“Is he really a narcissist?” Zander eyed me. “You used to say that about me.”
“I said you had tendencies and I stand by that. Nick is . . . well . . .”
“Please?” Kenadie’s entire body begged.
I looked at Nick’s headshot on my screen. It was professionally done. It looked so perfect I would have said it had been touched up, but I had met him in real life—twice, actually—and I had to hand it to him, he was gorgeous on the outside. At forty, he still had thick, sandy brown hair and eyes of blue that looked like a daydream. He worshipped his own body, so he was in perfect shape, and his chiseled features wore his eternal five o’clock shadow like they were meant to be together.
Besides his looks, I couldn’t think of a redeeming characteristic about him. Not even the memory of our first meeting helped his case. But I looked between his picture and Kenadie. Kenadie, whom I admired and respected. She was intelligent, and I agreed whole-heartedly with her approach to relationships. I was happy to help her grow her business. I felt like what we did here was important. People should be more selective about who they dated. I wish Binary Search was available to me back when . . . well, back when I didn’t know better. I would hate to see anyone ruin what she, and the rest of us, had worked so hard to create here.
I looked one more time between Nicholas Wells and Kenadie. I knew I would regret it, but I would regret the demise of Binary Search more.
“Fine,” I breathed out.
Kenadie didn’t waste a moment and jumped out of her seat, making her shoulder length, curled, dark blonde hair bounce. “I’ll call Nick’s people now.” She gave me a relief-filled smile. “Thank you, Kate. Hopefully, he’ll surprise us.” She made a beeline for the door before I could respond.
Zander bolted for the door, making a call to his wife, I’m sure. I really did hope Meg was all right. Zander had me worried, as did the man staring back at me on my screen. I let my hair out of the messy bun I had thrown it in early this morning and ran my fingers through my long hair.
My mind drifted back to the first time I met Nick. No one but me would ever know it wasn’t yesterday. Not even Nick, though he did mention during his eval that I looked familiar. It was the only decent remark he made the entire time. I felt it better not to mention our run-in fourteen years ago. He didn’t need to know I had at one time idolized him, and I’d like to think that naïve twenty-year-old woman no longer existed. How could she after everything she had been through?
Now, more than ever, I was glad I didn’t share my brush with fame with anyone. At the time, I hadn’t spoken of it because it seemed like the magic of that moment would have lost some of its luster. I used to think it was fitting that it happened at Serendipity, my favorite bookstore. A chance meeting in a place named for happy coincidences. Ask me back then, I would have told you it was fate. It had been the only time that summer I was able to visit my beloved bookstore—normally I was there every Saturday, a tradition I still kept up with. But that summer I was home from college for only a week before I left to work as a counselor for a specialized camp in Tennessee for disabled children.
I had to admit that I was kind of bummed I was leaving for the summer after I met him. Everyone knew Nicholas Wells was from Georgia. I’d even plotted with some of my high school girlfriends how we would meet him. On the Edge, the crime drama he’d starred in as Talon Fox, was all the rage. I had planned to name my first son Talon, unless I married Nicholas. Which was my first choice. I didn’t think he would want a son named after his character.
Sadly, I’d never been happier to hear of someone getting divorced—other than myself, of course, except my situation went one step further: annulment. Not dwelling on it. I’m ashamed at the shouts of hooray that went on in my dorm room when it was announced on every major network and gossip site that Nicholas Wells and his model wife, Alessandria-with-no-last-name, split up. I never understood the no-last-name trend. My roommates and I shamefully made fun of her, but really, we were only jealous of the European beauty with long legs, mesmerizing emerald eyes, and flawless features. What a gorgeous couple they made. Of course, my friends and I never thought she was good enough for him. We all cursed her when it was reported that she left him for one of the extras from On the Edge. It was quite the scandal back in the day.
I foolishly thought I could nurse Nick’s heart back together, given the chance.
Then life handed me a moment. One I had never forgotten. I was walking out of Serendipity in the quaint Emory Village near my parents’ home in Druid Hills—where I live now, too—not watching where I was going. My nose was in one of my favorite books, Les Misérables. I had purchased a new copy since I’d given my previous copy to a roommate who thought reading paperbacks in the rain was a good idea. I was already so into it that I barely knew I was walking out the door. That’s when I felt the bump and watched my book drop. When I bent down to get it, I was met with the most enigmatic blue eyes. The bookstore magically transformed into its namesake and I froze for several seconds. His penetrating gaze held me, that was, until our hands touched while we each tried to pick up the book. It was more than a tingle, it was like reading a torrid love letter, but without words. His touch was scorching. I had never known a heat intense enough to cause shivers.
