I need her back, I thought to myself determinedly as the fresh air washes over me. So badly. Whatever it takes.
I wasn’t sure if she would agree to the date, I wasn’t sure how she’d react when she saw me, but I was keen to find out. Whatever it was, I could fix it, I was sure I could. Somehow. After all, we were destiny. Fate. Meant to be. I’m sure we still are. I don’t think that sort of thing can change.
9
ADDISON
O ver a week, I tell myself. It’s been over a week.
It has been a week since my date with Max and I still don’t feel totally over it. Luci keeps trying to push me to go out with Harrison next, she thinks he will be my best bet, but I just don’t feel ready for it. I can’t shake off the bad stink that I now associated with dating, and I don’t know when I’ll be able to recover from that.
“Stop thinking about him,” I remind myself as I look at the stacks of paper that I need to read through. I have to check the edits before I can send this latest paper to print. “Stop thinking about dating.”
Luci will back off eventually, I’m sure of it. She’ll realize that this isn’t right for me and all will go back to normal. I’m not sure I like the whole dating ag
ency thing anyway. Yes, it’s less seedy than the apps as Max highlighted, but it isn’t romantic, is it? It isn’t fate. It’s not destiny. I kinda like the idea of just meeting the love of my life at random. It just comes from nowhere and knocks me off my feet, changing my life.
A bit like when I met Jace… not that it’ll ever be like that again.
Maybe I just won’t bother anymore. Maybe I’ll just put that whole mess behind me and continue to focus on work. After all, this is what I’m best at. This is where I shine.
I grab my stack of stories and check over them, focusing solely on the task at hand, before I send them off to the layout and formatting team to get put together. After which, it will come back to me for another run through. I have to check everything as many times as I can because ultimately the shit always falls on my head. Every spelling mistake lands on me, every incorrect name falls on me, every faux pas is my fault.
But then it goes the other way too. Whenever it goes right, it’s me who gets the good stuff as well. Of course, that is just normal and isn’t as highlighted as the bad stuff, but I still feel the celebration.
Luci might not get it, she might think that I’m just a workaholic, throwing myself into my career because I don’t have anything else to focus on, but I do need to be here to make sure everything goes right. Yes, it’s a bit all consuming, but sometimes I like to be consumed in what I’m doing. It helps the day to go faster and it pushes all the anxious unhelpful thoughts to the back of my mind.
My email bings. It’s been doing it a lot but this one grabs my attention and I don’t know what it is about it, but my eyes meet the computer screen and I see a name that I’m not ready for.
“Hayley Spraggon?”
I should ignore it. I know I should, but I don’t. I’m drawn to the computer and before I can even think about it, I click the email open to see what she’s had to say about it all.
‘Dear Addison,
You have been selected for a date! One of our other members has chosen you for a date if this is something you would like.’
Through the generic words of this email I feel a shudder running up and down my spine. I forgot that things could work the other way and that I could be chosen for a date as well. My resolve to not go on another date for a long time wavers a little, because it’s flattering to be chosen. Surely, the guy won’t walk out on me if he has chosen me. He might still be boring though…
‘Usually, I would attach the profile here to see if this is someone you would like, but this is a little different. Our client needs extra privacy. I know this might sound a little strange, but once you meet him you will understand why. He is a lovely gentleman, twenty-four years of age, over six feet, with dark features. He currently has an exotic job but that could change in the future.
I am sorry this isn’t much, Addison, and if you have any further questions please give me a call, I will do my best to answer what I can, but if you would like a date let me know and I will set it up for you.
Hayley Spraggon’
“What the hell?” I mutter to myself in shock. “What is all of this about? It’s insane.”
I shake my head and move away from the computer, fully ready to ignore the email. Just because it’s flattering, it doesn’t mean that I’m ready for another date. Just because the details of the date are so intriguing, I almost want to go to find out who the hell it could be, doesn’t mean I should go. I mean, that would be madness.
I turn back to my work, trying to forget the weird words, but of course, they refuse to leave. Exotic job… needs privacy… that’s all so strange. Like a spy movie. I feel like I’m being offered two different choices. Do I go on as I am already or do I see what this is all about? Open up the possibilities?
“Fucking hell.” I shake my head and try to forget. “Don’t do it, Addison, that would be nuts.”
I want to ring Luci, but I already know what she would do. She’d tell me to email back and to just go for it already, to get passed what happened with Max, to forget about Jace as well.
I shudder, thinking about the possibility that Jace might still be here. If he ever was. I’ve managed to avoid him so far but I suppose there could still be time. Maybe I should go on this date, just to prove that I can…
“Y ou look awesome!” Luci squeals excitedly. “Very sexy. That’s good. It’s a good sign, I really think that this is going to be a better date. What you had with Max was a mess, but this guy, what’s his name…”