It was supposed to be the perfect Christmas.
Maisey was crazy in love with what she thought was the perfect man. She owned a home of her own, and had a job she loved. She even dared to dream that marriage and a family might not be so far behind. Maybe she should just forget the whole Love List thing, and for once in her life, be happy. Still, she knew it would weigh upon her if she didn’t at least confront Sean with the truth—and that came at a huge risk. How was he going to feel knowing he was part of what essentially was a joke? An idea that a group of woman came up with as a little amusement?
If the shoe were on the other foot, she certainly wouldn’t be a happy girl. That was precisely why she didn’t want to get involved with The Love List. There was too much of a chance someone would come out hurt or angry—or both.
But as soon as Sean came through her door and swept her up into his strong arms and kissed her passionately beneath the mistletoe sprig near their perfectly decorated Christmas tree, her resolve floundered. She knew that putting off the inevitable would only make things harder on them both.
“Sean, what do you know about something called The Love List?” She asked him a few hours later when she found courage as they prepared to watch a movie and order in pizza.
“The Love List? Never heard of it. What is that, a movie?”
Maisey let out a nervous chuckle. “No, it’s not a movie.” She sat beside him on the couch. “You know the book group I go to at the Que Syrah Syrah Wine Shop?”
“You mean the place you go to gossip and never talk about books?”
“Yeah, that’s it. Well, it seems some time ago that the girls put together this thing called The Love List. Basically it’s where each girl puts into a basket the name of a single, supposedly genuinely nice man. Each single girl picks a name, and is tasked with setting up a date. It’s actually led to a few marriages in the group.”
“Kind of sounds deceitful,” he said sipping the hot cocoa she had waiting for him. Then all of a sudden, his face took on a whole new look, one of wide-eyed horror. “Maisey, don’t tell me…”
“I didn’t want any part of it,” she insisted. “They practically forced me to take a slip of paper. Then my taxi broke down and we met…and I found your name on the paper…and…and…and…” She practically hyperventilated.
He vaulted off the couch. “No one forces you to do anything, Maisey. You’re the strongest woman I know,” he retorted. “That’s a really nasty game you played. I mean, I loved you, I really, really loved you. I thought we had something special. Something that would become permanent. Now to find out, I’m just a joke...Shame on you!”
Loved.
He?d said it in the past tense. Perhaps in his mind, they were through. As angry as he was, something became clear to Maisey. He never stalked her. He was truly outraged. Their meeting that icy night really was their first meeting. Coming clean about The Love List may have ruined everything.
“I thought you were stalking me, Sean. It was the only thing that made sense.”
“What?” he barked.
“I didn?t look at the sheet of paper with The Love List guy’s name until after we met. I had no intentions of ever calling the guy. Then I saw your name. I thought it was some kind of horrible joke you were playing on me! I spun all kinds of stupid scenarios in my head because I watch too much bad television.” Finally, the tears she?d so desperately tried to hold back spilled down her cheeks.
“Do you still have the paper?” he asked.
She nodded and got off the couch, went to the kitchen, and got the folded paper from beneath the lid of the sugar jar where she kept it. She pushed the paper into his hand. “Just so you know, it was under the lid of the sugar jar, I have no idea why I keep it there!” She blurted and dissolved into tears.
“Hey, I remember writing this. Don’t you know my handwriting?” he asked.
“Another of my many faults.” She sniffed, still managing a bit of sarcasm through her tears.
“I ran out of business cards, and I wrote this for a little old lady who was confused, and got off at the wrong bus stop. I told her to call me if she ever needed a ride. I suppose she dropped it.”
“Inside the wine shop! Someone must have picked it up and mistook it for The Love List.” She managed through a fresh round of tears. He helped a little old lady, just like in some sappy movie. It made her love him even more.
“Come here.” He held out his arms.
She wanted to be stubborn. She wanted to say, No, you hurt my feelings even though I deserved some of it, but she still launched herself into his arms. “I’m sorry, Sean. I should have told you right away.”