Love & Geckos (multiple-author collaboration)

Chapter 22: Zoe

"I'm exhausted!" Billie exclaimed as she flung herself on a stack of boxes containing the chairs and tables for the event. "Next time, we're definitely using a restaurant or bar because having to pack everything up is awful."

"Agreed." Zoe sat down on the box containing the now finally dismantled party tent. She very much hoped she would never see it again. "I think we did well, though. I'll do the final tally tonight when I'm home, but from a cursory glance, I think most, if not all, of our attendees had at least one match!"

"I'll consider that a success." Billie looked around the restaurants along the wall, a longing look on her face. "I'm starving, but they all look as if they're about to close."

"Let's finish up so we can go home and eat."

They'd packed up pretty much everything already, so should be done in just a few more minutes. At least they wouldn't have to carry it all out of the mall. MsCupid had hired a company to come down early the next morning to grab everything. Which was probably for the best, since Zoe doubted she and Billie could have fit everything in their cars. No, not doubted. She knew for a fact they could not.

Her stomach rumbled and as she packed away her decorations in a large, blue IKEA bag, she couldn't help but glance towards the restaurant Hunter owned. Little London—at least from the outside—did, unfortunately, look as if it was about to close. She'd never gone in, even if she'd heard good things, and right now she definitely wished she could have. Having been too nervous about running her first event, she'd forgotten to eat before coming to the mall earlier, and now she was paying for it by loud, embarrassing rumbles that probably even Billie could hear.

"There! I think that was the last of it." She smiled at her assistant, already dreaming of finding herself something to eat once she got home. Though a stale sandwich didn't seem all that appealing when the aroma of the freshly cooked food from the restaurants still lingered in the air.

Fingers crossed that her superiors would be happy with her performance tonight. It had been touch and go there for a while, what with being overrun by an assortment of animals out of nowhere. No one could accuse her of not being able to adapt. So at least there was that. Ability to be flexible when required—ticked!

The animals had all been safely returned to the pet shop after the speed dating event finished, though the shopkeeper didn't look particularly grateful. Whatever had happened, Zoe had seen a bunch of teenagers running around collecting more of the animals from around the mall. The shop itself had looked rather like a miniature hurricane had gathered and then dissipated before exiting to wreak havoc in the rest of the mall. A very small, targeted hurricane.

"Do you need a ride home?" she asked Billie as she picked up her handbag and red jacket.

"That'd be great. My car's in the shop and I hate taking the bus alone late at night."

"Sure. Just give me a minute. I promised to touch base with Hunter once we were done."

Billie grinned as she shrugged on a black leather jacket that was definitely not warm enough for February. "Touch base with Hunter, huh? Yeah, you do that."

Fighting the warmth heating her cheeks, Zoe muttered, "Nothing like that. He said that maybe we can use his restaurant for a speed dating event, so I'm just getting his details."

"Or he's just finding an excuse to give you his number." The silly grin simply wouldn't leave Billie's face.

"No. I really think he just wants to avoid us blocking him in with a pink tent again." Flashing her assistant a wry smile, she walked over to the restaurant and stepped inside. The delicious smells from outside hit her nostrils tenfold and her stomach growled awkwardly.