I’m late. As the president, if you will, late isn’t a good look. Not my fault, though. There was a huge multi-vehicle, multiple-casualty incident on the highway late this afternoon. Large snowfall totals aren’t frequent in Southern Maine, nor this close to the first day of spring. However, this storm dropped more than the normal on our area, and some drivers weren’t prepared.
I park in front of Scarlett’s gorgeous waterfront home and hustle inside. The open concept living room has a wall of windows to showcase the ocean view. I shrug off my coat and greet the members. “Good evening, ladies. I apologize for my tardiness. Let’s get started.”
The front door whooshes open behind me. Maggie Washington and Lina Gugliotti step inside.
As they hang their coats, I call the meeting of the Matchmakers’ Book Club to order. “Hello, ladies. We’re glad you could make it on this snowy evening. I was expecting a small group, but eight is perfect. First, I would like to welcome our newest member, Alannah. She captured the heart of Callan Craven with a little nudge from her son, Caden, and members of our group. However, the initial helper is not here but deserves recognition. Kelsey, please thank your husband, Captain Ramirez, for the assist in assigning Craven to the boys’ basketball games instead of the girls.”
Kelsey replies, “I will.”
Alannah smiles and says, “Thank you. I’m excited to be here.” Alannah and Callan married a few weeks ago at Clay Hill Farm. A few of the other members who know Alannah welcome her.
I continue, “For those of you who are new to our group, allow me to share our purpose. Initially, we started as a gaggle of nurses and EMTs to de-stress from the rigors of our profession with book club and girls’ night in. At the onset, there were four women. Now, we have a membership of more than twice that many. Over the years, it evolved into a girl gang of epic proportions. Not only do we host events for the local children’s charities, but we keep tabs on the most eligible singles in our community. Our matchmaking book club was created in good fun, and the tradition has continued for the last six years. Along with the purpose of our group, the rules for inclusion on the list have evolved. Inclusion consists of a few factors balanced against one another. First, an attractive package is a must. Also, candidates and admitted bachelors or bachelorettes must be a member of our first responder community, including police officers, firefighters, and EMTs. Most importantly, we attempt to keep the list secret until after he or she has been legally wed. Now I open the floor to all members to raise a motion or suggest additions to the list.”
Willa Cappelli speaks up first. “I move to suggest two changes. First, the criteria should be expanded to include nurses and doctors. Second, I recommend changing the requirement from legally wed to engaged to allow participation in meetings. It would decrease the chance of our group being outed inadvertently. However, the honoree shouldn’t be removed until he or she is legally wed.”
“Interesting amendments. Let’s start with expanding eligibility to nurses and doctors. All those in favor?” I ask the group. As long as these ladies don’t set their sights on me, I’m fine with doctors and nurses being eligible.
Six hands rise.
“Motion carried. Regarding changing the invitation to join the group prior to marriage but not removing the honoree’s name. All those in favor, please raise your hand.”
Only one member fails to vote for this motion.
“The second motion is carried,” I state. Rumblings of chatter start among the group.
Then Lina asks, “We need two honorees from YPD, correct?”
“Yes,” I reply.
“Do they have to be men?” Kelsey wonders aloud.
I consider my answer based on the rules and state, “No. The rules indicate there must be at least one woman on each list. No reason we can’t have a second.”
“Perfect. I recommend Esmeralda Garcia. She joined the department in the last few months. Not only is she gorgeous but funny and new to the area. Esme, which she chooses to be called, moved here from Florida,” Kelsey offers.
“She can be an option. Any other suggestions?” I ask the group.
I get no responses as far as adding to the list. “If there are no other recommendations, I move to add Officer Garcia to the YPD list and leave the second spot open.”
“I second,” Gladys states. She’s one of the founding members and formerly worked as a caregiver for the Smithsons and assisted in matching Zack and Scarlett.
“Motion carried. Now, let’s move on to our next couple. Talk among yourselves, and we’ll vote on the way out. After I tally the votes, I’ll reach out to the members best suited to foster our honoree.” Normally, I don’t participate in choosing our next honoree.
“What about Penn?” Alannah suggests after reading the list of names. If I recall correctly, Alannah and Penn are locals. Perhaps she knows more about him personally than the others in the room.
“We haven’t matched an EMT or a YFD honoree yet,” Willa adds to the conversation.
“True,” Maggie admits. “What about Hagen? He may be a tough one to match, though. His sole focus is Lilah.”
“We can handle tough. I mean, you matched my husband and me,” Kelsey states with a smile.
The ladies laugh and agree.
I wrap up our meeting. “Okay. I’ll set the nominees out near the door, and you can vote on your way out. We have two choices: Séamus Penn and Lachlan Hagen. Don’t forget to sign up for the 5K and charity toy drive for the children’s floor at York Memorial. If you have any questions about the 5K, see Maggie. For the toy drive portion, see Scarlett. The run will take place this summer. Please vote as you leave.”
The group moves into our discussion of this month’s book selection. We changed it up a bit and chose a book used as an outline for the Bridgerton series on Netflix.
Willa speaks first. “To be honest, I liked the show better. Historical fiction isn’t my favorite genre.”
A few of the other ladies nod in agreement.
“I was more a fan of the Duke of Hastings. Regé-Jean Page is a sight to behold,” I admit.
“Yes! That man is perfection.” Lina fans her face.
“His accent makes me swoon,” Alannah adds.
The ladies continue chatting about this month’s selection. Mostly, they focus on the show. About an hour later, they shift gears to choose the book for next month.
With the next book selected, the ladies say goodbye. It’s laughable considering these women see one another frequently between meetings. Some of them are family. As the crowd dwindles, Maggie approaches me.
“Hey, Carly. I wanted to check in about the advertising budget for the 5K.”
“With the storm, I left those forms at home. I’ll email you.”
“Great, thanks. See you next month.” Maggie slips out the front door.
After thanking Scarlett for the use of her home, I leave as well.