Chapter 23 Rosie
ROSIE
My mind was still grappling with what I was seeing while the bickering about a name went on around me. I was busy taking all of it in, and my eyes caught someone with a huge red X over their face. “What is this?” I pointed at it.
“Oh. We eliminated him for you,” Orla stated
“Shouldn’t I get a say?”
“His name is Jackal, dear. We did you a favor, really,” Jeanie explained as she tapped his crossed-out picture with her perfectly manicured nail.
There were many pictures that had a red X through them, with little notes next to each of them perfectly explaining why.
When asked about having a tortoise for a pet, made a distasteful joke about soup—absolutely not. Large red X through Stan because of that.
Slurped his soup. It gave everyone the ick. Large red X through Trevor because of that.
Flirted with both baristas. Large red X through Max because of that.
“Did you…Did you guys interview these guys for me?” I was horrified yet oddly flattered.
“Well, yes, dear. How else would we have been able to come up with our contenders?” Maggie spoke evenly and slowly, like she was afraid to spook me with her words.
“Contenders?” I repeated her words, keeping my eyes on the board, still taking it all in.
“Yes. We all have someone for you to go on a date with. Someone we think would be your perfect match. We’ve just been biding our time until you told us you were ready.”
I stood there in a state of shock, and I finally made my way to the end of the rows.
Orla’s pick—Jackson. Thirty-two. Teacher. Regular at Orla’s. Grades papers. Tips well. Laughs at jokes. Said Rosie was devastating when shown a picture, and eagerly gave his contact information over to set something up.
Evelyn’s pick—Peter. Thirty-Five. Teaches music at the recreational center. Keeps crystals in his pockets. Does Evelyn’s pottery class. Vegan. When asked if he was interested in being set up, he compared astrology signs, and said they would be compatible.
Meredith’s pick—Rick. Thirty-Two. Frequent library visitor. Works in marketing. Divorced. Has a little boy. Kind. Always quiet. Hesitantly agreed to being set up, only because being a dad always comes first. Meredith insisted, and he relented.
Jeanie’s pick—Vincent. Thirty-Six. Lawyer. Attractive. Rich. Gave Jeanie a Birkin bag to give to Rosie as a courting gift. His words. Did we mention loaded?
My eyes took in all the handwritten notes on each of the guys, and I turned to Maggie. “Are you not a part of this?” I was surprised. The entire thing screamed Maggie through and through.
“Oh, no, I am, dear. I just haven’t made my pick yet. But if you go on one date a week, that’s four weeks I have to really lock down my decision.”
“This is insane.”
“What are you talking about? This is fabulous! So many men, so many…dates.” Jeanie clasped her hands together gleefully. “It’s such a fantasy.”
“It sounds dreadful, and like a lot of work. Can’t I just pick one?” I begged. Four different guys? No, wait, five once Maggie makes her choice.
Maggie tsked, and Jeanie threw her hands up in despair. “Take the dates, have fun, have sex. It’ll be fabulous!”
“I actually have to agree with Jeanie here,” Meredith said. I actually gasped, along with Evelyn, who said, “Meredith! I was expecting a no sex in the library comment. You old bird. You’re just as dirty as the rest of us.”
“I am a part of the book club, am I not?”
“I always knew I liked you,” Jeanie exclaimed, while the rest of us were still in shock. “Back to the sex.”
“Says the book and banged club?”
“For the love of god, no,” I pleaded. “Please, stop.”
“Yes, I knew the second I said it that it was no good.”
“The sex and the what?” a new but familiar voice came from behind me. And I found myself cringing, praying the ground would open up into a sinkhole. It happened all the time. Sinkhole, sinkhole.
“And who might you be?” Maggie asked the voice behind me. But I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. I’d have known that voice anywhere.
“Wesley.”