Eurydice Santiago had survived many things in her life—awkward social interactions, tripping over nothing in public, spilling wine on one of the most powerful men in the city—but nothing, nothing, compared to the absolute force of nature that was Aunt Carmen. And today? That force was unstoppable.
 “I’m not going,” Eurydice stated, arms crossed, sinking further into the couch.
“You are going,” Carmen Santiago countered, standing over her with hands on her hips, looking far too determined for Eurydice’s liking. “You agreed last night. I already told him to meet you at the café.”
“I agreed under pressure,” Eurydice shot back.
“It doesn’t count.” Carmen gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest.
“Pressure?! I am your loving aunt, and I am simply looking out for you. You make it sound like I’m throwing you to the wolves.”
“You are throwing me to the wolves. Bored, awkward, blind date wolves.”
Across the room, Leo Santiago, her younger brother, watched the scene unfold while munching on toast, clearly enjoying the show.
“Honestly, I vote she goes. This is the most entertainment I’ve had all week.” Eurydice grabbed a pillow and threw it at his face. Leo caught it effortlessly.
“Wow. No wonder you’re still single. Terrible aim.” Eurydice glared.
“I hope your laptop crashes and all your files disappear.” Leo gasped in mock horror.
“That’s evil, Eury.” “Enough,” Carmen said, snapping her fingers.
“Eurydice, you are going. And that’s final.”
Eurydice groaned loudly, dramatically flopping onto the couch.
“Why do you even care so much?! I’m perfectly happy being single.”
Carmen rolled her eyes. “Happy? Happy?! You spend more time sketching in your little art world than actually interacting with real people. When was the last time you even went on a date?”
Eurydice muttered something unintelligible into the couch.
Carmen cupped a hand to her ear. “What was that?”
Eurydice sighed and sat up. “I said… I don’t remember.” Carmen gasped so loudly, her mother, Isabel Santiago, peeked her head out from the kitchen.
“Everything okay?”
“No, everything is not okay,” Carmen huffed.
“Your daughter doesn’t even remember the last time she went on a date!” Isabel blinked.
“Oh. Well… that’s not surprising.” Eurydice groaned.
“Mom!” Isabel shrugged. “What? It’s true. You’ve always been picky.” Carmen threw her hands up.
“Exactly! So, I am doing her a favor! A kind, generous favor!” Eurydice crossed her arms.
“Oh, really? What’s this guy’s name, then?” Carmen hesitated.
“…You don’t know, do you?” Carmen waved a hand dismissively.
“Details! His mother is a friend of a friend, and he’s very nice, and that’s what matters.” Eurydice rubbed her temples.
“This is actually happening, huh?” Carmen grinned. “Yes. Now, go shower and wear something nice.”
Eurydice groaned louder but stood up.
“Fine! I’ll go. But if this guy turns out to be an unbearable, self-absorbed nightmare, I’m sending him your way, and you can date him instead.”
Carmen beamed, completely unfazed.
“Oh, perfect! I knew you’d come around.” Leo smirked.
“This is gonna be amazing.” Eurydice pointed a threatening finger at him.
“Say one word about this later, and I swear, I will unplug your Wi-Fi.” Leo gasped.
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.” And with that, Eurydice dragged herself to her room, fully resigned to her fate.
Tomorrow, she was going on a blind date.
Fantastic.
The small, cozy café where they were supposed to meet was one of her favorites—a quiet, charming place with warm lighting, a sweet aroma of pastries, and a peaceful atmosphere. It was not the kind of place where you showed up wearing a designer suit, oversized sunglasses, and an attitude bigger than your bank account. Yet, that was exactly what Jacob Langford III did. He was already seated when she arrived, one arm draped over the back of his chair, legs crossed as if he were posing for a magazine cover. His expensive watch gleamed under the soft lighting, and the first thing he did when she sat down was slide his sunglasses off dramatically—despite the fact that they were indoors.
“Ah, so you’re the lucky one,” Jacob said, flashing a smirk. “You must be Eurydice.”
She blinked. “Uh… yeah.”
He gave a low chuckle, shaking his head like he knew something she didn’t. “I have to admit, when my mother said she was setting me up with someone, I was worried. But looking at you now?” He leaned back, grinning. “I can see she has good taste.”
Eurydice immediately resisted the urge to roll her eyes into another dimension.
“Right. Thanks,” she muttered, already regretting everything.
A waiter came over, setting down menus. But before Eurydice could even glance at hers, Jacob waved it off. “I don’t need that,” he said with a self-important air. “I’ve been here before. The owner’s a friend of mine.” He leaned toward Eurydice, as if this was somehow impressive. “You could say I have connections.”
