“Right. Can’t say I’m happy about it but I understand.”

  Will rose from his seat to answer the door, and I kept my gaze trained on the television.

  Allen and I had been friends since elementary school. We used to be close, but, about ten years ago, we had a falling out. Allen convinced me to partner up with him in a flooring business, and we’d both agreed to front a certain amount of money before we got started. My parents didn’t have a lot, and I wasn’t about to ask them for help, so I worked two jobs and saved everything I could, ate off the dollar menu at Mc Donald’s and lived in a dumpy studio apartment. Meanwhile, Allen lived at home and mooched off his parents, met his girlfriend, Brittany, and instead of saving the money, took her on a trip to Europe that pretty much ate up all he had. It was then that I realized he never planned on doing anything. He wanted to sponge off me while I did all the work.

  We’d parted ways as business partners. Rather than pursue the flooring industry, I invested in a start-up, renting equipment to construction companies. The start-up did extremely well—better than I’d hoped. Allen, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to keep a job, and he blamed me for his lack of success. Said if I hadn’t bailed, we could have made a ton of money together.

  Out of a sense of duty, I’d given him a position on one of my crews, but we rarely interacted anymore. Unfortunately, Allen didn’t have a good work ethic, and I was constantly getting complaints about him slacking off.

  Honestly, I was just thankful we hadn’t become partners. I did well on my own, pinched pennies, invested most of what I earned, and was now reaping the benefits. The rental start-up expanded, and I bought out a growing general contracting construction company. We were in the right place at the right time when a major development used our services. Word got out that we did good work, and we soon became one of the largest construction companies in Los Angeles. I could have just sat back at that point, but I’d wanted to try my hand in the stock market. Strangely enough, whatever funds I invested turned to gold. As of today, I was worth a billion dollars. Something I never thought I’d achieve.

  And yet, I had to give God the glory because, for some reason, He’d seen fit to bless me in that way. Too many things had gone right along the way. I knew that was His hand guiding me, so I worked hard and tried my best to live a simple life, despite how much I had. I never wanted to be the kind of guy who lost sight of who he was growing up, and I did my best to give back to the Lord at church and with local charities.

  There was only one thing I was missing: a woman at my side. And not just any woman. I wanted someone who would love me for me, not because I could fund her endless shopping trips and give her whatever she wanted.

  There were loud voices at the doorway, and Will ushered Allen and Brittany inside. I glanced over my shoulder and waved. Brittany caught my eye and winked.

  Great. I didn’t feel like dealing with this today.

  Brittany was a little too friendly sometimes. Maybe she was scoping out her other options since Allen hadn’t proposed after ten years. Or maybe she was just like that with everyone. Either way, it made me uncomfortable.

  “Hey, man.” Allen walked over and lifted his hand up for a high five, something we hadn’t done since we were in high school. I slapped my hand against his. If he wanted to be cordial today, hey, I’d take it.

  Allen and Brittany settled in on a couch perpendicular to the one I sat on. After a few minutes, I felt Brittany’s eyes on me, and I turned away, refusing to look at her. I wasn’t going there with her. Allen may not be the best of friends anymore, but I would never be disloyal like that, and I certainly wouldn’t give Brittany any reason to believe there might be interest on my part. About twenty minutes later, Will elbowed me and leaned in. “What’s up with Allen’s girlfriend?” He kept his voice low so no one else could hear. “She keeps staring at you.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Not my problem.”

  He chuckled. “It might become your problem if Allen notices.”

  I let out a sigh. It was better to keep my distance from those two. Maybe I should go home since I was too distracted to enjoy the game, anyway. I got up to use the restroom, and when I returned, Allen cornered me near the kitchen.

  “Hey, man. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him I hadn’t done anything to encourage Brittany when he smiled and slapped me on the back.

  “I have a business prospect for you.”

  I lifted an eyebrow and folded my arms across my chest. “Business prospect?”

  He rocked back on his heels. “Yeah, a buddy of mine pulled me in, and I told him I’d talk to you.”

  “All right. What does it involve?”

  He scratched his face and glanced to the side. “Well, it’s not conventional, but it could make you a lot of quick cash.”

  “Hmmm.” I swiped a thumb across my chin. Anything that made quick money was suspect. “What does this entail?”

  He ran a hand through his longish brown hair and looked down, shuffling his feet. “Promise me, you’ll at least think about it.”

  “All right. I’ll think about it.”

  “It’s a gifting system. You get a list of five people, and you’ll gift each one five thousand dollars. Meanwhile, you recruit five more people to join the group. Eventually, you’ll be one of the five who receives up to twenty-five thousand dollars.” He paused. “I know that’s not a lot to you, but it’s easy money, and you don’t have to work for it.”

  “Allen, that’s a pyramid scheme, and it’s the quickest method to throw away your hard-earned cash.”

  “Maybe I’m not explaining this well,” he said. “There are different levels. I forgot exactly how it works, but I promise you, you’ll get back what you invest.”

  “Why don’t you pursue the flooring business like you’ve always wanted? I told you I’d loan you the capital to get started. Something like that is a lot more reliable.”

