Searching for Perfect

by Jennifer Probst

  Kate clucked her tongue. "Nate, that was the easiest one on the planet. Just say no. No, you don't look fat. No, your makeup's perfect. No, those shoes look great. No, it's my fault, not yours. Get it?"

  He finished choking, wiped his mouth, and dragged in a breath. Kennedy almost felt sorry for him, but it was necessary in order to get him to the next level. Her finger stroked the button hidden in her tote. "Ready?"

  "Yeah. I got this."

  Kennedy threw out the questions in rapid succession. "Do I look fat in these pants?"

  "No."

  "Do you want me to pick up the tab this time?"

  "No."

  "Are you gay?"

  "No."

  "Are you just looking for a one-night stand?"

  "No."

  "Do you have any issues I need to be concerned about?"

  "No."

  "Do you find me attractive?"

  "Yes."

  She grinned and gave him a thumbs-up signal. He let out the breath he'd been holding, took another sip, and relaxed his shoulders. "Nice warm-up. Now let's beef it up. Kate, go ahead."

  "I'm your hot waitress. I just came up to the table and took your order. Give me your best line."

  "Make sure you come check on me often. I haven't seen such a beautiful face in a long time. You inspire me to be a better man."

  Kennedy barely managed not to gag on that line.

  So she pressed the button.

  Nate jerked and shot off the bar stool. The electrical buzz hit his skin, and she imagined little tingles of energy rippling down his body, causing enough pain to force him to focus. His fingers drifted up to his neck, and he whipped around. His gaze narrowed.

  "What was that?" he hissed. "That hurt!"

  "Honestly, Nate, that was one of the worst lines I've ever heard."

  "Quite cheesy," Kate agreed.

  "You electrocuted me." He stated the words with sheer amazement.

  She waved a hand in the air. "It's just a little behavior correction technique. A slight tingle to remind you when you go off track."

  "You're all crazy. What type of agency is this?"

  Arilyn clucked softly. "We're so sorry, Nate, but this really is for the best. Now, why don't we try again?"

  He stared at each of them, trying to comprehend how three deadly females had just given him the equivalent of an electric shock, yet somehow managed to look completely innocent. "You don't want to give up when it's just gotten interesting, do you?" Kennedy asked.

  He touched the collar and narrowed his gaze. "My brother just used that line last night and the woman loved it. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

  Kate gave an irritated sigh. "She's the exception. Women hate that stuff. Is your brother Brad Pitt? Or maybe she knows him casually and it was a joke?"

  Nate rubbed his head. "Not Pitt. He got her to laugh."

  "Forget what Connor does and says. You need a different approach or you'll get slaughtered."

  "Fine. Let's do this again."

  They shared a glance. Kennedy nodded. Kate picked the reins back up.

  "Picture your first date. She leans in after the meal and asks what's next on the menu. What do you say back?"

  He blinked. "Dessert."

  She hit the button.

  He twitched and cursed viciously under his breath. "What?"

  "That sounded like you wanted to take her to bed. Not cool."

  "I meant just dessert, for God's sake, not sex."

  "Sounded a bit creepy to me. Your response should have been, whatever you like. She was really asking about the next step with you, not the menu."

  "That's stupid! Why would she use a food connotation?"

  Kennedy shrugged. "Women are deep."

  Arilyn jumped in. "Clear your mind and picture an unyielding canvas of white."

  Pure male irritation radiated from him, but he sat back down and glared at Kate. "Again."

  Kate shifted on the bar stool. "Two women are talking to you together. You're attracted to one friend and not the other. What do you do?"

  "Address the woman I like and ask for her number."

  She hit the button.

  He slapped at his neck. "What the hell did I do wrong now?"

  Arilyn gave him a sad look. "Never, ever ask for a woman's number in front of her friend. It must be done privately. You set yourself up for extreme embarrassment if the one you asked out doesn't like you but the other one does, and then the one you like feels bad for her friend and the other one hates you, so it's a lose-lose situation."

  "I'm going home."

  Nate began to unbuckle the collar. Kennedy dove over and grabbed his hands. "I know it's confusing, but we just wanted to give you some general scenarios. The real role-play is much more important."

