The Dating Intervention: Book 1 in the Intervention Series

by Hilary Dartt

  ***

  Early spring twilight cast soft shadows on the downtown square. The fountain bubbled merrily and a couple of kids tossed shiny pennies into the water, watching them sink to the bottom before closing their eyes to wish.

  Delaney strolled casually toward the fountain, her face alight with excitement. Summer and Josie crouched behind a nearby shrub, watching their traitorous friend.

  “She makes me so mad!” Josie growled. “I can’t believe she’s doing this!”

  “Shh. She’ll hear you,” Summer said. “We’re only, like, four feet away from the fountain.”

  “I can’t believe you caught her in the act,” Josie whispered.

  “I know. She has to know I pass by here every day on my way home from the kids’ baseball practice.”

  “Your instincts were right on. She does look too good for a visit to Rowdy’s or coffee with her mom. Good thing you called me. Where are the kids, anyway?”

  “I ran them home, dumped them in the kitchen with Derek and a frozen pizza and left,” Summer said.

  “Oh! That has to be him,” Josie said. “Dreamy for sure. Here he comes.”

  “Wow. He really is sexy,” Summer said. “Look at that bod. Wow.”

  “I can see why she didn’t want to wait.”

  Jake spotted Delaney and his face lit up, too. He began walking a bit faster.

  “I’ve never seen that look on Delaney’s face,” Josie said, wonder creeping into her voice. “She looks like she’s been taken over by some love alien zombie thing.”

  “I know, really.”

  When they reached each other, Delaney lifted her arms for a hug, but Jake took her face in his hands and kissed her, hard and long, on the mouth.

  “I’m getting all hot and bothered,” Summer said.

  When they finally broke apart, Jake said, “Hi,” and Delaney breathed, “Hi, yourself.”

  “Shall we?” Jake asked. He held out his arm, Delaney linked hers through it and they sauntered away.

  “Well, they are really sweet together,” Josie said. “I hate to admit it.”

  Summer nodded and Josie said, “Should we follow them?”

  “I don’t know,” Summer said. “Don’t you think we should give her some privacy, Josie?”

  After a long look from Josie, Summer said, “Nah. You’re right. She agreed to this. She can live with the consequences.”

  Fortunately, Delaney was so wrapped up in Jake that it was easy for the girls to follow her, unseen. Delaney and Jake walked along Main Street for a few minutes, then stopped to look in the window of an art gallery. Summer and Josie ducked into the doorway of The Sweet Tooth, the old-fashioned candy shop where Summer indulged the kids on weekends with a piece of taffy or licorice.

  A few seconds later, Jake and Delaney began walking again. Summer and Josie sneaked onto the sidewalk to follow.

  “I think they’re going to Umbrella,” Josie said.

  “For dinner?”

  Sure enough, Jake opened the coffee shop’s door for Delaney. He glanced behind them when she went in. Josie jumped behind a bush and Summer yanked her back out by the sleeve.

  “He doesn’t know us!” she said in a loud whisper. “He’s never met us! It wouldn’t have mattered if he saw us. He would have thought we were just two girls walking down the street. Now he’s going to think we’re creepy stalkers!”

  “Shit. You’re right.”

  But Jake didn’t seem to have noticed. He went in behind Delaney. Summer and Josie leaned against the wall.

  “Well, we can’t go in there,” Summer said. “There’s no way to get in the door without her seeing us.”

  “True. What should we do?”

  They stood in silence for a few moments, Josie tapping a foot and Summer tapping her index finger on her chin.

  “Oh. I know,” Summer said. “I can’t believe I’m thinking of this. It’s totally up your alley. Info-gathering. But I want to see what she does.”

  “Well, don’t hold out on me.”

  “So we go on your tablet, log into FindLove.com and ask Mitchell out.”

  “Okay,” Josie said. “I like where this is going. And then we text her, right? And we tell her she has a date with Mitchell. Her reaction will tell us how much she likes Jake and how much she likes Mitchell.”

  “Exactly,” Summer said. “So, do we set the date to begin, like, right now? So she has to leave Jake? Or do we make it for tomorrow night, because we’re nice and we see the sparks between her and Jake?”

