Author's note: Thank you so much to AisieLynn who's help in being my proof reader/editor is invaluable. I Hope you enjoy the story. ~ellie
*
"Why do you have to do this to me? I'm not exactly going to fit in with that crowd," Josie complained.
"Because you love me enough to come with me, plus you're hot and I get to have a crack at all your cast-offs," Mica laughed self-deprecatingly.
"I don't want to go," Josie complained, knowing that Mica wasn't listening to her properly. "I think you should go alone. I haven't been single that long and what if..."
"Exactly, it's time you stopped moping around here and got out there and met some new people," Mica rolled her eyes. Josie's breakup had been bad, but it had been long enough since then for her to be moving on already. "I can't go alone. You have to come with me, please!" She could see that Josie was about to say no for the umpteenth time. "Okay, I am begging. I will owe you a favour. A big one. I promise if it's lame we will only stay an hour at the most."
"Mica, I just don't think..." Josie tried again.
"Don't forget who it was that showed up with Nutella cheesecake and cocktails when you needed a friend to cry with," she pulled out her guilt card, hating herself for it. Josie groaned and flopped down onto the couch resigning herself to a Valentine's Day of fending off dirty old men and creepy nerds who used the same dating sites as her friend.
"Okay, you better tell me about it then," she sighed.
"Josie I love you! You won't be disappointed, I promise," Mica said excitedly as she sat on the other end of the couch.
"I haven't said yes yet. I just meant that I would listen to you tell me what exactly you are asking me to do with you," Josie said warily, already regretting her decision to sit down and hear her friend out.
"Online dating is not like it used to be. Lots of people do it now. There are professionals and tradies who are just too busy to go out all the time or don't like the club scene. It's not just losers who can't get a date," Mica said seriously, noting the suspicious look on her friend's face. "Honestly, come have a look," she got up and walked towards her computer.
"You don't have to show me a bunch of profiles to convince me. If anything, it will do the opposite. I think they are mostly fake or photoshopped, and if I go with you, I will be even more disappointed when they aren't all tall dark and handsome," she sighed again.
"Fine, it's a meet and greet. They are holding it at the Bay Beach House, so it's even local, and you don't have to go all the way into the city. We can go early and just stay for the breakfast. You don't even have to talk to anyone else if you don't want to. I promise it's not like what you're imagining," Mica tried to soothe Josie's concerns.
"Breakfast?" She looked at her friend sceptically. "Don't most of these things happen at night?"
"I guess, but they are doing breakfast this year," she hesitated and Josie crossed her arms knowing there was more. "Actually, they are doing three events this year, sort of like a rolling date, breakfast lunch and dinner at three different venues. I will buy the tickets for the day, but you only have to come to the breakfast, if that's all you want to go to."
"Breakfast and we are out of there," Josie said tersely, not believing she was letting herself get talked into this.
"Sure but with the option to stay and go to the second event if you have a good time," Mica stressed the word you.
"Yeah, that'll happen," Josie retorted with a look of disdain.
*****
Josie had spent the Friday night before Valentine's Day bundling up all the keepsakes and letters from her ex that still sat on or around her desk and room. Her friends were right. It was time to move on, not that there were many prospective dates on the horizon. She laughed to herself, "Maybe Mica was right, and tomorrow wouldn't be so bad." Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought. It was going to be awful, and she knew it.
Having completed her weekend cleaning and laundry as well as a general clean out of her small home office space, Josie went to bed happy that she wouldn't have to come home after breakfast and do it tomorrow. She continued to try and convince herself it wouldn't be so bad. Helping out a friend was all that she was doing. It just happened that there would be lots of singles tripping over each other to grab a date or at least a sexcapade at the same event, and she could ignore that if she had to. It might even be fun to people watch for a bit she thought as she dozed off into a restless slumber. "At least it wasn't a fancy dress thing like so many of these types of meet and greets were," she thought, trying to find all the positives she could.
Her alarm went off too early for the weekend, and she dragged herself out of bed and into the shower as the sun lit the horizon. Mica had been here during the week to organise an appropriate outfit for her, and Josie groaned as she looked at the dress hanging on her closet door. It was more of an evening dress. It was way too formal for a breakfast meet and greet. Still, she had promised she would be Mica's wing woman after a heartfelt talk about how lonely Mica felt during the holidays and with Valentine's Day looming.
"It's going to be fun. You are going to have fun. You are not going to ruin this day for your friend," Josie told her mirror reflection as she did her makeup and hair. The knock on her door was soft, and she hurried to answer it.
