Page 110 of Off the Wall

All I can do is try and learn.

And hope Cash Briggs is watching.

Chapter Forty-Two

Cash

I watchthe video three full times before racing from the hospital to The Serendipity. Then, on the drive, I let Nori’s words play on repeat in my cupholder.

“Hey, everyone. Hi, it’s me, Nori. This is weird, huh? Me talking to you directly for the first time. If you’re watching this right now, you probably know I just went on my tenth date. And I’m guessing you want me to tell you who I’m choosing. And I absolutely will. But first, I just have a couple of things I need to say.

“Like … all the places that sponsored these Spring into Love dates were incredibly accommodating and super-patient with me no matter what happened. I mean, did youseehow many times I fell on my butt roller skating? Then there was poor Clayton with his rash. He did get better, by the way—thank you, Benadryl—but that’s just life, right?

“Things don’t always go smoothly or according to plan. But I still got to paint and make pottery and cook dinner and crush grapes and square dance—Rex, you were so good—andno, Miles and I didn’t solve the escape room, but we had so much fun.

“My point is, you should definitely check out all these locations if you want to have fun too.

I also want you to know my Swipe Rite matches were all very … revealing. I learned something from every single man I spent time with. So, for those of you out there still looking for your match, I recommend taking the leap and giving love a chance. To be honest, I was about to give up when Swipe Rite came into my life. And I almost said no. But the dates they arranged taught me what I like most in a man.

“A sense of humor, for one. And also generosity. Strength. Kindness. Integrity. And, well—I won’t lie—beautiful eyes don’t hurt. Which brings me to the video you may have seen of me at a wedding this past weekend.

“The man I was dancing with is my neighbor. And he’s all the amazing things I just listed, and so much more. I’m sad to say that for a lot of reasons, he and I weren’t meant to be more than friends. But he sure saw the good in me. And he showed me—ooh. Hold on. My throat’s just a little clogged. Ahem. Sorry about that.

“As I was saying, he showed me I’m smart and capable, even with my flaws, like the limited square dancing skills you may have witnessed. Or maybe I’m better because of them. All those strengths and weaknesses just make me human, right? And thanks to him, I know I can handle whatever life throws at me now.

“The truth is, I’ve been handling things all along, which is a lesson I really struggled to learn. So if you’re watching this, neighbor, thank you. More than all the words.

“Ahem. Sorry. Just a little more throat clogging there.

“Anyway, we’re supposed to keep these videos under three minutes, and Lou’s giving me the signal that it’s almost timeto wrap up. Lou’s our camera guy tonight. That’s who I’m waving to right now. He’s awesome. Hi, Lou!

“So, yes. I’m ready now. And I’ve given this a lot of thought. And I finally know exactly what I want, even though I have no idea what that will mean for my future. But that’s okay. I can still make my life beautiful. I have the power. And the person I’m choosing at the end of all this … is me.”

Chapter Forty-Three

Nori

Dove was shockedwhen she got back from the bathroom. That’s putting her reaction mildly. And she had some choice words for Lou. But I fulfilled every word of my contract, so there’s nothing anyone at Swipe Rite can do about the fact that I didn’t choose a man for my final match.

To be honest, I think Dove might be kind of glad Rex Hamilton is still on the market. Either way, she asked me to stick around the clubhouse until the video was captioned and posted. This was in case there was some kind of glitch and we had to record a second take. I was a little worried I’d have to say that speech again. I knew I’d probably cry. But that’s all right. Tears are fine.

It’s okay to not be okay.

In the end, the rest of the promo team were all super-sweet and supportive, especially considering I said no to extending their campaign. After all, nobody wants to see me date myself for the next month.

Not even me.

By the time I return to The Serendipity, I’m completely exhausted. Inside and out. I’m also dehydrated from squaredancing. So I head to the kitchen to down an entire Gatorade. My next order of business will be to change out of these clothes and wipe off all this extra makeup. As of today, I am officially done pretending to be something I’m not.

The truth is, who and what I am is constantly changing.

Sometimes I’m strong. Sometimes I’m weak. I can be independent, but I also need people every once in a while. (Okay, everylotin a while.) I’m mostly kind and generous, but a jealous streak pops up on occasion.

I make a mean lavender latte, and I’m a really good manager, but my bike skills are lacking, and I still don’t know how to swim. I have failed. More than a couple of times. And I will almost certainly fail again. But in the process, I’ll be learning and growing and evolving into the Nori I want to be.

The funny thing is, after I’ve become that version of myself, I’ll probably change again. And if I’m really lucky, I’ll get to keep doing that for another seventy years or so.

I’m tossing the empty Gatorade in our recycling can when my phone pings in my bag.

---