Page 19 of Betting on the Best Friend
“That sounded tired,” I say.
“More like annoyed.”
“Because . . . ?”
“I’ll probably have two more of these dates next week.”
As a bad friend, her dread makes me feel warm inside. “Sucks that much, huh?”
“It’s not how I want to spend my time. These first two weren’t terrible, but neither was even close to the right fit.”
I consider this and roll my head to look at her. “Do you think it’s suspicious that Ava and Sami were that far off? And that Ava sent you on a chocolate date with a health nut?”
“Suspicious how?”
“Could they be trying to tank them on purpose like you did when you set Ava up with Joey?”
“I sent Ava on dates because I knew Joey needed to see her in a new light, the way other guys see her, to recognize that she was right for him. I made sure they were bad so she and Joey would believe I really thought she needed his coaching.”
That’s true. Ruby had even dragged me into her scheming in finding “bad” guys to go along with the plan. Ruby had been extremely intentional in reminding Ava of all Joey’s best qualities by sending her out on dates with his opposites.
Oh, dang. I’ve subconsciously copied her strategy to use it on her, reveling in foods the trainer would never touch.
“Why are you smiling?” she asks.
“Just remembering some of her bad dates.”
“Neither of mine have beenthatbad. Besides, why would the girls want to tank them?” Ruby asks.
“Maybe it’s payback for the dumb dates they had to go on.”
“Just Ava. I only sent Sami out with Josh, and I never told Madison I was setting her up.” She shakes her head. “They’re not tanking anything. They just don’t have my matching superpowers.”
It really is her superpower. Patrons love her because she’s undefeated in matching people to books they would never have considered on their own, but she can do it with other things too. She can call any season ofThe Bachelorby the end of the first episode. The other girls make her write her guess and put it in an envelope that she doesn’t get to reveal until the proposal because according to Madison, the rest of themlikethe suspense.
But her roommates’ combined matching powers are better than Ruby thinks, considering they wanted to match me with her first. The difference between them and Ruby is that she’ll force a match if she’s sure it’s right. I’m relieved the other girls have boundaries.
“How long are you going to go along with this?” It’s hard to imagine her being patient if it feels like a waste of time.
“Until it interferes with real life.”
“What does that mean?”
She makes her thinking sound, a soft humming noise. “If it takes time from something I want to do instead. Like if one of them tries to set me up on something that would make me miss a family thing. Stuff like that.”
Good news for me since the Ramos family gets together for everything. With five Ramos siblings—three of them married with a few kids in the mix—there’s always a birthday or promotion or holiday to celebrate. Two weeks ago, they got together because her oldest niece lost her first tooth.
“Do you feel ready to date?”
Ruby’s eyes trace paths along the limbs of the tree overhead. “Mostly, I’m going out because they think they’re helping. My mom always says when someone wants to help you, let them, even if you don’t need it, because letting them help you helps them even if you aren’t sure how.”
“Letting them help you like this is an extreme act of generosity.” My dry tone makes her laugh. Each of them in their own way could be described as “extra.” Even Sami, who seems the most low-key in that condo, becomes electric when she transforms into her stage-prowling alter ego, Lady Mantha. When they form alliances, it amplifies every one of their personality traits as they fuse into a superhuman force. I am not being dramatic.
It’s inspiring to watch, unless you’re the target, in which case you should be more nervous than a CEO at a Coldplay concert.
“Maybe I’m curious,” she says. “Except for Ava, they’ve only known me with Niles, so what kind of guy do they think I should be with instead? If ten is most curious, I’m a two.”
“Why did you pick him? What made you stay?” I’ve always wondered.
