Matchmaker Mayhem
Chapter 70: Romantic Resolution

Chapter 70: Romantic Resolution

The tea shop was quiet, a welcome change from the whirlwind chaos of the matchmaking convention. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a golden glow over the polished wooden tables and shelves stacked with colorful tins of loose-leaf tea. For the first time in weeks, Ava felt like she could finally exhale.

Or so she thought.

"Are you going to keep pacing, or should I set up a lap counter?" Ryan’s voice came from the back corner, where he was leaning against the counter, arms crossed and watching her with an amused grin.

Ava stopped mid-step, glaring at him. "I’m not pacing."

Ryan arched a brow. "You’ve been circling that table for the last five minutes. Pretty sure even Harold could beat that time, and he’s still recovering from the convention’s dessert-cart collision."

Ava groaned, running a hand through her hair. "I just... need to think."

"About what?" Ryan asked, pushing off the counter and walking toward her. "Let me guess—Mei’s next ’secret envelope’? Julian’s bruised ego? Or are you drafting your acceptance speech for Matchmaker of the Year?"

Ava shot him a look. "None of the above."

Ryan smirked, stopping just a few feet away. "So what’s got you all twisted up?"

Ava hesitated, the words catching in her throat. She hated how easily Ryan could read her, how he always seemed to know when something was bothering her, even when she hadn’t figured it out herself.

Finally, she sighed, sitting down at one of the tables. "This... us. I’m trying to figure out if it’s a good idea."

Ryan’s smirk faded, replaced by something softer. "What do you mean?"

Ava gestured vaguely between them. "You and me. Working together, navigating Mei’s chaos, running a business... and now this. It’s a lot. What if we screw it up? What if it affects the business?"

Ryan pulled out the chair across from her and sat down, his eyes never leaving hers. "Ava, we’ve been dealing with chaos since the day we met. You locked me in a storage closet with you, remember?"

Ava winced. "I was trying to escape Ethan’s awful networking pitch."

"And yet, here we are," Ryan said, leaning forward slightly. "We’ve survived Julian’s algorithms, Ethan’s sabotage, and Mei’s... Mei-ness. You really think we can’t handle this?"

Ava chewed her bottom lip, her mind racing. "It’s not about handling it. It’s about... mixing things. What if the lines blur? What if we lose sight of what’s important?"

Ryan tilted his head, studying her. "What’s important to you?"

"Helping people," Ava said instantly. "Making connections that actually mean something. Building a business that doesn’t rely on algorithms or fake profiles."

Ryan smiled, his voice soft. "And you think I don’t want those same things?"

Ava hesitated, her hands fidgeting with the edge of the table. "I don’t know. I just... I don’t want to mess this up. With you."

For a moment, Ryan didn’t say anything. Then, he reached across the table, his hand covering hers. His touch was warm, steadying. "Ava, we’re already a team. In the business, in the chaos... in everything. Adding this"—he gestured between them—"doesn’t change that. It just makes us stronger."

Ava looked up at him, her heart doing that now-familiar flip-flop. "Stronger, huh?"

Ryan grinned. "Stronger. And funnier. Because, let’s be honest, no one else could handle your need to control every little detail."

She rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched into a reluctant smile. "You’re not exactly low-maintenance yourself, you know."

"Exactly," Ryan said, squeezing her hand. "We balance each other out. And if things get messy—which they will—we’ll figure it out. Together."

Ava let his words sink in, the knot in her chest loosening just a little. She’d spent so much time overthinking, worrying about what could go wrong, that she hadn’t stopped to consider what could go right.

"Okay," she said finally, her voice quiet but firm. "We’re a team."

Ryan’s grin widened, and he stood, pulling her up with him. "Damn right we are."

---

They stood there for a moment, hands still intertwined, the sunlight streaming through the windows of the tea shop, casting a golden glow over everything. The faint aroma of freshly brewed tea lingered in the air, mingling with the soft hum of background jazz that played on the old speakers. It was the kind of quiet that felt rare—precious. No algorithms to wrestle with, no sabotages to fend off, no Mei-induced chaos. Just the two of them.

Ava glanced down at their hands, the sight of Ryan’s fingers laced with hers sending a flicker of warmth through her chest. It was a moment of calm she hadn’t realized she needed. She tilted her head, a teasing glint in her eyes as she broke the silence. "So, does this mean you’re officially my boyfriend? Or are we going with something less... traditional? Like, I don’t know, ’partners in matchmaking?’"

