Page 51 of Pity Present
“A man looking for love doesn’t worry about helping a random woman find a man unless he wants to be that man. Which you’ve made perfectly clear is not the case with us.” I repeat my question, “So why are you here?”
Instead of answering, he says, “I guess I’m just nervous.”
“Are you?”
He shrugs “Maybe.”
I abruptly stand up. Once I’m staring down at him, I announce, “I don’t think we should hang out anymore.”
“Why?”
“Because I actually want to meet someone and you’re getting in my way.”
I know I’ve hurt his feelings, but I don’t care. He’s confused me royally and unless he’s going to throw his hat into the ring for my affection, I don’t want anything to do with him.
I don’t know what’s going on with my sister right now, but I do know one thing: I don’t want to be all work and no play anymore, even if some of my research for my job looks like play. I want to meet someone and have a life with them. I also want to feel adored by that person.
I suddenly understand what Ellen was saying about wanting to feel like she’s first because that’s exactly what I want.
I want to be the first person the man I love thinks of when he has good news to share or needs consoling. I want to be the most important person in his world, and I don’t need someone like Blake getting in my way.
I’m not sure if I’m going to keep going to Trina’s mixers, but I know that I’m done wasting my time pining after someone who is clearly not interested in me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
BLAKE
It’s been two days since Molly and I talked. Two full days. I haven’t heard her coming and going next door, she won’t speak to me at the mixers, and if I get too close to her—which appears to be anywhere near fifty feet—she runs in the opposite direction.
So instead of enjoying myself with her and helping to steady her when she trips—which she does all the time—I’ve chatted up as many of the singles as I can. Krista’s finally taken the hint that I’m not interested in dating her, and she’s started to ignore me with a vigorous sort of anger. I overheard her tell another woman not to waste her time with me because I was nothing but an emotionally unavailable tease. That couldn’t be farther from the truth, but as I haven’t been telling the truth here, I can see how she might not see it that way.
Instead of going down to breakfast this morning and facing whatever drama is destined to occur, I hide out in my room and order room service. After that, I call the office and ask for Gillian.
“I’m sorry, she’s in a meeting,” her secretary tells me.
“Please ask her to call me as soon as she can,” I say before hanging up.
I really don’t want to be here anymore. I feel like I’ve gotten enough information to write about this event without having to see it through until the bitter end, and believe me, at the rate I’m going, the end will definitely be bitter.
While I wait for my food to arrive, I open my laptop and get back to work.
If you have any desire to maintain your sanity, you should not sign up for a dating getaway at the Elk Lake Lodge. This process has been humbling and borderline humiliating. It is not for the faint of heart. The truth is that you probably stand a better chance of meeting your future life partner at a bar, a dog park, or a red-eye flight to Antarctica. At least in those places you’ll be able to trust that you’re actually attracted to someone and you’re not just trying to beat a competitor to the punch. Because let’s face it, this is a competition. It’s a contest that will have winners and losers, and I do not like the odds of success.
I take a break to think about last night’s encounter with a woman Trina introduced me to. Her name was Harlow, and she’s a flight attendant. She travels a lot, but she’s based in Chicago. I have no idea why the Midwestern Matchmaker thought we’d hit it off unless she assumed the only person who wouldn’t mind dating me was one who didn’t have to see me very often. I sense that Trina is not my biggest fan.
Harlow and I didn’t have a chance to talk for long before two other men, whom she’d previously been getting to know, joined us. They nearly came to blows over who was going to walk Harlow to supper. That was my cue to skedaddle.
I did talk to Thor, and I asked him what was going on between him and Molly. He assured me that nothing was going on, and when I asked why, he said, “It’s obvious that you have a thing for her, Blake. I didn’t want to get in the way of that.” I thought I’d been better about hiding my feelings. Also, I’m surprised Thorwould be so cool about letting Molly go. If I was in this for real, I would be way more aggressive than that.
“I don’t have a thing for her,” I told him. He merely rolled his eyes and said it was also clear that Molly also has a thing for me, which is why he didn’t waste his time pursuing her. I’ve been thinking about that since last night.
Molly does give off the vibes that she’s attracted to me. And while it’s true that I’m also interested, I’ve been ordered not to tell anyone why I’m here. Therefore, I can’t ask Molly out for real without breaking the terms of my assignment. My first assignment, and if I’m not careful, maybe my last.
There’s a noise in the hallway which I assume is my breakfast. Getting off the bed, I quickly cross the room and open the door. But it’s not my food, it’s Molly. Her eyes pop open so wide when she sees me, I’m afraid she’s going to run again. “Molly,” I say.
Her gaze shifts nervously from the left to the right before she replies, “Blake.”
“How are you?” I ask. She’s wearing leggings and an oversized sweater. She looks so cuddly, I want to take her into my arms and hold her.
