Match Point: A Jet City Billionaire Romance (The Billionaire Matchmaker Series Book 5)

by Gina Robinson

  Justin returned to where I stood surrounded by the men. He pushed the mic away and shooed the reporters, in a charming, confident way, asking for privacy.

  "Lazer's mom," he said when the reporters were a safe distance away. "She promised to let me know when there's news."

  I nodded, grateful for that, at least.

  Justin took my arm. "It's going to be a while before we know anything. It's been a long day. Let's get you away from here and get something to eat."

  I glanced at the doors to the secure area.

  "We won't go far. The cafeteria here isn't bad, and the break from the spotlight and media attention could do you good." He turned to the others. "Are you coming?"

  The consensus was that they were starved. The men fell in behind us.

  "You've never met Lazer's mom?" Justin asked me as we walked.

  I shook my head.

  "Huh." He considered that a moment before smiling at me.

  "What?" I said.

  He pursed his lips. "Nothing. That's interesting."

  "Interesting?" I frowned. "Why?"

  "Lazer's mom likes to meet his friends and business associates."

  "I'll second that," Austin said.

  Jeremy nodded. "She was fun to hang with at Mom's Weekend back in college."

  "She invited me to a barbecue she threw at her home just a week after I first met Lazer," Justin said. "She's a nice lady. Outgoing. Warm."

  I tilted my head to the side and shrugged, trying not to feel slighted or make too much of not having been invited to meet her. As a professional matchmaker, I realized that meeting the parents was a big step in any relationship. Even a business one. And certainly one as complicated as ours.

  "He's been busy. We've been busy," I said, shrugging it off and acting unconcerned. "And there's the nature of our business. Matchmaking is a field that fascinates most women. They're naturally curious. And like to get involved. They can't help it."

  Justin nodded. "Tell me about it."

  I nodded with him. "Men, even confident men, don't always deal with that well. If Lazer introduced me to his mom, she might get ideas about how this particular business should be run. And make suggestions about matching family and friends. I've seen it before."

  Justin looked at me pointedly. "You really think that would stop Lazer? He'd get a big kick out of sharing the business with his mom. Maybe even solicit her advice." He paused. "Unless he had another, more compelling reason not to."

  We turned a corner to the cafeteria and got in line.

  "On the other hand, he never introduces his girlfriends to his mom," Justin said. "She has a tendency to get too attached to them and get big ideas about weddings and future grandchildren."

  I narrowed my eyes. "Is that so?" I studied him as we made our way to the counter and placed our order.

  Justin and I went to find a table while the others waited for our food.

  "You've seen too many of the news stories that broke today," I said to Justin when we were alone at the table. "As an unbiased observer, what's your opinion? What do you think after seeing the stories? Did they sway you? Do you believe the rumors about Lazer and me? Do you think I'm his girlfriend?"

  "I believe what I see with my own eyes." He held my gaze. "I believe what I saw as the response crew brought him out of the woods."

  I glanced away, trying to gather my thoughts. "Can I ask you something?"

  Justin studied me. "Sure. But I reserve the right not to answer."

  "Fair enough." I gathered up my courage. "I've heard rumors that Lazer flirted with your wife, blatantly, when they first met."

  "Yeah." He nodded, looking more amused than upset by the question.

  "But you stayed friends?"

  Justin laughed softly. "Lazer flirts with a lot of women. He and I have always been competitive. I sprang Kayla on him. My marriage was a surprise to everyone, including us." He laughed. "It's complicated. I can't get into all the details. But Lazer, like a lot of people, thought Kayla was a gold digger.

  "He tried to take her away to prove her faithfulness and love for me. The fact that he couldn't only proved how much Kayla loved me. It was good for us in the end."

  I still didn't completely understand. "You're an extremely understanding friend." I paused, not sure if I wanted the answer to the question I was about to ask. "You know him as well as anyone. Do you think he's a true playboy at his core?"