  “Second option. Tomorrow.”

  Josie sat down on the curb and pulled out her tablet. After a few minutes, she said, “Done.”

  Summer joined her on the curb to wait for Mitchell’s response, but they both jumped to their feet and spun around when they heard the door to Umbrella open – and lurched into the entrance of the flower shop next door when they realized Jake and Delaney were coming back out to sit on the patio.

  “Shit. Don’t move, Summer.”

  Summer stifled a giggle and said in a voice meant to be goofy, “Okay, Josie.”

  Josie elbowed her.

  “Isn’t this weather just beautiful?” they heard Delaney say. “It really feels like spring.”

  “It does,” Jake agreed. “But you know we’ll get one more good snow before spring really hits.”

  Josie shrugged at Summer. Summer shrugged at Josie.

  Jake asked Delaney about her job hunt and she listed out all the disappointments she’d been having.

  “I can tell she’s trying to keep it light,” Summer said, “but she’s really hurting.”

  Josie nodded. “Now I’m feeling a pang of guilt for not asking how her job hunt is going. We didn’t bring her wine or anything.”

  “We were mad. Remember? You were the maddest.”

  “True,” Josie said. “But she’s taking this huge step and we’re not even there for her.”

  “Get over it. Guilt doesn’t help. We’ll be there for her now.”

  They listened as Delaney talked about her cooking class. She sounded animated. She used her hands.

  Suddenly, she became serious.

  “Jake,” she said, “I have a confession.”

  “Ooh. Sounds very intriguing,” he said. “Let me guess. You don’t really like pepperoni pizza or wine.”

  “Oh, no. It’s nothing like that,” Delaney said.

  “Then I can guarantee it’s not going to break my heart.”

  “I was online the other night,” Delaney began.

  Josie elbowed Summer, who put her hands up and shrugged her shoulders in an I have no idea gesture.

  “Oh, wait a minute,” Jake said, his eyes laughing but his expression serious. “These stories never end well.”

  “I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a total stalker,” Delaney said.

  “You were cyber-stalking me?” Jake said. “I love this. Go on.”

  Josie’s tablet dinged and distracted the girls from hearing the rest of the conversation.

  “Oh, Mitchell’s already responded. He can do tomorrow. I’ll text her.”

  “Right now?” Summer said. “When she’s having so much fun?”

  “Her reaction will tell us everything.”

  Delaney’s phone chirped. She didn’t quite hide a guilty look as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. The conversation paused.

  “Sorry,” Delaney said to Jake. “I’m expecting a message.”

  “More like, ‘I don’t want my friends to know I’m with you,’” Summer whispered to Josie.

  Delaney’s face fell when she saw the message Josie had sent: Mitchell wants to meet up tomorrow. Date at 6 p.m. Place TBD.

  “Priceless,” Josie whispered. “She looks totally disappointed.”

  “And guilty,” Summer said.

  “Everything okay?” Jake asked.

  “Yeah,” Delaney answered. “Fine.”

  Her “fine,” morose and pouty, had Summer and Josie practically hyper
ventilating with giggles.

  “Well, I guess we know how she’s feeling about Mitchell.” Josie snickered. “She’s not even texting back.”

  “Let’s do this again tomorrow when she’s with Mitchell,” Summer said. “I like observing.”

  ***

  Delaney had to drag herself out of a deep sleep to turn off the alarm Saturday morning.

  “Weekend,” she said to Pixie, who glared at her from the foot of the bed. Then she remembered.

  “Yoga.”

  She was supposed to be meeting the girls for that eight a.m. class.

  Finally, her senses cleared enough that she realized her alarm hadn’t actually gone off. Instead, she’d received a text from Josie.

  Josie: No yoga. What was I thinking? I want to sleep in. Then hit the spa.

  As she was reading the text, Summer’s reply popped up: Sleeping in is overrated. You can still make it by 8, even if you shower and put on your makeup. See you then.

