Page 46 of Miss Matched

“I have my reasons,” I tell him—not that I plan on letting him in on what they are. At least not until I’ve ironed out the details. I can’t risk Samson trying to sabotage this before it begins.

“Anything else?” Samson asks with clear irritation.

I can’t remember the last time we had a conversion that didn’t end in a clash of tongues, him on one side of the wall we’ve built and me on the other. Instead of working to tear it down, we keep laying bricks.

“That will be all,” I say.

Samson shoots me a grimace as he leaves.

It’s another reminder why pursuing things with Jasmine is the right move. I’m losing footing. Sure, Samson has always had it out for me, long before I became aware of it. But now he makes no attempt to hide it. Between his backhanded comments to the board and Magnus Industries pulling their funding, I know I’m walking on thin ice.

All I have to do is stick to the plan: find a suitable wife, clean up my reputation, save my place in the company.

Nowhere in there does it say fall for my matchmaker.

I can’t remember the last time I dreaded a date, but lately, it feels like that’s all I do. Counting down appetizers, dinner, dessert, waiting for it to end. Not that I tell Jasmine that as I watch her pop another stuffed mushroom into her mouth.

Jasmine’s dark red hair is in a sleek ponytail tonight, and it shows off her pale blue eyes. Her sapphire dress hugs her curves, and it drew the attention of every man she passed as we walked in tonight. She’s beautiful, interesting, and reacts like she genuinely thinks I’m funny.

So why am I disappointed every time she lets out a laugh that’s not Kennedy’s?

“Thanks for seeing me again,” I say, sounding way too formal.

I need to relax and stop thanking my date like it’s a business meeting. Dates are fun, dates are casual. I swear I used to be good at them.

Jasmine smiles, and it draws my attention to her prominent cheekbones. Mom would love to see me with a woman like this. “Good breeding qualities,”is howshe would put it. It’s not exactly romantic, but that never mattered to my mother. Money, appearances, status—those are her calling cards.

“I was surprised to hear from the matchmaking agency, to be honest,” Jasmine says, laying her napkin in her lap. She doesn’t sound surprised or irritated, just like it’s a simple fact. Like I could have called her or not and it wouldn’t have mattered.

I shouldn’t be surprised, given I wasn’t overenthusiastic our first time out. But I need to approach this date differently, if for no other reason than to prove to Kennedy I’m in this for the right reasons. Or maybe it’s something I need to prove to myself.

It isn’t that I don’t like Jasmine. Of all the women I’ve gone out with in the last couple of weeks, she definitely sticks out as someone I could enjoy spending time with. The conversation never falls flat, and she hides a wicked smart brain behind her beauty. If I wasn’t preoccupied with a certain fiery brunette, I’d be tripping over my tongue for Jasmine in no time.

“Sorry I didn’t set something up sooner. I’ve been busy.” I really hope she can’t hear how forced this sounds in my head.

If she does, she just smiles and ignores it. “No need to apologize.”

“So what’s new?” I ask her as dinner arrives in front of us.

I think I catch a glimpse of hesitation in her eyes, but she drops her stare to her plate and starts cutting up her eggplant before I can read too much into it.

“My firm landed a contract for the Seattle Seahawks,” she says with a smile. “We’ll be working with their PR team to bring attention to their draft picks this year. It’s big for us. But it also means I’m incredibly busy.”

“That’s excellent. Congratulations.” I lift my wineglass, and she clinks it with hers. “I understand busy. People think once you get a company up and running you can just sit back and reap the benefits. It’s been a year since I’ve even taken a vacation.”

“I know the feeling.” She smiles over the rim of her glass. “Speaking of busy, I heard a rumor that you’re handling the Waterfront Project. That’s incredible. I hope I’m not overstepping the line between personal and professional by bringing that up.”

The fact that she voices that concern catches me off guard. She’s treating this as much like a date as I am, and that’s not saying much.

Is it possible Jasmine doesn’t want to be here either?

“Not at all. You heard right, hence no vacations.” I cut into my chicken Parmesan and take a bite, remembering why this is the best Italian food in the city.

“From what I hear, the Waterfront itself will feel like a vacation once you’re done with it.”

“True, but that’s just the beginning.” I swallow another bite. “Initially, yes, we plan to revitalize the Waterfront District itself. First with luxury shopping centers, condos, restaurants. But I’d like to expand it further into the community if I can get investor support for it. Sports centers for youth, park revitalization, affordable housing.”

“Ambitious.” She raises her eyebrow. “But I admire the task. The city needs more of it.”

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