Matchmaker Mayhem
Chapter 26: Ethan’s Offer – The Snake, the Latte, and the Dilemma

Chapter 26: Ethan’s Offer – The Snake, the Latte, and the Dilemma

The Email That Started It All

Subject: Let’s Talk—A Proposal

From: Ethan Chase

Ava had read the email so many times, she could practically recite it in her sleep.

"Ava, I think it’s time we buried the hatchet. Let’s meet for coffee—I have a business proposition I think you’ll want to hear. My treat. Ethan."

She hated how polished it sounded, like he’d written it while lounging in a leather chair, swirling a glass of expensive whiskey, and congratulating himself for being so magnanimous.

"Bury the hatchet?" Ava muttered aloud, glaring at the screen. "He’d rather bury it in my back."

The sound of footsteps broke her train of thought.

"You look like you’re about to win a staring contest with your laptop," Ryan said, appearing in the doorway. He had a cup of coffee in one hand and what appeared to be a suspiciously large muffin in the other.

"I’m not staring," Ava said quickly, slamming her laptop shut like it had just revealed her internet search history.

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "You were glaring. Classic I-hate-this-but-can’t-ignore-it glare."

She sighed. "Ethan emailed me."

Ryan’s expression shifted to something between amusement and mild alarm. "What, like a cyber-apology? Or did he just attach a photo of himself giving you the finger?"

Ava folded her arms. "He wants to meet for coffee. Says he has a business proposition."

Ryan let out a low whistle, setting his coffee down on her desk. "Business proposition? That sounds like code for ’I want to trick you into signing something that benefits me and ruins you.’"

Ava couldn’t help but smirk. "That’s what I thought. But what if he’s serious? What if this is actually an opportunity?"

Ryan leaned against the desk, tearing a piece off his muffin. "Ethan Chase doesn’t do anything without an angle. You know that."

"I know," Ava admitted, running a hand through her hair. "But what if I’m letting my stubbornness blind me to something that could actually work? He said combining my methods with his algorithm could revolutionize matchmaking."

Ryan tilted his head, studying her for a moment. "You’re really thinking about this, aren’t you?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "I don’t trust him, but... I don’t want to miss out on something just because I’m too proud to listen."

Ryan’s usual smirk softened into something almost encouraging. "Go. Hear him out. But if he starts with one of those ’I think we’re not so different, you and I’ speeches, call me. I’ll bring a latte and a distraction."

Ava laughed despite herself. "Thanks for the backup, I guess."

---

The Coffee Shop Showdown

Ava pushed open the door of the trendy coffee shop and immediately regretted agreeing to this meeting. It was one of those industrial-chic places with exposed brick walls, Edison lightbulbs, and an overly complicated menu written on a chalkboard in illegible cursive. The patrons were equally pretentious—half of them wearing beanies indoors, the other half furiously typing on laptops as if they were crafting the next great American novel.

Ethan was sitting in the corner, scrolling through his phone with an air of practiced indifference. He looked annoyingly flawless, from his tailored gray suit to his perfectly styled hair that probably hadn’t moved an inch in the wind.

"Ava," he said smoothly, standing as she approached. His smile was polished and professional, the kind of smile that made you want to check your wallet to make sure it was still there.

"Ethan," Ava replied, her tone cool. She sat down across from him, crossing her arms. "Let’s skip the pleasantries. What’s this about?"

Ethan gestured to the latte sitting in front of her, its foam art a suspiciously perfect heart. "Chai latte, just how you like it. Thoughtful, right?"

Ava raised an eyebrow. "You think a free coffee is going to make me trust you?"

Ethan chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Fair enough. Let’s get to the point. I’m offering you a partnership."

She blinked. "A partnership?"

"Yes. My algorithm, your instincts—it’s the perfect blend of data and intuition. Together, we could reshape the industry."

Ava stared at him, her mind racing. On paper, the idea sounded... intriguing. But this was Ethan Chase, the human embodiment of ulterior motives. There was always a catch.

"Why now?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "What’s changed?"

