Not Your Match

by Lindzee Armstrong

  Andi clicked on an article. It was Brooke. The article was recent, only a week old, and talked about how Brooke was matching up her best friend Luke. Brooke was engaged, just as Zoey had stated, to an Italian painter. The speculations about Broke and Luke ran rampant, ranging from the plausible to the absurd.

  Andi kept clicking through links, growing more and more intrigued. It appeared Luke had been a promising businessman until his father’s death, then sort of fallen off the deep end. The press had raked him over the coals for his recent irresponsible behavior. She felt bad for the guy. It couldn’t be easy to grieve in such a public arena.

  Whatever the articles claimed, there was one thing that didn’t lie—the look in Luke’s eyes when he gazed at Brooke. Luke always seemed to have a hand at Brooke’s waist as he guided her through a crowd, his glare clearly saying back off, she’s mine. A little possessive maybe, but in a sweet way that Brooke didn’t seem to mind. Brooke looked at Luke as though he were her entire world, her body angled toward his no matter how many people separated them in a crowd. The two definitely appeared in love, whether Brooke realized it or not. Which made Luke a safe—and perfect—boyfriend.

  A knocked echoed through the living room. Andi set her laptop aside and rose, then peered through the peep hole.

  Holy crap. What was Ben doing here?

  Stay calm. She took a deep breath. Do not pound out of control, heart. He’s just a friend. She couldn’t allow him to be more. She wouldn’t bet on another relationship, especially not one with someone still half in love with his ex. “Hey, Ben.”

  Ben grinned sheepishly. He looked absolutely adorable in jeans and a hooded jacket zipped halfway up his chest. His light brown hair was mussed, his grin crooked. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and held up a handful of Slim Jims. “Kind of lame, but I wanted to thank you for the last few days. It’s been a really hard week, and I don’t know if I would’ve gotten through it without you.”

  Andi took the Slim Jims. “My favorite. You remembered.”

  “When a girl chases you down the block for stealing her jerky, it’s hard to forget.”

  Andi laughed and opened the door wider, motioning him in. “Don’t come between a hormonal fourteen-year-old and her meat. I’ll share this time, if you ask nicely.”

  “You’re probably busy …”

  Andi fixed a stern glare on Ben. “We’re not going to do this every time we run into each other, are we? Unless you have something you need to do, come in.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Ben stuck his hands in his jean pockets and stepped inside, looking around uncertainly.

  “My condo doesn’t bite. Promise.”

  “Sorry. It’s been a weird few weeks. Guess I’m on edge.”

  “Yeah, I can imagine.” It hadn’t been a cake walk for her, either. Andi tore open one of the Slim Jims and took a bite, then handed a second one to Ben.

  He motioned to her laptop. “Are you working?”

  “In a matter of speaking.”

  Ben smirked and leaned forward, looking closer at the laptop. Andi reached out and slammed the lid shut.

  “Did you get set up with Luke Ryder?” Ben asked.

  Andi closed her eyes, then nodded. What did it matter if Ben knew? It would be all over the press soon enough. “My matchmaker, Zoey, just called to tell me we have our first date on Friday.”

  Ben leaned back against the couch, but it felt to Andi as though he wanted to put distance between them. “Wow. That’s a high-profile return to the world of dating.”

  Andi shrugged. “If he’s kind and we have a good time, then his job doesn’t matter to me.”

  “Do you always Google your dates?”

  “Of course. Don’t you?”

  “No, but I should probably start.”

  There was a bitter edge to his voice that made Andi wince. Time to change the subject. “Are you ready to start work on Monday?”

  “I think so. I spent the day at the school and ran through a few labs I want to do in the next couple of weeks to make sure everything went as planned.”

  “And did it?”

  Ben’s ears pinked. “There might have been a minor explosion. Nothing major, and it wasn’t entirely my fault. I found an expiration date on the chemical bottle that’s five years old. I probably should’ve checked that first.”

  Andi threw a decorative pillow at Ben and laughed. “Serves you right for all those kitchen science experiment explosions you made me and Rach suffer through.”

  “Hey, that happened like three times.”

