Can't Hurry Love
Chapter 6

So now you need a date?" "Yes."

"For this Saturday?"

"Yes."

"With an absolute stranger?" "Yes."

"And you've tried online?"

Beth sighed in frustration. "Yes!" she practically shouted. In the absence of Zoe, Beth was confiding in Jenna, Brooke, who'd called in for coffee, and Paige Sallins, who worked in the library and ran adult learning instruction and children's story time, art classes, and about fifty other community projects out of it and had been roped into the crisis talks after she'd come to collect her order of cookies for the seniors' chess club. "But why did you say it?"

Paige was gorgeous inside and out. She had one of the kindest, purest souls of anyone Beth had ever known. Beth could well imagine that this level of dishonesty would baffle her. If ever a real-life human could be a Disney princess, it was Paige. The big, soft green eyes and deep golden hair only added to the effect.

"Because because"

"Because she wanted to make Josh Larson jealous," Brooke answered in that no-nonsense fashion of hers.

"No, I didn't," Beth denied. Then, under Brooke's skeptical glare, she sighed and admitted defeat. "Ok, maybe I did. But it's pointless. I know that. I just-I don't want him thinking I'm completely undatable."

"Nobody could ever think that of you, Beth." Jenna laughed. "In high school you were royalty! Everyone wanted you or wanted to be you. We all looked up to you."

Beth smiled at the younger woman. Jenna had been a couple of years below her at Rocky Valley High.

"That's really nice of you, Jenna, but high school was a long time ago. I don't think my pom-poms are gonna cut it this time."

"That depends on which pom-poms you're referring to," Brooke said dryly, earning herself a reluctant laugh from Beth and a more enthusiastic one from Jenna and Paige.

"I'll use anything in my arsenal," Beth conceded. "I just need to find a man to use them on."

"What happened between you and the good doctor, anyway?" Brooke asked now. "I knew there was something going on at that wedding. The sparks flying could have set the room on fire."

Beth felt her cheeks flame. She felt embarrassed that Josh Larson had such a profound effect on her. And it wasn't something she particularly wanted to gab about.

"Oh, nothing much." She feigned nonchalance, but she wasn't sure the girls believed her. Brooke definitely wouldn't. "You know me always the hopeless romantic."

"Mm-hm." Brooke nodded, her shiny, chestnut bob swinging with the action before landing perfectly with not a hair out of place. Beth could well imagine that a hair wouldn't dare to be out of place on Brooke's head. "You're too into that fairy-tale crap for your own good," Brooke continued. "But the Josh-thing-"

Beth couldn't let the speculation continue. It was too painful.

"Even if there was a Josh-thing, which there isn't, it wouldn't be long-term. And I want long-term. I want forever."

They looked at her with varying degrees of sympathy, and Beth hated that she was the source of pity.

"Well, let's not worry about getting you forever just yet. Let's worry about getting you a Saturday night!" Jenna said. "I wish I could help." Beth knew that Paige sincerely meant it. "I'm great at throwing events, but finding men? Not so much."

Beth had been leaning on the counter with her chin in her hand, but as Paige's words penetrated the fog of self-pity she straightened up.

"Wait. What did you say?" Paige blinked at her.

"Me? Um... just that I wish I could help."

"No, no. About an event."

Paige and Jenna shared a look of confusion, but Brooke suddenly grinned widely, slapping the countertop.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "It's perfect." "What is?" Paige asked.

"We're going to do exactly what you said. Have a dating event. Speed dating! It's all the rage, isn't it?" Beth said excitedly. Already she was running through plans in her head.

How many books and movies had she read and seen where characters fell in love at dating events. Loads. That was how many. And especially if she was planning one! She could see the whole thing play out right now... Some gorgeous millionaire businessman would breeze into town all moody and cynical about love.

And Beth would hate that he was so moody and cynical but secretly fall in love with him.

And then, when she'd given up, he'd arrive at the high school gym-maybe, she hadn't worked out the details yet-and declare his love.

And somehow, magically, she would have forgotten all about Josh Larson in the meantime, so she'd be free to love him back and have her happy ending. "Er-no. Not really."

Her runaway thoughts came to a crashing halt as Jenna brought her back to earth with a bang.

"Nobody does speed dating anymore, Beth. Everyone is online."

She was right, Beth knew.

But the idea had taken root, and she couldn't shake it.

The truth was that Josh Larson had been the only man she'd been interested in really, truly, happily-ever-after interested in in years. Maybe ever, truth be told.

And if a dating event helped her forget him, then why not do it?