  "You're asking if I think he can be faithful to one woman?"

  I nodded, miserable for having to ask. Anxious as we waited to hear the extent of Lazer's injuries. Wondering what the future held for us.

  Justin sighed and smiled ruefully. "Deep in his soul, Lazer is as much a nerd as any of us. Some of his friends, as you know, are into cosplay. If you were to ask me—and this is off the record, I'll deny it if ever called on it—Lazer is a case of constantly cosplaying a playboy."

  I let out a nervous laugh, hoping he was right. And yet it was almost too outrageous, given how confident and charming Lazer was around women. If he was playing a role, he was a damn good actor.

  "Don't get me wrong. Once he picked up some confidence and learned to flirt and charm, he was a natural at it. But it's not who he is at heart. Call me a hopeless romantic." He grinned. "And many people have. But I've always believed that, for most people, faithfulness and not wanting to commit are a matter of finding the right person."

  Justin leaned into me and lowered his voice. "You have to understand Lazer and his situation. Let me tell you something about nerds coming into money—money, billions, changes people."

  I nodded.

  He shook his head. "Not just the people with the money, the people around them. So here you are, a nerd. The girls won't give you the time of day. They laugh at you. At your nerdy obsessions. They don't see you for who you are.

  "Then you make it big. Against all odds, you become a billionaire. Suddenly women throw themselves at you. You're the same you, at least at first. But suddenly, every opportunity lies at your feet.

  "Look, I've seen this happen firsthand to friends. I know my fair share of billionaires and multimillionaires. I've seen them go from normal middle-class guys and women to having more money than most people dream of. I've done it myself. The money, the power, and the attention can go to your head if you let it. You have to fight the tendency.

  "There are several ways to react to sudden wealth. One of them is to take full advantage of it. You only get one life—live it to the fullest. Don't deny yourself anything. Buy what you want. Seek out every pleasure. Sleep with as many beautiful women as you can, if that's your thinking. That's the path Lazer chose."

  I listened intently.

  "Some guys never get past that stage. But eventually, it gets old. You find that women want you for your money, not you and your charm. You start to doubt everyone and everyone's intentions.

  "If you're sensible, and Lazer is, you start to long for something deeper. Something real." Justin paused. "But it's not always easy to give up your image. You've been burned so many times, it's hard to trust that a woman wants you for you. You may not even trust yourself.

  "Money complicates things in ways that are hard to predict when you don't have it. Relationships can be a casualty of wealth. I think that's what Lazer is struggling with right now.

  "From what I see, you're different. He knows it. But he has to come to terms with it and trust himself. Hang in there. He knows what he has."

  He paused again. "To answer your question—yes, I think it's very possible that, given the right woman, Lazer can be a one-woman guy." Justin looked up. "Ah. There are the guys with the food."

  The men sat and began joking with each other as we ate. I found my appetite returning. I was actually ravenous.

  It felt good to be in the middle of these handsome men. Reassuring in a way I'd missed since Ruck had died and I no longer got to hang with him and his military buddies. This was the same kind of camaraderie. The joking. The teasing. The way men ribb
ed each other, occasionally forgetting there was woman in their midst. It made me feel warm and comfortable to be accepted like that.

  I belonged in Lazer's world. I belonged with his friends, all the way from his billionaire mentee to his college buddies. I loved them all. Every one of them. To me, that had always been important. As a matchmaker, too.

  Not only was I accepted, I was the envy of many single women in the room, including some nurses and doctors, who were giving my guys the eye. And the men, bless their modest hearts, didn't even notice.

  There were more lessons in store for them. I had more to teach them. Like taking advantage of interest when you found it.

  Several TVs hung around the cafeteria. Typical of doctors' offices and medical facilities the nation over, they were tuned to the same local news channel with the same revolving news stories.

