Megan saw her, too. Her sister ran to her and hugged her tightly. She introduced her to Victor and Megan discreetly checked him out from head to toe while they exchanged small conversation. Megan obviously approved as she winked at her and mouthed "hot" before walking to her other guests.
She grinned at Victor who looked very pleased with himself. Their little charade seemed to be working. She can only hope that Megan wouldn't even consider going ahead with her matchmaking scheme.
"Lilly!" Clarise heard Megan call out to the adorable and cute-as-a-button three-year-old girl who walked in with her parents, Mark - Rick's older brother - and his wife Bella. Bella's brother Evan walked in with them too.
She felt Victor tense by her side. She glanced at him and saw his apprehension regarding the new arrivals. "What's wrong, Victor?"
"That's Evan," Victor responded a little nervously. "I know him. And he certainly knows me!"
From his expression, she had an idea what made him nervous. Evan was also gay. "What do you mean 'he certainly knows you'?"
"Well, I met him at this speed dating thing two weeks ago, and we've been out on a couple of dates. He's really cute, isn't he?"
"Oh, no, Victor! You're supposed to be my boyfriend tonight!"
"Don't worry, darling. I'll tell him of our little charade and ask him to go along with it. I'll just go talk to him and we'll pretend we're talking about the magazine." With that, Victor sauntered to Evan, his eyes shining.
She rolled her eyes upwards and prayed that Victor - and Evan, for that matter - can keep the charade up for her, just for tonight. How highly embarrassing it would be if the others notice that Victor was gay when they'd already assumed he was her boyfriend!
Geez, I might as well have 'loser in love' stamped on my forehead. Please Victor, you're a straight man tonight.
~~~~~~~
Clarise was chatting with the other guests when Megan sought her out. "Where's Victor?"
"Oh, he's over there." She pointed to the direction of Victor and Evan who seemed wrapped up in a serious conversation. "They met in an industry function, you know, for work and I think they're talking about the magazine," she babbled.
Victor was certainly trying to look straight and masculine, but he couldn't seem to get himself away from Evan. They've been talking for a while now and they both hadn't really mingled with the other guests.
"Well, I wasn't expecting you to bring a date tonight until you told me about Victor two days ago," Megan said with a grin. "It's a shame. There is a very eligible man here and Rick and I were excited to introduce him to you."
"Megan," she said with a warning in her voice.
"Yes, I know, I know. No matchmaking for me tonight," Megan said with a laugh.
"Well, that's a relief!" She sent a silent thank you to the heavens.
"You know, we did invite this guy for the purpose of introducing him to you. We'll just have to explain to him the situation."
"I'm surprised you only invited one. You certainly gave me the impression that you were going to invite all the single men you and Rick know. I'm glad you didn't though."
Megan chuckled, "Yes, that was my original plan, but I was talking to Rick about it and we decided that wasn't a good idea. One at a time would be better, we thought. More personal."
Megan's look became serious, her eyes narrowing, as she asked her, "Is there a possibility that Victor is 'The One'?"
"I couldn't be more glad he's here with me tonight," she answered cryptically. It was the truth although it wasn't a truthful answer to her sister's question.
Megan, however, seemed satisfied with her response as she patted her arm and walked off with a smile. She breathed a huge sigh of relief.
~~~~~~~
At the dinner table, Clarise chatted with Bella and Mark while they enjoyed the delicious food. The couple owned a popular restaurant specialising in chocolate desserts and she had written an article about their journey as entrepreneurs for Lifestyle by Design. Offering only food and beverages that were made of or with chocolate, it had been a huge success and they will soon be opening at a third location.
Bella suddenly remembered that Mark wanted to talk to Clarise about a friend of his who would also love to have an article in the magazine.
"Oh, yeah," Mark said and turned to her. "My friend Will runs a boutique travel service that's very specialised. He caters to the well-to-do and his company organises high-end type trips to those whose tastes are very discerning. He'd seen the article you've written for us and he was wondering if your magazine would consider doing one for his business."
"High-end travel? Sure, it's something we can certainly have a look at," she responded readily.
Clarise loved her job. After all, she got paid to write articles on restaurants, hotels and professional services. It meant she got to sample their offerings and interview some very interesting and influential people.
Because of the magazine's immense popularity, they had plenty of requests by business and establishment owners for write-ups of their products and services. They knew that exposure through the magazine ensured a deluge of new clients.
"Great!" Mark replied. "He'll be pleased to hear that. He's actually here so I'll introduce you to him. I was meaning to do it before dinner time but he arrived a little late."
Bella pursed her lips and mused, "You know, I've been wondering why Rick invited Will to tonight's party but didn't invite his other tennis buddies."
Mark chuckled, "Well, the others will certainly be invited for the wedding. Rick mentioned he invited Will because he's single and available but didn't want to elaborate on it. Looks like the engaged lovebirds are playing matchmaker for Will and someone else. I wonder if it's that girl sitting next to him? I don't know who she is. I'll have to quiz Will about her."
