Sparks the Matchmaker - By Russell Elkins Page 0,1

Finally unnerved by her intense interest, he turned to look out the window.

She counteracted by quickly relocating to the sofa in front of the window. “I’m just trying to help, ya know; make your evening perfect. I think you should bring coats.”

“I think you should—” Ollie paused, carefully considering his words, and then decided to change the subject all together. “Who’s Anne back there talking to anyway? Is she gonna be long?”

“I dunno. She’s been on the phone for about an hour. Why? You in a hurry? Why are you really going up the canyon?”

She seemed to know a lot about his plans, but how could she? He had only lightly brushed on the conversation of marriage with Anne, never wanting to go too deeply into it, because he wanted his proposal to be a surprise. That, and their relationship had become a little too delicate for him to be able to bring it up, really. It was too risky. Surprising her near the mouth of the canyon was the best way to re-spark the excitement. He was sure of that.

“One of the girls next door just got engaged,” Anne’s nosy roommate said. “Her ring is amazing, and the way her fiancé proposed was so romantic. She’s so lucky.”

Yep. She knows. It didn’t really surprise him that she knew. After all, the girls shared everything. They borrowed each other’s clothes and split up the chores. They ate each other’s food and split up the gas bill. And since Anne was the only girl with a boyfriend, they all shared in the romance and split up the jealousy.

But it didn’t really matter if any of them knew. The ring he had picked out was perfect, and so was the location. Their day wouldn’t be overshadowed by anybody, not even the newly engaged girl next door in apartment eight.

“Hi,” Anne said. Her eyes, slightly red, were fixed on the floor as she emerged from the room down the hall.

“Everything okay? Who were you talking to?” Ollie asked.

“I’ll be fine,” Anne said as she stuck her arms into the sleeves of her jacket. “Let’s just go.”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“What?”

“Sandwiches?” He paused, hoping she would at least make eye contact with him. “You said you were going to bring some sandwiches. Did you forget?”

“I guess I forgot. I’m not hungry, though. Let’s just go.”

“You sure you’re all right?”

“I’ll be fine.”

He reached down to hold her hand like he’d always done, but she kept it buried in the pocket of her jacket. Oh well. Next time I hold that hand there will be a ring on it. He grinned at the thought, and then rehearsed his proposal again in his mind.

Once at the car, right as he was about to open the passenger side door for her, she wrapped her arms around him. The right side of her face buried into his chest as she held him. It wasn’t an embrace of affection, nor did it feel like any other embrace she had ever given him. He didn’t know what it meant. She pulled away slowly, not quite making eye contact. As he leaned in to kiss her she turned away, opened the car door for herself, and stepped in.

What was that about? Whatever it was, it was soon to be forgotten once they reached their destination. He was sure of it. He had been there numerous times in his mind throughout the day, but the seven miles to the canyon seemed so much farther once they were actually en route.

“Remember that night we met?” Ollie began filling the silence with reminiscence. “You were out on a date at the bowling alley with that guy, and my roommates and I were all there at the same time. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you, and that guy you were with, he started to notice.” He watched her out of the corner of his eye, waiting for a response.

Nothing.

“Then he wouldn’t let you even sit down without putting his arm around you, like he was staking his claim or something. Even when you went to the bathroom, he followed you and waited outside the door.”

“Mmm hmm.”

“I really put myself out on a limb that night, you know. It’s not usually like me to do something like that— slipping a girl my phone number while her date is taking his turn bowling. I probably wouldn’t have done it, but Richie noticed me staring at you, which I knew meant that it was either him or me.”

He waited