  Lazer's rescue was the top story, competing with the weather for top billing and frequency. It was the feel-good story of the evening. After all the stories of crashes and injuries, a woodland rescue by a drone-flying billionaire, a lasso-toting bearded guy, and a broadsword-swinging redhead was like something from an action thriller. Who could feel uncheered by a heroic rescue by friends? And such eccentric, hot friends, too.

  The temperature in the cafeteria rose a little each time the story aired.

  And then there was that romantic kiss at the end. Viewing it onscreen it was just as romantic as it had been in real life. Even I believed the true love aspect of it. If my passion for Lazer had been evident in other videos that had been circulating, my love for him was on display in this one. If he didn't see it…

  As we sat there, people began to notice us and whisper. And point.

  They look awfully familiar.

  That big, redheaded guy with the curly hair, you don't miss a man like that.

  And the woman…that kiss…

  And then there was Justin, who was just as famous as Lazer for being a billionaire entrepreneur. We began to take on celebrity status.

  The men were joking again.

  "We look pretty damn fine on TV." Dylan peacocked comically.

  I shook my head.

  "Yeah, and if he was wearing a skirt, I think Austin could easily be mistaken for Jamie, the Sinclair." Jeremy elbowed Austin playfully.

  "Skirt?" Austin grabbed the much smaller Jeremy in a headlock. "That's a kilt to you, buddy."

  "Boys," I said in that mock-mom tone. "There are women watching."

  Austin grinned and let Jeremy go.

  A pretty female doctor caught Cam's eye. "I think I'm in love. I need a wingman." He glanced at me. "Or a matchmaker."

  Before either of us could react, the doctor got a text and left. Cam frowned.

  "Let that be a lesson in the game of love. You snooze, you lose," I said.

  "Damn." Cam made a pretty good show of looking dejected.

  "You can't give up that easily," I said. "There are ways of finding out who she is and whether she's interested. I assume you read her badge?"

  Before Cam could answer, Justin got a text. "Lazer's mom. Looks like he has some cracked and bruised ribs. A concussion. No internal injuries. He's going to be fine." Justin smiled and relaxed. "He's in surgery right now. Should be out in an hour or so."

  I froze. "If he's fine, why is he in surgery?"

  Justin grinned. "To fix his pretty face. They had to call Seattle's top plastic surgeon in to patch up that gash." He glanced at his phone again. "His mom says the surgery is dicey. The wound was open too long. Despite the surgeon's skill, he'll probably still have a slight scar."

  "Pretty face!" Cam laughed. "They should let his face scar. It would give him character. Make him look rugged."

  Dylan joined in. "Yeah. I don't think I've ever heard anyone refer to Lazer as ruggedly handsome before."

  "A scar across his cheek could even make him look dangerous," Austin said. "Women like dangerous men. Right, Ashley?"

  Chapter 7

  Lazer

  When I woke, my mom was seated by my hospital bed, watching TV.

  "You're awake." She patted my hand. "How do you feel?"

  "Groggy." One side of my face was numb, making it hard to talk. My brain was clouded. It took me a second to realize where I was and remember what had happened.

  She nodded. "To be expected. The doctor says he's optimistic you'll have minimal scarring."

  I reached up to touch my face. It was bandaged.

  She held a hand mirror up for me to see. "You look fine, Laze. Much better than you did when they brought you in from the woods. The doctor showed me the gash. Remember?"

  I studied myself in the mirror. She was right. Besides the bandage, there wasn't much to see.

  "It's a good thing I've always had a strong stomach about these things. Remember when you had that skateboarding accident when you were fourteen and ripped up your elbow? I didn't panic then, either. Just patched you up and we went on our way." She took the mirror away and set it on the tray table beside the bed. "Anyway, a scar will just add character to your looks. You've been a pretty boy too long." She winked at me.

  "Your friends are waiting outside in the public lobby, eager to see you," she said. "You're lucky to have so many people concerned about you." She gave me what could only be called a pleased and prying look. "You have good friends. Not many people have friends who would mount a search like that. And with drones, even! And broadswords."

