Along Came Mr. Right (6 page)

“A dating site?” Her curiosity gave way to skepticism.

A hint of irritation showed on his face. “It’s so much more than what you’re thinking. My app is different. I take a mathematical approach to a deeply emotional and personal process.”

“And it works?” she asked as her interest in the concept increased.

“It has so far. I’ve tested over five thousand people, and more than two thousand test subjects have found their ideal pairing. Eighty-one percent are maintaining a relationship to the present, and thirty-two percent have married or are engaged. Of those who’ve married, ninety-nine percent have stayed married over the past eighteen months, indicating my algorithm pairs couples who stay together once matched.”

The Wheel rotated down and started its upward climb once again. “One of my friends tried a site, but it didn’t connect her with anyone lasting. Just endless first dates,” Olivia said with a frown.

“No one has the time or the patience for only first dates. Millennials want more out of their connections. Did you know the current dating population is more apt to try a matchmaking service than any generation prior? Matchmaker 2.0 is going to be the next thing in matchmaking technology.”

“If you believe that about your app, then why are we out here tonight on a real date?”

“The app simply finds the right formula to indicate a matched pair. The rest is up to the couples to figure out in person. But the likelihood of success is much greater using my app. Math can predict personal chemistry every time when it comes to successful, long-term relationships,” he said, his gray eyes narrowing in challenge.

“You think a mathematic algorithm can look inside a person’s soul and figure out what inspires them, fills them with contentment, or what excites them?”

Instead of hardening, his expression lit up. “Yes. I do. I have a lot riding on that very fact, and I have close to a thousand couples that tell me I’m right.” He considered her. “Would you like to try my algorithm yourself? I’d be happy to administer the test.”

“No,” she said with an emphatic laugh.

“Afraid of who Matchmaker 2.0 might reveal as your ideal match?” His eyes had a mischievous glint.

Olivia shook her head, still smiling. She wasn’t ready to throw out tradition, even if she was tired of being the good girl all the time. She’d find her own special someone when she was ready for him. “I’m not afraid of anything.” The words were true enough, anyway.

Instead of challenging her, Max leaned back against his seat and smiled in return. “I’m beginning to see that. For instance, why did you decide to start your own foster-adopt agency?”

Olivia stared down at her hands in her lap before bringing her gaze back to his. “I saw for myself how hard it is on kids to be tossed around from one foster family to another.”

His eyes darkened. “You were a foster child?”

“For a short time.”

“If it’s not too personal, can I ask what happened?”

She’d told her story so many times now, it seemed more like a speech than something she’d actually lived through. Besides, she’d had it easy compared with many kids in foster care. “After my dad died, my mom had a hard time finding work. We struggled with a place to live, and we often didn’t have any food to eat.” At the empathy in his eyes, she shrugged. “My mom decided to place me in temporary foster care while she pulled herself together.”

“How long were you in the system?”

“Only a year. I was lucky. I was placed with a wonderful family who had three other foster kids. I learned through the other kids’ stories what it was like to move from family to family in the foster system, and I promised myself I’d find a way to help others like them. Two years ago I opened the Tomorrow Foundation, and I’ve been making good on that promise ever since.”

“With kids like Paige.”

Olivia nodded.

“What’s Paige’s story?”

“Paige’s mother abandoned her when she was little. Her father mentally and physically abused her. Her scars run deep—scars that are hard to heal.”

Max’s face became shadowed as they rotated to the top and started their descent once again. “Do kids get over something like that?”

“They never get over it. They just have to make new, more powerful, positive memories.”

“How can I help Paige?”

“You already are.”

“Is it enough?”

Olivia shrugged. “Unless she starts to experience success, whether at school or in some other way, her past will always drag her down. She has to make it out of the cycle of her self-destruction.”

The Wheel’s artificial lights illuminated his face as he looked at her with an intensity that made her breath catch. “You’re a good person, Olivia.”

“I simply want to make a difference.”

He stared past her out the window at the city lights as if pondering her words. When he finally spoke, his voice was raw. “I want to make a difference, too. Part of developing the app, and ideally selling it, is to give me much more flexibility to put money into helping kids more.”

