“We weren’t right for each other.” Geo pulled a carton of milk from the fridge and set it on the counter.
“Weren’t right for each other my a—” Maggie glanced over at Eliot, who always seemed to be watching when the wrong word floated his way. “My buns,” she corrected. “I’m not stupid, G.”
Geo filled a glass and scooted it over the counter. He knew Eliot would be along shortly, and milk was always the drink of choice to go with his snack.
“I know how to put two and two together,” Maggie continued. “Our morning front desk volunteer took a call today. She said some guy was offering a grant to Her Heart. Said it would cover the lease for the new building and then some.”
Geo raised his eyebrows and tried to look innocent.
“He wouldn’t give a name, of course, but he didn’t need to. It starts with a G and ends with a Monais.”
Geo blinked. He was caught red-handed, and Maggie had rendered him speechless. Why did he think he could pull one over on her?
“I know what you’re doing, G. You’re burying yourself in your work, taking this job in New York, and trying to give me the money I need for my charity.”
Geo sighed.
“But is that really going to make you happy?”
“Happy? Helping you in your venture to give aid to women and children who need it? Of course it makes me happy. I’ve always wanted to make things right.”
Maggie narrowed her eyes. “Make things right.” She drew the words out slowly. “We have a new volunteer. She just started a few days ago. She’s this hotshot lawyer in town, but she has a background in grant writing as well. She’s positive she’s going to be able to get us several grants within a month.”
It was Geo’s turn to frown. Where was she going with this?
“You know there’s nothing to forgive, right?” Maggie sat at a stool by the counter and covered his hand with hers. “Look at me, George.”
He had been staring at the carton of milk, still in his hands. He turned his palm to grip his sister’s hand. They both knew what she was talking about, and it wasn’t something he wanted her to have to bring up.
“I should have been there.” His voice dipped below normal levels.
“And you were. As soon as you noticed I was gone. I couldn’t have asked for a better brother than you, and you know it.”
“But you got hurt.”
“And you think I blame you for that? Geo, there was no way you could know what the guy was capable of. You’d only just met him in the dorm. It was me who pushed you into setting us up in the first place. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me.”
Geo squeezed her hand. “Absolutely not. It was not your fault in any way, shape, or form.”
Maggie gave him a small smile. “I know that now. The only one at fault is the guy himself. Would I go back in time and change things? Yes and no. It’s not something I like having been through, but Geo, look at where it’s brought me. Without that, I never would have created Her Heart, and these women, they wouldn’t have the help they need now.”
Geo blinked back tears. His sister was right. He wasn’t sure he could get over blaming himself that quickly, but it was what she wanted. He had to try.
He picked at a sticker on the counter, a red dot that reminded him of playing Girl Talk with Penny. She had placed zits on his face soundly, and the ring of laughter in his ears was a noise he would never forget.
“What are you telling me, Mags?” he asked after a few beats.
“I’m telling you that I’ve got it covered. I’ll find ways to fund Her Heart. You can even help. You’d be a great host at a fundraiser. Maybe we could even auction off a date with you.” She pulled her hand back as the conversation took a lighter turn. “But to do that, we need you here.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Look at Eliot. What would he do without his uncle G?”
“You don’t want me to move?”
Maggie shook her head. “I don’t. But more than that, I want you to be happy. If I thought this job would do it for you, I’d be all for it.”
Geo put the milk back in the fridge, and he saw another red sticker on the handle. Where were all those coming from?
“You know what you need for true happiness, right?” Maggie asked.
Geo looked at his sister long and hard. He knew. He should have seen it long ago. He needed to explain himself. And fast.
…
“I did what you said, man.” Michael sighed. “I’m not happy about it. Do you trust me now?”
It was going to take time and more than one favor for Geo to let his agent off the hook for his stunt with Sasha. But it was a good start. “And they’re going to run it? All of them?”
“Yeah, I guess so. You know what this means, don’t you?”
George ran his hand down his face. “It means I’m not taking the job.”
His agent made a noise that was half sigh and half pained animal. “Do you think it’s really going to work anyway?”
“It has to, Smathers. It just has to.”
“She really got to you, didn’t she?”
“She did. She really did.”
…
All Dating Is Dark Dating
By Penny Coyne
My final week on the Dating Itinerary demanded that I go on a Dark Dating adventure, and let me tell you, it was quite an adventure. I was stuck in a small pod and told to listen to music. I may or may not have napped a bit, and when it was my turn, I was led to a darker than dark space and told to feel men’s faces and choose one.
Feeling faces was intriguing to me. I understand how the vision impaired say their other senses have risen. I felt like I could truly tell what each man looked like through what I felt at the end of my fingertips. I chose a man, and we moved on to the next room, but I chose wrong.
Here’s the thing about dating. It doesn’t matter what avenue you try—you can still choose wrong. You never know where the right man might show up, but wherever he is, it’s pretty much a guarantee that plenty of wrong men will be there as well. And how do you tell them apart? That’s the hardest part of all.
