Reunited: Matchmakers Book 4

by Declan Rhodes

  Kenneth was blunt and direct. “Yes, the sooner, the better. I’ve cast my line and caught the best fish. He’s hooked, and he’s not getting away this time.”

  I folded my arms across my chest, proud to be identified as the best by Kenneth. Iris suddenly remembered news that she wanted to share. I’d seen that face many times before.

  “Oh, Kenneth, I got a yes about the commercial.”

  “You did?”

  Blake grinned like the Cheshire cat and slowly shook his head from side to side.

  I asked, “What’s new with the commercial. I thought you said my doorman was a disaster.”

  “He was.”

  “I never understood how it could be that bad,” said Blake. “You said a boyfriend got a little bothered by a fake kiss.”

  “A little bothered is a horrible understatement.” Kenneth said, “The boyfriend blew it all apart. We couldn’t talk him down, and we had to get him out of the building before the crew decided to assault him physically.”

  “Wow, that is bad. I know there’s no way I’d be like that.”

  “Never mind the failed shoot,” said Iris. “We’ve got the perfect solution, and both actors are ready to go.” Blake started to open his mouth, and Iris stopped the words with a fingertip placed against his lips. “I think this should be a surprise for Daniel.”

  “Surprise? Me? I didn’t even know that I would see the new commercial shoot.”

  Kenneth grinned. “We want you there. It would be fantastic. Your opinions are always welcome. Unfortunately, I do have to go now. I’ve got a meeting in Chicago in a couple of hours.”

  “Well, great to see you,” said Iris. “The shoot’s on Thursday?”

  “Yes, Thursday. You’re all welcome.”

  “Can we shut the office down for a few hours?” asked Blake. “Trust me. This will be an occasion worthy of closing the doors.”

  I wondered what they were up to. They’d hatched a plot. With the gentler approach to the world that swept over me, I said, “Okay, we’ll do that.” I hoped that Kenneth wasn’t stealing my competitive edge. Ultimately, it didn’t matter. I was a winner with him at my side, and I knew that my future would be brighter than I’d ever imagined.

  “Thursday then,” said Kenneth, and he reached out to wrap me in his arms.

  I turned back toward Blake and Iris when Kenneth left the office. I knew that the smile painted on my face was one of ridiculous joy.

  “So how did you snare him at last?” asked Iris.

  “I decided to relax and let him come to me.”

  Blake knew that I’d followed his advice. “You relaxed? Are you sure? How many times did you have to sit on your hands or hide your phone?”

  “Oh, come on now. Don’t pick on me. This is an all’s well that ends well moment.”

  Blake wouldn’t let it go before he asked one more question. “And what about wedding bells? You’ve asked twice. Will the third time be the lucky one?”

  I took a deep breath and slowly swept my hands down my front. “I’m letting it ride for now. That question isn’t appropriate. I’m ready to concentrate on being a good partner for Kenneth. Now, what’s so special about the commercial shoot that you need me there?”

  “You won’t want to miss it,” said Iris.

  “I think I’m happy that I missed the first one. I don’t need to see an otherwise happy couple go at it tooth and nail. That’s depressing. In that case, they weren’t a romantic couple. They were friends. Maybe that was the problem.”

  Blake chimed in. “This pair isn’t a couple either, but I know they’ll be perfect.

  Iris agreed. “There’s no way that anyone can be better.”

  Something was up, but I couldn’t figure out. They both had my interest piqued. “Did you find this pair from among our Match Made clients?”

  “No,” said Blake.

  “But they do have connections,” added Iris.

  “And they’ll look good in front of the cameras?”

  “Both of them always look amazing.” Iris tossed her long, black hair over her shoulder.

  “And are you going to tell me who they are?”

  Blake was adamant when he spoke. “No way. It’s a secret until you get there. Trust us. You’ll be happy. We already have Kenneth’s enthusiastic approval.”

