The Billionaire Matchmaker Test (Billionaire Online Dating Service #5) - Elle James Page 0,20
her eyes. “They all looked fine and had a lot going for them on their profiles. I’m going to go out on a date with each of them.”
“So, you can pick from the menu?” Ava grinned. “I like it.”
“Why did you say the fourth guy was covert?” Emma asked.
Leslie frowned. “His picture was so blurred I couldn’t tell what he looked like.”
“You said it didn’t matter what he looked like,” Fiona pointed out.
“True. However, if I was to meet him somewhere, I’d like to know I got the right guy,” Leslie said. “Anyway, in his profile, he stated he wanted to communicate via email to get to know me before we met.”
Ava, Emma and Fiona exchanged worried glances.
“You sure he’s not a serial killer?” Emma asked.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Leslie exclaimed. “Tag said the same thing.”
“Why else would he leave a blurred image of himself?” Ava asked.
Leslie sniffed. “It could be that he’s not technically savvy when it comes to webcams and photographs. He might have moved when the webcam snapped his picture.
“Sounds suspicious to me,” Fiona said.
“I’m not too concerned,” Leslie said. “It’s not like I’ll meet him in person right away. We’ll get to know each other through email to start with.”
“Okay, that’s one guy,” Emma said. “What’s his name?”
“Joe Fox.”
Ava frowned. “Joe Fox?”
Leslie nodded. “I know the name sounds familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
“Joe Fox.” Fiona rolled the name around on her tongue. “Joe Fox.”
Ava’s eyes widened. “Joe Fox. As in Joe Fox from You Got Mail?”
“What are you talking about?” Leslie asked.
Emma laughed. “That’s right, Ava. You Got Mail. The movie with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, where he’s the big chain bookstore owner, and he puts her little book shop out of business. They met online and were talking to each other without knowing who the other was.”
“That’s right,” Fiona said. “There are like three versions of the story out there. Jimmy Stewart in The Shop Around the Corner, and the Judy Garland film, Good Ol’ Summertime.”
Leslie smacked her forehead. “That’s where I heard that name. Joe Fox was Tom Hanks’s character.” She shook her head, a little disappointed. “Why would he do that?”
“Obviously, he doesn’t want you to know who he is to begin with,” Emma said.
Ava said, “I could dig into the database and find out what his real name is.”
Leslie mouth twisted. “I don’t know. If I were anyone else on the BODS system, I wouldn’t have that kind of access. It doesn’t seem fair to dig into the guy’s background and find out who he is, until he’s ready to let me know.”
Emma snorted. “I think you should know up front. What does he have to be ashamed of?”
“Emma, if I recall,” Leslie reminded her, “you didn’t know who Coop was to begin with. You said it yourself that you thought he was an accountant. If he had told you he was a billionaire and a rancher, you probably wouldn’t have gone out with him. Being a billionaire can be a little intimidating on a first date.”
Emma’s lips twitched. “I would never have guessed he was a billionaire when he first came out to the ranch. He looked just like one of the guys. I think that’s what makes Coop, Gage, Sean, Tag and Moose different from other billionaires. They’re all real and grounded,” Emma said. “They all wanted to find women who were more interested in them than in their bank accounts.”
“So, we know you’ve got Joe Fox. Who are the other three?” Fiona asked.
Leslie gave a brief description of the other three candidates, ending with, “And I have a date tomorrow night with Otis.”
“Wow,” Ava said. “That was fast.”
“Yeah, I kinda agree.” Leslie tilted her head to one side. “I’d like to treat them all like Joe Fox. I think I like the idea of getting to know them online before we go through the awkwardness of a first meeting. At least, I’ll get to do that with Joe while I check off the other applicants. Hopefully, by the time I’ve gone out on a date with each of the first three, bachelor number four will be ready to meet in person.”
“I understand where you’re coming from. It was hard not knowing this person I was supposed to go out on a date with. But it all worked out in the end,” Emma said. “I don’t have any regrets.”