Jake regarded him incredulously. “You already have clients?”
“About thirty so far,” Will confirmed.
“Anyone we know?” Mack asked, then frowned. “Susie, for instance?” There was a discernible hitch in his voice when he asked, proving that there was more to that relationship than he wanted to acknowledge.
“I’m not at liberty to say,” Will told him.
“When did you start this company?” Jake asked.
“Three weeks ago officially, though I’d been working out the criteria for matching people for a while. I finally incorporated, then put out a few brochures around town. I had no idea what to expect, but when the clients started signing up, I figured I ought to tell you all about it before you heard about it from another source. Someone’s bound to figure out I’m the professional psychologist behind it. After all, there aren’t that many of us in the area.”
“So you’re doing this to make money?” Mack said, clearly still trying to grasp his motivation. Before Susie, Mack had had absolutely no difficulty attracting single women, so he didn’t understand Will’s frustration.
“It could be a gold mine, yes, but that wasn’t really my motivation,” Will insisted. “I think of it more as a community service.”
“Nice spin,” Jake commented wryly. “You’ve already admitted that you’re doing this so you can meet women. Couldn’t you just have hung out at Brady’s more often?”
Will shook his head. “That wasn’t really working for me.”
“What about church? I hear a lot of men meet women at church,” Mack said. “Come to think of it, if I’d known you were this desperate, I could have asked Susie to fix you up. She has a bunch of girlfriends.”
“I’m not desperate,” Will said, offended by the characterization. “I’m being proactive.”
Jake and Mack exchanged a glance. It was Jake who dared to ask, “What about Jess?”
Will stilled. “What about her?”
“You’ve always been crazy about her,” Jake said.
“But she’s not crazy about me,” Will said, not denying his feelings since he’d never been all that good at hiding them. “Leave her out of this. She has nothing to do with it.”
Neither of his friends looked convinced, but they backed off.
Mack regarded him with amusement. “So, are you going to hold mixers like they had in college? Have everyone wear cute little nametags? Or what about those sixty-second dating things? You know, the ones like musical chairs? I hear those can be lively.”
Will scowled at his flip tone. “Bite me.” He stood up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to my office to play matchmaker.”
“You and Dolly Levi,” Mack said with an unrepentant grin.
Will stared at him blankly. “Who?”
“Hello, Dolly. It’s a musical. Susie and I saw the revival recently. She’s a matchmaker.”
Jake groaned. “Please do not tell a lot of people that you, once a Chesapeake Shores and college gridiron star, are going to girly musicals these days. It’ll destroy your fine reputation as one of the town’s all-time great bachelors. You’ll no longer be considered a player on the dating scene. In fact, it’s entirely likely you’ll never have another date.”
“He doesn’t need another date,” Will said. “He already has Susie.”
“Who is obviously a very bad influence,” Jake said.
Mack frowned at him. “Do I need to point out that your wife produces plays at her fancy new Chesapeake Shores Theater, including, I might add, the occasional musical? You planning to attend?”
Jake winced. “That’s spousal obligation, not choice. There’s a difference.”
“Will, do you buy that? Is it different?”
“I’m not mediating this one, guys,” Will declared emphatically. “You’re on your own.”
He was going back to his office to see if he could find the woman of his dreams. Maybe she was right around the corner, though if she was, he ought to have stumbled across her long before now.
For the first time since the previous Friday, Will opened his email Monday afternoon to check the new applications for membership in the Lunch by the Bay online dating service. There were a half dozen that had come in over the weekend. He’d input the data from three of them, when he spotted those submitted by Laila, Connie and Jess. His eyes widened. Laila and Connie were one thing, but Jess? What was he supposed to do about her?
Since she’d submitted her credit card payment with her application, professional integrity absolutely required that he put the data into the system and see if his criteria matched her with anyone. The churning in his gut, however, told him to delete the application as if he’d never seen it. He didn’t want to be the man who helped Jess walk off into the sunset with someone else. She might ultimately do that anyway, but he didn’t want to be the one who’d facilitated it.
He wrestled with his conscience for a full ten minutes before he reluctantly fed the data into his system. He deliberately left his own information out of the equation. When the computer came back with no immediate matches, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He told himself to send back her money and tell her to reapply at a later date, but when it came time to push the send key, he couldn’t do it. He knew it was because he was a little too eager to reject her for his own reasons. For anyone else, he’d take a fresh look at the data in a few days. Much as he might not like it, he owed that to Jess, too.
As for Laila and Connie, he had an easier time with their applications. Three potential matches turned up almost immediately for Connie. He sent all of them mutual contact information. There were four possibilities for Laila. Astonishingly, one of the best matches, the man with whom she had the most in common, seemed to be him.
“No way,” he muttered. He’d never once thought of dating Trace’s younger sister…and yet, why not? Maybe this would be the best possible test of the criteria he was using. It was the first match that had come back for him with so many connections.
