by Elle James
“That’s just it; you need to get outside of your comfort zone,” Leslie said.
Ava’s frown deepened. “You’re telling me I need to get uncomfortable? How is that supposed to make me feel better about myself?”
“It’ll make you more confident, more in control of your life.”
“I don’t need to date to feel in control,” Ava said. “I have Mica. I’m the center of her existence. I control our lives together. And I have the most interesting conversations with her.”
Leslie gave Ava a gentle smile. “Mica is an amazing little girl. She’s smart as a whip, just like her mother. But she’s not an adult, and she doesn’t always ignite your mind the way you need.”
“I don’t know that I’m ready to do this.” Ava looked down at her hands. “Dating is so hard. Especially at my age. It’s fine when you’re young and don’t know anything. But now… Well, I’m a mother. I’ve been married. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love.”
Leslie patted Ava’s hands. “If you’re going to work for me, you need to know what my clients are going through. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to date, to give them an idea of what to expect.”
Ava grimaced. “Oh right, make it a job requirement. Get to the girl that way.” She raised an eyebrow. “That’s playing dirty.”
Leslie laughed. “Whatever it takes, girlfriend.”
Ava pulled her hands from Leslie’s grip and placed them on the keyboard of the computer in front of her. “Okay, boss. I’ll consider this to be on-the-job training.”
Leslie clapped her hands, grinning broadly. “Good. Then your first step is to fill out the form online. And by filling out the form, you will learn what our clients have to go through in order to be added to our database.”
For the next hour, Ava and Leslie worked at the computer, entering Ava’s information: her likes or dislikes, what she liked to eat, what kinds of physical activities she enjoyed and where she liked to go on vacation. When they were done entering all her preferences, Leslie made Ava take off her cardigan and stand by a ficus tree and smile while Leslie snapped a photograph of her.
Once they added the photograph to her profile, Leslie sat back and nodded toward the keyboard. “Now all you have to do is press enter. Once you press enter, your profile will be saved to the database.”
Ava’s finger hovered over the enter button on the keyboard. A combination of fear and excitement rippled through her.
“It’s okay,” Leslie said. “You don’t have to date anyone you don’t want to.”
Ava gave her friend a weak smile. “Is it silly for me to think that by pushing this button, I could be changing my life?”
“It’s not silly at all. We can only hope it changes your life.” Leslie nodded. “Just do it.”
Ava pressed enter. For a long moment, the screen seemed to be frozen. Ava held her breath, counting the seconds until the screen changed and a message popped up.
Congratulations! You have just taken the first step in finding your perfect match.
Ava’s heart thumped against her ribs. “You know, I’ve been working for you for a whole two days, and I don’t even know what BODS stands for.”
Leslie laughed. “That’s my fault. I should have made that clear upfront.”
“I figure it has something to do with an online dating system, but what does the B stand for?” Ava asked.
Leslie gave a somewhat secretive smile. “The B stands for best.”
Ava nodded. She hoped Leslie was right. And she prayed she wouldn’t regret having just entered her data into an online dating system.
Chapter 2
Sean entered the BODS office in downtown Austin, already regretting his decision to come. If his friend Tag hadn’t insisted on accompanying him, he might not have come at all. At the very least, he might have turned around that moment and left before anyone saw him enter the office.
“I called ahead,” Tag said. “Leslie is expecting us. Don’t worry. It won’t take long once you get started.”
As they approached the reception desk, a brunette woman with brown eyes stood and smiled. “Hi, my name is Kayla. I’m the new temp. How can I help you?”
A door opened behind Kayla, and Leslie Lamb came out, wearing a soft gray business suit. Smiling, she rounded the desk and held out her hand to Sean. “I’m so glad you made it.”
Sean pressed his lips firmly together. “I don’t think I had a choice.” He tipped his head toward Tag. “My personal escort made sure I got here on time.”
Leslie laughed. “I promise, it won’t hurt a bit.”
