Even with all this in the balance, I didn't want to let him go. Especially not to an old "friend" like Milia. A dangerous idea came to me. But it could backfire completely. However, given the opportunity to try it, I was pretty sure I'd seize it.
After dinner, Lazer made an upbeat closing speech that was as much cheerleading as anything. I wished the men well and hugged them each goodbye.
"Find me a perfect match," Austin whispered to me on his way out the door.
"I'll find you a catch. I promise," I said. "Anything else I need to know before I look for her?"
"Make sure she's kind and loyal." He hugged me again.
"And stubborn," Jeremy said. "She'll need to be to stay with him."
"When are you heading back?" Cam asked. "Can we give you a ride anywhere?"
"Tomorrow Lottie and I are checking out the new offices and apartments before we head out the next day. Thanks for the offer, but we're fine. Our hotel is only a few blocks away on the waterfront. It's a nice evening for a walk back." And I needed to clear my head and think.
With that, the men jostled and joked and made their exit, each heading home.
Lazer came up to Lottie and me as we packed up. We'd had our bags sent directly to the hotel. All that remained was for us to make the walk back.
"I can give you a lift," Lazer said.
No, I thought. As much as I would have liked to enjoy his company for a few more minutes, after that flirting and the weekend at the lodge, I'd be much too tempted to invite him in.
I glanced at Lottie.
She answered for me, "Personally, I'm looking forward to some fresh air and the walk."
I turned back to Lazer. "There you have it, then. We're walking. But thank you."
"Tomorrow, then," he said with a masked expression. "I'll send a car for you at eight." He didn't hug either me or Lottie.
We left while he was still discussing something with Milia. To be honest, I had to drag myself away. I didn't trust them together, not even after seeing Milia ogle Stryker. Maybe especially after that. She appeared to like anything hot in pants. I had to keep my fingers crossed that Lazer behaved himself. Especially after all that flirting and teasing. Milia would be an easy mark.
Out on the street, it was a pleasant evening, still warm with a soft breeze blowing, particularly as we neared the water.
"What do you think, Lottie?" I put a hand over my eyes to shade them from the brightness and looked to the west, watching as the setting sun lit up the water. "Are the skies the bluest blue here? Or are we in for rough sailing?"
"Red sky at night, sailor's delight." She paused to admire the brilliant red sky. "But it's going to be an adventure, all right," she said with a heavy sigh. "I like our new clients. I know we can do right by them. Lazer is a handful. And I still don't like Milia. She's much too slick for my tastes. I wouldn't trust her farther than I could toss her tiny ass."
I laughed and nodded my agreement.
Lazer
I hadn't gone to such great lengths to impress a woman since the first time I'd dated a supermodel. Come to think of it, not even then. Supermodels, as it turned out, were easier to impress than know-it-all matchmakers.
I had to admit, Ashley knew her stuff. She'd recognized that beer question right off the bat. And, yeah, I'd meant it just as she took it. I would have had sex with her again any time I could get it. Which was strange. Because while she was beautiful and funny, she wasn't so special and unique, was she?
And yet, against all reason, I thought so. She was unique in the way she made me feel. In the way she lit up my world when she was in it. In the way she challenged me and saw through me. In the way I opened up to her. And sought her smiles and approval.
It was a damned shame that the one woman I really wanted didn't seem impressed by my wealth as much as distanced by my commitment issues. Maybe that was a good thing in at least one way. Did I want a woman who wanted my money more than she wanted me?
Whatever the hold was she had on me, she had it good. I was firmly in her grip. And afraid to let her know just how much she affected me. I'd learned, maybe later than most, not to give that power to anyone.
None of that stopped my heart from pounding as I showed her and Lottie around the new downtown offices for Pair Us with Lexi Phillips, one of the city's most prestigious interior designers, and Peter at our elbow. I owned a large part of the office building where my offices were located in downtown Seattle. I had the prime suite on the top floor and rented out the rest.
I'd given Pair Us the next best available location, which was just a few floors down. In particular, I gave the matchmaking part of the venture, meaning Ashley, the suite of offices with a view of Lake Union. Peter had to contend with a less ideal view for him and his job seekers.
Giving the office suite to Pair Us was costing me a wad of cash in lost rent revenues. It wasn't the smartest business move. Clearly, it was an emotional move meant to impress a woman. I usually didn't think with my emotions and heart. I was humoring myself this once until I saw where this was going. I hoped I wasn't setting myself up to get burned.
The suite was currently unfinished and unfurnished. It was ready to be filled with the elements of the occupant's business.
"The office has good bones," Ashley said as she looked around the empty space. "Nice views and open spaces." Her gaze flitted past me.
Nice? That was a hell of an understatement. Good thing I saw how her eyes had widened and the way her pulse beat delicately in the hollow of her throat. The place excited her. She loved it. The views weren't merely nice. They were fantastic.
Ashley paused and closed her eyes, going silent for a moment. "Best of all, it has a good vibe. I feel confidence and happiness here."
Lottie looked around with us, nodding softly to herself as if she agreed with Ashley's assessment.
I turned to Ashley. "A good vibe?"
