The Matchmaker's Playbook (17 page)

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY
-F
OUR

The bastard stayed for the movie. Best part? Because of my leg, I couldn’t really maneuver myself in between them, and because my job was technically to bow out and let him have the girl once he passed the last few stages, I was stuck anyway.

At least his excuse was better this time.

He was asking her out.

Technically, it was a dinner date with him and his dad. Apparently, they all went way back. If I had to hear one more story about how Blake and David built their own damn tree house, I was going to shit a brick and knock him out with it.

So far, I hadn’t noticed any sly movements from him. He didn’t glare at me, didn’t flip me off again. If anything, he was trying to be too nice. Something wasn’t quite right, but it took me a while to put my finger on it.

Befriending the enemy.

I knew it well.

Because in the end, it would prove to the girl that the guy wasn’t really jealous anymore, he just wanted her happiness above all else, blah, blah, mother-effing blah.

And the real catch? No matter the girl, she always—and I do mean always—believed the guy she was after, because he seemed to be the one who practiced more self-control, whereas my job had always been to push that control so that the girl got noticed. True colors are very rarely shown during the courting phase—I knew that better than anyone. He was putting his best foot forward, capitalizing on whatever weaknesses he saw in me.

I had never cared until now.

Now it just seemed unfair that by being good at my job, I was losing someone I really liked.

“I’m going to make some popcorn.” I stood.

“But your leg,” Blake said.

At least she was still concerned. Though she didn’t stand to join me, so I wasn’t sure how far that concern stretched. She was freshly showered, her mop of wet brown hair was tied into a knot on her head, and she was sporting a loose-fitting tank top that revealed way too much cleavage. Something good ol’ David noticed right away.

“I can limp.” Jealousy surged through me as I noticed David’s hand on her thigh. I needed to get out of there. Fast. “It’s only a few feet.”

Amongst everyone’s protests, I made it into the kitchen, bracing myself against the countertop.

After a few seconds of inhaling and exhaling like I was a newborn babe and just learning how my lungs worked, I reached for the snack cupboard and pulled out a bag of microwave popcorn, just as footsteps sounded in the kitchen doorway.

“Blake, I’m fine. Go watch the movie.”

“Not Blake.” David’s deep voice jolted me out of my pity party.

With a very forced, sly smile, I pressed “Start” on the microwave and turned around. “Something I can help you with?”

“I get it.” He nodded. “She’s yours for now. But we have history. Something you can’t compete with. Not now, not ever.”

“Aw, shucks, how will I ever compete with the tree house?” I tapped my fingers against my chin. “I bet the fact that I have a bigger dick helps.”

David took a menacing step toward me, his fists clenched. “If you touch her, I swear I’ll—”

“Make a fist?” I pointed down at his hands. “Dude, I get it. You can’t have her, so now you want her. But she’s not yours. She won’t ever be yours. Not unless you kill me, which you’re welcome to try now that it’s a fair fight and I only have one leg.”

“You smug bastard.” He sneered, all politeness gone from his countenance, like he’d peeled back a mask and revealed that he wasn’t exactly what he seemed. “What the hell does she see in you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought we already went over this. Should I just take off my pants and show you? Heard you may be into dudes, but I wasn’t sure it was true until now.” I was trying to goad him, push his buttons, and see if, maybe, just maybe, good ol’ David wasn’t as good as we suspected.

David’s chest brushed mine like he was ready to body-slam me back against the kitchen counter, then pummel my face in. He could try. He would fail, but he could try. A good fight was just what I needed.

I’d never pushed any of my clients’ love interests this far, never made it about me, or took it this seriously.

Because, up until that point, I didn’t realize I’d been fighting him. But I was. I was fighting him.

No. I shook my head. “You don’t deserve her. You never will.”

“And you think you do? A washed-up has-been who can’t keep it in his pants?”

“No,” I answered quickly. “I won’t ever deserve her either, but at least I know it. At least I wake up with absolute certainty that I’m the lucky one.”

“Hey . . .” Blake strolled into the kitchen, her sweats riding low on her hips, revealing a tease of tan skin. “Wasn’t aware making popcorn took this much brainpower.”

“Yeah, well, all those drugs in my teen years fried mine, so David offered his help, but he was struggling to read the word ‘Start’ on the microwave. Thank God you’re here now.” I smiled smugly at the dude while he forced a similar smile on his face, then backed way off.

“I gotta run, Blake.” He reached for her and kissed her head. “Next Thursday night, seven—don’t forget. Dad’s really excited to see you.”

“Great.” She beamed as he left the kitchen.

Her expression went from elated to detached. “I think I’m going to head to bed.”

“Blake—”

“What?” She was turned away from me. “What do you want, Ian?”