"Well, then, maybe it's time for it to make a comeback," she said confidently. "Come on, girls. Every one of us is single. Every one of us knows every single man in this town. Don't you think we should get some fresh blood in?"

"And if people don't come?"

Beth thought about her fantasy of a tall, dark, successful man sweeping her off her feet and making her forget all about Josh Larson and his enigmatic silences and heart-stopping kisses.

"They will. They have to!"

"So, you want me to organize a speed dating event?" Paige sounded dubious. "By Saturday? That's not enough time, Beth."

Beth sighed in defeat.

No, it wasn't enough time. Of course it wasn't! It was still a good idea though.

It didn't solve Saturday's problem, but it could potentially solve the problem of having a distinct lack of romance in her life in general.

"I know it's not."

"Why can't you just keep going with online dating?" Jenna asked.

Beth sighed, her frustration giving a bite to her tone. "Because it's useless," she whined. She hadn't meant to whine but whine she did. "My phone practically has track marks from all the swiping. Nothing sticks. Nobody is worth it. I don't think it works. Not for me, anyway. I need to meet someone the old-fashioned way."

"And speed dating is old-fashioned?" Paige asked skeptically.

"Well, old-fashioned, but quick," Beth clarified.

"I don't get it. What's the rush? I mean, how likely are you to find your soulmate during one speed-dating session? It doesn't seem likely."

What was the rush? Beth didn't even know. Maybe it was because she'd been single practically since college. Maybe it was having watched her best friend get married and knowing how far from it she was. She knew that she was supposed to find happiness herself and not look for it in someone else. Every single self-help book she'd read had told her that.

That to find love outside of herself, she must first learn to love herself.

Or something like that.

But she couldn't help how she felt.

Mostly, she had an awful suspicion that it was the arrival of Josh Larson that had kicked her search into overdrive. He was the first man she'd ever felt honest-to-goodness butterflies with.

And now that she knew they existed-and that he wasn't a willing supplier of them-she desperately wanted to get them elsewhere.

"I don't know," she mumbled dejectedly. "It would just be nice to have someone, you know? Sooner rather than later."

"So you can forget Josh?" Brooke asked gently.

Beth couldn't bring herself to answer.

Brooke's words had ceased all chatter as the four women stood and sat in contemplative silence.

"My cousin is just back from a trip to Ireland," Jenna suddenly spoke up, her grey eyes lighting. "She said while she was there, they had a matchmaking festival."

"A what?" Beth asked.

"A matchmaking festival! She said it was awesome. A whole month of events-parties and meet-ups. They even had a resident matchmaker. I mean, she didn't find her soulmate or anything, but she did get a lot of dates with strapping Irishmen! It's a pity we don't have something like that."

"Hang on. An actual matchmaker? In the twenty-first century? You're kidding," Brooke was laughing, and Paige was smiling a little wistfully, but Beth was enthralled.

That could work. Seriously work.

Organizing it would keep her too busy to worry about Josh and his gorgeousness and unavailability. And with a whole month of events, even she was bound to find someone. "I'm not! Look." Jenna whipped her phone out and opened Instagram.

Within seconds, they were all pouring over her cousin's photos. Sure enough, there it was. The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival.

It looked like a blast! And judging from the number of selfies with different guys, it looked like it had been a success too!

"Ok. This! This is what we should do," Beth said excitedly. "Obviously, not by Saturday," she hurried on when Paige opened her mouth to speak. "But we should, right? Paige..." She turned to fully face the other blonde. "...you're forever fundraising for the library. It's always on the brink of running out of money, right?"

It was true. When Paige wasn't working as an online teacher or in the library, she was desperately raising funds to keep all of her courses and classes going.

"Wouldn't this be a fantastic way to fundraise? It wouldn't even have to be for a full month. We could do it for a week or two."

"I don't know"

"It's not a bad idea," Brooke piped up. "I can help to organize it. And it would be good for the local businesses. Especially if we do it right before the tourist season kicks in." "And we'll help in any way we can. Right, Jenna?"

Jenna grinned widely. "I'm in," she said. "It sounds like a blast."

"Fine, let me look into it," Paige said, earning herself a squeal and an extra cookie. "Now, what do we do about Saturday?"

Before anyone could come up with an answer, the bell on the door rang out, signaling a customer.

Judging from the sharp intakes of breath around her, Jenna, Paige, and Brooke had all noticed the same thing she had.

Tall, dark, gorgeous, and in what looked like a very expensive suit-it looked like the solution to Saturday might have just walked through the door.