wear some sort of power suit whenever she was on the job. That afternoon was no different, even though she and Savannah had known each other for years. The blue knee length pencil skirt and matching blazer she wore looked like it was tailor made to fit her perfectly. Her dark auburn hair was pulled back from her face in a sophisticated twist. For a minute Savannah wished she had dressed up, or at the very least fixed her hair and make-up. Although she supposed that the fact that her clothes were flour and dough free was a huge concession, especially since she’d started work nearly six hours earlier.

  “Oh Savannah, it’s so great to see you again,” Kerrigan said as she wrapped her arms around Savannah in a friendly hug. “I’m really looking forward to helping you find love. I’ve been trying to get your sister to go through the process, so I’m hoping that once you become one of my success stories I’ll be able to talk her into finally joining.”

  Savannah smiled as the energetic redhead took the seat across from her. She pulled a folder and a pair of glasses out of her briefcase while Savannah sat back down and immediately grabbed the glass of water that she had been sipping on. Not for the first time since she arrived did she wish the water was actually something stronger. If she didn’t have to head back to her office after the meeting she definitely would have ordered a glass of wine…or two.

  “This place is as fantastic inside as it is outside and I bet the food is even better if you eat here as often as your sister says you do,” Kerrigan looked around the room before putting her glasses on. “So there are a bunch of questions I have to ask you as well as a contract that I need to go over with you, but why don’t we order first and then we can start going over that stuff. What would you recommend?”

  They spent the next few minutes going over the menu. Savannah pointed out a few of her favorite items which included the ravioli, stuffed mushrooms and a beef and pepper skewer that was so tender it melted in her mouth. She, of course, was getting the stuffed pesto chicken that she’d been craving for weeks and a side salad. Once Kerrigan decided on her lunch, they didn’t have to wait long for Meghan to take their order. Savannah had hoped that the whole process would take a while so that she could put off the matchmaking stuff. Unfortunately, as soon as their food was ordered, Kerrigan picked up her folder and pulled out a thick stack of papers. When she said she had a bunch of questions, she hadn’t been kidding. The entry survey was nearly 100 questions long with everything from Savannah’s religious practices to whether she wanted kids to who her favorite band was. There were even questions about what other people thought of her and what words they would use to describe her.

  Savannah had no idea how some of the questions were supposed to find her perfect match, but Kerrigan was the professional, so she answered everything as truthfully as she could. She scanned the restaurant as she named her favorite movie and her first childhood memory. The lunch time rush was in full swing with nearly every table filled. Most of the other diners were like her and Kerrigan, having a working lunch, but there were others that seemed to be on dates or at least dining with their loved ones. Savannah found herself looking toward the bar area so she could sneak a peek at the hot bartender that she’d been checking out since Sylvia had brought her to the table. She first noticed him nearly a year ago when he started at Arrow and she couldn’t help but watch him every time she came in. He was exactly what pre-Delectable Delights Savannah would have gone after for a good time; the tattooed, bad boy who didn’t seem to give a damn about anything. She had definitely “dated” her fair share of those during college and during the years she worked at a local bakery trying to make a name for herself. They weren’t interested in getting attached to someone and neither was she. It had always been a perfect fit when she was younger, but that wasn’t what she was looking for now.

  He was one of the few people in Arrow that she didn’t know by name. Part of her wanted to be friendly, but he was far too tempting to the part of her that just wanted to jump back into the action. Bad boy bartenders did not make for good long term commitments, at least not in her experience. Knowing the type as well as she did, he probably went home with a new girl every night. And she really couldn’t blame him or the women. Just looking at him as he pulled one of the beer taps down made her heart race. The muscles of his inked forearm flexed, which led her imagination to run wild with the ways the muscles would flex and move as he touched her. She loved the fact that the long sleeves of his button up shirts were always rolled up to his elbows. She just wished she had the courage to sit closer to him so she could get a better look at the tattoos that covered his arms.

  “Now we get to the really good stuff,” Kerrigan said, her voice startling Savannah. “What physical characteristics are you looking for in your future mate?”

