“I’m always working—”
His face fell. He nodded. “I understand—”
I touched his arm. “Sorry. Bad joke. Sometimes I can be too obscure. I meant to say, mixing business with pleasure would be a welcome change. Tomorrow afternoon is perfect.”
His smile returned. I hadn’t pegged him as at all insecure. It was kind of sweet.
“The only thing I have on my agenda is a trip to the gym.” I patted my stomach. “After this meal, I need to work out and work some of it off.”
He nodded. “Me too.” He paused. “Since I dragged you into this situation by taking you here, why don’t you let me make it up to you and fix it? Let’s work out together. My gym has awesome personal trainers. If you’re up for it, I’ll see if one of them can work us in tomorrow.”
“I’d love that.” A second date at a gym was unusual, but sweet as well. I loved exercise and was happy to find a guy who did too. When Ashley told me that Cam was a bit of a nerd, I’d been worried about him being a couch potato.
My Uber pulled up in front of the building.
“That’s my ride.” Nothing like stating the obvious. I hugged him, lingering long enough to show my interest again.
Up close, he smelled fabulous. His cologne was almost as hot as that interloper’s cologne. I didn’t know why that thought entered my mind. It was a sad fact that business was always on my mind.
“Until tomorrow.” He walked me to the car and opened the door for me.
I slid into the car and waved to him as we pulled away from the curb. That was the best first date I’d ever had, and it hadn’t even ended in a kiss. Imagine if it had? I’d probably be all sappy. Touching my lips. Feeling the tingle of his kiss on it. Wanting more. Who was I kidding? I wanted more already. More laughs. More intimacy. A life with him. I laughed at myself. I was jumping the gun, definitely. But I could almost see myself having this man’s babies. I could.
And he was going to help me get more funding and put a word in for me with a billionaire investor.
If I could get Lazer Grayson’s backing, I might actually beat that douchebag who was trying to ace me out of my space. I sighed dreamily, thinking of Cam and success. But mostly Cam.
*
Cam
I was still grinning when I met Lazer for breakfast at the Blackberry Café. And still full from the night before. Even the delicious baked goods and hot Blackberry breakfasts couldn’t tempt me.
Lazer looked askance at me when I ordered coffee and a bran muffin. I don’t like bran muffins, not even the Blackberry’s. I just ordered something to be polite, and the bran muffin wasn’t going to trick me into eating it.
“Something wrong? Are you on some kind of new diet? You don’t eat bran muffins.” Lazer pointed to it. “What happened to your appetite?”
“I lost it at the Brazilian steakhouse last night.”
“You went to the steakhouse and didn’t invite me?”
“I took out a match Ashley made for me.”
“In that case, you’re off the hook.” He dug into his breakfast.
I felt full just watching him eat. “I didn’t want the evening to end, so I ate and ate and ate…”
He looked amused, pausing with a forkful of scramble halfway to his mouth. “Ashley will be delighted to hear how you pigged out in the name of finding love. Was your date impressed? Watching you eat all night must have been thrilling.” Lazer shook his head and ate his bite of scramble, chasing it with a big drink of coffee.
“Watching me?” I shook my head. “Hell, I was trying to keep up with her. She put me to shame. I’ve never seen a woman eat so much meat.”
Lazer squinted at me. “Why do you sound like you’re impressed?”
“I am! Toria is perfect. Thin as a model. One of those women who can eat any man under the table and still look gorgeous.”
Among my male friends, out-eating each other on occasion was a badge of honor. It was a sore spot with Lazer that he was rarely able to out-eat the rest of us. Of course, times were rare that any of us beat Dylan for the title. I didn’t see why I shouldn’t be impressed that Toria could eat with the best of us and was unashamed of showing off. She was secure enough she didn’t have to eat like a bird in front of me.
Lazer was at a momentary loss for words. He stared at me a long moment, finally breaking into a grin. “No sarcasm now—Ashley will be thrilled. She’s eager to get you off her hands and move on to easier clients. She wants that bonus from me with a passion.”
