Page 19 of Her Age Gap Match

I kept my face completely straight for about four seconds before she realized I was joking and dissolved into laughter, one hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking. It did something to me, that laugh. The full body quality of it, completely unguarded.

"Go," I said, smiling. "Seven o'clock."

She went. Up the stairs, through a green door on the second floor.

I sat in the alley for a moment, helmet in my lap, the bike ticking quietly beneath me. Somewhere above me, a window—probably hers. I didn't look up.

I had a meeting to get to. I had pasta to think about. I had approximately six hours to figure out what the hell I was doing and make peace with it.

There were a thousand reasons not to do this…but the algorithm didn’t lie.

Ninety-nine percent match. Three other couples, all married with kids.

Poppy having a sex dream about me, of all people.

This was happening.

We’d find out tonight if the report meant anything.

CHAPTER 7

Poppy

This was moving fast…but somehow, it didn’t feel fast at all.

I’d known John for two years. Read his profile. Watched the ups and downs of his dates with various women who weren’t me, always known on some level it wasn’t going to work.

Maybe it was the compatibility report making me bold, but I felt it in my bones.

That man was mine.

He texted me mid-afternoon to tell me not to hype myself up; that I didn’t need to dress up or put on a show, that all he wanted to do was make me dinner. No strings or expectations either; I was under no obligation to stay the night. Still, it made me feel…things. Excitement at the idea that that was on the table.

Wanting it.

Wanting it so bad.

So bad that around four I ended up pulling my vibrator out and touching myself to the thought of him with his hands on me.

At 6:45, I was feeling much more comfortable than I had that morning—dressed in leggings and a big cozy sweater, fuzzy socks, sneakers, a scarf. I pulled my coat on over the whole ensemble and sent a text to Stevie explaining what was going on so she didn’t worry when she got home from work.

STEVIE

wait WHAT

you're going to whiskey daddy's apartment

tonight

TONIGHT tonight

POPPY

yes tonight tonight, please don't make it weird

STEVIE

I'm not making it weird you're making it weird by going to a man's apartment on the same day you confessed your feelings to him via a COMPATIBILITY REPORT