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I was expecting this. I nod. “Yes, Cole Reed. I wouldn’t say we go way back. We were friends in college. We didn’t keep in touch.”
“Hmm. All right.” Her hum sounds a lot like she doesn’t believe me.
“Cole and I never dated. I think I can count the amount of times we were in a group of less than four together on one hand,” I admit.
She blinks. And I continue, “Actually, I’m not even sure you could have even called us friends. We just knew each other. I was still with Trevor when I met Cole. He was always dating someone new. We were just acquaintances truthfully.” I don’t know why my mouth keeps running.
Ruth’s lips slip into a tiny smile, but it disappears quickly.
“Oh good. I was worried you two may have had a thing. But I’m glad to hear that’s not the case.”
“Nope. ‘No thing’ ever happened between us,” I quip. My hand moves to straighten some pens out on my desk.
“Very good. Glad we got that out of the way,” she says, watching me closely. The woman sees everything and I don’t want her to see anything right now. But I don’t think she’s on to me. Nothing ever happened between Cole and me. Was the sexual chemistry through the roof? Abso-fucking-lutely. But that’s neither here nor there.
“Well, I want to be honest with you now, Layla. Cole means a great deal to me. He’s Dorthy’s grandson and I owe my best friend a favor. I’m covering the costs of Cole’s services as a VIP client.” Her truth bomb causes me to hold in a gasp.
Our VIP service costs twenty thousand dollars and the process can last up to a year. The fact that she’s willing to cover the charges, which won’t be quite that amount in the end, is a big one.
“I know, it’s a big favor, but it’s a necessary one,” she adds.
“You know I trust you. I’m on board.” I’m not on board with this. Cole doesn’t need a matchmaker, but it’s too late now. She’s already committed.
“Perfect. You’ve always been such a good girl, such a strong businesswoman. I’ve always admired that about you, darling.” She grins and I can’t help but feel like she’s about to drop a bomb… “Now, you know I like to keep a small client base at a time, but adding on Cole has put a little over where I like to be client-wise. I would really like it if you could help me out a tad.”
I attempt to keep my face set, a glare fighting to break through. “All right…” I drawl out.
“So I would like you to handle Cole’s intake interview. I’ll probably have you handle most of the work moving him through the process, but I’ll be doing the actual matchmaking. In fact, I’ve already got a woman in mind for him. Sometimes, it’s that easy.” If she wasn’t so humble, she’d be patting her own back right now. But my face tightens with unease.
I do not want to work with Cole. In fact, if he had ended up needing our services on his own, finding us the old-fashioned way, I’m not sure I would have pushed him through. I would have asked Ruth to handle him. If she had said no, I would have respectfully declined his service. We do it all the time. I must be doing a horrible job keeping my emotions in check because Ruth cocks her head and asks, “Is there a problem?”
I chew on the inside of my cheek, pulling my lips to one side as I contemplate how to approach this. “Well, I’m just not sure Cole understands what a matchmaker actually does. HEA, Inc. isn’t a dating service. It’s a find you a lifelong love service. I would hate for you to spend the money and resources on someone who isn’t playing the long game.” There. All truth. The man was shamelessly flirting with me just a few days ago in the café, as well as at LACE.
Ruth studies me but doesn’t hesitate. “Oh, he’s ready. I made it clear to him what this all means and he’s on board. He’s a good man, Layla. He wants to settle down. He might not realize that he’s ready right now, but when his person is presented to him, he’ll know.”
“Very well,” I say on a sigh. So much for me getting out of working with the man.
“I’m glad you were honest with me, Layla. I would have hated to find out months down the road that you were not comfortable with Cole Reed being a client and working with him,” she says and I want to duck and cover because I can’t tell if she knows that I’m, in fact, lying about why I don’t want to work with Cole,because I’m still very much attracted to him, or if she’s believing my bullshit.
She moves to stand. “His interview is scheduled for a week from today. I checked your calendar before I stopped in. You’re free.” She gives me a look that tells me I shouldn’t mention the fact that she had already decided I would be handling Cole Reed.
She floats out of the room much like she came in, but her shoulders stand a bit taller as if she’s leaving the victor. And I suppose she very well is.
* * *
Drumming my fingers against my desk, I bite my lip while I wait for Jodie to call me that Cole is here for his intake interview. I’ve tried not to dwell on this meeting in the week since Ruth told me I would be handling it. Normally, Kristin or Nellie, our client coordinators, handle the interviews. But if Cole is getting the VIP service, then it’s not uncommon for Ruth or me to do it. I’ve contemplated no less than six times calling up Kristin or Nellie to step in last minute.
I jump at the sound of my desk phone ringing. I hit the speaker button.
“Yes?”
“Cole Reed is here,” Jodie chips.
“All right. I’ll be down in a moment,” I tell her.
“Perfect,” she says then hangs up the phone.
I grip the interview packet, a tablet, as well as my Surface Pro in my hands and make my way downstairs. I didn’t bother touching up my lipstick, but my lips are dry with nerves and I wish I had some gloss in my pocket.