  “Yeah, and I think I was hanging out with Rachel for all of them.”

  Ben chuckled, and then his face turned serious. “Don’t let Toujour be a science explosion for you, okay? Luke seems like quite the player. Be careful.”

  Andi’s stomach quivered with excitement. Ben cared who she was dating. Did that mean he cared as a friend, or did he want them to be something more?

  It doesn’t matter, Andi. You don’t want another relationship, and he’s still in love with Whitney.

  “I’m worried about you.” Ben cupped her chin in his hand and she barely avoided shivering. He squished her cheeks together and said in a high falsetto, “I’ll be careful, Ben. I promise.”

  Andi rested her hands on his and said, “I will.”

  Andi walked into the ice arena, the air at least ten degrees colder than the January breeze outside. Her heart pounded against her rib cage, and her palms were clammy with sweat despite the chill. Thank heaven for gloves. She wrapped her coat more tightly around her and adjusted her scarf. Laughter from skaters on the rink, which she could see past the front desk, echoed throughout the open room.

  Any moment now, she’d be meeting Luke Ryder. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. He’s a person, just like me, she reminded herself.

  But he wasn’t like her. Not even close. He was a billionaire, with a corporate empire that was quickly overtaking the globe.

  I’m not really dating him. There’s nothing to be nervous about.

  If only her mind could communicate that to the rest of her body.

  Andi glanced around, looking for the tall man with dark hair she’d seen in the photos online and coming up empty. She must’ve arrived first.

  She took a deep breath and mentally stepped into the lawyer persona that said I can handle anything with ease. She strode toward the ticket counter, the plastic tiles squeaking with each step. She gave the employee a brilliant smile. I can handle anything, she reminded herself. Even a rich celebrity.

  “Hi, Justin,” she said, glancing at the man’s name tag. He was roughly her age, late twenties with square glasses and a beard.

  He looked up from the computer and ran his eyes up and down her body, then slowly grinned. He slid along the counter until he was right in front of her. “Hi yourself. Just one ticket?”

  “I’m actually meeting someone.”

  “Not a date, I hope.”

  Andi gave her best win-over-the-jury smile. “You caught me. Tall, dark hair, blue eyes. Oh, and he’s famous. Luke Ryder.”

  Justin leaned forward. “So you like wealthy men, huh? I can be wealthy.” He tapped his finger on the counter. “This job here? They guarantee me twenty hours a week, and I make nearly four dollars over minimum wage.”

  A laugh burst from Andi, and she wanted to hug Justin for helping her relax. “I like you, Justin.”

  “Remember that when things don’t work out with Mr. Rich and Famous.”

  Andi felt eyes on her back, and she froze. Was it him? She slowly glanced over her shoulder. It was Luke all right. He looked just like the pictures. He was easily over six feet tall, his dark brown hair styled expertly into that messy look women adored. Andi could almost see the ladies in the room melting at the sight of him. Luke cocked his head to the side, brows furrowed in confusion. His blue eyes pierced her, even across the room.

  Suddenly, her scarf felt like it was strangling her. Why hadn’t it occurred to her before now that sh
e hadn’t been on a first date in more than seven years? And now she was on one with a celebrity.

  “Looks like my date’s here,” Andi said to Justin. Her voice sounded raspy, and she swallowed, trying to clear it.

  Luke’s shoulders were tense, and as he got closer, Andi could see the stress lines around his eyes.

  He’s as nervous as I am, she realized. Confidence surged through her. He was just a guy with a lot of money, and that wasn’t anything to be scared of.

  Andi stopped in front of Luke and stuck out her hand. “Hi, I’m Andi.”

  He took her hand uncertainly. “Luke. Shall we get our tickets and skates?”

  “Sure.” Andi fell into step beside him. All around them people talked and laughed, but Luke stayed silent. Andi shoved her hands in her pocket, the lack of conversation suffocating. She hated first dates. It was one of the reasons she’d never really thought too hard about her relationship with Mark. He was easy and comfortable, and so she’d stayed with him.