  Delaney had seen Summer’s house at seven a.m. Hannah was in her high chair, alternately taking bites of egg or toast and throwing her food on the floor. The boys were running around with swords. Or guns. Or guns they were using as swords. Sarah, the oldest and most civilized, was probably baking something that required a huge amount of flour and would taste like bricks. Summer was, no doubt, wide awake and had been for at least an hour.

  Josie: Nope. I’m putting my phone on silent. Sweet dreams.

  Summer: You’re not very committed. You’re letting yourself down.

  Delaney, for fun, added: This isn’t serving you, Josie.

  Josie: Oh, shut up, D. You’re in bed, still, too. See you later.

  ***

  Feet freshly buffed and toenails lacquered in a spring shade of aqua, Delaney, Summer and Josie sat in the soaking tub at Hot Rocks, drinking ice water with cucumber slices in it.

  “You’ve got about five more minutes, Mama,” Josie said to Summer. “We don’t want you cooking that baby.”

  “I know,” Summer said. “It just feels so nice.”

  “Mmmmm.” Delaney sank down so the water came up just below her chin. “What are you doing after this, Josie?”

  “I’m going to take my new toenails shopping for some new shoes. There’s a new shoe store at the mall and I see some sandals in my future. You know, those peep-hole ones?”

  “With three-inch heels, no doubt,” Summer said. “How do you walk in those things?”

  Josie stretched her legs dramatically so her toes came out of the water. “It hasn’t always been easy, as you know.”

  Delaney giggled. “Yeah, Summer. Remember her first time?”

  “Homecoming sophomore year,” Summer said.

  “Are you going to make me relive it? Again?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Delaney said. “Most definitely.”

  “So it’s Homecoming night,” Summer began in a spooky voice. “Josie, of course, is on the Homecoming Court. She’s found the perfect dress.”

  “Silver,” Delaney said. “Silver with a low back.”

  “It shows off the curves of which she is so proud,” Summer said.

  “But,” Delaney said, pausing for emphasis. “There’s just one problem.”

  “The shoes,” all three of them said, dissolving into giggles.

  “So,” Summer began, and Delaney went on, “She raids her mom’s closet and finds the perfect pair. Perfect. Silver. With sequins.”

  “And three-inch heels,” Summer said.

  “It was traumatic enough the first time,” Josie grumbled.

  Delaney plowed ahead: “She looks hot. I mean, sizzling.”

  “She takes the arm of her counterpart, the sexy stud Chris Decoterro. She can feel his bicep through the sleeve of his collared shirt.”

  “And she’s feeling really good,” Delaney said. “I mean, she looks good, Chris looks good. He smells good. This is her moment.”

  Josie sank down lower in the spa, pretending to drown herself.

  Summer went on, “In front of hundreds – no, thousands – of adoring fans, they walk up the steps to the stage.”

  “The announcers call their names,” Delaney said. “‘Presenting the Duke and Duchess of Juniper High, Josie Garcia and Chris Decoterro.’”

  “The crowd goes wild.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” Josie said. “Polite applause follows.”

  Delaney said, “Can the crowd go wild? Just this once?”

  “Sure,” Summer said. “The crowd goes wild.”

  Josie shook her head. Delaney went on, “Then, just as she makes her way off the stage, thinking she’s nailed it in that dress and those shoes, Josie twists her ankle. She grabs onto Chris Decoterro’s arm to keep herself from falling, but he’s not the stud she thought he was. They both go down. Hard. In front of thousands of adoring fans.”

  “And now the crowd goes wild,” Josie muttered.

  “I would have thought you’d swear off wearing heels after that,” Delaney said.

  “But no,” Summer said. “It only made you more determined.”

  “That’s right,” Josie said. “And now we never have to revisit that horrible, traumatic night again.”

  Still smiling, Summer stood up.

  “Time’s up,” she said. “I’m going to dry off.”

  As Delaney drove home a while later, relaxed and pliable from the pedicure and the soak, she thought, it has been so nice to spend an entire afternoon with my friends and, for once, not feel like I was under the microscope.

  ***

  “Her aura is decidedly different today,” Summer observed that evening as she and Josie watched Delaney approach The Sweet Tooth. “She’s calmer.”

