AVA
Perfect Match Series
Book Five
Ava’s Perfect Match Dating Profile…
A Minnesota Girl – Age 31
I’ve
had my heart broken in the past so I find it difficult to believe in the power
of love.
Do
you have what it takes to prove me wrong?
I’m
looking for someone honest and genuine, a man who would accept me for who I am
and bring out my true self—a crazy, fun-loving girl with an adventurous heart.
If
you really exist, you’re one in a million.
And
you just might be the one for me.
Chapter One
May 20th - West Palm Beach, Florida
The Perfect Gift
Ava Godfrey Sat in the soft leather seat of her rental car
in the parking lot at the Silver Dolphin Restaurant, yawning loudly. She’d come
from Minneapolis to attend her best friend’s baby shower and the last thing she
needed was to be so tired she couldn’t enjoy the party. She’d planned to catch
a much-needed nap during her flight, but the plane had hit turbulence en route
to the Palm Beach airport, leaving her white-knuckled and on the edge of her
seat the entire trip. Once she’d arrived, the first thing she did was purchase
a Starbucks Venti-sized cup of French roast. It had helped somewhat, but the
caffeine had left her more jittery than alert.
Darn,
she thought as she flipped down her visor and looked into the lighted mirror at
the woman staring back at her. The
best makeup in the world isn’t going to conceal my state of mind.
The mirror never lied. Her hazel eyes, underscored with dark
circles against her pale skin showed fatigue, but also revealed the sad,
faraway look she hadn’t been able to shake since her divorce. Though she’d
taken positive steps to move on, the mess she’d made of her life by marrying
the wrong man still overshadowed the gregarious, fun-loving girl she used to
be. Mistakes were easy to make. Starting over was not.
“Straighten up, girl,” she said aloud as she searched her
purse for a breath mint. “This is not the time to get sidetracked over what’s
wrong with your life. You have to
show up with a smile on your face and a spring in your step so Lisa thinks
you’re doing great.”
Her phone rang. With a sigh, she picked it off the seat and
swiped the screen. The ID displayed Lisa
Kaye-Wells. “Hi, Lisa,” she said in a rush.
“Ava, where are
you?” Music, chatter, and laughter echoed in the background. “You’re supposed
to be here by now.” Though their lives had changed since their days of rooming
together at college, their differences hadn’t. Lisa still proved to be the
punctual one. Ava was still always rushing in at the last minute.
“I’m in the parking lot. See you in five minutes. Bye.” She
touched up her peach lipstick and shut off the car. Grabbing her purse, her
phone and her baby gift, Ava braced herself against the hot, drizzling Florida
afternoon as she locked her car then sprinted across the puddle-filled parking
lot to the restaurant.
She arrived at the front door at the same time as a couple
in their mid-forties. The man, tall and slim with graying dark hair, stood
aside and opened the door for her. “Thank you,” she said as she entered the
two-story building made of steel and glass overlooking the
The woman pointed toward the stairs. “It’s in the upper level.”
“Thank you.” Squaring her shoulders, Ava trudged up the
wide, open stairway to a large room with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the
ocean. Round tables covered with white linen and adorned with small vases of
fresh pink, white and yellow flowers were scattered about the room. A buffet
filled with assorted hot and cold appetizers, fruit, punch, and desserts
stretched the length of an entire wall. Lisa stood near the gift table, wearing
a floor-length, yellow dress with an empire waist, emphasizing her round “baby
bump.” Her long dark hair hung down her back in soft, spiral curls.
“Ava,” she cried as she held out her arms for a hug, “I’m so
glad you’re here. We haven’t seen each other in ages!”
The last year had gone by fast. Ava placed her gift on the table,
vowing to herself not to let another year go by before they saw each other
again.
They exchanged hugs. “How are you? You look terrific,” Ava
exclaimed as they pulled apart. “Motherhood really agrees with you.”
“How have you
been?” Lisa asked, turning the focus back on her. “Shawn and I have talked
about flying up to Minnesota to visit you, but the hotel is booked solid every
week and it’s impossible for both of us to get away at the same time. He wanted
to be here today, but we had back-to-back weddings scheduled this weekend so he
couldn’t leave the island.”