  His face turned red, and he clenched his fists. “I shouldn’t have bothered talking to you. I knew you wouldn’t come through.” He charged back to the living room and plopped down on the couch with an offended expression. He wanted easy money that he didn’t have to work for. That wasn’t happening. Brittany leaned in and said something, and he shook his head angrily. She brought her gaze to me, and I looked away.

  I worked hard all day and didn’t need this kind of aggravation. Time to go home. I waved my hand in the air. “Hey everyone, I’m heading out.”

  A few of the guys nodded and waved back.

  Will and Piper glanced at me over their shoulders. “The game’s not over yet,” Will said.

  “I know, but I’m tired, and it’s been a long day.”

  Piper got out of her seat and headed towards the kitchen. She poured soda into a cup and took a sip. “Don’t go yet. There’s something I need to ask you.”

  Will chuckled. “Piper, leave the poor guy alone.”

  She glared at Will. “Everyone can use a helping hand at times.”

  He got up and joined us in the kitchen, putting an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Maybe he doesn’t want our help. Have you ever thought of that?” He bent down to kiss her on the cheek, and she gazed up at him adoringly.

  Something stirred inside me—a longing for a woman who loved me like Piper loved Will. Everything came easily for me, except love from a good woman. That had never come easy.

  “All right you two,” I said, dryly. “What do you have up your sleeve?”

  “Are you leaving because of Allen?” Will asked quietly.

  “Yeah. Just don’t feel like putting up with his attitude right now.”

  “Sorry.” He looked guilty. “Next time I won’t extend the invitation.”

  “No, it’s okay. I’m not trying to get the guy banned from social events. Maybe one day we’ll get along better, but I’m not in the mood today.”

  “We’ll walk you out,” Piper said. “That way I can present my proposition privately.”

  I made a face. “Please tell me this isn’t about a pyramid scheme.”

  Piper laughed. “No, it’s not business related at all.”

  They walked me to my car, and I waited for the inevitable pitch…whatever it was. “All right. Spit it out. What’s this about?”

  Piper leaned in. “I know the perfect woman to set you up with.”

  I looked at her blank-faced for a few seconds and then shook my head. “No.”

  Will gave Piper a triumphant look. “Told you.”

  Her brows furrowed, but she wouldn’t look at Will. “Why not Gray? You don’t know anything about her yet.”

  I sighed. “Have things gotten so bad that we have to resort to set-ups? I used to be able to find my own dates.”

  Will laughed. “Piper, this is exactly what I told you. He doesn’t want our help in the love department. Let him figure it out on his own.”

  Piper elbowed Will in the ribs and set her face with a determined look. “I’m aware you’re capable, Gray. That’s not what this is about. I just happen to know someone who I admire and respect. She’d be great for you, and she has all the qualities you’re looking for. She loves the Lord, and she’s sweet. You two would get along well.”

  I rolled my eyes. What was it with women and set-ups? My mom had tried to do the same thing until I made it clear I was done with blind dates. They never ended well. In fact, I couldn’t remember one blind date that had actually panned out into something more. “Me and set-ups don’t go well together.”

  Piper put her hands on her hips. “Oh, come on. Give this one a chance. I think the world of both of you. I really believe you’ll like her.”

  “Who is this woman?” I asked skeptically.

  “Her parents own the restaurant I work at. She helps to manage the place, and she’s one of the nicest people I know.”

  “How old is she? The last time I went on a blind date it was with a twenty-two-year-old, and we had nothing in common. I refuse to do that again.”

  “She turned thirty today.” Piper smiled gleefully like she figured she’d already won. “She’s sweet—you’ll love her. I mean, who wouldn’t? She has this pretty little bob haircut and these adorable dimples. And she’s really kind. Did I say that earlier?” She paused to take a breath. “She’s as cute as a button.”

  I scowled. “I’m not looking for Shirley Temple.”

  Will threw his head back and laughed. “Sorry, man. When Piper gets like this, the only way to shut her down is to agree with whatever she’s asking.”

  I shook my head like I couldn’t believe they were putting me through this. “I don’t even know the woman’s name.”

  “It’s Lindsey,” Piper said. “Just do this for me, and I’ll owe you one.”

  I let out a breath. “Fine. Text me the details.”

  And then I got in my car and left before they asked me to do anything else.

  Chapter 4

  Lindsey

  The next couple of days went by quickly, and on Wednesday evening, I got a call from Grayson Hall. He asked if I’d like to have lunch with him on Saturday, and I agreed. He offered to pick me up, and though I normally preferred to meet a new guy in a neutral location for safety reasons, he was a friend of Piper’s, so I made an exception.

  Saturday morning, I woke to the sound of pounding on my front door. What in the world? I glanced at the clock and it was a quarter to nine. Who could that possibly be? When the pounding didn’t stop, I jumped out of bed and dressed quickly. I strode to the door and opened it, surprised to see Destiny standing there with a huge bag over her shoulder.

  “Destiny, what are you doing here?”

  “I’ve been meaning to call you. I procrastinated because I felt bad.”

  She didn’t look like she felt that bad but whatever. I’d learned to take everything she said with a grain of salt.