He’d almost convinced himself to call Laila, when it occurred to him that it was no coincidence that the applications from her, Connie and Jess had come in within minutes of each other on Saturday night. Had they sent them in as some kind of dare? And how would Jess react if he went out with Laila? Would she be offended that her friends had gotten dates and she hadn’t? Would it bother her in the slightest if Laila’s first date was him? And why should he care, anyway, if he was truly moving on as he’d sworn to himself he was doing?
Before he could change his mind, he picked up the phone and called Laila at the bank.
“Hey, Will, what’s up?” she said, her tone friendly.
“You’re probably not going to believe this, but we’ve been matched up by an online dating service,” he told her, not explaining that it was his business. She’d learn that soon enough.
“Lunch by the Bay?” she said. “You’re kidding! I didn’t expect anything to happen this quickly.”
“I’m as surprised as you are, but I thought maybe we should give it a try. Would you like to have lunch tomorrow?”
“Why not?” she said, then hesitated. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” he asked. “Obviously we’re both looking for new ways to meet people, and if a computer says we’re compatible, I think we should at least check it out.”
“At least we’ll have a few laughs, right?”
“Exactly. What do you say?”
“What time and where?” she asked.
“Panini Bistro at noon? Or is there somewhere else you’d rather go?”
“I thought you always ate with Mack and Jake at noon,” she said, proving that his rut had been widely noted.
“I decided it was past time to shake up my routine,” he told her.
“Then count me in, and Panini Bistro is fine. I’ll see you there. Should I wear a red carnation behind my ear so you can spot me?” she asked with a laugh.
“Unles
s you’ve changed dramatically since dinner at the O’Briens a couple of Sundays ago, I think I’ll recognize you,” he said. He hesitated, then added, “Maybe we should keep this just between us for now. What do you think?”
“Are you ashamed to be seen in public with me, Will Lincoln?” she asked, a teasing note in her voice.
“If I were, we wouldn’t be going to lunch on Shore Road,” he assured her. “I just thought maybe low-key might be best till we see how this goes. Our friends might have quite a lot to say if they hear about it.”
“You wouldn’t be thinking about one friend in particular, would you?” Laila asked knowingly. “Is it Jess you’d prefer to keep in the dark?”
“Of course not!” Will said emphatically. “Why would she care one way or the other?”
“I’m glad you feel that way, because I’m not all that great at keeping secrets, especially not from friends.”
“Okay, then,” Will said, resigned to the possibility that his lunch with Laila could stir up a commotion. “See you tomorrow.”
“Looking forward to it,” Laila said.
Will wished he could say the same. Instead, a feeling of dread had settled in his stomach. Any shrink worth his salt could have told him it was because he was playing with fire.
2
A few days after signing up for Lunch by the Bay, Jess checked her inbox online. “I don’t get this,” she muttered in frustration to Laila, who’d just dropped by the inn. “You and Connie both had responses almost immediately. I’ve had nothing, not even an acknowledgment that I’m signed up.”
“I’m sure that’s just an oversight,” Laila said, though Jess thought she looked oddly guilty when she said it.
“Do you know something I don’t?” Jess asked, studying her friend with a narrowed gaze.
“Of course not,” Laila responded a little too quickly. “Maybe the interests you wrote down were too narrow. The company promises someone with similar interests. It may be taking a little longer to find the right match. I’m sure not everyone hears right away. The important thing is that the person you’re eventually matched with is the right one.”
Jess shrugged it off. “It doesn’t really matter. I wasn’t counting on this anyway. How about running over to Sally’s and grabbing a bite to eat?”
Laila winced. “Sorry, I can’t. I have my first date.”
Jess stared at her, trying to judge the odd expression on her friend’s face. Laila looked more worried than excited. It wasn’t the reaction Jess had expected.
“Why didn’t you say something when you first walked in here?” she asked. “Who is he? Do you have a name? Where are you meeting him?”
“We’re meeting at Panini Bistro,” Laila said.
Again, Jess studied her intently. “It still feels as if you’re hiding something. Who is this man? Do I know him?”
Laila nodded, her expression sheepish. “Actually, you do. That’s the reason I came by, so I could run it past you in case you had objections.”
“Why on earth would I object to your date?” Jess asked. “There’s no one in this town with whom I’ve ever been serious, unless you count Stuart Charles in third grade. I went to a lot of Little League games to watch that boy play.”
Laila lost her train of thought. “I thought you went to those games to see Connor.”
“Do you think I wanted anyone to know about my crush on an older man?” Jess responded with a grin. “I believe Stuart was twelve. We were doomed from the start.” Her grin faded. “We’ve gotten off track. We were talking about this date of yours, and I was trying to make it clear there was nothing for you to worry about where I’m concerned.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Laila said. Not quite meeting Jess’s eyes, she admitted, “It’s Will.”
Jess went perfectly still. She could have sworn her heart even took an unexpected lurch. “You’re having lunch with Will?” she asked slowly. “You’re telling me the computer actually matched you with him?”
