Page 4 of Pucking Your Best Friend

He snorted in amusement. “Yeah, sure, that always stops people from judging others, you’re right.”

The corners of her mouth twitched and she sank deeper into the chair with a groan. “Oh man.” She sighed and pressed a hand to her face. “I’m sorry. Really. It’s just that Lucy brings guys over from time to time, and most of them are blessed with beauty and a lot of muscle but no brains. I had no idea you had all three.”

“Well, well,” he replied, “So, you’re superficial — and you think I’m beautiful.”

“I’m not superficial, I just know all the clichés.” She peeked through her fingers. “Besides, if you’ve practiced with your reflection as much as you say, youknowyou’re beautiful!”

He laughed hoarsely. “What exactly are all these clichés?” he asked. “If it makes you feel any better, I have a full-length mirror hanging above my bed so I don’t miss out on any of my beauty.”

She snorted – because she was rather certain he was joking…right? – then said, “I’m prone to prejudices,” she admitted contritely. “I deal with men all day who fit every stereotype. It’s hard to break the habit of placing them into categories.”

“So, what categories might those be?”

“Generally speaking? Marriage material or relationship-phobic.”

Matt choked on his beer and leaned forward, coughing and wheezing. “You immediately categorize all the men you meet into at eitherfor the altarorjust here for the orgasms?”

Well, she wouldn’t put it that way…

“It’s an occupational hazard,” she uttered hastily. “I just started a dating agency.”

Matt set the bottle down loudly on the table and blinked at her in surprise. “Seriously? In these days of Tinder and Grindr?”

She swallowed. Yes, he wasn’t the first person to tell her that. “On Tinder and Grindr, most people aren’t seeking true love.”

“Well, the next fuck can also be true love,” Matt said wisely.

She winced at his choice of words. He was probably not a romantic. “It usually isn’t. It’s only satisfying…briefly.”

Matt lifted the corner of his mouth and slowly leaned toward her until his fingers touched hers. “But it doessatisfy, if you do it right,” he whispered, his breath brushing her cheek. “That’s no peanuts.”

Her uterus immediately did flips and her skin began to tingle. She took it all back; he was a hot jackass after all, but at least an entertaining one.

She glanced away. “Yeah, maybe, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Consulting with a friend and my older sister, who’s a couples’ therapist, I developed a questionnaire and an algorithm that’s designed for the long term. Besides, I have my intuition. I’m pretty good at sensing if someone is a long-term match. It’s no one on Tinder.”

“Ah.” Matt still seemed skeptical, but he nodded. “So, are you successful?”

She made a face. “We just started two months ago, but it looks promising.” At least, that was what she kept telling herself. Her idea was sound and her algorithm was great. Knowing first-hand what was important for long-term relationships, Rachel had created a brilliant questionnaire. Her business partner Haileyhad been programming since she was ten. Maddie herself was good with people and could tell who was a good match and who wasn’t a hundred yards out. It was a gift. The agency simply needed a little marketing boost and it would work out. Every business had difficulties in the beginning.

“Well then,” Matt raised his glass, “here’s topromising.”

He clinked glasses with her and she quickly downed the tequila sunrise. All this talk about work was making her nervous.

“Hey, I have another question. What made you google Adonis?”

“Um,” she said quickly, hoping he attributed her glowing cheeks to a bad sunburn, “research.”

He lifted the corner of his mouth and moved his dark gaze down her face to her lips. “Of course,” he whispered.

Oh dear, this was becoming awkward. Time to change the subject again.

“So, how exactly did Lucy convince you to come with her?” She leaned back in her chair and pulled her hands off the table. “Surely, a famous hockey player has better things to do than go out for drinks with a new co-worker in Santa Monica. Isn’t the Ice Lounge by the arena the actual team hangout?” At least, according to the tabloids, that was where the groupies congregated.

He shrugged. “I owed her a drink and, to be honest, sometimes I think it’s nice to go somewhere without the team. We always get recognized when we’re in a group. Then fans come by who I have to be nice to and my evening is no longer normal and relaxed, so…” He smiled, but uneasily, as if he had said something that actually revealed that he was vulnerable. He waved it off. “It’s just that sometimes a little peace and quiet is nice.”

As if he had summoned them with his words, two college boys stood up a few tables away and stared at him curiously. Mattignored them, although the looks were so intrusive, Maddie’s neck started to itch.

“Hey, aren’t you Matthew Payne?” one of them eventually asked, full of enthusiasm.

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