Matchmaker Mayhem
Chapter 36: The Grand Gesture

Chapter 36: The Grand Gesture

Ava had faced a lot of bizarre situations in her life as a matchmaker—clients sabotaging their own relationships, surprise engagements in completely inappropriate venues, and that one time a bride tried to swap grooms mid-ceremony. But nothing could have prepared her for Ryan Kim showing up in her office lobby holding a crumpled paper bag of bagels and the kind of expression usually reserved for court depositions or root canals.

Kelly appeared behind her like a caffeinated shadow, leaning dramatically over Ava’s shoulder. "Oh my God, is he holding... carbs?" she whispered, her voice dripping with mock horror.

"Don’t start," Ava muttered, clutching her coffee as though it might shield her from the oncoming disaster.

"No, seriously," Kelly whispered, her grin widening. "I think this might be his version of a grand romantic gesture. Like when guys in movies hold up signs or play guitars outside windows. Except, you know, instead of music or flowers... it’s bread."

Ava shot her a look. "It’s a bagel. Not a sonnet."

"A bagel is a carb of love," Kelly countered, deadpan. "Honestly, I respect the creativity."

"Please go back to your desk," Ava sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"No way. This is the most entertaining thing to happen all week," Kelly said, pulling out her phone. "If he starts juggling bagels to prove his devotion, I’m recording it for TikTok."

"Why do I even employ you?" Ava muttered as she pushed past Kelly and stepped into the lobby.

---

The marble floors of the lobby gleamed under the fluorescent lights, and Ryan stood dead center, looking like he was preparing for battle. His hair was slightly mussed, as if he’d been running his hands through it for hours, and he had the unmistakable aura of a man who had both overthought and underprepared for whatever he was about to do.

"What is this?" Ava asked, gesturing to the bag in his hand as she approached him.

Ryan straightened, clearing his throat. "I’m recreating the day we met."

Ava blinked. "With bagels?"

Ryan nodded solemnly, like he’d just announced plans to negotiate world peace. "You dropped your coffee that day, remember? And I offered you my bagel as an apology."

"You didn’t ’offer’ me a bagel," Ava corrected, crossing her arms. "You shoved a half-eaten bagel into my hand and said, ’This should help.’"

Ryan winced. "Okay, fine, maybe it wasn’t my best work. But it was memorable."

"No, what made it memorable was that you spilled coffee on my shoes and then tried to tell me it was a ’sign from the universe’ to buy better footwear."

Ryan grinned sheepishly. "Yeah... I was going through a ’fake deep’ phase back then."

"You think?" Ava said, arching an eyebrow.

Ryan held up a fresh, fully intact everything bagel as though it were an olive branch. "Well, I figured I’d try to make up for it."

Ava glanced at the bagel, then at the coffee cup in his other hand. "Is that...?"

"Triple-shot latte, extra foam," Ryan said, holding it out to her. "Your favorite. No barista trauma required this time."

Ava stared at the cup, her emotions warring between irritation and amusement. "Are you seriously trying to win me over with caffeine and bagels?"

"Yes," Ryan said, his tone sincere. "And also with words. But mostly caffeine."

---

Before Ava could respond, Ryan launched into what could only be described as an ill-prepared soliloquy. He began pacing in small, frantic circles, waving the bagel for emphasis like it was a pointer in a PowerPoint presentation.

"When we first met," he began, "I thought you were the most stubborn, uptight, and exasperating person I’d ever encountered."

"Wow," Ava said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Keep the compliments coming."

"I’m serious," Ryan said, shooting her a glare. "But what I didn’t realize back then was that you were also brilliant, passionate, and completely incapable of half-assing anything. You’re... relentless in the best possible way."

Ava raised an eyebrow, but her arms loosened slightly across her chest. "Go on."

"And yeah," Ryan continued, his voice softening, "you drive me crazy. But you also make me think differently. You make me believe in things I’d stopped believing in—like love, and second chances, and... carb-heavy breakfasts."

Ava’s lips twitched, but she refused to smile. "You’re really bad at this, you know."

"I know," Ryan admitted, stepping closer. "But I’m trying. Because you’re worth it."

---

Just as the moment threatened to tip into full-blown romantic territory, chaos struck.

The janitor, who had been quietly mopping the far end of the lobby, chose that exact moment to lose control of his cart. A precarious stack of mop buckets wobbled, teetered, and finally crashed to the floor in a tidal wave of dirty water.

One rogue bucket rolled directly toward Ryan’s legs. He turned, saw it too late, and stumbled backward in what could only be described as an interpretive dance of panic. His arms flailed, the bag of bagels went flying, and he narrowly avoided crashing into a nearby potted plant.

Unfortunately, his foot landed squarely in the mop water, sending a cascade of dirty droplets onto his suit.

The entire lobby froze.

Ava pressed her lips together, her shoulders shaking as she desperately tried to hold back laughter.

Ryan, dripping and glaring at the mop bucket like it was his sworn nemesis, muttered, "This is exactly why I don’t do grand gestures."

That was all it took. Ava burst into laughter, doubling over as tears streamed down her face.

Ryan crossed his arms, attempting to look dignified despite the fact that he was standing in a puddle with bagel crumbs on his shoulder. "I just poured my heart out, and you’re laughing?"

"You—" Ava wheezed, clutching her stomach. "You got taken out by a mop bucket!"

Ryan huffed, though a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I can see why I fell for you. Your compassion is overwhelming."

