Swipe Left for Love

by Lynn Stevens

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Zac left late. As tempting as it was, Macie didn’t ask him to stay. She’d wanted to, especially after things started to get playful. He’d bumped her shoulder. She’d swatted at his arm, letting her fingers linger longer than necessary.

  The last time she’d written him through Blind Friends, she’d mentioned how crazy her job had been. That was a few days ago. She hadn’t checked in since last night when there’d been no response. He was busy, too, she reminded herself as she opened the app. The magical one appeared in the inbox. She tapped his message and read.

  Things have been a roller coaster for me, too. I’m beginning to wonder if my chosen profession was the wrong choice. Not because of the company but because of me. The job offers me no challenges. It doesn’t set my heart on fire. It doesn’t even wake it up. A friend recently told me that I should do work I’m proud of. I thought I was going to, but not anymore. Maybe I’m just doubting myself.

  That same friend, who I’d never thought I would call a friend, is so alive with energy and... well, life. And not afraid to say what needs to be said or to do what needs to be done. I don’t think I’ve ever had that freedom.

  It’s scary.

  Macie read it again. Zac didn’t want to be in finance? Was that why he was so willing to help her? She thought back over her last few get-togethers. He hadn’t said anything about his job. Nor had she asked. She was too busy being self-involved. If she wanted this to work, and she did the more she got to know Zac, then she needed to be less selfish. Starting now. She began to type.

  I feel like I’ve been too busy venting about myself and not asking enough about you. I’m sorry that you’re unhappy. That’s the last thing I want to hear. Happiness isn’t just about finding your career. It’s about making the most out of what you have. I don’t have much of anything, right now. But I’m working on a way to fix that. And that itself makes me happy. I don’t remember where I heard this: Life is about the journey, not the destination.

  So, what can we do to make your journey the best?

  Macie hit send. Then she realized her mistake. What can WE do? She didn’t want him to think she wanted to meet just yet. After the wedding. After she got Zac to see the real Macie Regan. That sounded so terrible. Like she was some harlot bent on making him fall in love with her. She knew he cared about her. He just didn’t know it was her.

  The next few days flew by. Nancy hired a new designer, taking some workload off Macie. But she was still stuck with Alex, who had become Dr. Jekyll more than Mr. Hyde. He was polite, professional, and not a prick. She wasn’t sure how to take that.

  She also took a step back from her ‘new’ image. Since joining the station, Macie had done whatever it took to look the part of business woman, or what she thought was professional. The rest of the crew wore jeans. She wasn’t on-air talent, so there was no need for her stuffy clothes. She dressed like herself—jeans, black shirts, and black biker boots. She put her silver hoop back in her nose and the silver bar back into her eyebrow. The final touch was her hair. She streaked it electric blue. Just a touch of color, but enough to make her feel normal again. Apparently, it stood out.

  “That’s a new look for you,” Alex said from behind her.

  Macie jumped in her chair. She’d been focused on the image on her screen and the music coming out of her phone. Turning around, she smiled. “Not new. Old. Don’t you like it?”

  A crooked smirk lifted his lips. “Without offending you, it’s hot.”

  “No offense taken.” Macie turned back to the screen. If she was totally honest, she appreciated the compliment. Most people didn’t notice her new-old look around the station. “What’s up?”

  “Did you get that promo I sent?”

  Macie felt his hand push down the back of her chair. His breath drifted past her cheek. “Yeah. Next on my list.”

  “Okay. I hadn’t heard anything and you’re usually pretty fast.” He leaned forward until his face was even with hers and his focus stayed on her screen. “Is that for Mandey? The lead in for her six o’clock?”

  “Yeah, it’s not done yet. She likes this font, but I don’t think it fits the story.” A wail interrupted the music on her phone. Macie glanced down at the screen at the same time Alex did.

  “Who’s Zac? And why does he need to meet?” Alex asked.

  Macie reached for her phone and swiped the message clear. It was none of Alex’s business, but Macie knew he wouldn’t let it drop. “He’s helping me plan a bachelorette-slash-bachelor party. Our friends are getting married in about a month.”

