The Matchmaker's Replacement - Rachel Van Dyken Page 0,85
write anything on my sheet.”
“Wingmen Inc. . . .” I offered a fake smile. “Even if you don’t write it down, our job is to know.”
He looked away.
“Is your little”—my lip twitched as I emphasized ‘little’—“problem going to be a . . . problem?”
“No,” he said a little too quickly. “It’s not. I swear it’s not even what you think.”
“I don’t think about your penis, so you’re right, it’s not.”
“Can we just drop it?” he pleaded, a desperate edge in his voice that I’d never heard before. Then again, I’d never known the word “erection” to be a buzzword, but you learn something new every day!
“Fine.” I wiped my hands on my napkin. “So, tomorrow I’ll stop by your first class so she sees us, and we’ll go from there depending on her reaction, okay?”
He hesitated, cheeks full of sushi. “Fine.” His mouth was full, and I had a sudden vision of him kissing Charlie and nearly puked. Revulsion crept over his face as he fought back a gag, then swallowed. “But if this doesn’t work, I get my money back, right? That’s how it works?”
I sighed loudly and stood. “Look, Mark, you either need our help or you don’t. You signed a contract that locks you in for at least seven days. At the end of the seven days, if you aren’t happy, you’ll get your deposit back, but that’s it.”
He snorted.
What did I ever see in him?
“So?” I crossed my arms.
“Fine.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood. “I’ll meet you tomorrow morning.”
The minute he stood, my eyes widened, unable to look away from the front of his pants.
“Er, you have a”—I gulped—“situation.”
“It’s called priapism,” he grumbled, slinking back down into his seat. “It’s not you.” His words were like venom.
“So . . .” I held back my smirk, just barely. “Is this another reason you need our . . . help?” Oh my gosh, it was still there! Lurking! Under the table! I couldn’t look away. Face, he had a face. I jerked my head up so I was making eye contact.
“It’s a simple blood-flow problem.”
“I’ll say,” I whispered.
“Happens when I’m upset or nervous,” he grumbled. “Or turned-on. I just . . . It takes effort to control, alright? Especially around Charlie.”
“Hey!” I held up my hands. “Maybe she’ll like it? You know, screw the guessing game and all that.”
Mark gave me a defeated stare.
“Or,” I said, trying again, “we’ll just make sure that your first date together is at a restraint—er, restaurant—with really long tablecloths? Dark setting? I’m thinking no light whatsoever?”
He exhaled loudly. “Gabi? No offense, but the last thing I want to be talking to you about is my inability to control . . . things.” He cursed. “Especially with someone like you.”
“Someone like me?”
“Yes.” He gritted his teeth. “Just. Like. You.” A heated look crossed his face. “A cock tease. What is it? Do you only open your legs for athletes? God knows you never did it for me.”
Without thinking, I grabbed my water glass off the table and threw the contents in his face.
“What the hell!” he bellowed, jumping to his feet.
“You know what?” I grabbed his water and repeated the motion. “As of two seconds ago, your contract is officially dissolved. We don’t need you as a client, not now, not ever!”
“Like hell!” he roared. “I paid good money! I’ll sue!”
“Just try it!” I yelled right back and stomped out of the restaurant, tears streaming down my face.
I was too angry.
Too hurt.
Too anything to even react beyond the tears.
It wasn’t that I liked him. It was that his comments had hit home. They were the exact comments I’d gotten all through high school from jealous girls who had always assumed Ian and I were more than just friends. When I wouldn’t sleep with Mark, he pulled away and later cheated on me, then blamed me for the cheating, claiming that I was probably already sleeping with Ian anyway.
What was even worse: the one weak moment I had, where I just wanted to get sex over with, it was Lex. Lex who’d appeared in my time of need.
Only to make what had been a surface cut a full-blown wound as he, too, passed me by and found another willing girl.
Every insecurity I’d had came back to the surface full force as I made my way to my car and turned the key. Logically, I knew I was a different person now. I knew it, but words