  "What type of role-play?"

  "Kate will be the first one up. She'll pretend to be a stranger at the bar, and you approach her. Conversation will go from there, and we'll be able to analyze how you interact."

  He gave a disgusted sigh but stopped trying to tug off the collar. "Is she gonna judge me on my first pick-up line? I suck at that."

  "No, just say hello, she won't be hostile. This exercise is about the flow of good conversation, not approach. If there's one thing I teach as the cardinal rule for first meets, it's this. Say hello, give your name, and ask how she is. Simple. Not rocket science."

  "Ha, ha."

  "Arilyn and I will watch from the end of the bar."

  "Great. I feel like I'm auditioning for America's Got Talent. But instead of the X, I get electrocuted."

  "Good luck."

  They moved a few seats down. Kennedy gave him credit. Most men couldn't handle the pressure of role-play, and though Nate's face reflected misery, he drew himself to full height and dove in.

  "Hey . . . My name's Nate, how are you?"

  Kate swiveled around on her stool and gave him a sexy smile. She'd transformed into the one-night competitor. This woman wanted hot sex, one night to forget her troubles, and had no intention of settling into a long-term relationship. Kate practically purred, her gaze caressing and analyzing his entire body from under heavy lidded eyes. She was a walking, talking cliche that most men could never resist.

  Including Nate.

  "Hey, darlin'," she drawled. "My name's Wanda. And my crappy day just got a whole lot better."

  "Mine, too." He sat next to her, his confidence shooting back up in the face of Kate's obvious flirtation. "Do you come here often?"

  Kennedy winced but let it go. Terrible line, but not Titanic bad.

  "Yes, every night. And why haven't I seen you around?" Kate tossed her hair, and reached out to trail a finger down his arm. She leaned in and Kennedy knew he got a nice shot of cleavage.

  He cleared his throat. "Just moved into town. So, Wanda, what do you do?"

  Hmm, he liked to focus on career. "I'm a waitress."

  Kennedy held her breath.

  "That's hard work. No wonder you had a bad day."

  She let out her breath. Nice recovery. No judgment or abrupt ending--she guessed Connor had never broken up with anyone in the food industry.

  "Oh, yeah. Hours on my feet with these heels." Kate flexed her leg and Nate's gaze snagged on sexy three-inch heels. "I really need to relax. Lie down. Maybe get out of here. What do you think?"

  Kate's face screamed sex. Nate widened his eyes as if he had hit the jackpot. Kennedy waited and hoped for a particular response.

  She didn't get it.

  "Well, I would say we should get to know one another a bit better. See if we're suited. But why not? Let's go. My place is close."

  Ah, yes. The little head always won out over the big one.

  Buzz.

  "Son of a bitch! She came on to me!"

  Kennedy gave him an encouraging smile. "You were doing really great until that point. You just forgot the goal. You want to meet your wife, not hook up for one night of nonsense sex."

  "There's nothing wrong with no-c
ommitment sex if both parties agree. Connor raised me on that philosophy."

  "You need to keep the main goal in sight. A short sexual affair or a one-nighter will throw your game off, and no one wants to date a male slut. You want a nice girl, right?"

  "For God's sake, I'm not a male slut. Is this your normal behavior training class? This must be illegal." He looked about ready to storm out again, but Kate touched his arm and murmured something in his ear. A few beats passed, and finally, he gave a curt nod. He shot Kennedy one last glare, sat back down, and refocused on Kate.

  "That was a close call," Arilyn whispered.

  "Yeah, but I think we got him now. He's going to look at this as a challenge and refuse to lose."

  "So, what do you say, big boy? Wanna get out of here?"

  Kennedy tried not to laugh at Kate's slutty voice, and knew her friend was enjoying the hell out of her character. She usually played the sweet girl next door.

  "Actually, you seem like a fascinating woman. I'd like to get to know you better first. Tell me about yourself."

  Kennedy grinned. Nice.

  Kate did a little pout. "I guess we can talk for a few more minutes. Well, I'm a single mom, I work at Mugs, and I'm trying to put myself through school."

  "What are you studying?"