You.
That’s what I should have said. Instead, I opened my mouth and nothing came out.

“That’s what I thought.” She snorted. “Just know, I may not be here by the time you figure it out.”

The microwave dinged.

“Yeah.” I leaned back against the counter. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY
-F
IVE

“I hate mornings.” Lex let out a loud yawn and e-mailed me the client list for the next two weeks.

“You always say that.” I lifted my cup to my lips and sipped while I scrolled through the list. “What the hell is this?”

“A swap.” His face was serious. “I wasn’t sure you could pull off the more difficult ones, so I gave you the clients who should only take a few days. Besides, you’re still balls-deep with Blake.”

“I wish,” I muttered.

“Hah.” Lex rolled his eyes. “Poor bastard. Can’t plow the field or even get close to it, hmm?”

“Close enough.” I ignored the blatant stares in our direction. Girls. Sometimes there were just too many of them. Damn, if I closed my eyes I could still feel Blake’s fingers grazing the front of my jeans. Her nimble hands just needed to reach a bit farther.

I was nearly arching off the bench when my text alert went off. Shit.

Blake: FREAKING OUT!

Ian: Inside voice. Lex can hear you, and he hates mornings.

Blake: Dinner date this week--his dad bailed. It’s just us. I’ve never been on a date.

My stomach recoiled. “Well, shit.”

“Something wrong?” Lex glanced up from his phone, thankfully missing the giant erection I was sporting by just thinking about Blake. I’d never hear the end of it if he thought her texts were enough to get me going.

“Yeah.” I sighed and sent a text back to Blake. “I’ve gotta fake a date with Blake so she doesn’t puke all over David.”

“So what?”

So I’ll wish it was real. That’s what, jackass.

For once, my brain and my body were in complete agreement.

“Nothing. Just . . . a lot on my mind.”

Good timing that a girl with a huge rack just happened to mosey on past us, gaining Lex’s attention, and adoration. He barked out, “I know exactly what you mean.”

Two weeks ago I would have waved the girl over and then proceeded to bend her over as fast as possible, preferably against the closest and most sturdy object I could find. But now? The idea of sex did nothing for me. Her fake tits were just that: fake. Her smile was the same. And, damn, did every stupid girl really have to wave with all five fingers? It was like she was wiggling worms in my direction and I was a bird just waiting to take a bite.

The girl stopped midstride, turned, and eyed both me and Lex in a come-hither stare that had Lex sucking in a deep breath and standing. “I’d ask if you wanna join, but something tells me you won’t be able to get it up.”

I guess that made Lex the peacock in this scenario.

“Funny.” I snorted. “Try to let her down easy afterward, Lex.”

“Please.” He started walking away, and his ridiculous swagger had its desired effect. The girl checked him out, then started breathing way heavier than necessary for doing nothing but standing with her mouth hanging open. “I always do. And when that doesn’t work, I just give them a fake phone number.”

“You’re such a good guy. Seriously,” I called after him. “A saint!”

“Hear that?” he said, approaching the girl. “I’m a saint. Care to confess your sins?”

I choked on my laugh as I pulled out my phone and sent a text back to Blake.

Ian: I’ll be at your house tonight at 6. Have Gabs help you get ready. What she says goes. No arguing.

Blake: But her idea of a date includes very tight dresses.

Ian: I’m sorry, were you trying to tease me? Make my mouth water while simultaneously seeing if you’re good at flirting via text? What’s the problem?

Blake: They’re tight!

Ian: And?

Blake: I can’t eat in tight dresses.

Ian: Try.

Blake: But . . .

Ian: You want my help or not? I’m your love coach. Stop being so argumentative. Oh, and wear your hair up.

Blake: Fine, but if I end up passing out because I can’t eat anything out of the bread basket, I’m blaming you.

I sighed, and with a smile texted her back.

Ian: Might be worth it, to see your tight ass in a tight dress with your tight tits and tight . . . Oh, I’m sorry, lost track of where I was going with that.

Blake: You really are a pig.

Ian: Teacup. Don’t forget.

She didn’t text back after that, and I had work to do if I was going to pull off the perfect date. My heart raced in my chest as I quickly searched through my catalog of restaurants. Oh shit. It wasn’t a real date. It was a fake date. I’d done it a million times. I liked to call this one the “Let’s get it all out of your system” play. You do a practice run with the chick before her first date with the guy she really likes; that way, she doesn’t have any surprises. Most girls build up the date so much in their minds that they can’t relax enough to eat a leaf of lettuce, let alone hold a conversation. Lex and I figured that if we made the practice date feel as real as possible and added in possible scenarios—basically doing a test run before the big game—it would help ease their nerves and make them less likely to choke on a peanut or accidently snort while laughing.

Even though it wasn’t a real date, the smile wouldn’t leave my cocky-ass face.

