Searching for Perfect

eight

ARE WE READY, ladies?”

They sat on stools at the Purple Haze bar in Verily. The bar was a mix between the casualness of Mugs and the upscale restaurant Cosmos. Done in various shades of violet, from the fabric seats to the walls, it was decorated in trendy glass, mirrors, and lights to give it a fresh feel. Computer monitors were set up along with large television screens and attracted the technology set who wanted to drink and not stray too far from their gadgets. It was popular with the after-work crowd, but Tuesday nights were pretty dead and would give them the privacy they needed to give this exercise the right atmosphere.

Kennedy waited for her friends to respond. It was a daring approach that had never been done before, and she was afraid they’d object. Kate and Arilyn shared a look, then firmly nodded.

“I would normally never help employ such tactics, but after what you’ve told us, I’m in,” Arilyn said.

Kate sighed. “When I heard about poor Bernadette being confronted about approaching thirty, I wanted to bop him over the head myself.” She gave an evil grin. “But this is so much better.”

Kennedy laughed. “Remember, we start small and follow his lead. I don’t want to terrify the guy, just get him to a point where he stops and thinks before he speaks. He has a good heart. Nate just listened to the wrong advice about how to deal with women, and we need to straighten him out. No one ever took the time to show him the right way. But he has a wicked sense of humor, he’s smart and successful, and now he looks the part.”

At that moment, Nate strolled through the door, surveyed the crowd, and seeing Kennedy from across the room, locked on his target. Her heart beat a bit faster in spite of herself, and her tummy slid, flipped, and settled. The sexy scruff on his face would make a woman itch to touch it, trace the lines of those full lips, look deep into his eyes. If she could spot them behind those glasses. She made a mental note: next up, contact lenses and a decent wardrobe. He wore his usual staple outfit: lab coat, shiny cheap pants, orthopedic-type shoes—did he have a foot problem she didn’t know about?—and sported a trail of tiny circles of coffee splatters down the front of his shirt. But he never broke the gaze as he crossed the room and stood in front of them. “Hey.”

She fought a smile at his usual brevity. “Hey.”

“Sorry I didn’t get to change. Nice to see you again, Kate. Arilyn.”

Kate spoke up first. “I hope you’re enjoying your journey here at Kinnections. Kennedy is a master at transforming clients and building confidence.”

“Yes. She also would’ve been quite helpful torturing prisoners of war to make them speak.”

Kennedy puffed up with sheer pride at Nate’s backhanded compliment.

“Are you experiencing any difficulty in your path to true love?” Arilyn asked. “I can always book a session with you to help overcome any barriers.”

“No, thank you. After a cracked-up Japanese warrior ripped up my body, a cranky gay man attacked me with scissors, and I got my ass handed to me by a Zumba session, I think I’m good. What’s on today’s agenda?”

Kate laughed. Kennedy shook her head. “Don’t be so dramatic, it all worked out fine. We’re going to do role-play. It seems that one of your limitations is social conversation.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“We’re going to run through some simple first meets with different outcomes so you get more used to handling various women and topics of conversation.”

“And to think I gave up a prostate exam for this.”

“Why don’t we warm up with a round of speed questions?”

Kate clapped. “I love that game. Like Jeopardy but better.”

Nate cocked his head and considered. She bet he assumed he’d be good at the speed round since he was probably the trivia king. She smothered a laugh. He’d realize quickly how different this was.

“What’s involved?”

“We throw out scenarios and you give us a quick answer. It’s to build up your reflex ability to approach situations in the proper way without overthinking. Let’s get you set up with a drink first.”

“Darth Maultini, please.”

They stopped and stared. “A what?”

He shot them a suffering expression. “One ounce sweet vermouth, one ounce vodka, one ounce whiskey, two ounces pomegranate cherry, and two lemon wedges cut up and spread around the glass.”

Kennedy’s mouth dropped open. “You have got to be kidding me. How about a beer?”

Kate giggled. “No, I remember it. Got it covered. Star Wars junkie, huh?”

“A bit.”

Kate ordered the drink while Kennedy fished out the contraption from her tote bag. “Now, we’ll just slide this on you and get started.”

