that doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “You don’t seem like the type of woman who’d allow a man to pick her up in a bar.”
“Why don’t I?” she asked.
“You wouldn’t have time to ask all your questions. Most men are looking for a quick score,” he said.
He looked over at her, and she wondered if she’d revealed something she shouldn’t have. She knew she didn’t always say the right thing with men. But then she took a deep breath as the chopper banked for its landing, and she saw her own reflection in the window. She was on a matchmaking reality television show with a billionaire playboy…. There was nothing familiar about this scenario, and she was going to just let it play out.
“What are you thinking?” he said, his voice intimately deep in her ears, thanks to the headphones.
“Just how unreal this entire thing is,” she said. “Not reality at all.”
He laughed. “I agree. But I don’t mind it. Dating hasn’t worked out for either of us in the real world, so this might actually work.”
She wasn’t betting on it. They landed and took off their headphones, as the pilot turned off the helicopter.
“Do we have to tell them we kissed?”
Russell caressed her arm and linked their fingers together. “That can be our secret.”
With those words, he made them a couple. They had a secret that was just between them and, in a night of showy emotion and put-on romance, it was the first genuine thing to happen.
“Okay,” she said. “I like the idea of that.”
“Good. I like the idea of you and me,” he said.
She did too. But why? She wanted to figure out what it was about Russell that drew her in so deeply, but she had a feeling that the emotions he brought to the fore in her weren’t going to be logical.
“Ready to face the cameras again?”
“Yes,” she said. And she was definitely ready to get to know this man better, once filming stopped for the night and they were on their own.
She really liked Russell when they were alone.
Russell listened to the producer talking to Gail, and every once in a while, he heard her laugh. The sound was full of joy, and he could tell that she was enjoying whatever they were talking about. She was relaxed with Willow and her guard was down. Russell realized he still had a long way to go to get to know the real Gail Little.
“How’s matchmaking going for you so far?” Conner MacAfee asked as he came up beside him.
“Not bad,” he said.
“Good,” Conner said. “You know Matchmakers Inc. has a one hundred percent success rate, right?”
“Do you?”
“Yes, we do.”
“Did you do anything differently for us because of the TV show?”
Conner shook his head. “No way. We can’t compromise our policies, even for a show. I’m hoping to get some business out of this, and I can’t if we don’t do what we normally do for our clients.”
“Point taken. Do you know anything about Gail?” he asked Conner. He figured it was a fair enough question, given that she had heard of him.
“No. I really don’t get involved in the matching. I just run the company,” he said. He straightened his tie and glanced around the room. “I have to use my MBA from Harvard somehow.”
“Don’t brag,” Russell said with a grin.
“What’s the use in having one if you can’t tell people about it?” Conner said.
“Why do you own a matchmaking company?” Russell asked. His friend was one of the smartest business minds he’d ever encountered. Russell had always thought it was an odd thing for Conner.
“It was my grandmother’s business and I inherited it. I figured it wouldn’t make money and I could take it as a tax loss, but in fact the opposite was the case,” Conner said.
“The market can be unexpected. I’m trying to diversify now to make sure we have more of a toehold in other segments,” Russell said. That had been one of the reasons why he’d agreed to be on the show. He needed potential investors to see that he was a changed man.
“No kidding. We added an exclusive wife-finder for some of our more eccentric customers,” Conner said.
“What does that mean?” Russell asked.
“We vet the woman and send her to the client, and he approves her and marries her without any dating. It’s a very new service and a niche market. But a very profitable one.”
“That’s interesting,” Russell said. He guessed that everyone was scrambling in this new economy to figure out ways to stay ahead.
“Do you need anything from me?” Conner asked.
“No. I’m good. Poker on Thursday night?”
“Definitely. I want a chance to win back some of my money.”
“Good luck with that. The cards favor me and always have.”
“I know. I remember when we first met and you’d win enough money at the tables in Monaco to make your payroll.”
“Those days are long behind me,” Russell said. “But my ability at the poker table hasn’t diminished.”
“It might have. I feel the need to remind you whose country you are in,” Conner said.
“I haven’t lost yet,” Russell said.
“That only means you are due for a fall,” Conner said as he walked away. Russell watched his friend leave and took a deep breath. The air was chilly this evening but not cold. He suddenly felt a sense of peace he hadn’t felt in a long time.
The production crew left the rooftop as a group. He and Conner made their way toward the elevators, with Gail and Willow following them. They were still talking.
“I got a call from a friend of yours,” Conner said, turning to the women.
“Mine?” Willow asked.
“Yes, Nichole … I can’t remember her last name. She wants to interview me about Matchmaker Inc.”
“She works for America Today so she’s legit,” Willow said.
The elevator arrived.
“Do you want to chat about it quickly?” Willow asked.
“I’d like that,” Conner said. “See ya later, Russell.”
Russell waved goodbye to his friend as the doors opened. Dylan, his executive assistant, was on the elevator, a concerned look on his face.
“Hiya, boss. We have a situation,” Dylan said, stepping out of the elevator.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Gail said, backing away from the two men.
“Wait, Gail. Are we still on for that nightcap?” he asked.
“Yes. The lobby bar?”
“Sounds good. Twenty minutes?”
“Yes,” she said, getting on the elevator.
Russell waited until the doors closed before asking Dylan, “What is so important it needs my attention?”
“Penny Thomson is in the lobby demanding to see you. I tried to get her to wait in my office, but she wouldn’t.”
Great. Not what he needed this night, but he’d handle it. “Please make sure that Gail is taken care of until I’m done with Penny.”