23. Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Lydia
A fter setting up the profile on The One4U on Christmas Eve, I sent a Happy Christmas message to Luke, aka Lonesome Cowboy. I didn’t use Sheena’s real name, of course, but chose Hotel Babe as the handle that would most certainly leave no doubt in his mind as to who was reaching out to him.
A surge of exhilaration rushes to my fingertip as I press the green OK button. And, yet a niggle in the back of my mind whispers something about the dishonesty of my actions. However, I ignore the irritating niggle because I know that my motivation is noble, and the outcome will be so unbelievably romantic.
I picture the wedding. At the church, probably. In hues of delicate pinks, purples, and blues. With an abundance of lilac for fragrance and texture. And for the hero arrangement? Something very pretty. Not roses. Peonies. Yes. Peonies of the palest pink nestled in lush trailing variegated ivy. I sigh contentedly at my beautiful inner wedding ceremony as a reply pings back almost immediately.
I’m excited to think that these two gorgeous people, who have been too shy to connect in the real world, have now met and can chat online. And then, when they are ready, they can meet up; go on a date; kiss; get married; move in together; have ten or eleven babies; and live happily ever after.
I giggle inwardly when I read the next message from Lonesome Cowboy. ‘I’ve been thinking about you… a lot.'
Alright. I can play this game. ‘And I’ve been thinking about you.’ Send.
Christmas Day comes and goes. Then it’s New Year’s Eve. It’s a quiet one this year. I’m over at Molly and Cam’s place with Dex and Meryl and their kids. After several exhausting rounds of Twister, the kids have gone to bed leaving the adults all rung out and flopped on the furniture. I’m not sure if any of us are going to be awake at midnight to welcome the New Year.
So far, I haven’t told anyone about my dating app setup. But when Molly and I are in the kitchen, tidying up after dinner, I accidentally let it slip into the conversation.
“Are you kidding?” says my friend, eyes wide. She leans against the countertop for a minute, her eyes on the ceiling. Then she faces me square on, hands on hips, staring at me as if I had stabbed someone she loves.
“Nope.” I keep drying the plate that I’m holding with a tea towel, even though the plate is already dry. “But it’s working,” I say deflecting Molly’s negativity.
“What do you mean, ‘It’s working’? How can it be working if you’re pretending to be someone else?”
“Ah, yes.” I’m ready for this argument. “But it’s only temporary. I’m only pretending to be someone else until Sheena and Luke go on a date, and then I can delete the profile because it won’t be necessary anymore.” I add my dry plate to the stack on the counter.
“Do you know how mad that is?” Molly puts a stack of plates away in a cupboard. “And probably illegal… immoral at best.”
“How? I’m just giving love a helping hand, that’s all.”
“Lydia. I know you are doing this for the best reasons but seriously, think about it. You are stealing someone’s identity,” Molly hisses. “It’s just not right.”
“Fair point, Mol. But I feel I owe it to Sheena because of what happened on the horseback ride.”
“What happened on the horseback ride?”
“Okay. So, this is going to sound mean, and I really didn’t want her to hurt her back, but when I poked Sheena’s pony’s butt, I didn’t expect it to take off like it did.”
“You poked Sheena’s pony?”
“Not hard, Molly. All I wanted to do was to get her pony to catch up with Luke so they could have a nice romantic horseback chat.”
“No!” Molly looks incredulous. Her hands cup her face. She looks like a Halloween mask.
“Yes,” I assure her. “So, in recompense for my accidental sabotage on that occasion, I have the perfect no-fail romance plan that is going to seal the love-match deal. For real. And whatever little subterfuge I may have used on this gorgeous couple, they’ll forgive me in an instant, when they fall in love.” I hold the tea towel to my heart.
“What plan?” We have both stopped tidying up. Molly appears to be in shock.
I lay my tea towel on the table, turn to my friend with an award-winner’s smile, and announce, “A Valentine’s Day date.”
“Lydia. Are you absolutely sure you are going about this in the right way?”
“Yes. Molly. Trust me. It’s going to be perfect. Just you wait.”
As I say this, my phone beeps in my back pocket. Molly raises her eyebrows and waits for me to check the message.
“Ah, it’s from Luke,” I say reading his words from a faraway land. “He’s wishing me a happy New Year and is looking forward to seeing me when he gets back. How nice.”
“Wait a minute. Was that to you, or to Sheena? Was it sent to your phone, or through the dating app?”
“Oh, yes. It was to me on my phone.”
“Well, Lydia, don’t you think that’s a bit odd? I mean, it looks like he’s a player, doesn’t it? Messaging you on your phone and Sheena on the dating app?”
“No. Not really. Luke and I are most definitely in the friend zone. That message was a friend’s message. He’s probably zipped out a whole bunch all at the same time to everyone on his contacts list.” I nod sagely. “You should see what he writes to Sheena on TheOne4U. Phew! Sometimes they’re so spicy I blush when I read them.”
Valentine’s Day
Surreptitiously, I watch Sheena enter The Half Moon Café from the doorway down the block. I feel like a spy. I suppose I am. But in a good way. I have devised a little rendezvous for two people deserving of love. What is wrong with that? Still, the fact that I pretended to be someone else on social media is fraudulent, borderline illegal. Probably. There’s a name for that, isn’t there? Catfish? Something like that. Sounds negative and underhand. Something I choose to sweep under the carpet as I bury my head in the sand. My motivation is from a good place. But whichever way I frame it, I can’t help feeling like a criminal awaiting trial.
