But I wasn’t done yet. “I want someone strong enough to let his guard down and be vulnerable, someone who doesn’t take himself too seriously. I’m over the hypebeasts who care more about how they look on social media than about being with me. You want to know why I love Hallmark movies?” I didn’t wait for an answer. “In Hallmark towns, the dates aren’t just preludes to sex. Hallmark heroes scream their faces off in joy while sleigh-riding down the hill in the local park. They stop mid-stride on their walk home from…wherever…to initiate a snowball fight. They’re not too self-conscious to ask their love interest to dance somewhere other than a dance floor. And they’re all about the grand gesture. And not for the purpose of going viral on TikTok or YouTube, but to demonstrate the intensity of their feelings. That’s what I want.”

I took a much-needed gulp of the fresh drink the waitress had placed before me, as it occurred to me my dining mates hadn’t said anything. Kate’s mouth was agape, and Finn was staring at me with a strange look on his face. Maybe I’d gone a tad too far with my proclamation. My knees wobbled under the table, and a bead of sweat dropped between my breasts. My eyes pleaded with Kate. Help me.

Recovering from her stupor in record time, she placed one of her hands over mine. “You deserve all of those things!”

I gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you.” I felt Finn’s steady gaze on me but kept my eyes on Kate.

“What about you?” Kate asked Finn. “What are your feelings on true love?”

I reluctantly turned my attention to him, just as he looked away from me.

“I don’t think any of what Adi mentioned is too much to ask for, although I’d argue against the relevance of geography.” He fiddled with his napkin.

Kate leaned forward. “You’re not anti-love, then?”

Finn scrunched his face. “Of course not.” His phone rang, and he grunted before standing up. “Excuse me a second.”

When he walked away, I glared at her. “What are you doing?”

She responded to the question with a blank expression.

“My verbal diarrhea on the topic of romance was bad enough. Please don’t make it more awkward by probing Finn for his thoughts on the matter.”

She hmphed. “I’m super curious about his story. Aren’t you?”

Finn rejoined us. “Sorry about that. What did I miss?”

“Nothing,” we replied in unison. I kicked her under the table as a warning to cut it out.