Ethan hesitated for the briefest moment, then smoothed his expression. "The industry is evolving. People want results, but they also want authenticity. You bring the human touch I’ve been missing, and I bring the precision you’ve been avoiding. It’s a win-win."

Ava leaned back, her suspicion deepening. "Win-win for who? Because last time I checked, you were more interested in beating me than collaborating."

Ethan’s smile faltered slightly before recovering. "Maybe I’m tired of competing. Maybe I’ve realized that collaboration is the future."

"Or maybe you’ve realized your algorithm can’t fix everything," Ava shot back.

The surrounding patrons, who had been quietly pretending not to listen, collectively perked up at that. One woman, a few tables over, audibly sipped her latte, her eyes darting between Ava and Ethan like she was watching a reality show unfold.

"I’m not admitting defeat, if that’s what you’re implying," Ethan said smoothly, though the slight tightening of his jaw said otherwise. "I’m simply recognizing an opportunity."

Ava smirked. "Well, I’ll think about it. But just so we’re clear—if this is another stunt, I will bury you."

Ethan’s eyes gleamed, and he raised his latte in a mock toast. "To opportunities, then."

---

Mei’s Warning

That evening, Ava sat on the couch in Mei’s living room, pacing while her grandmother calmly sipped tea.

"So?" Ava demanded, throwing up her hands. "What do you think? Is he serious, or is this just another one of his ridiculous stunts?"

Mei set her teacup down, her expression unreadable. "When a snake smiles, it’s sharpening its fangs."

Ava frowned. "So... you think he’s lying?"

"Not necessarily," Mei said, tilting her head thoughtfully. "But Ethan doesn’t do anything without calculating every possible outcome. If he’s offering you a partnership, it’s because he believes it will benefit him."

Ava groaned, flopping onto the couch. "Great. So either he’s manipulating me, or he’s actually onto something and I’m too stubborn to admit it."

"Or both," Mei said with a faint smile.

"Very helpful," Ava muttered, pulling a throw pillow over her face.

Mei patted her knee. "The universe doesn’t always present opportunities in ways that are easy to recognize. The question isn’t whether Ethan can be trusted—it’s whether you’re willing to take a chance and still protect yourself."

---

Late-Night Decisions

Ava sat at her desk, staring at her laptop screen. The clock in the corner blinked 11:47 PM, but she wasn’t remotely close to feeling tired. Sleep was impossible when her brain felt like it had been stuffed into a blender and set to purée.

Ethan’s emailed proposal was open on her screen. She had already skimmed it twice, but now she was actually reading it, line by line, and every word felt like a tiny jab to her pride.

The document was infuriatingly professional—bullet points, pie charts, tables comparing her "intuitive success rate" with his algorithm’s "data-driven accuracy." It was exactly the kind of smug, well-crafted sales pitch she expected from Ethan Chase. And annoyingly, it wasn’t bad.

"Perfect synergy," she muttered under her breath, reading one of the headings. "Oh, please."

Her eyes drifted to the breakdown of their hypothetical collaboration. It wasn’t just fluff—there were actual steps, concrete ideas on how to blend his algorithm with her personal touch. The sections were titled things like Integrating Human Intuition into Predictive Models and Bridging Traditional Matchmaking with Modern Data Science.

Ava leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. It sounded almost... reasonable. Worse, it sounded intriguing.

"Stop it," she told herself. "You can’t seriously be considering this."

She glanced around her tiny home office, looking for a distraction. The room was a mess—papers scattered across the desk, her planner half-buried under a pile of sticky notes, and an empty mug with the faintest ring of chai residue sitting dangerously close to the edge.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, the vibration cutting through the quiet. She picked it up to see a text from Ryan.

---

Ryan: "Did you sell your soul to Ethan yet?"

Ava snorted, her lips curling into an involuntary smirk.

Ava: "Not yet. Still deciding if he’s Satan or just a really annoying salesman."

The dots indicating Ryan was typing appeared almost instantly.

Ryan: "If he’s Satan, at least negotiate better perks. I’m thinking free cake for life. And maybe a private jet."

Ava shook her head, rolling her eyes but smiling.

