Page 21 of Actually Yours

“Here. Have another drink,” Lilly says, filling up my now-empty wine glass and then pushing me into the nearest seat. “This is going to happen, so you may as well get on board.”

I take a sip, a small one this time to remain sober and somewhat in control, and motion for them to continue. The sooner we get on with this, the sooner we can move away from focusing on my love life.

“Right,” Bella calls the ‘meeting’ to order. “Let’s begin.”

The girls snicker at the absurdity of this moment, only stopping when they see Bella glaring at them.

“I get that this is a bit of fun,” she lectures them, squinting, making her look alarmingly like a school teacher. A mean one who gives out detentions freely. “But we are also trying to ensure that our friend Amelia doesn’t die alone.”

OUCH.

“Geeze, Bella. Dramatic, much?” Sammi comes to my rescue, sending me a sympathetic smile. She and Madi are also single and perhaps sense that this sort of treatment is heading their way. Possibly sometime very soon.

“Sorry, Millie,” Bella reaches over and squeezes my hand. An apology. “But I just want you to be happy.”

My smile is weak. “I am happy.”

I’m fooling no one.

“OK, happier?” This is from Amy, who despite her passion for her newly decorated ‘love manual’, can understand that being with a partner doesn’t equal being happy. Before she and her yummy husband Lucas got married, they went through a lot of turmoil, leaving Amy as the most realistic in this group in matters of the heart. She knows that a happily ever after isn’t always guaranteed.

“Sure,” I agree to keep the peace. “Happier.”

“Right.” Bella claps twice to get our attention. “Let’s start at the beginning.” She opens the folder and flips to the first tab. Careers that start with the letter A.

“This is so ridiculous,” I mutter under my breath.

“But it could be fun,” Sammi whispers back as the others debate over the names on the list.

“I vote for accountant,” Lilly says, raising her voice for no reason. It’s not like anyone is challenging her. “Oliver has a guy at work who would be perfect.”

They all look at me expectantly.An accountant? Boring!

“Numbers? Really?”

“Yes, we’re deviating from your normal type, remember?” This is Bella, who is shooting daggers at me from across the room for turning down the first suggestion.Uh oh, I definitely don’t want her angry at me.

“Um, OK. Tell me more.”

Lilly’s pretty face lights up and she picks up her phone.

“His name is Tom, and he’s twenty-eight years old,” she reads off her screen. “He runs the accounts department where Oliver works. He’s never been married. Apparently, he likes to cook and is training to run the Melbourne marathon next month.”

“He sounds great!” Amy enthuses while the rest of the ladies all nod along happily.

“How do you know all of this?” I ask, dread taking up residence in my stomach.

She shows me her phone, where Oliver had typed a message for her with all the relevant details. It’s like his friend is applying for a job; all his credentials are laid out for me to decide upon.

“Did you tell Oliver about this ABC plan?” I ask, placing my wineglass on the table in front of me and then picking up a couch cushion to scream into.This is mortifying.

“I just asked him if he knows anyone who would be worthy of you,” Lilly soothes while Bella takes the cushion off my face, preventing my self-suffocating attempt. “And he came up with loads of guys who he thinks would die for a shot to date you.”

This makes me feel a little better.

“OK, so the accountant. What do we all think?” Bella puts it to the group for a vote, cutting me out of the decision-making process.

“Who’s behind door number two?” Sammi asks, now firmly on board with the plan.

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