“What the hell is that?”

Kennedy widened her eyes in the innocent doe look men died for. “A simple gadget that will be able to read your responses and catalog electrical sensors to correct behavior.”

Nate took a step back as if she’d confronted him with a python. “It’s a collar. A dog collar.”

Arilyn spoke in her soothing, melodic voice that usually hypnotized her prey. “No, of course it’s not a dog collar. Think of it as a band with a mini computer installed in order to sense bodily reactions and categorize behavior.”

He pushed a hand through his hair and let out a half laugh. “Oh, you both are good. Brilliant, as a matter of fact. It’s an electric dog collar. Put whatever spin you want on it. I’m not putting that thing on.”

Kate slid his whacked-out martini drink across the bar. “The path to true love is never easy. You don’t strike me as a quitter, Nate. And you may not have enjoyed what Kennedy threw at you, but take a few minutes and really think. Have the steps you completed worked? Do you feel better about yourself? Do you feel you grew as a person and are closer to finding your soul-mate?”

Kennedy shared a look with her friends. God, they were amazing together. Each of their assets and energy melded to cocoon their target to push them to goal. They waited. He stood perfectly still, studying them, thinking out every step, and then gauged the weapon she still held. Several minutes ticked by.

“Fine.”

She didn’t hesitate. Kennedy slid the slim leather collar around his neck, closed the clasp, and tugged his shirt up so most of it was covered. The controller was hidden in her tote for the moment. No reason to freak him out more or warn him of what was about to happen. The element of surprise was key, and if she explained too much, he’d walk out without a backward glance.

“Now what?” he asked.

“Relax, we’ll start easy. I’ll begin. Do I look fat in these pants?”

He blanched and choked on his drink. “Those types of questions? Are you kidding me? You’re setting me up for failure.”

Kate clucked her tongue. “Nate, that was the easiest one on the planet. Just say no. No, you don’t look fat. No, your makeup’s perfect. No, those shoes look great. No, it’s my fault, not yours. Get it?”

He finished choking, wiped his mouth, and dragged in a breath. Kennedy almost felt sorry for him, but it was necessary in order to get him to the next level. Her finger stroked the button hidden in her tote. “Ready?”

“Yeah. I got this.”

Kennedy threw out the questions in rapid succession. “Do I look fat in these pants?”

“No.”

“Do you want me to pick up the tab this time?”

“No.”

“Are you gay?”

“No.”

“Are you just looking for a one-night stand?”

“No.”

“Do you have any issues I need to be concerned about?”

“No.”

“Do you find me attractive?”

“Yes.”

She grinned and gave him a thumbs-up signal. He let out the breath he’d been holding, took another sip, and relaxed his shoulders. “Nice warm-up. Now let’s beef it up. Kate, go ahead.”

“I’m your hot waitress. I just came up to the table and took your order. Give me your best line.”

“Make sure you come check on me often. I haven’t seen such a beautiful face in a long time. You inspire me to be a better man.”

Kennedy barely managed not to gag on that line.

So she pressed the button.

Nate jerked and shot off the bar stool. The electrical buzz hit his skin, and she imagined little tingles of energy rippling down his body, causing enough pain to force him to focus. His fingers drifted up to his neck, and he whipped around. His gaze narrowed.

“What was that?” he hissed. “That hurt!”

“Honestly, Nate, that was one of the worst lines I’ve ever heard.”

“Quite cheesy,” Kate agreed.

“You electrocuted me.” He stated the words with sheer amazement.

She waved a hand in the air. “It’s just a little behavior correction technique. A slight tingle to remind you when you go off track.”

“You’re all crazy. What type of agency is this?”

Arilyn clucked softly. “We’re so sorry, Nate, but this really is for the best. Now, why don’t we try again?”

He stared at each of them, trying to comprehend how three deadly females had just given him the equivalent of an electric shock, yet somehow managed to look completely innocent. “You don’t want to give up when it’s just gotten interesting, do you?” Kennedy asked.

