There was something about her silence while she waited for my answer that warned me to proceed with caution. As if she had some kind of proof and was waiting to see how honestly I answered, ready to measure my words against whatever it was she had.
Whatever it was, my hesitation in answering didn't look good for my cause.
"No." I was firm. "Lazer and I are not dating. We never have dated. We're not having an affair behind the backs of his matches. Currently, the only person who might be considered dating him is Danika. But as far as I know, they haven't decided to go exclusive."
"That's a very pretty denial." Sheri's tone was sharp and sly. "But not what it looks like in the video."
She'd just blindsided me. I went cold. I'd been expecting her to mention the article and the pictures. "What video?"
Sheri paused like a cat playing with its prey. "You haven't seen it?" She was clearly delighted.
"Obviously." It was impossible to keep the anger and anxiety out of my voice.
Sheri laughed lightly. "Interesting. Does that mean I have an exclusive?" By which she knew she did. That was clearly the point of this call from the start.
I bit back what I really wanted to say.
"I like you, Ashley," she said. "And Lazer has always been a favorite of mine. You really need to see this video before someone decides to blackmail you with it." She rustled around with something and inhaled deeply, like she needed breath to make a major point. "Give me an exclusive interview and I'll show it to you. I'm running my story about this whole affair tomorrow."
She lowered her voice, sounding genuinely disgruntled. "Damn holiday is messing with my schedule. You know journalists. We never rest." Her voice brightened. "I'm free anytime, if you are."
I glanced out the window. We were getting close to the airport. This was clearly a command performance. What choice did I have? "I'm in New York right now at the airport. I'll be back in Seattle this afternoon. I can meet you as soon as I touch down."
I had the feeling she'd appreciate my sense of urgency and the power it gave her over me.
"Text me when you arrive," she said in an effervescent tone. "I'll be waiting. And do be careful once you get here. The weather is terrible. Fog as thick as clam chowder. Freezing fog. The roads are pure ice in places. Let's hope it clears and warms up by the time you arrive. Or you might be turned back. The airplanes can handle fog. But black ice on the tarmac is a problem. The state patrol and local emergency crews have their hands full with accidents. We don't want another one on their hands."
Ice? I shivered.
Oh, yes, I had just made her day.
After we hung up, I tried Lazer again. Nothing. I hated to bother her on a holiday, but I tried his personal assistant, Brandy. Last she had heard he planned to go to Justin and Kayla's party and spend a quiet New Year's Day at home. Brandy hadn't made any other arrangements for him. But then, there was nothing unusual in that. Lazer was perfectly capable of making his own arrangements, and frequently did. Sometimes to her chagrin.
"He's probably just turned off his phone," she said, sounding confident and protective of him. "He does that sometimes when he doesn't want to be disturbed. You can't really blame him. He rarely has a quiet moment to himself. It's his temporary escape hatch, the equivalent of hiding out at Lazer Lodge for a day or two."
"Yes, maybe he did," I said, unconvinced. She was probably right. But two things niggled at me. One, it wasn't exactly like him not to want to be disturbed. He was usually eager to hear about the business.
I hadn't been shy about telling him how busy New Year’s would be for Pair Us. I genuinely expected him to check in with me first thing. And two, unless he was camping out in a cave, he had to have heard all of the bad PR we were getting and know we needed to talk.
"Could he have gone to Lazer Lodge?" I said.
"Not likely. There's been a gigantic storm in the mountains. And he's usually considerate of the staff and wouldn't call them out there on a holiday without advance notice.
"Don't worry about Lazer," Brandy assured me. "It's so discreet it's easy to forget about and overlook, but Lazer has excellent security measures in place around him at all times. And a crack security team at his disposal. If something had happened to him, which is highly unlikely, they'd know about it and respond immediately. High-profile people aren't like regular people. They don't go out unprotected."
"Would his security team contact you?" And why the hell wasn't I on the list? It seemed like, as a business partner, I should be. For all I knew, maybe I was and there was no emergency to report.