  Andi sent Luke a sideways glance. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he stared steadfastly ahead. He probably hated first dates, too. His Toujour dates had been extensively covered by the press. The one at the football game had seemed particularly disastrous. Of course, a date that ended with one or both parties doused in beer was rarely successful. He was probably exhausted from having to constantly be on for the media. If what Zoey said was true, he was also under a fair amount of stress in regards to his relationship with Brooke.

  Andi wasn’t trying to impress this guy. She didn’t want to be Mrs. Luke Ryder, and she wasn’t looking for five minutes of fame. All she wanted was to fulfill her obligation to Rachel, and maybe stuff her feelings for Ben into a box. She could be honest with Luke. She wanted to put him at ease.

  “I really hate first dates, don’t you?” Andi said.

  Luke’s eyebrow hitched and his eyes clouded, and Andi had the urge to giggle. She liked befuddling him.

  “Two tickets,” Luke said. Justin stamped their hands, and Luke motioned to the counter across the room where they could pick up their skates.

  “First dates are so awkward and uncomfortable,” Andi continued. Luke’s eyebrow rose further, and she had to stifle a giggle. “Agonizingly painful experiences, and you’ve had some real doozies lately. At least according to the press. I was thinking, let’s pretend we’re not on a date. Let’s pretend we’re friends. Sound good?”

  “Sounds great, actually,” he said. But his brow was still furrowed in concentration, as though he couldn’t figure her out.

  He probably wasn’t used to women who didn’t play games. That was okay. Andi suddenly very much wanted to erase the tension from his face.

  It would be easier to help Luke save Toujour and win over Brooke than to deal with Andi’s crush on Ben. Because if she wasn’t even attracted to Luke Ryder, her crush was a much bigger problem than she’d realize.

  Luke was attractive, yes. But she wasn’t attracted to him the way she’d expected to be. The way every other woman in America was. Ben tickled the back of her mind, tugging, probing, begging to be let in. But no. He had Whitney to deal with, and Andi didn’t want another relationship.

  She sat down on the bench next to Luke and laced up her skates.

  “So what brings you to Toujour?” Luke asked.

  “My best friend.” Andi flipped her hair over her shoulder and tightened the lace, then stood. Her knees wobbled and she held her arms out, struggling to stay upright. Luke was almost as unsteady as she was, and they slowly made their way across the floor. Andi grabbed the plexi-glass wall surrounding the rink and carefully stepped onto the ice, her skates nearly sliding out from under her.

  Seriously, who’s idea had ice skating been? She was going to tell Zoey that in the future she wanted dates a little less challenging.

  “Your best friend.” Luke’s voice sounded wary. “There’s got to be a story there.”

  Andi laughed. Nothing like your story, buddy. “Oh, there is. It’s kind of Rachel’s fault my high school sweetheart dumped me six months ago. She’s a newlywed and seems to think I will only be able to heal from the indignity of being dumped once married. Whoa.” An ice skater flew past them, and she stumbled. Her arms spiraled as she struggled to keep her feet under her. Luke stuck out an arm to catch her. Click. Andi saw a cameraman out of the corner of her eye.

  Holy crap. Why hadn’t she considered this date would show up in the papers? Of course it would. He was Luke Ryder.

  What would Ben think of their date?

  It doesn’t matter, she told herself sternly.

  She swallowed, struggling to stay unaffected. “Thanks. Anyway, Rachel can be relentless, and she prepaid for three months at Toujour and gave it to me as a Christmas present. I figured it would be easier to go along with it than to try to convince her I’m over Mark.” Andi took a deep breath and plunged. His response would tell her everything she needed to know about their relationship, or lack of one. “That’s why I was excited when Zoey told me they’d matched us up. I knew you weren’t looking for serious either.”

  Luke grabbed her hand, pulling her to a stop. He glanced around, his eyes wide with anxiety.

  Bingo. He was exactly the guy to get Rachel off her back.

  “What makes you say that?” Luke said.

  Andi rolled her eyes, pulling him forward. “Oh, c’mon. You’re totally gone on Brooke. It’s obvious even from photos. Aren’t you two best friends or something?”

  “Or something.”

