Page 68 of The Deal Maker

I open my phone contacts, searching for any male between twenty-five and forty, not that I have that many numbers for guys anyway. Many of them I haven’t spoken to since high school or college, and others don’t live close enough to come on a spur-of-the-moment invitation.

How do you invite someone to a wedding the night before and not look desperate?

“Hey! Remember me from way back when? I need a date for a wedding tomorrow. Any chance you’re not dating or married and can help me out?”

Yeah, that’s not how I want it to sound.

Duke will be a last resort. After he pulled me in for a hug after winning the money, I’m pretty sure the ice wall I thought I’d erected around my heart has now melted and I’m wishing for some more time with him.

Just not at my cousin’s wedding. That’ll be awkward already. I don’t need him to witness my family humiliation firsthand.

Unless I can’t find anyone else.

I decide to use the internet for options there and surprisingly, there are plenty of answers. Looks like I’m not the only one to be in this situation. Except most have given the guys a few more days grace to accept or reject.

I send out three text messages and an hour later, I’ve gotten responses from all. Kudos to them for responding so quickly.

One is a wrong number, one is on his honeymoon in Jamaica, and the other is on a business trip, but I should call him back another time to hang out.

What’s a girl going to do now?

I text Hope.

I’m not coming with a date.

It’s your funeral.

What are you talking about? There will be no dying at your wedding.

I’ve already tried to tell the family to leave you alone. I think you’ll get an hour of peace before they ask you why you’re single. Or try to hook you up with someone else.

Think of Aunt Susie. She’ll be the worst.

I absolutely love my family, but when it comes to certain topics, some are worse than others.

Aunt Susie has been married three times, and while most people think that’s a bad thing, she’s proud of the fact that while some don’t get married at all, she’s been able to find three men who’ve married her. She doesn’t look at the wake of destruction behind her, but what can you do?

I’ve tried a bunch of guys on my phone.

Duke said he’d go with you.

I don’t want to go with him.

You’re just being stubborn. What if he’s incredible and the perfect guy for you? Oh wait, I think you already know that. Are you going to not date him because of his job? That’s totally fixable.

I take a few moments to think through her words. We obviously haven’t had time to truly catch up on our lives, because she doesn’t know he’s not working next door anymore. Or more to the fact that he’s got the lease, but he doesn’t sell timeshares.

Are you sure you want to get married tomorrow?

I’m not sure about a lot of things, but marrying Jason is happening.

I swallow, weighing my options. Do I want to endure a day of torture from my aunts and uncles and cousins? Or spend eight hours with Duke and probably fall in love with the guy only for him to gallivant all over the world?

I don’t have his number.

How did we go a couple of weeks without exchanging numbers? Probably because it was easy to message through the app. But something like this needs a more formal invitation. I’d rather do it through a text message because I’ll probably get tongue-tied.

Duke’s? I’ve got it.

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