can’t fault him on that. He wasn’t happy and is still doing something super respectable.”
I nodded. “I know. Plus, I think he’d still be okay because of the new percentages.”
Betsy clicked the message button and said, “Good, ‘cause you’re going out with him.” Her fingers started flying over the keys.
I attempted to swallow the doubt that stuck in my throat and hid my shaking fingers under the table. “Sure. Ha! That’s great.” I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide the redness creeping up my neck, but I was sure that Betsy expected that at this point.
She eyed me, smirking, but her fingers did not let up on the keys. Finally, she seemed to press a more-final-seeming key and turned to me.
“K. Now we wait to see what he says.”
I pulled in a deep breath and nodded.
“You’ll be fine. Now, let’s look at this next guy.” She clicked around some more and her face pulled into a smile. “Oh, what about this one?”
I craned my neck so I could see the screen. “Which one are you looking at now? The dentist?”
“No. This guy.” She swiveled the computer toward me, her eyes wide and sparkling.
The screen was full of a picture of a burly man covered in tattoos, substantial arms crossed in front of his equally substantial chest. My heart fluttered nervously.
“He lives in the city and loves art, good wine, and his cat.” More waggling of eyebrows.
I was already shaking my head.
Betsy sighed. “Really? Why? Are you sure your still not thinking about your old percentages? I dropped that tattoo one down to five percent, you know.”
She was right. Instinctually, I had gone back to my old numbers. My new list was supposed to open up new dating prospects. I tried to give the guy a chance.
“Let me see.” I read the rest of his information and had to admit that it seemed like he met all of the new screening look-fors.
I felt a soft hand land on my shoulder. I looked over at Betsy who had her eyebrows furrowed and her head tipped to the side. Uh oh. That was her I-need-to-tell-you-something look.
“What? What is it?”
“I’m just — I — well…” She bit her lip. “I want you to give him a chance, Lauren.”
Before I could argue that I had been about to give him a chance, that he did meet my new criteria, she kept on going.
“Honestly, Laur. I love you and I know that the real reason you have this list is because you love lists, you make lists for anything you possibly can, and I know you’ve seen Mom and Dad and the great relationship they have. I know you want that. I just don’t want you to come off as vain or high-and-mighty, you know?”
I opened my mouth, but she had more.
“You don’t know this, but I read your diary once when you were away being a counselor at math camp in high school.” She cringed. “I read that one of your greatest fears is not finding the right guy, a compatible guy.” Her hand was still on my shoulder and she began rubbing it across my upper back. “I get that. I know relationships can be tough when two people aren’t compatible, but compatible doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be the same person.”
I put a finger up, wanting to say something, but Betsy grabbed my finger and looked at me hard.
“You have to give people a chance. The guy of your dreams is out there, but most likely he’ll surprise you. There’s not a formula or a list that can guarantee you’ll find him. It’s just going to happen by you letting yourself let go of all of this control and letting yourself be open to finding him.”
Her hazel eyes held mine.
“Can I say something now?”
She nodded.
“I’ll go on a date with him. I would’ve told you that, if you would’ve stopped for a second through that whole -- whatever that was.” I swatted a hand at her and smiled.
“Really?” Betsy’s shoulders dropped in surprise.
I nodded. “He seems nice. You’re right. Tattoos shouldn’t be a big deal and the rest of his information looks
I nodded. “I know. Plus, I think he’d still be okay because of the new percentages.”
Betsy clicked the message button and said, “Good, ‘cause you’re going out with him.” Her fingers started flying over the keys.
I attempted to swallow the doubt that stuck in my throat and hid my shaking fingers under the table. “Sure. Ha! That’s great.” I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide the redness creeping up my neck, but I was sure that Betsy expected that at this point.
She eyed me, smirking, but her fingers did not let up on the keys. Finally, she seemed to press a more-final-seeming key and turned to me.
“K. Now we wait to see what he says.”
I pulled in a deep breath and nodded.
“You’ll be fine. Now, let’s look at this next guy.” She clicked around some more and her face pulled into a smile. “Oh, what about this one?”
I craned my neck so I could see the screen. “Which one are you looking at now? The dentist?”
“No. This guy.” She swiveled the computer toward me, her eyes wide and sparkling.
The screen was full of a picture of a burly man covered in tattoos, substantial arms crossed in front of his equally substantial chest. My heart fluttered nervously.
“He lives in the city and loves art, good wine, and his cat.” More waggling of eyebrows.
I was already shaking my head.
Betsy sighed. “Really? Why? Are you sure your still not thinking about your old percentages? I dropped that tattoo one down to five percent, you know.”
She was right. Instinctually, I had gone back to my old numbers. My new list was supposed to open up new dating prospects. I tried to give the guy a chance.
“Let me see.” I read the rest of his information and had to admit that it seemed like he met all of the new screening look-fors.
I felt a soft hand land on my shoulder. I looked over at Betsy who had her eyebrows furrowed and her head tipped to the side. Uh oh. That was her I-need-to-tell-you-something look.
“What? What is it?”
“I’m just — I — well…” She bit her lip. “I want you to give him a chance, Lauren.”
Before I could argue that I had been about to give him a chance, that he did meet my new criteria, she kept on going.
“Honestly, Laur. I love you and I know that the real reason you have this list is because you love lists, you make lists for anything you possibly can, and I know you’ve seen Mom and Dad and the great relationship they have. I know you want that. I just don’t want you to come off as vain or high-and-mighty, you know?”
I opened my mouth, but she had more.
“You don’t know this, but I read your diary once when you were away being a counselor at math camp in high school.” She cringed. “I read that one of your greatest fears is not finding the right guy, a compatible guy.” Her hand was still on my shoulder and she began rubbing it across my upper back. “I get that. I know relationships can be tough when two people aren’t compatible, but compatible doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be the same person.”
I put a finger up, wanting to say something, but Betsy grabbed my finger and looked at me hard.
“You have to give people a chance. The guy of your dreams is out there, but most likely he’ll surprise you. There’s not a formula or a list that can guarantee you’ll find him. It’s just going to happen by you letting yourself let go of all of this control and letting yourself be open to finding him.”
Her hazel eyes held mine.
“Can I say something now?”
She nodded.
“I’ll go on a date with him. I would’ve told you that, if you would’ve stopped for a second through that whole -- whatever that was.” I swatted a hand at her and smiled.
“Really?” Betsy’s shoulders dropped in surprise.
I nodded. “He seems nice. You’re right. Tattoos shouldn’t be a big deal and the rest of his information looks
Similar Books
