Page 74 of Matchmaking On The Menu

There’s a long pause.

“I’m what?”

“The mugger,” I repeat, like it’s already decided. “It makes the most sense. You know how it’s supposed to go, you can control how it plays out, and,” I shrug slightly, “we want this prank to go perfectly, right?”

He doesn’t answer straight away. Just looks at me, like he’s trying to figure out how he got assigned that role without noticing.

“I don’t know, Mary…”

I tilt my head slightly, pouting just a little. “You owe me.”

That gets his attention. His eyes narrow a little. “For what, exactly?”

I smile, just a little. “The freezer.”

He exhales, already half-laughing. “You’re still holding that against me?”

“I hid in there for twenty minutes, Luke.”

“You volunteered.”

“You told me it would be quick,” I point out. “And then your mom started talking about church bake sales and forgot you existed.”

He huffs out a laugh, dragging a hand over his face.

“I thought I was going to lose a toe,” I add, because it feels important to the argument. “It’s probably why I’m not bothered by the cold anymore.”

“That is not how that works.”

“It might be.”

“It’s not.”

I shrug. “Either way, I suffered.”

He shakes his head, but there’s a smile there now. He’s giving in. “That was years ago.”

“And yet,” I say lightly, “the debt remains.”

He stares at me, like he’s weighing it up. Then he sighs. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Mm,” I hum, like I’ve heard that before. “But you’re still going to do it.”

Another pause. Then, “Fine. I’ll do it.”

Relief flashes through me.

Step one, complete.

“Good,” I say, keeping my tone even. “Then we should probably figure out how you’re going to approach me without it looking staged.”

He eyes me, something thoughtful slipping back into his expression. “You’ve thought about this more than you’re letting on.”

My stomach dips slightly.

“I just don’t want it to be obvious,” I say, which is technically true.

He watches me for another second. Then nods. “You planned this whole thing.”