Miss Match (13 page)

“Charlotte, this is Luke,” Brooke said.

Charlotte leaned over the desk and extended her hand toward him. Her handshake was firm and professional. Luke liked her immediately. “I know who you are, Mr. Ryder. Please, sit down.”

“Thank you,” Luke said, and they all took their seats. The high-backed chair forced him to sit uncomfortably straight.

“I spoke to Luke about our plan,” Brooke said. “He’s agreed to help.”

Charlotte clasped her hands together. “Oh, I’m so pleased you’ve decided to become a client, Mr. Ryder. Let me assure you, you’re making the right decision.”

Luke shifted in his seat, trying to find a position that didn’t make his back ache. “I really want to help Toujour.”

Charlotte crossed one leg over the other, looking pleased. “I’m confidant you will. You’ve given us all hope. We will find you the most meaningful relationship of your life. You’ll like Raine. She’s a superb matchmaker. You’re in good hands.”

Luke set his jaw. “I want Brooke as my matchmaker.”

Charlotte frowned. “Surely Brooke explained to you why that might not be the wisest choice. How will it look to the media?”

“Like a friend is setting a friend up on blind dates.” Luke leaned forward, his arms on the table. “Brooke is your best matchmaker here, right?”

Charlotte inclined her head. “She does have the highest success rate.”

“Once the media finds out I’ve signed, they’ll scrutinize every inch of Toujour. How’s it going to look to them when they find out you assigned me anyone but the best?”

Charlotte sighed, pulling out a paper and making a notation. “I can see you’re determined, and perhaps you’re right. Let’s hope the press focuses on Brooke’s numbers and not your personal relationship.”

“I can pad a few pockets if necessary. I’m friendly with a few reporters,” Luke said.

“No. I don’t want anything that can harm my reputation.”

Like a client who’s in love with his matchmaker?
He cleared his throat. “Then it’s only fair I tell you I’m not great at relationships.”

“That’s all about to change. Brooke will coach you through your dating pitfalls and help prepare you for long-term happiness with the partner of your choosing. Everyone is looking for a meaningful relationship. Some just don’t know it.”

“I’m willing to give it a shot,” Luke said, even though he wasn’t. If only Charlotte could put him in her database and match him up with Brooke. Maybe then Brooke would realize they were meant to be together. “But don’t be disappointed when I leave here alone. I don’t want it to hurt the company.”

Charlotte laughed. “I can assure you, you won’t leave alone. Here at Toujour, we’re very good at our jobs. I’ve spent years researching love. What attracts a couple to each other, what keeps them together. Traps to avoid. Eighty-nine percent of our couples are still together after five years. This is the beginning of the rest of your life.”

Luke swallowed.

Charlotte spun around in her chair and opened a file cabinet. She placed a small stack of papers in front of Luke. “This is our basic agreement. All our clients undergo background checks, of course. Our fee is paid monthly, and you’re at liberty to terminate our contract at any time. We can only terminate the contract if you violate our regulations, which are listed here.” She pointed. “Mostly things like if you’re in a relationship and don’t tell us, if you run into legal trouble, that sort of thing.”

Luke took the contract, glancing apologetically at Brooke. “I need my legal team to look over this. I hope you understand. I can have it signed and back to you no later than tomorrow.”
No need to make legal more furious than they already are.

“Of course, of course. I would expect nothing less from a businessman such as yourself.”

“So how exactly does this work?” Luke asked.

Charlotte pulled a pamphlet out of a desk drawer and handed it to him. “Finding your soul mate isn’t something we take lightly. I have developed a sophisticated database to help find matches with a high chance of success. You’ll fill out an extensive questionnaire with your matchmaker, in this case Brooke. Likes, dislikes, goals, hobbies, what you want out of the relationship, that sort of thing.”

“Just like online dating,” Luke said.

Charlotte’s eyes turned fiery. “It’s nothing like online dating. Our matchmakers are love experts, not computers. They coach our clients on how to be their best selves, offer relationship help and advice, work with them on personality characteristics or mannerisms that might be interfering with their ability to find love. Once the computer finds matches, Brooke—not a computer—will comb through each one, looking for the best match. She will talk with the woman’s matchmaker to find out more about her. Only when she is convinced a relationship is possible will she set you up on a date.”

“Wow.” Luke blinked. “I didn’t realize it was so involved.”

Charlotte sniffed. “Most don’t. They think they can sign up with some online dating company and get the same result. But nothing can compare to our personalized service.”

Luke glanced at Brooke, who smiled apologetically. “So once I have a match, then what?” Luke asked.

“Brooke arranges the first date, and afterward each client meets with their matchmaker to discuss how things went. If both parties are interested, you proceed to a second date, and so on. Once the couple deems themselves exclusive, their files go on hold until the relationship proves viable or dissolves.”

She spoke of love so scientifically, like matching up the right formulas. Already Luke dreaded the process. He knew how to deal with barfly types. He picked them up at clubs for one-night stands all the time, providing he was drunk enough. But serious women looking for a serious relationship? That he wasn’t familiar with. And to be honest, he wasn’t sure how to handle it. Or how to avoid getting
too
serious. What exactly was “too serious?” Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure.

“Brooke will be there to guide you through every step of the process,” Charlotte said. “And as you yourself point out, she’s the best.”

Brooke’s cheeks stained red, but she didn’t refute Charlotte’s claim.

“I can’t wait to get started,” Luke lied. “I’ll get this over to legal immediately.”

“Thank you,” Charlotte said. “I’ll follow your case closely. You are my first priority right now.”

Luke barely avoided shivering. He didn’t know if he should feel like a valued customer or stalked celebrity. How did Brooke work matchmaking day in and day out?

You’ll find out soon enough.
He’d probably be on his first date by the weekend.