"People who are hoping to fall in love are insecure, especially about visiting a matchmaker. It's important to make them feel comfortable and confident in their choice." She turned to Peter. "I imagine it's the same for headhunters?"
Peter laughed. "The insecurity and frustration, yeah."
"And the desperation," Ashley said.
"It's a different kind," Peter said. "Our offices are across the hall."
"So that any of your clients who are only using your job-matching services won't be tainted by the scandal of using a matchmaker?" Ashley said.
"I would say it would be mostly a scandal for our married clients and those in a committed relationship to be seen walking into a renowned matchmaker's office," Peter said. "Better for us to keep things unambiguous for the clients' sakes."
Ashley smiled. "Yes, I see your point. But your offices will be branded the same as ours? The same colors, fonts on our signage, that sort of thing?"
"Yes. As we discussed at the retreat. The branding will be the same. Lexi is here to make sure whatever furnishings each of you choose play together and give a cohesive feel to the joint venture," I said.
We outlined our vision for a sculpture or fountain of some kind, maybe a bridge kind of thing, where we could hang the heart locks we would be handing out to clients. And marked the location in the reception area. Lexi knew just the artist for the task.
As she and Ashley went into Ashley's office space to discuss options, I took Lottie by the elbow and showed her the reception area. "What do you think?"
She looked me directly in the eye. "It's a beautiful space. I'm going to enjoy working here." Her gaze bounced to Ashley before settling back on me. "I just hope none of us blow what we've got going on."
I took that as a warning. Lottie was astute. She'd picked up on the chemistry between Ashley and me in that flirting simulation earlier. Which only added, I was sure, to all the other ammo she had.
"And why would we?" I said. "Our team is the best in the biz."
She looked me straight in the eye in a motherly, concerned sort of way and spoke in a tone that
was both stern and sympathetic. "You've never been in the matchmaking business. It's a different animal. If any of our clients even sniff at a conflict of interest, our reputation will be in tatters in the blink of an eye."
"I don't know who you're talking about, Lottie." I liked her, despite her accusation. "But I won't tolerate that kind of behavior in any of my businesses."
"Good." She nodded, looking only slightly reassured and still slightly skeptical. "I hoped you'd say that. I'm protective of my boss. She's spent a lot of years getting back on her feet and making a success in a tough profession. I'd hate to let a moment's lapse of judgment destroy everything she's built." Lottie looked around the office. "This really is a beautiful suite." She smiled sweetly at me, as if making friends with me again.
I took her warning seriously. I'd been too obvious about Ashley at the spy school. From now on, the only time anyone saw anything special about my feelings for her was in private. In the meantime, I had to charm and flirt with Lottie to get us back on track.
Ashley
It may have only been my imagination, but Lazer had given Pair Us some of the nicest offices in the building. Expensive real estate. A business case could be made for why he'd done it. There's the old "dress for success" theory that applies equally to businesses. Look successful to be taken for successful. Having such beautiful offices in a prime location would make clients think we could afford them on our own. And encourage the caliber of client we wanted.
But there was a conceited, and damningly optimistic, part of me that liked to believe he'd given us such wonderful space to impress me. To make a point. Then again, what was the price of the offices compared to his great wealth? Maybe it meant nothing more than convenience to him to have his new business venture so close by.
After the first look at the new office space, Lottie and I went off with Lexi for a morning of shopping for office décor, and Lazer returned to work. Lexi took us to the Seattle Design Center, where we had a hard time deciding between so many good pieces for our boutique suite. The design center catered mostly to home furnishings, but that was perfect for our intimate offices. I wanted them to feel like a romantic home.
We lunched at the center with Lexi, shopped a bit more, and met Lazer at three at the apartment building he'd secured to house us and the women we'd be bringing back with us from Manhattan. The apartment building was located not far from the office building, in prime real estate not far from Lake Union in the high-tech corridor of downtown Seattle.
I'd done my research and knew what rents went for here. By Manhattan and New York standards, they were reasonable. By Seattle standards, they were astronomical. Within easy commuting distance of the University of Washington and many downtown businesses, these apartments were in high demand and hard to secure. Even if you had the cash to afford them. Because of rapid growth, the downtown corridor was in the middle of an office space and housing shortage.
Lazer had somehow—which made me believe that money really does talk—secured ten fully furnished apartments, an entire floor. Three single-bedroom units—one for Lottie, one for me, and one for one lucky woman—and seven two-bedroom, two-bath units for the remaining fourteen women we planned to use to launch the business.
Lazer met us at the building. My heart flipped over when I saw him, just like it always did. I wondered when the rush would end. Or if it would. When would clearer heads prevail? If that meant mine, I was doomed. I cursed my heart for being so completely fickle and unreasonably stupid in its choice. Why him? Why this man who could cause me no end of trouble and only break my heart?
The sight of him reinforced my decision to force his hand, and mine, and see if we could build real emotional intimacy between us. Emotional intimacy bound deeper and lasted longer than lust. I was going to turn his game back on him. And hope I didn't catch myself in the crossfire.