  Before she could answer, Meghan arrived with their lunch. Savannah took a deep breath, grateful for the interruption. Answering the questions had been more difficult than she expected and more demanding. There were a lot of things she either never thought about or never wanted to voice out loud. Now it was all out there on paper and Kerrigan was going to use it to hopefully find her someone to spend the rest of her life with. Butterflies flared to life in her stomach and she hoped that she’d be able to keep her food down when she finally tried to eat.

  “Oh my god, this is so freaking good,” Kerrigan moaned, once again breaking Savannah out of her thoughts. “I don’t even care that I’m going to have the worst breath when I head back to the office. This is absolutely worth it. Thank you for wanting to meet here.”

  Kerrigan had decided on the beef and pepper skewers which also had onions on it. The skewers were plated on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes which Savannah had to admit were also to die for. They also came with the stuffed chicken that Savannah loved so much. While going through the majority of the questions, they had eaten their side salads, but now the food was too good to talk through. Neither spoke until their plates were nearly empty, although every once in a while Kerrigan would let out a moan after taking a bite.

  As she finished her meal, Savannah found herself looking at the bartender again. His brown hair was short on the sides and a little longer on top. It was perfectly styled and looked thick and luxurious. Savannah often fantasized about running her fingers through it or grabbing handfuls of it while he...Shaking her head, she tried to dismiss the thought from her mind. It was definitely not what she should be thinking about while having lunch with her sister’s best friend or while discussing her dating future.

  “Alright, so back to the final question, what physical characteristics are you looking for in your future mate?”

  Savannah smiled as her eyes drifted back over to the bartender. Before she realized what she was doing she was practically describing him to a T, which was not at all what she had planned. Ideally, she wanted a man that was tall, at least 6 feet, preferably with dark hair and in relatively decent shape. She loved a little scruff and didn’t mind tattoos. In a perfect world, they’d have a full head of hair, but that wasn’t a deal breaker. In fact, when it came down to it, Savannah wasn’t really that shallow. As long as he was taller than her by at least a couple of inches, she didn’t really mind looks much. She knew that looking at the bartender was clouding her reality. Most men didn’t look like him, especially not the ones that were looking to settle down and using a dating service to do so.

  “Look, I just really want someone who is stable and fun to be with. My deal breakers aren’t really looks related at all. Whoever I date or get involved with has to have a stable job, a stable home, preferably not with their parents, and a stable mode of transportation, that is not the bus or his bicycle. I don’t want to end up being someone’s surrogate mother,” Savannah said. “They have to be self-sufficient, driven, have a great personality and be taller than me. And they have to be comfortable with t
he fact that I’m a career driven woman. Other than that, if they happen to be smoking hot like the bartender, then bonus. If not, as long as they fulfill the important requirements the physical attraction could come later.”

  With a smooth, not too obvious, glance over her shoulder Kerrigan took a moment to check out the object of Savannah’s lust. When he climbed up onto a step ladder, both women checked out his butt as he grabbed a bottle of alcohol off of one of the higher shelves. Savannah smiled as she heard the other woman mutter the word damn under her breath. It was exactly what Savannah had been thinking in her head, but it wasn’t nearly enough to describe the situation. The man was all sorts of gorgeous from head to broad shoulders to forearms to ass and he was exactly what Savannah needed to stay away from.

  Kerrigan seemed impressed by Savannah’s answer and was certain that she had enough men to make the three months worthwhile. They went over the contract together, which was basic and exactly what Savannah had been expecting. After deciding on scheduling the dreaded first date, for the following Thursday, Kerrigan paid for their lunch, despite Savannah’s insistence that she should pay, and then left to head back to her office. Savannah wasn’t sure that she was ready to jump right into the dating part, but Kerrigan assured her that scheduling the first date for as soon as possible was the best idea. It was like pulling off a Band-Aid, she said, which made sense, but it still made Savannah’s stomach do flips. In a week, she’d be face to face with her first real date in over five years, but in fifteen minutes she was going to drown all of her doubts and fears in some of the best tiramisu she had ever had. She just hoped that the coffee-flavored delight would do the trick.