Ignoring my pesky inner thoughts, I casually walk around the corner, out of sight, pulling up my coat collar around my ears and my woolly hat down so it almost covers my eyes. Once I’ve turned the corner, I stop and peer back around so I can keep an eye on the café entrance.
I don’t wait long before Luke appears. He must have parked his truck on a different street because he walks in from the opposite direction. I didn’t think of that. He could have parked right here on this street, where I’m hiding. My heart beats fast, and I’m short of breath at the thought of Luke surprising me and having to explain why I’m peering around a street corner. Luke stops outside the café and looks up and down the street. So, tortoise-like, I pull my head further into my jacket collar.
I fully appreciate that Luke is out of bounds, but I can’t help but admire the aesthetics of the man. He truly is a wonderfully put-together human being. His broad manly shoulders carry his heavy winter coat like a Milan catwalk model. He moves with ease and grace. I like his hair; the way he sweeps his fingers back through his forelock. I should like to sweep my fingers through his hair. The idea causes a warm glow, and I feel my cheeks redden. Still, he’s not for me.
I can imagine Sheena at the specially prepared table in the corner. Kate and I arranged everything this morning and she was so helpful and excited by my cunning plan. I decorated the walls with decals of pretty hearts and cupids and made a beautiful table arrangement of perfect red roses with a delicate scent. I even iced two cupcakes for Kate to bring to the table with their coffee order. I get tingles just thinking about the romance I’ve created.
My phone rings. It’s Sheena. I pick up. “Hey, Sheena,” I say brightly, expecting a gush of breathy enthusiasm about her surprise date. “How’s it going?”
“Hi, Lydia. I’m just checking in. Did we arrange to meet at eleven? Or have I got things wrong? Only it’s a quarter after and a…”
“Oh. Yes. Um.” I need to think quickly. “Sorry. I’ve been held up. I’ll be there soon. Five more minutes? Sorry.”
“Ah. Yes. Look, Lydia. I’ve got to get going. So sorry that we didn’t get to have a catch-up this time.”
“Really? Sheena.” Why was she talking to me? Why wasn’t she in deep and meaningful conversation with the gorgeous cowboy? I almost voice this thought but think better of it. Instead, I say, “I’m sure you’ve found someone who you’d rather have coffee with than little old me.”
Sheena laughs. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
The sledgehammer of reality finally hits me. I cough and change my tone. “No. No, I’m sorry, I should have called.”
“It’s fine, Lydia. Honestly. Another time. I needed a coffee anyway and, Kate’s made some special Valentine's cupcakes. So cute!”
I want to ask about Luke, but what’s the point. I’m not even sure they said hi. Cupid’s job is so hard. I feel defeated. Deflated. Foolish. Foolish and dishonest to the point where I need to come clean. Fess up.
I hang up the phone, leaning my back against the cold, hard wall. My plan did not go to plan, and I’m annoyed. I’m almost annoyed enough to march around to The Half Moon and grab Sheena with one hand, drag Luke to her with the other, and yell, “Don’t you know how lucky you are to have found each other?”
A hot angry tear leaks out from my eye. I wipe it away with the back of my hand. When I look up Sheena is standing right in front of me.
“Lydia?” She looks concerned. “Are you alright? Are you crying? What happened?” She looks around wildly. “Have you been mugged? Assaulted?”
“Sheena! No. I’m fine. I’m okay.”
“You don’t look okay.”
I take a deep breath. “This is going to sound a bit weird.”
“I’m listening.”
Slowly, instinctively, I begin to retrace my steps back to Blossoms in Bloom. Sheena walks beside me matching my funerary pace.
“Today is Valentine’s Day,” I say, although it sounds like a sigh.
“Yes, it is,” Sheena says brightly. “You’re right.”
“The most romantic date on the calendar.” Sheena nods and squeezes my arm. I glance at her sideways and see that she’s grinning from ear to ear. Maybe her date with Luke wasn’t a complete disaster after all? “Sheena!”
“Yes.”
“Are you in love with Luke? Did you have a romantic date just now in The Half Moon?”
“No. What?” Sheena stops dead in her tracks, and I swing around to face her quizzical expression. “Luke was there, but he said he was waiting for his niece.”
“Really?” I exclaim, perplexed. “That’s not what was supposed to happen.”
“Lydia. Is there something you need to tell me?” Sheena links an arm through mine. “But before you do, I’ve got to let you in on a little secret.” We begin to walk again. “I have a date.”
I gasp. “Sheena! Who with?”
“Gary from Gary’s Kitchens and Bathrooms.”
“Really? Gary? But he’s…” I picture Gary from Gary’s Kitchens and Bathrooms, a short stocky man with piggy eyes and a belly that hangs over his belt.
“Perfect. I know. I’m so excited.”
“Gosh. When did…? What?” I realize that I’m too confused to say anything, and it doesn’t matter because Sheena is going on and on about her date with Gary, from Gary’s Kitchens and Bathrooms, that I can’t fit one word in.
“I’ve wanted to tell you for the longest time, but I needed to be sure. While Gary has been fitting my kitchen, we became quite close. I held back because I didn’t want to chase him away. So, I’ve been waiting for him to make the first move; for him to wake up and see that we are meant to be together.” Sheena stops walking to hug me. I’m stunned into silence. “Lydia. I am so happy.” Sheena releases me and we continue down the street. Sheena links her arm through mine again. “So, what was it that you were upset about?”
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just a speck of dust in my eye.” I pull myself together enough to say, “I am so happy for you. Really.”
Sheena hugs me again and says she’s got to run. And I’m left standing on the sidewalk feeling as if I don’t know anything anymore.