  She thought of New Year’s Eve and the way her body had ignited at the slightest touch from Ben. The way she ached for him when they were apart. Or something. That was a good way to put it. “Yeah, I’m ‘or something’ too. I think I might have a crush on Rachel’s brother.” The words slipped out before Andi consciously realized what she was saying. Crap. She hadn’t meant to tell anyone about Ben, least of all a stranger. She needed to get her head on straight. She hadn’t been thinking clearly since New Year’s Eve.

  “Then why don’t you go out with him?” Luke asked.

  Andi chewed on her lip. “It’s complicated. I don’t think any of our friends or family would exactly be thrilled.” Rachel would flip out, and Andi’s parents would lecture her about how teaching wasn’t an ambitious enough career, and she needed to marry a doctor or a lawyer or a dentist. “But you … ha! My parents and Rachel will die when they see the papers tomorrow. Definitely no ‘you need to find a nice guy to date and get over Mark’ conversations this week. Take that, Rach.”

  Luke stared at her like she had two heads. “I, uh …”

  She’d said too much, and now she seemed like a crazy girl. Pull it together, Andi. She spun around, grabbing his hands and skating backward so they faced each other. “Don’t tell me Luke Ryder is without words.”

  “I don’t know what to make of you.”

  That’s because I’ve lost my mind. “There’s nothing to make of me. I’m just me. So, tell me about Brooke.”

  Luke glanced around nervously. “I’d rather not.”

  Andi looked around too, but no one was within hearing distance. “Oh, psh. No one’s listening. And if they are and somehow print our conversation, I’ll sue them for unlawful invasion of privacy.”

  Luke laughed and let her pull him forward. “Is that even a real thing?”

  “I’ll make it a real thing, then I’ll sue them. I’m very good at my job.” Andi let go of one of his hands and moved so they were skating side by side again. But she didn’t let go of his other hand. “So what’s the deal with you and Brooke?”

  A skater flew past, and Andi and Luke both wobbled on their skates. Andi laughed as they slowed to a snail’s pace, clinging on to each other.

  “I love her, but she’s getting married to someone else.” His eyes were dark and brooding, and he clenched his jaw. Every line of his body tensed in frustration.

  Andi could relate to his frustration, at least a little. Maybe she didn’t believe in love, but Luk
e obviously did. And he needed help if he was going to get the girl. Andi flexed her fingers, a new purpose filling her.

  She would help Luke get his happy ending.

  “Yeah, that sucks,” Andi said. “What are you going to do about it?”

  “I told her I loved her.”

  She had told Mark she loved him too, more times than she could count. In the end, it hadn’t mattered. Andi shook her head. “Not good enough. Women respond to actions, not words.”

  “What, like I’m supposed to overwhelm her apartment with flowers and chocolates?”

  Again, Andi shook her head. “You’re rich—buying things takes no effort or sacrifice. You have to do something to really show her you’re committed. That she means more to you than anything. You know—the big gesture.”

  “A big gesture, huh?”

  Andi nodded. Like moving from Arizona to California on New Year’s Eve. Was Whitney’s big gesture going to win Ben over in the end?

  “If I save Toujour, that’ll go a long way toward convincing her,” Luke said. “If I don’t, she’s moving to Italy.”

  “Well, that fits in with my plans perfectly then.”

  Luke chuckled. “Ah, you do have ulterior motives.”

  Yes, but Luke didn’t need to know one of them was helping him win over Brooke. “Obviously. I need Rach off my back for a few months. But my plans benefit you too. I think we can help each other. You need a fake relationship for the papers. I need a fake relationship so Rachel can stop feeling guilty.” She grinned. “Well, what do you say?”

  Luke pulled her closer, tightening his grip on her hand. “You make a persuasive argument. Deal.”

  Ben nervously knocked on Andi’s door a few minutes before five-thirty. Soon he’d be holding her in his arms as they danced together for the first time in five years. He nervously brushed invisible lint off his gym pants and adjusted the duffel bag holding his shoes and water bottle. He hoped his shoes still fit okay, and he didn’t end the night with blisters.

  The door opened and his jaw dropped. Andi wore tight leggings and a loose-fitting tee that hung off one shoulder. Her hair was piled on top of her head, and she had a bag slung over one shoulder.