“Why do you call it Matchmaker 2.0?” she asked, curious about the name he’d chosen.

He laughed, the sound rich and full in the confined gondola. “The first matchmakers were real people. There are other dating apps out there, but mine is the next improvement in dating technology.”

“I hope you find success with your invention,” she said, meaning the words.

“But you still won’t take my Matchmaker 2.0 test, will you? Is it because you don’t think
we
have chemistry?” Max challenged, one eyebrow raised.

“Well.” Olivia found it hard to lie when one side of her mouth insisted on bending upward.

Max patted his backpack. “I’ve got a little test right here that’ll prove otherwise, if you’re brave enough to take it.”

Olivia crossed her arms and considered. “Okay then. But if we’re less than a seventy-five percent match—”

“Fifty.”

“Sixty,” she countered. She went on when he agreed with a nod. “Then you owe me another hundred-dollar contribution to the Tomorrow Foundation.”

“Done! And if I win, you owe me a hundred kisses.”

She smiled slowly and said, “Ten.”

He pressed his lips together. “Only if I can collect one of those now.”

She nodded, and her stomach fluttered in anticipation.

“As soon as we are somewhere you won’t have to use your lap as a desk, I’ll make sure you take the Matchmaker test. In the meantime . . .” He leaned in and brought his lips to hers.

Desire flowed through her blood as she brought her hands up to his shoulders. A tiny sigh escaped his mouth, and the sound made her bold. Her tongue teased his lips, urged them to part. And when they did, she touched her tongue to his.

He deepened the intensity of the kiss, and all her nerves came alive. She slid into his arms, pressed against him, a silent invitation. His hands traced up her back, across her shoulders, down her arms. Heat came forth, igniting at his touch to build with each caress until it spread through her like a wildfire she would either have to surrender to or fight with all her might.

Until the ride came to a jerking stop.

“Nice test,” Olivia said, collecting her bouquet of irises.

The door slid open. “Was that long enough, Mr. R.?”

“Yeah, Nick. I think we’re done,” Max said, sounding slightly flustered. “Thank you for your help.” Max stepped from the gondola first, then helped her back onto the pavement. “Come on, Olivia. Our date isn’t over yet.” He took her hand and led her down the pier and toward the ferry terminal.

“Where are we going?” she asked with a laugh, feeling as light as air.

“I have no idea. Let’s just hop on the next ferry and see where it takes us.”

“We won’t be able to see any scenery. It’s dark.”

He turned to her, his expression filled with contentment. “The only thing I want to look at tonight is you.”

Olivia’s breath caught as he hurried them toward the loading ferry. Was any of this really happening? Everything about Max, from the moment she’d met him, seemed far too good to be true. Did honest men still exist in this world? She could hardly deny the evidence before her.

Maybe, just maybe, it was time to start believing in love again.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Once they’d settled themselves on the Hyak ferry after eating dinner near the ferry dock in Bremerton, Max had pulled his computer from his backpack and started Olivia on the Matchmaker questionnaire. He watched her now in nervous anticipation as she studiously answered the questions he’d formulated, her irises next to her on the bench.

Passengers entering and exiting the observation deck where they sat sent a burst of wind to whip the strands of her long, wavy, brown hair around her face. She patiently brushed them aside as she continued. As if sensing him watching her, she looked up, offered him a soft smile, then returned to her test.

Her smile warmed him to his toes as he released a silent groan. What the heck was he doing out on a date with her tonight? He wasn’t exactly free to do so, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. Every time he looked at her, thoughts of everything else fled.

With a not-so-silent groan, he pulled his gaze away from her. Their seafood dinner had stretched into a languorous three hours. In her company he found more than contentment.

“How’s it going over there?” he asked when her fingers paused on the keyboard. He knew it was time for them to head back to Seattle and reality soon, as much as he didn’t want to.

“I think I’m done.” She shifted the tablet computer back toward him. He felt as if he were sinking into the golden depths of her eyes.

The moment stretched between them before he tore his gaze away, doing what had to be done. He had to know the truth about how right they were for each other. He checked out the computer screen. “You got the ‘program complete’ notice?” He saw it for himself. “Great.” Max eagerly took over the device and engaged the program’s search data, pulling up his own profile. “In about three minutes, we’ll know just how compatible we are.”

