Page 34 of Playing the Backbeat

“Okay, let’s begin.”

Twenty minutes later and we’re still debating whether Dylan is mature enough to handle dating a lawyer.

“Go back to her résumé.” I tick off my fingers. “She’s gorgeous. She volunteers for charity. She likes video games. We’re not going to find better than her,” I argue. “Plus”—I tick off another point on my finger—“we all know someday one of us is going to need a lawyer. I want someone with legal know-how on my side when that day comes.”

“When you say one of us…” Bec coughs, and I swear it sounds an awful lot like my name.

“I mean one of us…who knowswho it could be?” I add.

They exchange looks.

“We all know who it would be,” Abby adds confidently. “I still don’t think they’re a good fit. She doesn’t have any interest in music. Isn’t that a huge thing for Dylan? I think it’s a deal breaker for something that important to him to be so unimportant to her. There’s nothing wrong with either of them”—she puts her hands up in defense when she sees me about to defend my opinion—“but this just feels like too big of a difference to overlook.”

“Fine,” I say, leaning back against the couch. “Swipe left. But you’ll have to explain to Dylan that it was your interference thatcaused me to lose if I don’t come out on top here with a good wedding date for him.”

Carissa makes the final call as she swipes my ideal candidate away. She freezes, her entire body tensing as she looks at my phone. She lifts it off the table, bringing it within a foot of her face to get a closer look. “Well, holy shit.”

“I’m going to assume the dating app goddesses have finally blessed us with the most perfect wedding date based on the fact that Carissa is cussing,” I say, before sipping my drink.

Carissa absolutely beams at my comment. “You could say that. She does seem like a perfect match for him.”

Bec and Ellie lean into Carissa, sandwiching her between them, to get a glimpse of the screen. The two of them light up, giant smiles forming on their faces. They look at each other behind Carissa, then back to me.

“Oh, this could work,” Ellie says.

“I think she’s perfect for the job,” Bec agrees.

“And it looks like her dating profile was just updated…thirty minutes ago,” Carissa adds.

“Oh good.” I shrug. “She’s actively looking.”

“Don’t keep us waiting all night,” Abby says. “Tell us about her.”

“Well, she’s twenty-eight,” Carissa says.

“Almost twenty-nine,” Bec adds.

Abby crawls over to see the screen, biting her lips before reading, “‘Hobbies include reading, working out, dancing, and being a genuine ball of chaos and mayhem.’”

“I like her already,” I say.

Why are they staring at me?

“She’s an aunt. No kids. Bartends at nights and on weekends,” Evie adds, voice pitchy through her laughter.

Bec coughs, but I swear, it sounds like she’s barking the wordterribly.

My spine straightens.Fuck.

“She’s—and I quote—‘five-foot-nothing.’ Dark hair, shoulder length. Favorite movie,Shrek 2.”

“A classic…” I shrug.

“Favorite band, The Killers,” Carissa says, eyes drilling into mine.

“What a super cool person. Does she happen to also be incredibly good looking and smart?” The girls all watch me with bright smiles on their faces.

“All right, I think we’re done here.” I press the lid back onto the cookie tin. I’m taking my tits and hightailing it out of here. “I’ll take your opinions into consideration when I choose a worthy date for my very platonic roommate.”