  "Massage therapy." She batted her eyelashes. "Want to be one of my practice clients?"

  He didn't bite this time. "I just read a study quoting an increased space in the market for massage therapists. There's quite a demand lately. Experts are citing more people need careers with jobs at graduation, so that was a smart move."

  Kennedy puffed up with pride. Arilyn gave her a thumbs-up sign.

  "It's nice to have a man finally understand that. I want to be able to properly support my daughter."

  "How old is she?"

  "Twelve. Super smart and beautiful. Hope she does better than her mom."

  Kate put a bitter twist into the words to see what reaction ensued.

  Nate turned serious. "Seems to me you're teaching her to stand up, be independent, and follow your passion. I'd be proud to have a mom like you."

  Emotion clogged Kennedy's throat. Kate looked surprised, then a bit misty-eyed. She squeezed Nate's hand. "Thank you. I really like you. Let's go to my place so I can show you how much."

  "Okay."

  Kennedy closed her eyes. And pushed the button.

  "Ow! What'd I do now?"

  Kennedy shook her head in disappointment. "No sex, Nate. You spent a few minutes with her. Is that enough to tell you she's worth a long-term dating relationship? Sex is serious business and not something to be handled lightly."

  He rubbed his neck and muttered something foul under his breath. "I liked her, okay! And there's nothing wrong with wanting to have sex."

  Arilyn smiled with sympathy. "We understand. But at Kinnections, we try to guide clients to think of sex as a big turning point. We encourage steady dating and a monogamous relationship before sexual activity."

  Nate glowered at both of them. "Then you should've told me that so I know the damn rules." He drained the rest of his drink. "Come on. Let's do this."

  "Umm, I'm done with my part," Kate said. "Arilyn, you're next."

  Nate stared her down as she stepped up to the bar stool like he was a pitcher ready to strike out Babe Ruth. Kennedy wondered if this was a bad idea. He liked competition and enjoyed the win. He now viewed the buzzer as something to beat or die, and Arilyn was standing right in his way. Kate took Arilyn's place next to Kennedy and shot her a worried look.

  Arilyn turned her back and waited. She was about to introduce her client to the next female prototype: eager to commit, fall in love tonight, and live happily ever after. Nate leaned in.

  "Hey. My name's Nate. How are you?"

  Arilyn shifted and gave him a huge smile. "Hi, Nate. I'm Wanda. It's nice to meet you. What brings you out on a weeknight? Hard day at work? Do you live in the area? What do you do?"

  She threw the questions out with deft ease, meant to keep a man's mind in a tailspin. Nate fielded the questions and took his time answering. "I felt like unwinding with a drink tonight. I'm an aerospace engineer, and I just moved to Verily."

  Arilyn pumped up her usual calm aura to supersize. "Wow, that's pretty awesome. I own a bakery in town, and work all the time, and said to myself tonight, 'Self, you need to get out more and have some fun.' So I took myself down to Purple Haze, and now here you are! Kismet, right? Do you know what kismet is?"

  He never faltered, his entire attention focused on not failing this task. "Yes, kismet is a wonderful thing. I agree about the work issue. I'm currently doing a lot of research for a firm looking to put the private sector into space, and it's hard to remind myself to get out and relax."

  Kate looked impressed, but Arilyn wasn't done with him.

  "Are you married? Have kids? I'm really looking to settle down and have kids, and I'm so impressed with your career! I mean, so many men nowadays just want to find themselves and make no money and be drains on society. Look, I usually don't dive right in, but I like you. Want to have dinner with me? I want to meet a serious partner who's done partying and wants to get married quickly. I just sense you feel the same way, Nate. Kismet, right? So, what do you think?"

  Sweat beaded his forehead. Kennedy leaned forward. This was the man's wet dream come true--a woman to get serious and be ready to talk marriage right from the gate. She'd coached Arilyn to offer him his dream woman and see how he liked it. His brow crunched as he seemed to try desperately to figure out the correct approach not to get zapped. Her hand paused on the button.

  "I'd love to have dinner." His voice came out strained. "And yes, I'm looking for a serious relationship."

  She dropped the controller on her lap.