Lisa grew up in West Palm Beach, but she and Shawn Wells,
her husband of one year, owned and operated a historic hotel on Enchanted
Island, located about fifty miles off the southern tip of Florida. The couple
had met there several years earlier when Lisa worked in her Aunt Elsie’s
B&B and Shawn had managed his family’s hotel. They’d surprised everyone
when they acquired the rundown Morganville Hotel and began restoring it,
turning it into a popular destination in the
“I’m doing fine,” Ava said with a smile.
“Are you sure?” Lisa’s brows furrowed. “I worry about you.
The past year has been so difficult for you—”
“Hey, you have enough to worry about right here,” Ava said
as she patted Lisa’s rounded tummy. “I can’t wait to see your little mini-me
when she makes her debut into the world!”
The couple that followed Ava into the building approached
them, greeting Lisa and diverting her attention. Realizing Lisa needed to
attend to her other guests, Ava glanced around looking for the bar. She’d
decided to get a glass of Cabernet and find somewhere to sit down, but before
she could wander away, Lisa grabbed her arm and introduced her to Shawn’s
brother and sister-in-law, Ian and Belinda Wells.
“Come and sit with me later when you get a few minutes,” Ava
said as more people arrived and crowded around Lisa. “In the meantime, I’m
going to have a couple of those deep-fried wontons from the buffet and a glass
of wine.”
“You rat,” Lisa whispered with an envious smile. “I haven’t
had any booze or junk food for six months. Have a glass for me, too.”
“I will!” Ava laughed. “Don’t worry, it won’t be long before
you’ll be able to eat whatever you want.”
Many of Lisa’s friends from her online book club were there.
Ava stood in line at the bar with one of the women. “You’re Tara, right?” She
smiled at the pretty brunette as she waited for the bartender to pour her a
glass of wine. “I remember meeting you at Lisa’s wedding.”
“I remember you, too,”
“All right,” Ava said, curious about the women Lisa had
befriended online. After they received their drinks, she accompanied Tara to
the table and
For the next hour, she sat and sipped her wine while
listening to amusing stories about the books they’d read and their retreat on
Enchanted Island where all twelve members of the group had met for the first
time. Each woman had tossed a bottle containing a message to her dream hero into the bay. Though Ava
refrained from joining in the conversation, she truly enjoyed hearing about
this pretty island that everyone seemed to love so much. Something in her heart
stirred, creating in her a yearning to visit Lisa and Shawn on Enchanted Island
once their little girl, Emma, was born.
“Oh, my gosh, Ava. This is the perfect gift!”
Lisa stood at the gift table pulling out the contents of a
large, handmade diaper bag filled with a girl’s layette. She waved for Ava to join
her. “Where did you find such precious little outfits?”
“My Aunt Ruth made them and the bag, too. Did you see the
newborn diapers?”
“Oh, look at this,” Lisa said as she pulled out a box filled
with several pairs of miniature fleece slipper-socks and a white, crocheted
baptism set. There were Onesies, sleepers, receiving blankets, bibs and
changing pads. At the bottom of the bag, Lisa found two dozen tiny diapers made
with soft flannel in pastel colors. A chorus of oohs and aahs came from women
in the room as Lisa held up each item. “Thank you so much!” She carefully
packed all of the pieces back into the bag and set it aside.
“Now,” she said to Ava, “I have something for you.” Lifting
the floor-length tablecloth, she reached under the table where she’d stored her
belongings and snatched an envelope from her purse. “Here,” she said as she
straightened and offered it to Ava. “This is something special just for you.”
“For me?” Ava gingerly accepted the white square envelope.
“What is it?”
Lisa’s eyes widened with anticipation. “Well, open it and
you’ll find out!”
Inside, Ava discovered an invitation. She pulled out the
embossed card and stared at it—speechless—as she read the words.
You’re cordially invited to spend an all-expenses-paid,
week-long trip to the island of your choice, courtesy of Perfect Match Online
Dating and Travel Agency.
“What is this?” Ava laughed, thinking it was a joke of some
kind that Lisa had received and wanted to show her. “A clever new way to hook
people into a timeshare presentation?”
Lisa blinked, taken back. “No, it’s nothing like that! Look
at it again.”
Ava scanned the invitation a second time. Was it real, after
all? “Are you saying this invitation is for me personally?”
Lisa nodded.