“I’m sorry,” I managed to stutter. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
I couldn’t believe I was face-to-face with my honest-to-goodness fantasy. And I was kicking myself for looking grungy in yoga pants with my hair in a ponytail and ball cap.
The brittle smile he was famous for that gave nothing away appeared on his sun-kissed face. “Lucky for me.”
Never had three words excited me more. I stood up straight, he followed. We both held the book between us. He acted as if he didn’t want to let go. Neither did I.
Nick’s gaze drifted toward the title of the book. “Les Misérables. I enjoyed the abridged version.”
“You’re missing out,” I told him without thinking.
His eyebrow arched like the character he played. Just enough to make me catch my breath.
“Is that so?” The question danced out of his mouth.
I adjusted my hat and bit my lip, embarrassed I’d been so bold. “You have to read the unabridged version for the beautiful history and to see what happens to the doll.”
He leaned in closer. I still remember the way he smelled, like amber and vanilla. “Care to fill me in?”
I wanted to, anything to talk to him longer, but my personality came through. “I wouldn’t want to do you the disservice.”
He tilted his head and studied me for a moment, as if he was surprised by my response. “What is your name?” He didn’t introduce himself, he knew by my reaction to him that I knew exactly who he was.
I opened my mouth to tell him, but I wasn’t the only one who’d recognized him. A group of women walking past rushed us. My book fell again and I was left to pick it up in the chaos, trying not to get stepped on. The women didn’t even care that they had interrupted my serendipitous moment. They pawed at him while preening themselves, pushing him farther away from me. I walked away with my book but looked back to see if there was any chance he noticed I had gone. I couldn’t even see him in the sea of women.
It was the first time I ever questioned if being with someone that popular and attractive was a good thing, because on some level, you would always feel like you were competing for his attention. I should have listened to that voice. Sadly, that’s exactly what I ended up with. That relationship was abolished, null and void, I reminded myself.
I stared back at the present Nick on my screen, shaking off memories of long-ago days. Thankful on one hand I’d had the moment. Everyone needed a magical moment, to experience the kind of heat his touch produced. If only I could meet someone to recreate it with. I’d often wondered why I never had. To be honest, that memory had carried me through some dark times. But I’d learned my lesson and I was thankful I was no longer the woman who coul
d be seduced by a pair of alluring blue eyes. The question was, how was I going to save the women I would pair him with from losing their heart to the possible narcissist staring back at me?
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About the Author
Jennifer Peel is the award-winning, bestselling author of the Dating by Design and Women of Merryton series, as well as several other contemporary romances. Though she lives and breathes writing, her first love is her family. She is the mother of three amazing kiddos and has recently added the title of mother-in-law with the addition of two terrific sons-in-law. She’s been married to her best friend and partner in crime for a lot longer than seems possible. Some of her favorite things are late night talks, beach vacations, the mountains, pink bubble gum ice cream, tours of model homes, and Southern living. She can frequently be found with her laptop on, fingers typing away, indulging in chocolate milk, and writing out the stories that are constantly swirling through her head.
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Books by Jennifer Peel:
Other Side of the Wall
The Girl in Seat 24B
Professional Boundaries
House Divided
Trouble in Loveland
More Trouble in Loveland
How to Get Over Your Ex in Ninety Days
Paige’s Turn
Hit and Run Love
Sweet Regrets
Honeymoon for One in Christmas Falls
The Women of Merryton Series:
Boxed Set (Books One, Two, and Three)
Jessie Belle – Book One
Taylor Lynne – Book Two
Rachel Laine – Book Three
Cheyenne – Book Four
The Dating by Design Series:
His Personal Relationship Manager – Book One
Statistically Improbable – Book Two
Narcissistic Tendencies – Book Three
The Pianos and Promises Series:
Boxed Set (Books One, Two, and Three)
Christopher and Jaime – Book One
Beck and Call – Book Two
Cole and Jillian – Book Three
The More Than a Wife Series:
The Sidelined Wife- Book One
The Secretive Wife- Book Two . . . Coming Soon
The Dear Wife – Book Three . . . Coming Soon
A Clairborne Family Novel Series:
Second Chance in Paradise
New Beginnings in Paradise. . . Coming Soon
First Love in Paradise . . . Coming Soon
Return to Paradise . . . Coming Soon
To learn more about Jennifer and her books, visit her website at www.jenniferpeel.com.
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