Matchmaker Mayhem

Ryan wasn’t the type to plan romantic gestures. In fact, he actively avoided anything that could be classified as "grand" or "romantic." But after weeks of miscommunications, missed moments, and Ava giving him just enough mixed signals to drive him insane, he decided it was time to take matters into his own hands.

"Are you sure about this?" Kelly asked skeptically, standing in Ava’s office as Ryan set up candles on every available surface.

"Not remotely," Ryan admitted, shoving a bouquet of mismatched flowers into a vase. "But she’s not going to make the first move, so someone has to."

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "And your plan is to... what? Scare her into loving you with excessive mood lighting?"

Ryan glared at her. "It’s called ambiance."

Kelly gestured to the string quartet crammed awkwardly into the corner. "And what’s this? Ambiance with a soundtrack?"

Ryan sighed, adjusting the bow tie on one of the violinists. "It’s a grand romantic gesture. That’s what people do in these situations, right?"

Kelly smirked. "Sure. If you’re in a rom-com from 2004."

"Do you have a better idea?" Ryan asked, clearly exasperated.

Kelly considered this for a moment, then shrugged. "Nope. But if this goes horribly wrong, I’m definitely filming it."

Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Great. Thanks for the vote of confidence."