“I’ll let you know.” Sean shook Leslie’s hand, and then studied the office.
The sitting area was furnished in light whites and grays—modern, but not uncomfortable. Sean had been here before with Coop, Gage and Moose, but he hadn’t noted the décor. Now that it was his turn, he half-expected to walk into a very feminine boudoir with fuzzy pink heart-shaped pillows and photographs of kissing couples lining the walls.
The woman behind the desk smiled. “You must be our new client.”
Sean’s first thought was that Leslie had chosen well with her receptionist. The woman’s voice was soft and husky and made him feel comfortable and welcome at the same time. Not to mention, she wasn’t bad to look at, either.
However, Leslie’s receptionist wasn’t the reason why Sean was there.
“Leslie, do you want me to take our client back to the conference room?” the receptionist asked.
Leslie shook her head. “No, I’ll handle this one myself.” She glanced at Sean. “If you’ll follow me.”
Leslie led the way down a hall to a conference room where a computer sat at the end of one very long conference table.
“If you’ll have a seat in front of the keyboard, I’ll get you started, and then leave you alone to fill out the rest of the form on your own.” Leslie pulled out a chair and waved her hand, indicating he should take it.
Sean shot a glance towards his friend Tag.
Tag nodded. “It’s going to be all right. Leslie wouldn’t lead you astray.”
Leslie smiled. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to date anyone you don’t want to.”
“I’m not sure I want to date anyone at all,” Sean said.
Leslie touched his arm. “Give it a chance.”
“That’s right, you have to give it a chance. You might be surprised by the outcome.” Tag grinned.
“I don’t like surprises,” Sean said grumbled.
Leslie initiated the computer program, entered her password and brought up the first screen. “You start by entering the basic details: your name, age, height…you know, the usual stuff.” You can enter a nickname, if you prefer not to use your formal first name. Most of your personal data will not be available to the applicants who are looking online. It’s your preferences that they will have access to view. When you enter those, be sure to be honest and list things that are deal-breakers for you. Don’t say things like ‘I love romantic comedies,’ if you’d rather stab yourself in the eye than watch one.” Leslie smiled. “You want to attract somebody who will be attracted to you as you are, not as you think they want you to be.”
“Trust me,” Sean said, “I can be honest.”
“Not brutally honest,” Tag said. “You don’t want to scare them away.”
“Don’t skimp on your preferences,” Leslie said. “The more preferences you put down, the better the program can zero in on just the type of woman you would like to date.” Leslie stood and smiled. “If you have any questions, I’ll be in my office. All you have to do is come ask.”
She hooked Tag’s arm and practically dragged him out of the room.
“Shouldn’t I help him go through his preferences?” Tag asked as Leslie closed the door between them and Sean.
Sean breathed a sigh of relief. At least he wouldn’t have an audience witnessing his humiliation. He never would have pictured himself sitting in front of a computer monitor, filling out d
ata for an online dating system at the ripe old age of thirty-three. Why was he here, anyway? He didn’t need help finding a date.
But like Leslie said, when he went out with a woman he knew nothing about, he was taking his chances. She might be desperately seeking husband material. He was not husband material.
Sean sighed. What the heck? He might as well fill out the form. Like Tag said, he didn’t have to date any of the women that came up on his profile. So, what would it hurt?
He started by entering his name and his nickname, Decker. Anonymity was important when you were a billionaire. It always seemed that when a woman found out that he was loaded, it changed her entire attitude toward him.
He’d rather meet someone who didn’t know he had a loaded bank account, someone who liked seeing him, and who didn’t mind watching a few football games. If she liked animals, and had actually ridden a horse more than once, all the better.
Sean leaned toward the computer and typed away.
