[Dating by Design 02.0] Statistically Improbable

by Jennifer Peel

  He walked right in and sat on my desk. “As a matter of fact, you can.”

  “Yes?” I continued to type.

  “Are you still upset that I didn’t kiss you last night?”

  “Relieved is more like it.”

  He laughed and grabbed a muffin out of the basket sitting on my desk.

  “Well, help yourself.”

  “I always do.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “You’re good at that.”

  I looked up and met his eyes. “Is there some reason for your visit other than to annoy me?”

  “I mainly came for that.”

  My mouth twitched, which only made him grin wider. “Mission accomplished.” I clicked the send button on the email I had been composing.

  “Not so fast. I wanted to see what your plans for All Hallows’ Eve are.”

  “Probably homework and Netflix.”

  “Are you sure you aren’t related to Kenz?”

  “Why do you keep asking me that?”

  “That’s what she would have said before Jason entered the picture.”

  I stood up. “We better head to the scheduling meeting.” I grabbed my basket of muffins.

  “All in good time. First, you need to agree to your new and improved plans.”

  “And what are those?”

  “There’s a costume party in my building and I need a beautiful woman on my arm.”

  “Why?”

  “Isn’t that obvious?”

  “Why don’t you go by yourself and meet someone there?”

  “As much as I love women to clamor over me, I have a bit of a situation.”

  I set the basket down and gave him my full attention.

  He in turn gave me a piercing gaze.

  I shook off the little thrill that gave me.

  “You see, there’s a woman who I’ve politely declined on several occasions.”

  “I thought you liked to be pursued.”

  “There’s a difference between being pursued and stalked.”

  “She’s a stalker?”

  “She needs a healthy dose of reality. That’s where you come in.”

  “How is me pretending to be your girlfriend anywhere close to real?”

  “I know you have it in you to be convincing.”

  “I’m not kissing you.”

  He jumped off my desk. “Darlin’, keep those lips primed. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  A wicked thought entered my mind. “You said this was a costume party?”

  “Yes ma’am. I prefer a nurse or French maid costume.”

  “Don’t you worry. You won’t be disappointed.” I walked away with my basket, leaving him stunned. That’s right. Two could play his game, and this cowgirl had a few tricks up her sleeve.

  Zander sat across from me in the meeting and I could see in his mind he was picturing me as a nurse ready to give him some TLC, or a French maid ready to do his bidding. He would be getting neither. I did my best to ignore him, but I felt the heat of his stare. He was the first man ever to make me feel his eyes on me. It was unnerving in a sensual kind of way. My insides were melting. It was all the more reason to not pay attention to him. I didn’t want him to know he had that effect on me.

  Kenadie started the meeting off by greeting everyone, but I noticed she was rubbing her neck and turning a shade of red. She blew out this large breath. “Okay, I’m just going to throw this out there. My momma has it in her head that I need more bridesmaids, and I’m sure this doesn’t surprise you, but my pool of girlfriends is limited. With that being said, feel free to say no, but Cara, Eva, Kate, I would appreciate it if you would appease my momma and join my niece and Meg as my bridesmaids.”

  Cara and Eva gave me strange looks, maybe envious. It felt uncomfortable.

  “Meg was already asked because she ran into Kenz’s mom over the weekend.” Zander smoothed over any awkwardness. Kenadie wasn’t the best people person, so she probably didn’t even stop to think that what she said might cause any issues.

  The women all nodded like that made sense and their scowls turned to smiles. I smiled back before catching Zander’s eye. He was still staring at me. “Thank you,” I mouthed. “You’re welcome,” he mouthed right back. He did it in this seductive way that had me wanting to crawl over the table and give in to him. But I took a breath and let reason take over. I reminded myself that he was a player and I was going to take him down a notch.

  Eva and Cara agreed right away, but Kate said she would have to check her schedule. I liked Kate. She was reserved, but smart and insightful. And a knockout. Like, model beautiful. She had caramel brown hair with the perfect amount of wave in it, and piercing blue eyes. Kenadie had been having her come to our weekly scheduling meetings for the past couple of months so she could give us her thoughts about how each client evaluation went. She noted things to look for on our dates. She had also given me some personalized training that I really appreciated. We had gone out once for lunch, but she was guarded about her personal life. The one thing I caught on to was that she liked Kenadie’s approach to relationships, and she said she wished she had a service like this ten years ago. I got the feeling she’d had a relationship go bad.

  Kenadie looked relieved. “The dresses and any accessories are paid for and the seamstress will be in tomorrow morning to take your measurements. There’s a rehearsal dinner on December 30th at the Rock Creek Country Club, and that’s where the ceremony and reception will take place the evening of the 31st. Which can’t get here soon enough.” She didn’t sound like the typical bride. She was matter of fact, but I knew how much she loved Jason. It had been more apparent to me as I spent some time with them over the weekend.

