Page 11 of Matched with Her Runaway Groom

“Are you ready for the cruise?” Tiffany asks, probably to change the subject. Millie stands from her chair and exits the room, looking bored. If I weren’t going on a cruise in a few days, I’d feel the same.

“You’re still coming, right?”

“A tropical vacation and the opportunity to get a free massage? Yes, please!”

I raise my eyebrows. “You do realize you’re going to be away from Drew for like a whole week, without cell service, right?”

Her expression droops. “Yes, I get that. It will be a fun trip with just the two of us to catch up. But there’s still time to squeeze in a date or two, see if you can replace me before we go.”

With a deep sigh, I shake my head again. “Not a chance. You can tell Meg I’m super grateful to have won the contest for the Love, Austen cruise, and maybe I’ll use my match profile to date when we get back. I just need to get away from my job and lay out on a beach for a few hours.”

“You mean crisp up like a tomato,” Tiffany jokes.

“You look like a bronze goddess after leaving the beach. Someone has to peel and blister with a few quick sunbeams to the skin.”

Kenzie chuckles as she walks past the room. “Well, not all of us can learn how to operate power tools from YouTube videos and make,” she points to the small table next to the desk, “tables for fairies.”

“Fairies, Kenz?” Tiffany says, laughing. “I’d say garden gnomes would be fine eating their snacks there. Maybe even Hobbits for elevensies or something.”

My stomach hurts from the amount of laughing we’ve done this afternoon, but I’m grateful for it. Life gets a little too serious for me and I need this release to remind myself life is worth living, even if it doesn’t look like I thought it would.

“Obviously, I only made one thing before I put all the tools away and needed a new hobby. All the cutting was more anxiety inducing than anything else. I panicked every time, thinking I would screw it up and have to buy more wood. Do you know what it’s like to buy wood at a hardware store?”

“Expensive?” Kenzie says.

I nod. “That too. But when you don’t know what the dimensions look like on paper, it’s kind of a wild goose chase around the store. The workers are always around when you know exactly what you need, but when you are lost, it’s like traveling to Mordor.”

Tiffany cracks up. Kenzie raises an eyebrow, looking lost. “Is this more of the Duke of the Rings type stuff?”

Tiffany and I laugh louder. “Lord of the Rings, Kenz.”

She shakes her head, walking away. I can hear her mumbling, “I just don’t get it.”

“That means we need to have a watch party,” I call out. “We’ll plan one for when we get back. Put it on your ‘cultured bucket list’,” I say, joking.

Kenzie disappears upstairs and Tiffany keeps grinning.

“Okay, so cruise is in two days. What do we need to do between now and then?”

“Laundry. Actually, I need to buy some detergent on my way home from work tomorrow.” I pull out a sticky note and write down detergent, along with deodorant.

“Sounds good. I’ll have to be there a bit early because Love, Austen is sponsoring a portion of the activities on the boat. We’re doing a big giveaway if people sign up or refer people to the app.”

I try to hold back a smile. “Tiff, aren’t most people going with their significant others on a cruise?”

“Sure, it might not be the best pool of applicants, but it’s outside the box. And I’ve heard of a girl’s trip with a bunch of women going on a cruise together.”

I can tell she’s scrambling, because it’s her idea.

“Well, I hope it goes well. I’ll just meet you at the boat then.”

Tiffany nods and stands up. “Perfect. Can I steal a bottle of sunscreen? We haven’t gotten them yet and since it’s March, not many of the stores have them in stock.”

“Tiffany, did you even go to the store to look?”

She glances left then right before focusing on me. “No. The grocery store by the apartment is one elephant short of a zoo. I only go there if we desperately need something.”

“Well, there are dozens of stores in the Boston area. Be a good wife and feed your husband something other than breakfast food.”

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