  “Ah, so he texts you in the middle of the work day with an urgent need to meet? Sounds like more than that to me.” Alex leaned back, clearly satisfied with his conclusion.

  Macie wasn’t taking the bait. She kept working on the promo, finally finding a font that worked better and that Mandey wouldn’t realize wasn’t the one she’d wanted. It was subtle, but it made all the difference. “Well, that’s Zac. He thinks of something and has to share it right away.” Macie smiled and tapped her mouse. “It’s nice, though. He says what he wants, when he wants it. If he thinks we need to meet, then we have something to talk about. There aren’t any games with him.”

  “Now that definitely sounds like more.” Alex sighed. “How long have you two been seeing each other?”

  A loaded question. One Macie didn’t want to answer. Instead, Zac did it for her. “About three months.”

  Macie’s eyes widened. She picked up her phone and, sure enough, there was Zac’s face showing a connected call on speaker.

  “So I’d appreciate it if you’d stop hitting on my girlfriend,” Zac said. The hint of irritation in his voice was a nice touch.

  “Whoa,” Alex said with his hands up in defense. He backed toward the door. “Not hitting on anybody. Just asking about work and making polite conversation.” His gaze met Macie’s. “Let me know when you’re done with that piece.”

  Macie threw him a generic salute as she fought to keep the giggles at bay. The minute Alex had cleared the door, Macie let her laughter fly. She took Zac off speaker and put the phone to her ear.

  “Guessing that’s Alex the Evil.”

  “He really wasn’t hitting on me,” Macie said.

  Zac snorted. “Yes, he was.”

  “Whatever. Thanks for the save regardless. Alex isn’t someone I’d be interested in.”

  “Probably a good idea. Did you mean what you said? About me?” Zac’s voice dropped to a soft tenor. Macie’s insides heated instantly. “That I don’t play games?”

  “Well, yeah. Even when we were fighting like middle schoolers, you never held back. I always liked that about you.” A blush covered her cheeks, but Macie didn’t care. It wasn’t like Zac could see it. “It’s nice to be open with someone.”

  Zac laughed. “Yeah, but you have to admit, it’s a little weird, too. I mean, of all people I could be totally honest with, it would be my sworn enemy.”

  A pit formed in Macie’s stomach. She hadn’t been totally honest with him though. Tears rimmed her eyes as she realized she could lose him over one tiny thing. Okay, it was a huge thing. “Zac...”

  “Mace...”

  “I...” She couldn’t do it. She wanted to tell him she was on the other side of the app. She needed to tell him. But not yet. It wasn’t that she wanted to be deceitful, but she wanted to make sure he wouldn’t run when he learned the truth. “I should go. I’ve got a lot to do.”

  “Yeah, okay.” He huffed into the phone. “Let me know when you want to meet.”

  He ended the call. Macie put her head on her desk and composed herself. Not yet.

  ZAC KNEW HE SHOULDN’T give a second thought to this Alex guy hitting on Macie. It wasn’t any of his business. He set his phone down and settled back into work, but his heart wasn’t in it. The job he’d been working toward wasn’t what he wanted anymore. In two short months, he’d realized this his dad’s dream wasn’t his. Actually, it had taken longer t
han that. Since Zac could remember he’d been groomed to take over Sparks Investments. Now that the company was going public, it would never happen. It left Zac in a lurch. He wasn’t sure if it was a bad thing or a good thing. Helping Macie, researching what she needed to do to start an online business, that felt right.

  He picked up his phone and clicked on her contact information. Yeah, they’d just talked, but he wanted to ask her what she thought. His thumb hovered over the video chat. He wanted to see her expressions when he asked her opinion. Macie’s face never hid anything. He liked that about her.

  “Mr. Sparks,” one of the new assistants said from his door. He flipped his phone over and smiled. “There’s a gentleman here to see you. He wouldn’t give me his name but told me to tell you ‘domestic beer sucks’.”

  Zac bit back a laugh. “Send him in.”

  Ford strolled through Zac’s door, closing it behind him. “Nice digs, buddy.”

  “Thanks. What brings you by?” Zac leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head.

