Looking for Love (11 page)

“
He confessed he’s been in love with me for a few months but
never had the courage to tell me.”

Pauline gaped.
“So he kissed you
instead?”

“
Yip.”

“
How was it?”

“
Not what I expected.”

Her friend frowned.
“What do you
mean?”

Ella’s
face heated. “Not as icky as I
expected.”

“
You mean it was sexy and romantic?”

“
Well, I was mad as nails but it didn’t feel like my brother
kissing me.”

Pauline laughed. “So now you have to
choose between hunk Dirk and geeky, best friend Ross.”

“
Ross isn’t geeky anymore. But
no, I sent him packing.”

“
Who?”

“
Ross.”

A strange expression flitted
over her friend’s face.
“You what?”

“
I told him it wouldn’t work between us. He wanted to break off
the friendship for good—said he couldn’t handle not having all of
me, but I offered a break instead. Give him time to calm down and
realise how stupid he’s being.”

“
You didn’t say that, did you?”

“
Well, not in those same words.”

Pauline stared out at the trees blowing in
a salty breeze from the sea only a few kilometres away. She didn’t
say anything. Sometimes, her silence made Ella feel uncomfortable.
Today, it only made her wonder again if she’d been mean to Ross.
But she couldn’t go out with him just to not hurt his
feelings.

“
You sure you don’t want to give him and you a go?” Pauline ran
her fingers down the pages of her book with tenderness.

“
Why?” Ella’s voice came out
indignant.

“
Well, if you felt something with that kiss…”

“
That means nothing. I felt something with Dirk’s
kiss.”

Pauline shrugged. “Pity you
can’t use
The
Album
.”

“
Argh.” Ella pressed her hands
onto her temples. “Don’t even suggest I give up
The Album
for this. I know it wouldn’t
work with Ross.”

“
Sorry.” She looked sheepish. “I just assumed…Well, I’d kind of
like to have a friend turned lover romance. They always seemed so
sweet and romantic.”

Ella
pretend-gagged. “You’ve been reading
way too many of those romance novels. Yes, I believe in true love
now after getting
The Album
, but I don’t believe in those standard romance stories.
Real life is a lot messier. And I can’t see Ross as a lover. As
hard as I try, it just doesn’t work in my mind.”

Pauline closed her book and
stretched for a drink. She popped a strawberry
in
to her
mouth and leant back in the deck chair. “I could.”

“
What?”
Ella squealed. “You never told me you
like Ross.”

“
I thought it was pretty obvious. I’ve always had a crush on
him.”

“
Why?”

“
You make it sound like he’s not worth nursing feelings
over.”

“
Not at all. I can’t wait for him to settle down with the right
woman. He’s been messed around so much by witches and
bitches.”

Pauline laughed. “Haven’t we all? Well,
jerks and losers from our side.”

“
Shall I set you and Ross
up?”

Pauline sat up. “No way! I don’t want him
to go out with me if he’s in love with you. That stinks. I want him
to be crazy about me.” She twirled a strand of hair and looked
dreamily into the distance. “And besides, I’m still trying to get
over Roan. It’s happening faster than I’d expected. Mmmh, I’m sure
Ross wouldn’t break hearts like Roan does.”

Ella
giggled. “I love it. I so didn’t see
this. I wish you’d told us earlier and we could have done
something.”

Pauline smiled
whimsically. “Nah, it’s only been a distant dream. We’d kill one
another. We’re too similar—both quiet and serious. It wouldn’t
work, as much as I’d love it to.”

“
Mmmh, maybe this break
from
Ross
isn’t a good idea. If I can get him around more often, especially
when you’re here, he’ll start to forget about me and go for
you.”

Pauline came to
Ella and patted her
on the shoulder. “Ever the matchmaker, my friend. Ever the
matchmaker. Stick to your clients.”

She harrumphed. Her mate went inside,
leaving her to her thoughts. Ross and Pauline. A perfect
combination. Yes, they were both quiet but what was the hassle with
that? They would understand one another—be sympathetic to each
other. She’d be so thrilled for Ross to have a good person like
Pauline, and of course, her sweet friend would be a perfect cure
for his broken heart. The heart she’d broken!

Tears sprang unbidden
back
to her
eyes. She had to stop beating herself over the head for what had
happened. He’d gone against their agreement, okay, not by choice,
but maybe if he’d been more vigilant…

How had he fallen in love with
her?
She’d
pondered the question the last few days and had come to no solid
conclusion. Had their decision to stay platonic made things worse?
Maybe by restricting him, she’d made herself the forbidden
fruit.

Placing her finger over her
lips, she chewed on that thought, and the more she considered it,
the more she knew it was exactly that. So, should she tell
him?—
fine,
let’s give it a go. Get me out your system
. What about Pauline? And
Dirk?
Argh!
The confusion!

If only
The Album
would allow her one chance. That’s
all.

What was she thinking? She stood
up, brushing shortbread crumbs off her jeans. No matter what, she
could never, ever break
The Album
rules.
The Album
and the business were her life now. Not worth
losing over love. Love had never stood up to its side of the
bargain for her.

Why was she in the matchmaking
business then, with a niggling doubt still running in an
undercurrent through her heart? Maybe her uncle or
The Album
had chosen her to
show her something—to restore her faith in love.

She remembered she had a handful
of couples to try out in
The Album
and who would see her tomorrow. Time to get back
to the fun! Grabbing the tray of empty glasses and plates, she took
it inside and found Pauline so they could work together on the
couples’ options.

