The Matchmaker

Chapter 40

Shuffling papers on a desk assigned to me at the counsellor's office, my eyes scan the foyer alert and ready to speak into a small microphone attached to my blouse with the ear piece securely concealed by my hair.

I was fortunate enough to have won our game of rock-paper-scissors, winning the 'office worker' disguise.

Unfortunately for Zander, that meant a bald cap.

He was now Earl, the suave tech man with a finely groomed beard but unlike Celia's flirtatious Earl, this one was well...self-decimating.

"I look stupid," Zander hissed, smiling at a passerby while pretending that the buttons randomly being pressed on the copier machine was solving and not creating more mayhem.

"Own it! You're handsome. You'll always be a looker in my books, with or without the bald cap." It doesn't even faze me at this point that my boyfriend's best friend was the crutch that Zander's ego leaned on.

Rolling my eyes, I grab at a few paper clips and start attaching them to various stacks but the snort that echoes in my ear makes me smile involuntarily.

"Patrick. I don't think you should be saying that in the presence of your wife! If anyone asks, we're here because you cheated on me."

"Oh, c'mon babe. You and I both know we're here because you're a control freak," he remarked frostily.

"And you're psycho."

"And you're-"

"Yeah, they definitely need professional help," Zander added, winking at me from across the room.

Sighing, my eyes stray back to the foyer. Randy and his wife were expected any minute now, agreeing to come at an odd time during the day. Somehow, the proposed time given to them for the evening never bothered the couple.

We were allowed to work with the counsellor who was a close friend of Ms. Musa and was paid well for her services but the deal on her end was that we'd do this when there were less employees in, and at a time when she technically didn't officially operate - the less people that knew, the better.

Randy and Dana were given a time that 'fit their schedules' but that really wasn't the case. So long as they didn't pick up on it, then we'd be fine.

"Are they here yet?" Celia asked.

Lowering my head, I nibble on my bottom lip while giving her an affirmative, "no."

"Can they hurry it up then! My head feels itchy from this wig! And I look even worse with the fake tan!" She added irritably.

"Oh my bronzed beauty with a wig and hair extensions, be patient."

"Patrick, I will seriously-"

"Ssshhhh! They're here! Everyone get ready!" I whispered, ducking my head to glance at a blank sheet of printing paper that apparently held all the answers to the universe.

One of the employees in the cubicle across was eyeing me through the corner of his eye but I paid it no mind, solely focused on the task at hand.

The couple were ushered to the waiting room where Celia and Patrick sat ready while they hardly bat an eye as they walked past Zander.

"Okay, Celia and Patrick. It's all you two from here on out. Zander and I are here to assist you if anything goes wrong."

Chiming a "hmm kay," the two of them clear their throats and I start stapling the already paper-clipped blank sheets of paper.

My nonsensical actions drew the attention of the woman next to me but I gave her a pointed look back and raised a brow directly at her screen - if she was going to judge me, then I'd call her out on her online shopping session.