There are going to be men that you think are a good fit. They might grow on you over time and say and do some of the right things to make you feel like you’re on the right track. And then, boom, it all comes falling apart. They lie to you. Cheat on you. Show their true colors in another way. They were the wrong man after all. And how were you to tell that upfront? You can’t.
Dating is a trial and error process, and I have to admit, I tried a lot these past few weeks. I ran into a lot of errors, and I still didn’t find the one for me. Perhaps some couples formed the night I went Dark Dating. Perhaps they have lasting power, or maybe they aren’t the right fit and will figure that out down the road.
For now, I remain single, and while there are men that I met during this process that I surely won’t forget, none of them ended up being the right fit.
…
Penny purposely avoided the newsstand on her way into work that day. While she always liked seeing her work in print and she’d loved the art they’d chosen for the pictures to go along with the article, she didn’t want to be anywhere near anything George may have written. She still couldn’t believe she’d let him get under her skin. He’d seemed so different. But in the end, Geo Monais was Geo Monais. A snake in the grass. So why couldn’t she just forget about him and move on? She ran her hand through the back of her hair and squeezed the tendrils there. Heat rose to her cheeks as she remembered him doing the same thing on several occasions.
Penny closed her office door and opened her email. It was time to put dating behind her and move on to her next assignment. Hopefully, this one would keep her in the office. She was done being out in public for a while. And that probably wasn’t going to be a problem. Her editor wasn’t happy that she had showed up on the last TV sho
w alone. There was no happy ending for Penny and no cover story for the magazine. She’d probably be relegated to horoscopes or baby announcements for the elite for the time being—or forever. When she’d started the dating venture, her hopes had been high. She’d never dreamed she could fall this far in the magazine this fast.
A light knock sounded on her door as it creaked open. “Morning, Penny,” Josie said as she stuck her head through. “Have you seen this?” She waved the local newspaper in the door long enough for Penny to see Geo’s face smiling back at her.
“No, and I really don’t want to.” Penny turned back to her computer, hoping Josie would go away. Instead, her door opened wider.
“I really think you should.” Josie slapped the paper down on Penny’s desk. “Just read it.” She left before Penny could force the paper back into her hands and tell her to shred it. Josie didn’t know she’d been burned, but based on her attitude, she could probably guess things hadn’t gone well for Penny at the end of her dating road.
Penny turned the paper over so Geo’s face was down on the desk, where it deserved to be. She opened an email about a staff meeting and then clicked through a few from IT about computer upgrades. She glanced at the newspaper with a sigh. “Oh, fine.” When she turned it over and caught a look at Geo’s smile, she quickly grabbed a nearby mug and covered his photo. She could read what he wrote, but he didn’t have to look at her while she did so.
Finding Love in the Dark
By George Monais
Over the past few weeks, I’ve gone through a number of different dating scenarios to help other singles in the city to find the right avenue to love. The truth is, no matter where you look, it’s always just a shot in the dark. Could Speed Dating be successful? Sure, if the right person walks in and sits at the right table at the right time. Could you find love on Tinder? Of course, if you swipe right on the perfect person and that person does the same for you. Can a matchmaker find “the one” for you? Absolutely, if the stars align.
However, I’ve discovered that finding love in the dark is what we’re all doing. Love isn’t something you can quantify. You can have a list of things you’d like to have in a significant other, but you might also find yourself throwing that list out the window when you meet someone special. Love is a feeling, not a possession. It’s not something you can predict or force, and it’s not something you can definitely find in any one way.
Dark Dating was quite an experience. I was in the dark, looking for love to find me. While the ladies felt faces and the men waited to be asked into another room, I discovered something deeper than an initial meeting. It took us several weeks of dating random people and running into one person in particular, but the truth came to light…in the dark.
The Dating Itinerary was an idea that stemmed from the marketing department at St. Louis Happenings. It was a genius idea that no writer really wanted to take on, but it was assigned and carried out nonetheless by the talented Penny Coyne. The idea floated to others and got picked up by means that I won’t mention here.
In the end, none of it mattered. While I encourage singles to try various avenues, because you never know where you’ll find love, love is going to find you when it’s good and ready.
Let me share a bit of my story as an example. I used to work at St. Louis Happenings with the same Penny Coyne I mentioned above. We started out as friendly colleagues but quickly became bitter competitors. Looking back on it now, I have to wonder what would have been different in my life today had my competitive side not shown its ugly head. The past is the past, and today is what it is.
When I was tasked with The Dating Itinerary, I approached it as a story. I wanted to get to the bottom of the dating scene in St. Louis and offer reporter-style advice to our readers. I certainly didn’t expect to fall in love.
But I did.