  “She also hasn’t put as much work into herself today,” Josie said. “She looks remarkably less ready to meet a man, if you know what I mean.”

  “Well, I should hope she’s not ready to meet a man, Josie, if you know what I mean. She shouldn’t be meeting any men right now.”

  “There you are,” Delaney said to a man who looked quite a bit nerdier in person than he did in his FindLove.com profile picture.

  Mitchell Evans, Esq. had thinning hair, pouchy eyes and a stooped hit-me-while-I’m-down posture.

  “Yikes,” Josie said.

  “Yikes,” Summer agreed.

  “But it’s no wonder he made the top two.”

  They’d staked out inside the candy shop, squatting behind a barrel of saltwater taffy near the door. From here, they could see Delaney and Mitchell through a crack between two posters in the window, and they could just make out the sounds of their voices.

  “Before we go anywhere, Delaney,” Mitchell said in a whiny, high-pitched voice, “I want to tell you I’m really sorry about the other night. It was too soon for me to go home with you. I’m really sorry.”

  “Ew,” Summer said, making a face. “Sounds like they’ve already met, if you know what I mean.”

  “Why didn’t she tell us?” Josie said.

  “Of course she didn’t tell us. She didn’t want to face our questioning.”

  “She wouldn’t have,” Josie said. When Summer leveled a long look at her, she said, “Okay. She would. But still.”

  “And she likes Jake so much.”

  “You know, Summer,” Josie said, a defensive edge creeping into her voice, “Delaney doesn’t have the market on self-sabotage. We’ve all been there.”

  “Don’t you dare use this as an excuse to sabotage your principal application.”

  “I won’t! I’m not. I swear. I’m just saying.”

  “Hm.”

  ***

  When Mitchell suggested he and Delaney go back to his place and order Chinese takeout, Delaney’s tight smile showed a mixture of relief and annoyance.

  “That sounds fine,” she said.

  Josie said, “She probably wants to go to his place so they can turn on the TV and she can ignore him.” Summer nodded and said, “But going back to his place seems sleazy after their last meeting.” />
  “Oh. I wasn’t thinking,” Mitchell said then, his pasty complexion coloring. “We don’t have to. Let’s just go to Red Lantern and eat there.”

  From their spot behind the saltwater taffy barrel, Summer whispered, “Good boy, Mitchell.”

  “We’d better hit it,” Josie said.

  When Delaney and Mitchell headed west, Summer and Josie headed east. Once they turned the corner to go north and then west again, they broke into a full run in order to beat Delaney and Mitchell to the restaurant. They were seated, red linen napkins on their laps, slightly breathless, when Delaney and Mitchell walked in.

  Josie would later remark that Delaney’s face when she saw them (stunned, then angry, then contorted into a terrible smile) was better than priceless, but at the moment, it was all she could do to stop her laughter from bubbling out. The whole thing was so absurd, really. But Summer’s hard kick under the table reminded her to hold it together.

  “Why, Delaney Collins!” Summer said, infusing her voice with surprise and a Southern lilt. “What are you doing here?”

  Delaney, who’d stopped stone cold upon entering the dining room, gathered her composure just enough to say, “Eating. You?”

  “Oh, just grabbing a bite,” Josie said. “You know.”

  “Oh, I do know,” Delaney said slowly. “I do.”

  “Who’s your companion?” Summer asked.

  “Oh.” Delaney cleared her throat. “Mitchell. This is Mitchell.”

  “Oh, how lovely to meet you,” Josie said.

  “Yes, just lovely,” Summer echoed. “I’m Summer. And this is Josefina.”

  The hostess, who’d watched the exchange with more patience than even Summer had, finally interrupted: “Would you like to sit here?”

  She motioned to the table adjacent to Summer and Josie’s.

  “Oh, uh, sure,” Mitchell stammered. The hostess started laying the menus on the table. She jumped a little when Delaney said they’d been hoping for something a little more private and romantic, but she recovered quickly, picked up their menus and began walking to a table on the other side of the dining room.

  “No, it’s fine,” Mitchell insisted, following the hostess and taking the menus from her. “We’ll eat here.”