  She was grinning. My mom loved to tease. Life amused her. My friends amused her. But she "loved them all to death," as she would say.

  I nodded.

  She took my hand and squeezed it, which was the only outward sign she'd been worried. Mom wasn't the kind of person to crumble in an emergency. The opposite. She was always calm and confident. Soothing. She had been like this since I could remember.

  "Since your exciting rescue, you've become quite a celebrity," she said.

  "I've been a celebrity for a while now, Ma."

  She smiled and laughed softly. "Well, now your friends are, too. The footage Sheri Carmichael shot of your rescue has been on an endless loop on all the news shows. They've been playing it nonstop on the hospital TV channel."

  I tried to push up on my elbows. "They have?"

  "Don't strain yourself. Just rest," she said gently. "Let me adjust the bed so you can sit up straighter." She pushed a button and raised the bed so I could see the TV without lifting my head. "They'll get back around to your story again soon. It's about time the boys got some credit, Laze. You've overshadowed them long enough. They're good guys."

  "Ma, you know the app is me helping them."

  She smiled fondly at me. "I know. It's lonely at the top, isn't it? You've always had a good heart. Like your dad. This rescue has propelled them into the limelight." Mom, as was her way, began humming an old Rush song by that name.

  "Ma."

  She laughed. "I've seen all the footage, all the breaking stories about you."

  Her statement was a little too pointed. Which meant she was about to make a point.

  "Why haven't you told me about the girl? And why am I sitting here, not her?" She poured me a glass of water from a plastic pitcher on the tray table and put a straw in it. She held it up for me.

  I humored her and took a sip. "What do you mean? What girl? I don't fool around with girls. I prefer women."

  My mom shrugged, holding my gaze. "Semantics and diversionary tactics won't get you out of this. I'm old enough to be your mother." She laughed. "And hers. She's beautiful. Very striking. And clearly, painfully, obviously in love with you. That kiss while you were pinned in the car! That's the stuff of classic romance movies." She sighed for dramatic effect and clasped her hands in front of her heart.

  Mom was like that. But beneath her teasing, she was serious.

  "You mean Ashley?"

  She nodded. "Oh, is that her name? It's not like I've heard it from you."

  "She's my business partner."

  She shook her head. "Darling boy.
You're in such denial. But you can't fool your mama. I've seen you with all your girlfriends, starting with your first crush. I know you well enough to see something's different about this one.

  "I just told you—I saw all the tapes. Including the one of her doing the walk of shame—isn't that what you call it?—coming out of that condo you keep in the city."

  I froze. "What tape?"

  Mom looked startled. "You haven't seen it?"

  "No," I said.

  "Hmmmmm." She paused, looking like she was debating with herself. "You will." She nodded. "They've been playing it all day, too. Someone clearly has it in for you. Or her. Or both of you.

  "I wondered why you hadn't called me about it and why your PR team wasn't on it more aggressively. It broke while you were missing in the woods." She grabbed her phone. "I think I can find it online." She did some searching and handed me her phone, watching me while I watched the video.

  I silently handed it back to her. "When I find out who leaked this—"

  "Revenge isn't good for the soul," she said. "Though you should shut them down.

  "Fortunately for you and Ashley, the news of your rescue has overshadowed the insinuations about dirty business and unfair matchmaking practices." She paused. "So. Back to my original question. You're clearly in love with her. And she with you. What are you going to do about it? And why isn't she here instead of your old mom?"

  "Ma—"

  She held up her hands. "No excuses. I know what I see. The camera don't lie, as they say.

  "As much as I love you, it's time for this man, you, to leave his mother and another woman to take my place as the most important woman in your life." Her eyes got a little misty. Mom could get sentimental at the oddest things and the oddest times. I was, after all, her only child.

  "Don't blow this one," she said. "Don't let your money and reputation and your silly notion about commitment clipping your wings get in the way of your happiness."

  Our story came up on the news.

  Mom and I paused to watch it.