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Laila, however, seemed to accept Connie’s explanation at face value. There were a hundred questions on the tip of Jess’s tongue, but she bit them back.
    Connie quickly turned to Laila. “And your lunch with Will? How did that go?” She flushed guiltily, faced Jess and asked, “Are you okay with her talking about this?”
    “I wish everyone would stop acting as if Will and I shared some big romance,” Jess complained. “We didn’t. We’ve never even been on a date.”
    “Only because he thinks you don’t want to go out with him,” Laila said. “That’s what he told me.”
    Jess frowned. “The two of you were talking about me on your date? No wonder your social life sucks.”
    “We were talking about you, because you were like this huge elephant in the room. We couldn’t ignore the obvious. He has feelings for you, and contrary to all your claims, I think you have feelings for him. ”
    “I think he’s annoying,” Jess said. “Is that what you mean?”
    Laila rolled her eyes and Connie chuckled.
    “The denials aren’t working for me,” Laila said, then grinned at Connie. “How about you?”
    “Nope,” Connie said.
    Jess was within a second of blowing that smugexpression off Connie’s face by blabbing what she knew about Connie’s feelings for Uncle Thomas, but when push came to shove, she couldn’t do it. If there was something going on between those two, she didn’t want to be the one to ruin it by getting the whole family in an uproar. Kevin and Connor had obviously felt the same way when they’d sworn her to secrecy.
    “Look, you two, think whatever you want,” Jess said. “Will and I would never work as a couple. We barely tolerate each other as friends. And if he were as interested in me as you two seem to think and we were at all suited, wouldn’t that fancy computer program of his have spit us out as a match?”
    “He didn’t put his name in when he ran yours through,” Laila revealed.
    “See what I mean?” Jess said, seizing on that. “He doesn’t want anything to do with me. That proves it. Let’s just drop this, okay? I don’t want to talk about Will or about the fact that this stupid company of his is a fraud.”
    Both of her friends regarded her with dismay. “That’s a little harsh,” Laila said. “Just because Connie’s first date and mine didn’t work doesn’t mean the next ones won’t.”
    “You’re going to accept more dates?” Jess asked incredulously.
    “Why not?” Laila said. “Nothing’s changed about the reasons we all signed up, right, Connie?”
    Connie nodded, though Jess thought her expression looked doubtful.
    “I’m game,” Connie said with lackluster enthusiasm.
    Laila focused her attention on Jess. “You paid your money. You can’t back out now.”
    “Since I haven’t had a single email or phone call, I’m thinking I should demand my money back,” Jess said. “In fact, the next time I see Will, I intend to tell him what I think of this whole ridiculous online dating scheme of his.”
    “You have to give it a chance,” Laila insisted. “You don’t want just any old match. It has to be the right one. Give it time.”
    “Like you and Will were such a great match,” Jess said sarcastically. “Or Connie and her accountant. Come on, guys, admit this was a mistake. When it comes to this matchmaking stuff, Will is an amateur.”
    “I’m not throwing in the towel yet,” Laila replied determinedly. “Neither is Connie, and you promised you were in, too, Jess. Are you going back on your word to us?”
    “It’s not as if we’re double-or triple-dating, for goodness’ sakes,” Jess protested. “You two can do whatever you want to do. I’m out.”
    “A promise is a promise,” Laila persisted.
    Jess sighed and caved. “Okay, fine. I’ll give it a little longer.”
    But despite Laila’s optimism and Connie’s reluctant agreement, no one was going to persuade Jess that it wasn’t a big old waste of time and