3.

 

“Shit, that’s tonight?” Mia exclaimed into the phone. Jewel’s eyes snapped to her mother in surprise from over her bowl of cereal and Mia grimaced. “Sorry, honey. I mean, dang! That’s tonight?”

Jewel pursed her lips and sighed, then continued eating her breakfast. She was used to her mother’s slip ups, but it didn’t make her like them any more.

“Yeah,” Cindy said through the phone. “I can’t believe you forgot. Can you still go? Do you have a sitter for Jewel?”

“Yeah, I can still go. I already told my mom about it. It’s just that I had also been planning a spa day with Jewel.”

Jewel smiled. “That’s tomorrow, not today,” she reminded her mother, gesturing to the calendar on the refrigerator with her spoon. It was surrounded by sticky notes full of positive affirmations and letter magnets. Jewel was learning to be quite the good speller. “Don’t worry. We will do our spa day tomorrow.”

Mia felt a surge of pride combined with embarrassment. Since when was her daughter more on top of things than she was?

“That’s right,” Mia said, letting out a slightly exasperated laugh. “We’re going to have a blast! We always do, right?”

“Right!”

It was true. There was nothing more fun than getting to unwind with her daughter and turning their bathroom into a five-star spa. They took turns pampering each other and relaxing with nice music and good smelling candles. It was the highlight of their week.

“Okay, then I will be by to pick you up at about seven. Do we need to drop Jewel off or is she going to be at your mom’s when I get there?”

“It will be taken care of,” Mia said. “Thanks, Cindy. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Well, I’d say you would lose your mind but, some days, it’s more clear than others that you are way out there, space cadet.”

Mia laughed. “You love me anyway.”

“Deeply!” Cindy agreed. “I’ll see you tonight. Remember to dress up! You never know what kind of guys might be there. What if we manifest our fated mate like that weird gypsy lady was talking about?”

“Gypsy is offensive, now,” Mia said. “The preferred term is ‘Roma’. Anyway, you never know! I’ll make sure I look good, don’t worry.”

Cindy laughed. “Right. Sorry. Roma. Talk to you later.”

“Bye, Cind.”

“What’s a gypsy?” Jewel asked, stirring the milk in her bowl thoughtfully.

“Roma. They are people who traveled a lot and made a living selling things as they went from place to place. A lot of people are very interested in them because they are mysterious and independent. Free-spirits.”

“You’re a free spirit!” Jewel said excitedly, letting the spoon clatter into her bowl.

“And you are too! Now, why don’t you get your coat and shoes on, the bus will be here soon.”

“Okay, mama.”

Mia watched her daughter disappear, still shocked by the incredible maturity her daughter displayed more and more as she grew. She was approaching her seventh birthday and, some days, she could swear the girl was closer to thirty.  She certainly didn’t get it from Mia’s side of the family. Unless it skipped a generation.

Once Jewel was off to school, Mia took a deep breath and headed to her home office/sanctuary to set her intention for the day. She was going to succeed. Get a lot of work done. Align her energy so it would be able to seek out and match that of the person she was meant to be with, and if he wasn’t at a speed dating event, she would at least be that much closer to finding him. She wouldn’t be disappointed. She would take each event as it came and allow herself to learn as much as possible in the meantime.

The meditation went well and when she was done, she felt as prepared as she possibly could be for the day that was ahead of her. With a newfound bounce in her step, Mia headed to the bedroom to go through her closet and figure out just what she would want to be wearing on the day she met her soulmate.

 

***
 

“Mia! Are you actually nervous?”

Cindy seemed both amused and alarmed by the revelation and gaped at her friend, her hands still on the steering wheel after parking the car.

“I mean…I didn’t think that I was,” Mia said, gazing at the lodge with her heart hammering in her chest. “But now that we’re here, I think I might need a second to collect myself.”

In truth, her heart was hammering hard in her chest and she was actually beginning to feel slightly faint. It was strange for her to feel so concerned when approaching new situations. Especially when she was so used to encouraging others to follow their chosen paths. How was it possible that she would actually be afraid to begin to step foot upon her own?

“Take your time,” Cindy said. “We’re early.”

Mia nodded, trying to recall the breathing exercises she had been taught during her six-month stint of talk therapy. It had been a useful time in her life and she had learned a lot, though she was still just as scatter-brained as she always had been. It was nice to feel a little more organized, if nothing else though.

“Right. Okay. Let’s do this,” Mia said, letting out a deep exhale and grabbing blindly for the door handle. She pulled and nothing happened, and she glanced frantically at Cindy.

“Calm down, spaz, it’s just locked.” Cindy turned the engine off and unlocked the doors, then got out of the car, grinning at her friend. “Childproof.”