* * *
“Holy heck, I don’t have anything to wear.” Ava riffled through her closet, desperately searching for something suitable to wear on a first date. She had no idea what a woman wore on such an occasion. She hadn’t been on a date since high school. Surely, the rules changed from when one was a teenaged girl to a seasoned widow. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
“Calm down,” Leslie said. “I have just what you need.” She left the room. A moment later, the sound of the front door opening and closing indicated her friend had left the house.
“What am I supposed to do?” Ava cried to the empty room, thankful the babysitter had taken Mica out to get dinner for the two of them.
The front door squeaked open and closed again, and Leslie was back in her bedroom carrying a garment bag.
When Leslie reentered the bedroom, Ava was holding her best beige dress and beige cardigan up to her chest.
Leslie came to a standstill, shaking her head. “No. You cannot go on a first date wearing that dress.”
“It’s the only dress I have that isn’t stained or snagged.”
“That’s why you have friends.” Leslie held up the garment bag with a smile. “Friends who bear gifts.”
“You brought me a dress.” Ava stared at Leslie, her eyes filling with grateful tears.
Leslie nodded. “Not only did I bring you a dress, I brought shoes and accessories to match.”
“Well, don’t just stand there, let’s see what you’ve got. I only have fifteen minutes to get dressed, do my hair and makeup and get to the restaurant.” Ava threw her hands in the air. “It’s not going to happen. I shouldn’t have gone to get my nails done. I knew it would take too long.”
“You needed to have them done.” Leslie snagged one of her hands and held it up, smiling. “Look how lovely they are.”
They were perfect. Ava hadn’t had her nails done in… Well, too long for her to remember. Definitely pre-Mica.
“We don’t have enough time. I’m going to be late,” Ava wailed. Her first date in forever, and she couldn’t even be on time. What would her date think of that? He’d think she didn’t give a damn, or that she was rude and didn’t respect him.
Leslie held up a hand. “No worries. We’ve got this. I can do your hair while you do your makeup. Once we have that done, you can dress. You’re only ten minutes away from the restaurant. That gives us five minutes to work with. Let’s get going.”
She flung her hands in the air. “You can’t do my hair in five minutes. It takes longer than that to brush out the tangles.”
Leslie smiled confidently. “You will be amazed at what I can do in five minutes with a curling iron.”
“What’s the going grace period for being late on a first date,” Ava asked. “Ten, maybe fifteen minutes tops?”
Leslie smiled. “Don’t worry, he’ll wait.”
Ava dropped the beige dress onto the bed and raced to the bathroom, grabbed her hairbrush and yanked through the tangles.
She jerked open a drawer and sorted through it, trying to find her foundation. “Where’s my foundation?” She yanked open another drawer. “I can’t find it.”
“Honey, you don’t need base makeup. You have perfect skin, your complexion is flawless,” Leslie said. “What you need is smoky eyes.”
“Smoky eyes?” Ava lifted her hands. She had no idea what Leslie was talking about. She’d been a mother for so long, and then before that, she’d dated her high school sweetheart. She didn’t know a smoky eye from a can of tuna. “I’ll be lucky just to get my mascara on without poking my eyes out.”
“Give me your makeup,” Leslie demanded.
“But if you do my makeup who’s going to do my hair?” Ava despaired of getting to the restaurant within the next thirty minutes, much less than the fifteen she needed.
“Sweetie, it’s going to be okay,” Leslie said. “If you don’t like him, you don’t even have to stay.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?” She grabbed her blush and a makeup brush and smoothed some of the powder on her cheeks. “What if he doesn’t like me?”
Leslie shrugged. “You weren’t interested in a lasting relationship, anyway. And you might get a free dinner out of this date. What have you got to lose?”
“Time with my daughter, my dignity.” Ava blinked. “Hell, my sanity.”
Leslie shook her head. “Close your eyes.”
Ava stood with her eyes closed while Leslie applied shadow to her lids. At one point, she tried to turn toward the mirror.
Leslie directed her face back toward her. “You have to wait until I’m done.”