  I wondered, when it got down to it, if the ceremony and all the frill wouldn’t matter to me when I finally met the man I was going to marry. That maybe, like Kenadie, I would only care that it meant I was married. I didn’t have a mom around to fuss about wedding details. I wondered how my dad would feel about it. Maybe he would appreciate an elopement. But I always pictured my dad walking me down the aisle and my brothers doing something to embarrass me, like objecting.

  “Now that we’ve settled that, let’s get down to business.” Kenadie relaxed in her seat. “We have thirty-seven dates to schedule this week. As we near the holidays, we will only get busier as people are hoping to find someone special to spend the season with, or maybe just to have someone decent to attend holiday parties and gatherings with.”

  Zander looked my way and gave me a covert wink.

  I texted him under the table, something I had never done in a meeting, but the smirk on his face was too much.

  I’m more than decent.

  I saw him grin when he looked down at his phone that lay on the table, thankfully on silent. Zander laughed when he read the text.

  “Did I say something funny?” Kenadie glared at Zander.

  “Kenz, how many times do I have to tell you that you are the least humorous person I know?”

  We all tried to stifle our laughs. Those two frequently went at it in our meetings, or I should say, Zander did his best to get to her whenever he could. She typically ignored him, but not before giving him some sort of withering stare. She was masterful at it. I remember those same looks from my mom. But they didn’t faze Zander other than to make him smirk at her. And that’s what happened in this situation except . . .

  Zander looked squarely at me. “I wouldn’t settle for anything less than the best on my arm when attending parties.”

  Did I mention before how I could feel his eyes on me? I did my best not to squirm in my seat or give any reaction. I didn’t want my coworkers to know I was, let’s say, pretending to see Zander outside the office.

  I was thankful for Kenadie finally catching a social cue and her snappy comeback. She looked between him and me. “The question is, can you hold on to the best?”

  It was the first time I had ever seen Zander unprepared with a comeback.

  Chapter S
even

  I didn’t see Zander in the office the rest of the day. I was busy gathering information on the six men I had client dates with. Each week I was fascinated as I delved into these men’s private lives. There were some that were like the Zanders of the world—they wanted to date as many women as they possibly could in their lifetime. But most of the men that used our services genuinely wanted a long-term, committed relationship. They were hoping we would help them cut to the chase. For many, it worked out. We didn’t always get the right match the first time, but we eventually got there.

  I had five men looking for long-term relationships and one who was what I referred to as a serial dater on my slate for the week. I studied each man, his preferences, desires, beliefs, and values. After that, I set up either a lunch or a dinner appointment with each man. That was where Kenadie and Kate would say we would have the opportunity to read between the lines of their profile. Everyone always looked good on paper, but social settings were sometimes very different. Like a few weeks ago, I met with a man who could barely string two words together. It was the most awkward meeting. Nice as could be, but not a conversationalist. We paired him with a woman who didn’t take a breath between words. So far, so good for the two.

  I left mid-afternoon. Our hours were flexible owing to the fact that a few nights a week I was out with clients. I worked on my paper some more while entertaining Jasper with a ball on a string. Then it dawned on me that I should just meet Zander at his place. There was no sense in him picking me up to take me back to his place. I texted him my thoughts.

  Within a minute, I received his response. My mother did teach me some manners. I’ll pick you up at seven.

  I didn’t think it was a matter of manners, but I liked that he thought so. Is there food at this thing?

  Appetizers and drinks.

  See you soon.

  I look forward to it.

  I did too, which worried me. I reminded myself that Zander pulled no punches with his intentions. He wasn’t looking for, or even interested in, a relationship. And I had a purpose in all of this. Get him to kiss me, and then I was out.

  I was on a mission tonight. I slid into the most fabulous pair of shorts I owned—they showcased my toned legs. Next was the tied up, tight plaid shirt. And no decent cowgirl would go anywhere without her hat and boots. I looked in the mirror and thought the city boy wasn’t going to know what hit him. I did prime my lips with a peach sheer gloss, but he was only getting a taste if he initiated it.

  He was on time and came to my door without me even asking him to.

  I scooted my boots over to the door and opened it, curious to see what his costume was. I did a double take, disappointed. “How come you didn’t dress up?”

  He stood there speechless, with wide eyes, looking great in what he had worn to work.

  “Zander?”

  He took his time perusing my outfit. His lips curled into a smile. “It’s not a nurse or French maid, but I suppose it will do.”

  “I’m going to change now. I’ll look ridiculous showing up like this with you dressed normally.” I turned toward my room.

  Zander grabbed my hand and pulled me back to him. “Not so fast, cowgirl.” His touch was electric.

  I found myself drawn to him and looking up into his eyes.

  His eyes drifted toward my lips. “I see you took my advice and primed your pretty lips.”

  “You never know who you might meet at these things.”

  He reeled me in a little more. “Darlin’, that hurts.”

  The closer we got, the more heated I felt. “Careful there. It’s almost as if you’re holding my hand.”

  He immediately dropped my hand.

  “Too intimate for you?”

  His gaze penetrated my eyes. “If I was really holding your hand, you would know.”