Eurydice bit her tongue. Wow. So cool. A man who knows a café owner. What a rare and powerful individual. She decided to ignore it. Maybe he was just nervous. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as he seemed. Then, he ruined that hope instantly.
“So,” Jacob said, stretching lazily.
“Tell me about yourself. I mean, I already know you’re lucky to be here with me, but I’ll let you talk anyway.”
Eurydice nearly choked on her coffee.
“Excuse me?” she said, blinking at him. Jacob smirked. “I mean, not to sound cocky—” Too late, buddy. “—but I’m not exactly the easiest guy to get a date with.” He tapped his watch for emphasis. “I’m busy. Not a lot of free time, you know? Running businesses, investments, networking with important people.”
Eurydice stared at him. “You… own a business?”
Jacob waved a hand. “Well, technically, my father owns most of them, but I help. A lot. I’m in charge of marketing for one of our brands. It’s a huge deal.”
Eurydice had never wanted to leave a table faster. She took a slow sip of her coffee, trying to mentally prepare for survival.
“Right. So… what do you like to do for fun?” Jacob grinned.
“Oh, you know, the usual. Luxury vacations. Yacht parties. Private clubs.”
He adjusted his already perfect cufflinks.
“I’ve been to Europe seven times this year alone.”
Eurydice nodded absently. “Wow. That’s… expensive.”
Jacob laughed, as if that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.
“Money isn’t an issue for me.” Of course, it’s not. He leaned forward. “What about you? What do you do?”
Eurydice hesitated. She already knew this guy was the kind of person who wouldn’t take her seriously, but she answered anyway. “I’m an artist,” she said simply.
Jacob tilted his head, giving her a look of mild pity. “Oh. That’s cute.”
Eurydice’s grip tightened on her coffee cup.
Cute? CUTE?!
He nodded as if confirming something in his own head. “I mean, that’s nice and all, but… isn’t that more of a hobby than a career?”
Eurydice felt her soul leave her body.
“It’s not a hobby,” she said flatly. “I work at a gallery, I sell commissions, and I actually make money from it.”
Jacob smirked, clearly not listening. “Sure, sure. But, you know… it’s not exactly a real job.”
Eurydice inhaled sharply.
Don’t flip the table.
Don’t flip the table.
It’s not worth jail time.
Jacob leaned back. “But don’t worry. Once we go on a few more dates, I can introduce you to some real career opportunities. You’d be surprised how many women benefit from dating someone like me.”
Eurydice stared at him, deadpan. “Oh? Like how?” Jacob smirked, clearly believing he was God’s gift to humanity.
“Well, I could help you find a real job. Something stable. Or, honestly? You wouldn’t even need to work. I could take care of everything.”
Eurydice was this close to dumping her coffee on his overpriced suit. Instead, she took a deep breath, stood up, and grabbed her bag.
Jacob blinked. “Uh… what are you doing?”
She smiled sweetly.
Fake.
Completely fake.
“Well, Jacob,” she said, “this has been truly life-changing, but I just realized—I actually have a real job to get to.”
Jacob scoffed. “You’re leaving? We just started!”
“Oh no, you just started.” She grabbed a napkin, scribbled something down, and handed it to him.
“What’s this?” he asked, confused. She smiled. “A list of things to Google. Self-awareness. Emotional intelligence. How to talk to women like they’re people.”
Jacob’s mouth fell open. “Excuse me?”
“And just so we’re clear?” She leaned in slightly. “I don’t need to marry rich to be happy.”
Jacob sputtered. “Who even said anything about marriage?!” Eurydice shrugged, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
“Oh, I don’t know. But considering you think being with you is the best investment a woman could make, I figured I’d shut that down early.”
She patted his shoulder. “I’d say this was fun, but honestly? I’d rather go back in time and relive the moment I spilled wine on Conrad Montague.” With that, she walked out, leaving Jacob sitting there—stunned, offended, and, most importantly, alone.
Fifteen minutes later, Eurydice stormed into her family’s bakery, dramatically dropping her bag onto the counter. Leo, who had been snacking on a muffin, raised an eyebrow.
“So. How was it?” Eurydice collapsed onto a chair.
“Leo. I just had the worst date of my life.” He smirked.
“That bad?” She grabbed a napkin, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it at his face.
“You have no idea.” From the kitchen, Aunt Carmen called out,
“So? How did it go? When’s the next date?” Eurydice groaned into the table. Leo laughed.
“So… never?” Eurydice lifted her head just enough to glare at him.
“Never. Ever. Again.”"