He led us to the third floor and let Lottie and me into one of the two-bedroom units. "Each unit has a unique floor plan, which is part of the appeal of this building. Something unique for every tenant.
"The developers tried to give each apartment something special in its appeal so that residents, even on the non-view side, like this one, have something they wouldn't easily want to trade away. Even for another feature, like a view. The floor plan and layout of this unit is my personal favorite of the two-bedroom apartments. It's also the largest double unit."
I nodded as I looked around, impressed with what I saw. "That brings up an interesting point—how will we decide who gets what unit? Who shares and who gets their own place?"
He smiled and got a devious look on his face. "I leave that to you, ladies. You know your women better than anyone. You match lifetime mates for a living. Pairing up roommates for a few months should be a snap."
I shook my head and laughed. "You'd be surprised. It's not as easy as you'd think it should be."
His answering smile showed he knew exactly what he was saying. He was passing the buck.
"And after we've matched up roommates? Does the single woman feel like she's the most cantankerous and hard to get along with?" I said. "That still leaves us with the problem of view and no-view units."
He shrugged. "If it were up to me, I'd pick numbers or draw straws. But, like I said, that's your gig. I'm sure Lottie can handle it." He winked at her.
For all that Lottie said she was worried about Lazer, she was clearly completely charmed by him. She pinked with pleasure at his confidence in her abilities. There was no way she was faking it, either.
"Silver-tongued devil," she said to him. "You know full well the trouble you're setting me up for."
He laughed. "Each of the double units has completely separate bedroom and bath suites. The occupants only share the living room and kitchen. The building has a gym, a rooftop terrace for entertaining, and a reception room that can be booked for parties.
"The building is within walking distance of any number of restaurants and shopping. The bus stops right out front and can take you anywhere you'd like to go. I think New Yorkers will feel right at home here without a car."
I walked around, inspecting the unit. I had to agree with him. "These are nice. Very nice."
"We have them for six months, with an option to renew." He watched as Lottie and I walked into the kitchen and inspected the cupboards and appliances.
"This is a good-sized pantry," Lottie said, clearly impressed.
After we'd seen the entire unit, Lazer showed us Lottie's apartment. It was on the view side and had a large soaking tub. Somehow Lazer had discerned her weakness. She loved a good soak in the tub. It also had a gas fireplace, an alcove, and two stacked stoves. Perfect for a woman like Lottie, who loved to cook.
All in all, she seemed pleased with her new apartment. "You've put me in the perfect spot to keep an eye on the women." She grinned at him. "I can look out my peephole and see the entire length of the hall and all the coming and goings. I'm a house mother now, am I?"
"I thought that was the idea," he said.
She laughed. "These aren't college girls."
"All the same, I think you can handle them," he said.
"True. True." Lottie nodded. "I could tell you stories about how I've had to handle some of our clients. At least this way if I have to rush out in the middle of the night to deal with a crisis, it should just be down the hall."
She made a good point.
When Lottie had seen all that she wanted of her new place, Lazer handed her the key. "It's yours now. You can start moving in anytime. Leave a toothbrush here so it feels homey."
Lottie laughed and shook her head. "A toothbrush makes a place feel homey? That's just a convenience."
Lazer hesitated. There was one more unit to see—mine. I got the impression he wanted to show it to me alone.
Lottie picked up on the feeling. She glanced at a message that came into her phone. "If you don't mind, I'd like to head back to the hotel and get some work done. The New York office has some questions. I have a few fires I need
to put out." She rolled her eyes.
Lazer called her a car and we saw her out.
"You've been patient," he said when Lottie had gone. "Are you ready to see your new home?"
Chapter 7
Ashley
If I thought Lazer was going to make it easy for me to resist him, I was sadly mistaken. I had assumed my apartment would be in a house mom position. Like Lottie's. End of the hall or right by the elevator, where everyone would have to pass it. That I would be playing mom cop and tag-teaming with Lottie.
After all, I was actually the one who was on call twenty-four/seven. Lottie and my other matchmakers in the Manhattan office were backup. It was usually me who rushed out in the middle of the night to rescue a client from whatever dating or relationship crisis they'd managed to get themselves into. I'd been imagining my apartment since the first unit Lazer showed us. I should have known he had something up his sleeve.
Yes, my apartment was on the same floor as the others. It was the prime unit, the corner unit at the end of the hall. Its entrance was recessed and not visible from down the length of the hall.
He let me in and stepped back, waiting for me to walk in first.
I stood in the entryway, taking it all in in stunned silence. The place was gorgeous. And completely to my tastes. The view was stunning, even from the distance of the entryway. One wall was almost entirely windows. Because it was the corner unit, I had a view on two sides. The apartment was also large—by my standards, anyway. Nearly two thousand square feet, I would guess at a glance. Twice the standard size of a one-bedroom unit.
"Well? Are you just going to stand there, or would you like to see the rest?" He sounded nearly as excited as I was.
I turned to him. "I'm not sure I can handle much more beauty and awe. I'm already overwhelmed. This is…this place is… I'm speechless."
"Good."
Pair Us: A Jet City Billionaire Romance (The Billionaire Matchmaker Series Book 3) Page 7
