Page 6 of The Matchmaker and the Marine

She could hear the teasing in his voice “You’re being very formal.” Paperclips forgotten, she said, “How’ve you been?”

“Ma’am, this isn’t a social visit. I’m here on business, so I thought I’d do a formal introduction.” He chuckled. “By the looks of things, better than you.” He pointed to the square piece of wood on the floor and its companion piece on the sofa. “Having a little tussle with the desk?”

She shrugged. “We had a minor disagreement. The drawer won.”

He bent over and picked up the wood. “I can fix this for you if you’d like.”

“It’s okay, I can call a handyman.” Melinda took it from him and placed it on the side table.

When she looked back to Adam, he was holding out a business card. “It just so happens, I’m in the business of fixing things.”

She grinned. “We can talk, but I’m sure you didn’t just happen to stop by on the off chance I would need a handyman.”

“Well actually I was curious about this whole”—he waved his hand through the air—“matchmaking process.”

Melinda smiled. She knew that sometimes everyone needed a little help meeting someone. “Are you interested in finding a match?” She gestured to the sofa and took the drawer sides from him. “Please make yourself comfortable.” She planted her feet on the floor as she sat in the chair across from him. “I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.”

Adam leaned forward. “Tell me, how is it you got into the matchmaking business?”

Prepared to give her standard answer, she said, “I believe everyone should find their happily ever after and some say I have a knack for helping people find”—she did the air quote gesture—“the one.”

“Will mentioned you moved to town and opened your office roughly three or four years ago.” He looked around her sunlit office. “He didn’t tell me your office was attached to your home.”

Melinda smiled and shrugged. “I needed a change and I wanted a short commute. I always wanted to live close to the ocean. So, here I am.” She shifted in her chair, anxious to turn the topic back to Adam, she said, “But we’re not here to talk about me. Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?”

“It’s a short and simple story. Later thirties, retired Marine. Definitely single. When I got out of the service, I decided to hang my hat over my buddy’s garage for a while and figure out what I wanted to do next.”

Melinda nodded. She grabbed a pad and pen from the corner of her desk. “Do you mind if I take a few notes?”

With a slight nod of his head, he said, “Please.” He leaned back and looked around her tidy office.

“Late thirties, a former Marine.” She glanced up from the pad and looked him directly in the eye. “Thank you for your service.”

He dipped his head and corrected her. “Retired Marine.”

With the pen poised over the paper, she was surprised at the clipped tone in his voice. She knew he had gotten injured, but obviously it was not a topic he wanted to discuss further. Changing the subject, she asked, “Tell me about your interests and hobbies.”

“I like kayaking, fishing, spending time with friends, movies, the typical stuff.”

“Adam, there is no such thing as the typical stuff. Each person is unique.” She thought for a minute. “Take me as an example. I love to garden, but you didn’t mention that you do. Since I’m passionate about digging in the dirt and you might find that to be an absolute snooze fest, potentially we would not be a good match. Now that’s a pretty simplistic example, but I’m sure you see what I’m saying, hypothetically speaking of course.”

“I see what you mean.” He tapped his fingers against the arm of the sofa. “So, I should give you a bit more about what I like to do?”

“The more you tell me, the easier it will be for me to give you high-quality matches.”

“Well, for the record I do like to play in the dirt. I haven’t had the opportunity since I lived at home with my parents. We used to have a huge garden, and fruit trees and berry bushes too. My sister and I liked the planting and harvesting the best.” With a laugh, he said, “I’m not very patient waiting for it to grow and all.”

“Ah, that’s the part I love the best, nurturing the little shoots.” She surprised herself by opening up. “So tell me more about yourself. What are your hobbies?”

Adam smiled. “I’m not much of a cook. Maybe someday I’ll learn.”

“That’s good to know. A match might be someone who wants to take cooking classes.” Melinda jotted that down. “Ultimately, do you want to get married and have a family?” She paused. “Those particular topics can be deal breakers.”

He nodded. “Definitely. Maybe even a dog or two.”

“No cats?” she teased.

“Cats are good too.” He grinned.

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