hesitation. “They really are. And I’m getting used to him draping his arm around her in public. I almost popped him a few times.”
Rori laughed. “Old habits die hard, I’m sure.”
“Yeah. Pretty much. But I’ve never seen my sister so happy, so what do you do?”
“You let them find their way, because they’re going to do it with or without your help anyway.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” Mike said, then hesitated.
Hesitation was good. Hesitation meant he didn’t want to say goodbye. It meant—
“How about you?” he asked. “Are you finding your way in that arena? Has your matchmaker sent over anyone interesting?”
Rori felt her stomach clutch, fighting the urge to lie to him. For weeks they had been able to avoid this particular topic, but it seemed like Mike wasn’t going to skirt the subject with her anymore. “Yes, actually. A very strong candidate.”
“Yeah?” He sounded honestly interested. Not jealous. Interested. “You like him?”
“Well, I haven’t met him personally yet.”
“But he has a good portfolio?” Mike asked, his voice inquisitive and neutral.
For a moment Rori didn’t trust herself to respond as anger washed through her. Why? She wasn’t sure, but the sensation was intense and left a bitter taste in her mouth. She cleared her throat to buy time. “Yes, actually. Plus he is fairly handsome, which is always a bonus.”
“Of course,” he agreed, voice still sounding amiable. “A New Yorker?”
“No, he’s French,” Rori said. “Titled. A gentleman.”
“And what business industry is he in?”
“Wine.”
“Nice,” Mike said, sounding pleased. “Luxurious, a lot of travel to vineyards around the world. Plus wine and art go hand in hand.”
“Yes,” Rori said, not mentioning the fact that Sophia had said almost the exact same thing when she’d sent over Anton’s portfolio. “As far as I can tell he’s a perfect match, but I’ll know more when we meet in a few weeks.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “Meeting someone in person can make all the difference.”
Now what did he mean by that? “It definitely can. But in this case I doubt it will. The background check is quite extensive, so there isn’t a whole lot of mystery to him at this point.”
“Huh,” Mike said, sounding thoughtful. “So you can answer personal questions about him based on his profile?”
“Sure,” Rori said. “That’s kind of the point of them.”
“Like how much money he makes?”
“Yes.”
“And what kind of food he likes?”
“Page one.”
“Whether he likes cats or dogs?”
“He doesn’t like either, but he does have stables and an equestrian ring.”
“Nice,” Mike said. “Food allergies?”
“None,” Rori replied.
“Favorite car?”
“He has an affinity for Mercedes.”
“Favorite sport?”
“Polo.”
“Number of sexual partners?”
Well, he’d slid into that one quite nicely. “He’s been around.” And around. The number was actually a bit staggering, but they were in the past and he was clean of STDs, so what could Rori balk at?
“Favorite designer?” he asked.
What? He was just going to move on after that? He wasn’t going to dig deeper? Seek out Anton’s flaws, or even ask his name?
“Yes,” she said, letting frustration sound her voice. “I know all these things, just like he knows all these things about me.”
That got his attention. “Really? He knows how many guys you’ve slept with?”
“Yes,” Rori said. “That’s disclosed, along with all my other information. But really, the main focus of the portfolios deal with future goals and spousal expectations.”
“Huh. Like what?”
Her heart picked up its pace a notch, and she licked her lips before responding. “Well, for example, my expectations center mainly around the number of children I would like and the paternal commitment I expect.”
He didn’t respond for a moment. “Did you say ‘paternal commitment’?”
“Of course,” Rori said, trying to keep her voice prim even as she started fidgeting with her ring. “What other reason is there to get married except for the sake of children?”
“I guess that’s one way to look at it,” Mike said slowly. “So I guess that means you’re ready for kids then?”
Rori didn’t need to think about that one. “Yes. Definitely. And I’m looking for a man who’s ready for the same thing.”
Silence. Apparently Mike had nothing to say to that.
“Just… right away?” he said. “No waiting? No acclimating for a year or two before bringing a baby into the situation?”
For some reason hearing that he was flustered pleased her. “Why wait if the commitment is in place?”
“Because you’re young!” Mike said without hesitation. “Most girls your age want to wait a bit—live a little.”
“I’ve lived plenty, Mike,” Rori said, keeping her voice calm, as she picked up a brush and moved to one of her oils.