"Hey there, Gorgeous," Mica beamed as she looked at Josie.
"You're looking pretty fabulous yourself," Josie grinned. "I am pretty much ready if you want to call a cab," Josie said as she walked back into her room to grab her bag and phone from where it was charging. Josie's place was closer to the venue so it made sense that Mica would leave her car, and they would catch a cab from there in case they wanted to drink mimosas at the breakfast event.
With the Australian summer fading, the morning air was a little cool as Josie stepped from her apartment building, and she shivered wondering if she needed a coat. She paused and looked up at the flight of stairs she had just walked down and decided to go without, hurrying after her friend who had made a beeline towards the waiting cab.
The venue was packed even at that early hour on a Saturday morning, but the organisers had cleverly placed large marquees across the road in a large park along the foreshore that were filling quickly as well. Mica bubbled with excitement as she climbed from the cab and, intertwining her arm with Josie's, walked them towards the venue to check in. Having pre-booked and paid for their tickets, the girls were shown to seats within the venue itself and were given complimentary mimosas.
"There are so many people here," Mica leaned over to talk to Josie, "Even you could find at least one person to talk to here, Miss Fussyboots."
"I'm fine. Go mingle and have fun," Josie laughed looking around.
"Let's grab some breakfast first. Otherwise these mimosas will go to my head," Mica smiled and stood up from their seats, leaving her unfurled napkin in her place to show it was taken.
Walking along the breakfast buffet with a partially loaded plate, Josie felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned to face a tall, middle aged man. His smiling eyes danced as she regarded him warily thinking he was about to try out a pick up line on her.
"Hi, I am pretty sure we've met before," he said in a strong jovial voice.
"Not the most original line I have ever heard," she replied, "But I don't think so." She attempted to dismiss him by turning back to the buffet and moving along with the line of people before her. He wasn't so easily deterred though and moved with her, brushing against her in the crowded room.
"That wasn't a line," he laughed, "Though in a place like this I can understand you thinking that. What I should have asked was, you wouldn't happen to be Chuck Wildings' daughter would you? Jojo?" She turned and looked at him properly then wondering how this guy knew her father and even more so how he knew her name when she didn't seem to recognise him at all.
"No one has called me Jojo since I was twelve," her brow furrowed trying to place him but failing. "I think you have me at a disadvantage, I don't recognise you at all."
"I would bet Chuck still calls you Jojo. When he showed me the Christmas photos, I am pretty sure his exact words were, 'and there's my Jojo.'" The man smiled his eyes dancing merrily as she fought to put a name to his face.
"Yeah, you got me there," she grimaced. "So you are?"
"Steve," he replied still smiling, knowing that was no help to her at all.
"Well, it was good to see you Steve. I'll be sure to ask Dad who you are exactly, you know he has nicknames for everyone," she sighed. "I doubt I know any of his friends' real names, for all I know they could all be named Steve and that's why he gives them nicknames." She turned back to the buffet hearing him laugh with genuinely good humour as she picked up two small pastries to finish off her plate and turned to walk away. That was all she needed, someone telling her Dad she was at a desperate and dateless mixer.
"Wait," he said as she went to walk away. "I worked with your Dad for more years than I like to admit, I was his apprentice once. He calls me Donald. He shrugged, went with the surname I guess." He didn't elaborate any further.
"I thought you said your name was Steve?" She turned to regard him sceptically again.
"Since when has that ever mattered to your Dad," he laughed. "Hoolie's name is John Smith. I shit you not." He continued to laugh and was pleased when a smile finally lightened her face. "Look, I'm not here to make you crazy or stalk you crazy or anything. It was just nice to see a face I knew, come find me when you're done eating, and we can catch up properly, okay?"
"Sure," she agreed, having no intention of doing anything of the sort and walked back to the table.
"Who's the Clooney you were talking with?" Mica immediately began the inquisition.
"Apparently a friend of my Dad's who was just saying hello, not picking me up or anything," she hastened to explain.
"That's a shame you always preferred the older, suave, sophisticated Clooney's. I'd be happy with a Clooney or shit a Sean Connery if it came down to it as long as they made me smile," Mica laughed. "I am over searching for my Skarsgard, pretty boys want super models," She rolled her eyes. "I am starting to see why you always dated older guys. They're more discerning and less concerned with the packaging."
"Will you stop that?! You're gorgeous. You just haven't met the right guy yet. It's not like you never get asked out or date." Josie scolded her friend who seemed to be in a constant battle with her insecurities.
"Here's to finding someone fun," Mica raised her glass and Josie lifted hers in the toast.
