Arilyn pumped up her usual calm aura to supersize. “Wow, that’s pretty awesome. I own a bakery in town, and work all the time, and said to myself tonight, ‘Self, you need to get out more and have some fun.’ So I took myself down to Purple Haze, and now here you are! Kismet, right? Do you know what kismet is?”
He never faltered, his entire attention focused on not failing this task. “Yes, kismet is a wonderful thing. I agree about the work issue. I’m currently doing a lot of research for a firm looking to put the private sector into space, and it’s hard to remind myself to get out and relax.”
Kate looked impressed, but Arilyn wasn’t done with him.
“Are you married? Have kids? I’m really looking to settle down and have kids, and I’m so impressed with your career! I mean, so many men nowadays just want to find themselves and make no money and be drains on society. Look, I usually don’t dive right in, but I like you. Want to have dinner with me? I want to meet a serious partner who’s done partying and wants to get married quickly. I just sense you feel the same way, Nate. Kismet, right? So, what do you think?”
Sweat beaded his forehead. Kennedy leaned forward. This was the man’s wet dream come true—a woman to get serious and be ready to talk marriage right from the gate. She’d coached Arilyn to offer him his dream woman and see how he liked it. His brow crunched as he seemed to try desperately to figure out the correct approach not to get zapped. Her hand paused on the button.
“I’d love to have dinner.” His voice came out strained. “And yes, I’m looking for a serious relationship.”
She dropped the controller on her lap.
“Wonderful! This is such a relief. I sensed an immediate connection between us and just feel that you, as a businessman, will completely understand me.”
“Why do you feel better understood by businessmen?” he asked.
“Well, when we have the babies, I intend on going straight back to work and hiring a nanny. My bakery chain is everything, and I don’t feel I need to give up anything. I intend to have it all, Nate, and hopefully with you.” Arilyn chirped out the last of her words with a confident smile and waited for complete agreement.
The words spewed out of him. “I don’t believe a woman should rush right back to work after giving birth, and I don’t believe in nannies. You’ll have to give up your job and stay home with them, of course. That’s the only proper way to raise children.”
Kate gasped. Arilyn stared.
And Kennedy pressed the button.
“Son of a bitch!” He jumped and slapped at his nape. He curled his hands into tight fists and gritted his teeth. “What’d I say now? I nailed that scenario!”
Kennedy sighed. “Why on earth would you believe women have to give up their jobs to become mothers? Haven’t you heard of balance?”
“Connor explained that if women keep themselves in the work force, they end up having affairs and breaking up the family. The children are the ones to suffer. I sure as hell am not going to have that type of life for my kids. Not after seeing what my own mother pulled.”
Sadness leaked into her heart. Her friends were quiet as they pondered his words. Arilyn was the one to speak finally in a quiet, supportive voice. “I completely understand why you would think that. But not all women have affairs or run off. This is the point of the search. You want to find women who have similar ideals, but if you close yourself down to possibilities, you may miss out on the right one. Love can change people, make them compromise.”
He vibrated with unspoken tension. “Why would I want to waste my time chasing the wrong woman?”
“Because the wrong one can end up being your true love,” Kate answered. “It happened with me. When I met my fiancé, Slade, I categorized him as the completely wrong type for me. We were opposites and held different core philosophies. But we fell in love. Changed. Grew. And if I had stuck with the ideal man I had in my head, I would’ve missed out on the greatest thing in my life.”
Raw yearning reared up and swallowed Kennedy whole. She breathed through the sudden emotion and need to experience what Kate had: true love. Real love. Full of mess and hard work and worth every moment. She averted her gaze and concentrated on the buzzer, trying to pull herself back together. What was wrong with her? She’d never experienced such a primitive longing to throw herself into a relationship no matter the odds. The long line of men behind her were like ghosts, haunting her future and reminding her over and over she’d never be fulfilled.
“I understand.”
Arilyn slid off the stool and gave him a hug. “That was a big moment, Nate. Thank you for sharing with us.”
She imagined that a slight red tinged his cheeks. “Sure. Are we done?”
“No,” Kate said. “Kennedy goes next.”
She lifted her head.
His gaze locked on hers. Those green eyes burned with a banked fire that promised everything . . . if she was brave enough to take it. The odd thought skittered through her mind, but it was too bizarre to analyze, so she walked slowly over and took her place on the stool.
“Dare I ask who has the buzzer?”
“Kate. She’s fair.”
“And what should I expect from you?”
A smile touched her lips. He’d ditched the awful cologne. His natural scent swarmed over her and wrapped her in spice, soap, and lemon. “Everything you hate.”
He smiled back. Dropped his voice. “Bring it.”
Goose bumps broke out on her flesh. She squeezed her thighs against the sudden wet ache throbbing in her core, as excitement and challenge woke up her nerve endings. Her body hummed and prepped for the mental battle about to begin, responding as if he had just ripped off her clothes, spread her on the bar, and pleasured her mercilessly with his tongue and hands and teeth.
“Keep looking at me like that and you’ll get more than you bargained for.”
She shivered at his words. “Bring it.”
He growled something under his breath.
“Okay, guys, you can begin.”
Kate’s voice drifted in and broke up the bubble. Kennedy turned her back on him and waited till she heard his voice.
“Hey. My name’s Nate. How are you?”
“Hi, Nate. My name’s Wanda. What’s up?”
He slouched comfortably against the bar. “Just relaxing after a hard day’s work. How about you?”
“Same.”
“What do you do?”
“I’m a makeover consultant for a matchmaking agency.”
He never missed a beat. “Bet you meet a lot of interesting people. Matchmaking agencies are growing bigger. You’re savvy to get into such an industry.”
Her smile dazzled. “Thank you so much. I love my work. It’s my entire life. I can’t imagine ever giving it up for anything.”
Nate positioned his body so his legs straddled her stool. It was a power move that forced her to get close and personal. Fascinated, she waited as he gave an easy grin and closed the distance between them. She could see the perfect curve of his lip. “Anything?” he murmured. “Even love?”
She waited for him to get buzzed for that one, but nothing happened. “The person who truly loves me would never ask me to give it up.”
“Touché. What type of hobbies do you enjoy, Wanda?”
“Anything physical. Rock climbing, kayaking, hiking. I hate stationary type of sports.”
“Like what?”
“Like golf. Golf sucks.”
The muscle by his eye ticked, then stopped. “Would you be willing to try golf? Maybe you’d like it.”
“I doubt it. I dislike boring men.”
“What type of man do you consider boring?”
She smiled sweetly. “You know, nerd types. Engineers, accountants, careers involving science or math. Ick. I like the passionate, artistic, creative types. The brooding actor or passionate writer or inspired yoga teacher. What do you do, Nate?”