Miss Match (30 page)

"She's making a hard confession," Hannah says.

Ruby puts her hand on my forehead. "You don't have a fever."

"Sick at heart, not in body." Hannah shrugs.

"That sounds very soap-opera-ish," I say.

"What's wrong, Honey?" Ruby rubs my back.

I look at Hannah.

"She wants to get married," Hannah says.

Ruby blinks a few times. "Okay."

"No, it's not okay!" I shriek. "Dad would go berserk! He'd be suicidal! Dad would keel over if I left him!"

"Honey, I think you might be overreacting just a little hit." Ruby
keeps rubbing my back while I lean forward, putting my head in my
hands. "Who do you want to marry?"

"Tom Cruise," Hannah answers.

I can almost hear Ruby blinking. She and Ryan have a lot of the
same characteristics.

I can't help it. I smile.

"Well, that ... might not be what God wants for you," Ruby
says slowly.

I laugh. "Not Tom Cruise."

"Yes, she does," Hannah continues to lie. "She sat right there and
told me, `Hannah, I want to marry Tom Cruise."' She clutches her hands
at her chest and sighs breathily.

I raise my eyebrows to Ruby.

"So then I told her she was daydreaming and to get over it." Hannah
shrugs. "But you know Laurie. She never listens to me."

"Don't listen to her, Ruby. She's lying like a catfish."

Ruby's forehead wrinkles. "Like a what?"

"Never mind."

I can feel my old self reviving. Good old Hannah. I might have to
keep that girl around. She's good for me.

Hannah grins.

"So you're okay?" Ruby stills her hand on my back.

"I'll be okay."

She nods and stands, pulling off her coat. "I'm glad. I'll be in Studio
One, okay?"

Hannah salutes.

"You're a nutcase, you know?" I tell her as I finish the Milky Way.

"That's why you love me. Now get to work."

"Well, fine." I slink into the studio to clean up after Kristen and
Gordon and get it ready for the next client.

Lord, what is with this change? If this is Your purpose for me, could it at
least have been a subtle change instead of a sudden one?

I'm waving good-bye to my ten thirty when the phone rings. "Laurie,
phone!" Hannah yells even though I stand a foot in front of her.

"Thank you!" I scream back.

Brandon's office door bangs open. "Girls!" Slams closed again.

Hannah grins. "Check mark for Tuesday!"

I take the cordless phone. "Hello?"

"Hey."

Ryan.

I go into the studio, away from Hannah and her big ears. "Hi," I tell
him. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I heard you weren't doing too well though."

I frown. "From who?"

"Ruby."

Of course. "I forgot you have an inside connection."

"Something about you marrying Tom Cruise?"

I grin. "Aw, and I wanted to break it to you easy."

"Too late. I just called to say, you know, have a nice life and call
when you're in town and maybe we could stay friends."

I laugh. "Actually, I changed my mind. I don't want to marry Tom."

"Oh yeah?" he drawls. "Who do you want to marry?"

"Someone taller."

He pauses. "Yeah, I can see that. You wouldn't want him to have to
stand on a step every time he wanted to kiss you."

"Well, I guess that could make marital life interesting."

"What was really wrong?"

I sigh. "I think I'm growing up."

"Then you definitely want someone taller."

"I meant mentally."

"Don't tell me. Someone told you Santa Claus wasn't real, didn't
they? Oh, Honey, I was worried this day would come."

I sit on the couch, smiling. "He's not real?" I wail.

"Oh boy."

"Oh this is just great!" I wave my hand, even though he can't see me.
"One more illusion down the drain!"

Ryan redirects the conversation again. "How are you growing up?"

I purse my lips. "My dreams are changing."

"Dreams as in nightmares?"

"As in what I want to do with my life."

"Got it. So?"

I don't follow. "So?"

"What do you want to do?"

I lean back, picking at the stray threads on the couch. "Get married.
Be a mom."

"Really?" I can't decipher his voice.

"Yeah." I'm quiet.

"Laurie, what's wrong with that? I think it's great."

I frown. "You do?"

"Yes, absolutely. Did you not want to before?"

"No. I never wanted to get married. Until recently," I tack on.

"What happened recently?"

I wave my hand trying to find the words. "I don't know if I can
describe it."

"Laurie, that's not the answer."

"What?"

"Didn't you hear me fishing for a compliment there?"

"Now that you mention it, I think it had something to do with this
really nice construction worker who brings me coffee." I grin.

"Much better." He pauses. "This reminds me of something I read in
Proverbs the other day. Chapter 16, verse 9. `In his heart a man plans his
course, but the LORD determines his steps."'

I'm silent as I contemplate that. "So do you think this is my plan or
God's?" I ask finally.

"I guess time will tell, right? As long as you continue to walk with
Him, His plan will become yours."

"Poetic, Ryan." I smile.

"Thank you." I can hear the grin in his voice.

"Hey, want to go out with me tomorrow?" I ask.