Ryan’s lips quirked into a grin, his thumb brushing idly over her knuckles. "I was leaning toward ’partners in crime,’ but I’m open to negotiations."

Ava pretended to think, her lips curving into a playful smile. "Hmm. How about ’Matchmaker-in-Chief’s Favorite Person?’"

Ryan chuckled, stepping a little closer. The warmth in his gaze sent a flutter of nerves and excitement racing through her. "Works for me. But only if I get to call you ’Matchmaker Extraordinaire.’"

Ava rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "You’re impossible."

"And yet," Ryan said softly, his voice dropping to a near-whisper, "here you are, stuck with me."

His words hung in the air, and Ava felt her breath hitch as the space between them seemed to narrow. She was acutely aware of the way he was looking at her—like she was the only person in the room, the only thing that mattered. It wasn’t the first time she’d caught him looking at her like that, but here, in the quiet glow of the tea shop, it felt different. It felt real.

Her heart fluttered as Ryan leaned in slightly, his free hand brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. His touch was soft, deliberate, and it sent a shiver down her spine. Ava’s mind screamed at her to say something, to break the tension, but for once, she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to ruin this fragile moment.

"Hey," Ryan said softly, his voice barely audible. "You okay?"

Ava nodded, her lips parting slightly. "Yeah. Just... taking it all in."

Ryan’s grin softened, and he tilted his head, his gaze dropping to her lips for the briefest moment before returning to her eyes. "Can I—"

Before he could finish, Ava leaned up on her toes, closing the distance between them. Their lips met in a kiss that was light at first—playful, testing—but it quickly deepened, carrying the weight of everything they’d danced around for weeks. It wasn’t rushed or desperate. It was unhurried, intentional, and filled with the kind of quiet certainty that didn’t need words.

When they finally pulled back, Ava let out a soft laugh, her cheeks flushing. "You talk too much."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, his grin turning mischievous. "Oh, that’s rich coming from you."

Ava rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face betrayed her. "Are you always this annoying, or is it just for me?"

"Just for you, Matchmaker Extraordinaire," Ryan teased, his tone warm.

Before Ava could respond, the bell above the shop’s door jingled, and they both turned to see Mei sweeping in, her eyes immediately landing on them. Behind her, Harold followed with his arms full of grocery bags.

"Ah, young love," Mei said dramatically, clasping her hands together like a proud parent. "Don’t mind me—carry on."

Ava groaned, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red as she stepped back from Ryan. "You’re already interrupting, Mei."

"Interrupting?" Mei feigned innocence, setting a bag of tea leaves on the counter. "Nonsense! I’m just here to bask in the glow of your budding romance."

Harold chuckled as he set the bags down. "I told her to give you two some space, but she insisted we stop by."

Ryan grinned, clearly enjoying Ava’s discomfort. "It’s fine, Harold. She’s just making sure we don’t get too comfortable."

"Oh, don’t act like you don’t enjoy my meddling," Mei said, waving a hand dismissively. "Besides, I had a brilliant idea on the way over. Harold and I are testing out a new scone recipe. You two should help."

Ava raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Scones? Really?"

"Yes, scones!" Mei said, her tone imperious. "It’s a bonding activity. You two could use some teamwork practice."

Ava turned to Ryan, who was already grabbing an apron from the hook by the counter. He tossed one to her, his grin widening. "Come on, Matchmaker Extraordinaire. Let’s see if we can survive one more round of chaos."

Ava caught the apron, shaking her head but smiling despite herself. "Why do I feel like this is going to end with flour everywhere?"

"Because it will," Harold said cheerfully, unpacking a bag of ingredients.

As Mei busied herself instructing Harold on proper flour measurements ("No, Harold, not that kind of pinch!"), Ava tied the apron around her waist and glanced at Ryan, who was already rolling up his sleeves. For a moment, she just watched him, her chest tightening in a way that wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

"Ready?" Ryan asked, catching her gaze.

Ava smirked, grabbing a handful of flour and tossing it at him. "Let’s do this."

Ryan sputtered, wiping the flour from his face, but he was laughing, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Oh, it’s on now."

The chaos that followed was exactly as Ava had predicted: flour in their hair, dough on their faces, and Mei orchestrating the whole thing like a master conductor. But as Ava glanced at Ryan, who was grinning like a fool with a streak of flour across his cheek, she couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, the chaos wasn’t so bad after all.