In a New York Minute(18)

“So what’s your website?” Jenna asked excitedly. “Where can we find you?”

“Um.” My brain stalled, frenzied. Because I did not have a website. I did not have clients, or a business. That bathroom with the great wallpaper was from that job I’d done for James over three years ago.

I gulped. What the hell had I just done?

“FrannyDoyle…” I was reaching for something. Anything. “Design…dot-com.” Great job, Franny. Very creative.

Pete gave me a congratulatory nod. “Well, we wanted to get the opinion of someone who knows you well, and so we’ve got a special commentator to give us thoughts on your adorable subway meet-cute.”

He waved at a video screen that hung overhead. “Joining us live on satellite is Franny’s mom, Diane.”

“Oh my fucking god,” I muttered through clenched teeth.

“Hi, honey!” my mom said with a wave, her salt-and-pepper hair tucked back with a thick blue headband. “You two look so nice together.”

She was in her kitchen, which was covered in the same floral wallpaper that had hung there since I was in middle school.

“Mom, hi!” I said with a goofy wave, trying not to let any of the horror I felt seep onto my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a quick look at Hayes, who was gazing at me with a face that was all sympathy.

Jenna turned to my mom’s giant pixelated head. “You must be so proud of Franny, starting her own business after all of this, and finding success right off the bat.”

“I am. She’s my only kid, and I always worry, because that’s what moms do. So this is great news. Your own business!” The glee was evident in her voice. The relief too.

“And what do you think, Diane—are they cute together or what?” asked Pete, his white teeth flashing.

“I approve!” Mom said, clasping her hands together. “Franny hasn’t brought a boyfriend home since college, so I’d love to welcome a gentleman friend anytime.”

It was official. I was going to die here, on live TV, in the middle of the NYN studio. Cause of death: utter humiliation. I was certain Hayes would be chuckling along at this just like Pete and Jenna, but when I glanced over at him, he just gave me a small smile.

“Thanks, Diane.” Pete waved her off-screen, and then he and Jenna turned their attention back to us.

“Hayes,” said Pete, “we tried to get your folks to join us, but they were unreachable. Apparently, they’re on a European river cruise.”

I swear his shoulders noticeably relaxed at this news.

“Well, we wanted to give these two a chance to see if an actual love connection might be possible.” Jenna shifted to face the camera directly, announcing this to the at-home audience. “So we’ve built our very own romantic date spot right here in the studio.” She gestured to an area slightly offstage that I hadn’t noticed earlier. A café table had been set up, complete with coffee cups and a tiny vase of flowers.

Hayes didn’t reply right away; he just blinked, and for a moment, I saw what appeared to be a look of pure horror cross his face. And I was right there with him. The last thing I wanted to do was spend more time on TV, hashing out the most awkward experience of my life with Hayes Montgomery the Third.

“Why don’t you two take a seat at our Café NYC, courtesy of our sponsor Folger’s, and get to know each other a little bit.”

Hayes was smiling, but it was the kind of smile you wore to dress up a grimace. Eliza hadn’t mentioned anything about a fake coffee date when she’d reassured me that the interview would be an in-and-out kind of thing. The way his eyes squinted in response was a dead giveaway: He hadn’t been told about this either.

“Look, like he said, I’m not his type.” I let my sarcasm soak in for a second but forced a laugh to let the world know I was totally cool with what he’d said. Even though I definitely was not. “I really just came here to return his coat and say thank you,” I said, grabbing it off the faceless mannequin positioned next to me. “I even dry-cleaned it. To get the tears off.”

I handed the jacket to him, my arms stiff, and he took it, a begrudging look on his face.

“Let this be a lesson to all the gentlemen out there,” said Pete knowingly. “Or anyone who wears a suit! Could be ladies too. If you want to meet a nice match, just give them your jacket. I know I’m taking notes. A smooth move, Hayes.” He leaned over and playfully elbowed him, like they were sharing an inside joke.

“That’s not what I was trying to—” Hayes started, only to be interrupted by Jenna, who wisely seemed to sense it was time to change course.

“Well, that’s just wonderful,” she said. “All right then, SubwayQTs, we’ll let you get to it! Hayes, Franny, thank you both so much for coming on. We’ll be back after the break with Weather on the Ones, and some summer fashion trends at a price that won’t break the bank.”

“We’re at commercial!” the director yelled, and suddenly a rush of people were on the floor of the studio.

Jenna’s grin shrank the second the cameras were off. “God, that was awkward,” she muttered to Pete, but it was still loud enough for me to hear. And she was right. All I could remember from the last five minutes was Hot Suit essentially dissing me on live TV, my mom’s giant face, and me lying about having my own business. Dear god, why had I said that?