Page 85 of Pity Pact
“I want an undisclosed boon,” I tell him. “As in, I’ll make up my mind at a later date. What do you want if you win?”
He thinks for a minute before saying, “I don’t want to decide right now either.” I don’t know why, but that makes me nervous.
“Should we put a dollar amount cap on it?” I ask. “I have a roof to repair and can’t afford to break the bank on a bet.”
“Not so sure of yourself anymore, are you?”
“Oh, I’m sure,” I tell him. “Fine, the sky’s the limit.”Please, let me be on target tonight.
“I’ll take you off the hook,” he says. “The thing I’m thinking about won’t cost you a cent.”What in the world is he thinking about?
“Okay …”
“That isn’t to say you’ll necessarily like it ...”
“Would Cami like it?” I ask.
“Possibly,” he says. I’m not any clearer on what he’s talking about.
“It doesn’t matter,” I tell him. “Because I’m going to win.” Then I lead the way over to the dart board closest to the wall and proceed to play the worst game of my life.
When the score is tallied, Tim declares, “I think you might have overstated your abilities a little bit.”
I stamp my foot like I do when I’m frustrated. “I did not. I’m just distracted tonight.”
“Distracted by what?” He wants to know. “Your charming date?”
OMG, are we flirting?“I didn’t realize we were on a date,” I tell him. “I thought we were just friends.”
“Friends can date, can’t they?”
“I … um …”
He continues, “Isn’t that what we’re doing on the show? Dating people and trying to figure out if we have a future with them.”
“Yeah, but what about Cami and Fielden?” I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about Fielden. What I really want to know is, what about Cami?
“I imagine they’ll probably go on dates with other people too, don’t you think? I mean, that’s what the show’s all about.”
I suddenly feel woozy like I’m going to crumple to the ground. Tim notices because he reaches out and takes my arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. No. I’m confused,” I tell him. “Are you really suggesting we go on a date?”
“Why do you sound so surprised?”
“I don’t know, because I didn’t think you were looking, but then you met Cami and you got all serious. I’m not sure what’s going on with you.”
“Why don’t we go out on a real date and find out?” he asks.
“On the show or privately?”
“Let’s do it on the show,” he says. “That way, if things work, we’ll have the footage of our real first date to show our grandkids.”
I’m so confused right now I can barely think. Even though my gut says Tim is being sincere, the idea of dating him onMidwestern Matchmakerbothers me. I don’t want to be one of a bunch of women fighting for his attention on national television.That’s when it hits me. Does Tim really like me, or is he trying to choreograph more interest in himself so he can get even with Eva?
My head starts to spin like it does when I go on a Ferris wheel. Ha, get it?Ferriswheel? Tim Ferris?I finally tell him, “I’m okay with dating you on the show.”
On the surface, a future with Tim is everything I could ever want. But if I find out he’s using me, I’ll make a fool of him, the likes of which would make his ex-wife’s betrayal look like child’s play.