stared down at her. `It means the money
is good, and the work is steady.´ `You never cared about steady work before.
Now you’re thinking about the future. You like this town, don’t you? You like
the people in it. Here’s a chance to help some of them. You can make their
lives better.´ `By playing matchmaker?Śhe nodded. Was she finally getting
through? His shoulders had relaxed a bit, and the squint lines above his
eyebrows had flattened out. `Just three couples. That’s all we need. It might
even be fun.´ `And how do you propose we do this? I’m going to hit on women
until the men they like get jealous enough to do something about it? I’d prefer
not to get punched in the eye again, if you don’t mind.´ `I won’t let you get
hurt. I promise.Śhe reached up and touched his eyebrow. He hadn’t even
asked her if she was the one who repaired Skip’s damage so quickly. He flinched
again as her cool fingers traced his jaw where Miranda’s slap had left a faint
swelling. He grabbed her wrist and brought her hand down. `I don’t think we
should be interfering with other people’s love lives.´ `Interfering with other
people’s love lives. Like Miranda and Skip? I don’t think theirs is true love,
by the way. They have nothing in common.´ `How do you know?´ `I just know. It
was the way she talked about him yesterday. She doesn’t really love him, and
she never did. I don’t think she loves you, either. She just thinks she does.
Maybe we could find someone for her, the kind of man she really wants. I could
arrange to run into her again, maybe become her friend.´ Nick moaned. `No. That
would be a very bad idea. I can’t believe I’m standing here discussing this
with you. I don’t know you. I don’t know what your real deal is, and I don’t really
want to become a yentl.´ `It’s yenta ,
Yiddish for matchmaker. Yentl was a
movie with Barbra Streisand.´ `Whatever. I don’t want to be one. Relationships
are too much trouble. I can’t be responsible for some poor guy getting his life
ruined because I matched him up with the µgirl of his dreams’.´ He made those
air quotes with his fingers, then turned and walked away. Callie followed. `That’s
the point. True love won’t mess up someone’s life, it will improve it. You don’t
want to lose your own chance at love, Nick. Trust me, you can’t live that way.´
He turned back, jammed his hands in his back pockets and pinned her with
another hard look. `Stop following me. Stop showing up in my apartment. And
give me my shirt back.Ćallie’s hopeful smile faded. She’d sensed him
starting to come around and then bam, like hitting a brick wall, his defenses
came up again. `What do you have against love?´ `I don’t believe in it. But
hey, if that’s what it takes to get rid of you, fine. We’ll hook up three
couples. Let’s start tonight. There’s a bar full of people in there, I bet we
can stir up some true love before last call.Ćallie crossed her arms, too. `You’re
humoring me.´ `It’s better than calling the police on you.Śhe looked over
his shoulder at the red brick building that housed Farley’s. People were
streaming in and out of the doors, and the music coming from inside had gotten
louder over the last few minutes. Freya had always told her love could be found
anywhere. There had to be at least one potential love match inside, and that
was a start. `All right. We’ll give it a try.´ `On one condition.´ He held up
one finger, pointed at her. `Everyone can see you.Śhe grinned. `I got to
you already, huh? I figured it would take a lot longer to break you.´ `You didn’t
break me. I just don’t need any more aggravation. Oh, and change me back to my
own clothes.´ `Why? You look so good in these.´ He glowered. She sighed. `All
right.´ The tan shirt and faded jeans he’d been wearing didn’t flatter his
lanky build as much as the black ensemble, but he didn’t look bad. He didn’t
realize she’d left him the hat until they
is good, and the work is steady.´ `You never cared about steady work before.
Now you’re thinking about the future. You like this town, don’t you? You like
the people in it. Here’s a chance to help some of them. You can make their
lives better.´ `By playing matchmaker?Śhe nodded. Was she finally getting
through? His shoulders had relaxed a bit, and the squint lines above his
eyebrows had flattened out. `Just three couples. That’s all we need. It might
even be fun.´ `And how do you propose we do this? I’m going to hit on women
until the men they like get jealous enough to do something about it? I’d prefer
not to get punched in the eye again, if you don’t mind.´ `I won’t let you get
hurt. I promise.Śhe reached up and touched his eyebrow. He hadn’t even
asked her if she was the one who repaired Skip’s damage so quickly. He flinched
again as her cool fingers traced his jaw where Miranda’s slap had left a faint
swelling. He grabbed her wrist and brought her hand down. `I don’t think we
should be interfering with other people’s love lives.´ `Interfering with other
people’s love lives. Like Miranda and Skip? I don’t think theirs is true love,
by the way. They have nothing in common.´ `How do you know?´ `I just know. It
was the way she talked about him yesterday. She doesn’t really love him, and
she never did. I don’t think she loves you, either. She just thinks she does.
Maybe we could find someone for her, the kind of man she really wants. I could
arrange to run into her again, maybe become her friend.´ Nick moaned. `No. That
would be a very bad idea. I can’t believe I’m standing here discussing this
with you. I don’t know you. I don’t know what your real deal is, and I don’t really
want to become a yentl.´ `It’s yenta ,
Yiddish for matchmaker. Yentl was a
movie with Barbra Streisand.´ `Whatever. I don’t want to be one. Relationships
are too much trouble. I can’t be responsible for some poor guy getting his life
ruined because I matched him up with the µgirl of his dreams’.´ He made those
air quotes with his fingers, then turned and walked away. Callie followed. `That’s
the point. True love won’t mess up someone’s life, it will improve it. You don’t
want to lose your own chance at love, Nick. Trust me, you can’t live that way.´
He turned back, jammed his hands in his back pockets and pinned her with
another hard look. `Stop following me. Stop showing up in my apartment. And
give me my shirt back.Ćallie’s hopeful smile faded. She’d sensed him
starting to come around and then bam, like hitting a brick wall, his defenses
came up again. `What do you have against love?´ `I don’t believe in it. But
hey, if that’s what it takes to get rid of you, fine. We’ll hook up three
couples. Let’s start tonight. There’s a bar full of people in there, I bet we
can stir up some true love before last call.Ćallie crossed her arms, too. `You’re
humoring me.´ `It’s better than calling the police on you.Śhe looked over
his shoulder at the red brick building that housed Farley’s. People were
streaming in and out of the doors, and the music coming from inside had gotten
louder over the last few minutes. Freya had always told her love could be found
anywhere. There had to be at least one potential love match inside, and that
was a start. `All right. We’ll give it a try.´ `On one condition.´ He held up
one finger, pointed at her. `Everyone can see you.Śhe grinned. `I got to
you already, huh? I figured it would take a lot longer to break you.´ `You didn’t
break me. I just don’t need any more aggravation. Oh, and change me back to my
own clothes.´ `Why? You look so good in these.´ He glowered. She sighed. `All
right.´ The tan shirt and faded jeans he’d been wearing didn’t flatter his
lanky build as much as the black ensemble, but he didn’t look bad. He didn’t
realize she’d left him the hat until they
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