“Wait, don’t say anything else.”
I turned toward the door. My mouth dropped open as Claire rushed in with Dex trailing behind her. His mouth quirked up the slightest bit when our eyes met and my whole body flooded with warmth. Seeing him had done funny things to me before we’d officially dated, but after? Man. I could practically feel the tingling sensation in my nose when I inhaled the scent of his cologne. Could hear the roar of the waves around us, white noise in the background, weaving languidly into the soundtrack of it all. Could see the way his lashes fluttered as he smiled against my lips.
“Claire?” Julia sat back in her chair, surprised at the intrusion. Then her eyes landed on Dex and she stood, extending her hand for him to shake. “Mr. Harrington, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“He’s here to help,” Claire answered, plopping the laptop she carried onto Julia’s desk and powering it up. “Julia, we have proof that the competition was rigged.”
“Rigged?” Julia repeated. “I’m sorry, why are we talking about this in front of a client? Amy, do you know what’s going on here?”
I was just as lost as Julia, though I saw Belinda staring daggers at me. She thought this was my doing. I held my palms out, speaking to both of them. “I had nothing to do with this.”
“Julia, I’m sorry to bust in on your meeting like this, but it was the only way,” Claire said.
I very much doubted that, but Claire was a sucker for a good bit of theater. As soon as she’d made up the story about me feeling like I was going to throw up, I’d known she was up to something. I sat back in preparation for the show, but I hoped they really did have the proof we needed that would send Belinda out on her butt.
“Belinda had Bobby hack into Amy’s account and mess up her dates,” Claire said. “He went in and changed the locations of her client, Debbie’s, dates. Bobby also took out the matches that Amy had picked for Dex and added ones that would be a terrible fit for him. Then when it was time for me to contact the respective clients and give them the details for the dates, everything got all screwy and the matches were a disaster.”
Julia’s eyes bugged out of her head as she stared between all of our faces. “You can’t be serious. Belinda wouldn’t—”
Claire motioned to the computer. “Dex, please, show her what you found.”
“Wait,” Belinda said, standing from her chair and pointing an accusing finger between me and Dex. “I caught these two kissing on Friday night.”
Julia’s mouth dropped open, and she looked at me like I had two heads. “Is that true?”
“Dex,” Claire whisper-shouted, “seriously, show Julia the computer stuff.”
We all watched as Dex stepped forward, the muscles of his back straining against his navy blue polo shirt when he bent over to type. He turned the laptop so we could all see it and pointed to the screen. “This activity leads back to the IP address Bobby uses here at the office. According to the time stamps, Amy wasn’t the one doing these things because Claire confirmed that she was out of the office at appointments. It only took about five minutes for me to see his digital fingerprints all over her account. I’m sure anyone in your IT department could have figured it out, but since I’m—”
“Gunnery Sergeant Computer Crimes Guy?” I said, butterflies taking off in my belly when he flashed me a grin.
“Yeah, that,” he replied, “Claire asked me to take a look.”
Julia sat back down in her chair. She looked physically ill.
“This is absurd. Julia—” Belinda started, then stopped when Julia held up a hand.
“Don’t,” Julia replied. “I know you, B. We’ve been friends for a long time. I’ve always turned a blind eye to some of your more, oh, I don’t know, devious ways … but this is too much. This is the first time you’ve had one of your schemes aimed at me. It’s not sitting well.”
I watched as my aunt rested her head in her hands, my heart aching for her. This company meant the world to her. It really was her baby. And she’d just been told that her best friend had tried to take it over by fraudulent means.
Blame-Game Belinda tsked. “Oh, please. If I’m that bad of a person, why’d you even consider letting me take over? I heard it in your voice before this little trollop and the meathead came storming in here. You were about to hand me the reins, weren’t you? Would you have done that if you didn’t trust me? Of course not. Don’t let them make you forget how much I mean to you.”