* * *

“Snitch is arriving.” Talia’s voice was all the warning Luke had before Mitch burst into the apartment.

“You’re signing with a matchmaker?” Mitch held a folder in the air as evidence. “And not with just any matchmaker, but with
Brooke Pierce
? Your best friend and the girl you’re head over heels for?”

Luke scrubbed a hand over his face, leaning back against the couch. “How’d you find out? I only decided to sign like three hours ago.”

“Legal called me, of course. They thought it was a joke.”

“It is. Sort of.”

Mitch ran a hand through his hair. “You are seriously screwing with my Zen, man. I’ve been diffusing oils all day and it’s not even putting a dent in my stress level.”

Luke rolled his eyes. He rose, going to the kitchen and pulling out two beers. Clearly Mitch needed a drink. “This’ll help more than any essential oil.”

Mitch grabbed the beer from Luke. “It’s barely four o’clock, and neither of us are drinking. Now tell me about Toujour.”

Luke shrugged. “It’s all for show. Not that I can let Brooke know that.” He quickly explained his conversation with Brooke, and his meeting at Toujour. “I’ll take out lots of women, maybe go on a third or fourth date with one. Then I’ll tell her things aren’t working out and break it off. Toujour gets their publicity, and I get to help Brooke while dating hot women. It’s a win-win situation.”

“Or the media will guess you’re faking it and leak the story. Then Toujour’s integrity will be called into question, and you’ll be American’s most hated bachelor instead of most loved. And Brooke will be furious. You’re right—nothing could possibly go wrong.”

Luke grinned. “That’s the spirit.”

Mitch leaned across the counter. “You’re on tenuous footing with the board right now. This isn’t going to help.”

“Are you kidding me? Darius will love
that I’m ‘settling down.’” Luke made air quotes with his fingers. “Besides, it’s my life. The board doesn’t get an opinion.”

Mitch snorted. “I dunno, man. They have opinions about everything you do right now. Are you sure you aren’t trying to play the hero to Brooke’s damsel in distress?”

“Of course I am. What did legal say about the contract?”

“They sent it back with a few minor revisions, which Charlotte accepted. Everything’s on the up and up.” Mitch glared as though it were Luke’s fault the contract had been approved.

“Great.” Luke snatched the papers out of Mitch’s hand and rummaged in a kitchen drawer for a pen.

“That doesn’t mean you should sign. This has trouble written all over it.”

“Thanks for the unsolicited advice. I need you to help me write a press release. Something about the holiday season making me reconsider my future, wanting a fresh start, blah blah blah. Whatever sounds good and casts everyone in a favorable light.”

“You’ve got to be joking.”

“How else do you expect the media to find out? It shouldn’t take us more than an hour, and then we can watch the game.”

Mitch blew out a breath. “I’m going on the record right now stating this is a terrible idea and I’ve been against it from the start.”

“You aren’t going to try to stop me?”

“Stopping you is like trying to stop a hurricane. Not gonna happen. I’m saving my energy for damage control.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Brooke knew the moment
Luke issued a press release, because the phones at Toujour started ringing off their hooks. Brooke watched in amazement as the normally calm and quiet office exploded in activity. Instead of silently working in their cubicles, matchmakers were fielding calls and tapping away on their keyboards. Chatter floated from the lobby—a rare occurrence, indeed.

“It’s working,” Zoey said as she scanned her email. “I already have two new client appointments today. Lianna just sent me an email.”

“Twitter’s going crazy,” Brooke said. “There are about nine hashtags to follow.”

“Positive response?” Zoey asked.

Brooke shrugged. “Mixed, but slanted toward the positive I think.” She opened her desk drawer and pulled out her purse. “I hate to leave now, but it’s too late to reschedule with the wedding planner.”

“Aren’t you doing the intake appointment with Luke this afternoon?”

“Yeah, I’ll be back by then.”

Brooke had to squeeze her way through the crush of waiting women in the front lobby, something she was positive she’d never had to do before. She hoped that men would start signing up soon.

Antonio waited for Brooke in the parking lot, his motorcycle parked next to her car. “Hi, sweetie,” Brooke said. She leaned in and gave him a firm kiss. “Sorry I’m late. Things are nuts today.”

Antonio took the keys from Brooke, unlocked the car doors, and they got inside. “I can tell—the parking lot’s never this full. While painting this morning, I heard them mention on the radio a few different times that Luke had signed. That’s good, right?”

“Absolutely. I know this is going to work. No way Toujour will close now.”

Antonio pulled onto the freeway and rapidly increased their speed to eighty. “I hope you really can find a woman for Luke. I think it would make things easier with us.”

Brooke reached over and squeezed Antonio’s hand. If that’s what it took to make Antonio and Luke get along, she would try her best. But only if the girl was right for Luke, of course.

“Have you thought any more about Italy?” Antonio asked.

“Maybe.”

“Ah.” Antonio raised an eyebrow. “
Italia
is calling to you. We wouldn’t have to stop there either. With what they’d pay me, we could travel all over Europe. Madrid. Athens. Paris. You name it, and we could go there. We’d take pictures and I’d paint from them.”

“It does sound nice,” Brooke said. More and more she was struggling to come up with reasons why they shouldn’t move to Italy. There was only one, really. She’d miss Luke terribly. But there was texting and video chats and vacations for that.

“We could visit California often,” Antonio prodded.

“We could live here and visit Italy.”

He laughed. “My funny, stubborn girl.”

The meeting with the wedding planner went well, but took longer than it should have. Traffic was a nightmare on the way back. Two blocks from Toujour, the car came to a complete stop. Brooke pulled out her cell phone and glanced at the time. Two minutes late.

“I’m late,” Brooke said.