At the mention of Ashley a second time, I felt a pang of guilt at withholding what I knew about Knox and his marriage proposal from Lazer.
“Money from you.” I scoffed. “She’s going to marry you, right? Soon all that money will be hers, too.”
Lazer grinned and rolled his eyes. “Clearly, I have more to teach you, grasshopper. Does the word prenup mean anything to you? The money will still be mine.”
I knew Lazer well enough to flip crap back at him. He could be arrogant at times, but he loved Ashley. He’d be generous with her. “Do the words set a date mean anything to you? Take it from me, man. You need to make good and marry her before someone else tries to move in. You know marriage is what she wants. Why are you stalling?”
This was the best advice I could think to give him without breaking my promise to Ashley. Her love for him hadn’t waned, but how long would she wait?
Lazer’s face clouded. “You’re right.”
“What’s stopping you?” I said. “Cold feet?”
“No!” He shook his head vehemently. “No.”
“Fear? Man up, buddy.”
“I want the field to be clear,” Lazer said. “No impediments. No doubts in either of us. No what if I’d met someone else first. What if someone else would be better for me…”
“You have doubts?”
“Me? Absolutely not. Her.”
I pursed my lips, weighing what to say. “You’re not shadowboxing with the memory of her late husband again?” I paused. “Or that friend of his?”
Lazer scowled.
I’d hit a nerve. Lazer might not know the full details of how far Knox had gone, but he was savvy enough to realize when another man was trying to move in.
“Look. Ashley loves you, not him.” I shook my head. I knew that for a fact. “Do your thing. Take command. Take evasive action. Find that guy his perfect match and get him off your wingtip. And talk to Ashley about it if that guy’s bothering you. She’d make him a million matches a week for him if she knew he’s keeping you from setting a date and taking the actual plunge.”
I took a breath. “And I know she’d disagree with you about there being any impediments. She has eyes only for you. Just set a date and marry her.”
His face brightened. “You may be onto something, my friend.”
“Me giving you advice about love. Oh how the tables have turned.”
“Don’t let it go to your head.” He took a sip of coffee.
I gave my bran muffin a dirty look and took a drink of coffee too.
“Enough about my love life. Tell me more about your date. Have you done your date postmortem with Ashley yet?”
“I’m giving you the scoop first,” I said, as if I was being magnanimous. “Off the record and between two friends.”
“Which means I’m not supposed to share with Ashley.”
“You got it,” I said. “I’ll share with her later.” I broke into an embarrassingly gushing, glowing reliving of the evening.
Lazer was a good enough friend to listen intently and not make fun or interrupt with more than a few polite questions. “You have it bad,” he said when I finished. “Ashley will be delighted.” He grinned broadly. “Toria is an entrepreneur of some sort, you say? What’s her business? What does she do? Service industry? Tech? Does she make goods of some kind?”
“No idea.” I signaled the waitress for a refill of coffee.
“No idea?”
“That’s right. Something to do with mili
tary spouses. That’s all I know.” I leaned back as the waitress filled my cup. “She didn’t want to talk business…much.” I hesitated. “Not more than to mention her business is suddenly taking off. She’s experiencing growing pains and looking for an angel.”
Lazer froze. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
I grinned.
“Oh, shit,” he said. “This is a setup. You told her you’d talk to me about investing in her business.”
I picked up my coffee. “You’re sharp as a tack, buddy. No one can pull one over on you.”
“I’m not your personal bank.”
This was where I laid it on thick and appealed to his better nature and sense of fairness and equity. After all, I was his favorite friend, right?
“You launched a rescue to help Austin win his bride. You threw a ball for Dylan. That had to cost a pretty penny. All I’m asking is for a small investment to help me out in the dating department. To make me a hero.
“I’m fairly confident it won’t cost you as much as that ball or the rescue. I saw the rates for that yacht you rented when we saved Blair for Austin. And in this case, I’m confident you’ll get your investment back, plus a nice return.”