Laila nodded, then asked worriedly, “You’re not upset, are you? I wanted you to hear this from me in case someone spots the two of us out together. If it bothers you, I can still call it off.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I be upset?” Jess asked, managing to keep a carefree note in her voice, even though the news had been oddly disconcerting. “I’ve never dated Will.” She hesitated. “You don’t suppose…?”
“Suppose what?”
“That brochure said this company was being run by a psychologist. Do you think that could be Will?”
Laila shrugged. “Could be, but I don’t see why it matters.”
“You don’t think it’ll be weird dating a shrink?” Jess had certainly had enough difficulty just being in the same room with him. She’d never been able to stop feeling self-conscious, as if Will was seeing right through her, analyzing every word she uttered. Maybe under other circumstances that attentiveness would have been flattering, but it made her feel exposed. She’d had enough of those feelings when doctors had been trying to determine whether she had attention deficit disorder years ago. All that psychological probing and testing had made her feel like a lab specimen.
“Why would it be weird?” Laila asked with a shrug. “Hopefully, he’ll be more insightful than most of the men I’ve run across. It’s funny, but somehow I never even thought about dating Will before. We’re actually the same age, but we never hung around with the same crowd in school.”
“Because you were with the in crowd and he was a nerd.”
“Will was most definitely not a nerd,” Laila said, jumping to his defense in a way that took Jess aback. “Jake and Mack are his two best friends, and they were both jocks. He was always hanging out at your house with Kevin and Connor, too. If I remember correctly, Will even played varsity basketball.” Her expression brightened. “That’s another good thing. He’s taller than I am. I’m tired of having to wear flats when I go out so I don’t intimidate some guy who’s barely five-eight.”
Jess couldn’t explain why the idea of Laila going out with Will bothered her so much. Was it because she was more interested in him than she’d ever admitted to herself? Or was it because that stupid computer had confirmed what she’d always said, that they’d be a terrible match? Because she didn’t want her friend worrying about any of that, she forced a smile.
“I hope you have a great time,” she told Laila. “It really would be something if this whole matchmaking thing turns out to work.”
Laila grinned, clearly relieved to have Jess’s blessing, lukewarm though it might have been. “Fingers crossed. I’ll call later and let you know how it went.”
The minute she’d gone, Jess grabbed her keys and headed for Sally’s. She knew she’d find Jake and Mack there. Maybe they could fill her in on whether Will was behind Lunch by the Bay. If he was, once she got over the shock, she was never going to let him hear the end of it.
Will stood on the sidewalk in front of Panini Bistro waiting for Laila Riley. He’d felt a little odd matching himself up with someone he’d known for most of his life, but they’d exchanged a few emails since his phone call the day before and discovered several additional things they had in common, aside from all the people they both knew and the interests they’d both mentioned on their applications. At least they’d be able to spend the next hour catching up, with no real pressure on either of them. It made her the ideal Lunch by the Bay first date.
He saw her exit her car just up the road, then walk purposefully toward him with a stride that could easily keep up with his. She smiled when she saw him, started to hold out a hand, then shrugged and hugged him.
“This is weird, huh?” she said.
“I was just thinking how easy it should be,” he countered. “It’s not as if we haven’t known each other forever.”
“But not like this,” she said. “Not as a potential spouse.”
Will gave her a startled look that made her laugh.
“Sorry,” she said at once.
“Computer compatibility notwithstanding, I’m not suggesting we call a minister quite yet. I just meant that this isn’t bumping into each other at a party or at Brady’s. It’s a real date, even if it is only lunch.”
Will grinned as the awkward moment passed. “Then I should be pulling out a chair and asking you to have a seat,” he said, doing just that before seating himself at the outside table. “Would you like a glass of wine with lunch?”
She shook her head. “One thing I’ve learned about banking is that I can’t stare at all those numbers without a clear head. You go ahead, if you want to.”
“Not me. My clients expect me to be giving them sober, thoughtful advice.”
They glanced at their menus, placed their orders, then sat back. Will couldn’t think of one single thing to say that hadn’t already been covered in their emails.
“I saw Jess before I came over here,” Laila said eventually.
To his annoyance, Will’s heart skipped a couple of beats. “Oh? How is she?”
“She seemed a little taken aback to hear that I was meeting you,” Laila told him. “I felt like I had to tell her.”
“Why?”
“You know, I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I suppose it’s because I’ve always thought the two of you had some kind of connection of your own. And, of course, she and I are friends. I warned you I was no good at keeping secrets from my friends.”
Will told himself that what she was saying about Jess’s reaction didn’t have to mean anything. It was probably no more of a shock to Jess than hearing, say, that he and Laila had crossed paths at the grocery store.
When he said nothing, Laila added, “Jess wondered if maybe this whole Lunch by the Bay thing isn’t your idea. Is it?”
Will hesitated, but saw no point in an evasive answer. “It is.” He explained his reasons for launching the company, then added, “So far, I’ve actually matched up about ten couples for first dates, though this is the first time I’ve gone out with anyone myself.”
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