help you find love.”
Was that a smile or a smirk? They both sat down, and Andi eyed the woman like she was a witness on the stand.
“Nice to meet you,” Andi said. Was Zoey mocking her? And if so, for what?
Zoey set her laptop on the coffee table and leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg casually over the other. “I’d like to start by getting to know you. As your matchmaker, it’s my job to help you find and build a lasting relationship, and I can do that better if I know you as a person.” The words were sweet, but Andi heard the mockery barely hidden underneath. Thousands of hours in a courtroom had made her an expert in reading people.
Zoey didn’t believe in this anymore than Andi did. She’d bet her life on it.
“Tell me, what brought you to Toujour?” Zoey asked.
“What brings anyone to Toujour?” Andi asked.
Zoey laughed. “That’s the sort of answer I’d expect from a lawyer. I read over your initial profile this morning.”
Andi stared at Zoey, trying to decide where to go from here. She decided to tell Zoey the truth and see her reaction. “My best friend brought me to Toujour.”
Zoey groaned, running a hand through her hair. “Please tell me your best friend is a woman. I’ve got more than enough friends-in-love-with-each-other drama to deal with right now.”
Zoey’s tone changed as she said the words, and Andi realized it was the first genuine thing she’d said since entering the room.
“It’s nothing like that,” Andi said. “Rachel blames herself for my last breakup, and she thinks she can somehow fix it by helping me find love again. Ridiculous, right?” She watched Zoey closely, wondering how she’d react.
Zoey’s eyes gleamed. “There’s definitely a story there. Why does she think your breakup is her fault?”
Andi pursed her lips, wondering how much to tell Zoey. But what did she have to lose? She didn’t want a relationship. She didn’t want to date.
Her mind flashed back to Saturday night, and how great it had felt to sit next to Ben and enjoy the football game together.
No. That hadn’t been a date, however giddy he made her. They were just friends.
She gave Zoey the summarized version of her breakup with Mark and why Rachel felt responsible. “So here I am,” Andi said. “Rach went behind my back and bought me a three month subscription. Frankly, a matchmaking firm seems like a weird way to re-enter the dating scene, but that’s Rachel.”
“Finally,” Zoey said, her eyes gleaming.
“Finally what?”
“Finally I have a client that isn’t a hopeless romantic.”
A smile slowly curled up the corners of Andi’s mouth. “You don’t buy into matchmaking any more than I do,” Andi said. That’s what had been off about Zoey.
“Matchmaking works,” Zoey said. “I’ve matched up enough couples to prove that. But it only works if you believe it can. Skeptics rarely walk out of here happy.”
“You think this is a ridiculous way to find love.”
Zoey chewed on her lip. “I knew there was a reason lawyers made me nervous. You’re too perceptive for your own good.”
Andi laughed, leaning back in her chair. Poor Zoey. It must be exhausting to work as a matchmaker when you weren’t a romantic. “I’m definitely a skeptic. Tell me I’m a hopeless cause, and I can tell Rach I tried. Then we’re both off the hook.”
“What do you want from Toujour, Andi? What, in your mind, is the best case scenario when you leave here?”
Andi stared at Zoey, and Zoey stared back, unflinching. There was a raw honesty in her eyes again, and Andi knew she was seeing Zoey the Person, not Zoey the Matchmaker. “Best case scenario, I’d date a guy for a few weeks—just long enough for Rachel to think it’s a real relationship—and then break it off in a way Rachel won’t blame herself for. Rachel no longer feels guilty, I don’t have to deal with a relationship, and the guy wouldn’t get hurt. I know it’s asking for the impossible, but
Was that a smile or a smirk? They both sat down, and Andi eyed the woman like she was a witness on the stand.
“Nice to meet you,” Andi said. Was Zoey mocking her? And if so, for what?
Zoey set her laptop on the coffee table and leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg casually over the other. “I’d like to start by getting to know you. As your matchmaker, it’s my job to help you find and build a lasting relationship, and I can do that better if I know you as a person.” The words were sweet, but Andi heard the mockery barely hidden underneath. Thousands of hours in a courtroom had made her an expert in reading people.
Zoey didn’t believe in this anymore than Andi did. She’d bet her life on it.
“Tell me, what brought you to Toujour?” Zoey asked.
“What brings anyone to Toujour?” Andi asked.
Zoey laughed. “That’s the sort of answer I’d expect from a lawyer. I read over your initial profile this morning.”
Andi stared at Zoey, trying to decide where to go from here. She decided to tell Zoey the truth and see her reaction. “My best friend brought me to Toujour.”
Zoey groaned, running a hand through her hair. “Please tell me your best friend is a woman. I’ve got more than enough friends-in-love-with-each-other drama to deal with right now.”
Zoey’s tone changed as she said the words, and Andi realized it was the first genuine thing she’d said since entering the room.
“It’s nothing like that,” Andi said. “Rachel blames herself for my last breakup, and she thinks she can somehow fix it by helping me find love again. Ridiculous, right?” She watched Zoey closely, wondering how she’d react.
Zoey’s eyes gleamed. “There’s definitely a story there. Why does she think your breakup is her fault?”
Andi pursed her lips, wondering how much to tell Zoey. But what did she have to lose? She didn’t want a relationship. She didn’t want to date.
Her mind flashed back to Saturday night, and how great it had felt to sit next to Ben and enjoy the football game together.
No. That hadn’t been a date, however giddy he made her. They were just friends.
She gave Zoey the summarized version of her breakup with Mark and why Rachel felt responsible. “So here I am,” Andi said. “Rach went behind my back and bought me a three month subscription. Frankly, a matchmaking firm seems like a weird way to re-enter the dating scene, but that’s Rachel.”
“Finally,” Zoey said, her eyes gleaming.
“Finally what?”
“Finally I have a client that isn’t a hopeless romantic.”
A smile slowly curled up the corners of Andi’s mouth. “You don’t buy into matchmaking any more than I do,” Andi said. That’s what had been off about Zoey.
“Matchmaking works,” Zoey said. “I’ve matched up enough couples to prove that. But it only works if you believe it can. Skeptics rarely walk out of here happy.”
“You think this is a ridiculous way to find love.”
Zoey chewed on her lip. “I knew there was a reason lawyers made me nervous. You’re too perceptive for your own good.”
Andi laughed, leaning back in her chair. Poor Zoey. It must be exhausting to work as a matchmaker when you weren’t a romantic. “I’m definitely a skeptic. Tell me I’m a hopeless cause, and I can tell Rach I tried. Then we’re both off the hook.”
“What do you want from Toujour, Andi? What, in your mind, is the best case scenario when you leave here?”
Andi stared at Zoey, and Zoey stared back, unflinching. There was a raw honesty in her eyes again, and Andi knew she was seeing Zoey the Person, not Zoey the Matchmaker. “Best case scenario, I’d date a guy for a few weeks—just long enough for Rachel to think it’s a real relationship—and then break it off in a way Rachel won’t blame herself for. Rachel no longer feels guilty, I don’t have to deal with a relationship, and the guy wouldn’t get hurt. I know it’s asking for the impossible, but
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