Julia tossed her head back and laughed bitterly. “Well, excuse me for thinking maybe you’d turned over a new leaf. I thought maybe the gravity of sitting in this chair would mean you’d grow up and earn it fair and square. I feel so stupid. You probably would have ruined everything I’ve built.”
“We built this company together,” Belinda snapped.
Julia jabbed a finger in the air between them. “Yes, we did. And I’m not going to let you burn it down. You think I’m going to let someone who goes to these lengths to win take over? Get out.”
It was quiet enough to have heard a pin drop in that moment. Even Belinda was stunned into silence. After what seemed like forever, she gave us all one last glare and stomped out.
“My oh my,” Julia said, rubbing her temples. “That was not how I expected this meeting to go.”
“You were going to let her take over, weren’t you?” I asked, my voice small.
Julia’s shoulders sagged. “I won’t deceive you, sweetie. I was.”
“I understand,” I lied.
“No, I don’t think you do,” Julia said. “Belinda might have a husband at home, but she’s married to this company. Or at least, she was until I divorced her butt from it. She’s spent all this time pouring her energy into other people’s relationships while neglecting the real one of her own. They’re going through a nasty divorce right now, so I knew she’d throw herself into running the business. Unfortunately, now I know she probably wouldn’t have done it honestly and could have ruined everything, but still. That’s where my head was at when I made that decision.”
“You didn’t think I would dedicate my all to running the business?” I asked.
Julia shook her head. “I know you would be dedicated to running the business. I just wanted you to stop and smell the roses instead of taking over at such a young age. I haven’t had time for much romance, hence my husband forcing me out to sea with him for months on end. I love you like a daughter, Amy. I want to see you happy.”
“Thanks,” I murmured.
Julia leaned forward in her seat, a twinkle in her eye as she looked between me and Dex. “It seems like this whole thing might have led you to some happiness after all, hasn’t it?”
I turned to Dex then, noting the hope that swirled around his expression. “Yeah, it has.”
“Well,” Julia began, “I know it probably feels like you’re getting it by default, but the job’s yours if you want it.”
Dex cleared his throat and tore his gaze from mine. “Julia?”
My aunt raised a brow and turned to him. “Yes, Dex?”
“Before Amy answers you, I have a question.”
“What’s that?”
Dex grinned. “Would you be willing to amend the rule about not dating clients as a condition of her accepting the position?”
Epilogue - Dex
SIX MONTHS LATER
“Hey, have you considered Tom Richardson? He would be good for Katie,” I said while Amy’s laptop sat open on my lap. “He loves deep-sea fishing. I think I saw somewhere on the intake form that she loved being out on the ocean.”
“Uh-huh,” she replied, not looking up from the video game she played on my flat screen. “Whatever you say, babe. No! Am I being followed? Who is that guy?”
I kept scrolling through the Singles Club database. “Or Scott Philips. He’s a surfer. Also ocean related. Though, I guess there’s a difference between hanging at the shore and actually being out on the water. Do you think that would mean personality differences, too? Like someone who prefers the exci
tement and the challenge of surfing compared to someone who is patient and deep?”
Amy launched herself backward on the couch, chucking the controller at the plush armchair nearby. “That creepy bandit just robbed me. He swiped all the gold I just earned from my last quest and took off. And my horse is being a turd. I can’t get him to wake up. How are virtual horses so lazy and hard to control? Are there super-secret horse training commands that I’m not aware of?”
I blinked slowly at her. “I don’t think so, no.”
She blew out a breath. “It took me all day to finish that quest.”
“I’m sorry, Ames.” It took all of my willpower not to laugh. But she was so cute when she was frustrated. And now that she’d become fully immersed in the sometimes frustrating, always exciting world of RPGs, I got to enjoy a whole new side of her. “Just go into your horse’s inventory and give it an apple or whatever treats you have. That’ll restore its stamina.”