  “We won’t have to worry about that, now will we? I’m going to go change now.”

  “Your outfit will do just fine.”

  “Why didn’t you dress up?”

  “I did. I was planning on being your patient or boss.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I never said I was actually going to be a nurse or French maid. What makes you think I have costumes like that lying around?”

  He waved his hand over me. “You obviously had something on hand.”

  “These are regular clothes.”

  “Well, hell, you should dress like that more often then.”

  “I’m grabbing my bag so we can get this over with.”

  “That was a compliment.”

  “It didn’t sound like one.” I turned to get my bag.

  “Hey.” He made sure to grab my arm, not my hand. “What should I have said?”

  I turned, surprised to hear a hint of sincerity. “Most real compliments go something like, ‘you look beautiful tonight.’”

  “Can I go with hot?” He smirked.

  “It’s your show, you can go with whatever you want.” Before I turned away, I found myself caught in his thoughtful gaze.

  “You look amazing.” He said it almost as a whisper.

  I found myself staring at his mouth. I couldn’t believe anything genuine could escape those lips. His words warmed me. Made me want to lean in and taste the sweetness that had just rolled off his tongue. I had to remind myself that I wasn’t giving in to him. “Thank you.”

  He released me, at least physically. I was still feeling his words and touch as I grabbed my bag from the breakfast bar. It was unnerving. I walked back by my couch and gave Jasper a little scratch on his head before meeting Zander back at the door.

  “You ladies and your pets.”

  “We need something cute to come home to.”

  “We’re much cuter.”

  “Says you.” I walked passed him and out the door.

  He followed, laughing. “The question is, can your cat keep you warm on a cold winter’s night?”

  “That’s what flannel pajamas are for.”

  “You haven’t met the right man then.”

  “Truer words have never been spoken.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You agree with me?”

  “Isn’t it obvious I haven’t met the right man? If I had, I wouldn’t be dressed like this, pretending I was your girlfriend.” I pulled out my key and locked my deadbolt.

  “Hypothetically speaking, if you had met the right man, what would you be doing tonight?”

  We headed down the stairs toward the parking lot.

  “Well, I probably would have made his favorite dinner and he would have brought my favorite dessert. We would eat snuggled up on the couch while watching some scary movie so I could pretend to be scared and curl in closer next to him.”

  “That’s your idea of a good date?”

  “No. That’s a perfect date.”

  “That’s perfection to you?”

  “A chocolate ganache cake and the man I love all to myself? I would say so.”

  “Have you ever been in love?”

  “Not enough.”

  He arched his eyebrow. “What does that mean?”

  “I’m still single, so it’s never been enough to last.”

  Zander unlocked his car with his key fob without responding. He walked around to his side of the car, but turned suddenly back my way. “Do you want me to open your door?”

  “I got it, thanks.” I opened my door and slid in. The leather felt cool against my bare legs. I rubbed my arms. I should have brought a jacket. I forgot that even in Georgia it can get cool, sometimes downright cold.

  Zander joined me on the driver’s side. He took notice of my need for warmth and turned on my seat warmer for me.

  “Thank you.”

  “You can adjust the temperature on your side.”

  “You can be a gentleman.”

  “I would have opened your door.”

  “If I have to ask, it seems pointless.”

  “Most women don’t care.”

  “Ha! Believe me, they do. They just haven’t men
tioned it.”

  “I don’t get it. Why do women care if we open doors for them?”

  “I like to think it’s because you—well not you, but you know what I mean—want those extra few seconds to be close to me before we get in the car.”

  “Men don’t think that deeply. And I’ve gotten plenty close inside the car with many women.”

  “Ugh. You’re a pig.”

  He laughed loudly.

  “So, tell me the name of the woman I’m saving from you tonight? I mean, that I’m saving you from.” I gave him an evil grin.

  “Darlin’, women love me. Some a little too much, like Leann.”

  “You can live in your fantasy land. What does Leann look like?”

  “You’ll know her when you see her. Stay close to me.”

  “She’s not going to want to hurt me, is she?”

  “Hmm.” He thought for a moment.

  “Zander.”

  He reached over and rested his hand on my knee. The man made my skin raise. “Give me some credit, I wouldn’t put you in that position.” He squeezed my knee before placing his hand back on the steering wheel. “By the way, you have nice legs.”

  “I bet you say that to all the women.”

  “Not even close.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.

  Zander’s complex was above and beyond nicer than mine. He lived in a high-rise building with underground parking and everything, just like I’d imagined.

  “Nice,” I commented when we pulled into the parking garage filled with expensive cars like his. He really did make a lot more than me.

  He grinned, happy I was impressed. He pulled into his spot, reserved for unit 320.

  “Are you going to show me your place first?”

  “No.” He didn’t even have to think about it.

  “Okay.” I was caught off guard by the easy dismissal. I turned to get out of the car.

  “As a rule, I don’t invite women into my apartment.”

  I turned back toward him. “Never?”

  “Kenz has been over, but she’s different.”