"Yes, certainly. If there were matters I needed to attend to, most definitely." She sounded unconcerned. "His list is confidential, of course, but I think you can make a few assumptions about who would be first up. You know, the usual suspects." She paused. "He'll turn up eventually. Probably sooner than later."
I didn't want to disturb her holiday any longer. "I need his help with an urgent business matter," I said. "If you hear from him, have him call me immediately, would you?"
Chapter 2
Ashley
While I waited to board my plane, I tried Austin, wondering whether he was on the list and why Lazer had never introduced me to his mom. She certainly had to be top of his list. Crap, I hated possibly only being a mid-lister, if a lister at all. Right now knowing his mom and having her number would have made life easier. In some ways, at least. And then again, probably the reason business partners—damn it all, was I only that?—didn't have her number was so they couldn't bother her.
Austin answered the phone in a tone so cheery he was practically humming. His deep, upbeat voice was reassuring in a way so few people's were. Austin was like the brother I never had.
"Ashley?" He sounded both amused and surprised. "Now this is service! My matchmaker calling me first thing to check on my New Year's Eve dating progress. But don't you have better things to do?"
He jumped back in before I could answer, and, again, I had the feeling he was enjoying himself at my expense. "Company in New York isn't so satisfying?" He laughed again.
"Wha—"
"If you insist on working, you've probably heard the news—the guys and I, and the app, of course, are all the buzz. We killed it last night. Parties and parties all over the city with nearly equal mixes of men and women. It's the end of the lopsided, boring party.
"Did we tell you? We set up a community board and registered parties who were participating in the singles hunt. Register your party and put it on the list for those hunting for fun. No more shame to being dateless on New Year’s Eve, Ashley. It was beautiful. Epic.
"Taking the app out last night was like playing an adult dating game version of Pokémon Go. It had that sense of the hunt and rabid enthusiasm about it. Parties, bars, hotspots, singles cruises, all teeming with app-holding attendees. It's the new mania, I tell you. And gives new meaning to the thrill of the hunt."
He lowered his voice. "I wore the kilt out."
"What?" I laughed. He actually made me laugh in the middle of my panic. "Which one?"
"The utility kilt."
"The black one?"
"Oh, of course. It's a little dressier for a fancy night out. It makes me look thin." He laughed. "And shows off my legs in a masculine way. You and Milia taught me that."
"You have nice legs," I said. "You really do. But that took guts."
"Well, you taught me to be myself and get out of my shell. That it's easier to strike up a conversation when you have something interesting, like a prop." He spoke a little louder. "And dressing in a skirt has worked so well for some of my friends in the past."
He laughed. "Turns out the women love the long hair and are very curious about what's beneath the kilt. Much more curious than about what Hawaiian men wear beneath their grass skirts." He sounded suddenly proud and cocky in an endearing way.
He was so talkative that it was almost out of character.
"No," I said, reverting automatically to matchmaker mode
. "You did not break the rules and show them, I hope."
He laughed again. "A gentleman never kisses and tells. Not even to his matchmaker."
"That's not really how it works," I said. "We'll debate that later."
Unfortunately, I didn't have time for a long story. I was desperate. "I'd love to hear more about it. I insist on hearing all the details when I get back. But, much as I hate to admit it, I'm not the enthusiastic matchmaker you give me credit for. I'm thrilled to hear of your success, but we have another PR problem on our hands right now. I desperately need to reach Lazer. Is he with you? Have you heard from him?"
"With me?" Austin cleared his throat.
The shock in his voice took me by surprise.
"Why would he be with me?" He paused. "Uh-oh. Damn, I've missed the social cues again. Here I was talking away to get to him and see when he'd interrupt and tell me to fuck off. Or thank me. You two haven't had a fight, have you?"
"Fight? With me?" I shook my head. It was like we were in two separate conversations. "What are you talking about? Why would he be with me? Why would you think we'd been fighting?"
