She opened her mouth to refute him when Star came in carrying a disposable hot pack and a mixing bowl full of ice water. Rudy moved around the desk and took them from her. “Thank you. This is a survivor’s remedy for a bad headache. If it’s a migraine we would need another bowl of ice water for her feet, but just a headache hands and neck should be enough.” He put Clarice’s hands in the ice water and snapped the hot pack shaking it to get it working then took off his jacket and wrapped it around the plastic placing it on the back of her neck. He looked at Star. “IF she gets a lot of tension headaches you should keep a towel and a sock full of dry rice that you can microwave for a minute. Put the warm sock in the towel on the back of her neck and get her to put her feet or hands in the ice water. The heat helps open the blood vessels in her head and the ice water slows the blood flow in her extremities and will draw the blood toward them to keep them warm, lessening her pain.”
Sure enough, she could already feel the pain in her head lessening. “Or I could just give her a pain pill.”
Rudy smiled at her PA. “You could, but all of those have risks like liver damage or stomach ulcers. This works faster and is 100 percent safe as long as the hot sock isn’t too hot.”
Star just stared at him causing a worm of jealousy in Clarice’s stomach. “Wow, you are just like you are on TV, aren’t you? I mean, I thought you had people who told you what to say and do.”
“You watch my show?”
Star started twirling her hair around her finger. Clarice was gritting her teeth. Why was her friend flirting with her ex? Whatever happened to the sister code anyway? She sighed. “Star, I really need to talk to Rudy before Winthrop calls me asking what’s going on.”
Her friend blushed. What in the world, Star Ling blushing like a school girl over a hot man? “Right, sorry. I’ll just get back to work. It was nice to meet you Rudy.”
“You as well. If you want, I’ll leave an autographed picture for you on the way out.”
“That would be great.”
Star backed out and bumped into the door frame staring at Rudy. For some reason Clarice wanted to claw her pretty brown eyes right out of her head. “Now explain to me why you are here again, Rudy.”
“Because Clark County has no record of our divorce. According to the department of vital statistics we are still husband and wife. I need you to come home with me so my dad will leave me alone about getting married.”
She shook her head. “No, we aren’t still married. I hired a lawyer and paid him five hundred dollars to push our divorce through. We can’t be married Rudy; I’m engaged and my wedding is set for the second week of January.”
“Well I don’t know what to tell you. Las Vegas says we are married and if you get married in January then you’ll be a bigamist and end up in jail.”
Clarice pushed the button on her phone that called Star. “Yes Ma’am?”
“Star, I need you to find that divorce decree I got from the lawyer in Vegas last year. Do you remember where you filed it?”
“Um I never got anything from Vegas last year for you, Clarice. I just assumed you got the decree and took it home.”
“ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT I NEVER GOT AN OFFICAL COPY OF MY DIVORCE?”
“Don’t yell at me Clarice, I’m you PA not your legal advisor. I told you not to trust an attorney from Vegas.”
“Can you look up his number? His name was Clovis Fry. His office was right down town.”
“Let me see if I can find him. I let you know when my search is finished.”
“Please be quick, I really need to talk to him right away.”
She put the phone down. “This is a mess.”
Rudy shrugged, “Not from where I’m sitting. I always thought we should have tried to make it work. I mean, there had to be a reason you agreed to marry me. I know I was attracted to you. To be honest I still am.”
“Yeah there was a reason; a guy slipped me a drug that lowered my inhibitions and messed with my thinking. I would have never agreed if I was in my right mind.”
Rudy leaned close and she could smell his signature scent cologne and that smell that filled her dreams at night, the smell of him under the expensive cologne. “I don’t believe you, Clarice. I think you did exactly what you wanted that night we got married. It was only the next morning when you started overthinking things that you got scared and ran. You never said we shouldn’t have gotten married, you said it was a mistake because no-one would want a matchmaker who got drunk married in Vegas.”