  Sighing, I looked away. “You accepted the date with Jason so you’re obviously not that broken up over it.”

  “He assured me you were okay with it. That’s the only reason—”

  “You should have talked to me first.”

  She bit down on her bottom lip and shifted uncomfortably. “Are you going to let me in or not?”

  “Why are you here?” I snapped.

  “Mom told me you have a date this afternoon.”

  Great. Word got out fast. How many other people had my mother told?

  “And?” The snide side of my personality wanted to ask if she planned on scoping out the new guy too.

  “I’m here to give you a full makeover.”

  “A what?” My mouth fell open, and I almost slammed the door in her face. “Who says I need a makeover?”

  “Mom thought it would be nice of me to assist you, considering how Jason…” She trailed off.

  “Dumped me?” I asked.

  “Yeah.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “You’re really pretty. You just need a little…help.”

  Wonderful.

  “And what does this help involve?” I would not let her in until I knew exactly what she planned on doing.

  “I’ll do your hair and makeup, and I brought the perfect date outfit for you to wear. It’s going to look awesome on you.”

  I stared at the ceiling and blew out a breath. “I’ve always done my own hair and makeup. Why should I let you—”

  “Because I’ll make you gorgeous.” She put a hand on her hip. “I know exactly what men like.”

  I couldn’t argue with her there. She did have a knack for drawing attention to herself.

  “What if I don’t like what you do?”

  “We’ve got hours before your date. If you don’t like it, you can wash everything off and start over.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her to leave and take her makeover gear with her. I wasn’t quite ready to forgive her, but on the other hand, I probably did need help. I nodded reluctantly and opened the door to let her in. “Fine.”

  “You won’t regret this,” she said, passing by me, nearly taking me out with that huge bag of hers.

  In the next few hours, she tweezed my eyebrows, put a lemon oil mask on my face, washed my hair, dried it, straightened it, and then curled it again. That last part baffled me. Why straighten my hair only to curl it? How ridiculous was that?

  She was slow and methodical while applying my makeup, and when she finally finished, it seemed like hours had gone by. When I checked the time, I realized it felt that way because hours had gone by. It was nearly eleven o’clock. If I wanted to change anything, we needed to hurry up.

  “I want to see how I look.”

  She turned me around on the stool, so I faced the bathroom mirror. “What do you think?”

  I looked like a clown.

  Seriously.

  Like one of those crazy ones with the painted-on eyebrows and well-defined lips.

  “I don’t think—”

  “Before you say anything, just give me a chance to explain,” she said.

  “Okay…”

  “I tweezed a little too much off your eyebrows, so I needed to pencil them back in.”

  “But my lips look…”

  “They look awesome, don’t they?” She grinned at her work.

  “Um…Awesome wasn’t the word I was going for. Silly. Outlandish. Those words might fit. The lipstick color is very bright. Don’t you have something else?”

  She frowned. “I think it looks hot. And it’ll go with the outfit I brought you.”

  I tried to breathe, but it felt like cotton balls had been shoved down my throat. The anticipation of a blind date was bad enough, but this makeover business was stressing me out. “I need to try on the outfit before I agree to wear it.”

  “Not a problem. Let me touch it up with an iron first, and then you can put it on.”

  About twenty-five minutes later, I was holding in my stomach as she buttoned up the itty-bitty white blouse that fit her snugly but was down-right tight on me. She was at least ten pounds lighter.

  “I can’t wear this. The blouse is too short. It’s going to show a sliver of my stomach.”

  She tugged on the hem, pulling it down, and then she undid the highest button. “There. That’s better.”

  It was not better. “Now I’m showing a ton of cleavage. I can’t go out like this.” I was definitely more endowed on the top than Destiny, and my breasts strained against the thin fabric. Displaying cleavage was not something I did. Ever. I preferred everything to be covered.

  “Yes, you can,” she said calmly. “It’s very flattering.”

  “It’s indecent.”

  She huffed out a breath. “Fine.” She buttoned the top button. “Is that better?”

  I stared at myself in the mirror. The blouse was extremely uncomfortable. It was so tight I could barely move my arms, but I had to admit, it did make my waist look smaller. “It’s…sort of okay.”

  She laughed. “I guarantee it’s nicer than what you planned on wearing.”

  “Hey,” I said, offended. “I picked out something really cute to wear.”

  She looked doubtful. “Let me see it.”

  I led her to my room and pulled out a pair of tan slacks and a pale pink tank top. “I was going to pair this up with a white button-down cardigan.”

  She laughed. She actually laughed. “That might work if you’re meeting him at the library, but if you want to snag a man, you’ve got to do better than that.”

  “I don’t see what’s wrong with—”

  “Come on, let’s try on that skirt.” She was already done with my outfit and moving back to her original plan.

  I followed her into the other room, and I didn’t know what I expected, but I breathed out a sigh of relief when I saw the dark gray skirt because it was very conservative at first glance. “This is better than what I imagined, but it might still be a tad too dressy for lunch, don’t you think?”

  She shook her head. “You can never be too dressed up. Men love it, by the way. Whoever this Grayson guy is, he’s going to fall head-over-heels for you when he sees you in this.”

 

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