Page 77 of Always Almost You

“I’m prepared to acknowledge they were right all along.”

He reached for her hand. “Let’s give them the good news.”

Lauren and Mike stood in front of the door. He pressed the bell. Melodic chimes sounded inside. He leaned toward her.

“You’ll mess up my lipstick,” she murmured as she tilted her face to his.

He pulled Lauren into his arms, their lips meeting. Heels clicked on the wooden floor in the entryway. Lost in their kiss, neither of them heard a sound.

“Mandy,” Kathy called as she moved toward the door, “one of them is here.”

Mandy appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a tea towel. “Good,” she muttered. “I’ve been worried all day that one of them would cancel and ruin everything.” She joined Kathy and pulled the heavy door open. Both women stopped short, standing frozen for a stunned beat.

“What is happening?” Kathy squealed.

Mike and Lauren slowly pulled apart, exchanging a conspiratorial smile before turning to their hosts.

“It turns out,” Mike said calmly, “we’ve met.”

“No … how …?” Mandy stammered.

Eric and Jake stepped into the entryway and lined up behind their wives, drawn by the commotion.

“Since when?” Kathy asked, recovering. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“In Raleigh. Over Christmas,” Lauren said.

Mike nodded.

Kathy’s eyes widened. “So, this is the guy? The one from your chance encounter? The one you couldn’t stop thinking about?”

“I’m afraid so,” Lauren said.

Kathy pressed her hand to her forehead. “I have been trying to set the two of you up for weeks.”

“I don’t understand what’s going on,” Mandy said, throwing up her hands. Then she stepped aside. “You’d better come in. I need all the details, and I need them right now.”

“We’ll be happy to fill you in,” Mike said. “It’s hard for us to believe, too.”

“We’ve got appetizers and drinks on the deck by the fire pit,” Mandy said. “I’m not serving dinner until we know everything.”

The three couples moved through the house and out onto the deck. Eric handed out drinks. “I wish we still had champagne from New Year’s Eve,” he said, “but I want to make a toast, anyway.” He raised his glass. “To completely unnecessary matchmaking.”

“Hear, hear,” Jake said.

Mike and Lauren smiled at each other as everyone took a sip.

“Okay,” Mandy said, motioning toward the chairs and sofa surrounding the fire pit. “Everyone sit. This story sounds like it’s going to take a while.” She passed around appetizer plates and napkins, followed by a wooden charcuterie tray of cured meats, cheeses, grapes, and crackers.

As everyone settled in, Lauren and Mike told the tale of delays, detours, missed connections, and the night that finally brought them back together. They interrupted each other with small details, filling in gaps and laughing at the near misses that had kept them apart.

“Awwwww …” Mandy drew out the word when they were done. “I knew it. I was sure you two would hit it off.”

“And to think you almost connected all those times,” Eric added.

Mike stood and raised his glass again.

“I’d like to propose another toast. Here’s to no more ‘almosts,’” he said. His gaze locked on Lauren. “It was always you.”

THE END