Non-Refundable Groom. Patty Salier

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СКАЧАТЬ She couldn’t be with him if he wasn’t looking for a lifetime relationship like she was. Maybe the Marriage Connection date wasn’t such a bad thing. Maybe meeting another man would steer her thoughts away from Garrett.

      As she stopped for a red light, she heard him blow his horn and saw him wave as his car moved way ahead of hers up the street. She waved back and realized that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t fight the growing inner connection she felt toward him.

      

      As Garrett parked in front of Aunt Rosie’s house, he waved to the young woman leaving, who took care of his aunt’s needs from Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, a warm-hearted older woman came by.

      Garrett unlocked the back kitchen door with his key. “Aunt Rosie, it’s me!” he announced, entering the Early-American-style kitchen. He could hear the voice of her favorite radio talk show host from the living room.

      “I’m catching the end of my show, Garrett,” Aunt Rosie said. “Can you bring me a glass of grape juice?”

      “You’re allergic to grapes,” he reminded her, pouring her a glass of orange juice instead. Though his aunt had lapses in memory and her eyesight was failing, she was as spunky as ever. As a widow with no children, she’d raised him since he was seven years old, when his parents gave her permanent custody due to their severe alcoholic drinking problem. Now that she was in her late seventies, he’d been caring for her by dropping by each day for a visit.

      For the first time since his divorce, Garrett felt a pang of loneliness being at Aunt Rosie’s house. He wished Elena was with him. Knowing how family oriented she was, he was sure she’d enjoy his aunt. He quickly shed the thought. He knew he could never introduce Elena to his aunt. He couldn’t take the chance of getting that close to her. And he couldn’t tell his aunt about her. Talking about Elena would mean that he envisioned her as the permanent woman in his life. Everything inside of him resisted making solid plans like that for himself again, knowing how easily his future with the woman he loved could be shattered.

      When Garrett walked into the living room to give his aunt the orange juice, she immediately waved him to sit down and be quiet. He knew she didn’t want him interrupting the remainder of the radio show.

      He waited as she listened closely to every word of the host.

      Aunt Rosie flipped off the radio. “Garrett, I got you a date for this Saturday night.”

      “With who?” He grinned, not taking her seriously. “Michelle Pfeiffer?”

      “Ha, ha, very funny,” she said. “Since you’re not looking for a girlfriend yourself, I’ve decided to do it for you.” She pointed to the coffee table. “Hand me that sheet of paper over there.”

      He felt the urge to tell her about Elena, but he didn’t want her thinking he was serious with anyone. “What’s your plan for me, Aunt Rosie?”

      “I heard about a dating service on the radio,” she replied. “It’s called the something connection. I can’t read the print too well, but the service chooses an ideal woman to match the man’s personality. I paid the fee and sent a personality profile on you.”

      “You’re joking,” he said.

      “You need to sign this form,” she said, handing it to him.

      Garrett reluctantly looked at the paper. “This is the second sheet to the agreement. Where’s the first page?”

      “It’s around here someplace,” she replied, sifting unsuccessfully through a stack of old newspapers on the floor. “I think page one gave the name of the dating service and a couple of rules I can’t remember.”

      The idea of being with a woman other than Elena was making him more nervous by the second. “Aunt Rosie, you’re wonderful for thinking about me, but—”

      She stuck a pen in his hand. “You need to date a woman who’s compatible with you,” she went on. “You made a big mistake with that con lady you married.”

      Her words stung because he knew she was right. “Okay, I admit, I should’ve listened to you about my ex-wife.” His aunt didn’t approve of her from day one. He couldn’t help thinking that she’d like Elena.

      “Sign this paper, Garrett,” his aunt pushed. “You might be matched with someone really nice.”

      He couldn’t envision meeting a woman more perfect than Elena. His impulse was to say no, but he stopped himself.

      “I need to read the rules first,” he said, knowing how persistent his aunt could be when she felt strongly about something. He’d do anything for her, and she knew it.

      He read that he’d only be obligated to go on three prearranged, already-paid-for dates, one every two weeks, beginning with the upcoming Saturday. He could feel his aunt looking over his shoulder, waiting for his signature on the form.

      “Okay, three dates, that’s it,” he said, forcing himself to sign.

      “Garrett, you need to promise me one thing,” Aunt Rosie began. “Never tell your date I talked you into joining the service. That’s no way to start a romance.”

      “I promise,” he told her, making a mental note to write a check to cover the cost of the service and deposit the money into his aunt’s bank account in the morning.

      When he returned to his apartment in Santa Monica, Garrett felt uneasy about the prearranged date for Saturday night. Before he met Elena, he would’ve thought of the dates as three fun evenings, and that was it. But now he had no desire to go out with anyone, except her.

      He shed his clothes and jumped into the shower, trying not to think about his powerful feelings for her. But when he flashed on holding her soft body in his arms at the office, he fantasized about what it would be like to hold her naked against him.

      He turned on the cold water full-force. Temporarily dating a woman chosen by a service was a lot safer than being tempted by his intense attraction to Elena Martin.

      As he felt the cold water on his face, he anxiously realized that Elena could make a man such as him momentarily forget his goal to become vice president and his vow to remain single.

      

      “Aunt Elena, you’ve got red polka dots on your skin!” Bennie said with wide eyes.

      “Polka dots?” she said as she nervously took out a black evening jacket from her bedroom closet for her first Marriage Connection date. She was so anxious that she’d probably smeared lipstick on her face.

      “They’re spreading all over!” he went on.

      She glanced in the bureau mirror and did a double take. “Oh, no!” she frantically said, seeing red spots on her neck and parts of her face. “Jan, come in here!”

      Her sister, who’d stopped by her apartment with the kids to give her moral support for her first date, ran into the bedroom with Tod at her side.

      Tod’s eyes almost popped out. “Aunt Elena, you’ve got the chicken pox!”

      Jan examined the blotches. “You’ve got nervous hives,” she said, laughing.

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