  Ford’s normal jovial smile disappeared. “Am I making a mistake?”

  “That shirt’s a mistake.” Zac pointed to the ‘Vote for Me’ t-shirt. The shirt was yellow, the lettering rainbow. Ford made it for a campus rally for the election last year. It was his mild-mannered way to protest all the candidates. He actually got four votes. “Other than that, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Marrying Lauren. Am I making a mistake?” Ford stared straight at his friend. He slouched in his chair. That was unusual, but Zac was more concerned about Ford’s pale skin and bloodshot eyes. “Am I?”

  Zac’s arms fell to his side. He wanted to say yes. It was too soon to get married. They’d just graduated and had plenty of time. But Ford had been talking about marrying Lauren since the night they met. He’d saved for the perfect ring for two years, even working extra jobs Lauren didn’t know about. Besides, Zac had shared his concerns before and they’d fallen on deaf ears. Now wasn’t the time to bring it up. “Why would you even think that?”

  Ford turned away from Zac, settling his gaze on the generic painting on the wall. “I ... All my planning, I never expected to be in this much debt. I knew I’d have student loans to pay off, but ... It’s too much. Way more than I ever thought. I don’t want to bring her down to my level.”

  “What did Lauren say?” Zac asked, knowing good and well what Lauren would say. If Ford bothered to talk to her at all.

  Ford’s head snapped back. “What does she say about me doubting whether or not to marry her? Do you really think I’m that stupid? Lauren would kick my ass out and tell me where to go.”

  “I meant about the debt. The loans.”

  “She said we’d get through it.” Ford shrugged. “We’ll just have to put off having kids for a while.” He moved to the edge of his seat, resting his elbows on the corner of Zac’s desk. “But she doesn’t want to. You know we’ve been planning this wedding for well over a year, even before I officially proposed. And we’ve been planning the family, too. It’s what she wants. I’m destroying her dream.”

  “Altering, Ford. Not destroying.” Zac reached out and put his hand on Ford’s shoulder. “Sometimes we spiral out of control in life and all we can do is survive.”

  Ford wrinkled his eyebrows. “That sounds like something Macie would say.” His frown deepened as his gaze settled on Zac’s desk. “Speaking of Macie, how’re things going? You haven’t called me for bail yet.”

  Zac turned and glanced at the back of his phone. “Good. She already had most of the work done on the party. We’ve got more work to do tonight.”

  “Over the phone?” Ford’s voice buried his amusement.

  “No, we’ll probably meet at her place.” Zac picked up his phone but put it back down. Anything to avoid Ford’s psychological scrutiny.

  “Her place? How many times have you been there?” Ford narrowed his eyes, psychoanalyzing Zac as expected.

  “A few. Why?” Zac diverted his gaze to the computer. He couldn’t let Ford see that the line of questioning was getting under his skin. Another cliché. He typed himself an email to look that one up too. Although a memory tickled the back of his brain about it. Something about actual torture. Or maybe it was this conversation that was actual torture.

  “I’ve never been there. And Lauren’s been there once, for wedding stuff. Macie’s rarely home as it is. Is something going on?”

  Zac’s head snapped toward his friend. He’d never lied to Ford about anything significant. Was this significant? It felt like it was. Either way, he’d tell Ford white lies here and there, but when it came down to the big stuff, Zac preferred honesty. But this, whatever this was, wasn’t something he wanted to share. “Like I said. Party planning.”

  “At Macie’s?” The skepticism overflowed in Ford’s voice. “Why not over the phone?”

  Zac laughed at that. “Obviously you’ve never seen Macie’s wedding planner. It’s huge. She has this incredible system that has to be seen to be believed. Every tiny detail is penciled in, even contingency plans if something falls through. It amazed me.” He shrugged, not bothering to wipe the stupid grin off his face. “Seeing what she’s got planned and hearing it are two different things. Once I saw everything laid out, it was easier for us to work together.”

  “Nothing else?” Ford asked.

  “Fuck, Ford. What’s with the fifth degree?” Macie’s voice shot from Zac’s phone. Ford’s and Zac’s heads twisted at a dangerous speed. “You’re the one who insisted on the joint bachelor party. How the fuck else are we going to work on it?”

