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I’m starting to believe this is who Nathan Wilder truly is—honest to a fault, even if what comes out of his mouth isn’t always what you want to hear.
“And what type of woman do you think would merit you prioritizing her?” I ask, needing to learn more about his core values.
His forehead wrinkles in concentration, really giving my question some thought this time, so I lean back in my seat, silently allowing him to take his time.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” he answers, looking lost.
“And why do you think that is?”
“Fuck,” he curses under his breath, running his hand over his face. “You sure do ask a lot of questions.”
“That’s the whole point.” I smile in sympathy. “You can’t learn anything about a person at face value alone. Not unless youask the tough questions that can enable a deep understanding of a person. And even then, you have to trust they are telling you the truth and not just what you want to hear. Matchmaking is built on trust, Nate. And if you want me to help you, then we’re going to have to touch on subjects that might feel a bit too personal for you. Or perhaps you haven’t even thought truly about yourself in that way until the question was asked of you. It’s all a process. One that I endeavor to make as pain-free as possible.”
The way his pleading eyes search mine tells me Nate has never been more out of his depth than he is right now. I don’t know why that saddens me, but it does.
“Can we circle back to that one later?” he asks, the vulnerable flicker in his gaze telling me to take pity on him.
“We can do that. Sure. But I would like to know what your true intentions are.”
“My intentions?” He frowns.
“Yes, Nate. Your intentions,” I repeat, so he understands this is a make-or-break question. “So far, you’ve been very honest with me, so it’s only right that I be bluntly honest with you, too. If this is nothing but a PR stunt that Piper has put you up to, then I’m going to decline taking any part in it. However, if you are truly willing to commit to this experiment and are actually interested in me finding a perfect match for you, then I’ll consider taking you on as a client. Are you open to finding someone to share your life with, Nate?”
“Fuck. Again, with the hard questions. You don’t hold back any punches, do you?” He chuckles self-deprecatingly.
“No. This job is too important to beat around the bush. I’ll always be transparent with you if you agree to always be truthful with me.”
“Yeah, okay.” He nods, brushing his open palms on his jean-clad thighs. “I’m not sure what you want me to say, though.”
“This isn’t a pop quiz, Nate. There are no right or wrong answers. As long as they remain truthful, anything you say is fine.”
“Can you help me out a little bit?” he mutters, once again wiping his hands over his jeans.
He’s nervous.
Somewhere in the last five minutes, his abrasive bravado vanished before my eyes, leaving a man whose anxiety and insecurities rule all his mannerisms with each question I ask. Sensing that this might be a little too much for him, I try a softer approach to get the answers that I need.
“Sure. Let’s start small. How about you tell me why you came to see me today?”
“You already know why. Piper told me I had to.”
“Nate, you hardly seem the type to do anything you don’t want to,” I counter with a playful grin.
“Yeah, well, when your sport’s agent tells you to be somewhere or risk getting your balls chopped off, you’re not left with much of a choice.”
I press my lips together, stifling the giggle that wants to come out.
Of course, Piper’s go-to move is threatening bodily harm.
I should have known.
“I see. What if I told you I could get Piper to back off and guarantee that your family jewels will remain intact? Would you still want my help?”
When he instantly nods, I don’t think too long or hard about why my tense muscles instantly relax.
“I don’t know many people outside of hockey,” Nate starts, his eyes narrowing to a closed notebook on my desk. “After I got recruited to the Guardians after college, I moved here not knowing anyone. My friends… the few I do have… they consist of my teammates.”
I remain silent, giving him ample time to speak his mind, as I’m getting a sense that even he doesn’t fully know the real reason why he’s here.