***

The game drive
in Thula Thula Game
Reserve proved to be a real treat. Not only did they spot zebra,
giraffes, hyenas, and several different type of buck which Ella
could never remember the names of, but the company ended up being
the biggest plus-side of the whole Sunday.

Dirk never lost his exuberance
tempered with kindness and interest in everything
Ella said. He hung
on her every word but not in an oppressive way. She nearly forgot
her concerns about Ross and the decision whether to try match-make
him with Pauline.

Nearly.

Until they settled for a
sundowner on the outside of the restaurant at the resort.
The
fruity
cocktail in her hand and wetting her mouth eased her mind. She
smiled at Dirk who returned her cheer with a knee squeeze. She
imagined him drawing closer for a good kiss. Oh, well, maybe all
her troubles really could disappear in the light of his eye-candy
face.

He chose to
chat instead of kiss which frustrated her a little, but not too
much. The nuances of expression passing over his face were a much
better view than the backdrop of the nature reserve.

“
Tell me about yourself,
Ella. What do you do
besides match up couples?”

“
A lot.” She took a few more sips of drink to ease the sudden
flutter in her chest whenever she had to talk about her
job.

“
Well, I’m a receptionist, Girl Friday at Esquire Optometrists.
And you, do you enjoy your work as a marketing manager?”

Send the ball back into his
court. And it
resurfaced in her mind—all his info on file even though
she’d glanced through it briefly the day he came in and asked her
on a date. She’d given him back his file after they’d dated,
insisting he either date her or be one of her clients, not both at
the same time. He’d chosen the former, much to her excitement and
probably to Carol’s disgust.

“
What’s been bothering you
today?”
he
asked, changing the subject way too quickly back to her.

“
Nothing.” She shrugged, giving a nonchalant expression to hide
any questioning. A few more gulps of the cocktail helped, burning
ease down her throat into her gut. She sighed and closed her eyes a
moment. Maybe openness was the best way to proceed with Dirk. It
wasn’t the notorious first date where you weren’t supposed to
reveal anything too personal or negative.

“
I suppose I’m confused.”

“
About?” He frowned at her.

“
Not about us. I mean, I’m really enjoying getting to know
you.”

He responded with a satisfied
grin and another knee pat.
“I’m all ears. I’m a good listener.”

She relayed her situation with Ross and
added in her ideas to match him with Pauline. By the end, he had a
delighted smile on his face.

“
I can see you’re in the right business. Do you enjoy
matchmaking?”

She nodded.
“Very much.”

“
Well, sounds like a good match.
You’ll get him off your back and your friend will have her wishes
fulfilled.”

Off her back?
She didn’t really
see his affections toward her as an inconvenience or irritation.
Just, they brought so much confusion and fear. “I
suppose.”

“
What reservations do you have about it?”

“
Well, for one, Pauline stressed
I mustn’t. I also don’t think Ross is ready.”

“
I can tell you a story of what
happened to me. I had a crush on a girl in
uni. But then her friend was a Maths
boffin so we often spent study time together. I helped her with the
factual side and she helped me get through my horrible Mathematics
One course. There was no attraction between us—I mean, I fancied
her friend. But spending so much time together, the feelings do
tend to develop. And her friend landed up with another guy so I
asked my study partner out on a date.”

“
And?”

“
We actually had a decent relationship for a while. One of the
only ones that didn’t end in disaster—we just couldn’t sustain it
when she moved to London after she got her degree.”

“
Sad.”

“
These things happen. Maybe for a reason. Who
knows?”

“
So, what’s that got to do with
Pauline and Ross?” Sounded more like an encouragement to go out
with Ross. Dirk couldn’t be doing that, not the way he was stroking
his hand hotly up her thigh.

“
Well, you get them to spend time
together. Maybe get them to help you with a project in your
matchmaking business. That way, they’ll automatically begin to see
the good in each other—well, Ross will in Pauline. I don’t think
Pauline needs any encouragement.”

“
Brilliant.” She lifted up her
hand to high-five him and Dirk slammed his into it. He bent forward
for a kiss and she closed her eyes, the kiss being the perfect
culmination to a stimulating and rather successful
conversation.

Dirk took her
home and gave her another kiss outside her door, just like she’d
imagined the perfect second date would end. She waved goodbye to
him and flopped on her couch with a sigh. A perfect evening with a
perfect guy.

Jumping up, she ran to her bedroom to
retrieve the notebook her mom had given her as a teen. At the time,
the book had annoyed her. Mom planned her life out—every step, like
when she’d change her hairstyle, when she’d change jobs, when she’d
retire. And she’d planned Ella’s life, too. Hence the notebook. To
write down her plans and for Mom to check them.

“
You have to plan exactly what type of man you want. You can’t
just let any man come along and sweep you off your feet. That’s
what happened with Dad. Our marriage ended up a mess, as you
know.”

Ella found the notebook and took it
downstairs. She’d written a twenty-step sequence of how her perfect
romantic relationship would pan out. Dirk had followed the first
four steps to a T. Ross and she could never be. They’d deviated. If
they got together, they’d be backwards. Messed up.

As a young teen, she would have chosen a
haphazard and unplanned relationship or guy just to make Mom upset.
The woman had driven her crazy, with her need for control and
structure. Many a time, Ella had threatened to run away from Dad,
but deep inside, she’d known she was too much like Mom and needed
that routine, that sameness. Change scared her witless.