"I don't know. Is a justice of the peace involved?"

I feel myself blush. "No, Ryan. To Vizzini's. Five o'clock?"

"Why do I get the feeling there is more involved here than just a
casual dinner?"

I shrug, picking at the couch again. "I don't know."

"Laurie." He draws my name out. I decide I hate it when people
do that.

"Fine. I set your sister up on a blind date." I flinch, waiting for his
reaction.

"My sister. Ruby? You got Ruby to go on a blind date?"

"Well, see-"

"Hey! What about Nick?"

"What about him?" I bite my lip.

"Laurie."

"I hate it when you say my name like that."

"What did you do to Nick?"

I'm as vague as I can be. "He ... might be ... on another blind
date."

Ryan sighs heavily into the phone. "Let me get this straight. You set
Nick up with someone and Ruby up with someone and, just a guess here,
they're both going to Vizzini's at five, right?"

"You're good." I'm very impressed.

"I've been around you too long." He sighs again. "I'm beginning to
understand your madness."

"Will you come? Please?"

"And watch my sister get tortured? Who'd you set her up with
anyway?"

"Stephen Weatherby. And don't worry, she'll be more repulsed than
tortured."

"Stephen. The guitar guy? Why would she be repulsed? He's fairly
nice looking, isn't he?"

"Oh. He's very nice looking," I say. "That's a perk to make Nick jealous. Stephen's in on the Nick and Ruby thing. He's going to make the
date a miniature Pit of Despair."

He stops for a moment. "What's your middle name?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Okay, that's a weird middle name, Lauren I'm Sorry Holbrook.
Fitting, however, considering the circumstances."

I roll my eyes. "Ha ha. It's Emma."

"Lauren Emma Holbrook?"

"It was my mom's name."

"Oh." He is quiet for one minute before yelling, "Lauren Emma
Holbrook!"

I jump. "What?"

"That's for the blind dates. And sure, I'll go to dinner with you."

"Thanks." I smile. "You called me Honey."

"What are you talking about now?"

"When you were babbling on about Santa Claus. You called
me Honey."

I can hear his smile. "Good-bye, Laurie."

"Bye, Ryan." I hang up and rake a hand through my hair.

Is it possible that ... ?

I stand and walk into the lobby.

Hannah sits pristinely at her desk, hands clasped in her lap, smiling
at me. I close my eyes.

"How much did you hear?" I demand.

"What are you talking about?" She is serene.

"Hannah."

She shrugs. "Just your side of the conversation."

"You know, Brandon thinks I corrupted you, but you're worse
than I am."

"I resent that. You would have picked up the extension and listened
in. I merely listened at the door."

"Eavesdropping either way, Hannah."

She waves her hand. "Semantics. Hey, here's your paycheck."

I take it grudgingly. "You're trying to soothe me over with money."

"Yep. Is it working?"

I open the envelope and look at the amount. "I guess so."

"Good." She clicks something on her computer. "Hey, in like an hour or so do you want to go to the bank and then grab something
for lunch?"

"Where?"

"I was thinking Merson's."

"Did you have to ask?" I hand my paycheck back to her and she sets
it on my backpack.

A young couple holding the hands of two ironed and starched little
kids comes through the door, the bell chiming.

"Hi," the man says. "I'm Travis Easling. My wife, Tracy, and our
kids, Trevor and Trina."

And our dog's name is Triscuit and our cat is Trixie.

I smile at the thought. "I'm Laurie. We'll be in Studio Three."

"Two, actually," Hannah calls from behind me. "Newton's got dibs
on Three."

"I'm Laurie." I grin. "We'll be in Studio Two."

Travis Easling laughs. Tracy Easling smiles in June Cleaver fashion.
Trevor and Trina giggle.

The family marches into the studio and stands in a line before me
like I'm a drill sergeant.

I fight the urge to put my hands on my hips. "Right. So. You want a
bunch of family prints, right?"

"And a couple with just the kids," Tracy says.

Trevor groans. "I hate smiling."

I bend down in front of him. "You know what makes smiling easier?"
I ask him. He shakes his head. "Putting Vaseline on your teeth."

Trevor blinks. "What are you talking about? I love smiling. Smiling
is my favorite thing to do."

"Good boy." I slap his shoulder. "Let's start with the family poses."

I take great pleasure turning off my alarm clock tonight. Tomorrow is
Wednesday and I have the day off.

I flip my Bible open on my lap, rubbing a hand through my
extremely curly hair. It must be humid tonight. Where had I left off in
Philippians 4?

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace
of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus."

Anything would probably include marriage. I half-smile at the
Book.

Thanks, Lord.

I wake slowly Wednesday morning, lie in bed for about half an hour, and
then start getting a caffeine headache. Dad isn't anywhere to be found
when I get downstairs, but there's a note taped to the coffeepot:

Laurie girl, the store called and our bedding sets are in. Will be
back from picking them up about 10:20. Love, Dad.

Bedding sets.