A Perfect Catch

by Anna Sugden

  By dessert, Ike knew for sure that this date was a success and that he’d be seeing Becca again. She was good company and he felt comfortable with her. She more than checked all the boxes. To paraphrase the baby bear in the book he used to read to his brothers, Becca was “just right.” They agreed to go out again, there and then.

  In the car on the way home, one minor thing occurred to Ike. Despite the great evening, there hadn’t been much of a spark between him and Becca. He hadn’t expected to have the same instant, hot attraction as he’d had with Tracy—he’d never responded to any other woman that way. Anyway, he knew lust was no good without love. But he’d thought Becca might arouse something more than a warm feeling.

  Perhaps this was another example of him borrowing trouble. It was only a first date, after all. Everything else was right, so the heat was bound to come.

  Ike pushed the thought to the back of his mind and pulled out his phone to check the scores. All the Cats’ rival teams were losing. Yeah, definitely a great night.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  TWELVE O’CLOCK AND Ike still hadn’t called to update Tracy on last night’s dinner.

  He usually called first thing the following morning. It had been hell listening to him go through each date in detail: where they’d gone, what they’d done and what he’d thought of the woman. She didn’t know how she’d kept sane through those calls.

  Though privately she’d been a teensy bit pleased when none of the women had panned out, she’d calmly reassured Ike that his next date would be “the one” and objectively discussed what refinements he needed to make to the profile of his ideal woman. That part had been particularly tough. Especially when the profile that evolved had made it clear that Tracy couldn’t be that woman.

  She knew Ike’s comments hadn’t been targeted at her, but they had highlighted how unsuitable she was for him. She’d hung up from each successive call feeling more and more miserable. Reminding herself that this was what she’d wanted—that her goal would finally be achieved because of their deal—hadn’t helped.

  While it had been torture having to hear about his dates, not hearing from him was far worse. Sitting in her office, staring at the silent phone, made that previous hell seem like a walk in the park.

  Was the reason he hadn’t phoned because last night’s dinner with Becca had been a success? Her heart hitched. Was he late calling because the date had taken a passionate turn—the way it had when she and Ike had gone out that first time? Were Ike and Becca having breakfast in bed together?

  She tried to clear her mind of the images that flashed up as if on one of those old film projectors. Images that were a sickening combination of memory and imagination—with Becca’s face superimposed over her own.

  Suddenly, Tracy didn’t want the phone to ring at all. She did not need a blow-by-blow account of how perfect this woman was for him.

  Focus on the upside. On that bloody prize.

  Tracy had succeeded. Despite her misgivings about Ike’s crazy proposition and her own emotional upheaval, she’d delivered as promised. She’d upheld her end of the deal.

  To be fair, so had Ike. Once he’d done the photo shoot, Tracy could produce the new materials she and Maggie had developed. But even without the glossy brochures and advertorials, Ike’s verbal endorsement was already paying dividends. Interest in Making Your Move and Helping Hands, in particular, had skyrocketed.

  Now that her job on this dating project was done, she also wouldn’t be dealing with Ike so regularly anymore. She could manage the rest of her work for him from a distance and, over time, she’d heal—as she had before.

  On the other hand, she couldn’t avoid seeing Ike at family events. Not just Ike—Becca, too. Tracy didn’t need the happy couple to remind her of what it had been like for her before she’d messed things up with her insecurities.

  Tracy sighed heavily. She’d have to minimize their interactions, which wouldn’t be easy with Christmas coming up. Not the time of year to avoid family events.

  The phone rang. Tracy’s heart leaped into her mouth.

  She was relieved when she saw Maggie’s number. Still, Tracy’s fingers weren’t quite steady as she picked up the receiver. “Hey, sis.”

  “I just wanted to check that you know what you’re making for the Badoletti-Hayden-Jelinek Christmas Day party? Obviously, we’ll roast a turkey, but with everyone having different traditions of Christmas food, we’ll have a nice variety. This is what we have so far.”

  Maggie bubbled with enthusiasm as she listed what people were bringing.

  Since the Cats had a home-stand between Christmas and New Year’s, Maggie and Jake had decided to host the celebration at their house. To ensure her sister didn’t overdo things, Tracy had offered to co-host the party with them.

  Not the best way to avoid contact with Ike. This was exactly the kind of family get-together she’d been worried about. Worse, as one of the hosts, she couldn’t duck out.

  But as much as she was now dreading the party, Tracy couldn’t rain on Maggie’s parade. “Per your instructions, I’ll be bringing enough roast potatoes to feed the five thousand and also bread sauce,” she said finally, when her sister finally wound down enough to get a word in edgeways. “Plus, just for you, a Christmas pudding.” Tracy couldn’t stand the traditional English dessert, but she always tried to get one from the UK for her sister, who loved it.

  “Have I told you recently that you’re the best?”

  “I’m not sure, but feel free to say it again.”

  “You’re the best.”

  By the time she hung up, Tracy’s head was pounding from the strain of being upbeat. She rubbed her temples, then leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

  The phone rang again, startling her. She jerked upright, her heart thumping heavily. Caller ID showed Ike’s home number.