Before she could answer Star came rushing into the room, her tablet in her hand. “Um Clarice, what did you say your lawyer’s name was again in Vegas?”
“Clovis Fry, why?”
She turned the tablet so that Clarice could see the picture of Mister Fry on the screen. “Is this him?”
“Yes can you get him on the phone?”
“Umm I don’t think that’s going to be possible.”
Clarice frowned. “Why not?”
Star scrolled up until the headline over the photo was visible. It read: “Local Con Man Arrested for Fraud.”
“Apparently he wasn’t really a lawyer just a con man who bilked hundreds of people who wanted out of quickie Vegas weddings by taking their money and promising them quick divorces, knowing they’d go home and get busy and forget he hadn’t ever contacted them. He’s in jail for ten years.”
“What are you saying to me, Star? Are you telling me I’m still married to Rudy?”
The woman nodded her head. “That’s what it looks like.”
“Can you get me the Clark County Clerk of the Court in Nevada please?”
Star started typing away on her tablet while Rudy leaned closer to her. “Admit it Clarice, it’s fate. We’re still married. You tried to run away to sweep our marriage away and fate stopped you. We are meant to be together.”
“No, that’s not what it means at all. It means that on top of the first mistake I made, I made a second one but we can fix this, I’m sure.”
Star handed her the ringing phone and when the voice came on the line Clarice turned on her matchmaker charm. “Yes hello. I had the unfortunate humiliation to find myself in a quick marriage in your fine state a year ago and when I woke I went to a local lawyer to see about ending the marriage.”
The voice on the other end sighed. “Honey, please tell me you aren’t about to tell me you paid Clovis Fry to file for your divorce.”
“Yes ma’am, I did and I just today realized when my supposed ex-husband showed up that I’ve been the victim of fraud and on top of that I’m still married. I just want to know what I need to do to end this marriage, and quickly. I’m supposed to be getting married in a few short months.”
“Honey, this is Las Vegas; home of the quickie marriage and just as quick divorce. As long as you and your spouse agree to divorce and keep what assets you entered into the marriage with, then you both come say so before the judge, sign some papers and you’re divorced.”
“Oh, that’s good to know. Thank you, that takes a burden off my mind.”
“Sure thing sugar, you just bring that husband and come sign the papers and you’ll be divorced faster than Elvis can shake his pelvis.”
“Thank you.”
Clarice hung up and looked at Rudy. “All we have to do is go sign some papers and tell the judge we want to be divorced and we’ll be done with each other.”
Rudy looked at her and shook his head. “There’s only one problem with your little plan there, Clarice. I don’t want to get divorced. I never did. You may not remember that night but I do. We talked and got to know each other and you lamented being a single matchmaker and I said we get along and I think there’s something between us so marry me. You said why not, you did just come from a Vegas wedding. Then we went and bought rings and drug my brother and a production assistant with us to the Hunk of Burning Love Chapel and got married. The fact that you freaked out the next day because you didn’t remember it doesn’t make it a mistake, not in my
book. I don’t think it would be in your book if you gave us a chance.”
“You’re crazy.”
Rudy knelt down. “I’m not. I’ll make you a deal. Let’s let your matchmaking Algorithm see if I’m crazy. Has your fiancé signed up on your service and answered those questions?”
Clarice glowered at him. “For your information he did, and we were a 90% match in all areas.”
“Did he take it before you started dating him, or after?”
“We’d been together about a month and I needed to test the latest updates and he agreed.”
“Then let me answer them. If I score a 90% or higher match then you come home with me until the first of the year and give me a chance to prove we belong together. After that, if you still want it I’ll go to Vegas and sign the divorce papers. I think it’s only fair; after all you’ve given this guy time to prove he’s a good match to you. You never even gave us a fair shot and we’re married.”
Clarice bit her bottom lip. “I’m not sure that Winthrop would be happy with that.”
