The Dating Game

“What are the odds she’s free?” Kenny whispered in David’s ear, motioning toward Larissa. “Maybe I could get a two-for-one here. Add in the fifty grand and I’m set for quite the par-tay.”

“Don’t forget you’re miked, Kenny,” David said. He bit back the urge to slug the insensitive clod.

“And now, without further ado, I’d like to introduce your lovely Average Jill, Mattie.” Larissa took a step back, then waved her arm toward the wide French doors on the patio.

Mattie Grant stepped through them and onto the patio. She didn’t glide in like Larissa had. She walked across the hard stone surface with care and a little bit of a wobble. In fact, the shoes didn’t seem like they fit her feet or her personality. And yet, despite her obvious discomfort, she looked—

Transformed.

The staff had put her in a long green gown with black sparkles running along the sides, which accented her figure and redefined her hourglass. She had her hair curled and swept up into some kind of fancy style David knew the French had a word for. Soft gold tendrils curled around her ears, dancing at her chin. Red-painted toenails peeked out of strappy black heels, teasing from beneath the long gown.

They’d done her makeup. Her lips. Her eyes. She’d been gorgeous before, but now she was—

“Incredible,” David let out on a breath.

“I’ve seen better,” Kenny said. “But she ain’t bad. Not exactly average. I told you so.”

“She’s stunning,” Larry said, adjusting the mike on his collar. “You’re just being a jerk, Kenny.”

Mattie took several steps forward, each one less tentative than the last. When she reached the top of the stairs, she smiled at the group awaiting her below.

That’s when David knew he was in trouble.

Mattie’s smile, coupled with her eyes, held a power over him nothing else about her had. Together they had a way of drawing him in and holding him there, as if she were clasping his hand.

This wasn’t going to be an ordinary story. He was fooling himself if he thought anything different. Reporter’s distance be damned.

Her eyes scanned the fifteen men, finally settling on him, the one friendly face she knew. “Hi,” she mouthed.

“Hi,” he returned.

Kenny elbowed him. “Hey, don’t horn in already. Give the rest of us a chance.” He hustled past the topiary of green balls and around to the front of the group.

The three cameramen—their triangulated and choreographed approach as good as any SEAL team’s—started moving in, filming Mattie’s progress as she made her way down the steps to the sloped lawn. On the third step, her heel caught in the stone and she tripped, teetering for a few seconds before gracefully regaining her balance and continuing on, as if nothing had ever happened.

“Think she’s a klutz? Man, I can’t stand a woman who bumps into things,” Kenny said.

“And what are you, Mr. Perfect?” Larry said. “You don’t have any faults?”

“Women love me. Faults and all.” Kenny gave them his thousand-watt smile.

David could see why women might like a man like Kenny at first, assuming the man kept his mouth shut. He had cover model looks and probably acted charming in front of a female. But behind their backs, he became the Neanderthal he really was.

Mattie, David hoped, was smart enough to see through that.

Wait a minute, what was he doing? Thinking of her romantic future? He needed to plot a strategy for himself, not think about Mattie and whether she might fall in love with anyone here. It was a foregone conclusion. Mattie Grant was going to fall in love—or think she had—with him. She had to.

There was no other ending to this. It was the ending he’d already written in his mind for his story, the one his editor assured him would produce the biggest headlines. And thus save his career from being sucked down the sewer like a belly-up goldfish.

But as he watched her approach, her smile wide and open, he felt a twinge of conscience. A flicker of doubt. For a moment David wanted to chuck the whole thing and go back to writing obits.

Before he could envision the headline John Doe Leaves Two Grieving Dogs and Extensive Taxidermy Collection, Mattie was there. Her emerald eyes met his and his feet staged a mutiny against his best intentions, moving him toward her.

“Miss Grant, meet your bachelors,” Larissa said, coming up beside Mattie and indicating the group with a wave of her arm. “They’re a talented group of men ranging in age from twenty-two to thirty-one. We have a few entrepreneurs, a couple of MBAs and even an executive chef in our midst. Gentlemen, would you introduce yourselves to our Average Jill?”

They started at the far left. A lean, bespectacled guy in a navy suit stepped forward. His face reddened before he opened his mouth. “Pleased to…ah, pleased to…ah, well, I’m Bill.” He blushed again and slipped back into line.

Mattie gifted him with a smile. “Nice to meet you, Bill.”

The second guy, Rick, had more composure but offered up a lame opening line about hoping she’d be his destiny. David saw Mattie visibly pale at that. Tim gave her a smile and a sexy wink, implying more would be following from him than just his name. Then he blew his whole intro by telling her she looked even better than the fifty grand he could win. Gerry, the shortest of the bunch—and at five foot six, just about Mattie’s height—didn’t bother with an introduction, just coughed out his name and stepped back to his place.

There was some guy named Brock who flexed his right bicep as a way of showing off his best assets. Another named Rob who seemed all right enough, David supposed. Gave Mattie a compliment about her dress, shook her hand and then told her it was nice to meet her. Tom, who could have been blond Tim’s twin, rushed forward with a hug that nearly bowled Mattie over.

Mark produced a flower—clearly stolen from the rose garden beside them—from behind his back and gave it to her, accepting full credit for his thoughtfulness. Three others whose names David didn’t catch gave Mattie a salute and called her ma’am. Jim followed suit.

Larry ambled forward. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Larry and I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.”

“Thank you, Larry,” Mattie said. David could see she was relieved Larry didn’t try the half nelson that Tom did or the overblown intro of Rick.

Then it was Kenny’s turn. He stepped forward, lifted Mattie’s hand in his and raised it to his lips. “I’m eagerly anticipating the journey ahead,” he said, his voice low. “My name is Kenny, but I don’t expect you to remember it tonight. Later, I hope we have time to get to know each other. You, my dear lady, are already unforgettable.” Then he lowered her hand and stepped back into place.

Just as David thought. Rico Suave on the outside, Cro-Magnon Man underneath.

The cameramen took a couple steps closer to capture the last introduction. David smiled at her as he moved forward and when she returned the gesture, something within his gut tightened.

How long had it been since a woman had made him react like that? With his instincts instead of his head? Already he was treading onto dangerous territory. Very dangerous. He could feel his objectivity slipping away, like water out of a sieve.

“I think you’ve made your impression already, Mr. Simpson,” she said when he reached her.

Did she mean that in a good way? Or bad? He envisioned his head on the bachelor chopping block. “And so have you, Miss Grant,” he replied. “As I said earlier, I expect this to be a very interesting adventure.”

She grinned, cast a quick glance at the cameramen, then returned her gaze to him. “You have no idea how interesting it can get.”

With that, David had no doubt he’d get his story. And maybe a lot more than he bargained for.

Mattie stood in a circle surrounded by a pack of men, feeling like the lone zebra at a hyena family reunion. She sipped from her champagne glass and made small talk.

And hated every second of it.

This wasn’t her. This made-up woman with a crystal flute of bubbly and a Ralph Lauren dress. She’d feel more comfortable in a gorilla suit. In fact, she had been a gorilla once when she’d been the team mascot and donned the costume at games, running around the field and tossing bananas to the crowd. That had been fun. This was torture.

“Enjoying yourself?” Larissa asked, pulling Mattie to the side for a moment.

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