Page 5 of The Charming Checklist
Max closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “No. Just like her picture.”
“Isawher picture,” Cole said. “That woman was beautiful. Almost as beautiful as Valerie, which is a pretty high bar for me.”
“Did she talk all night about an ex?” Ava asked.
Max shook his head.
“Let me ask you this.” Max turned to Ava, hands resting on the lapels of his suit. “Do you like this suit? Does it look cheap?”
Ava swallowed. “Not at all. You look cool and sophisticated. As if you should be asking for your martini shaken, not stirred.”
“What’s this about?” Cole asked.
“This is another question for Ava.” Max ignored Cole. “Do I look like someone on the prowl?”
“Wh-what?” Ava stammered.
“As if I’m looking to get laid.” Max nearly spit the words out.
“I’m, uh...uh...you...um...” It was as if she’d forgotten the English language.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ava tongue-tied.” Cole grinned, apparently enjoying this far too much.
“Never mind.” Max turned back to Cole. “My future prospective wife got us a hotel room for the night within thirty minutes of meeting me.”
“What are you doinghere?” Cole gaped.
“I’m serious about this. No more fooling around. I’m going to get to know a woman and see how compatible we are before I sleep with her.”
Cole bent over with laughter and excused himself, going to the other end of the bar before Max killed him with that little finger of his, Ava assumed. She was also having a difficult time smothering a laugh, but there was another side of her that was intrigued. And also, a little afraid of the finger thing.
“You signed up forallthe dating services?”
“That’s right. I have dates lined up for months but after tonight, I’m discouraged. Maybe I should take my photo out and see how many takers I get.”
It was as if she’d just dropped into an alternate universe. He wasserious.
“That’s one thing you could do.”
“I’m looking for someone who’s interested in my résumé, not how much I can bench-press.”
She snorted. “Of course. At this time, I really should apologize for women everywhere. We’re not all interested in treating a man like a piece of meat.”
Again, had she fallen through the looking glass?
“Maybe I should look up your profile and give you some advice.”
Watching Max navigate this new world of his was like a traffic accident. Or a bad reality show. Trash TV, Valerie called it. And they both indulged one night a week, the fiancé show their current binge. It was awesome.
“I mean, you could always use a woman’s touch, right?”
Max quirked a brow and nodded. “All right, Miss Congeniality, tell me what you think.”
He scrolled through his phone and handed it to Ava. The photo he’d chosen for his profile would make any woman drool. She’d bet half of his prospective dates didn’t believe it was an honest photo. It was a little too good to be true and she’d bet they showed up just to find out. She would.
“Hmm.”
“What?”