  24

  Kenneth

  I heard the voices at the commercial shoot before I saw anyone. One had a rugged, masculine tone. He said, “You know that I’m only doing this because I love you so much. Not that he’s a bad guy, but please remember it’s fake when we kiss.”

  A voice rose in protest. “What would be so bad about kissing me? I know my way around lips and tongues. I’m almost an expert.”

  “I don’t want anything to do with your tongue. I’m just saying.”

  I stepped around a canvas scrim that blocked the shooting set from the rest of the cavernous soundstage. Our models were both there stripped to the waist. One tossed his arms from side to side and stretched like he was getting ready for a running race or a boxing match. The other nervously tugged at his jeans like he was worried that they would spontaneously fall and reveal the family jewels.

  We all heard a door open and close. Iris whispered, “That must be Daniel. I think everyone else is here already.” She held a finger to her lips. “Shh, shh. It has to be a surprise.”

  I listened to the heavy footfalls, and they slowed when they drew close. Daniel peered around the scrim. “Are you all going to shout surprise?”

  Daniel’s initial focus was on trying to guess the reason for the secrecy. When he spotted the models, his chin dropped nearly halfway to the floor.

  Ollie pointed at Daniel. “Someone better catch him. I think he might faint.”

  I stepped up close and wrapped an arm around his waist. “Do we need to break out the smelling salts.”

  “I’m fine, but Ollie and Hunter? Are they really going to star in your commercial?”

  Hunter said, “Looks like it, chief. I still feel a little like I was abducted and had a gun held to my head. At least Ollie is cute. That furry chest is yummy.”

  Ollie cringed. “Can we cut the cute and furry stuff? The only person messing with me that way is Iris.”

  Both men were strikingly handsome with outstanding physiques. The muscular bodies were a good match, and I thought they’d look believable as a couple on the screen. Hunter’s chest was smooth, and his sweet face had a boy-next-door charm. Ollie was more rugged, but he was remarkably attractive, too, like a lumberjack dressed up for life in the city.

  Daniel asked, “Did you check with their significant others to make sure that a kissing scene is okay?”

  Ollie whined, “Can we skip that part?”

  “It’s fake,” said Iris. “It will only look like you’re kissing, and I’ll probably have to fan myself to reduce the heat. I can’t wait for my girlfriends to see the two of you together. They’ll be so jealous of me.”

  The grumbling continued. “I don’t understand what you mean, and I’m not sure I want to. Let’s get this show on the road so we can get it over as soon as possible.”

  Daniel turned toward Blake. “And you’re good with this, too?”

  Blake responded with an adamant nod. “Perfectly fine. I think the whole thing might lead to a hot night for me. I’ll make sure those kisses are real.”

  Hunter turned and winked.

  The director took over and ushered the guests off to the side. For the first couple of shoots, both Ollie and Hunter were wooden in their movements and appeared nervous.

  Iris shouted encouragement. “Come on, Ollie. Relax. Hunter’s your friend.”

  Blake added, “It’s another of your shenanigans. The two of you can pull it off. You’re stars.”

  “But does he have to rub his chest into my back like that?” asked Ollie.

  The commercial called for Ollie to look into the mirror with one of my razors in hand. The script instructed Hunter to lean in and praise
his partner as well as the razor.

  “One of his nipples is hard. I can feel it on my shoulder blade.”

  Hunter answered, “It’s a little chilly in here. Buck up, sunshine. We’re both men.”

  They struggled through another couple of shots before the director came up with an idea. “Why don’t we have a run-through with their real-life partners. Bring Iris and Blake over here, and we’ll see if we can get these guys to relax. Then we’ll go back to the scripts and turn the camera on.”

  While Iris and Blake joined their partners, Daniel stepped up close to me. He wrapped one arm around my waist.

  “Do you think they can handle this?”

  Daniel squeezed and pulled me even closer. “I have complete confidence in Blake and Iris. That’s why they work with me.”

  Both Ollie and Hunter relaxed for the next runs through the commercial scripts without the cameras. When Iris leaned over Ollie’s shoulder, he said, “See, that’s the face I want to see in the morning.”

