“What if we speed things up?” Mads said. “Like, what if you could meet twenty guys at once? Wouldn’t it be great if you could go to a party and every guy there was available? And you could spend the whole party flirting and talking and by the time it was over, all you had to do was choose one?”
“Sure, it would,” Holly said. “I’d also like to be Prince William’s girlfriend, but it’s not going to happen.”
“Don’t say that!” Mads cried. “I need my illusions. I’m still clinging to that one.”
“Mads is onto something,” Lina said. “We could hold our own party, singles only. You can casually see how you like the guys without having to go on a million blind dates. And you don’t have to worry that you’re wasting time flirting with some guy who already has a girlfriend.”
“A speed dating party!” Mads said. “You get a certain amount of time—say, ten minutes—to talk to each guy, and by the end of the party, you get matched with the one you like best.”
“Who also likes you,” Lina said.
“No muss, no fuss,” Mads said.
“I guess it could be fun,” Holly said.
“We’ll open it up to kids from other schools,” Mads said. “You’re bound to meet a new guy that way.”
“And if you don’t, we’ll just keep having parties until you find The One,” Lina said. “It’s perfect for busy students. You’ll only lose an hour or two a week on it.”
“Let’s do it.” Holly straightened up, some of her old moxie returning. The memory of Rob’s teddy-bear head, which had been making her cry all morning, was fading already. “Even if I don’t meet a guy right away, it would be fun to make some friends at other schools. The RSAGE social scene could use some new life. New parties! New people! All right! I’m psyched.”
“Yay!” Mads clapped. “Speed dating!”
“I was getting kind of sick of Rob, anyway,” Holly said. “I just didn’t realize it.”
“You’re a quick healer. I guess we won’t be needing this anymore.” Lina started putting the ice cream in the freezer.
“Hey, where are you going with that?” Holly said. “I may be on the mend, but I need to make sure I’m one hundred percent cured. Right?”
“Absolutely,” Mads said. “Keep that Chocolate Brainwash coming.”
Ex-Rating Page 14