  Tracy was tempted not to pick up.

  “Don’t be soft,” she reprimanded herself. “You’ve never been a coward.” At least, not in her professional life. No matter how bad the business situation had been, she’d always faced her problems head-on and confidently, even if that confidence had only been for show. “Don’t start now. You can do this.”

  Willing her voice to be cool and steady, she answered. “Making Your Move, Tracy Hayden speaking.”

  “It’s Ike. How’s it going?” His cheerful tone set her teeth on edge.

  “Oh, hello.” She feigned surprise, as if he’d broken her concentration. “Goodness, where has the time gone this morning? The last thing I remember I was sitting at my desk with my morning tea and it’s now... What time is it?”

  “Twelve-fifteen. Are you too busy to talk?”

  She wished desperately she could use the out he’d given her, but it would only be delaying the inevitable. “Just give me a second to get your file.” As if it weren’t already sitting open on her desk.

  She shuffled some papers to sound busy. “Now, let me see...” She hummed and flicked the page a couple of times, as if reading through her notes. “That’s right. You were seeing Becca last night. How did it go?” Her deliberately perky tone made her cringe. Next she’d be putting her hair in a high ponytail and popping her gum.

  “We had a really good time. Everything went well. I liked her a lot.”

  Great. Super. “That’s nice.” Tracy hoped he couldn’t hear the brittle edge that underlined her words. “Success at last.”

  “Yeah. I have to admit, I was skeptical going in, but you were right. It was only a matter of time before the perfect woman showed up.”

  Thank God she was on the phone and didn’t have to do more than murmur the occasional platitude as Ike raved about how wonderful Becca was, how wonderful the evening had been and how wonderfully she met all his requirements.

  Wonderful.

  “So, how
would you like to proceed?” she asked brightly, as if this were the best news ever. “Would you still like to meet the final candidate?”

  “No. I’d like to give this a chance and see where it’ll lead. I’ve already arranged to see Becca again.”

  “Oh.” She tried to mask her surprise. “You don’t want to hold the last introduction in reserve, just in case?”

  “Nope. If this doesn’t work out, I’ll give up on the dating thing for a while.”

  Clearly the evening with Becca really had been wonderful. For the first time, instead of being happy about meeting a client’s requirements, Tracy cursed her success.

  “I should get that in writing, Ike, so I can close off the file and Carla can send out the final invoice. I’m sure Layla will be delighted to chalk up another win.”

  “Thank her for me. Clearly that crazy questionnaire works.”

  More’s the pity. “Of course it does. Layla wouldn’t be as successful as she is without a proven process.”

  “I guess.” Ike sounded confused by her snippy reply. “So, it’s all good then?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Great. For a moment there you sounded...off.”

  “Nope. I’m fine. Pleased to have another satisfied customer.” Mentally she groaned. She didn’t need to think about Ike’s satisfaction.

  “Then we should discuss your part of the deal. I’m all yours, now that the dating thing seems settled. What else do you need me to do on the endorsement front?”

  His cheerful tone made Tracy want to toss her mug of cold tea all over him. “I think we have everything we need for the time being. The pieces you wrote were great and we plan to use them all. You hit the right tone and maintained a good balance between constructive information and superlative-laced praise. Potential clients will definitely be impressed. Thank you.”

  “My pleasure. Oh, and just so you know, poor Lois is really struggling to keep up with her new job. From what I’ve heard, there hasn’t been a single project that hasn’t had unresolved issues or problems that needed extra work.”

  Finally, something to make Tracy smile. Karma was doing her thing. “That’s a shame.”

  “Isn’t it?” His deep chuckle sent a tingle through Tracy’s body.

  An unwanted, totally inappropriate tingle.

  She bit her lip, hoping the pain would distract her. “Jake mentioned a room mix-up in Pittsburgh on that road trip over Thanksgiving.”

  “Some guys were assigned rooms with only a king bed and the hotel was full because of a major convention in town. There’s getting on with your roommate, and being a little too close, you know?”

  Tracy covered her mouth, trying not to laugh out loud. She could imagine how pissed off the affected Cats would’ve been. “Callum Hardshaw can’t have been happy.”

  “Coach Macarty wasn’t, for sure. It won’t take too many more mistakes like that for the players to revolt. I’m making sure they voice their complaints loudly.”

  “I can’t deny that it would give me a certain satisfaction to have your GM have to come crawling back to me. Thank you.”

  “Looks like this deal worked out well all around. We both got what we wanted.”

  “Yes, we did.” Wonderful.

  There wasn’t much else to say. After their goodbyes, Tracy hung up, then sat swiveling slowly in her chair. She should update Ike’s client file, call Layla or send an email to Carla about the invoice. All of that could wait. For the moment, she didn’t have the energy. Or the will.

  She should be celebrating. This was a major achievement for her personally and for her company. As impossible as Ike’s request had seemed, Tracy had provided exactly what he’d asked for. Of course, she couldn’t spell out the details of what she’d done, but there were ways to blur the specifics in marketing copy, while ensuring the key message was clear. Potential clients would understand that no matter what their requirements, her company could deliver. Ike’s whole-hearted endorsement would ensure that new business flooded in.