“Right,” Mia said softly, finally freeing herself from the car and laughing sheepishly.

“You’re going to have a great time,” Cindy said, gripping Mia by the elbow reassuringly and guiding her to the entrance. There was a big sign in front of the door with balloons taped to it, advertising the speed dating event. Another round of butterflies made their way through Mia’s stomach and she looked down at her outfit, suddenly exceptionally self-conscious.

It had taken her nearly three hours to choose the specific combination of clothing she was going to wear that night, but now she just felt silly. What if her soulmate overlooked her because of her flamboyant fashion choices? Why did she always have to be so flashy? Sure, some might see it as creative flair, but others would just think she was showing off, wouldn’t they?

“You look beautiful,” Cindy said, almost as if she could read her friend’s thoughts. “I love that you went with the red dress and orange cardigan. You look so full of life. Vibrant. It’s very eye catching.”

Mia sighed inwardly, trying to get herself to relax a little bit. She would just have to fight her self-consciousness and bite the bullet.

“Wow,” Mia breathed when they walked inside.

The lodge was bustling with the hushed voices of men and women mingling around three long banquet tables along the wall. In the center of the room were several tables with different numbers placed in front of vases with different types of flowers. It was a beautiful set up, and Mia glanced around the room, her nervousness forgotten in a sudden bout of excitement. She rarely stayed scared or self-conscious for long. But she had been concerned about putting off her potential soulmate, so she hadn’t been able to help but feel a little bit on edge.

“This place cleans up nice,” Cindy said with a soft chuckle. “Remember last time we were here?”

Mia laughed. “Square dancing isn’t that bad.”

Cindy snorted, and they were soon directed to one of the tables. “Find your nametags,” the attendant said with a small smile. “The event will begin soon.”

Mia reached for the one that said her name and glanced over her shoulder, eyes scanning the men for anybody that might match up with her ideal mate. Nobody seemed to stand out and she let out a small sigh, attaching the tag to her dress and following Cindy to another table, where light refreshments were being served. She grabbed a glass of wine and sipped, waiting for the event to begin.

“All right, ladies and gentlemen,” the host finally said. “We are about to begin. On your nametag, you will find a small number beneath your name. Go to the table assigned by your nametag and wait there. You will have five minutes with each person. Men, you will be responsible for standing up and moving to the table to your left when the buzzer sounds. Men at the ends will make a loop and go to the other side. Is everybody ready?”

Mia glanced at her nametag. Number three. She scanned the rows of tables for her number and then let her eyes rest upon it. When the buzzer sounded, everybody scrambled to their tables, ready for their chance to start meeting new people.

But when Mia got to her table, she found, to her disappointment, that it was empty. She waited for everyone to get settled in before she started to get concerned. There weren’t any other men left standing, and she let out a small sigh.

The room grew alive with the sound of animated conversation, and Mia found herself left alone. She felt a bitter sense of disappointment and gazed enviously at Cindy, who was chatting with a handsome stranger a few tables away.

Suddenly, the doors to the lodge burst open and a tall, astoundingly attractive man stepped inside, his brilliant amber colored eyes wide. He held a flier up in the air and stared at the host.

“This is the speed dating thing?”

“Take your seat,” the host said with a sigh. “You’re table three, I assume. Mr. Jacobs?”

The man grimaced and shook his head in distaste. “No. Rhett.”

But he followed the host’s instructions and headed intently for Mia’s table.

She watched him in awe. He was tall, broad, and masculine in every sense of the word. All eyes had turned to him and the conversations lulled as the women at every table gaped at the incredibly attractive stranger as he made his way toward Mia’s table. She could feel some of the women shooting daggers at her already. But they would all get their chance. No need to be petty about it.

“You’re late,” Mia said as soon as the man sat down across from her. His handsome brow creased and he lifted a single shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. Goodness, he was easy to look at. But if he was the man she had been hoping to bring into her life, maybe she should have added “punctual” to her list.

“I didn’t want to come, anyway,” Rhett said, his deep silky voice a little sulky. His eyes were a strange mixture of steely and expressive, and he sat back in his seat, crossing his strong arms over his broad torso as he studied her. “You’re from around here, aren’t you?”

He sounded oddly disappointed and Mia frowned. “I was born and raised in this town, so yes.”

“No, I don’t mean…” he trailed off, then clamped his mouth shut and let out a soft sigh. “Well, anyway, everything will be all right. There’s a whole room of women to talk to.”

Mia glared at him and shook her head in astonishment. “You take one look and dismiss me like that? Based on what?”

She was deeply offended, and slightly hurt. This had been the only man she had found herself drawn to in the entire room. How could he be such an ass?

“I’m not…” Rhett shifted, looking suddenly very uncomfortable. “Never mind. We got off to a bad start. Can we start over?”

