Page 14 of Miss Matched

Kennedy

Temporarilyswearingoffmen hasn’t made my life any less complicated. Because even though I’m dodging relationships personally, I’m knee-deep in messes my clients have made. And it’s giving me a headache.

Thankfully, tonight is girls night with Monica and Luce.

We’ve been friends since college, when we met junior year in a behavioral psychology class. I was paired with Monica for a paper, and Luce volunteered to help us on a project that examined the relationship between parental affection and long-term commitments.

Luce comes from a strong family and a loving home, but her mother’s death at a young age left her with a pile of unresolved commitment issues. She’s a lot like me in that she isn’t optimistic when it comes to dating. And even though she does a lot of it, she doesn’t do relationships. As one of Seattle’s top divorce attorneys, she’s handled some of the nastiest, most public divorces in the city. Add that to her already skeptical view on long-term romance, and she’s happily single.

Monica, on the other hand, is the romantic of the three of us. So much so that sometimes I worry no man will live up to the expectations of the swoon-worthy heroes she writes into her romance novels. She’s a serial monogamist, a heart-on-her-sleeve optimist. Filled with hope and always getting her heart broken because of it.

I make my way inside the bar and spot Monica and Luce already at a table, a drink waiting for me in my spot. Monica is too busy telling a story to notice that Luce has stopped listening in favor of shooting sexy glances at the hot bartender, which makes me laugh.

“Cheers,” I say as I approach.

I clink my glass against theirs before taking a seat and swallowing a long drink of what tastes like a blueberry lemon drop. Monica and Luce shoot each other sideways glances over the rims of their drinks.

“Long day?” Luce guesses.

She sets her drink down and taps her blood-red nails on the stem. As usual, Luce is dressed to perfection, not one strand of white-blonde hair out of place. Her waves cascade over one shoulder like a 1950s starlet. She looks every bit the sexy powerhouse attorney she is with a suit jacket that pins at her waist and a pencil skirt that reveals just enough leg to distract the table of men nearby.

“Long day. Long week. Long month.” I sigh. “Legally, what are the implications of shackling a client in a basement so he keeps his dick out of everything that walks? Asking for a friend.”

Luce smirks, and it draws out the brightness of her hazel eyes. “Considering your clients, they’re probably into that sort of thing. So I doubt you’d get much pushback.”

Monica laughs as she pulls her tight curls off her face. She is a vision in a floor-length floral dress that barely clings to her shoulders by two very tiny spaghetti straps.

“Chad again, or Martin this time?” Monica asks.

“Chad banged one of the girls at the meet and greet,” I say. “In the bathroom. On a sink. Didn’t even bother with a stall.”

“Kinky.” Luce grins.

I shake my head at her. “Don’t get any ideas.”

“No, thank you.” She sips her drink. “Your clients want wives. Why would I limit myself to just one dick when there are so many options out there?”

Monica sighs.

Every time Luce opens her mouth, I get the impression the romantic in Monica’s heart cries a little.

“I do have some interesting news,” I say, trying to veer the conversation away from random dicks until I get a little more alcohol in me.

I wasn’t sure when I walked in if I was going to tell them about meeting Zac. After all, I was tight-lipped when I made my way back to Sam and Racine Friday night. But that man and his wicked green eyes have been on my mind all weekend, so maybe a little purge is what I need to get the vision of him out of my system.

“I ran into someone at the bar outside the mixer.” I pause to take a sip.

Monica looks like she’s going to fall off her chair with excitement, while Luce just narrows her eyes at me.

“Zac Vincent,” I say nonchalantly to gauge their reaction.

“The Zac Vincent?” Monica’s eyes widen, and Luce straightens up in her seat.

“Billionaire Zac Vincent?” Luce asks.

“Seattle’s hottest bachelor, Zac Vincent?”

“BDE Zac Vincent?”

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