The Misadventures of Endora Pan | Someone Who Loves Jesus
Chapter 16
You are reading The Misadventures of Endora Pan, a romantic comedy exploring the unpredictable nature of love and the chaos of everyday life. Set in the world of a young Taiwanese-American woman, this story delves into themes of self-discovery, cultural identity, and finding connection in unexpected places. Written in a witty, self-aware style, this novel is for readers looking for a light-hearted yet emotional read.
Before Dominic could say a word, Tiffany swooped in. She had the intense look Endora liked to call her resting mean face on fire. “Donavan, is it? You’re here to entice my honey on a date with you after destroying her chocolate and almost ruining her business forever? I have a question for you.”
“Sorry, what—”
“Honey…”
“No, don’t interrupt me.” Tiffany cradled Morgan’s head against her chest while the toddler reached for her godmother, babbling with glee. “After such a debacle, will you treat her love and kindness the way she deserves? What’s most important to you in a partner anyways?”
Dominic gawped for a moment before closing his mouth. Endora saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed before saying quietly, “Someone who loves Jesus.”
A silence followed Dominic’s words. Market sounds and chatter continued around them, but for a moment, it turned to fuzzy white noise, tuned down. Her eyes fixed on Dominic’s face, which, in spite of Tiffany’s interrogation, seemed relaxed. The corners of his mouth were even turned up in a soft smile.
“Honey.”
Tiffany’s voice brought Endora back to earth. She looked at her best friend and saw on Tiffany’s face a look of knowing before Tiffany handed her a stack of cookies from Colin to purchase.
“Oh. Right. Yeah.” Endora fumbled with the square chip and app, shaking her head a little. As she ran Marius’s credit card, the sound returned full volume, and she noticed the line behind Tiffany’s family forming again. Having a blind date meet her in a busy market setting could be one of her worst ideas ever.
“Thanks, Honey,” Tiffany said. “You’re doing great. Congrats again. We’ll talk later, yeah? Gonna go visit The Last Bookstore now and meet up with a writing friend.” She turned to Dominic, stared him down once more, but waved before shuffling her family out of the line. “Nice to meet you, Donavan.”
Dominic looked at Endora with bafflement. “Wait, that’s it? I thought she was going to rip my throat out for a minute.”
“Yeah, uh I dunno… Sorry, this was a bad idea. Sorry for making you wait around. Do you wanna hang out some other time? The market goes on for another hour.” Endora gestured to her line of customers.
Dominic shuffled his feet. “I could walk around the other stands and wait for you, if you don’t mind. Take you out to dinner after to celebrate a successful market day?”
Ten minutes ago, Endora would have turned this idea down at once. Dinner with her arch-nemesis after a long day of baking and selling? No, thanks. But now? She considered for a moment before nodding her assent.
You see, Reader, unbeknownst to Dominic, Endora had always told her friends what she most valued in a partner was also, someone who loves Jesus. Such a strange turn of events disarmed both Endora and her bestie, whose instinct told her this guy was alright. But, past history can’t be overcome in a moment. Let’s see how our protagonists proceed, shall we?