Well, that was new.

I scrolled through the restaurants, but nothing sounded good or even remotely interesting. Blake wasn’t the type of girl you wanted to impress with expensive prices and pretentious company. She genuinely liked food, and I imagined she’d probably yell at me if I took her someplace where the idea of food was one carrot with balsamic drizzled over it.

My stomach growled at the thought. I don’t care what guys think girls want; there is nothing sexy about a chick eating a lettuce leaf while chugging a vodka soda.

First off, the lettuce almost always gets stuck somewhere, usually between the front four teeth, and the vodka soda gets them tipsy so fast that by the time you want to order dessert, they’ve already lifted their foot underneath the table and tried to get you off with their big toe.

Not gonna lie, it’s happened a dozen or few times. Meaning I know what small amounts of food and large amounts of alcohol do to the dumb ones. And the sad ones are no better. If anything, it’s worse, because they’re too nervous to drink, spill water all over you, and when the night’s over, when you’ve finally finished coaching them on why it’s smart to eat rather than starve themselves all day, they’re suddenly ravenous.

I had one chick steal a couple’s bread basket.

Another ordered so many desserts she puked on me.

Hmm. I continued scrolling through my phone and grinned when I found the perfect place. It would be . . . interesting, that’s for sure.

Lex let out a loud laugh. I glanced up and wasn’t surprised at all that Big Tits was already fondling his ass and whispering sweet nothings into his ear. Twenty bucks he was doing chem homework in his head while she touched him. Another hundred that during sex, he’d be organizing his notes for his test. Sometimes I wondered why he even bothered.

He was a bastard. But I loved him.

A week ago, I would have given him a high five.

Now, it just felt . . . sad. A bit empty.

I heard more laughter from Lex as they sauntered off.

I needed to clear my head, and fast. Lex said I had another chick who was meeting me in a few minutes, but she’d yet to show, and typically if they were going to show, new clients were really early, spying the bench, waiting, watching, in the creepiest of ways.

But today? I had shit to do. So I quickly glanced around the area, left to right, right to left. Bingo!

Aw, poor sad, confused single woman wearing Keds, ripped boyfriend jeans, and a white T-shirt. Shit, was that a red headband? Was it the Fourth of July? Damn, at least bring a hot dog if you’re going to dress like a barbecue.

You,
I mouthed at her, then crooked my finger.

She paled, looked behind her, then back at me.

“Yes.” I nodded. “You.”

She looked behind her again.

Oh good Lord.

Was I seriously going to have to get up?

Finally, after a few minutes of hesitation, she hung her head and shuffled toward me.

When her small body cast a shadow over the bench, I leaned back and took inventory.

A-line haircut. Brown hair. Cute body, but very small, almost pixie-like. Zero self-confidence, considering she was hunched, and something about the way she dressed told me she didn’t actually dress herself, meaning her confidence had never been . . . poured into, if you will.

My bet was . . . she was still hiding underneath the shadow of her mom and was ready to break free and live. It was in the way she carried herself, the way she dressed, very prim and proper, like she was ready to go to Sunday dinner instead of class.

Too bad her parents were . . . hmm, I was guessing . . . local.

“You live on campus?” I asked.

She shook her head no.

“Still with the ’rents, huh?”

A small nod.

“You have friends?”

She nodded vigorously.

“They live on campus?”

Another nod that had me feeling like I was pulling teeth.

“Great . . . Are you poor?”

Frowning, she finally lifted her head so I could see her deep-green eyes. “No.”

Thank God. It spoke.

“Good.” I stood but quickly backed away, since she literally only came up to the middle of my chest. “Your first assignment is to tell the parents you’re moving out. The next is to find housing on campus or near campus. Cut the apron strings . . .” I tilted my head. “What’s your name?”

“Who are you?” She frowned. “I’m supposed to meet—” And she clammed up again.

I held out my hand. “Name’s Ian Hunter. I’m your new wingman.”

She stared at my hand, then placed hers across it, shaking it in such a wimpy, weird way that I shivered a bit.

“Assignment number two.” I gripped her hand hard. “Guys like soft bodies, not soft handshakes. Shake my hand the way you’d”—I coughed—“
shake my hand
.”

“What?”

“To quote a popular song, guys want ‘a lady in the streets but a freak in the bed.’ Judging by your shaking skills, I’m assuming you wouldn’t know the first thing about handling any part of me in bed. Firm grip, always important. Guys read into shit like that. I’ll send you the schedule later. Look over the information packet Lex sent you, and be sure to fill out the questionnaire. No calling. Only texting and e-mailing. Gotta run.”

“But—”

“Nice meeting you . . . ?”

“Vivian,” she yelled, a smile curving her lips.

I saluted and jogged off.