He touched the collar and narrowed his gaze. “My brother just used that line last night and the woman loved it. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

Kate gave an irritated sigh. “She’s the exception. Women hate that stuff. Is your brother Brad Pitt? Or maybe she knows him casually and it was a joke?”

Nate rubbed his head. “Not Pitt. He got her to laugh.”

“Forget what Connor does and says. You need a different approach or you’ll get slaughtered.”

“Fine. Let’s do this again.”

They shared a glance. Kennedy nodded. Kate picked the reins back up.

“Picture your first date. She leans in after the meal and asks what’s next on the menu. What do you say back?”

He blinked. “Dessert.”

She hit the button.

He twitched and cursed viciously under his breath. “What?”

“That sounded like you wanted to take her to bed. Not cool.”

“I meant just dessert, for God’s sake, not sex.”

“Sounded a bit creepy to me. Your response should have been, whatever you like. She was really asking about the next step with you, not the menu.”

“That’s stupid! Why would she use a food connotation?”

Kennedy shrugged. “Women are deep.”

Arilyn jumped in. “Clear your mind and picture an unyielding canvas of white.”

Pure male irritation radiated from him, but he sat back down and glared at Kate. “Again.”

Kate shifted on the bar stool. “Two women are talking to you together. You’re attracted to one friend and not the other. What do you do?”

“Address the woman I like and ask for her number.”

She hit the button.

He slapped at his neck. “What the hell did I do wrong now?”

Arilyn gave him a sad look. “Never, ever ask for a woman’s number in front of her friend. It must be done privately. You set yourself up for extreme embarrassment if the one you asked out doesn’t like you but the other one does, and then the one you like feels bad for her friend and the other one hates you, so it’s a lose-lose situation.”

“I’m going home.”

Nate began to unbuckle the collar. Kennedy dove over and grabbed his hands. “I know it’s confusing, but we just wanted to give you some general scenarios. The real role-play is much more important.”

“What type of role-play?”

“Kate will be the first one up. She’ll pretend to be a stranger at the bar, and you approach her. Conversation will go from there, and we’ll be able to analyze how you interact.”

He gave a disgusted sigh but stopped trying to tug off the collar. “Is she gonna judge me on my first pick-up line? I suck at that.”

“No, just say hello, she won’t be hostile. This exercise is about the flow of good conversation, not approach. If there’s one thing I teach as the cardinal rule for first meets, it’s this. Say hello, give your name, and ask how she is. Simple. Not rocket science.”

“Ha, ha.”

“Arilyn and I will watch from the end of the bar.”

“Great. I feel like I’m auditioning for America’s Got Talent. But instead of the X, I get electrocuted.”

“Good luck.”

They moved a few seats down. Kennedy gave him credit. Most men couldn’t handle the pressure of role-play, and though Nate’s face reflected misery, he drew himself to full height and dove in.

“Hey . . . My name’s Nate, how are you?”

Kate swiveled around on her stool and gave him a sexy smile. She’d transformed into the one-night competitor. This woman wanted hot sex, one night to forget her troubles, and had no intention of settling into a long-term relationship. Kate practically purred, her gaze caressing and analyzing his entire body from under heavy lidded eyes. She was a walking, talking cliché that most men could never resist.

Including Nate.

“Hey, darlin’,” she drawled. “My name’s Wanda. And my crappy day just got a whole lot better.”

“Mine, too.” He sat next to her, his confidence shooting back up in the face of Kate’s obvious flirtation. “Do you come here often?”

Kennedy winced but let it go. Terrible line, but not Titanic bad.

“Yes, every night. And why haven’t I seen you around?” Kate tossed her hair, and reached out to trail a finger down his arm. She leaned in and Kennedy knew he got a nice shot of cleavage.

He cleared his throat. “Just moved into town. So, Wanda, what do you do?”

Hmm, he liked to focus on career. “I’m a waitress.”

Kennedy held her breath.

“That’s hard work. No wonder you had a bad day.”

She let out her breath. Nice recovery. No judgment or abrupt ending—she guessed Connor had never broken up with anyone in the food industry.

“Oh, yeah. Hours on my feet with these heels.” Kate flexed her leg and Nate’s gaze snagged on sexy three-inch heels. “I really need to relax. Lie down. Maybe get out of here. What do you think?”