Clarise and Bella looked over to where Mark was looking. Bella pointed to a man with dark brown hair who was sitting with his back to them, indicating that that was Will. He was sitting next to Mary Jane, Megan's best friend, and another man was sitting on the other side of him.
Well, Mary Jane is not single, Clarise thought to herself. Her husband is currently in Brisbane for work.
She felt herself redden, guessing the reason why Single Will was at this party.
"So, Clarise, I'll introduce you to Will later, okay? He's really keen to see how he can be in your magazine," Mark said innocently, evidently not even considering that she was the girl the engaged couple wanted to introduce to Single Will.
"Yeah, sure," she said a little too brightly, trying to hide her discomfiture.
They don't know, she assured herself.
~~~~~~~
Get your copy of Will To Love (Lifestyle by Design Book 1).
Available on Amazon.
Ray of Love (Lifestyle by Design Book 3)
Extract
CHAPTER ONE
"You need to have a haircut soon, Ray," Faye Summers said distractedly as she continued to gaze at the man sitting next to her. The more she looked, the more she found little details she hadn't noticed before - like how his brown hair turned wavy when it was longer than its usual length, or how his deep blue eyes had specks of green on them, or how the right side of his mouth quirked into a cheeky, lopsided smile when he was being teased.
"Yeah, I know. I just haven't had the time to get it done," Ray Thackery agreed, running his sexy fingers through his longish hair. "Is it that bad already?"
"Bad? No, it's not bad, just a little long. You still look hot but you look hotter when you wear it shorter."
"You think I'm hot?" Ray asked in complete surprise, his brows lifting.
"Sure," she responded nonchalantly. "You must know you are. Even Clarise and Jessa think so."
"Oh. And here I am thinking you were flirting with me," Ray commented dryly.
She laughed and hurriedly changed the subject. "Hey, since those two are both engaged now, how do you feel about them taking some time off for their wedding and honeymoon in a few mont
hs' time?"
"I hope they're not planning on being away from work at the same time," Ray replied absently before jumping back to their original topic. "So how short should I have my hair cut?"
"Hmm, about a couple of inches shorter, I think, and wear it spiky and a little bit messy like you do sometimes."
He raised an eyebrow and smiled charmingly. "You think it'll be easier for me to pick up women with that 'do?"
"Yeah, absolutely," she chuckled.
"Well, it would be nice if you picked me up," he drawled.
"Why don't you have that haircut and I'll consider it?" She was surprised at the husky statement that came out of her mouth but it was too late to take it back.
"Okay, I will," Ray grinned.
Oops.
Faye didn't know why she was letting herself have this conversation with Ray. Sometimes her mouth did get her into trouble. She was someone who didn't have problems telling people what she thought or felt. And, oh yes, she was a bit of a flirt.
Ease up, Faye. He might take you seriously, she cautioned herself.
Even for just a one-night stand or a brief affair - no, especially for a one-night stand or a brief affair - Ray was not someone she would consider. She shared too much of her personal life with her best friends that a sexual encounter of any kind with him would be complicated.
Her three closest buddies, Clarise Carson, Jessa Allen and Victor Matthews all worked at Lifestyle by Design Publishing. Based in Sydney, it publishes one of the most popular magazines in Australia for the entrepreneurial and professional set. Clarise and Jessa were its senior writers and editors while Victor Matthews was its head graphic designer.
And Ray Thackery was its owner.
So why in the hell was she flirting with her pals' boss right now?
Maybe it was the few glasses of wine she'd had. She wasn't a big drinker but they were celebrating Jessa's twenty-ninth birthday and her surprise engagement to Rob Granger.
Or maybe because Ray was one of the most attractive men she knew that she just couldn't help herself.
"Hey, guys," Jessa called as she stepped out onto her courtyard that was decked out with portable outdoor heaters. While it was early spring in Sydney, the nighttime temperatures were still cool and the heaters offered welcome warmth for those who lounged outside.
Jessa held out bags to them. "Here are some left-overs for you. Everyone gets to take home some food otherwise they'll go to waste."
"Oh, excellent. Thanks, Jess. They're really yummy. I still can't believe how much food Rob ordered," Ray replied.
"Is this your way of telling us it's time to go, Jess?" Faye teased.
"Yes," Rob called from inside the house. "My new fiancée just can't wait to properly thank me for giving her a surprise birthday party and putting a ring on her finger."
Jessa rolled her eyes and blushed.
"We can take a hint," Ray grinned as he stood up and got ready to go. "You sure know how to throw a party, Rob."
"Well," Rob said as he leaned on the door frame, "I wanted to make it as hard as I could for Jess to say no when I proposed."
"As if I'd say no," Jessa replied as she walked over to Rob and put her arms around his waist. Rob hugged her to him with a tender smile on his face and kissed her hair.
"Okay, guys," Faye called out to Clarise, Victor and their partners. "It's time for all of us to go and give these two lovebirds their private time."
As Ray headed for his car, he turned to Faye. "See you after I get my haircut, Faye," he said with a wink.
Faye couldn't help but smile at his playful demeanour. She suddenly became conscious of the fact that it had been a long time since she and Ray were this comfortable with each other. It was good to joke around with him again. She missed that.