  With the top spot so close, she’d proved, for once and for all, that she could succeed without a man directing her on what to do. She’d have made her mark and no one could take that away from her. Her future would be secure and she would never again need to be dependent on anyone else. Success would prove that she wasn’t weak like her mother. That she was strong enough to stand on her own.

  So why did her success seem hollow? Empty.

  Because Tracy had also just proved the truth in that old adage her mother loved to quote—be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. Doris Hayden always had seen the glass as half-full, with the glass being cracked and the liquid being poison. But in this case, her pessimism was justified. Now that Tracy pretty much had what she thought she wanted, she knew she’d been wishing for the wrong thing.

  She should have wished for a way to have it all—both business success and a relationship with Ike. Now that he was finally out of her reach, she realized she’d been hoping that this stupid dating project would fail, so she could have one more chance to try to make things work with him.

  Ironically, the stupid dating process had helped her see that there were ways to compromise without giving up what she wanted. Especially as Ike wasn’t as inflexible as she’d thought. Few things seemed to be so firmly set in stone anymore, for either of them.

  Maybe they had both changed a little, after all.

  Unfortunately, none of that mattered. It was too late. She’d let that last chance slip away and Ike had found his perfect woman.

  * * *

  USUALLY IKE CONSIDERED it a good thing when a woman sighed as he was kissing her. Unfortunately, this wasn’t that kind of sigh.

  He lifted his head. “This isn’t working, is it?”

  “I’m sorry.” Becca smiled sadly and shook her head. “I wanted it to. I really did.”

  “Yeah. Me, too.” Relief filled Ike. It wasn’t just him.

  They were cuddling on the sofa at her house, having been out to a movie and dinner. Though they’d been on a few dates in the past couple of weeks, this was the first time she’d invited him in after an evening out. Come to that, it was the first time he’d suggested being invited in. It was definitely the first time they’d really kissed. Previously, he’d given her a peck on the cheek or a buss of the lips before saying goodnight, but nothing more.

  That should have told him something. It had told him something, but he hadn’t been listening. Or maybe he hadn’t wanted to hear.

  “I kept thinking the passion...the heat...something would come with time. Everything else is so perfect,” Becca said earnestly. “But there’s nothing there. No fireworks. At least not for me. And I don’t think it’s there for you, either.”

  “Nope.” This time, Ike was the one who sighed. He dropped his arms and she moved back out of his embrace. “It was nice, but nothing more. No offence, but it actually felt kind of weird kissing you.”

  “I felt that way, too.” He could see his relief mirrored in her blue eyes. “Like I was kissing a brother or a friend. But not a boyfriend.”

  “Right. Though for the record, I would never kiss any of my brothers like that.”

  “Good to know.” Becca’s grin eased some of the tension in him. “The thing is I settled for nice with my late husband and I promised myself I wouldn’t settle again. Next time, I want skyrockets, weak knees and the whole shebang.”

  Like he’d had with Tracy. No matter how hard Ike tried to avoid thinking about her, it always came back to Tracy. Damn it. She’d ruined him for anyone else. No other woman could ever match up. “You’re right. We shouldn’t settle for anything less.”

  “Hopefully, there’s someone out there for both of us.”

  There is, but... He didn’t want to go there. Not in his head or with Becca. “Yo
u’ll find someone perfect. Hey, maybe there’s someone on the Avs I can set you up with. Tru’s taken, but there are some good guys in Colorado. They can’t play as well as me, obviously, but they might manage skyrockets.”

  “I’ll keep my fingers crossed.” Becca laughed. “I really like you, Ike. You’re a special man and I hope we can be friends.”

  “For sure.” He tried to keep the disappointment from his voice. Much as he liked Becca—and he did—he hadn’t been looking for another friend. What was wrong with him that the mere thought of getting serious with him sent women running the other way?

  There was no point prolonging the discussion. There was nothing else to say. He pushed to his feet. “Will you be okay?”

  “I’ll be fine. I’m glad we were honest about this before we went any further.” She gave him a penetrating look. “How about you?”

  “I’m good.” He grabbed his jacket from the back of the armchair. “The offer to get you and Jade tickets to see the Cats play the Avs still stands. But tell your daughter the only Jelinek jersey she’s allowed to wear is mine.”

  “We’d both like that, even with the totally unfair restriction.”

  “I’ll arrange it and be in touch.” He leaned over and brushed a brief kiss on her cheek. “I’ll see myself out.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to call you a cab? You sent your driver away.”

  “Frankie won’t be too far.” Thankfully, Ike hadn’t dismissed him for the night. Maybe he’d known subconsciously things wouldn’t work out.

  “Take care, Ike.”

  “You, too.”

  Frankie didn’t take long to arrive once Ike phoned him.

  Ike sank into the plush leather seat and stared out of the window. The scenery did little to improve his mood. It looked like everyone had gone mad with the Christmas lights and decorations—every house seemed to be covered in flashing and sparkling crap. And nothing quite captured the festive spirit like an inflatable Santa playing poker with his reindeer. Ho-freaking-ho.