The Dating Itinerary Read online

  “At least you have a few more weeks to play the field before then. Maybe you can even take a date with you next time.”

  Penny smiled. “No boys allowed.” Or at least she thought. There weren’t really any hard and fast rules in that area where her sisters were concerned, but they were all single, and no one had ever brought a date to girls’ bowling night. But having a man by her side would be nice…and it would make her feel better about the cover that was dangling like a carrot before her.

  “What will you wear for your date with…Roger, was it?”

  Penny shrugged and looked down at her business casual attire. “This? We’re meeting right after work, so I won’t really have time to go all out.”

  “At least put on some lip gloss.” Josie looked at Penny over the tip of her nose.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Heard any more on Geo?”

  Penny’s heart pounded as anger rose in her veins. “No, and I’d better not. It’s bad enough he stole our idea and popped up in the speed dating session, but then I had to share time with him on TV.”

  “And you likely will again this week.”

  Penny hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Right.” She spoke through her teeth.

  “He really gets under your skin, doesn’t he?”

  “I know I shouldn’t let him, but we don’t have the best history.”

  “I remember when he got the position over you. I’ve never been so furious with our editor. At least she’s gone now.”

  “And so is Geo. We should be able to put all of that behind us, but since he keeps popping up around this feature…”

  “It’s harder to keep those emotions in the past,” Josie completed.

  “Exactly.”

  Josie looked at her watch and stood from her leaning-against-the-doorway position. “I won’t keep you. I know you have a date and all.” She winked at Penny and left the office.

  Penny rifled through a few emails and tended to some magazine business matters. Just because she was on the dating itinerary for the next couple of months didn’t mean she stopped working on other stories. They always needed human interest stories to fill their pages. St. Louis Happenings dealt with the news in the city, but they went more in depth and provided stories of interest that had heart, like a local version of People magazine. One of her favorites surrounded a story about a puppy in the local shelter whom one of the volunteers taught to do tricks. The puppy turned into a talented dog and was adopted by a traveling road show that featured animals of all different kinds. She was researching a few ideas for the upcoming issues and working her sources for new information. The magazine world didn’t come to a halt just because she was going to have to date more, and she didn’t want to miss a beat once she was able to spend more time on stories that mattered even more to the community. With any luck, her assignment desk would be filled to the brim after she got the cover.

  By the time five hit, Penny’s eyes were tired, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to last through her drink date to get dinner. She was starved. But the magazine came first, and that meant meeting up with Roger.

  As Penny hit the sidewalk outside the magazine’s building to walk to the small restaurant a few blocks over where the pair had agreed to meet, the fresh air enlivened her. She thought back to all of the swiping she’d been doing over the past few days. Even Dime had gotten into it and swiped a few for her over their lunch break. While she couldn’t say that she remembered all the men she’d given the green light to, she did remember Roger.

  He had an intelligent look about him with dark hair, wire-rimmed glasses, and a thin but healthy frame. She’d liked his smile and felt like they would be good friends just from his appearance. She’d have to meet him in person to know if there would be sparks between them. He’d messaged her the day after she’d swiped right. They were a match! It wasn’t her first message, but since he asked her to meet right away, she paid close attention to it.

  “Tinder is great and all,” he’d said, “but there’s nothing like meeting with people face to face.”

  Penny couldn’t have agreed more, so when he asked her out for drinks the following night after work, she’d jumped at the chance. It might normally make her seem desperate that she agreed to meet so quickly, but she only had a limited amount of time to get her story together for this week’s feature in the magazine. She had messages from other men, but she wanted to give Roger a chance first. If things went awry, she could go back to square one and try to set something else up with another match.

  “Do you have someone joining you?” the hostess asked when Penny approached the stand in the restaurant alone.

  “Yes, I’d like a table near the front, if possible, so I can see my date when he arrives.”

  “Sure thing.” The hostess grabbed two menus and showed Penny to a small booth close to her stand. “Here you go. Your waiter will be right with you.”

  “Thanks.” Penny sat and folded her hands in her lap. She watched the hostess seat another couple and then decided to look over the drink menu. They had a fully stocked bar, but she didn’t get into alcohol, so when her waiter came by, she’d just order some tea.

  When he appeared at the table, Penny was taken aback. “Pete?” she said with surprise in her voice.

  “Penny! What a coincidence! I was just thinking about you and looking forward to our meeting tomorrow. Who knew we would meet again before then?”

  “You work here?” Penny asked. They hadn’t gotten to know one another well enough to exchange more than pleasantries, though she remembered him mentioning he was a restaurant manager.

  “I manage the place,” Pete filled her in. “We’re short staffed tonight, so I’m doing a little waiter work to get through the rush. Are you waiting for someone?”

  Penny flushed. She’d invited Nickel to join her and bring the man she had been seeing lately. She didn’t want to go on a blind date alone. It just wasn’t safe. But the fact was, she was also waiting on a date. In front of someone she was about to go on a date with. This was awkward. She nodded, hoping Pete wouldn’t notice her embarrassment.

  “Well, can I get you a drink while you wait? We’ll have our time together tomorrow, but for now, I better get back to it.”