~~~~~~~
"So what did Ray mean by seeing you after he gets a hair cut?" Clarise asked as she glanced at Faye seating at the back of the car while her fiancé, Will Matthews, smoothly navigated the streets to Faye's apartment.
"Oh, we were just joking around. I kind of said I'll consider picking him up after he gets one," Faye answered dismissively.
"Pick him up? To go where?"
"Not that kind of pick up," she clarified to her confused friend. "We were just flirting around."
"Right. So what does all that flirting mean?"
"Nothing. Like I said, we were just joking around. You know what I think about going out with your boss, Clarise."
"Not interested, Faye?" Will asked, peeking at her through the rear-view mirror.
"If he wasn't my best friends' boss, maybe," she answered with usual frankness. "But he is and I don't want any mess with my closest relationships."
Clarise raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You never said anything about being interested in Ray. When he asked you out sometime last year, you didn't even hesitate to say no."
"I know. I just met Steve then, remember? Besides, even before he asked me, I've already considered the complications of having a relationship with him and decided it wasn't worth it. Imagine the drama if I cried to you about my personal issues with him, or if he needed me to listen about work problems involving you guys. It would be very awkward, to say the least."
"But if you're really attracted to him …"
"I'm not that attracted."
"So, you're interested but not interested enough to do something about it?" Clarise quizzed.
"Yes, that's exactly how I feel."
"Okay. You do know Ray might get the wrong impression? We think he might still have a little crush on you," Clarise admitted.
"Really? What makes you think so?"
"Remember about two months ago when you went speed dating? He asked me and Jess where we were going and we said we were escorting you to this speed dating thing. There was just something about his reaction when he discovered you've broken up with Steve and that you were available again."
"You guys didn't tell me about that," she said, her brows furrowing.
"No, we didn't. We knew you weren't looking for anything serious and we didn't want Ray to hope for anything so …" Clarise shrugged her shoulders.
Faye nodded. It was clear as day that her friends were also protecting Ray's feelings and she could understand that.
Before she met Steve, her last boyfriend, Ray was their frequent lunch buddy. It surprised her that he joined them as often as he did, seeing he was her friends' boss. She eventually learnt that he did make it a point to socialise with his staff to get to know them better. But it also appeared that he had lunch with the four of them far more often than he did with his other employees. It was when he asked her out that she guessed the reason why.
She enjoyed Ray's company and, at one point, even toyed with the idea of going out with him. But she was also witness to the great relationship her best friends had with him as their boss. Dating Ray could upset that. That was exactly why she decided not to get involved with him.
"I'll be more mindful next time I'm around him," she promised Clarise.
They stopped at a red light and Will reached out for Clarise's hand and lifted it to his lips before setting it down on his thigh. Clarise smiled at him and left her hand where he placed it, stroking him innocently.
Faye sighed silently. It was very sweet and she was happy that Clarise had found the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with. They were so in love. She wanted that, too.
She gave herself a mental shake. It was the impatience in finding 'the one' that got her diving into new relationships before she was truly ready to move on.
No rush. There's nothing wrong with enjoying being single for a while, even at twenty-nine.
After breaking up with Steve four months ago, she'd decided to just date around and not plunge into anything that would mean commitment. Her last three relationships moved into serious territory pretty quickly and none of them lasted more than a year. She figured part of the problem might be that she was too quick to fall in love with the next guy witho
ut fully getting over her issues with the previous one. So this time around, she promised to give herself plenty of time to heal whatever conscious and unconscious wounds she had. For a few months - maybe another six or so - she'd focus on simply having fun while dating and leave it at that. Fun.
With her straight, silky blonde hair, long-lashed blue eyes, flawless skin and slim body with gorgeous curves, Faye was considered stunning by most people. There weren't any shortage of interested men who would give their right arm to date her.
She just needed to be extra selective so she didn't end up going out with someone who'd be in a hurry for a relationship before she was ready.
~~~~~~~
Ray discreetly checked out Victor Michaels's office as he walked past it. He spied Victor there with his eyes glued to his computer. Good. That was Victor accounted for. As for Clarise and Jessa, they were out on assignments. Clarise was meeting with the owner of Sydney's fastest growing beauty spa chain and Jessa was sampling the culinary delights of one of the city's newest Japanese restaurant.
None of them was having lunch with Faye today. With a little bit of luck, he would be having lunch with her.
When he found out two months ago that she had broken up with her boyfriend, he had convinced himself not to go down the path of asking her out again. But after spending that time with her at Jessa's birthday party, all that swirled in his head was the question 'why not?'.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and strode purposefully out of his office building. It was absolutely silly. Hell, it was crazy. But for the life of him, he just had to give it another try. Maybe this time she'd agree to go out with him so he could either get her out of his system for good or make her fall in love with him.
Okay, who was he kidding? There was only one choice that mattered and it was the second one. After more than a year of searching for a woman who would make him forget about Faye Summers, he hadn't succeeded yet. Now that she was available again, he simply couldn't resist grabbing this new opportunity.
Heart Robber (Lifestyle by Design Book 2) Page 18
