Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
But there was an even bigger reason he’d accepted. It was the look in Michaela’s eyes when he’d said yes.
She’d never admit it, but he’d seen the spark of jealousy. Her lovely jade eyes had deepened to the shade of the green-eyed monster. Jealousy. She hadn’t said anything. In fact, her words had said the exact opposite. But he’d recognized the signs in her beautiful eyes and her sharp intake of breath when he’d said yes instead of no.
Of course he hadn’t said yes only to make her jealous. He might enjoy the date. He might be immune to love, but conversing with a beautiful, accomplished woman was always a pleasure.
Making Michaela jealous was a side benefit.
Thursday was a nightmare. Michaela couldn’t stop thinking about Troy’s date with Alice Fletcher. Despite her work, the calls she’d made, the research she’d done on perfect matches for clients, she felt as if she were losing her mind.
When she went home that night—while Troy and Alice were both getting ready for the perfect date that she’d set up—her mind slipped into catastrophe mode. Thoughts rumbled through her brain. It would be love at first sight. He’d take Alice to his magnificent home in the Los Gatos hills and make love to her until the sun came up. He’d propose to her on the first date. He’d even give Michaela a bonus for finding the perfect match for him. In addition to paying out a million-dollar bet.
The crazy thoughts went on and on until her mother said, “You’ve got a bee in your bonnet. What’s going on?”
Not one bee, but a whole hive.
Sitting in the family room, they were enjoying a pre-dinner glass of wine. It did nothing to soothe Michaela’s savage beast. Nothing would help except calling Troy and saying Alice had canceled. Or calling Alice to say Troy had canceled. Or calling them both.
If anyone found out, her reputation would be in ruins. But at least she wouldn’t go insane.
“Do you want me to make your favorite dinner?” her mother asked.
Flo always picked up on her daughter’s moods, knowing when Michaela had a hard day. But today was for a reason she’d never experienced before. Troy had her twisted up on the inside. She was fighting feelings she shouldn’t have.
“That would be great, Mom.”
Forty-five minutes later, they were sitting down to a delicious shepherd’s pie. Her mother’s was homemade, and the best Michaela had ever tasted. Almost as good as one served in a real English pub.
Over the second half of her glass of wine, Michaela spilled her guts. She always spilled her guts. “Now that I’ve set Troy up on a date, I actually feel jealous. It’s been driving me nuts for two days. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m jealous, and I don’t even like the man.”
Flo smiled, though Michaela couldn’t read anything in it. “Why don’t you like him? He was lovely at the art gallery.”
Michaela huffed out a sigh. “We already talked about this. You know my rule. I want to be with someone who understands me and where I come from and how hard we had to work to get where we are.”
“But that’s not about him. That’s about your rule. He was so attentive on Saturday, introducing us to everyone, making sure we felt welcome. He even sent that limousine for us.” She added another spoonful of shepherd’s pie to her plate. “I don’t think he’s that different from us. You always say you wouldn’t fit in that kind of world.” Her mother stopped short of saying that Michaela didn’t think she was good enough, the way she had the other night. “But you don’t actually know what his world is like.”
Michaela lapsed into her usual reasoning. “We have nothing in common. He owns a sports gear empire. His brother Dane is a resort mogul. Ava Harrington owns retirement homes all over the country. And she’s living with that celebrity chef Ransom Yates. Clay created an app that sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and now he’s worth billions too. And Gabby Harrington? She’s barely in her thirties and owns a bakery franchise with a café in every major city in the country. And did you see all the celebrities and major Silicon Valley players at that gallery?” she concluded emphatically. “That’s not my lifestyle. I wouldn’t fit in. A relationship with all that would be destined to fail.”
But Flo didn’t comment. Instead, she said, “I forgot to tell you I had coffee with Susan Spencer the other day.”
Michaela was delighted. Susan Spencer was lovely and down-to-earth. “That’s wonderful. I hope you had a good time.”
Flo laced her fingers. “Susan is amazing. You know, most of the Mavericks were foster kids that Susan and Bob Spencer took in even though they didn’t have much money at all. Back in Chicago, Bob was a baggage handler, and Susan was a waitress.”