Katherine Garbera - Ready for Her Close-up

“Then I’m not doing my job,” he said. He leaned in, and she could smell that one-of-a-kind, spicy aftershave of his. “Am I boring you?”

“No, you are not boring me at all. Tell me why you are here,” she said. It was a question she’d originally planned on asking her date before she knew it was Russell. In fact, she now made the snap decision to treat him the way she would have treated John Doe if that’s whom she’d been matched with. No need to change just because he was Russell Holloway, international billionaire and playboy.

He leaned back in his chair and looked into her eyes. “It’s time to settle down. I set out to make my fortune and a name for myself. I think we can both agree that I’ve done that.”

“I’m not buying that as the entire story. There must be more,” she said.

He laughed and tipped his head to the side, studying her, and she felt a little exposed for a moment, as though he was trying to see past the makeup and the facade to the real woman underneath. “The truth is that I like the party lifestyle, but it has lost its charm. I want to have a partner I can share all my life with, not just a couple of days.”

She wanted to believe him. Who wouldn’t? It was every young girl’s dream to have a playboy like him say he wanted to settle down, and to be the lucky one he chose. “I can understand that, but marriage?”

“Why do I seem so debauched to you?” he asked.

“You don’t,” she said, realizing she was being harder on him than she would have been on any other man. And she knew it was because she was mad. Mad that she’d been matched to this man and now had to make the best of the situation.

“I’m sorry. Tell me about your family,” she said.

“I had a traditional upbringing, and though my parents are gone, I know they wanted me to get married and have kids someday.”

He had a pensive look on his face, and he turned away from her for a moment. She felt bad about the way she’d been questioning him. He obviously had a reason for going to the matchmaking service just as she had, and she should respect that.

She cleared her throat, and he turned his attention back to her. “You have kids, right?”

“No,” he said. “There have been paternity suits that I have settled out of court, but I have no kids.”

“Why not just make a family of those blended children?” she asked. What did he mean by settling paternity suits but not having any kids? She wanted to know more but this first date wasn’t the time to ask questions.

“It’s not feasible, since they aren’t mine,” he said.

“What do—”

“Enough questions—it’s my turn. Why did you go to a matchmaker?” he asked, turning that direct, silver gaze of his on her. Suddenly she wanted to go back to being anonymous. She wanted to be the one in control, and she wasn’t the least bit interested in sharing that control with him.

She fidgeted a little in her chair. She didn’t want to tell him about herself. “The simple answer is that it’s the next step for me. I have a successful business and a good life.”

“Sounds idyllic, but since you are here with me, something must be missing,” he said.

“Yes,” she said.

“It makes sense,” he said. “And I understand where you are coming from.”

“Do you?” she asked. It was hard for her to believe that she had much in common with this man. Odd to her that the two of them were at the same point in their journeys. But they were here together and, no matter how wrong that felt to her, she decided she’d make the best of it for now.

“Yes, when I was young I knew what I wanted and went after my goals with single-minded intensity. I worked hard and played hard and then one day …”

“You woke up and realized that you had everything?” she asked.

“Yes. But I wasn’t satisfied.”

“Me either,” she said. Maybe she didn’t want to see the man behind the image. Because now that she saw him expressing the same doubts that she had, she was starting to like him.

Like was too tame a word. She was attracted to him and wanted to find something—anything—that would give her a reason to stay on this show with him. The legal reason—the contract she’d signed—wasn’t enough. But hearing him express himself this way … it was appealing.

“You’re staring at me again,” he said. “I’m trying not to let it go to my head, but you’re making me feel irresistible.”

“You’ll have to get used to it, if you keep surprising me.”

“Then I will, because I intend to keep you off balance,” he said.

“Why?”

“That’s the only way I’m going to get to know the real Gail,” he said.

“And that’s important?” she asked. She wasn’t too sure she wanted anyone to know the real woman she was.

“Infinitely,” he said. “I think that is the only way that you are going to let me know you trust me. I mean, really trust me.”

“I don’t trust easily,” she admitted. “I guess that’s another reason I’ve gone to a matchmaker.”

“You’ve been burned by a man before?” he asked, leaning closer.

“Yes,” she said, putting her head down and remembering that past love. Joe hadn’t meant to hurt her—she was still sure of it—but he’d been too much into what Joe wanted to never realize that he was stepping on her dreams to achieve his own.

Russell nodded and took her hand. “I know there isn’t anything I can say right now that you’d believe, but I do want to be very sure you understand I’m not like any other man you’ve had in your life before.”

“I already knew that,” she said with a grin.

“It’s my pretty face, right?” he asked with a sexy smile that sent shivers of awareness down her spine.

“Okay, that’s a wrap on dinner. Let’s get you two up to the rooftop,” the director said. The crew all bustled around them, and Gail realized she’d had enough. This matchmaking thing was going to take some getting used to. Add to that the cameras, and it was her definition of a nightmare.

Jack came back over and spoke to them again about their impressions of the first date. Gail was unsure what to say. She mumbled something and then thankfully was motioned off camera so Jack could talk to Russell. She stood to the side watching Russell and hoping this wasn’t a huge mistake.

Had she really thought she’d find Mr. Right like this? Through a matchmaking service that she’d found off an internet ad? But, really, what had her alternatives been? She’d dated all the guys she knew. Willow and Nichole had even tried fixing her up, but that had led to nothing permanent.

“Are we going to jump?” Gail asked.

“Not a bad idea. I guess that’s how we will get some ratings for the show,” Russell said. “I can see the headlines now. Respectable woman pushes rogue Kiwi playboy off roof in hopes of finding a better match.”

Gail had to laugh. “I won’t push you … yet.”

“I guess I better step it up in the charm department,” he said.

Before she could answer, Kat was back and taking her by the arm. “Chat on camera, guys. We need you on the roof now.”

They were escorted to a private elevator and soon were on the rooftop helipad, where a chopper waited for them. “Is this for us?”

“Surprise,” Russell said. “I thought an evening ride over Manhattan would be nice.”

“I am surprised,” Gail said. “I’ve always wanted to do this.”

“Good. Also, cameras can’t come with us, so we will have some time alone to get to know one another.”

Gail didn’t say anything else as their microphones were removed and they were escorted to the chopper. She saw the cameraman at a distance, no doubt filming them so they’d have something to show later, but she was relieved that they were going to be alone.