  “Of course, just an iced tea, please.”

  “You got it.” Pete laid his hand on top of Penny’s on the table and squeezed her fingers. “Good to see you sooner than I thought.”

  Penny watched him walk away. He seemed like such a nice guy. She looked forward to their date tomorrow. But first, she had to get through her meeting with Roger. And she had to do it in front of Pete. Would she ever catch a break? The speed dating was finally panning out—better than it had with Geo—and now she was stuck in a Tinder fiasco.

  She exchanged a few more smiles and pleasant lines with Pete when he returned with her drink and then rushed off to another table. Nickel stepped into the restaurant a few moments later, looking gorgeous, as always.

  “Sorry I’m a bit late,” she said as she sat across from her sister. “Michael’s on his way.”

  “You’re never going to believe this.” Penny leaned toward her sister with a loud whisper.

  “What?” Nic leaned forward and matched Penny’s tone.

  “Pete’s here.”

  “I thought you said the guy’s name was…Roger?”

  “Exactly. I’m meeting Roger tonight, but Pete’s here! From Speed Dating!”

  “Where?” Nic’s gaze searched the room.

  “Apparently, he manages the place, but he’s helping wait tables at the moment as well.”

  Pete appeared by Penny’s side. “Ah, your friend arrived.” He smiled at Nickel. “What can I get you to drink?”

  Nickel asked for a water with lemon and leaned back over the table the instant Pete left. “I see the problem. But I like his hair.”
r />   Penny smiled nervously. “Me, too. What do I do?”

  Nickel shrugged. “We’ll just try to play it off like a group of friends meeting for a meal. Maybe you’ll like Roger and it won’t matter.”

  Penny nodded. Her heart was beating out of her chest. There wasn’t much she could do but move forward with the situation and hope for the best.

  “Hey there, pretty ladies. What did I do to deserve this?”

  Penny glanced up from the table and took in the man with the smarmy voice.

  “Michael Smathers.” He held his hand out for Penny to shake. His grip was firm, and she felt like shaking her fingers once he released her to make sure nothing was broken.

  Michael sat beside Nickel on the other side of the table and kissed her cheek. “Sorry to keep you waiting. My flight got delayed.”

  Penny narrowed her eyes at his greased-back hair. He was too slick—in a variety of ways. What did Nic see in him? She could do so much better. With her long legs and golden hair, she could have any man in most rooms.

  “Michael lives in New York, but he has clients in town, so he’s in and out quite a bit,” Nic told Penny as Michael opened the menu and started to look over the options.

  “What’s good here?” he asked.

  Penny caught Nic’s eye. Really? she mouthed. Nic shrugged and studied her own menu. The man by her sister’s side was smarmy, at best. If she’d seen him on the street, she never would have guessed he’d be her sister’s type.

  Penny watched the front door swing open, hoping to see Roger walk through, but instead, a flaxen blonde appeared in the doorway, turned, and offered the person behind her a loud laugh. Penny’s jaw opened a bit as she saw the man who was now standing directly behind the buxom woman.

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” she whispered.

  Geo Monais caught her eye as she stared at him from her little table, just a bit behind the hostess station. He raised his eyebrows in her direction as he pointedly put his arm around the blonde.

  “Right this way.” The hostess led the pair around her station and past Penny’s table. Geo stepped back and followed his date, letting her get a few steps ahead of him.

  “Playing the third wheel?” he asked on his way by Penny’s table.

  Penny scowled and watched him pass, the blonde’s hips shaking in an exaggerated manner.

  “Hey, Geo, man, wait up!”

  Nic startled as her date stood and rushed toward the couple that just passed the table. Penny exchanged a look with her sister as the pair watched Michael slap Geo on the back and crush his hand into a tight shake.

  “This is my main man, Geo Monais,” Michael said as he turned to the women seated at the table next to them. “I represent Geo for his writing interests. This guy is good, let me tell you.”

  “So you’re…” Nickel began.

  “Geo’s agent, yes.” Michael slung an arm around Geo’s broad shoulders. Penny wondered if any of his hair grease would wipe off onto Geo’s jacket.

  “And Geo, this is the little bird I was telling you about.” Michael winked at Geo as Penny narrowed her eyes.

  “Nice to see you, ladies. I’d better get to my date.” Geo swung out of the other man’s embrace and reserved one last cocky grin for Penny before sidling away from the table.

  Michael sat back down and shook his head. “That’s Geo. Man, that guy is gold. Pure gold.”

  “And stop me if I’m wrong here, my sister, the little bird, is the key to your kingdom?” Penny asked, her voice rising.

  “Pen, what are you talking about?” Nic nudged her leg against Penny’s under the table.

  “This, Michael? Is it? He’s the reason Geo is on the same dating track I am.”

  Nic turned to Michael. “Is that true? Did you take the idea I told you about and pass it to Geo?”

  “What exactly did you tell him?” Penny asked her sister.

  “Oh, I don’t know, I was so excited after we went bowling, and Michael and I were texting about his next visit. I may have sent him a screenshot of the list you showed us.”