"He's not with you?"
"No."
"Ooooh. Ouch."
"What?"
"He flew to New York yesterday to be with you?" he said in that tone people use when they're prompting you. "Did you toss him out already? The bastard."
He swore beneath his breath. "If he fucked with you… Excuse me, you know what I mean. If he messed this up and you're going to abandon us now—"
Maybe I was losing my mind, but I didn't think I'd lost my ability to understand English. "What? Messed what up? What are you talking about?"
"He flew to New York to surprise you in Times Square at midnight. Something about a New Year's kiss and a fantasy you had? Ring any bells?"
The fantasy—yes. Seeing Lazer…
"Are you sure?" I said. "I never saw him—"
Oh, crap! The call from Lazer just before midnight…the call I'd ignored. I had texted back, but—
Had I just blown it with the billionaire? Had Lazer actually been there to make a declaration? To take the next step in the game of love?
Not the cat-and-mouse game we were playing, the way love normally played out in the real world between normal people. He knew the rules of that game as well as I did. Knew it was his turn to man up and make the move. Knew the move I expected.
I was reaching the end of what I could teach him with the women I was sending him out on dates with. I wanted more than platonic post-date postmortems. I was tired of pretending I didn't feel what I did for him. It was time for the rubber of this relationship to meet the road to happiness. It was time to take the next step or let it all go.
He was savvy and smart enough to realize how I felt. There came a time in every game to either declare a draw and walk away, or go for the win. He had to make the move soon. And he knew it. And it had to be bold.
It was his turn to say he loved me, to ask for commitment, to take himself out of the bachelor pool once and for all.
He had actually been in New York? Trying to find me in a mammoth crowd? That was…crazy. Impossible. Amazing. A bold next move. One that met with my approval. Unless he was just trying to get me into bed.
My heart beat double time, alternating between joy and despair. If I'd blown it…
The matchmaker in me grabbed hold and shook me. Common misperceptions and lack of communication can be easily fixed. All you have to do is get a hold of him and see what he really meant by this jaunt to New York.
Easier said than done at this particular moment.
"Are you sure?" My hands shook. "How was he planning to find me in that crowd?"
Lazer would have had a plan. I was waiting to hear just how outrageous it was. A message on a billboard in Times Square for New Year’s revelers all over the world to see? A declaration of love so public there could be no doubt in my mind he was serious.
"The app." Austin sounded suddenly sheepish for his part in letting the cat out of the bag.
The app. Yeah, of course. That was more logical than a billboard. And disappointingly less spectacular. But more intimate, for sure. It struck me, suddenly, that although I knew Lazer was a sweet-gesture kind of guy, and that he certainly used his money to make a point, I didn't know whether he was a public-gesture kind of person. When I thought about it, everything he'd done for me had been private.
Austin sighed. "I helped him modify the app on your phone to an old version that could track you. He should have been able to find you no problem."
My happy fantasies skidded to a halt. My heart stopped. Why hadn't Lazer tried to get in touch with me first thing this morning? What if he was busy planning some other surprise for this evening? I wasn't scheduled to fly back to Seattle until tomorrow afternoon, and he knew that.
"If he's in the city, why am I at the airport waiting to board a flight back to Seattle?" I sighed, wondering what to do. "This reminds me too much of an O. Henry story. I have to go back into the city."
"Hold on. Hold on!" Austin said. "Don't panic." He hesitated again. "The joke's on Lazer. I modified the app on his phone, too, so I could keep tabs on him. Then I got distracted. You know how we feel about Lazer. We love him. But we love to pull his chain and mess with him more. Before you cancel your flight, let's see if I can find him."
They announced the first boarding call for my flight.
"I don't have much time before I have to board."
"This will just take a few minutes."
I heard Austin rattling around. They began boarding first class.
Austin came back on the phone. "Here it is. Lazer went back to the airport in New York an hour or so after midnight."
I heard the tapping of fingers and typing.
