“Why do you care whether he has someone to date or not?”
“I just care about him. I want him to be happy, and I know finding the love of your life can do that for you. It worked for me. And if I’m right, then you’ll find the love of your life at the same time. And as a bonus, he can provide financial support for your plays.”
“Even if I agreed to meet him, there’s one other little complication.”
“What’s that?”
“I kind of have a crush on my leading man.”
“You do?”
“Yes, but he’s not interested in me. So I guess it doesn’t matter.”
“If things don’t work out with Mr. Gherring, I’ll figure out a way to make this guy notice you.”
Ellen laughed. “You know, I think you’d really do that. It’s a deal. When do I meet Mr. Gherring?”
“How about next Monday, after the Thanksgiving holidays? Lunch at Papa’s? I’ll do my best to get him there, but no guarantees.”
“What should I wear?”
“Wear a dress and show off those dancer legs.”
“You’ve got it. And if it flops, you have to help me catch Ben’s attention.”
“Deal.”
By the time the lunch rush was over and May came to join them, Ellen had to leave.
“Do you need to go too, Anne? I’m sorry I was tied up so long,” May said.
“No, I’d love to stay and chat,” said Anne.
“Tell me all about your trip.”
“Do you mean Switzerland? Did you know about that?”
“Yes. Although I think I found out through the grapevine. I’m pretty sure Spencer told me about it.”
“Spencer knew?”
“Sure. He found out from talking to Emily.”
“He was talking to Emily? She just told me they texted. She didn’t say anything about talking to him.”
“Spencer’s been talking to her alright. He’s talked to her every day since she left. He’s saving up his money to fly to Texas.”
“Does she know that?”
“I don’t know. I only hear about it from Spencer. He’s crazy about her, I think. I’ve never seen him act like this before.”
Anne stared at May. “I’ve got to talk to her and see what’s going on. Either she’s hiding something from me or she’s leading him on. I don’t want Spencer to be hurt.”
“Or it could just be Spencer’s moving a little faster than she is. When he makes a decision, that’s it. He jumps in with both feet.”
“Not Emily. She thinks about everything and then thinks some more and then maybe she’ll try it. Just tests the water with her toes.”
“I don’t know, they don’t sound too compatible, do they?”