Page 12 of Matched

So much for Marina's questionnaire.

"Well, I guess it's time to go," I say and smile at Thomas after checking my watch. "I have to go back to the office and pick up some files, then it's working late at home for me."

"Oh, ending the date so early?" Thomas says, frowning. He checks his watch, which I notice is a Rolex. "I thought we could have a drink at my place."

"Not tonight, I'm afraid. I have a big presentation to prepare. Duty calls."

I give him a smile, fully intending to never see him again. I don't think there's anything else he can possibly tell me about himself. He's emptied it all out there.

"Well, if that's the case, I can drive you to your office. Maybe I could come back to your place after and we can have a drink there."

I shake my head. "No more alcohol for me. I'll be up late working."

I stand and he follows me out of the booth. It's clear he figured he'd be coming back to my place, or me going to his, after this fancy meal, but that's his mistake. I can barely wait to leave his company, frankly; he's so self-centered, he has no clue that I'm so bored, I'd rather talk to my Uber driver than spend another moment with him.

But I don't. If he wants to drive me back to the office, I'll be happy to get rid of him there.

We leave the restaurant – after he pays the waiter and points out how big his tip is – and then we walk down the street to his car. I get in and he's strangely silent now, like he's busy thinking of what he can do next because of his disappointment that I'm not going back to his place for something extra.

I give him the address to Pacifica's office and sigh with relief when we drive up and he drops me off.

"Thanks so much for dinner," I say before I get out of the car. "It was delicious."

I get out and wave at him, glad that I'm finally free. He rolls down the passenger window and leans over.

"I'll call you," he says, his voice hopeful. "Maybe we can get together again some night when you're not working late."

"That may be a while, I'm afraid," I reply and turn back to the car. "We have this big defense contract coming up and I'm swamped." I shrug and smile, then give him an I'll call you hand signal.

Yeah, it was a don't call me, I'll call you kind of date.

Then I turn and practically run up the stairs and into the building where Pacifica has its executive offices.

Thank God I'm free.

I take the stairs to the third floor instead of the elevator, and go to the office door, surprised that it's still open and the lights are on. Someone must be working late. When I go inside, I find none other than Jon working in his office behind his huge mahogany desk. He glances up and sees me, and sits up straighter, closing his laptop.

"You're back from your date?" he says, his voice sounding surprised.

I go inside and throw my bag on his desk and plop down on the chair across from him.

"Oh my God, that man can talk about himself," I say with a huge sigh. "I thought I'd never escape."

Jon looks smug. "I could have told you he's not for you. I could tell that the moment I saw him. He's an old man, for God's sake. He must be forty if he's a day."

I shrug. "I have no idea how old he is. That's one thing he neglected to tell me, although he told me practically everything else about himself – his job, his family, his house on the cliff overlooking the bay, his credentials. I feel like his therapist or something."

"He sounds like a real blowhard."

I shrug. "He's just full of himself. I know a lot of men like that," I quip, shooting him a look.

"Not me," Jon says, sitting up straighter. "I'm all about other people. In fact, I've been told I don't reveal enough about myself and am a closed book. I think those were the exact words you used when you reprimanded me."

"My words exactly," I say with a laugh, because that's true. Jon is a total extrovert and can talk to anyone about anything. You truly feel his interest in you when you meet him the first time. Not only does he have this mind like a steel trap, remembering every face he’s seen and hand he's shaken along with their name, he usually researches people he's going to meet and knows some personal tidbit about them so he can show his interest.

I feel like I know everything about Thomas, but I feel like Jon knows everything about me. And everyone else in his orbit.

But none of us know anything really deep about him.

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