Page 7 of Betting on the Best Friend
“Because Niles is a slug,” Madison adds.
“I got it, Madi.” I make heart hands at Ava. “I accept, co-plant mom.”
“My turn,” Madison says. Her shoebox is an Italian brand I don’t recognize. With a flourish, she whips off the lid and tilts the box to display . . . nothing.
“Oh, Madi, you shouldn’t have,” I say.
She grins. “Nothing but the best for my bestie. It’s full of things you can’t see. Hopes, dreams, and love.”
“That’s nice.” My mind is buzzing between the empty box and her IT’S OUR TURN sign, trying to figure out the connection.
“I’m glad you’re taking this so well,” she says.
I groan. “Lay it on me. What are you up to?”
“It’s been a few hundred years since you broke up with Niles—”
“Six months,” I say.
“—a few hundred years,” she continues as Ava and Sami give theHunger Gamessalute behind her. “And it’s time for you to get back out there. And we’re going to help. In fact, we’re flipping the script on you.”
Not good. Not at all. “Are you saying . . .”
Ava adjusts her glasses, so maybe that’s why it looks like her eyes glint when she says, “Ruby Ramos, are you ready to bet on love?”
“Nope.” Last New Year’s Eve, I’d bet them that I could find them true love by the end of the year. Sure enough, they’d each rung in this New Year with their perfect match.
Sami snorts and pushes her pink-streaked hair out of her face. “Yes. And I’m going to win.”
“Didn’t you already win when I set you up with Josh?” I ask.
“That’s an old bet. This is a new one,” Ava says. “AndI’mgoing to win.”
“Wasn’t it enough that I gave you my brother?” I demand. Theirs had been the hardest match to pull off.
“We all owe you,” Madison says, “and that’s exactly why we’re going to find you your soulmate.”
I stand and collect the Nike and Doc Marten boxes. “I’ll take these two.” I nod at Madison’s empty box. “No thanks on that one.”
“Niles doesn’t deserve to have kept you off the market for six months,” Sami says.
“He hasn’t,” I say. “I’m so offended you believe he has that I need to go eat this chocolate in my room by myself. Byeeeeee.”
“Then why haven’t you dated?” Madison asks.
“I haven’t been single for longer than six months since . . . sophomore year of high school? But five years is a long time without any downtime, even for me. I’m not in a hurry to do that again.”
They exchange looks with each other. Ava’s expression is thoughtful, like this makes sense to her. Sami’s is uncertain, like she doesn’t know if I have a good point, but she thinks I might. Madison’s turns stubborn.
“We’re not suggesting you find another five-year dead end. We’re saying find a real prince.”
“Or at least some good-looking frogs,” Sami says.
“You’re saying pull a Madi?” Madison is a flirt. Not even a reformed one. It’s her nature to flirt with men, women, babies, senior citizens. She can’t help it. Until Oliver came along, that had meant lots of first and second dates and casual makeouts, hoping for The Kiss.
“Absolutely,” Madison says. “I say put the best-looking frogs in Austin on notice that Ruby is coming.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. That’s not me.”
