Mismatched

11. Ebony

            
Sage slumped into a dinner chair, passing a glass of red to Ebony and taking a sip from her own. Other than the cleaning staff pottering around the tables, the restaurant was empty. Ebony sat beside her aunt, shoving away a dirty napkin over the filthy tablecloth. She leaned forward and blew out the tealight candle. The trail of smoke breezed over the lone rose in its vase. The night had come to an end, and the romance in the room had gone with it.

"You look like you've had a hard night," Sage said, smiling wearily.

"You could say that." A night full of disasters. Again.

"I think Zara and Bailey make quite a nice match."

"I'd thought so. On Friday. Now, I'm not so sure..."

"Rule number one of any good matchmaker—"

"Trust your instincts," Ebony finished. "I know, I know... And I did! And Bailey had only negative feedback tonight. I had been so sure they would work—"

Sage's eyes twinkled with knowing. "They still might."

Ebony felt doubtful. Besides, did she really want Bailey and Zara to work? Then she would have to date Jake—Jake who destroyed her bracelet. Now that she thought about it, his reasoning did seem quite sincere, possibly romantic. No. It didn't matter that he had a smile that made her want to break her oath; he was just a cocky chef. But his voice...the way it would resonate through her whenever he said her name...that was going to be her undoing. Yes, clinging to her 'No Men' vow was starting to break her heart in more ways than one. Truthfully, she wasn't sure if she could handle another failure on her long list of failures.

"I did notice you having quite the heated interview with a tall and utterly handsome man out on the balcony..." she said, pointing outside. "I'm guessing he's the Jake you mentioned yesterday?"

Ebony's stomach clenched. Her chest fluttered. "It might have been."

"I think Bailey was a smart boy making that deal. I, for one, hope he continues to see Zara. For purely selfish reasons, of course."

Ebony rubbed her tired eyes and groaned. To match Zara successfully would save her job. On the other hand, that meant time with Jake. Ebony was not ready to spend time with Jake.  "Let me get this straight. You actually want me to fail at a match?"

Sage laughed. "Oddly enough, I do. But it would have to be our little secret. If Rose found out..." She looked around the restaurant and spotted her sister at the reception, calculating the receipts. Rose's favourite part of the night—seeing the profits. With a shudder, Sage turned back to Ebony and took a much needed sip of wine.

"You are playing with fire!" Ebony whispered, smiling. There was something satisfying about going behind Aunt Rose's back. It almost made the prospect of breaking her vow seem worth it.

"Maybe so. But I think your matchmaking talents would shine a whole lot more if you believed in love again. Perhaps Jake will be the answer."

Aunt Sage was sounding an awful lot like a certain fortune teller. Any minute now, Ebony expected to hear the words, 'Look beyond...'

"Or he might not be," Ebony countered. "I might be an even more disastrous matchmaker after the dates with Jake. What if it doesn't work out? Did you ever consider that?"

Sage leaned closer. "Finally, you're admitting that you like him, that you're afraid of getting your heart broken. That is the first step, Ebony, and all the more reason not to let this chance pass you by."

She felt herself blush. The blush was accompanied with a good dose of panic. "But what about Jake's date, Sarah? I feel like I've misled her."

"You have, it's true. But they had their night, and by the look on Jake's face I'd say it wasn't meant to be. Sarah would be in need of another match, regardless."

"Then why does this still feel like a bad idea?"

"If it all fails, you can hold me responsible." Aunt Sage raised her glass to Ebony's, clinking them together. "Here's to new beginnings! Cheers!"

"Cheers," Ebony grumbled, tapping her glass against her aunt's. "To new beginnings..."

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