He fixed his gaze upon her and Mia found herself lost in the otherworldly depths of his gorgeous eyes. It was almost like looking into an ocean.

“Fine. But make it quick, we’re down to three minutes.”

Rhett’s lips curled into a smile. “You don’t let anyone get away with much. You have a strong spirit.”

Mia was taken aback for a moment. The way he spoke to her was a little surprising; he made observations that felt as if they were based upon him knowing her their whole lives. But that was ridiculous. Why was she responding to him in this way when he so clearly was a jerk?

“Why weren’t you on time, Rhett?” Mia asked, sidestepping the observation. It only made her feel overwhelmed and confused, and she didn’t want to get stuck in something too difficult to navigate. Sure, she was in search of her soulmate, but that didn’t mean she should waste time with someone who didn’t even respect the event enough to show up on time.

“I got lost,” Rhett said, shifting uncomfortably. “I don’t come to this area often.”

“Where do you usually go?” Mia asked.

“All over. I’m a mover.”

“A mover?”

Rhett suddenly looked uncomfortable and shifted. “Well. A student. Engineering.”

“That’s interesting,” Mia said, unable to keep a smile from spreading across her face. “I like a man who is good with both is mind and his hands.”

Rhett nodded.

“Those are good qualities,” he agreed. “And what about you? What do you do?”

Mia sighed. “I do a lot of things. I’m very creative.”

Rhett perked up at this. “I’m not very creative, but I admire it a lot in others. What sorts of things do you create?”

“I paint, I write, I make music. But mostly, I’m interested in learning about healing practices. I like to work with others. Make a difference in their lives.”

Rhett nodded, his gorgeous eyes approving and serious. “That is very noble of you. You have many great qualities. And you are beautiful.”

Mia was caught off guard by the bold, direct statement. Rhett was already moving on as if he hadn’t said anything of note whatsoever. “I didn’t know people from this place could have such qualities.”

“Why are you so biased against Brookside?” Mia asked, letting out a soft laugh. “We aren’t just a bunch of rednecks or something. We have a good education system. We work hard to take care of our community and make it welcoming for all types of diverse people.”

“You are the most diverse person here, it seems,” Rhett said, looking away from Mia and turning the intensity of his gaze onto the other women lining the tables. “You are dressed much more brightly.”

“Well, don’t judge a book by its cover,” Mia said, inwardly cursing at herself for her bold outfit choice. She should have gone more for the little black dress style. Ugh. “It’s not good to go into anything with preconceived expectations. I’m sure many women here have good qualities. And diversity.”

Rhett nodded, though when he turned his prying eyes back on Mia, he seemed less than convinced. “I guess there is some potential here.”

Mia nodded, confused by her attempt to stand up for the other women. Almost as if she was trying to push Rhett off on someone else. Despite the fact that every cell in her body seemed to hum to life as she stared at him. He awakened a strange sensation in the depths of her. Something strange and completely new, yet deeply familiar all at the same time. It didn’t make any sense.

“Well, don’t go wasting time with the other women like you did with me if you want to get to know someone and walk out of here with a girlfriend.”

Rhett wrinkled his nose and cast his gaze downward, at his strong hands folded on the table in front of himself. “Right,” he said, though it was clear he didn’t seem very keen on the idea. Why was he even here then? Mia gaped at him in confusion.

“You’re not gay, are you?” Mia asked, thinking suddenly that she had put two and two together. “You should tell the host if you are, I don’t know if there are accommodations for that or not…”

Rhett’s eyes snapped up at her, serious but not offended. “I am not gay. I just wasn’t sure about coming to this event. And now that I am here, I am even less sure that I want to stay.”

“It isn’t that bad,” Mia said, laughing gently. “The women aren’t going to hurt you.”

“They couldn’t if they wanted to,” Rhett stated. “I am very strong.”

Mia pursed her lips, both amused and strangely attracted to the simplicity of Rhett’s statements. He knew his own strengths, that much was obvious. And he certainly did look more than capable of taking care of himself in any given situation…

“Yes,” Mia agreed. “You do look very strong.”

Rhett seemed pleased to hear her acknowledge this and suddenly, the buzzer went off. 

“You move to the left now,” Mia said quietly. “I guess I will talk to you again during round two.”

Rhett gazed at her for a moment, almost seeming reluctant to stand. “All right,” he said.

His eyes didn’t leave hers as he moved his tall, lithe body upward, until he was standing up and holding Mia’s gaze. It sent a hot jolt of longing through to her core, and she shuddered inwardly when he finally turned his gaze away.

What the hell was up with this guy?

Mia didn’t have much chance to think about it before the next man was ushered to her table and she found herself lost in a new, but brief, conversation, her thoughts all the while lingering on Rhett.