On one date after another, I found intriguing people. Some of them could have turned into long-term relationships while others were duds right from the start. I can see how any of the avenues I tried could work, even Dark Dating, which was odd but strangely unique and satisfying at the same time.
But in the end, I found that love is often hiding right before your eyes—at least that’s true for me. It wasn’t until I was completely blinded of the world that I was able to truly see what was right before me.
Let me be completely clear about this—I am a one-woman man. I love Penny Coyne. I’ve never met anyone like her. I understand that she doesn’t share my feelings and she thinks the worst of me now. I’m hoping she’ll at least gain solace from knowing that I’ve turned down a huge job offer in New York—for her. I won’t be moving and instead will stay right here in St. Louis. And, Penny, I didn’t invite a date to our last TV taping. That was all a setup gone wrong and I was appalled by it myself. I played along when I heard your reaction to my so-called date. I was hurt by your words, but in hindsight, I understand what you must have thought.
There’s no excuse for Geo Monais. He’s just some jerk I wore for a time to try and get what I wanted out of life and my career. But no career is worth being someone I’m not. Today, tomorrow, and every day after, I am George Monais. Through and through. If anyone wants anything different, they’ll have to look elsewhere.
I encourage you in your own journey. You may find love at a Speed Dating event, over Tinder, through a matchmaker, at work, in your group of friends, or even in the dark. Wherever it might be hiding from you, don’t stop looking. Because love is like a needle in a haystack. If you keep searching through that stack, you’ll find it eventually. If you stop looking, it will be lost to you forever.
Never stop looking for love, because once you’ve found it, it’s worth all the digging you’ve done. I found my needle. While I dropped it right back into the haystack again and it may be lost to me forever now, I’m happy in knowing that it exists.
Penny dropped the newspaper back onto the desk. Her eyes shone with tears and her cheeks flamed. He wasn’t going to New York? Because of her? He hadn’t invited Sasha to the set? What a fool she’d been. She wasn’t sure what she felt more—nervousness or excitement. George Monais. Who would have ever thought she was his needle in a haystack?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Her sisters were whispering among themselves as Penny crept up behind them. “Hey everyone, sorry. Better late than never, right?”
The sisters turned, and Q’s mouth dropped open. Nic moved toward Penny and put an arm around her shoulders. “I’m okay, really, you guys. You don’t have to treat me like an invalid.” Penny shook her sister off as Di pointed over her shoulder, and she slowly turned.
George stood up two steps, a mere six feet behind from her. He gave a slight wave with his free hand. “Hey,” he muttered.
Penny’s hands suddenly felt sweaty as she glanced at her sisters. Their arms were crossed, and their feet were tapping against the bowling alley floor. She’d been set up and she hadn’t had time to download the latest information on George. She’d come to their bowling gathering to get advice as to how she should approach him, given the latest developments.
“Wow, this is hostile.” George laughed nervously and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Penny, can we talk?”
Di mouthed, “Sorry,” as Penny glared at her sisters.
She gave George a slight nod and followed him to the aisle of lockers in the back of the alley. Once they were surrounded by lockers, he straddled the bench seat and patted the space next to him.
Penny took a deep breath and sat facing him.
“Dime called me and told me where you’d be tonight. I guess she read my article and she, for one, was ready to forgive and forget.”
“I don’t know where to begin,” she said.
The article had been beautifully written, and she was still mulling over what he had said. She was hoping her sisters could give her some insight tonight before she moved forward.
> “I-I meant what I said,” George began. “Every word.”
Penny unfolded her arms and wiped her hands against her jeans. “You aren’t going to New York?”
George shook his head.
“What about your sister’s charity?”
“There are other ways.” He scooted forward and placed his hands on her knees. “None of that matters. I could have written what they wanted to hear, moved to New York, and became a king. But without you? I didn’t want any of it. Not anymore.”
“You…you…love me?”
George’s eyes softened as he moved his hand from her knee to her cheek. “I do. I just wish I hadn’t been so blind to it for so long.”
He dropped his hand back to her knee. “I’ve been hiding behind Geo for a long time. He’s not who I am, but in some ways, it was easier being him. He’s confident. He knows what he wants. He knows how to get it, and no one can touch him.”
“And you don’t? Know what you want?”
George scooted closer and wrapped his hands around her back. She was still stiff, but she didn’t back away, either.
“That’s just it. For the first time, I do know. And what I want, more than anything, is you.”
Penny felt a tear slide down her face as she looked into his eyes. She saw sincerity there, beyond anything she’d seen from him before, as Geo or George.
“What about your career?” she asked as he wiped the tear from her cheek.
“I’ll keep freelancing. Here. In St. Louis. It doesn’t matter.”
“What do you mean?”
“Love is something I can’t replace. You, Penny, you can’t be replaced. Will you give me another shot?”
Penny blinked back another tear, the lump in her throat rising, threatening her voice altogether.
The Dating Itinerary Page 20
