THE DEAL

Even now, years later, he couldn’t forget the innocent passion of her kiss as she flung herself at him on her eighteenth birthday. For one, brief moment Matt had lost himself, all his fantasies come true, until he realised who he was kissing. He’d over-reacted, pushing her away with an icy, verbal barrage that would’ve doused the hottest flames.
He hadn’t wanted history repeating itself. One cradle-snatching Byrne in the family was enough and look how that had turned out. He could kill his dad sometimes, he really could.
He’d done the only decent thing possible and avoided Kara. So unexpectedly running into her today…damn, he still had it bad. He thought she’d shown some interest in return, then she’d bolted. She probably remembered the way he’d treated her all those years ago. No wonder she wouldn’t have a drink with him.
And why the hell had she been in a dating agency? A woman like her wouldn’t be single for long.
Intrigued more than he’d like to be, he rang the bell on the front counter.
“Be with you in a minute,” a voice shouted from the back office.
Matt glanced around, the ever-observant lawyer in him coming to the fore. The office was perfectly coordinated in black and chrome with the occasional splash of red to brighten it. No tacky hearts plastering the walls of this dating agency, just trendy stencilled prints by some artist he hadn’t heard of. Not that he was an expert on dating agencies. This was the first he had been to and he hoped it would be the last.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
He turned, the woman’s voice familiar.
“Sally? Damn, this day gets stranger and stranger. First Kara and now you.”
The older woman hugged him. “Great to see you, Matt. You’re as handsome as ever.”
She picked at imaginary lint on his suit jacket, bringing back treasured memories of his first ball, when Sally had stood proudly on his parent’s doorstep and waved him off as if he was her child. In fact, she’d been more of a parent to him than his own father.
“You’re looking great too.” He smiled, watching her already ruddy cheeks blush.
“Get away with you.” She slapped his arm playfully. “So what brings you to Matchmaker? You wouldn’t need much help in the dating department?”
“You run this agency?”
Relief washed over him. If Sally ran the agency, Kara had been visiting her stand-in mum rather than organising a date.
She nodded. “Sure do. Opened it a few years ago, once Kara moved out and started her own business. I’d always had a smidgeon of an idea I’d like to bring joy to lonely people, so after reading one too many romance novels I decided to take the plunge.”
“That’s great.” He thought about asking Sally about Kara’s business but it was too obvious. Besides, he had plenty of time to do that. “I need your help.”
“Come in, take a seat and tell mel all about it.”
He followed her into a small but equally appealing office. The tones were similar to the outer office, but lighter, giving the room an appearance of more space.
“So, why are you here?”
He leaned back in the comfortable chair and crossed his legs at the ankles.
“I need a change of image. My father thinks my reputation is detrimental to the company.”
“Yeah, I see your antics plastered over the newspapers on a regular basis. You’re quite the ladies man.”
“Don’t believe everything you read. My life isn’t half as exciting as the journalists make out. Anyway, Dad says I won’t get a look-in at a partnership till my behaviour improves.”
He ran his hand through his hair, a habit he’d tried to conquer but failed, except in the courtroom.
“You know Dad. Byrne and Associates is his baby. I haven’t a hope in Hades of making partner until I show “a more responsible attitude in my personal life”, end of quote.”
“I was your dad’s neighbour for a long time. He’s proud of you. Aren’t you putting undue pressure on yourself? He loves you, regardless if you make partner or not.”
Love? His father didn’t know the meaning of the word. He straightened the knife-edge crease on his pants. “I need to prove to everyone at the firm I’m a damn good lawyer who isn’t hanging onto daddy’s coat-tails. I want that partnership, the sooner the better.”
His blood pressure soared whenever he thought about the endless innuendo at the firm about his rising status in the company. He was a first-rate lawyer without the help of his father. Not that his father had offered any.
“How can I help?”
This was the tricky part. Matt was embarrassed at having to admit he’d already dated most of the women in his social circle and beyond.
“Like I said, I need a change of image. I need to meet a woman, quickly, who is attuned to my way of thinking. I had a business arrangement in mind, where she would appear as my steady girlfriend for corporate events and the like. In return, she could name her price.”
Sally winced. “You make it sound so cold and calculating. I’m in the romance business, not in dating contracts. Besides, aren’t you deceiving your father into offering you a partnership? Isn’t there another way?”
He shook his head. “I’ve done my research. Many women I’ve met via online apps aren’t serious about much beyond a hookup, so speed dating seems to be the quickest and easiest way to meet a woman who matches my needs. I know the service is confidential so Dad won’t find out. Besides, who is he to judge? Look at his personal life.”
“I still think it isn’t right, not telling your dad.”
Sally had always stuck up for