Page 11 of The Singles Club

“Lose the tie and unbutton the collar. Take off your jacket and roll up your sleeves. Keep the watch. It’s about making yourself approachable. The more he’s comfortable, the more he’ll talk and want to work with you. He already knows you’re more than capable, or else he wouldn’t be meeting with you. This is about how you two get on as potential partners and whether you have the same vision as to where this product is headed.”

Justin rubbed at his chin, soaking in my advice. “Alright, let’s give it a shot.” He took off his blazer and slung it over the back of the chair, then started undoing his tie. His shoulders were broad, and I could see the muscles in his arms flexing under his oxford. The way he slipped the tie out of his collar was unexpectedly sexy. Heat flushed through me as he undid the top button, the second, and then rolled up his sleeves. He held out his hands for me to get the full view. “What do you think?”

I looked him over. The man was gorgeous—but something wasn’t quite right.

“No good?”

“No, it’s fine, but…”

He nervously smoothed out his hair, and that’s when it hit me.

I stood up and reached toward his head but pulled my hand back right away. “Would you mind if I fixed something?”

“No, go ahead.”

I ran my fingers through his hair, getting rid of his perfectly even part. A lock of hair fell to his forehead, and I swept it off to the side, blending it with the rest. “There, much more relaxed, but still professional.”

When my eyes met his, I realized we were close enough to practically kiss, and that mouth of his was more than inviting. By the intensity in his stare, I could tell he felt something too.

I stepped back. “Sorry.”

“No need. Thank you… for your honest advice.”

“Not at all.”

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a business card. “I believe you earned this.”

I took the card and tucked it into my purse. “I always love a challenge, and I must admit, you were a worthy opponent.”

He chuckled, and his smile widened. Gawd, he had a great smile. I’m talking weak in the knees, all melty and gooey on the inside kind of grin.

Get yourself together Viv, it’s just the dopamine kicking in.

“Hi, are you Justin?” A young man who looked no older than twenty-three approached the bar. He was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, but still very stylish and hip.

Justin held out his hand, “I am, you must be Rajesh.” Rajesh looked my way. “This is Vivian.” Justin introduced me but seemed at a loss on how to explain how he knew me. I decided to cut in and take the reins on this one.

“We only just met through a mutual friend he bumped into tonight.” I looked up at Justin and gave an admiring smile. “And I’m glad he did.”

“Please, join us,” Rajesh gestured to the chair.

“I’d love to, but I really should be getting back to my friends. It was nice meeting you, Rajesh.”

“You too, Vivian.”

I nodded over to Justin, who was looking a lot more relaxed than before. “It was nice meeting you as well.”

“The pleasure was mine.” His voice was softer, more intimate than before.

That Hermès bag had my name written all over it. There was no way I couldn’t score a date before my one-week deadline.

3

Challenge Accepted

Justin

Vivian hadn’t called over the weekend… not that I really wanted her to, but I felt a bit silly having prepared a few excuses for why I wasn’t interested in dating at this time. Maybe she’d been honest and genuinely wasn’t interested herself.