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“I have. It is going to be a great asset to Chicago,”
“I can’t help but feel envious of the men behind such a feat—bringing something so beautiful into existence must require immense hard work and physical strain. Don’t you think?”
“I would have to agree, but I’m sure they are probably very fit,” he responded.
“I guess hard labor is one way to stay fit. I enjoy going to the gym, but mostly to stay toned. How about you?”
“There’s a workout facility near where I live,” he replied. “I like to start my day with a workout before heading to work. It helps me clear my mind and prepare for the challenges ahead.”
Without coming right out and asking him if he worked in an office, this conversation was going nowhere. Feeling frustrated with the lack of progress in our conversation, I decided to take a more direct approach. “I would love to touch your face. May I?” I asked, trying to hide my eagerness, hoping his facial features would tell me something about him.
“Yes, I would like to touch yours as well,” he paused. “Whoever is standing by our table, can you please help us accomplish this?”
“It would be my pleasure,” a masculine voice chimed in.
As our guide helped us adjust our seats, I eagerly volunteered to go first. “I’ll go first,” I announced, my excitement barely contained.
The guide took my hand in his and directed it to Harry’s cheek. His touch was surprisingly warm and comforting, like a brother’s. I marveled at how he could see so clearly in the darkness, wishing I had his goggles or whatever magical tool he used. Closing my eyes, I focused all my senses on Harry’s face. His skin was smooth and clean shaven, without a trace of facial hair. Moving my hand over his lips, they felt soft yet firm, different from a woman’s, but still pleasing to the touch. My other hand traced along his jawline and up to his chin, feeling its strong structure beneath my fingers. As I continued exploring his features with just my touch, I could envision his face in my mind’s eye. The only missing pieces were the colors of his hair and eyes. In my imagination, they were dark—perhaps deep brown like melted chocolate for his eyes, and a rich chestnut for his hair. Damn. How I wished I could see.
Satisfied that I memorized every feature of his face, it was now Harry’s turn. When the guide placed his hand on my cheek, it was as smooth as when he held my hand. His touch was gentle as he moved his hand along the contours of my face. When his thumb ran across my bottom lip, I was glad that I had chosen to wear clear lip gloss instead of my favorite pick lipstick. The last thing I wanted was to leave here with my lipstick smeared across my cheek.
“Your skin is so soft,” he complimented without warning.
Instead of thanking him for his compliment, I smiled. With his hand on my cheek, he would certainly be able to feel my cheeks lift. As he continued to explore my face, I wondered what he was thinking.
Before he could continue any further, the guide spoke. “Your time is up. If you would like to continue getting to know each other, you will need to do it on your own time. Once you leave here, it is up to you to find your soul mate.”
“Wait,” I interrupted the guide. “I thought if we wanted to meet who we were matched with, we could do so at the end of this session?”
“That is correct. As I said before, you will have to do it on your own,” he reiterated. “The women will leave first. If you neglect to leave without pursuing to get a glimpse of your match, you will forfeit your reward.”
Before I could protest, the guide’s hand was on my arm, assisting me to a standing position. This was so unfair, but I couldn’t risk losing the $10,000. Rising from my chair. I closed my eyes for a moment and said, “It was nice to meet you, Harry. I hope we will find each other once we leave here.”
“I will find you,” he reassured me. “You can count on it.”
~
Three days had passed since my encounter with Harry, the enigmatic man at the dating game. As I left the facility, my mind was consumed with the thought of forfeiting my reward for the chance to meet him in person. However, the reality of my crippling loan debt quickly brought me back down to earth. “I will find you,” were Harry’s last words to me before I left.
The nerves were overwhelming as I prepared to meet River Stevenson, the elusive billionaire. I knew that making a lasting impression on him was crucial. With less than an hour to get ready, I scoured every bit of information I could find about his company. Triage International was a powerhouse in the multinational commodities market, supplying precious metals, oil, and textiles to countries all over the world. They were also pioneers in innovative technology for electric automobiles and power generation. He rarely made public appearances and kept his personal life shrouded in mystery. Despite hours of research, I found little information about his family or personal history online. As I tried to calm my nerves and make final preparations, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of man he truly was behind closed doors.
With my notes and laptop in hand, I made my way down the hallway toward the lavish conference room. As much as I wanted to hold my meeting with Mr. Stevenson in the comfort of my own office, it was far too small and unimpressive for such an important client. I needed to make a lasting impression, and the conference room was the perfect place to do so.
As I made my way down the hallway and passed Drake’s door, he suddenly emerged from his office and stopped me in my tracks. His slicked back hair and expensive suit gave him an air of superiority that always made me uneasy. “If you’d like, I can sit in on your meeting with River Stevenson,” he offered with a smirk.
There was no chance I would allow him anywhere near my meeting or Mr. Stevenson’s account. With a fake smile plastered on my face, I brushed past Drake and replied, “No thanks. I’ve got this under control.”
Drake leaned against the wall, blocking my path once again. “If you decide to meet with him solo, just a word of advice… don’t bring up his family.”
I couldn’t help but be curious about Drake’s cryptic warning. “What about his family?” I asked, turning slightly to face him. “He’s a very private person. And I’m not even sure he has any family left.”
“Oh, believe me, he does,” Drake teased.
“Is that so? Do you know something I don’t?” Curiosity getting the best of me, I tempted fate and asked for more information.
A sly smile spread across Drake’s face as he spoke. “Only if you let me attend your meeting.”
I knew there was a catch—Drake wanted to attend my meeting with River in exchange for his insider knowledge. He was manipulative and cunning, but I never expected him to use what he knew about Mr. Stevenson’s family as leverage for a seat at our meeting. My interest waned quickly—there was no way I was going to stoop down to his level just for some insight into Mr. Stevenson’s personal life.