He set his coffee cup down and studied me. “Let me get this straight—you want me to invest in a company that you have no idea what it even does or what sector it’s in. My expertise is tech—”
I pointed at him with both hands. “And retail, online sales, and fashion. You’re a major shareholder in Flashionista.” It never hurt to flatter and butter Lazer up.
He narrowed his eyes. “As I was saying, in a company owned by a woman you just met, whose only qualification that you know of is that she’s carnivorous with a healthy appetite.”
“And she’s smart, beautiful, and driven.”
“And you’re hoping her appetite stretches beyond food to the bedroom.” He crossed his arms. “You’re asking me to fund you getting laid.” Arms still crossed, he pointed a finger back at me.
I laughed, but he wasn’t far off the mark. “You’re such a cynic. And a cad.” I put on a look of mock horror and indignation. I tapped my chest. “To think that I would stoop to such a thing.”
I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “I want more than a mere lay. I want a lifetime of lays with her. I want her to fall in love with me like I’m falling for her. When you boil my motives down, this is an act of pure chivalry. I want to help out the woman I’m falling in love with.”
“Yes, I can see that.” His voice dripped cynicism. “That’s what the guilt trip is for.”
“All’s fair in love and war—”
“And getting startup financing, apparently,” he said.
“Well?”
His brow furrowed. He was quiet.
I gave him space to think.
“On the plus side, if I agree to meet her, I can scope her out,” he said, thinking aloud. “See if you’re good enough for her. Suss out whether she’ll fit in with our group or not. See how well Ash is doing her job.”
“And maybe make a great investment.”
“That too.” He studied me. “If I agree to see her, the rules have to be clear. I run a business. My time and money are both precious commodities. I don’t waste them. If I invest in her, it will take a certain amount of my time, especially if she’s expecting to draw on my business talents as a mentor. I have to have the real option of passing. As long as that’s clear…”
I nodded. “Absolutely. Just let her down gently.” I tried hard not to let my euphoria show.
Lazer nodded. “All right, then. When are you seeing her next?”
“This afternoon. I made a joint personal training session with Stryker.”
“You really know how to woo a woman.”
I laughed. “The idea was spur-of-the-moment. We were talking about burning off the calories from our meal.”
“Parading Stryker in front of her might not be the best idea,” Lazer said mildly.
He made a good point. Stryker was built. But if she were the one for me, her head wouldn’t be turned.
“What choice did I have? All of the trainers are built. If I asked for a female trainer, Toria could accuse me of ogling.”
“Counterpoint made.” Lazer put on a lecherous grin. “You should have suggested burning those calories off another way.”
“And violated Ashley’s no-sex-before-five-dates cardinal rule?” I shook my head. “You, Ashley’s business partner—I can’t believe you’re suggesting such a thing. I want this relationship to stick.” My thoughts turned mischievous. “But there’s no rule about how fast you can get your five dates in.”
Lazer winked at me. “That’s my man. What did you have to bribe Stryker with to get him to take you on such short notice?”
“What kind of a fool do you think I am? I’m not divulging that. It’s a trade secret you’ll be too happy to steal.”
He shrugged. “It was worth a shot. What time’s your training session?”
“Two o’clock.”
Lazer looked at his watch. “I’ll have to work fast. Good thing I have some spare time today.” He pulled his phone from his pocket. “You have Toria’s number, I presume?”
I pulled my phone out and texted it to him. “You’re going to see her today?”
He nodded. “Before your session.”
“Maybe she’s busy—”
“Doing what? Buying a new sports bra and putting her hair in a ponytail for your date?” He shook his head. “You multimillionaires have a thing or two to learn. When a billionaire calls, people will drop anything for an audience with them.”
“Arrogant bastard,” I teased.
He shrugged. “The truth’s the truth. But first she has to recognize my number. Text her to expect my call and give her my number.”
I did as he asked.
