Page 4 of The Unlucky Waitress

I study him carefully as he orders, the way he quickly downs his third scotch of the evening. His sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his forearms tense. Now that he’s greased his wheels, I know the evening is about to get interesting.

“Love is a chemical reaction in the brain,” I argue. “Organically it could take anything between minutes and years to create. But in the right environment, we could make people intentionally fall in love with a predetermined person like that.” I snap my fingers for dramatic effect.

Edward blinks but says nothing for a while. He clearly doesn’t get it. “Okay,” he starts slowly, considering my words. “-how exactly are you planning on doing that?”

“Curated experiences,” I say, leaning across the table to drive the point home. “If you design shared experiences for two people that will elicit specific emotions, you inevitably establish an instant bond. And sooner rather than later, love.” I lean back, point made.

Edward shakes his head again in disbelief, a playful smile on his face. “Prove it,” he says, a mischievous gleam in his eye.

“That’s what I’m going to do with this venture, and-”

“No.” Edward steeples his fingers in front of him like someone in the throes of hatching a plan. “I want you to manufacture love with a complete stranger. Before going into this new business venture. Do that, and I’ll back you.”

I stare at him, trying to read his mind but I draw a blank. Edward is cunning when he wants to be and especially when it comes to money.

“We need to open a resort and give our clients experiences based on their personality to make them fall in love. It’s science. I don’t need to prove it, it’s all right there,” I explain.

It’s a cop out. We both know it. There are very few things I hate more than proving myself, especially when I already know I’m right. And when it comes to making money, I’m always right.

“Come on, Ethan, show me this isn’t just because you’re bored and won’t wait for the next big thing to come along,” Edward coaxes. “It’s been three weeks since we handed over the app. I know you’ve just been itching to jump into something new.”

He knows me all too well. I’ve been lying in bed at night wracking my brain for something new, something that has never been done before. It’s always the come-down after closing off a project. Like restless ambition. That’s when it came to me.

Everything from food to clothing is marketed based on the very human desire for love and companionship. Wear this and you’ll look attractive, eat here and you could meet your soulmate but no one has ever come out and said do this and they’ll fall in love with you. Guaranteed.

“You know as well as I do that this is ground breaking. I shouldn’t have to convince you to make money,” I said.

He loves money as much as I do. If I’m going to get through to him, that’s the card I’m going to have to play.

“I don’t need money,” Edward shrugs. “Make this fun. Here’s my wager: Get a woman of my choosing to fall in love with you, and I’m all in. But if you can’t then you’re on your own.”

I look around the room pretending to think about it. I already know I’m in–I never back down from a bet–but I want to sweat him out a little.

“What do you say, Ethan?” Edward pushes. “You scared you might lose?”

I finally give in. “Fine, any woman you choose. I should warn you though, I won’t need to do very much to make it happen.”

I’m hardly a romantic, but I have a reputation for getting who and what I want, when and where I want them.

Edward scans the room, his eyes moving from one table to another. A group of well-dressed women sipping on cocktails with worn expressions. At another table there’s a rowdy group laughing over champagne.

Then a wry smile curls his lips and he points toward the kitchen area.

“Her,” he says, jabbing his finger through the air.

I track his gaze to a pretty young redhead, probably older than she looks. Her bright blue eyes move quickly as she walks, tray raised on her hands as she makes her way gracefully between the tables.

Then I see them, the sunflower earrings dangling from her ears. They’re the same ones the doe-eyed woman at the newsstand was wearing. Not expensive, just unique enough for me to know she was the same person I’d caught fawning over a bridal magazine.

This is going to be much much easier than I thought. For some reason, I remember the conversation I had with her clearly. She’s a hopeless romantic who equates being in love with happiness. In other words, the perfect target.

“The redhead?” I ask, just to be sure.

Edward smiles and nods. “If you aren’t the love of her life within a month, then you’re on your own.”

“This is a bet you’re losing,” I say with a self-satisfied smile. “We’re already having dinner tomorrow.”

Edward’s brows shoot up in surprise. “You know her?”

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