After the shadow, her friend drew eyeliner at the base of Ava’s eyelashes, and then dabbed on mascara. When she was done, she turned Ava toward the mirror and said, “Now, you can look.”
Ava opened her eyes and blinked. “That’s smoky eyes?”
Leslie nodded. “You look amazing. Now, let’s apply some lipstick, do your hair and get you dressed.”
Leslie pulled a tube of lipstick from her purse and smoothed it on Ava’s lips. It was a bright cheery red and a color Ava would never have chosen for herself. But no other color would have complemented the smoky eyes as much.
With a hot curling iron, Leslie went to work on Ava’s hair. A few short minutes later, Leslie had Ava’s long blond hair tamed into soft curls, framing her face.
“Now, for the dress,” Leslie said.
While Ava stripped out of her shorts and T shirt, Leslie unzipped the garment bag, pulled out and held up the shortest, sexiest little black dress Ava had ever seen.
She shook her head. “I can’t wear that.”
Lesley nodded and smiled. “Yes, you can.”
“It’s barely even a dress.” Ava shook her head again. “It’s more like a sleeve that goes on a dress.”
Leslie laughed. “It’s going to look fabulous on you.”
Ava walk toward the bed where she’d thrown the beige dress and cardigan.
When she reached for it, Leslie slapped her hands away. “Oh, no you don’t. The only place that dress is going is to the local women’s shelter. No, make that to the local dump.”
“You can’t throw away my dress.” Ava snatched it up and held it to her chest. “I don’t have that many dresses in my closet.”
Leslie pulled the dress from Ava’s fingers. “Then wear jeans.” She shoved the dress into her handbag and lifted the little black dress.
Ava backed away holding up her hands. “I can’t wear that.”
Leslie glanced down at her watch. “You have exactly one minute to get dressed and get out the door.”
“One minute?” Ava squeaked.
Leslie shoved the black dress into Ava’s hands.
Ava didn’t have time to argue. She stepped into the dress and pulled it up over her hips and torso. Then she turned to let Leslie zip the back. When Ava faced her full-length mirror, she gasped at her reflection.
The black dress complemented her pale blo
nd hair. The smoky eyes made her look mysterious, like somebody she didn’t know, but wanted to.
Leslie stepped up behind her and laid her hands on her shoulders. “You look amazing.”
“I don’t know who that is,” Ava said, staring at herself.
Leslie squeezed her shoulders. “You don’t know who that is because you haven’t been yourself since Mike died and you gave birth to Mica.” She pressed a black clutch into Ava’s hand. “Come on, I’m driving you to the restaurant.”
“But I can drive myself. Besides, if I want to leave, I’ll have my own vehicle there, and I can go whenever I need to.”
Leslie smiled gently. “Take the risk, Ava.” She touched a finger to the clutch. “Inside the clutch is your cellphone, some mad money, a key, a tube of lipstick and a condom.”
Ava’s jaw dropped. “I can’t carry a condom to a first date.”
Leslie nodded. “Yes, you can. The lipstick is for after the meal, so you still look good. The cellphone is for if you don’t like him and you want to leave early—just call a cab. No worries. The key will get you back into the house. And the condom is if you really like him and things move along really quickly. You won’t be unprotected.”
Ava tried to push the clutch back into Leslie’s hands. “No, no, I can’t do this.”
Leslie grabbed her elbow and steered her towards the door. “You can, and you will. Now, let’s hurry up. You’re going to be late.”
Leslie hustled her out to her sporty SUV and opened the passenger seat door for her to get in.
Ava would rather have driven her own vehicle, because at least then she would have been in control of something.
As it was, Leslie drove like a bat out of hell to get them to the restaurant only two minutes late. She pulled to a stop at the front door. “Okay, sweetie, have fun.” She leaned across Ava and opened the passenger seat door, shoving it wide.
Ava hesitated. “That’s it? That’s all the advice I get?”
Leslie grinned “That’s it. You’re a grown woman. You can figure this out for yourself.”