  “The dating itinerary? The list of dating avenues I have to go on?”

  Nic squeezed her eyes shut and scrunched her features together. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea who he was or who he worked for.”

  Penny shook her head and placed a hand on her sister’s arm. “It’s not you I’m upset with. It’s him. He used you.” She turned to Michael. “My sister deserves more than that.”

  “Yeah, whatever.” Michael put his menu down. “What do you say we all share an appetizer?”

  Penny gave Pete a tight smile as he delivered Nic’s water and asked Michael what he wanted.

  “You’re nothing but a thief,” Penny stated as she stared at Michael. Anger coursed through her body, and she could feel her blood pressure rising by the minute. “And, worse, you put my sister in the middle of all this.”

  “I’m not sure I understand…” His statement was abruptly stopped as she poured water into his lap. “What the—”

  “No one messes with my sister. Come on, Nickel.” Penny rose, grabbed Nickel’s hand, and dragged her from the restaurant.

  Penny was breathing hard by the time they got outside. It was obvious Roger was a no-show, and she had a more pressing matter on her hands now, anyway.

  “What a creep.” Nic was seething. “I can’t believe I did this. You have to forgive me.”

  “Please, Nic, it’s not your fault. He didn’t have to take that list and run with it. And if he was the guy for you, he definitely wouldn’t have.”

  Penny embraced her sister, whose face had paled considerably. “It’s okay, Nic. Don’t worry about it. Please. You didn’t know. Plus, it doesn’t matter who else knows about it. I’m still getting the cover in the magazine, you’ll see. I’ve taken Geo Monais on before. I can do it again. And this time, I’ll win.”

  “You’re too good to me.” Nic leaned into her sister’s embrace. “I’ll call Michael later and give him a piece of my mind.”

  “I don’t think that’s necessary. He already has all of my drink.” Penny giggled as she remembered the look on his smarmy face as the cold water hit his lap.

  “He does, doesn’t he?” Nickel linked arms with her sister as they started down the sidewalk, away from the restaurant.

  As much as Penny wanted to think about Michael and what a jerk he was, her mind was drawn to Geo and the pretty lady he had at his side. He had to know what his agent had done, right?

  …

  After an hour of commiserating with her sister about miserable men, Penny was finally home alone. This Tinder thing was going nowhere fast, and she wondered what happened at the restaurant after she and Nic stormed out. Did Geo come back to the table to see what happened with Michael?

  She made a cup of soup and sat on the couch, her phone in hand to start the Tinder scroll once again.

  She read through the handful of messages she’d received from men who’d matched with her, Roger among them. She had the time and place right. He had definitely been a no show. She wanted to send him an irate message, but he wasn’t worth her effort.

  As she read through the notices, she saw a new icon on the top right corner of her screen. When she clicked on it, pictures appeared of men that had swiped right on her, but she had yet to see. She glanced through the photos, answering them with her own swipes. Then she was met with a list of men who were a match based on swipes she’d made.

  She scrolled through the candidates, the frown on her face growing as she rushed past Roger’s picture and on to others. Her finger slowed when Geo’s smiling face lit up her screen. “What the—”

  The little heart in the corner told her all she needed to know. Geo had swiped right on her and she’d swiped right on him, only she’d never seen his picture on Tinder before. Penny sighed as she remembered the lunc
h date with Di. She’d left her sister alone with her phone and she’d had a guilty look on her face. As she put two and two together, she realized that Di probably swiped Geo first before he had the opportunity to respond to Penny. So he thought she was interested in him. Again. Even after everything she’d said the other day after the TV appearance?

  This was going to end right now. Penny sent a brief message to Geo. I didn’t swipe right on you. It was a mistake. She sent the message and blew on a spoonful of soup, tossing her phone onto the couch. She was going to have to figure out a way to deal with the Tinder article without having had a date to fall back on.

  As she slurped up a second bite of soup, her phone buzzed beside her. She checked the screen, expecting to see something from Nic, perhaps another apology. Instead, it was a message via Tinder. I don’t believe in mistakes, George had written.

  Penny’s eyebrows rose in confusion. What was that supposed to mean? As much as she wanted to ignore him, she couldn’t help herself. He was baiting her, and she knew it, but she needed to put him in his place.

  No, really, she typed back. My sister did it.

  Ah, his reply came quickly. Mind giving me her number so I don’t have to use yours anymore?

  Penny shook her head. In your dreams, buddy.

  Then I best go to sleep.

  The world would be a better place if you did.

  Ouch, that one hurt.

  Penny smiled. She liked the idea that she got a zinger in on him and he’d noticed. Then she remembered the dinner with Michael and how Geo sat just down the aisle from them.

  How much did you know about what your agent was up to? she typed and quickly hit send before she changed her mind.

  There was a long pause before an answer came. I guessed that the idea wasn’t his originally, but I didn’t know where he’d gotten it until tonight.

  Penny wanted to believe him, but he wasn’t apologizing or anything. Even if he hadn’t known, he could at least tell her he was sorry for stealing the feature idea, and he didn’t.

  Well, you know now.

  That I do, he replied.