Better Than Tinder

Chapter Four

Arrived at home I get greeted by the insistent purs of my cat, as well as my sweetheart, Mr. Whiskers. I drop my bag on the floor and collapse onto the couch. My cat, Mr. Whiskers, jumps up beside me, eyeing me with mild curiosity.

"Well, Mr. Whiskers, it's been quite a day," I tell him, scratching behind his ears. "Met a ridiculously handsome matchmaker who might be more charming than all my past dates combined."

Mr. Whiskers blinks at me, unimpressed. He's heard it all before—me coming home, talking about some guy, only for it to end in disappointment. Or maybe he wants food, I don't know.

"Yeah, I get it. You've heard it all," I say with a sigh. "But seriously, this guy is different. At least, I hope he is."

Mr. Whiskers responds with a noncommittal yawn, shifting his position to get more comfortable. I smile at his blasé attitude, feeling a bit more grounded. Maybe it's better to take a page from his book—relax, don't get too worked up, and just see what happens.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop gushing," I say, giving him one last scratch behind the ears. "Let's get you some dinner. You're probably more interested in that than my potential love life."

The next day, the office is in complete disarray: the shipment of hellebores and winterberries for the floral arrangements has been delayed, and the Winter Festival is less than a month away.

Riley looks like he's about to have a meltdown.

Before he can pass out onto a wedding bouquet ready for delivery, I grab him by the shoulders, already mentally mapping out where the smelling salts are stored. His eyes are wide with panic, and his normally rosy complexion is turning an alarming shade of pale.

"C'mon, it can't be that bad," I say, trying to infuse my voice with calm. "Maybe the courier got a flat tyre or something." I flash him a sympathetic look, but his panic doesn't abate.

Riley stares at me with desperation in his eyes. "Ava, you don't understand. The Winter Festival is our biggest event of the year! Without those hellebores and winterberries, we're sunk! It's a disaster!"

I give his shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "Just take a deep breath, okay?"

He looks at me as if I had three heads, but he does as I say, his chest slowly heaving up and down. "What's the plan B?" he asks, somewhat more calmly.

"Don't mess up plan A."

"YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAN B?" Riley yells. Alright, maybe telling him that wasn't the best idea. "Do you know how screwed we are?!"

"Relax," I say, holding up my hands in a placating gesture. "We're not screwed. We're just... temporarily inconvenienced."

"Temporarily inconvenienced?" he echoes, his voice dripping with disbelief. "The Winter Festival is our biggest event of the year! People are counting on us! We can't just wing it!"

"You said it already," I say, trying to keep my voice soothing and level. "But panicking isn't going to help. We need to stay calm and think this through. There's always a solution."

"Okay, fine," he grumbles, clearly not convinced. "What do you suggest we do?"

"First, we call the courier company and get a definitive update on the shipment. If they can't deliver today, we'll start reaching out to other suppliers. We'll see if they can expedite a new shipment to us."

"And if they can't?" he asks, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Then we get creative," I say, trying to inject some confidence into my voice. "We improvise. We find alternative flowers that can work in place of the hellebores and winterberries. We think outside the box."

Riley lets out a long, dramatic sigh. "I don't like it, but I guess we don't have much choice."

"Exactly," I reply with a nod. "Now, let's get to work."

My phone buzzes in the pocket of my dress. Riley looks at me. "Who's that?"

I pull it out and glance at the screen. "Destiny Matches," I mumble.

Riley gives me a puzzled look. "Don't ask questions," I say, dismissing him with a wave of my hand as I pick up the phone.

The warm, sultry voice of Simon greets me. "Hello, Ava, are you busy?" he asks.

I ignore Riley's glances and stutter my response, "No! No, of course not!"

"We found a match for you," Simon continues. "His name is Blake. Is tomorrow evening a good time for your date?"

I swallow, my mind racing. "Uh, yes, that works for me."

"Great," Simon replies, his voice smooth as honey. "I'll text you the details. Have a wonderful day, Ava."

"You too," I manage to squeak before the call ends. I stare at my phone for a moment, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves.

Riley's eyebrows are practically at his hairline. "Destiny Matches? As in the dating agency?"

"Yep," I say, tucking my phone back into my pocket.

Riley's curiosity gets the better of him. "And you're going on a date? With a guy named Blake?"

"Apparently," I say, feeling a bit self-conscious under his scrutiny.

Riley chuckles, shaking his head. "Never made you a blind date type of girl."

"Life's full of surprises," I say with a grin. "Now, let's get back to saving the Winter Festival."