Kate’s face screamed sex. Nate widened his eyes as if he had hit the jackpot. Kennedy waited and hoped for a particular response.

She didn’t get it.

“Well, I would say we should get to know one another a bit better. See if we’re suited. But why not? Let’s go. My place is close.”

Ah, yes. The little head always won out over the big one.

Buzz.

“Son of a bitch! She came on to me!”

Kennedy gave him an encouraging smile. “You were doing really great until that point. You just forgot the goal. You want to meet your wife, not hook up for one night of nonsense sex.”

“There’s nothing wrong with no-commitment sex if both parties agree. Connor raised me on that philosophy.”

“You need to keep the main goal in sight. A short sexual affair or a one-nighter will throw your game off, and no one wants to date a male slut. You want a nice girl, right?”

“For God’s sake, I’m not a male slut. Is this your normal behavior training class? This must be illegal.” He looked about ready to storm out again, but Kate touched his arm and murmured something in his ear. A few beats passed, and finally, he gave a curt nod. He shot Kennedy one last glare, sat back down, and refocused on Kate.

“That was a close call,” Arilyn whispered.

“Yeah, but I think we got him now. He’s going to look at this as a challenge and refuse to lose.”

“So, what do you say, big boy? Wanna get out of here?”

Kennedy tried not to laugh at Kate’s slutty voice, and knew her friend was enjoying the hell out of her character. She usually played the sweet girl next door.

“Actually, you seem like a fascinating woman. I’d like to get to know you better first. Tell me about yourself.”

Kennedy grinned. Nice.

Kate did a little pout. “I guess we can talk for a few more minutes. Well, I’m a single mom, I work at Mugs, and I’m trying to put myself through school.”

“What are you studying?”

“Massage therapy.” She batted her eyelashes. “Want to be one of my practice clients?”

He didn’t bite this time. “I just read a study quoting an increased space in the market for massage therapists. There’s quite a demand lately. Experts are citing more people need careers with jobs at graduation, so that was a smart move.”

Kennedy puffed up with pride. Arilyn gave her a thumbs-up sign.

“It’s nice to have a man finally understand that. I want to be able to properly support my daughter.”

“How old is she?”

“Twelve. Super smart and beautiful. Hope she does better than her mom.”

Kate put a bitter twist into the words to see what reaction ensued.

Nate turned serious. “Seems to me you’re teaching her to stand up, be independent, and follow your passion. I’d be proud to have a mom like you.”

Emotion clogged Kennedy’s throat. Kate looked surprised, then a bit misty-eyed. She squeezed Nate’s hand. “Thank you. I really like you. Let’s go to my place so I can show you how much.”

“Okay.”

Kennedy closed her eyes. And pushed the button.

“Ow! What’d I do now?”

Kennedy shook her head in disappointment. “No sex, Nate. You spent a few minutes with her. Is that enough to tell you she’s worth a long-term dating relationship? Sex is serious business and not something to be handled lightly.”

He rubbed his neck and muttered something foul under his breath. “I liked her, okay! And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to have sex.”

Arilyn smiled with sympathy. “We understand. But at Kinnections, we try to guide clients to think of sex as a big turning point. We encourage steady dating and a monogamous relationship before sexual activity.”

Nate glowered at both of them. “Then you should’ve told me that so I know the damn rules.” He drained the rest of his drink. “Come on. Let’s do this.”

“Umm, I’m done with my part,” Kate said. “Arilyn, you’re next.”

Nate stared her down as she stepped up to the bar stool like he was a pitcher ready to strike out Babe Ruth. Kennedy wondered if this was a bad idea. He liked competition and enjoyed the win. He now viewed the buzzer as something to beat or die, and Arilyn was standing right in his way. Kate took Arilyn’s place next to Kennedy and shot her a worried look.

Arilyn turned her back and waited. She was about to introduce her client to the next female prototype: eager to commit, fall in love tonight, and live happily ever after. Nate leaned in.

“Hey. My name’s Nate. How are you?”