  Next, Blake and Hunter took the spotlight, and Blake let his hands roam. When he lightly pinched Hunter’s bare nipples, we all heard a slight yelp. “Hey, that’s not in the script.”

  “But I couldn’t resist,” purred Blake.

  Ollie piped up with a suggestion. “Hey, why don’t you film this with Blake and Hunter? They’re already a couple.”

  Blake immediately backed away, waving his hands. “No, that won’t work. My face isn’t one for a TV commercial. Radio maybe, but not TV.”

  The director took over once more. “Are the two of you in a better place now? Do you think you can handle this?”

  Hunter said, “If Ollie can handle me up close to his hunky body, we’re all set.”

  “I’ll imagine that you’ve got long black hair and weigh about fifty pounds less. Yep, I can do this. Bring on the man.”

  Both of the commercial stars were significantly more relaxed than the first time through. After the camera filmed Hunter placing a dollop of shaving cream on the end of Ollie’s nose, we had the first two commercials complete. Hunter didn’t let the dollop stand on its own and reached out to smear the cream onto both of Ollie’s cheeks.

  “Hey, that’s not in the script. Maybe you need this.”

  Ollie grabbed a can of shaving cream and sprayed it on Hunter’s chest. A few seconds later, they started to wrestle and tried to drag each other down to the floor.

  Iris stepped in. “Boys, boys. Can we save this until after the film crew gets their jobs done?”

  While we both watched the horseplay, Daniel leaned in and gently kissed the side of my neck. I felt the electric sensation race to my toes.

  For the first time, I saw a genuine, toothy smile on the director’s face. “That’s a wrap for the first two. We’ve only got one commercial left to shoot. I’ll let the two of you take a break.”

  Ollie and Hunter stopped wrestling and toweled themselves off. They took advantage of the spread of free continental breakfast and coffee. Blake and Iris joined Daniel and me.

  I said, “Those two are great. Once they relaxed, they looked like a couple. I think the camera captured their friendship and how much they care about each other.”

  Iris added, “Oh, Ollie likes to tease Hunter, but he thinks he’s the best. Outside of me, of course.”

  Hunter joined the small group and stuffed a bite of cinnamon roll in Blake’s mouth. “How do you think we’re doing? Ollie handled my hard nipple fine that time around.”

  Ollie was the last to join the circle. “I’m not buying the cold explanation. I think he’s got the hots for me.”

  Hunter wrapped his arms around Blake’s waist and gave him a big smooch on the cheek. “Only for this man.”

  Daniel repeated the gesture, and I leaned my head against his. “You know, this last one is probably the most difficult. It’s got that kiss at the end.”

  Hunter blew kisses at Ollie. “We’ve got it. They already trained us on the fake kissing technique.”

  “And if he tries anything more, I’ll deck him,” added Ollie.

  Hunter put a hand on Ollie’s shoulder and pecked at his neck with his lips making a loud smacking sound. “Maybe we’ll try the real thing out back when this is all over.”

  “Fuck—get off of me,” moaned Ollie, and we all laughed.

  As Hunter and Ollie took their places for the final commercial, the director decided to switch things up. “We’ll have Ollie coming out of the shower. I want to try that.”

  The assistants sprayed him to look like he was stepping freshly out of the shower. “Is all of this necessary? I feel like I’m at a dog washing place or something.”

  Hunter snickered and waited for Ollie to join him.

  The first time through, the hug was a little too tentative. The director shouted, “You love each other! Let’s see a little romance!”

  Ollie muttered, “I love ya, man, but not that way.”

  “Fake it, Ollie. You’re a star.”

  The next time through, Ollie and Hunter produced a little magic. We all thought they looked like a couple hopelessly in love, and then they closed with the kiss. Daniel leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Damn, that one’s good. It’s the money shot.”

  After the director and crew applauded, Hunter said, “You did it, hun.”

  Hunter surprised us all, including Ollie. He grabbed his commercial partner and dipped him like they were completing a dance in a ballroom. While Ollie protested and flailed his arms, Hunter planted a big, smacking smooch on the cheek.

