Page 11

“I don’t know if it’s a good idea, but it was the only one I had,” Maddie said with a shrug as she studied the green and red numbers on the screen in front of her.

“Lucy doesn’t have a guest room and your fancy tiny house doesn’t either, right?

And I’d rather sleep on the beach than move back in with my dad. ”

“I guess you’re right.” Hailey leaned back in her chair and rolled her neck.

They had been sitting here for five hours, going over their income and expenses to create a battle plan to save Match Me!

It was not only tough on their minds and nerves but on their bodies.

“It’s also a great way to save money. You don’t pay rent, do you? ”

“True,” she admitted. She briefly considered offering it to Matt — but the guy was so rich that it would be rather silly, and he would find it insulting. “Speaking of money, how exactly did we switch topics? Weren’t we about to calculate our chances of survival?” She tapped the computer screen.

“Well, I just meant that we’re unlucky at the moment and then you mentioned your apartment flooded…”

“Oh, yeah, I remember,” she said grumpily. “Never mind. You were about to say what we’re doing wrong according to the numbers?”

Hailey sighed and pursed her lips. “Okay. I’ve drawn up some graphs and gone through the finances step by step and our website is performing okay,” she said slowly, grabbing Eggsy from the floor to put her on her lap.

She was a cuddly chicken — and Hailey was a cuddly person.

“Not great, but at least some money is coming in. So, that side of our plan is okay. Our problem is the other side. We need exclusive clients that we look after personally. Preferably filthy rich. I mean that was your plan, wasn’t it?

In particular, high-end clients who can’t use an app without ending up with a stalker?

Otherwise, there’s no reason to keep this office.

Actually, we should quit and continue from home… ”

Maddie sighed heavily. She knew that. It would be the next logical step.

However, they would never get another prime location for so little money again and Maddie had this vision…

a vision of people who were tired of apps or were famous and couldn’t use them, and who welcomed the personal touch.

She had wanted to give everyone the opportunity to find their true love without having to endure bitter disappointments like…

well, like she did. “I don’t want to give up just yet. ”

“Good, me neither,” Hailey said, relieved. “So, how do we get a famous client? Couldn’t you…”

“I already tried,” Maddie interrupted. “I begged Matt to become a client. Or even just to play one. He said no and looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Like you are right now.”

“I just look this way because I can’t believe he said no. He should totally step in. Who knows, maybe we’ll find the love of his life!”

“I said that, too! But he sounded like it wasn’t important.”

“Not important to whom ?” Hailey asked incredulously.

Maddie nodded. Exactly.

“Well, fine. What about another hockey hottie?”

“He’s asking around, so…we’ll see.” She shrugged, stood, and looked through the mail that she had taken out of her apartment earlier and completely forgotten about yesterday, the bills and the heavy white envelope.

She ignored the multiple invoices that would only remind her of her miserable financial situation and picked up the thick envelope. It smelled like it had been scented.

Frowning, she opened it, pulled out the cardstock insert, and froze.

She stared at the gold letters on it with her mouth gaping.

“What is it?” Hailey asked worriedly, placing Eggsy on the floor and jumping up. “Why do you look so weird?”

Maddie swallowed hard and wordlessly handed her the letter.

We are getting married! Clemens Shaw and Becky Glaze invite you to their special day on December 12th!

“He’s not fucking serious,” Hailey exclaimed, angrily dropping the announcement.

Maddie smiled weakly. Her best friend reacted exactly right, but that didn’t dissolve the tight knot in her chest. Of course, he was serious! Clemens still thought they had split up amicably. Or rather, that they hadn’t split up at all and were simply old college friends.

“You haven’t spoken to each other in years! Why would he send you an invitation to his wedding after all that time?” Hailey snapped, waving her arms so energetically that Eggsy cackled in alarm and fled to her shelf.

“I don’t know. I guess we were…just good friends,” she said weakly.

“Good friends who slept together for two years?”

Maddie lowered her gaze. “Yes, apparently.”

Hailey let out a puff of air, making her black curls fly. “That’s nonsense. There’s no way you’re going.”

No, she probably wouldn’t. “It doesn’t matter, Hailey,” she said, trying to downplay the matter. “So he gets married. No big deal.”

But, it was a big deal. He hadn’t even been able to have a decent relationship with her, yet he wanted to marry this Becky? Why? Why her and why not Maddie? She had given Clemens everything she had to offer. If that wasn’t enough…how would she ever find anyone?

She inhaled deeply and forcefully shoved the card back into the envelope. “Okay, where were we?”

“We were saying that the guy doesn’t deserve that suffering expression on your face,” Hailey announced, putting her hands on her hips. “You know what, Maddie? I think it’s a good thing he sent you the announcement.”

Maddie snorted. “Excuse me?”

“Well, Clemens pulled a number on you. You haven’t had a real relationship since then and he’s an asshole. You deserve better.”

“He’s not an asshole. We simply didn’t communicate well.”

“I don’t care what he is. This is a sign that you should start dating again. He’s moved on with his life, you should, too. I don’t think you’re trying hard enough. You’re too afraid of being disappointed.”

Maddie looked down and picked at her thumbnail. Hailey sounded like Matt.

You keep saying that you want to get married and have kids, but man, you have a dating agency and you haven’t even used it yourself .

He was right. And so was Hailey. She was scared.

She knew her questionnaire was good, if you filled it out honestly and…

what if she didn’t find anyone? If there simply was no one out there who liked her for who she was?

Or if she believed she had found her Prince Charming, like she had with Clemens, but she wasn’t his princess?

She was incredibly good at recognizing when someone was compatible, unless it was herself. Then, she was blind.

“And, not that I don’t completely accept that you’re waiting for Mr. Right and don’t want any loose ends,” Hailey continued, “but don’t you miss sex?”

Groaning, Maddie threw her head back. Of course, she missed sex! Good heavens. A vibrator was all well and good, but it wasn’t a replacement for a pair of big hands or…other big things. Sex with another person was a lot more exciting than sex alone.

When she thought the word exciting, a pair of pink handcuffs popped into her mind.

She wondered how exactly Matt used them. His bed did have those iron bars that you could attach them to. God, the mattress was so incredibly wide and Matt had really nice, big hands…

Maddie’s throat constricted and heat settled heavily in her abdomen. She pressed her legs together, blinked, and brought herself back to the present. Talking about sex was not helping!

“You’re one to talk, Hailey,” she said, distracting herself from her own thoughts. “I don’t see you enjoying a wild sex life.”

“Hey! There’s someone in my bed every night.”

“Usually the four-legged kind.” Hailey rescued a different animal every week, which she then took in before rehoming. She didn’t have enough room for a permanent pet, but she preferred it this way. It meant she could help many homeless creatures.

“Sometimes the two-legged kind.”

“Eggsy doesn’t count!”

Hailey stuck out her lower lip. “You’re mean.”

“And you’re as single as I am. But maybe you’re right. Maybe I should dip my toe into the dating pool.” Otherwise, she’d never get any closer to her goal.

“Absolutely. So, the invitation…”

“I don’t care!”

“Really?” Hailey asked doubtfully.

“Yes. Really!”