  Blotches of red splattered across Ford’s face. “Do you always have to be so vulgar?”

  “Someone has to.” Zac could almost see Macie shrug her shoulder and grin. He leaned his chin on his hand, using his fingers to cover up his own smirk. “And it might as well be me.”

  “What else did you hear?” Ford asked, panic raising his voice until he cleared it. Macie was silent for far too long. Ford’s freak out went nuclear. “Dammit, Macie, what else did you hear?”

  “Wow. Bradford Coleman said dammit. The world’s coming to an end.” She sighed, loudly and, more than likely, deliberately. “I only heard you give Zac shit about coming to my place. Yes, he’s been there more than Lauren, but Lauren’s been busy with last minute wedding changes and her mother. So we catch up when we can, wherever we can. And there’s more going on between me and Zac.”

  That got Zac’s attention. “Wait—”

  “What?” Ford snapped. His concern about Macie overhearing his cold feet all but disappeared with Macie’s bold statement.

  “We’re getting along. Like you and Lauren asked us to. Dare I say it, but we might even be friends.”

  Ford smiled, but Zac’s entire body deflated. When Macie had said there was something more going on, he’d thought about how he’d stared at her long legs or caught himself gazing at her lips, wondering how they’d feel against his. He hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted her to call him out on it. For Ford’s sake, he nodded.

  “That’s actually great.” Ford pushed himself up using the arms of the office chair. “I need to go, Zac. We’ll talk more later.”

  “See ya, buddy.” Zac stood and held out his hand. Ford gave it a firm handshake.

  “Bye,” Macie shouted through the phone. She waited three beats. “Is he gone?”

  Zac picked up the phone and flipped it over. Macie’s smiling face stared back at him. “Yeah, he’s gone. So I guess it’s pocket dial day.”

  “I always preferred butt dial. Although I’ve never been video butt dialed before.” She shrugged but the concerned expression told him she’d heard more than she’d let on. “What was Ford so worried about? What did I miss?” Macie’s tone softened with each word. “Not the wedding?”

  He didn’t want to lie to her. But he didn’t want her to know that Ford’s cold feet were icy. It was a fine line to walk. “He’s just being a typical man. Nothing
to worry about. He’s not going to leave her at the altar.”

  “I’ll cut his nuts off if he tries.”

  Zac laughed. “I have no doubt that you would. I like the hair, by the way. It suits you.”

  Macie tugged on the blue stripe. “Thanks. So tonight?”

  “Chinese?” Zac asked. “I’ll pick some up on my way over.”

  “I haven’t had Chinese in months. That sounds so good. It’s been back to ramen and dollar frozen meals for me lately.” Macie let out a frustrated growl. “I can’t—”

  “My treat. We’ve got a lot of information to go over tonight. I need you well-fed to focus.”

  “Valid point. You know my focus disappears when I’m starving?”

  Zac smiled. I know more than you realize. “Pork fried rice, no onions?”

  “Yes.” Her voice took on a breathy, seductive tone. Zac wanted to hear her whisper that in his ear. “You remembered my Chinese order?”

  “Did you forget the once a month Chinese meals when Ford and I still lived in the dorms? Lauren dragged you over to our room and we’d stuff ourselves while we studied.” He knew she remembered. It was one of the few times they’d get along. At one point, Zac had even helped Macie get through a math course. Macie only ever ate the pork fried rice.

  “Good times,” Macie said. “I’ve got to go. I... I’ll see you around seven.”

  She disappeared before Zac could respond. It was just as well. He was about to say ‘it’s a date’, which it wasn’t.

  But he wanted it to be.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Things had been weird. The universe aligned in a way that made Macie nervous. She waited for the bottom to drop out. Since Zac had come over to help her set up her online business, they’d talked almost every day. Both online and on the phone. He’d been amazing, and he’d seemed happier. She had noticed his lack of enthusiasm for his job over the last month, but helping her rejuvenated him. That made her happy. A lot about Zac made her happy, lately. Just being in his presence lifted her out of any funk.