She texted back immediately. OMG, omg! Followed by a spray of emoji of joy, anxiety, and nail biting.
“She got it,” I said to Lazer. “She’s eagerly awaiting your call.”
“Good. Let’s put her out of her misery.” He called her number. “Hope she’s as good a businesswoman as you think she is. I’m going to a lot of trouble to make you look like a hero.”
I heard Toria’s voice as she answered. My pulse raced out of control.
I hoped I wasn’t sending her crashing on the street of broken dreams. Lazer wasn’t kidding. He had a keen sense for picking winners and a Midas touch when it came to making money. If he took Toria on, his touch would help her turn her business to gold. Lazer didn’t back losers. He backed away from them.
Lazer wasn’t superstitious, but he didn’t like touching bad luck. He claimed losing was bad for the psyche. Winning begat more winning. Winning gave you an adrenaline hit and a high. There was no reason to be dragged down.
He had a reputation to protect as much as anything. In his early twenties, he’d been heralded as a boy wonder of the investment and tech world. Even though he was no longer a boy, he wouldn’t take a hit to his reputation for anyone, not even one of his oldest friends.
“Toria? Lazer Grayson. Cam’s told me so much about you. You’re looking for an angel, I hear. Let’s talk. I have some time in about an hour…”
6
Toria
I was on a high, and I mean a high high. An adrenaline rush. Since meeting Cam, my life just kept getting better and better. Or maybe I should say since signing up as a member of Pair Us’ matchmaking service and meeting Ashley Harte. I could kiss her feet for matching me with Cam. And Cam for putting in a word with Lazer.
In my book, the mark of a true friend is someone who will go out of their way to help you out. And Cam certainly had. A man of his word. A man of action. My heart fluttered.
I was still in shock. I couldn’t believe Lazer Grayson called at all, let alone so soon. I had a meeting with a real-life billionaire.
Unfortunately, I had no time to prepare for that all-important meeting. He wanted to meet in an hour.
Maybe that was to keep me off balance. Maybe that was the only time he had available for weeks and weeks. Good thing I was used to pressure and had my five-minute makeup routine down pat. And had already showered. It was Saturday. That wasn’t always a given this early in the day.
But talk about regretting eating so much the night before. Looking at the food baby I had, I was already wincing at the thought of Cam seeing me in my spandex exercise pants. Now I had to hurriedly dress in something professional—and hope I zipped my zipper—grab what I could of my financials, and race to meet Lazer Grayson.
I met him at his office. Fortunately, traffic was light. Could you imagine being late?
Since it was Saturday, the offices were mostly empty. Lazer himself met me at the door, showed me in, and offered me coffee, tea, or bottled water. I accepted a bottle of water. My mouth was already dry and my jaw was trying not to hit the floor.
Lazer, as he asked me to call him, was every bit as hot and handsome as the glossies I’d seen of him in magazines, or in his pictures online, or his appearances on TV. He was dressed casually in jeans and sweater in the height of style.
He was as charming and charismatic as I’d heard and read, as well.
He immediately put me at ease. “Cam spoke very highly of you. But he seems in the dark about exactly what you do.”
He listened intently as I talked, interjecting intelligent questions. He was shrewd and savvy, very business savvy. When I finished my pitch, he grilled me expertly, but politely. He was sympathetic to my mission and my plight of trying to get office space and the uses I had for the capital. He offered a few suggestions.
He was also extremely professional, but he looked amused at times. I felt like I was on a private version of Shark Tank. But at least there were no other sharks to tease me.
“All right,” he said at last. “You’ve impressed me. I’ll bite.”
“Thank you.” I was beside myself with happiness.
“Don’t thank me. Make me my money back. Add to my billions. And believe in yourself. I have a nose for failure and for success. I don’t back losers. I think you’re onto something big. Something noble. I like cause-based businesses with a higher purpose. These are my terms.”
Mr. Accidental Rival_Jet City Matchmaker Series_Cam Page 5