“Oh, cool. Thanks,” she scrambled off the couch and retrieved her controller, then plopped back down with renewed energy. “Now, how do I do that?”
I pointed to the screen. “Go up to your horse and push L2. There you go, now select the apple. Wow, you’ve collected all kinds of treats.”
“I thought those were snacks for me.”
I chuckled. “Of course you did.”
“Okay, he’s getting up! You lazy steed, I see the way to your heart! Now what?”
I sighed. “Are you sure you want me to tell you or do you want to just figure it out?”
Amy lowered her head and glared at me. “What do you think?”
“Gotcha. Well, as far as the bandit, here’s what you’re gonna do. The bandit camp is right on the other side of that hill that you’re on. So when you get a little bit stronger, you can go destroy the camp, take all of your loot back, and then you’ll also get the Sword of Destruction.”
“Oooh, I’ve been looking for that!” she said, clapping her hands. “Thanks.”
I grinned at her. “You’re welcome.”
“What do I have to do to get stronger?”
“Complete some side quests and get experience points by battling people who are more on your level. The more quests you do, the more upgrades you’ll get to your armor and weapons. That’ll help if you’re going to take on the whole group of bandits.”
She bit her lip. “Nothing’s ever easy is it?”
“That would take the fun out.”
“Fine. But I need to take a lunch break. Are you hungry?” She stood and headed for the kitchen, then finally noticed her laptop sitting open in front of me. “Wait, what were you saying? Did you come up with some matches for Katie?”
I chuckled. “I found a couple of potentials. We can look at it later, though.”
If someone had asked me before all of this started if I ever saw myself caring about other people’s love lives, I would have laughed them right out of the building. But after Amy and I officially started dating, and she took over First Comes Love, I started to see a gap in the company’s current offerings.
Sure, they had the fancy VIP package that I’d participated in. And yes, they had a mixer club for singles to mingle. But they didn’t have a completely virtual experience that still offered the benefits of a dedicated matchmaker. So, I wrote some code, invested a little bit of my trust money in a pilot program, and the third level of First Comes Love’s offerings was born.
The best part was that even though Amy had all of these new responsibilities with running the company, she didn’t want to completely let go of matchmaking. The new virtual model allowed her to take on a client here or there without detracting too much from her CEO duties. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy helping her with it from time to time. It was all about analyzing data and matching like pairs.
And speaking of matching like pairs … there was something I needed to do.
I closed the laptop and placed it on the coffee table, then stood. “Let’s go out for lunch.”
She shrugged. “Okay. Where do you want to go?”
“You’ll see,” I replied. “I’m just going to step outside and make a phone call. I’ll meet you out front in five?”
“Sure.” She came over to me, stood on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around my neck. She planted a kiss on one cheek, then the other, and finally a slower, sweeter one landed on my lips. When we broke apart, her eyes were smiling even as her mouth turned down into a frown. “I wish you didn’t have to leave.”
My brow furrowed. “I’ll only be a second. I just need to call a friend.”
“No, Dex,” she said, throwing her head back with a laugh. “I don’t mean that. I meant the deployment.”
I swallowed, understanding now. My last deployment with the Marines was looming over us, and neither one of us was looking forward to it. “Right.”
“I know you said it’ll go by fast, but still.”
“Think of it this way, it’s the only deployment you’ll ever have to deal with. After that, I’ll be retired, and you’ll be stuck with me forever.”
I hadn’t meant to start speaking of forever until we got to lunch, but considering the plan I had in place, I wouldn’t mind hearing her reaction to the word.
Thankfully, I was rewarded with a huge grin. “Can’t wait.”
Twenty minutes later, we pulled into the strip mall parking lot that housed the coffee shop where we’d first met at my initial appointment. They didn’t just serve coffee, but also a light breakfast and lunch menu as well. We’d gone there many times in the last six months, so I knew she wouldn’t think anything of it now. It had become our place.