“Why me? Why aren’t you offering this to one of your book
club friends?” She tried to give it back, but Lisa refused.
Lisa pushed her hand away. “Don’t you see, this is just what
you need—seven days on a beautiful island with nothing to do but kick back and
enjoy yourself!”
Ava frowned. “What would I do on a tropical island by
myself?”
“You’re not going to be alone.” Lisa laughed, sounding as
though she thought Ava was kidding again. “The agency will select the perfect
match for you.”
The wha—what?
“I hope you didn’t pay a lot of money for this,” Ava replied
as she smacked the invitation on the table, “because you’re not setting me up
with a total stranger for a solid week. What, are you crazy? Allowing an agency
to select my perfect match is the
most ridiculous, hair-brained scheme I’ve ever heard of. I mean, that stuff is
for adventurous twenty-year-olds with romantic dreams. It’s not practical for a
thirty-one-year-old-woman who has been previously married. And failed at it.
The last thing I need is to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere with a blind
date for seven days.” She watched Lisa’s smile fade and instantly regretted her
hasty refusal. “I’m sorry. I know you mean well, Lisa, but this is definitely
not my style.” She pointed toward the table of Lisa’s friends. The women were
watching them intently, causing her to wonder if they were secretly in on this,
too. “Really, I think you should give it to one of them.”
Lisa shook her head. “They already have invitations of their
own. Amy’s fiancé, Dawson Yates, owns the agency and he gave each member of the
book club a complimentary invitation to pass along to the person of her
choice.”
Oops... Ava’s
cheeks flamed with embarrassment. Amy had heard every word she’d said.
Lisa picked up the invitation and put it back into Ava’s
hand. “My choice is you.”
“But...but, I’m not ready to start dating yet.”
Lisa smiled patiently. “Take it from me, Ava. No one ever is
after a bad break up. You need to take a chance, step outside your comfort zone, and meet someone new.”
Stunned by her best friend’s persistence, Ava didn’t know
what else to say. Suddenly, all of the women in the book club stood up and surrounded
them. Amy Sheridan, the one with curly, dark brown hair and green eyes, stepped
forward.
“I understand your apprehension,” Amy said in a soft tone,
“but my fiancé’s agency is top-notch and that means he’s careful about the
matches he coordinates. Once you establish a profile online, a Perfect Match
Specialist will match you with someone who shares common interests with you.”
Her eyes twinkled as she placed her hand on Ava’s arm. “If you accept the
invitation, you only have one obligation to Perfect Match. You must stay for
the entire week. That’s it. Just have a fun-filled vacation with your match,
taking in the sun and enjoying the beauty of your destination. I can assure you
with full confidence that your satisfaction is
“What’s the catch?” Ava folded her arms. “What does your
fiancé want in return for giving me this free offer?”
Amy’s expression changed from soft to serious. “You’ll be
given a survey at the end of your week to grade your satisfaction on how well
the agency handled setting up your trip—and your match. Plus, you may be asked
to participate in a promotional video. I have no doubt that you’ll be very
happy with all of the arrangements.”
“Other than the seven-day stipulation, the survey, and the
promotional video, there are no strings attached?”
Amy shook her head. “None.”
Lisa’s soft jade eyes took on a pleading look. “Come on,
Ava, accept the invitation. You’ve been through so much this past year. You
deserve a break. Do this for yourself, okay?”
“I’ve never even browsed a dating site, much less one that
sends you to an exotic location to meet your so-called perfect match,” Ava
said, running out of objections. “Where would I go?”
Lisa held up her palms. “Well, that’s a no-brainer. Isn’t
it?”
“Enchanted
Lisa laughed so hard she contracted a pain in her side and
had to lean with one palm on the table. “This is perfect,” she said, clutching
her side. “I’m due at the beginning of September. Book your trip for the week of
my due date and be with me when the baby is born!”
The chance to be present when Lisa had her baby sounded
tempting, but...
Maybe a trip someplace
far away from my problems is the prescription I need to pull myself together
and start thinking about my future. Spending quality time with my best friend
wouldn’t hurt, either. Maybe I should accept the invitation and spend my week on
Enchanted Island when Lisa has the baby. It sounds like a wonderful place and
frankly, my life is so dull…
But—finding her perfect match in a computer database through an online dating system? The thought made her almost laugh out loud.
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