  "Wonderful! This is such a relief. I sensed an immediate connection between us and just feel that you, as a businessman, will completely understand me."

  "Why do you feel better understood by businessmen?" he asked.

  "Well, when we have the babies, I intend on going straight back to work and hiring a nanny. My bakery chain is everything, and I don't feel I need to give up anything. I intend to have it all, Nate, and hopefully with you." Arilyn chirped out the last of her words with a confident smile and waited for complete agreement.

  The words spewed out of him. "I don't believe a woman should rush right back to work after giving birth, and I don't believe in nannies. You'll have to give up your job and stay home with them, of course. That's the only proper way to raise children."

  Kate gasped. Arilyn stared.

  And Kennedy pressed the button.

  "Son of a bitch!" He jumped and slapped at his nape. He curled his hands into tight fists and gritted his teeth. "What'd I say now? I nailed that scenario!"

  Kennedy sighed. "Why on earth would you believe women have to give up their jobs to become mothers? Haven't you heard of balance?"

  "Connor explained that if women keep themselves in the work force, they end up having affairs and breaking up the family. The children are the ones to suffer. I sure as hell am not going to have that type of life for my kids. Not after seeing what my own mother pulled."

  Sadness leaked into her heart. Her friends were quiet as they pondered his words. Arilyn was the one to speak finally in a quiet, supportive voice. "I completely understand why you would think that. But not all women have affairs or run off. This is the point of the search. You want to find women who have similar ideals, but if you close yourself down to possibilities, you may miss out on the right one. Love can change people, make them compromise."

  He vibrated with unspoken tension. "Why would I want to waste my time chasing the wrong woman?"

  "Because the wrong one can end up being your true love," Kate answered. "It happened with me. When I met my fiance, Slade, I categorized him as the completely wrong type for me. We were opposites and held different core philosophies. But we fell in love. Changed. Grew. And if I had stuck with the ideal man I had
in my head, I would've missed out on the greatest thing in my life."

  Raw yearning reared up and swallowed Kennedy whole. She breathed through the sudden emotion and need to experience what Kate had: true love. Real love. Full of mess and hard work and worth every moment. She averted her gaze and concentrated on the buzzer, trying to pull herself back together. What was wrong with her? She'd never experienced such a primitive longing to throw herself into a relationship no matter the odds. The long line of men behind her were like ghosts, haunting her future and reminding her over and over she'd never be fulfilled.

  "I understand."

  Arilyn slid off the stool and gave him a hug. "That was a big moment, Nate. Thank you for sharing with us."

  She imagined that a slight red tinged his cheeks. "Sure. Are we done?"

  "No," Kate said. "Kennedy goes next."

  She lifted her head.

  His gaze locked on hers. Those green eyes burned with a banked fire that promised everything . . . if she was brave enough to take it. The odd thought skittered through her mind, but it was too bizarre to analyze, so she walked slowly over and took her place on the stool.

  "Dare I ask who has the buzzer?"

  "Kate. She's fair."

  "And what should I expect from you?"

  A smile touched her lips. He'd ditched the awful cologne. His natural scent swarmed over her and wrapped her in spice, soap, and lemon. "Everything you hate."

  He smiled back. Dropped his voice. "Bring it."

  Goose bumps broke out on her flesh. She squeezed her thighs against the sudden wet ache throbbing in her core, as excitement and challenge woke up her nerve endings. Her body hummed and prepped for the mental battle about to begin, responding as if he had just ripped off her clothes, spread her on the bar, and pleasured her mercilessly with his tongue and hands and teeth.

  "Keep looking at me like that and you'll get more than you bargained for."

  She shivered at his words. "Bring it."

  He growled something under his breath.

  "Okay, guys, you can begin."

  Kate's voice drifted in and broke up the bubble. Kennedy turned her back on him and waited till she heard his voice.

  "Hey. My name's Nate. How are you?"

  "Hi, Nate. My name's Wanda. What's up?"

  He slouched comfortably against the bar. "Just relaxing after a hard day's work. How about you?"

  "Same."

  "What do you do?"

  "I'm a makeover consultant for a matchmaking agency."