Irresistible Impulse
“Maybe this is a bad idea.”
Amira Jenkins halted in the middle of the hotel lobby, her eyes wide with anxiety. The large round glasses and worried expression on her face made her look a bit like a startled owl.
Latisha Hobbs took her cousin’s arm and propelled her across the gleaming tile floor, past the smiling concierge at the check-in desk, and toward their destination. “No. It’s a very good idea.”
Truth be told, Latisha would not have been at the Hotel Excelsior at all, if not for Amira. Speed dating was certainly not how she envisioned spending this Thursday evening. Dating in any form was not on her current agenda. Too many expectations, too much disappointment. Too much trouble all around.
Was she really that soured on men? Latisha shook her head. If she didn’t watch herself, she’d turn into one of those crazy cat ladies. And she didn’t even own a cat.
But Amira was looking for someone. Her long-time boyfriend had broken up with her months ago and only now was she willing to give dating another try. Too shy to come to the event all by herself, she’d asked her older cousin to tag along for moral support. And though Latisha didn’t see how anyone could find a soul mate after talking to a man for a few scant minutes, she didn’t want to let Amira down.
Oh, well, try anything once.
Who could tell? Maybe Amira would find her Prince Charming here.
And me? Will my Prince be here?
The voice in her head answered. Are you sure it’s a Prince you’re looking for?
****
That’s the last time I’ll ever make a sucker’s bet.
Tania Talcott tapped her foot impatiently on the plush red carpet under her feet. The Hotel Excelsior was actually one of the more impressive places in Summit, New York. But the Van Buren Room, with its muted gold walls and the impressive chandelier hanging from the ceiling, didn’t impress her at all. She would much rather have been in the cocktail lounge, sipping an overpriced fruity drink, instead of stuck here waiting for the speed dating to begin. To quote a popular comic strip character, good grief.
Last week, she and Andie Benedetto, her co-worker at the Summit Public Library, had been eating lunch in the break room. Tania’s lunch was a bag of cheese curls, a can of cherry cola, and a package of chocolate cupcakes.
Andie felt it her duty to lecture Tania on her unhealthy food choices. “You do know that stuff is nothing but empty calories, right?”
“Ummhmm,” Tania murmured agreeably, her mouth full of chocolate cake.
Andie’s meal was a carton of lemon yogurt and an apple. “I wonder if you could go a day without junk food.”
“Sure, I could. Just as easily as you could go without starving yourself.” Tania snagged a cheese curl and gave her friend a meaningful look. Andie flushed. She was uncomfortable with her generous curves and always dieting, though Tania thought she looked just fine.
“A day’s too easy, though,” Tania said breezily. “Let’s do a week. Bet you I can go a whole week without junk food if you can go a week eating more for lunch than some yogurt and a couple of celery sticks.”
Andie smiled. “What does the winner get?”
“Why, she gets to reek of moral superiority, of course.” Tania picked up the newspaper she’d been browsing and pointed to a small notice in the Around Town section. “And the loser has to attend this Spring Fling Speed Dating Extravaganza.”
Tania had secretly gloated at her cleverness. When Andie lost the bet and attended the speed-dating thingie, maybe she’d meet somebody who’d make her forget her loser boyfriend, Dumbass Douglas. Somebody who’d appreciate her, instead of treating her like wallpaper.
Tania lost the bet. She folded after three agonizing days of green salads and healthy snacks, brought low by the lure of barbecue potato chips.
Andie had been a gracious winner and carried not the slightest whiff of superiority. She even told Tania it wasn’t
“Maybe this is a bad idea.”
Amira Jenkins halted in the middle of the hotel lobby, her eyes wide with anxiety. The large round glasses and worried expression on her face made her look a bit like a startled owl.
Latisha Hobbs took her cousin’s arm and propelled her across the gleaming tile floor, past the smiling concierge at the check-in desk, and toward their destination. “No. It’s a very good idea.”
Truth be told, Latisha would not have been at the Hotel Excelsior at all, if not for Amira. Speed dating was certainly not how she envisioned spending this Thursday evening. Dating in any form was not on her current agenda. Too many expectations, too much disappointment. Too much trouble all around.
Was she really that soured on men? Latisha shook her head. If she didn’t watch herself, she’d turn into one of those crazy cat ladies. And she didn’t even own a cat.
But Amira was looking for someone. Her long-time boyfriend had broken up with her months ago and only now was she willing to give dating another try. Too shy to come to the event all by herself, she’d asked her older cousin to tag along for moral support. And though Latisha didn’t see how anyone could find a soul mate after talking to a man for a few scant minutes, she didn’t want to let Amira down.
Oh, well, try anything once.
Who could tell? Maybe Amira would find her Prince Charming here.
And me? Will my Prince be here?
The voice in her head answered. Are you sure it’s a Prince you’re looking for?
****
That’s the last time I’ll ever make a sucker’s bet.
Tania Talcott tapped her foot impatiently on the plush red carpet under her feet. The Hotel Excelsior was actually one of the more impressive places in Summit, New York. But the Van Buren Room, with its muted gold walls and the impressive chandelier hanging from the ceiling, didn’t impress her at all. She would much rather have been in the cocktail lounge, sipping an overpriced fruity drink, instead of stuck here waiting for the speed dating to begin. To quote a popular comic strip character, good grief.
Last week, she and Andie Benedetto, her co-worker at the Summit Public Library, had been eating lunch in the break room. Tania’s lunch was a bag of cheese curls, a can of cherry cola, and a package of chocolate cupcakes.
Andie felt it her duty to lecture Tania on her unhealthy food choices. “You do know that stuff is nothing but empty calories, right?”
“Ummhmm,” Tania murmured agreeably, her mouth full of chocolate cake.
Andie’s meal was a carton of lemon yogurt and an apple. “I wonder if you could go a day without junk food.”
“Sure, I could. Just as easily as you could go without starving yourself.” Tania snagged a cheese curl and gave her friend a meaningful look. Andie flushed. She was uncomfortable with her generous curves and always dieting, though Tania thought she looked just fine.
“A day’s too easy, though,” Tania said breezily. “Let’s do a week. Bet you I can go a whole week without junk food if you can go a week eating more for lunch than some yogurt and a couple of celery sticks.”
Andie smiled. “What does the winner get?”
“Why, she gets to reek of moral superiority, of course.” Tania picked up the newspaper she’d been browsing and pointed to a small notice in the Around Town section. “And the loser has to attend this Spring Fling Speed Dating Extravaganza.”
Tania had secretly gloated at her cleverness. When Andie lost the bet and attended the speed-dating thingie, maybe she’d meet somebody who’d make her forget her loser boyfriend, Dumbass Douglas. Somebody who’d appreciate her, instead of treating her like wallpaper.
Tania lost the bet. She folded after three agonizing days of green salads and healthy snacks, brought low by the lure of barbecue potato chips.
Andie had been a gracious winner and carried not the slightest whiff of superiority. She even told Tania it wasn’t
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