You could ask your father for the money.
The thought came out of nowhere. He would die before he asked his father for anything, especially anything having to do with Matchmaker 2.0. His father hated that he’d initially developed the program to help his sister find her perfect match and a way out of their father’s control. That he’d gone on to use his creation for other philanthropic purposes had made his father even angrier. His father had always wanted Max to follow in his footsteps and not Peggy Right’s—his footsteps being the path to making millions for the family name. His mother’s footsteps went toward making the world a better place for others. In the end, Max hoped to achieve both the millions and furthering society, but only for society’s gain.
Max forced his thoughts aside, returning his attention to his fake bride. “Fine, Annalise. You win. We’ll keep the arrangement just the way it is. But don’t be surprised if your groom is a little grumpy on Sunday night at our engagement party.” He turned and headed for the door.
“Max,” Annalise called. “Please come back. Let’s talk about this. I’m sorry if I sounded—”
He shut the door, not wanting to hear her excuses anymore. She was a powerful socialite. He was a teacher. There had never been two more mismatched people.
Their families had moved in the same social circles. Still did, only Max had left that life behind him when his father had deliberately hurt his sister. Annalise’s father and his own had always believed you could buy anything with money. Obviously that sentiment had been passed down from Victor Ellington to his daughter.
As Max made his way back to his car, he couldn’t help wondering what it would take for Annalise to set him free, since he didn’t have access to that kind of money anymore. Not since he and his father were estranged. He would have to devise some other plan to make Annalise see reason. She might be selfish and manipulative, but he’d seen a softer side of her all those years ago in high school. That softer side still lurked in Annalise, which was why he was helping her with her crazy scheme.
Max returned to his home in Magnolia and made his way back to his office, his head empty of solutions except for fixing his algorithm. He sat behind the antique mahogany desk and pulled up his laptop computer. His fingers flew over the keys as he searched the code for whatever it was Annalise had changed. Damn her for messing with his program. She wouldn’t have known enough to cover her tracks, meaning at least he could search for obvious corruption. Annalise’s sabotage had to be why he and Olivia weren’t a match.
Why was it so important to him that they be a match? He was certain lots of couples dated, married, and spent their whole lives together when they were less than statistically compatible. Wasn’t that the relationship model his parents and grandparents had used?
Yet the couples he’d paired through his app had all ended up perfectly suited—the way two people who loved each other should be. Unlike so many of his friends, and especially his sister before Max had paired her with David.
He’d come home after work one day to find his younger sister huddled on his doorstep. She’d just broken up with her seventh boyfriend in as many months. It wasn’t until the last breakup that she’d learned their father had been paying the boys off, using the bribery as a way to keep them away from his daughter. That day, Max had never seen anyone look so desperate and alone. He’d helped her inside and asked her why she needed a man in her life at all.
Instead of a response, she’d looked at him with such sorrow in her eyes, and he knew he had to do something to help. That was when the idea for the Matchmaker app was born. Using his math and statistical skills, he was certain he could compose a matching system—one that focused on the essential elements of any successful relationship.
That was five years ago. Two years ago he’d found Clarisse her perfect man. So perfect, in fact, that just last week they’d welcomed baby Lucas into their lives. Max sighed at the thought of the little newborn. The three of them were so happy. Now, if only he could figure out the same thing for himself. Once he fixed his app, would he be able to convince Olivia to take the test again? Maybe then they would get a different result, one that proved just how ideal for each other they were.
Max’s thoughts were interrupted by an insistent tapping on the French doors of his office. He looked up to see his best friend, Connor Grayson, standing there.
Max got up and opened the door. “Why not try the front door?”
“I tried that first, but you didn’t answer. I knew you were home because your car was here.” Connor shrugged and stepped into Max’s office. “I decided to get creative.”
Rules never seemed to apply to Connor, nor did the lateness of any hour. Max looked at his watch. It was close to midnight. His friend was an entrepreneur like himself. The two of them had spent many nights together, working on their inventions, consumed with the need for success. Max’s algorithm was further ahead in development than Connor’s self-driving car. “What brings you here?”
Connor headed for the old-fashioned chaise longue and took a seat. “I had to know how things went with Annalise today.”
“Ever heard of a cell phone?” Max chided as he took a seat opposite Connor.
“Nah,” Connor replied with a flick of his hand. “I didn’t want to put you at risk any more than you already had.”
Connor was referring to the nondisclosure agreement Annalise insisted Max sign. The promise to keep the false engagement and wedding a secret had lasted all of ten seconds in Connor’s presence. But if anyone would understand what Max was doing, it would be his best friend.
“Did she release you from the contract?” Connor asked.
“No.”
Connor shook his head. “Guys do stupid things for love all the time, but this might be the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.”
“At the time it seemed like a good idea,” Max said in his own defense. “I had no way of knowing I would meet Olivia.” Just saying her name did weird things to his insides. “Olivia found out about Annalise, and she says she wants nothing to do with me.”