"Here. Got it again. The trace goes all the way to here in Renton at the airport." Austin let out a sigh of relief. "He's fine. He made it back and shut off his phone once he arrived. That's what it looks like to me. Or the battery died."
"What should I do? I need to reach him."
"Get on your plane and let me look into it. By the time you get to Seattle, I'll have tracked him down. Okay?"
"All right," I said.
Austin had a point. I had to trust him.
"Hey, this is just like Lazer. I don't know what happened or why he didn't meet up with you. But Lazer has a sort of romantic OCD. When he's trying to make a big, romantic gesture, it either goes the way he wants, or he aborts the mission and reschedules for a more opportune time. He probably shut the phone off in disappointment. He hates it when things don't go to plan."
Austin laughed. "I don't know what happened in New York or how he missed you. But he did. So he went home, for whatever reason. Don't worry.
"I'll get a hold of Justin. See if he knows anything. Lazer usually checks in with him. And they both use the same security company and pilot. Maybe the pilot knows something. Justin will be able to find out." Austin paused again. "Be careful when you get back. The roads are icy."
"That's what everyone's been saying." I paused. "You don't think Lazer could have made it back to Seattle and been in an accident on the way home?" I said, feeling a dark premonition.
"Nah. And even if he had, he has all the bells and whistles and latest safety features in his car, including automatic collision response. It would notify his security firm and send help immediately. Rest easy."
I relaxed a little, but I didn't like the direction my thoughts turned. "I'm desperate, Austin. We need to stop this story before it gets legs. Or maybe I should say, stronger legs."
"Look, if it will make you feel any better, I'll swing by Lazer's place first, before bothering Justin, and see if I can shake him out of bed. If anyone can rouse Lazer, I can."
"I'd appreciate it."
"No problem." Austin paused. "My guess is he drank heavily on the flight home. He's probably just sleeping off a hangover. I've seen it before."
"We can't lose our star client," I said, trying t
o lighten the mood. "Not when we're on the cusp of success and have a PR crisis on our hands."
"Or our major investor," Austin said, matching my falsely light tone.
"Precisely." I inhaled deeply, imagining the worst. But what was the worst? "If he's not at home, try his apartment downtown, too."
Did I really want to go there? I knew what Lazer used that apartment for.
"Will do," Austin said. "I know all his haunts. I'll find him. How are you getting home from the airport? Did you take a car or the light rail?"
"I was planning to call an Uber."
"Give me your flight info," he said. "I'll pick you up."
"But if the roads are slick—"
"Don't worry about me," he said. "That's exactly why I should pick you up."
"I have to meet Sheri Carmichael about this PR mess as soon as I get back."
"No problem. I can drive you there as easily as anywhere."
Austin really was a good friend. I rattled the details off to him and slumped in relief.
"I'll wait for you in the cell phone lot. Text or call me when you land. Try not to worry," he said. "Lazer can take care of himself. As I said, he's probably—" Austin cleared his throat. "He's probably sleeping off a hangover. Or deep in a video game, just ignoring the world."
Chapter 3
Lazer
Fog. Thick and heavy all around me. Mental fog. Brain fog. Real fog, misty and swirling and making it hard to breathe. My chest felt heavy and it hurt to inhale.
I came to slowly to the smell of Christmas. Or rather, to the smell of fir, freshly cut and full of the forest. Damp earth. Bitter chill. The whisper of trees. The sounds of traffic and lake.
"Rock-a-Bye Baby" ran through my mind, an earworm that wouldn't leave. When the bough breaks…
I shivered.
Why was I mindlessly humming that tune? Where the hell was I?
And then I remembered. The ice. The anger. The car skidding off the road. Plunging into the trees. Nothing. And then now.
It had been dark then. It was light now. I glanced at the clock on my dashboard. Just before ten. I'd been out for hours.
Match Point: A Jet City Billionaire Romance (The Billionaire Matchmaker Series Book 5) Page 2