They were the longest three minutes of his life. When the program finally finished, a soft chime sounded. As he clicked to open the results, he winked at Olivia in encouragement, only to freeze. Max stared at the findings in stunned silence. He never would have believed it.
Never.

Olivia watched him with expectant eyes.

He swallowed hard. Something had to be wrong with the test. Except he knew there wasn’t. Yet the results concluded he and Olivia were only a 10 percent match. Which meant any relationship they started would be doomed to failure.

How could that be? They were like kindling and flame.

He snapped his computer shut. “The program isn’t working right. I need to run some diagnostics. I’ll let you know the results later.” He stuffed his computer back into his backpack.

She reached for his hand, stilling his movements. The warmth of her touch flowed through his fingers. “We’re not a match, are we?”

He wanted to lie to her, but her steady look wouldn’t let him. “No,” he said as his gaze lowered to her lips. He could prove to her in another way how perfect they were for each other.

She drew her hand away.

“It means nothing,” he reassured her, missing her warmth.

“It means I’m right about dating. And you owe my foundation a hundred dollars.” She stared at him, her face pale. “At least we know the truth.”

Silence fell as Max tried to think how to fix what his test was breaking between them. Finally, he resorted to what had always worked before—physical touch. He reached for her. “Come here, Olivia.”

Olivia’s breath hitched at the words, but she stayed firmly in place. “I’d hoped we were compatible.”

“We are.” Taking matters into his own hands, he stood and pulled her up from her seat, wrapping his fingers around her own. “Like you said earlier . . . no test can replace what two people have together, face-to-face.”

“You believe in your algorithm. To deny the results means you’re lying to yourself.” She tried to pull away despite the pulse of her heartbeat that leaped beneath his touch. “I just got out of a bad relationship, Max. I’m not sure I could survive a repeat—at least not with you.”

Those last few words gave him hope. She felt it, too, the connection between them, despite their test results. “What about your note? I received it last night when I got home from school. You asked me to meet you at Olympic Sculpture Park. Can we meet tomorrow and see where that takes us?”

Her eyes went wide. “I sent that note by mistake.”

At his questioning glance she continued. “My assistant mailed it before I could stop her.” She paused. “Besides, according to your app, the two of us dating wouldn’t be the wisest thing for either of us to do.”

He wasn’t going to let her go so easily. “Then let’s continue the tutoring with Paige. We’ll work together to help her get her grades up, and whatever happens between us naturally, happens.”

She hesitated, then finally gave him a half smile. “I did have fun tonight.”

“Me, too,” he replied, leaning forward to place a kiss against her forehead. Too far from where he really wanted to caress her.

And while they tutored Paige, he would take a look at the programming of Matchmaker 2.0 and find a way to get the results he needed from his own invention.

The next day Olivia headed to meet her girlfriends for coffee. When Ellie had heard about her date with Max, she’d insisted on them meeting in order to hear all the details. Olivia stepped inside the downtown Starbucks and ordered a cup of tea. When it came up, she made her way to a table to wait for Ellie and Jordan.

She and Max had had a great time on their date. Why weren’t they compatible? The sensation of his kisses filled her, and she could feel her decision not to date weaken. As it had each time she encountered Max. The girls would have a field day with this.

Desperate to break her train of thought, Olivia opened up Facebook and checked her news feed.

A picture loaded from a gossip site—one of a man with a woman leaning over his shoulders. A wave of overwhelming incredulity twisted inside her. If she hadn’t been sitting, she would have dropped to her knees. She swallowed against the shock and stared at the image of Max with another woman . . . and not just any woman. The caption underneath announced the engagement of Maxwell Alexander Right III to Annalise Ellington, heiress to a software billionaire’s fortune, known for her flamboyant style and the debonair men she dated.

Why had this shown up in her feed today? Why had it shown up at all? She hadn’t friended Max . . . yet.

“Heya, Olivia,” Jordan said as she and Ellie slid into two empty seats at the table. “How was your date last night with Max? I want to date someone who smells like oranges.”

Olivia didn’t respond to Jordan’s teasing. She said nothing at all. She couldn’t find the words.

