Simply Be Mine Matchmakers

5. A Practice Date

Angela stayed up all night scouring her company's list of clients, but it was hard to find good matches for Lucy.

Wes came into the kitchen and kissed the top of her head. "I didn't hear you come to bed last night."

"Because I didn't," she replied sadly.

"Okay, what's gotten you so stressed? You have a tough client or something?" He abandoned his plans to pour himself some coffee in favor of sitting beside her at their kitchen table.

"More like an impossible one."

"Impossible, huh? Maybe I can help. Let me look over the profile." Wes slid the laptop over and blinked hard, since he thought the early morning was playing tricks on his eyesight. "Are you trying to find a match for Lucy?"

"Yeah, and apparently, the algorithm isn't giving us any good matches. No one over 80%."

"She's been single for a while. Why are you suddenly so invested in finding her a match that you stayed up all night trying to help her?"

"Because," Angela sighed. "She made a bet with a stubborn client that she would go on three dates to sign him up for our services."

"I didn't think you were that desperate for business."

"We aren't, but Lucy saw something in him and really wanted him to accept our help."

"Sounds like she has a soft spot for the guy."

"I think she has a bit of a crush on him, actually."

"Great! Then, set them up."

"No can do. We picked three dates for him. None of them were Lucy, and if you saw their compatibility score...anyways, Lucy seems against forcing it and wants us to follow the process the right way."

"The right way worked for us, since you know, we're an 100% match, but you've said it yourself- some people need a shove."

"What are you saying?" Angela wondered as she studied the devilish smirk forming on his face.

"Set her up with people, that according to the algorithm, she is more likely to get along with. Follow the usual matchmaking process. But, if dating those 'right people' doesn't work for her or that client she has a crush on, they'll be more open to being set up and forgetting about the rules."

"Are you suggesting I actually listen to her and set her up with guys I don't think she'll really like in the hopes that she'll stop being stubborn and put herself out there for Tim?"

"Who's Tim?"

"The name of our stubborn client she's probably crushing on."

"Oh, then yeah, I'm saying follow her rules, and when it doesn't work in her favor, she'll stop being scared and go after Tim."

"You think she's scared?"

"Wouldn't you be if you were single for a long time and then someone came along that actually made you feel something? Wouldn't you be freaked out by the possibility that it could work or the sting if it didn't? Isn't that the reason you had to be forced to go out with me in the first place?"

"I wasn't scared," Angela insisted.

"Yes, you were, and so was I. That's why I wanted to hire you in the first place. I thought if someone else was setting up dates, I wouldn't have to be the one to try to ask someone out and eventually chicken out instead of making a move. I was terrified to date again after everything between Monica and I imploded, but I'm really grateful I showed up to that restaurant and you were the one sitting across the table from me. That was one of the best moments of my life."