Rudy smiled and her heart sped up. My, but he could set a girl on fire with that smile. “I honestly don’t care what Winny the Pooh is happy with or not. Let me make this plain. If you won’t give me a chance then I won’t sign the divorce papers. I’m sure you will be able to get a divorce eventually.”
“If I agree to this you will have to help me beta test our newest algorithm and you should know it’s super accurate and you have to answer all the questions honestly.”
“Clarice, I’m always honest. But if I’m filling out the newest questionnaire, so should you.”
“That’s fine, I’ll have the questions sent to Star’s computer and you can fill them out there. I’ll do them here and then we’ll see if we are even a match.”
“If we are, then you’ll come home with me through the first of the year and really give us a chance to connect?”
“Within reason. I won’t cheat on Winthrop married to you or not.”
Rudy nodded. “I agree, no repeat of Vegas until I’m the only man in your life.”
Clarice narrowed her eyes. “I’m serious, Rudy. If we don’t match at least 90% or if I still want a divorce after the holidays, you’ll go with me and sign the paperwork.”
“I said I would, Clarice. Show me this computer.”
Star cleared her throat where she’d been witness to the whole thing. “I’ll set him up on my laptop in the conference room.”
“Thanks Star.”
Clarice watched as Rudolph followed Star to the conference room and then she sat down and filled out the new questionnaire. She’d have the CRE Protocol trick questions inserted as well because she didn’t trust Rudy to be honest. After all, he couldn’t be that sure of them being a good match. They’d known each other less than twenty-four hours.
As she sat working on answering the questions Star knocked on her office door. Clarice waved her in and her best friend came in and shut the door. “He’s working on the questionnaire in the conference room. Clarice, are you sure about this?”
“You heard him; the only way he’ll grant me the divorce in time for my wedding is if I go along.”
Her friend sat and frowned at her. “But you aren’t really going along, are you? I mean you agreed to really give him a chance to prove you and he are right for each other but you are just playing along to get the divorce so you can marry Winthrop.”
“So what? I bet I don’t even have to go to Alaska with him; after all he has to score a 90 or higher.”
Star leaned forward. “What if he does though, Clarice? What if he scores higher than Rothschild did? Then what will you do?”
“Honestly Star, why are you even thinking that way. He’s not my type. You’ve seen the tabloids. He’s a billionaire Playboy with a different starlet every week. If he truly thought we had a TLC would he be out with all those women?”
“Why does that upset you so much, Clarice? I mean it’s not like you weren’t dating too. Hello married with a second fiancé.”
Clarice waved her hand as if to clear out a bad smell. “Doesn’t matter anyway, you’ll see he won’t even make a 50% match to me.”
Clarice looked at Star with disbelief on her face. “This has to be a mistake. Tell me you’re punking me, Star.”
Her PA was smiling like the cat that ate the canary. “No, that’s the real match percentage between your questionnaire and your Vegas husband’s. You are a ninety-eight percent True Love Connection Match.”
Clarice stood and started pacing. “That can’t be right, Star. We’ve never had a match that high. There is no way this is right. The Algorithms must be flawed.”
“I knew you would say that so I had the IT team ask a couple of our previous testers in to retest. They all scored within one point plus or minus their original scores. The algorithm is working perfectly. Admit it Clarice, Rudy Holliday is a better match for you than Winthrop Rothschild. Your own system says so.”
Clarice dropped into her chair and put her head in her hands. “Now what am I going to do? Winthrop is going to have a major conniption when I tell him I have to spend the next three months with my husband in Alaska at a Posh Island Resort.”
Then she sat up. “He cheated. He had to.”
Star shook her head. “How could he cheat? You made sure the CRE Protocol questions were included and the investigators said they were consistent and honest. As far as the questionnaire, Rudy Holliday was honest in his answers and a ninety-eight percent TLC to one Clarice Reese unless you lied.”
Clarice glared at her friend. “You know I would never do that. I respect what we do too much to lie.”