Arilyn shifted and gave him a huge smile. “Hi, Nate. I’m Wanda. It’s nice to meet you. What brings you out on a weeknight? Hard day at work? Do you live in the area? What do you do?”

She threw the questions out with deft ease, meant to keep a man’s mind in a tailspin. Nate fielded the questions and took his time answering. “I felt like unwinding with a drink tonight. I’m an aerospace engineer, and I just moved to Verily.”

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?”

His gaze shred past her barriers and ripped them off. “I’m an aerospace engineer. I love golf. I can’t write, do art, and I suck at Zumba. But I think you’re an incredible woman and would love to get to know more about you. Have dinner with me.”

Dizziness swooped through her. She clutched the edge of the bar to steady herself, but he was already there, grabbing her arm in a strong, stable grip. Kennedy pursed her lips and stood her ground. “We’re complete opposites. I don’t think it will work between us. But thanks for the conversation.”

A low chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Tell you what. You answer one question for me. If you get it right, I’ll prove we’re meant to try dinner at least. You get it wrong, I’ll politely step away and thank you for your time.”

Again, she waited for the buzzer that never came. Damn you, Kate. Intrigued, she studied him under her lashes. “What question?”

“You have to agree to the deal first. Get it right, I buy you dinner. Deal?”

“What if I just lie and say I don’t know it?”

He moved to whisper the answer in near her ear. “You won’t. I trust you.”

A shudder wracked her body at his intimate tone. His breath rushed warm and sweet and stirred the hair at her temple. “Okay. Ask your question.”

“I’m a physicist who works on researching advanced propulsion in rockets. I base many of my theories and core findings on Newton’s Third Law of Motion.”

She feigned boredom. “So?”

“What is the main assumption in Newton’s law?”

The air left her lungs in a soft whoosh. Shock overtook her and claimed her words. Her mouth unhinged and Kennedy realized she must look ridiculous. She snapped her mouth closed. “You can’t ask me that question.”

“Why not?” he drawled.

“Because, because it’s impossible. A makeover consultant doesn’t know science and physics and all that stuff. Ask me something else.”

“But that’s the question we agreed on,” he pointed out. “If you don’t know the answer, I understand. Remember, I trust you to tell me the truth.”

She glared, hating him for putting her in this delicate position. For God’s sake, how could he sense something no one else ever knew about her? That underneath all her girly clothes and flirty actions and sarcastic wit, she was a closet nerd? Sure, they had tossed around a few ideas about velocity during their ice cream outing, but this seemed different. She’d been distracted before, lulled into a false sense of security by the sugar rush—but right now she was stone cold sober. And his gaze challenged her, as if he was openly forcing her to admit she knew things she shouldn’t. Things she denied. Her past reared up to haunt her. All those years stuck in her room, alone, had turned her into a book freak. The clear lines of math and science had soothed her need for answers and fed her brain, but she’d forced herself to become someone else, and made sure that knowledge of Manolos and the latest hot handbag took the place of aerospace dynamic theory and Newton’s Laws of Motion.

She’d lie. He’d never know. Hell, it was a ridiculous scenario anyway, and Kate should have been hitting that damn button already. She set her jaw. Opened her mouth. And spoke.

“In every interaction, there is a pair of forces acting on the two interacting objects. The size of the forces on the first object equals the size of the force on the second object. The direction of the force on the first object is opposite to the direction of the force on the second object. Forces come in pairs. Therefore, Newton’s law assumes for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

Triumph gleamed in his eyes. Kennedy stared at him, horrified but somehow helpless to avert her gaze. He brought the whole charade home by lifting her hand to his lips, and pressing a hot kiss in the center of her palm. “Thank you, Wanda. And now it will be my pleasure to take you to dinner.”

“I—I—I—”

“That was incredible!” Kate shrieked. She rushed over and practically jumped up and down. “I can’t believe it. You listened to us and followed through exactly. You were nonjudgmental, focused, funny, and intelligent. Kennedy, wasn’t that a triumph?”

She forced a weak smile. “Yeah. Really great stuff.”

