Afternoon Delight - By Mia Zachary Page 0,28
your question?”
“I was asking about the match profile. Do I have to put up a picture right away?”
Chris looked at the nice but chubby, balding chiropractor and smiled reassuringly. “No, not if you don’t want to. You can wait until you connect with someone.”
How long did that take anyway? Was he mentally exaggerating the bond he felt toward Jade?
“Great.” Mr. Carrington’s shoulders slumped, as if he didn’t believe it would happen either. “That will give me time to find a professional photo studio.”
“Don’t do that, Marvin. Just choose a picture from your family album. That’s the best way to let people get to know the real you.”
He scoffed. “The real me? The real me hasn’t been on a date in almost a year.”
“There is somebody for everybody, Marvin. The key to finding that person is being yourself. Remember, you’re a great guy with a lot to offer a woman.”
“Thanks.” He nodded gratefully then continued reading the brochures.
Chris made a mental note to follow up if Marvin decided to use the service—he might benefit from a little coaching. Hell, he could use a little coaching himself right now. How was he supposed to forget a woman whose image had etched itself onto his brain?
He leaned back in his chair and glanced through the two-way mirror. Lara, the office manager, was at the entrance shaking hands with a tall blond woman. The prospective client was a real looker, and even the light gray business suit she wore couldn’t hide that fact that she was built like a centerfold.
A woman like that needed a dating service? Then again, every guy from the mailman to the mayor probably hit on her. It was possible she wanted to find a man who appreciated more than her looks. He turned his attention to the short brunette Lara was greeting now. There was something familiar about her….
She was dressed in a dark blue pantsuit, her hair tightly wound into one of those complicated French styles. When she turned, he saw that she was Asian. She wore wired-rimmed glasses and an impatient expression. Her face looked bare except for pale lipstick—Chris jerked upright—and a beauty mark.
“Are you okay?” Marvin asked.
“Uh, yeah. I’m fine.” With an effort, he tore his eyes away from the window. Marvin gave him a quizzical look. “Did you have any other questions?”
“Actually, I was wondering how the e-mail thing works. Do I have to come here every time I want to check it?”
That couldn’t possibly be Jade. Could it? How did she find him. His card only had his name and cell phone number. Focus on Marvin. Focus. “Oh, um, remote access. The e-mail is set up as an intranet, but you can access it remotely through a secure section of the Lunch Meetings Web site.”
Marvin picked up the next brochure and Chris swung his head back to the window fast enough to give himself whiplash. Lara was leading the two women to her office. Now he’d get a good look when they passed by.
“What about the billing schedule, Chris. How—”
“Hang on a second, Marvin.”
Lara and the blonde were engaged in conversation, but the brunette glanced at the mirror as she walked past. The plain white shirt and dark jacket couldn’t camouflage her innate sensuality. The glasses couldn’t obscure the liquid chocolate gleam in her big brown eyes. And nothing in the world could hide that luscious come-and-taste-me-baby mouth.
That was his Jade, all right. And damned if she was going to need a dating service.
AFTER LARA VOIGT explained how to activate the computer program and took their lunch orders, she left them alone in one of the café’s partitioned cubicles. Rei clicked on the “create profile” button to begin the compatibility process. The first screen asked for contact and credit card information.
P.J. reached into her purse. “Hang on, let me get my American Express. This was my idea, so I’ll pay for it.”
“We just sat through the whole presentation. Why do I have to go to the trouble of setting up a profile?”
“The owner wants to open two other locations. The Board of Directors has dismissed me as a clueless Paris Hilton clone. So in order to convince them to let me invest in Lunch Meetings, I have to show them how well the service works.”
“I still don’t understand why the Board’s opinion matters. Your father left Hollinger/Hansen to you.”
“Daddy left me controlling interest, with the stipulation that I have to consider his cronies’ advice on all decisions. These guys are a tough sell.