Page 96 of Puck You Very Much

“Oh my goodness, you can hear Matt whining from ten miles away,” Maddie said, greeting them with a smile as she pulled Lucy into a tight embrace. “Congratulations on the promotion,” she announced. That was the excuse she’d used to lure Lucy and Dax here today: Lucy’s new private office and the title of senior PR consultant. “Hey, Dax, nice to finally meet you.” She let go of Lucy to turn to her newhot, hockey player boyfriend. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Dax shifted nervously from one foot to the other. “From Lucy or Matt?”

“Oh, from both!”

“Shit.”

Maddie laughed and waved her hand. “It’s not that bad. But is it true that you sprained your wrist last year when you tripped over your own doorstep? Because you were watching a bird at your window, and not because you were drunk?”

“Oh, come on, Matt! You said you wouldn’t tell anyone!”

Matt shrugged. “Nobody on theteam,” he confirmed, grinning at Maddie, ruffling her hair in greeting as he walked past her into the apartment as if it were the most natural thing in the world—as if he were here all the time. Maybe he was. Lucy wasn’t quite certain how close he and her sister were.

“Hey, Matt, how was your date yesterday?” Maddie called out after him.

“Oh, pretty cool.” Matt plopped down on the worn, blue couch in Maddie’s cramped attic space. He and Dax were both so tall they almost bumped their heads on the ceiling. “You were right. Exactly my kind of humor, but she talked about knitting too much for my taste.”

Maddie nodded slowly. “Okay, I’ll make a note. I won’t set you up with any more knitting enthusiasts.”

“Okay. Say, weren’t you going to do something about that water stain there?” He nodded toward a yellow stain on the wall next to Maddie’s open kitchen.

“I am going to, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.”

Matt snorted loudly. “Your pipes are so old, Maddie, you need an inflatable boat.”

Maddie scowled at him. “My pipes are none of your business. Just because your father is a handyman doesn’t mean you know everything.”

“I didn’t know you had a water stain, Maddie,” Lucy said, confused, while Dax said simultaneously, “I didn’t know you were dating, Matt.”

“Of course not, you’ve been busy with other things lately,” Matt replied lightly and nodded at Lucy. “But that’s okay.”

“Yes, really.” Maddie smiled brightly at Lucy. “I’m truly happy for you. So, Dax, tell me, what are your inten…”

“Do you set Matt up often?” Lucy interrupted hastily. Dax would only take the question as an opportunity to use the wordearlobeincorrectly again, just to make Matt whine.

“Oh, all the time,” Maddie replied, laughing. “I send him clients who apply with me but are actually searching for something casual, something that won’t affect their everyday life too much, because that’s exactly what Matt’s looking for.”

"Wow. Seriously? You arrange casual dates for Matt?” That didn’t fit well with her sister at all. Maddie had made it her profession to make people happy for the long haul—not orgasmic in the short term.

Maddie shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m merely his wing-woman.”

“That’s very nice of you,” Dax said, impressed. “Matt wouldn’t get anywhere on his own. Not with his face.”

Matt blinked and glanced up from the couch. “What about my face?”

“Look in the mirror. It’s self-explanatory.”

Lucy skillfully ignored them. “Maddie, I thought your goal was to find soul mates, not one-night stands.”

“It is,” Maddie immediately reassured her. “Matt isn’t a client! It’s merely a small favor. I find him women who want the same thing as he does. No one gets hurt.”

Flabbergasted, Lucy opened her mouth. “That’s unfair! You never offered me that! I never wanted anything serious, either.”

Dax cleared his throat, embarrassed.

“Um, well, obviously I do now,” she replied hastily and leaned against his side. “I…” She paused, opened her mouth again…then laughed and leaned her forehead against Dax’s chest. “Oh God. Did I understate it when I said I’m not good with relationships?”

“No, not at all,” Dax answered earnestly.

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