Arilyn floated over. “What a pleasure to watch. I can’t wait till Ken sets up your mixer, I think you’re going to be surprised at the number of quality matches you’ll have. Thanks for having an open mind. And we’re really sorry about the buzzer.”

Nate smiled. “No problem. I guess I did need a bit of a hard-core approach.”

Kate laughed and put her hands on both of their shoulders. “I think—oh!”

With a sharp yelp, her friend crashed onto the floor in a heap of limbs. Nate threw his stool back and knelt down. “Are you okay?”

Kate’s blue eyes widened with horror. Oh, no. She must have tripped on those wicked heels Kennedy had forced her to buy. She joined him on the floor, and they all crowded around Kate. “I’m sorry, Kate, I should’ve never made you buy those heels. They’re walking death contraptions. Here, let me help you up.”

“No! Ugh, I m-m-mean, no thank y-y-you. I got this.” She crawled on her hands and knees and jumped up. “Um, s-s-sorry, guys, I forgot I have an important appointment and I gotta go. Arilyn, will you walk me out?”

Arilyn shot her a confused look. “Sure. Are you sure you’re okay? You look like someone shocked you. Did the buzzer backfire or something?”

“I’m f-f-fine.” Her laugh came out high and a bit crazy. “Stay here and finish up. I’ll see you tomorrow. Nice to role-play with you, Nate.”

She bolted out of the restaurant. Arilyn gave a half wave and followed her out.

“Weird,” Kennedy said. “Must be all those wedding plans. Makes a woman a little crazy.”

“I bet.”

They stared at each other. The faint sounds of glasses clinking and people chattering drifted to her ears. Waves of heat radiated around them and tried to pull her in. “You did good.”

“You owe me dinner.”

Her heart stopped, then pounded so loud it echoed in her ears. “No, Wanda owed you dinner. It was role-play.”

“You knew Newton’s Third Law of Motion.”

Annoyance flickered through her. “Who cares? Every student learns that in high school. Big deal, I remembered.”

“You lie about yourself, Kennedy. Pretend to be someone you’re not because you think it’s easier. You think it’ll protect you.”

Annoyance broadened into pure temper. “Ah, so you’re an expert on me now, huh? Just because you’re my client doesn’t mean you have any right to know about me on a personal level. Back off. My job is to find you love and I intend to do it.”

“What if you already did?”

His question blew through her defenses and shattered rock and brick and stone. Kennedy couldn’t breathe, couldn’t talk, and for the first time in her life, felt on the verge of a panic attack. She shook her head and denied his words. “Don’t. You’ll only end up hurting yourself. Do you understand?”

Frustration simmered in his eyes, on his face. He seemed to choose his words carefully, as if he had reached a turning point and made a rational decision to take a leap. “What if I believe in the risk? What if I think she’s worth it?”

The panic slowly drained away and was replaced by a bitter realization and sadness she didn’t want to deal with. Hell, she had no idea how to deal with it. In some bizarre way, Nate had worked his way past her walls and reached a part of her she’d never realized she had. But she knew it was an illusion. She’d made a promise to find him happiness, and it wasn’t with her. Nate deserved a like-minded woman to settle down with, have babies with, and grow old with. Someone with no screwed-up issues. She shone on the surface, was broken on the inside, and could never give Nate the depth he needed. Her punishment in this life was the constant craving to move on, searching for something that wasn’t even out there, a peace and stability with the one man she never seemed to find. No, she wasn’t good for him, and she needed to protect him from a temporary weakness of attraction and sex.

Her heart hardened. She made sure she spoke in a cold, firm voice. “She’s not, Nate. And she never will be. Not with you.”

He jerked back only once. Stiffened his shoulders. And nodded. “Got it.” He disguised the hurt, but she knew her comment hit home and pierced deep. “What’s next?”

“Saturday. Mall. Meet you at ten?”

She wished his gaze didn’t burn, disrobe, and try to expose her for the fake she was. Kennedy made sure she kept the bright smile pasted to her face. A heavy silence pulsed between them with unspoken words. “Fine.” Then he left without another word.

Kennedy squeezed her arms around her chest for warmth and reminded herself she had done the right thing for both of them.