  “Fuckin’ hell! No one got that on camera, right?”

  Everyone laughed and applauded while Ollie pushed away from Hunter with a frown on his face. Fortunately, he got over it quickly, and he was soon all smiles again.

  Daniel nudged my shoulder and drew everyone’s attention. “I’ve got something for all of you. This is the demonstration of how a real kiss is done.”

  Daniel followed Hunter’s lead and dipped me. Instead of a kiss on the cheek, he planted both lips on mine. After brief applause, the other two couples, Blake and Hunter, as well as Iris and Ollie, exchanged passionate kisses. It was a room full of romance.

  The director interrupted our celebration. “Okay, everyone. Don’t get too carried away. I think we got good shots, and we’ll have the editor piece it all together with the sound and effects guys. You should have finished material to review in a week.”

  Iris announced, “And then Ollie and Hunter are on their way to stardom.”

  25

  Daniel

  Kenneth and I settled back into most of our old patterns dating again, but we broke a few important ones. We shared the lead in our relationship in multiple ways. Neither of us took charge and dominated like I did in the past. We alternated who chose restaurants when we ate out. Our decorating ideas were a compromise. When it came time to plan a trip together, Kenneth took the lead.

  “I’ve always wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise.”

  “Is that because you don’t get enough of winter here in Chicago and Milwaukee?”

  “Point me to the nearest fjord or glacier. Then, I’ll agree that it’s the same.”

  I was only teasing. I was as excited about visiting Alaska as Kenneth. Still, we endured plenty of jokes from others about returning to winter in the middle of summer. We planned a 7-day cruise out of Vancouver in Canada. It was the perfect opportunity for me to plan a special surprise on the trip.

  Kenneth’s commercials featuring Hunter and Ollie were a huge hit. People talked about them so much that they went viral online. Fans organized “Team Ollie” and “Team Hunter.” The volume of mail was astounding.

  As the hoopla neared its peak, Blake said, “I suggested that they have a shirtless wrestling match, and we could film it. If we put that online, it’d blow the roof off their phenomenon.”

  “Let me guess. Ollie wasn’t so big on that idea.”

  Iris snickered. “I don’t think either of them wanted to contemplate that.”

>   “Hunter said it was a little too ‘porny’ for his taste, so I backed off the idea.”

  Kenneth’s quarterly sales were up over 40%. He attributed almost all of the rise to the success of the commercials. In the end, we scratched any ideas of outside videos of Hunter and Ollie and filmed two more TV commercials instead.

  For those who liked to dig a little deeper online, they soon connected Hunter’s stardom to Blake and Match Made. Our bump wasn’t as big as Kenneth’s, but we had at least 25% more customers than the same period a year earlier.

  By the time the July departure date for our cruise, both Kenneth and I were dragging. We needed the time away, and I promised Blake and Iris that I wouldn’t do work while onboard our ship.

  It was a little bit more challenging to pull Kenneth away from his soaring business, but in the end, he agreed, too. We cut our ties to our everyday work worlds and set out to see glaciers, whales, and fjords.

  Shortly after our cruise began, Kenneth reminded me of one way he’d changed from the man I knew ten years earlier. He was a social butterfly on the ship. I marveled at how he struck up conversations with everyone we met. He started with small talk about the weather, and eventually, he proudly announced that we were proprietors of successful businesses that expected continued explosive growth for the foreseeable future.

  Mid-afternoon on the second day, we met another gay couple, Charles and Vincent, from Minneapolis. After Kenneth led a 30-minute conversation, I pulled him aside.

  “Where’s that man who didn’t like the spotlight? Your enthusiasm blows me away.”

  “I think he found that formerly selfish guy who always had to have his way and tried to run away forever. We’re not likely to ever see either of them again. Don’t you agree?”

  “I certainly hope so.”

  Kenneth suddenly pointed toward the rail of the ship. “I think I saw a whale.”

  “Are you serious?”