Page 2 of Unlikely Match

"What do I do with this?"

Her eyes lock with mine. "Number 86?"

Oh my… Is this guy really my date? Honestly, he's not who I'd expect to be paired with. He's in his late thirties, and his tie probably costs more than all of my worldly possessions put together. He's the kind of man who probably makes every single woman's knees wobble when he walks by.

"Yes?"

The woman smiles, glancing at her tablet. "Jewel Parker, this is your date, Alex McKagan."

I stand up, smoothing my skirt nervously. He approaches me slowly, sizing me up with his sharp eyes, the masculine energy rolling off him in waves. Then he smiles as if he appreciates what he sees. Why do I feel such relief that this stranger approves of me? Although I guess that's good, since we're stuck together for the evening.

Come on, girl. Game face. You need that money.

"Nice to meet you, Jewel."

"You too."

He accepts the envelope from the matchmaker, then guides us to the door. "So, I'll admit that I joined this contest under…duress." He fires a quick glare back towards Dora. "But now thatI've been roped in, I'm super competitive. Are you ready to win this?"

He's already taking the lead. That's a good sign. This guy obviously knows how to work a system. Plus, he obviously has some money, in case we run into any problems. The seven bucks and change, transit card, and mini sketch pad in my purse won't get us very far.

Maybe we really do have a chance of winning this thing.

"Absolutely."

2

ALEX

As Jewel and I walk out of LoveDates Inc., I try desperately not to get caught ogling her breathtaking, curvy figure. Her softly flowing dark blonde hair has faded light blue streaks at the sides that set off her striking blue eyes.

She's exquisite. The prettiest woman I've ever seen. A rare jewel indeed. The kind of woman every man hopes to find.

"Normally when I'm considering taking on a project, I do research and find out all the details first." We stop on the sidewalk and I turn toward her delicate face. Every detail of this girl is stunning. Elegant, yet playful. She looks like she's up for a challenge.

"But I'm afraid this time I didn't. My cousin Dora needed one more man to even out this contest, and threw my name and information into her computer system after calling and commanding me to show up."

"Oh." Jewel doesn't sound concerned. "So you're just here as a favor to her?"

"Frankly, yes. She did me a huge favor by selecting the decorator for my new home. Apparently the one I almost hiredwas far too into brutalist minimalism for any sane person's taste."

Jewel has the most adorable laugh. "But wait – is it really fair for her to enter a relative in the contest? "

"Technically, we're not related. She's my mother's best friend's daughter. We've just always thought of each other as cousins."

"Got it. And you say you're in it to win it?"

I'm smiling very hard, which is unusual for me. It's not just at the prospect of my competitive side being let out to play. This adorable woman is making me feel more alive than I have in years.

Suddenly this is not a favor for Dora, or simply competing in a contest for the hell of it. Making Jewel fall for me… I'm not sure if that's even possible, but it's my new mission. "Trust me, I always play to win. But it looks like everyone else got a head start. I'm sorry, I had a board meeting until ten minutes before I arrived. Is there a time limit to this thing?

"Not at all. The date can take as long as we like, I think."

"Got it. So… How do we win?"

Her face lights up. "Well, I went through the website several times, and researched the past few contests. I'm pretty sure it comes down to likeability, creativity, and some sort of shock value."

She laughs sweetly at my sudden worried expression. "Nothing super weird like bungee jumping or anything like that. More like happy surprises. Trying things for the first time, putting yourself out there, you know? We are supposed to post photos regularly on their contest site."

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