Page 65 of Matchmaking the CEO

Jake: Too many semantics.

I threw my head back, laughing.Oh, what a way to wake up.

Natalie: I'm meeting my best friend, Larissa, tonight for dinner. I'll brainstorm with her. She's also very creative.

Jake: I’m having dinner with my grandparents, but I can pick you up after that. We can finalize that brainstorming.

Natalie: Trust me, you don't want that. You'll find yourself questioned about stuff you never dreamed about.

Jake: I can take it.

Natalie: Oh yeah, but I can't. Thanks for waking me up. Talk to you this evening.

I was giddy the whole day. I spoke to my parents and my sisters as I went to the print shop where I wanted to look at a couple of invitations for Jeannie's party. She'd already notified her friends via email, but she said she wanted them to have the invites as keepsakes. She was putting a lot of thought into it, and I liked that she was striving for it to be a memorable occasion and not just a big commercial party. She genuinely cared about her friends, proved by the fact that she was sending a photo of her with said friend with every invitation.

***

In the evening, I arrivedat the restaurant before Larissa.

I sat down at the table, looking around. We were trying out a new Chinese restaurant. It had been a while since Larissa and I went out. We used to go out for cocktails once a week. The last time we went out was three months ago, before I became unemployed and started pinching pennies. But Jeannie had paid me in advance for the hours I'd already invested, and I could afford this dinner. The restaurant had great reviews, even though it wasn't terribly expensive. It was my last chance to catch up with my friend before she left for Bali.

My phone beeped, and I immediately unlocked the screen.

Larissa: I’ll be a couple minutes late.

Natalie: Don’t worry.

At the same time, I noticed Jake had texted me too.

Jake: How’s the brainstorming going?

Natalie: Haven’t started yet. Larissa hasn’t arrived. But believe me, once you get us started, there’s no stopping us.

Jake: Sounds promising. Can’t wait to hear what you come up with.

“You've got a Cheshire cat grin on your face," Larissa exclaimed when she arrived a few seconds later.

I put the phone away. God, she was gorgeous. She had fiery red hair and bright blue eyes. She often complained that her complexion was too pale, but I thought she looked regal.

"Yes, I do.”

“It's got to do with your client's grandson?"

Larissa, of course, was up-to-date with everything going on in my life. Well, almost everything.

“Yes.”

"You've already decided where you're going to take him?" she asked.

"Honestly, no. I promised I'd text back as soon as our girl date is over."

She wriggled her eyebrows. "Hey, you can ask him to come over anytime. I'm looking forward to meeting him. You know I have a great feeling about people."

"That you do," I admitted. If only I'd listened when she told me she thought my ex was a two-faced bastard.

A waiter approached with two plates of food.

"This is a surprise appetizer from the kitchen," Mitch, per his nametag, said.

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