Page 5 of Valentine's Day Daddy

“So? Do we have a date?” Emma asks, arching her eyebrow.

“Yeah,” I say. “We’ve got a date.”

“Good girl. This is going to be great,” she says, sounding excited.

“Hon, I think we’ve got different definitions of that word.”

3

The main ballroom of the Arden, one of the swankiest hotels in LA has been turned into love central for the evening. The decorations are somehow over the top but not entirely garish. I don’t know how Mimi managed to pull that off. I stand off to the side of the hall, sipping a glass of scotch, as I watch the workers putting the finishing touches on the room.

“What do you think?” Mimi asks as she sidles up next to me.

"I think it looks like Cupid threw up all over this room.”

“That’s good. That was the look I was going for.”

“Then I’d say you nailed it.”

Mimi looks me up and down. “And look at you. You clean up pretty nice.”

I hold open my jacket, showing off the red, crushed velvet vest underneath, and spin around to give her the full three hundred sixty-degree view of my freshly tailored, royal blue three-piece suit. A pocket square, the color of blood peeks out from the pocket on the right side of my chest and perfectly matches my vest.

“Yeah, I do, don’t I?” I say.

"I hope you get over this staggering lack of confidence you have," she replies. "I hear it might hinder you socially and as a person.”

“Yeah, I’ll work on that,” I reply with a laugh. “And that dress looks great on you.”

Mimi looks down at herself and smiles. Her designer dress is black satin, strapless with a low bustline that showcases her ample cleavage and hugs her curves nicely. A string of diamonds hangs around her neck, and she’s got earrings to match. Her entire outfit is tasteful, understated, and makes her look like the walking definition of elegance, class, and style.

I take a sip of my scotch and look around the ballroom. One hundred tables have been set up in the center of the room. Big enough for just two people, every table has candles and flowers on top of a red satin tablecloth. To the left of the room is a long table the catering staff is scrambling to get set up, to the right is a long oak bar manned by three bartenders, and at the head of the room, a DJ is getting set up.

“Is Dennis coming?” I ask, referring to her boyfriend.

“No, he’s at home.”

“Why does he get a free pass?

“Because he’s got a trial to prep for. And besides, he’s already got the best girlfriend he could ever hope for,” she replies with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “You, on the other hand, do not. But we are going to fix that tonight.”

"Uh-huh,” I say. “So, what flavor of fuckery do you have on tap for this evening?

“Welcome to Soulmates.com Valentine’s Day Speed Dating Party 2023.”

“Because nothing says Valentine’s Day romance and stable, lifelong connections quite like spending five quality minutes with a complete stranger,” I say dryly.

“Okay, you need to have another drink and unclench that puckered little sphincter of yours. This is going to be fun, dammit.”

I laugh and drain the rest of my glass. “What time does this shitshow start?”

“Ten minutes,” she says. “We’ll have a thirty-minute meet and greet cocktail reception, then we’ll get into the fun and games.”

“Well, I think I’ll take your advice and go have another drink or twelve then.”

“Don’t get sloppy,” she calls after me.

I give her a wave as I head off to the bar and order myself another scotch. The DJ starts to play his music with a laser light show accompaniment and before I know it, the doors fly open and people begin pouring in. When I first saw the hundred tables set up, I thought Mimi was being overly optimistic about the turnout. I see now though, she may have underestimated the number of lonely hearts looking to connect with another human being to avoid being alone on Valentine’s Day. And apparently, these are now my people.

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