---

Once her laughter finally subsided, Ava straightened, brushing a stray hair out of her face. Her cheeks were still flushed, but whether it was from laughing or something else entirely, she couldn’t say. She looked at Ryan—soaked, bagel-less, and utterly ridiculous—and yet, there was something in his expression that made her chest tighten.

"So," she said, folding her arms, her voice just a little unsteady. "What happens now?"

Ryan stepped closer, his shoes still squelching slightly from the mop water. He hesitated for just a moment, as if he were weighing every word. Then, with uncharacteristic softness, he said, "Now, I ask if you’ll forgive me."

Ava raised an eyebrow, doing her best to ignore the way her heart skipped a beat. "Forgive you for what, exactly? The mixer disaster? The gala fiasco? Or, I don’t know, spilling coffee on me that one time?"

"All of it," Ryan said, his voice steady but his eyes searching hers. "And for being an idiot who spent way too much time trying to convince himself that you were just someone I enjoyed annoying."

Ava’s breath caught in her throat. "And what do you think now?"

Ryan took another step closer, closing the distance between them. His voice dropped, quieter now, almost as if he was afraid the truth might scare her off. "Now, I think I’m in love with you. Actually, scratch that—I know I am."

Ava blinked, stunned into silence. The words hung in the air between them, weighty and real, and she felt her heart slam against her ribcage as if it were trying to leap out and meet him halfway.

"You’re... in love with me?" she finally managed to whisper, her voice barely audible.

Ryan nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. "Yeah. And it scares the hell out of me, because you’re the one person I can’t seem to get out of my head. You challenge me, you drive me insane, and you make me want to be better. And if I’ve learned anything from all of this, it’s that I’d rather stumble through life with you—mop buckets and all—than figure it out on my own."

Ava opened her mouth to respond, but her throat felt tight, her emotions swirling in a way that made it impossible to speak. She had spent so much time overanalyzing every interaction, second-guessing every moment, but now, standing in front of him, it all seemed so simple.

"I know I’m terrible at this," Ryan added, his lips twitching into a self-deprecating smile. "But I’m great at being persistent. And annoying. That’s gotta count for something, right?"

Ava rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "You’re really bad at this," she said, her voice soft.

Ryan nodded. "Terrible, actually."

"But," Ava continued, taking a step toward him, "you’re annoyingly good at making me laugh. And somehow, against all logic and reason, you’ve managed to worm your way into my heart."

Ryan’s smirk faltered, replaced by something softer, something raw. "So... what does that mean?"

"It means," Ava said, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him closer, "you’re forgiven. Mostly."

And with that, she kissed him.

The world seemed to tilt slightly as their lips met, the chaos of the day—no, of the past year—fading into the background. Ryan’s hands slid to her waist, tentative at first, but when she didn’t pull away, his grip tightened just enough to send a pleasant shiver down her spine. The kiss was slow, unhurried, as though they were both trying to savor the moment, to make up for lost time.

In the back of her mind, Ava couldn’t help but think that Ryan even kissed like he argued—with just enough teasing to keep her on her toes, but so much sincerity it made her knees weak.

When they finally pulled apart, Ryan rested his forehead against hers, his breath warm against her cheek. "Does this mean you’re not going to call me an idiot anymore?"

Ava smirked, though her heart was still racing. "Don’t push your luck."

Ryan chuckled, his voice low and full of relief. "Fair enough. But just so we’re clear—I’m not going anywhere, Ava. Not anymore."

For the first time in what felt like forever, Ava let herself believe him. "Good," she said softly. "Because I’m not letting you go."

---

Back in the office, Kelly leaned dramatically against the window overlooking the lobby, chewing a piece of gum as though she were narrating a live soap opera. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have contact. I repeat: they are officially making out."

One of the interns sidled up beside her, holding a clipboard that he clearly wasn’t using for work. "Is this... normal?"

Kelly snorted, waving a hand. "Define normal. For these two, this has been building for months. Honestly, I’m shocked it didn’t happen in the middle of a mixer."

The intern frowned, tilting his head. "Should we... tell them we can see everything?"

Kelly turned to him, aghast. "Absolutely not. This is sacred. Let them have their moment."

Just as Kelly was reaching for her phone to snap a stealth photo, Ava and Ryan walked back into the office, hand in hand. Ava’s cheeks were flushed, and Ryan had a distinctly smug look on his face, as if he’d just won a particularly heated debate.

"Welcome back, lovebirds," Kelly said, smirking as she leaned casually against her desk. "How was the lobby? Romantic lighting? Ambiance?"

Ava glared at her, though there was no real heat behind it. "I hate you."

"I know," Kelly said brightly. "But I’m the reason you’re trending right now, so you’re welcome."

"Trending?" Ryan repeated, narrowing his eyes.

Kelly held up her phone, where a blurry but unmistakable photo of their kiss was already circulating on the office group chat. "It’s not my fault you two decided to stage a rom-com finale where everyone could see."

Ava groaned, covering her face with her free hand. "I’m going to need so much wine."

Ryan, however, just grinned. "Worth it."

Ava peeked at him through her fingers, her exasperation melting into a laugh. "You’re impossible."

"And you love it," Ryan said, squeezing her hand.

Kelly mimed gagging but couldn’t hide her smile. For all her teasing, even she had to admit: they were kind of perfect for each other. Mop bucket disasters and all.