“Come on.” Ellie placed a hand on Olivia’s arm. “Spill. You’re killing me.”

Instead of talking, she slid her phone and the telling picture toward Ellie and Jordan.

“This . . . Maxwell Alexander Right III is your Max? The guy you slept with?” Jordan asked over the brim of her forgotten coffee cup.

Why did Jordan have to be so blunt about everything? “Yes.” Olivia hesitated a moment until she could say the rest without a catch in her voice. “So, I guess now we know. Not only is he a cheater just like Damien—he’s engaged to someone else.”

“Who posted this?” Jordan grabbed the phone to investigate. “It came from a Ms. Pickles.” Jordan bit down on her lip as she investigated. “The profile has no picture and the only bio information is that she lives in Seattle. It could be anyone.”

“It doesn’t matter who she is. The damage is done,” Olivia replied, still trying to shake off the numbness that had descended throughout her body.

“I feel like I’ve betrayed you, too,” Ellie said as her face went pale.

“Why?” Olivia asked, even though she was sure she didn’t want to know.

“Because,” Ellie said, her eyes wide as she shifted her gaze between Olivia and Jordan. “Two weeks ago I accepted the two of them as clients for their engagement party and wedding. This is that nondisclosure-agreement wedding I was talking about. They’re supposed to get married the first week of April.”

Two weeks ago.
He’d been engaged when he’d slept with her, when he’d filled her heart with promises. Sudden tears filled Olivia’s eyes. “Damn.” She swallowed roughly, forcing the disappointment back. He didn’t deserve her tears. No wonder they’d had only a 10 percent match. He’d already met the correct match.

Jordan’s features grew stormy. “If I ever meet that bastard—”

“Oh, Olivia,” Ellie said, reaching for her hand. “At least now that you know, you never have to see him again.”

“But I do,” Olivia groaned, realizing.

“Why?” Jordan and Ellie asked in unison.

“Paige. She’s failing, and he said he’ll help her. I have to see him Monday after school.” It was the last thing she wanted to do, but Paige didn’t need another person letting her down, or hearing the drama behind why Olivia had done so. She would have to be an adult about it.

“Do you want me to terminate my contract? I’d do that, if that’s what you wanted.”

Olivia set her drink on the table hard. Tea splashed through the tiny hole in the lid. She was furious with Max. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to hurt him back for the way he’d chosen to treat her, but she wouldn’t let Ellie’s company suffer as a result. “No need, Ellie. That won’t change anything.”

“Then what are you going to do?” Jordan asked.

“Exactly what I did with Damien—pretend he didn’t hurt me and hope the pain goes away sooner than it did the first time.”

“Why don’t you spend the day with me? I can get someone to cover my shift at the hospital,” Jordan offered. “We can talk this through. Maybe there’s more to the story than what you’re seeing on Facebook.”

The engagement photos were enough evidence for Olivia of Max’s deception. “Thanks for the offer, Jordan, but I’ll deal with this myself.” She stood. Was her judgment about men so poor that she’d fallen in love with the wrong person not once but twice? “I have to go.”

“Olivia, wait,” Ellie called to her.

She didn’t turn around. Instead, she exited the coffeehouse and allowed herself to be swallowed up by the bustling flow of pedestrians. Her breath came in quick, painful gasps as she blindly crossed the street, heading for her office. Even though it was Saturday, she was certain she could find something to do that would take her mind off Max—perhaps arranging the files or clearing off her desk. Tears blurred her vision and turned into a thick, twisted lump in her throat as she remembered the passionate kisses she and Max had shared last night on their date and at her charity auction.

None of it had been real. She stopped in front of the dilapidated doorway of the Tomorrow Foundation’s office. She’d had more fun in the past few days than she could remember.

Max had called it chemistry. She called it a lie.

Olivia huddled deeper into her raincoat as if doing so would take away the chill seeping through her. It was time to return to reality, to get back to what she did best, helping people with real problems, not indulging in fantasies.

She’d go back to her safe, predictable life. Max would go back to his. They would see each other only to make certain Paige got the help she needed. That was where things would begin and end with them from this moment forward. It was as simple as that. Only it wasn’t simple at all.