Ava: "You’re not helping."

Ryan: "That depends. Do you want good advice, or do you want to laugh?"

Ava hesitated, her fingers hovering over the screen.

Ava: "Both?"

Ryan: "Okay. Good advice: don’t trust Ethan. Better advice: keep snacks nearby if you plan to read anything he sends. You’ll need emotional support."

Ava glanced at the untouched granola bar sitting on the corner of her desk, still in its wrapper. She picked it up, unwrapped it with a sigh, and took a bite.

Ava: "Thanks, Dr. Phil. I’ll bill you for the therapy."

Ryan: "Put it on my tab. Also, if you need a latte at midnight to survive this, I’m your guy."

Ava chuckled, shaking her head. Ryan had an infuriating way of making her laugh even when she didn’t want to.

---

The Document That Won’t Shut Up

After finishing her granola bar, Ava reluctantly turned her attention back to Ethan’s proposal.

It wasn’t just the content that was bothering her—it was the tone. Every line seemed to scream, I’m Ethan Chase, and I’m smarter than you. Even the bullet points felt smug, like they were daring her to admit she needed him.

She scrolled to the section labeled Case Study: Hypothetical Success Rates and frowned. Ethan had taken the liberty of running a simulation based on her past client matches. He’d "enhanced" her selections with his algorithm and claimed that the adjusted results would have yielded an even higher compatibility score.

The nerve of the guy.

Ava slammed her laptop shut, pushing away from the desk. She stood and began pacing the room, muttering to herself. "Perfect synergy, my ass. He just wants to slap his name on my success and call it progress."

Her pacing slowed as another thought crept into her mind. What if he was right?

Her gut twisted at the idea. She hated the thought of giving Ethan even an ounce of credit, but the tiny, stubbornly logical part of her brain whispered that there might be something here.

Ava grabbed her laptop again and reopened the email, scrolling down to the section titled Collaborative Potential. Ethan’s words jumped off the screen:

"Your intuitive approach has a warmth and authenticity that my algorithm lacks. But with precision data, we could transform matchmaking into a science that never sacrifices the heart."

She rolled her eyes so hard she almost gave herself a headache. The man was a walking TED Talk, but the idea wasn’t completely without merit.

---

Mei’s Voice in Her Head

"When a snake smiles, it’s sharpening its fangs."

Mei’s cryptic warning floated into Ava’s mind, making her pause. Ethan was definitely a snake, but did that mean he couldn’t be useful? Mei always said opportunities came in strange forms, and sometimes the best way to win was to play along—at least for a little while.

Ava sighed, closing the laptop again and leaning back in her chair. "What do I do with this, Grandma?" she muttered to the empty room.

As if on cue, her phone buzzed again.

Ryan: "Okay, but seriously. You’re not actually thinking about working with him, are you?"

Ava stared at the screen for a moment, her thumbs hovering over the keyboard. Finally, she typed:

Ava: "I don’t know. Maybe."

Ryan’s reply came quickly.

Ryan: "This is the part where I ask if you’ve been hit on the head recently."

Ava: "I’m being serious."

Ryan: "So am I. Ethan is not the kind of guy you trust. He’s the kind of guy you keep at arm’s length while you hold a drink in your other hand—preferably one you can throw if necessary."

Ava smiled faintly.

Ava: "I don’t trust him. But what if he’s onto something? What if I let my pride get in the way of something that could actually work?"

There was a long pause before Ryan’s next text came through.

Ryan: "If it were anyone else, I’d say go for it. But it’s Ethan. The guy who posted a smug tweet about you literally last week."

Ava sighed, her resolve wobbling again.

Ryan: "Just... don’t rush into anything, okay? Take your time. Think it through. And call me if he starts monologuing like a Bond villain."

Ava: "You really think he’d monologue?"

Ryan: "Oh, 100%. He probably has a PowerPoint ready for it."

Ava laughed, her tension easing slightly. She didn’t have all the answers yet, but at least she knew one thing for sure: whatever decision she made, she wouldn’t be facing Ethan’s schemes alone.