Page 3 of The Match Faker

When I got to the toilets, an elderly woman I didn’t recognise was struggling to open the door and hold on to her walking stick.

‘Let me get that.’ I held it open so she could walk through.

As tempting as it was to hide in the cubicle, there was only one free and I wasn’t going to jump in front of an old lady. She reminded me of my grandma. God, I missed her so much.

My eyes started watering.

Come on, Mia. Woman up.

I didn’t know why I was so upset. Mum and Aunty Doreen weren’t the first to question why I was single and they wouldn’t be the last.

I should be used to their comments by now, but it still hurt.

Some people, like my best friend, Trudy, were happy to be single, but I believed in love. How could I not? As my aunt reminded me, it was my job.

In a few months my parents would be celebrating forty years of being happily married. My maternal grandparents had been married for sixty-two years and it would’ve been longer if they were still alive.

And all of my friends were loved up. I’d made sure of it.

I’d literally found the perfect match for everyone I knew.

So why was I having such a hard time finding my own Mr Right?

2

Liam

‘Let’s get out of here.’ The tall blonde with the pink minidress grabbed my hand and led me out the door.

We were leaving a private party at one of LA’s most exclusive venues. We’d only been speaking for half an hour, but from the way she’d kept stroking my biceps, I wasn’t surprised she’d invited me back to her place.

She opened the limo door, slid onto the back seat, then pulled me inside.

I wasn’t really in the mood for sex, but I hated these industry parties, so this was a good excuse to escape. I’d done enough schmoozing for one night.

The only reason I’d come was because Geena, my agent, had told me Henry Kane would be here. She said it’d be good to butter him up some more before we signed the contract and I was officially announced as the lead in a brand-new action franchise.

My chest tightened.

This deal meant I’d be committed to three movies and tied to the studio for years. But like Geena reminded me, I was lucky. Loads of actors would kill for a role like this, so I was grateful. It’d be good for me.

Anyway, Henry hadn’t turned up, so tonight was a waste of time. I was on my way to the bathroom when this woman, whose name I couldn’t remember, approached me. We got talking and now here I was, on my way to her place to bang.

From the corner of my eye I saw her staring. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Sometimes I seriously questioned how I got myself into these situations.

‘Sally,’ I said, relieved that I’d remembered her name, ‘maybe this isn’t a good idea…’

‘It’s Sunrise.’

Of course it was. This was Hollywood, where the more unique the name, the better.

‘Sunrise, I…’

‘Shhh!’ She pressed her manicured finger on my lips. It tasted weird. Like rotting fish. Whatever it was, I didn’t like it. I gently moved her hand away. ‘You’re wrong. This is awesome!’

Before I had a chance to argue, she planted her inflated lips on mine.

Yep. Definitely a bad idea. A slobbering bloodhound produced less saliva.

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