“Do you blame her?” Connor asked.
“No.” Max plunged his hands through his hair. “I’ve made such a mess of everything.”
Connor leaned forward, giving Max a sad smile. “Annalise has a serious problem if she thinks lies and deceit will get her what she really wants.”
“They always have before. You know what a tyrant her father is.”
Connor shook his head. “At least tell Olivia what’s going on.”
“I can’t because of the NDA.”
Connor’s brow rose. “But you told me.”
“I trust you not to say anything that’ll cost me a million dollars. And if you do, you know I’ll take it out of your hide.”
Connor laughed. “Point taken. I still think you should tell Olivia the truth.”
“I’ll tell her the truth eventually . . . when she gets to know me better, when she starts to trust me.”
Connor’s smile slipped. “Lies always catch up with you in the end.”
Max shook his head. “I haven’t lied about who I am or about my feelings for her.”
“I’m no relationship expert, Professor, but this scenario you have going on with Annalise doesn’t seem to be the best way to start something ‘real’ with someone else. Tell Olivia everything before it’s too late.”
Max forced a laugh. “You know I can’t do that without sacrificing Annalise’s happiness and probably a million bucks.”
“But you like this Olivia person.”
“More than like.”
Silence settled between them for a long moment before Max replied, “It’s only for a few more weeks.”
“A new girl and lies . . .” Connor shook his head. “Sounds like trouble’s brewing.”
“I can handle it.” He hoped he was right about that.
“All right,” Connor said with a sigh. “If you’re determined to go through with this crazy scheme, then how can I help?”
“Why?” Connor asked in a sarcastic tone. “So you can go on a date?”
“Yes,” Max said as both men stood.
Connor released an exasperated sigh. “If you want me to support you in this harebrained scheme, fine. But know someday I’m going to expect you to return the favor.”
“Anytime, man. Anytime.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The springtime rain from the past few days had vanished, leaving the Seattle skies a dazzling blue. Looking out her condominium window, Olivia wondered how she would keep herself busy today. Since it was Sunday, there was no pressing need to go into the office. What she didn’t want to do was sit around and think about Max.
Unbidden, the image of Max sitting beside her on the Ferris wheel floated across her mind. She closed her eyes and every detail came back to her: his smile that always seemed to be filled with humor, the warmth of his skin when he pulled her close, the two of them laughing as the wind buffeted them on the outside deck of the ferry. Missing him blossomed into an ache. Olivia opened her eyes and turned away from the window. It was time to get dressed and fill her mind with anything but memories of a man who was already taken.
She’d invited Paige to go with her to see a play at two o’clock that might help the teenager better understand the Shakespeare she’d been studying. But they weren’t meeting for hours yet, and Olivia needed to fill her day until then. Moving toward the closet, she knew she needed to get outside and walk until her feet hurt, and she knew just where to do that. The Cherry Blossom Festival was in full swing at the Seattle Center. There would be music, food, and lots and lots of distracting people, as well as the always inspiring sight of the cherry trees in bloom. The playhouse where she would meet Paige was close by. Spending the afternoon with her “Pal” seemed like the perfect way to end the day, and avoid any further walks down memory lane involving Max.
Ten minutes later, dressed in a sweater, jeans, and a sensible pair of shoes, Olivia made her way from her Belltown apartment to the Starbucks on the corner for her morning cup of coffee. Sipping her demi-cup, she walked briskly along Fourth Avenue. The air felt cool against her cheeks. She was glad she’d grabbed a knit scarf before shutting her door.
The sounds of a koto and flute filled the air with traditional Japanese music before Olivia reached Broad Street. Instantly, her mood lifted as she stepped across the grass to one of the walkways that wove through the Seattle Center complex. She hurried past the shiny building that made up the Experience Music Project, past the Space Needle, and toward the Mural Amphitheatre, where there would no doubt be Kabuki players. The traditional theater performance would help her forget.
Olivia found a place to stand a bit back from the stage. Within minutes she found herself smiling at the comedic stunts of the all-male cast performing both female and male parts. When the performance ended, she moved along to the row of vendor tents set up to entice attendees to shop or learn more information about local charity groups.
She’d considered having a booth at the event. Lots of Seattleites still knew nothing about the Tomorrow Foundation and the work they did in the community, and there was always an ongoing need for volunteers, foster parents, and donors. Maybe next year she and Krissy would put in an application for a booth. For now she’d look at the other vendors to gather ideas about what worked and what didn’t.
The Seattle Fire Department was there with an educational booth, a local beekeeper offered jars of amber-gold honey, a woodcarver was selling Sasquatch statues carved from Northwest pine, Cornish College’s upcoming seniors displayed their artwork, and the row of vendors went on and on. She stopped at the next booth.
“Olivia?”
She lifted her gaze and looked into a familiar pair of gray eyes. A smile came easily to his lips.