“Oh, good choice,” Amy said when she hopped out of the car. “I’ve been craving one of their buffalo chicken wraps.”
I took her hand, squeezing it as we walked into the bright cafe. I was too nervous to say anything. My gaze scanned the faces of the employees working behind the counter, landing on Sam. She gave me a discreet nod as we approached the counter to order our food.
“Hey, Amy,” Sam said cheerily, giving nothing away. “Hey, Dex. How are you guys today?”
“Great, thanks,” Amy replied.
“What can I get you?”
“I’ll have an iced tea and a buffalo chicken wrap, please.” Amy turned to me. “Dex?”
I cleared my throat. “Coffee, black—”
“With two sugars,” Amy added, making Sam smile.
“And a bagel sandwich,” I finished.
“You got it,” Sam said, telling us our total and processing the transaction. “Okay, you’re all set. I’ll call you when it’s ready at the counter.”
“Thanks,” I told her, praying she’d follow through with the plan I’d called ahead about. Her wink when Amy turned her back told me she would.
We sat at our usual table in the back corner and made small talk while we waited. Talking to Amy was as easy as breathing and had only gotten easier now that we had the video games and online matchmaking as shared interests. We never ran out of stuff to talk about or ways to make each other laugh. And as I sat there waiting for my plan to hatch, my limbs tingled in anticipation for when our names would be called.
“Oh,” Amy said, having heard it at the same time I had. “That’s us. I’ll grab it.”
She jumped up from the table and headed that way, and my body sagged as relief washed over me. Part of the success of my plan relied on her being the one to volunteer to get our food from the counter. I had no idea how I was going to ask her to go get everything without sounding really lazy.
I steepled my hands in front of my face and watched as she approached the counter. Sam handed her the food first, telling her the drinks weren’t ready yet. Amy brought the food to our table and I smiled tightly, pretending I wasn’t watching this play out with baited breath.
“I’ll go back for the drinks, one sec.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice to say anything.
When she got back to the counter, Sam had alrea
dy placed the iced tea and my coffee on the counter and walked away. Amy picked up her iced tea and checked it for her name, then picked up my coffee and did the same.
Then, she paused.
With a confused tilt to her head, she set down her iced tea.
She gazed at the coffee in her hand. Slowly, she pulled the cardboard sleeve down, and then all the way off the paper cup.
And her mouth popped open, letting out what I was sure was an audible gasp if I’d been close enough to hear it.
When I’d called the coffee shop that morning and gotten Sam on the phone, I knew my plan had been cheesy, but it also involved a lot of moving parts to ensure success. Amy was a romantic to the core. She constantly orchestrated elaborate scenarios for her clients, and though a simple proposal would have been easier for me, a complicated one would be more fun for her. So, I’d instructed Sam to write a message on the side of my cup for Amy to read, and I prayed that it would unfold without a hitch.
Amy, you’ve been holding more than just my coffee hostage since we met. Will you marry me?
Her eyes flew to mine. Coffee forgotten, she put it on the counter and took off toward me. I stood, my heart racing, ready to catch her as she launched herself into my arms. Her hands gripped the sides of my face, and she pressed her lips to mine. I wrapped both of my arms around her waist, lifting her feet off the ground.
For a moment, I was completely unaware of the rest of the patrons at the café; my sole focus was the way her soft lips moved over mine and the thought that I never wanted to stop kissing her. I was thoroughly and utterly hers, forever.
A voice broke through the moment.
“Amy, is that a yes?” Sam called from behind the counter.
With a laugh, Amy pulled away, resting her forehead on mine. Her eyes were wet with what I hoped were happy tears, her breath ragged.
I smoothed a hand over her hair. “Well, is it?”
“Yes,” she whispered, grinning ear to ear.
“Yes?” I repeated louder.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“That’s a yes, people!” Sam called, clapping her hands with the rest of the employees and customers of the small cafe.
A Match for the Marine: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (First Comes Love Book 1) Page 17
