Chapter 14
Eva
Looking at the clock on the wall, I knew Sam was to be there soon for one of our sessions. I felt like something had changed between us after the kiss and the date.
This was business, but could he be the one to save my family’s legacy? Or could it be someone else? Hunter, perhaps?
I heard the door creak open, and I walked out from my office into the main room. “Sam,” I said with a smile. Man, he just kept getting cuter and cuter.
“Morning. How is everything?” he asked.
“Good, good. Want to sit and we can chat?”
“Sure.”
I guided us toward the private office and sat in my usual seat behind the desk. “I first want to say I enjoyed the date. You were a perfect gentleman, and it ended well. The main thing is I think we have a few suitable matches for you, but if there is any reason you don’t want to continue the service, that’s always an option.”
My heartbeat was getting faster and faster. I wanted him to stop using our service because he felt the same. There was something between us. I just didn’t know if he was interested in that or not. Because, come on, people didn’t just kiss someone after a fake date, right?
“Um, is there a reason I shouldn’t continue?” Sam asked, tilting his head. I could tell he was probing me to say it out loud, but I felt nervous, which was unlike me. I’d always had guys flocking to me, and it was no big deal. But with Sam Watkins, there was something different about him.
Then a face popped through the opening to my office. It was none other than Hunter. The timing couldn’t have been worse.
“Hey, are you ready to go to lunch? Oh, sorry,” he said, realizing I was in a meeting. Hunter backed away from the door and out of sight.
I didn’t get an answer from Sam about whether he wanted to continue working with me. After Hunter walked in, Sam abruptly left, leaving me dumbfounded over his reaction.
Was I falling in love with Sam Watkins? It could have just been because of the circumstances: the dim lighting, the glass of wine… being on a deadline to find my soul mate. Was I just put in the right scenario to feel this?
And now that Hunter seemed to be back, maybe there was something with him. We had history, but maybe there was a reason we were not together anymore. For one, he talked about himself nonstop.
“I gotta tell you, Eva, I’m a little surprised you wanted to go out,” Hunter said, pulling out the chair for me at the deli.
“Why do you say that?” I tilted my head.
“Well, I broke your heart, and I feel like once we’re over, we’re over,” he said. “There’s no desire to ever get back together again; or at least, that’s what you said.”
Had I said that? I tried to recall the conversation Hunter was talking about. It hadn’t been that long since we’d broken up, but it felt like the distant past once I’d started working full time at the matchmaking business.
“Well, people say things they don’t mean,” I said.
“So there’s still hope for us?” He let out a small laugh.
“Hunter, I don’t know. I need to figure some things out first, and with taking over the business, my life has been a lot more stressful than I originally expected.”
I felt my phone vibrate on the table, the soft buzz a welcome distraction from Hunter's endless monologue. He sat across from me gesturing animatedly as he detailed every minute aspect of his work stress. Some things never changed. I zoned out, letting my eyes drift to the text message from Alice lighting up my screen, wondering what could be so important that she needed me to call.
“...and then my boss had the audacity to question my methodology,” Hunter continued, his voice rising with indignation. He hadn't even noticed my attention wandering. Just like he never had during our relationship.
I stirred my now-lukewarm latte, watching the remaining foam swirl into abstract patterns. This was exactly why we'd broken up. Every conversation was a one-man show starring Hunter Williams, with me relegated to the role of silent audience member. He'd spend hours dissecting his day, his projects, his thoughts on everything from corporate politics to the proper way to brew coffee, never once pausing to ask about my life or my opinions.
Back to our conversation, Hunter was still dragging on, hands moving through the air as if conducting an invisible orchestra. He hadn't even missed a beat when I'd checked my phone. Typical. I could probably recite his next few sentences before he said them – the familiar rhythm of his complaints as predictable as a metronome.
I found myself studying his face, noting how his brown eyes still lit up when he was passionate about something. That enthusiasm had been what attracted me to him initially, before I realized it was a spotlight that never turned my way. Now it just reminded me of countless dinners spent nodding along, of movie discussions that turned into his personal film reviews, of gallery visits where he'd lecture about art history without ever asking what I saw in the paintings.
My fingers traced the edge of my phone, Alice's message still waiting. At least someone wanted to hear what I had to say.