“Yet you don’t respect it enough to admit that your husband is right. According to the method you made sure is foolproof, you two are an almost perfect match. Yet here you are trying to deny that he was right and give him the real chance you agreed to. Instead you plan to go to his home, meet his family, lie to all their faces. Then force a man who may just really love you to give you the divorce you claim to want. Just to marry a man who your own mother, whom you also claim to trust what she does, keeps telling you is a mistake. Why Clarice? Help me understand what is so special about Winthrop Alistair Rothschild the fourth? Because, besides the uppity name, I don’t get it.”
Clarice took in a deep breath and then blew it out. “It’s called loyalty, Star. Plain and simple.”
Star looked at her and shook her head. “I’ll say one last thing and then let it go. That’s a load of junk. Unless you repeated some strange wedding vows I believe that almost a year ago you promised to love, honor and cherish your husband, forsaking all others as long as you both live. Where’s your loyalty to the man you married? You’ve never shown any since day one.”
Clarice waited until her friend left and shut the door behind her and then she threw a notebook at the door while yelling, “Well neither did he! Stupid models and divas, a different one for every event!”
“Actually, I never slept with any of them, Clarice. I never even dated them. I took them as my plus ones for events and they were always arranged by the Network and my agent. A requirement. I haven’t even thought of another woman since the night we got married.” Her accidental husband, reality star and one of the hottest men Clarice had ever seen had slipped in the door while she ranted. Now he stooped and picked up the notebook she’d thrown and placed it on her desk. “You win, Clarice. I’ll leave; just let me know when I need to be in Vegas to sign the paperwork. I’ll leave my number with your P.A. And I’ll never bother you again. I’m sorry we didn’t even get a chance to see if we could be something amazing together.”
He turned and walked to the door. What was she doing? Star was right, she trusted the algorithm so why was she fighting this? Was it just because she’d felt like such a fool waking up in his bed married in Vegas? She knew if she didn’t do this she’d end up wondering what if for the rest of her life. His hand was on the handle and he was about to leave. “Wait, Rudy. I’m sorry. Th
e algorithm said just what you thought it would say. It said we were a strong match. One of the strongest we’ve ever had. So I need two days to wrap things up here and then I’ll go home with you and give it a chance. I can’t promise I’ll stay. You’ll have to convince me what we have is more real than what I already have and you’ll have to do it without a repeat of our wedding night.”
Rudy turned and smiled at her and her knees went weak. OH Lordy this man should come with a warning label. “Thank you, Clarice. I want one thing from you as well. You spend this time getting to know me, not mooning over your fiancé here.”
She bit her lip, knowing Winthrop was going to go into another temper tantrum at being out of communication. However, everything she needed to do for the wedding was done and she’d work remotely. “That’s acceptable but I will still need to work remotely. Mom is off meeting with some clients and I need to be able to handle things here through Star and Mom’s Assistant, Carol.”
“I agree. I’ll need to work as well. Dad is demanding my brothers and I all become more hands-on at the Resort. I’m staying with my brother Dancer in the Royal Suite at the Ritz-Carlton. I’ll send a car for you in two days to take you to the airfield where our jet is.”
“Alright. I need to get back to work and get things in motion to leave.”
Rudy turned and came back across her office, scooped her up in a gigantic hug and then turned and walked out. He hadn’t even tried to kiss her and it surprised Clarice how disappointed she was that he hadn’t. But she didn’t have time to dwell on that, she had to start putting things in place to be gone for three months.
Chapter Three
Clarice looked around her room at the set of luggage she’d packed. She knew she was only going to be gone for three months, just twelve weeks. Even if she ended up agreeing with Rudolph that they did indeed match, she would be coming back to New York for a time. Her whole life was here, the company she and her mother had built together was here and because she wasn’t one hundred percent sold on her and Rudy’s compatibility, so was Winthrop.
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