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“No. I followed a private investigator and a police detective for the Glockman series. Authenticity is key, Eva. Can you help me?”
She nodded slowly, but I wasn’t taking anything for granted. “I could, but what’s in it for TFL or our clients?”
“I can name the matchmaking agency in the series-,”
“No,” she pointed a long red painted nail my way. “Absolutely not.”
“Okay. What do you want?” I would do anything, within reason, to avoid having to go to another matchmaker and enduring this humiliating process a second time.
“I want you to go into this process with an open mind. Give the women you’re matched with, if we find matches for you, a fair chance.”
I shook my head. Anything but that. “I’m willing to date, as long as its casual, but I’m not looking for anything more.”
“More than what, a hookup? This isn’t a dating app, Chris.” She snapped each syllable angrily and I knew I made a misstep.
“I know that, and I’m not trying to offend you.”
“Yet here I am. Offended. Deeply.”
A knock sounded at Eva’s door before I could decide whether to go for charming or honest.
“Oh am I late for…Chris. Mind if I sit in?”
“Not at all.” I motioned for Sophie Worthington to enter because I thought she might be a friendlier face. A more receptive sounding board. Stone was a nice guy and Sophie was a soft woman who wore pastel colored cardigans, she would understand.
“What’d I miss?”
Eva glanced at me while she spoke to Sophie. “Chris wants to sign up for research purposes. He’s writing about a guy who kills the women he meets through a matchmaker. And he refuses to take it seriously. Have I summed it up correctly?”
“A very abbreviated paraphrasing, but that’s about it.” I turned to Sophie with hope burning bright in my eyes, hoping she would, if nothing else, take pity on me.
“Why?” Sophie’s question caught me off guard, but her tone was gentle and inquisitive.
That meant I wasn’t dead in the water. Yet. “Why?”
She nodded and tucked a few stray blond strands behind her ear. “Why are you so against finding the right woman?”
“There is no right woman for me,” I insisted.
Eva tilted her head to the side, a sympathetic almost pitying look on her face. “Still in love with your ex? It can be hard to move on, but you have to try.”
“I’m not still in love with her,” I growled. “We divorced for a good reason and it’s still valid today.” That reason was she hadn’t believed in my dreams of being a writer, and had screwed a richer guy before I made it big.
“Is this all just for show?” Sophie asked softly. “This is Texas, I know, but Pilgrim is very accepting of alternative lifestyles. There’s no reason-,”
“Hold on just a damn minute. I’m not in love with my ex or harboring secret feelings for men, I’m just not interested in dating.”
“Or women,” both women said simultaneously before erupting into a fit of laughter.
“Forget it. This was a bad idea.” I stood and stared at each woman, so different on the outside but deep down, they were the same.
“Agreed,” Eva said easily.
“Not so fast,” Sophie said, a devilish smile on her face. “I think this could be quite interesting.”
“How? He could ruin our reputation, or murder one of our potential partners?” Eva’s sarcasm wasn’t lost on me, and I didn’t mind. I actually found her sharpness kinda funny.
“No one will end up dead, I promise.” I flashed another playful smile that was met with two stony stares.
“Guys like you often fall the hardest,” Sophie said with confidence. “Look at Oliver, and he doesn’t have the baggage of a messy divorce and custody battle.”
“So you understand?”
“Absolutely,” Sophie assured me. “But I don’t agree. We’ll take you on as a client and book dates. You will go on them and be charming and kind and courteous and engaging. You will assess each woman honestly to help us find her the right partner.”
“I can do that.”
“Good. And if you receive a compatibility match over ninety percent, you’ll agree to a second date.” I was wrong, Sophie might dress sweet and demure, but underneath she was a shark. Possibly a barracuda.
“I’m not sure. Isn’t that leading them on?”
“So sure she’ll want a second date with you, are you?” Eva’s dark brows arched, taunting me on purpose.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“You agree or not,” Sophie said, putting me on the spot.
“I agree,” I told her, my voice filled with resignation because I knew when I as beast.
“Excellent. I’m happy to get front row seats to the show when you fall.” Sophie stood and guided me to a large conference room, talking about a mile a minute about how the process works and what I should expect.
I barely heard any of it, because all I could see was my plan coming together beautifully, which meant my book would soon come together too.