“Max?” She couldn’t keep the strain from her voice or stop the leap of her pulse at the sight of him. “What are you doing here?”
Max gestured toward the laptop off to his left. “I need a couple hundred more participants in the Matchmaker database before my meeting with the potential buyers in a few weeks.”
She shouldn’t care about Max and his algorithm. But she did. She had really started to like the guy before his deception had been revealed. “You’re going to sell your invention that soon?”
He nodded as his eyes filled with humor. “It’s time.”
She leaned against the table as her attempt to remain disinterested vanished. “What will you do after you sell?”
“Every year my teaching contract runs out in June. I haven’t decided to renew it yet.”
She wasn’t sure what she expected from him, but it wasn’t that. He’d told her the other night that he wanted to work with kids who needed his support. He’d told her he wanted to change the world, to have an effect on society and people’s lives. Marrying a Seattle heiress and selling his invention seemed contrary to that goal.
But what did she know about Max, truly? Everything he told her could have been a lie. She should just walk away and leave him to his lies, but her feet remained firmly planted to the concrete path. Instead Olivia released a frustrated growl. “I don’t understand you at all.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
Max could be a good person; she knew that, despite his recent lies to her about his availability. With Matchmaker 2.0 he seemed to hold fast to virtues like commitment and love, values society didn’t cherish as much as it once had. What was Max all about? Did he see love as a safe harbor or a stormy sea? A way to make a buck or the means by which to change the world? “Deep down you seem like a good person, but you lied to me.”
“You lied to me, too.”
She frowned. “About what?”
“Meeting me Saturday at the waterfront.”
“I couldn’t meet you for a date. It wouldn’t be right.”
“I’m not engaged, Olivia. Not really.”
Exasperation left her speechless. She pulled out her phone and opened Facebook, turning the screen and all the pictures of him and Annalise his way. “Your fiancée seems to think otherwise.”
Sincerity reflected in the depths of his eyes. “Those pictures definitely suggest one thing, but they aren’t the truth.”
Another line from the Cheater’s Handbook?
She frowned. If only he weren’t so good at delivering those lines. “Why should I believe you?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “Tell me one thing about yourself that is the truth. One thing you’ve never admitted to another person.” It was a test, and he knew it. Not that she’d know if he was lying or not, but what he chose to tell her would reveal a lot about the man before her.
He shoved his hand through his hair, and his gaze dropped to his computer. “All right. If you really want to know something deep and dark about me, I have a terrible relationship with my father. I resent how he treated my sister and me growing up. I hate that his life is all about money. When he used that money to buy off my sister’s boyfriends, making her miserable and doubting herself, I knew our relationship was through. I haven’t seen the man in five years, and I don’t know if I’ll ever see him again.”
“But he’s your father.”
Max came around the table to stand beside her. “That’s true, but there’s more to being a parent than biology. You should understand that better than anyone.”
“I do understand.” She felt her resolve melting. If she was a sucker for anything, it was a misunderstood child or, in Max’s case, a young adult. “Are you and your sister close?”
“Yes, Clarisse and I became very close throughout our middle school and high school years. College separated us. I went to Yale on the East Coast. She went to Berkeley on the West. Even so, we kept in touch.”
“Where’s your sister now?”
Pride reflected in his eyes. “She and her husband and baby live on
the Eastside. And much to my father’s dismay, she became a teacher as well.”
“Does she teach math like you?” Olivia asked.
Max shook his head. “She teaches English at Lake Washington High School.”
Both he and his sister took after their mother and her teaching career. Olivia wanted to probe further but realized she’d probably asked more questions than she had a right to already.
“Is that enough the truth for you?” Max asked.
She nodded. “Thank you for that insight into your family.”
“May I ask you a question?” Max asked.
“I owe you that much.”
Sliding his laptop full of test questions back at her, he asked, “Will you take my Matchmaker test again? I fixed what was broken last time.”
“What’s the point, Max? You’re engaged, and I’m committed to my work.”
The reality of their situation tore through her. She really ought to leave. Yet walking away from him seemed almost impossible in that moment.
“The point is that we’re compatible. I want the data to prove what’s in your heart even though you refuse to acknowledge it.” Max reached for her hand.
She pulled her hand away and instantly felt the vacancy. “You don’t know what’s in my heart, Max. No one but me does.”
“That’s a fair point.” His gaze narrowed. “But you must admit, you’re trying to avoid spending time with me.”
“I see you every school day. How is that avoiding you?” she replied a little more defensively than she’d intended.
“Then prove to me you’re not avoiding me. Have breakfast with me.”
Too late she recognized the trap. If she refused, it would indeed prove she was avoiding him. The truth was she was insecure about being alone with him, even in public. There was something about this man that drove her to make rash decisions.
“Well?”
“Can you leave your booth?”
He scooped up his laptop and placed it in a bag. He spread his flyers out across the table so that passersby could easily take one. “I can come back after breakfast and pick up where I left off.”
Along Came Mr. Right Page 8
