Page 6 of Make it Real
They deflated liked I’d crushed their dreams in my bare hands. Looking around the table, they seemed to urge each other to say something. I didn’t believe in telepathy, but they’d been friends long enough that half their conversations were just meaningful looks and insistent eyebrow motions.
“Speaking of meeting up with friends…”
Rita’s eagerness gave her away. Nothing casual about this pivot.
Inwardly, I sighed so hard, my soul briefly left my body. On the outside, I feigned polite interest as if I didn’t know what they had in store for me. Kind of cute they thought they were being sneaky. Also horrifying to contemplate what they’d considerdirect.
“I was talking with my friend Nora the other day,” Rita said. “Her grandson is in town on business for several months, he does sales for one of these big-time agricultural outfits. She said he’s looking to meet more people in the area, and I told her I knew just the girl to introduce him to.”
Everyone these women met must think me the most socially decrepit woman in history for the way they shoved me off on any available man. Gran once tried to set me up with the grocery clerk’s nephew as we went through check-out. I stood two feet away, wishing I could ride the conveyor belt to freedom. Or at least a cringe-free future.
Given my behavior of the morning, I could get into plenty of cringey situations on my own.
“I’m probably not—”
“He’s twenty-eight, tall, blond, never married.” Granny rattled off his stats like reading the back of a baseball card. “Very fun-loving—Nora said he’s always posting things like‘Down to party’on his Facebook page.”
Holy red flag, Batman.
“I don’t think that means what you think it means.”
Carmen shook her head. “I tried to tell them.”
“Maybe you could take him to a party in Magnolia Ridge,” Gran said.
I practically choked on my own laughter. I probably looked a bit like Jed after my whole proposition fiasco.These women were a menace. They could at least learn some current slang if they were going to try to get involved with my love life.
“I’m not that much of a partier.”
“Start small, then. How about you meet him for dinner and then decide?”
Ugh, here we go.
I went into the kitchen and took my time pouring a glass of water, ignoring the half-packed box of china on the countertop that’d been sitting there for weeks. I tried to channel Jed and his easy“Don’t go on the set-ups”answer. I could do this. Sure, I’d done it before without results, but I could do it again. Maybe this time, it would stick.
Turning to face them, I tried to look sad but firm. Immovable. Resolute. “It’s sweet of y’all to think of me, but I really don’t need you to play matchmaker for me. I can get dates on my own.”
Granny raised an eyebrow, looking around. “Where are they? I don’t see anybody. When was your last date that we didn’t do the matchmaking for you?”
Of course, she already knew the answer to that. She knew the answer to everything. Perks of being a grandma, I guess.
“College.” I’d laid pretty low since coming back to Magnolia Ridge. I liked to think I’d been focused on work and Gran, but it didn’t quite explain away my lack of a real social life. The point remained, I could have gotten dates on my own if I’d wanted them.
I wasn’t testing that theory or anything, but I could.
Gran nodded, probably mentally ticking off a point for her. “That’s not a great track record, little Cal.”
“When was your last date?” Carmen asked her.
Gran shot her a silencing look. “You hush, this isn’t about me.”
To my knowledge, she hadn’t dated since my grandpa died of a stroke the year I was born. Having a social life of her own might have distracted her from mine, but it seemed like she’d decided against trying for anything romantic again. Her friends fulfilled her need for companionship, and if she ever wished for more, she hadn’t let on in twenty-five years.
But somehow, I’d become the strange one for being on my own. I couldn’t get that to make sense.
“I had a date last weekend.” Rita’s mouth turned up into a satisfied smile. “Stan is quite the dancer.”
“This isn’t aboutyou, either. You’ve never had a problem finding a man.” Gran turned back to me, all of her joking gone. “We’re trying to look out for you. You know I hate the idea of you here all alone in this old house.”
