Page 3 of Holidate Fail
After the two men shook, Kelly looked around the crowd of people. “I should go find my partner before this thing gets started. Dahlia, it was great to see you.”
No mention of a follow up chat or hanging out later. And he had a partner. Was it apartnerpartner, or just a scavenger hunt friend? Not that it mattered. Seeing him was fine. Everything was fine.
“Hey, do you have a group of four?” Heath called out to Kelly. He turned to Dahlia. “Do we? The registration said that was the maximum number of people for a group.”
Dahlia had seen that, but figured her Ph.D. and Heath could handle it alone. Besides, she hadn’t known anyone else to team up with. “Got anyone in mind?”
Heath raised his eyebrows at Kelly.
“Let me check with Lacole.” Kelly’s eyes swept over Dahlia. “If we don’t, I’ll find you again.”
Dahlia watched him leave, not sure if she wanted him to be part of their quartet and have to spend all day with him. On the one hand, she’d been embarrassingly Dee Dee-ish, but only to Kelly. She still had a chance to be cool with Heath. On the other, being with Kelly couldn’t possibly get any worse.
“So. You’re the hydrologist.”
“Sure am. And you’re the executive assistant.” Dahlia didn’t remember giving details about her work or education in their text exchanges, but sometimes the subject came up when getting to know someone. Usually her excitement about science made her sound nerdier than a basement-dwelling nitwit with a pet rock collection, so she learned fast to talk about her profession on a more general level.
Heath studied her frame, and she resisted the urge to suck in the extra pounds around her middle. This was her space, and she was going to take all she needed. “You’re shorter than I thought you’d be.”
“I get that a lot.” Five two wasn’t all that short. “Did you know your name can mean an uncultivated wasteland?”
***
Wow. Wayne’s little sister. Kelly hadn’t realized how cute a bundle of nerves could be, but there she was in front of him – as someone else’s scavenger hunt partner. Wayne had mentioned Dee – Dahlia had moved when she changed jobs and now lived closer to Kelly, but this was the first time he’d seen her. She’d really grown up in the past fifteen years. And Kelly was intrigued. At the very least, it took his mind off the stakes of the scavenger hunt for Georgia Adventures.
He shook his head as he stepped away from Dahlia and her lush curves and shy smile and scouted for his own date. Lacole’s web site picture had screamed professional, with a smart outfit and engaging smile. Other photos showed her training with clients in gyms and open spaces. The testimonials on her website assured him that she was an independent woman with goals and a thriving business of her own. She’d understand when he’d have to devote time to his own business and couldn’t take off on a whim to check out an artsy little town or go strawberry picking like some of the women he’d dated since his divorce a year ago.
A flash of peach caught his eye, and he turned to check it out. And found his date.
While Lacole’s hair in her picture had been loose and curly, it was now styled in tight rows of braids and swirled about her shoulders like a cape. Her open white shirt over a peach sports bra and fitted mint green leggings stood out against her smooth bronze skin and showed off impressive abdominal muscles. He waved and ambled over when she waved back.
Her fingers were styled with two-inch nails, each one painted white but with the exact shade of her leggings at their tips. No, wait, all but one; her ring finger’s nail was a dazzling, shiny peach. That, you guessed it, matched her top.
He glanced at his own stubby fingertips, impressed that she could do all that she did and still maintain remarkable nails. Dahlia’s nails had been like his, short, efficient. She did something sciencey with water, Kelly remembered.
“Kelly!” Lacole clasped her hands together. A wide smile graced her lips, and her soft brown eyes were sharp and alert.
“Hi.” He smiled back. “After countless hours of online communications, it’s nice to be able to say that in person.”
“Have you ever done this scavenger hunt before?” Lacole surveyed the large crowd sprawled over Fountenoy Hall’s front lawn. “I didn’t expect so many people. Do you think they all used the Holidates app to get here?”
How had Dahlia and Heath ended up together? It was obvious this was their first time meeting. Had they also used the app?
“Maybe some. I was new to the app, so I don’t know how many people use it to make connections. But this scavenger hunt is right up my alley. In fact, my company is one of the sponsors.” He pointed to the logo on his t-shirt. “Love being outdoors. How about you?”
“I love the outdoors when I’m poolside with a mimosa after doing some goat yoga.” Lacole laughed. “But this will be fun, too.”
“That sounds…” His back wriggled in protest. “Painful, actually.”
“I’ll have to take you sometime.” Lacole beamed at him. “They’re baby goats and adorable.”
“I meant the yoga part.”
Lacole laughed, a rich sound that had Kelly grinning back at her.
A bugle sounded, sending everyone’s attention to the staircase landing. A gorgeous blonde in a red flapper dress that clung to her curves gave the next set of instructions. “Registration closes in 15 minutes. If you don’t have a team of four, stand by the large tree to my right, and we’ll get you hooked up.”
“We better get to it, then.” He offered his elbow, and Lacole slid her arm through. It wasn’t their fault they landed behind Dahlia and Heath in the registration line.
