Sherryl Woods - Moonlight Cove

“I hope you have a great time,” she told Laila. “It really would be something if this whole matchmaking thing turns out to work.”

Laila grinned, clearly relieved to have Jess’s blessing, lukewarm though it might have been. “Fingers crossed. I’ll call later and let you know how it went.”

The minute she’d gone, Jess grabbed her keys and headed for Sally’s. She knew she’d find Jake and Mack there. Maybe they could fill her in on whether Will was behind Lunch by the Bay. If he was, once she got over the shock, she was never going to let him hear the end of it.

Will stood on the sidewalk in front of Panini Bistro waiting for Laila Riley. He’d felt a little odd matching himself up with someone he’d known for most of his life, but they’d exchanged a few emails since his phone call the day before and discovered several additional things they had in common, aside from all the people they both knew and the interests they’d both mentioned on their applications. At least they’d be able to spend the next hour catching up, with no real pressure on either of them. It made her the ideal Lunch by the Bay first date.

He saw her exit her car just up the road, then walk purposefully toward him with a stride that could easily keep up with his. She smiled when she saw him, started to hold out a hand, then shrugged and hugged him.

“This is weird, huh?” she said.

“I was just thinking how easy it should be,” he countered. “It’s not as if we haven’t known each other forever.”

“But not like this,” she said. “Not as a potential spouse.”

Will gave her a startled look that made her laugh.

“Sorry,” she said at once. “Computer compatibility notwithstanding, I’m not suggesting we call a minister quite yet. I just meant that this isn’t bumping into each other at a party or at Brady’s. It’s a real date, even if it is only lunch.”

Will grinned as the awkward moment passed. “Then I should be pulling out a chair and asking you to have a seat,” he said, doing just that before seating himself at the outside table. “Would you like a glass of wine with lunch?”

She shook her head. “One thing I’ve learned about banking is that I can’t stare at all those numbers without a clear head. You go ahead, if you want to.”

“Not me. My clients expect me to be giving them sober, thoughtful advice.”

They glanced at their menus, placed their orders, then sat back. Will couldn’t think of one single thing to say that hadn’t already been covered in their emails.

“I saw Jess before I came over here,” Laila said eventually.

To his annoyance, Will’s heart skipped a couple of beats. “Oh? How is she?”

“She seemed a little taken aback to hear that I was meeting you,” Laila told him. “I felt like I had to tell her.”

“Why?”

“You know, I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I suppose it’s because I’ve always thought the two of you had some kind of connection of your own. And, of course, she and I are friends. I warned you I was no good at keeping secrets from my friends.”

Will told himself that what she was saying about Jess’s reaction didn’t have to mean anything. It was probably no more of a shock to Jess than hearing, say, that he and Laila had crossed paths at the grocery store.

When he said nothing, Laila added, “Jess wondered if maybe this whole Lunch by the Bay thing isn’t your idea. Is it?”

Will hesitated, but saw no point in an evasive answer. “It is.” He explained his reasons for launching the company, then added, “So far, I’ve actually matched up about ten couples for first dates, though this is the first time I’ve gone out with anyone myself.”

“Really?” she said, looking impressed. “And you chose me? Why?”

“Truthfully?”

“Of course.”

“I wanted to check out my criteria for myself, and you seemed like the least threatening opportunity to do that,” he admitted. “Worst case scenario, if it turned out to be a total bust, I figured we could laugh about it.”

“I’m not sure if there’s a compliment buried in there somewhere or not,” she said.

“Probably pretty deeply,” Will said, chuckling.

“So, how about the other couples? Anything look as if it’s working out?”

“The early feedback has been very positive,” he said. “My criteria seem to be working, at least for strangers. Several people have told me they’re on their third—and, in one case, a fourth—date with the first person they were matched with.”

“So what was the criteria that made you match yourself up with me?” Laila asked, then studied him intently. “Instead of Jess, for instance? She applied the same day I did.”

Will couldn’t deny that he’d considered exactly that. After all, it was the perfect opportunity to nudge Jess into thinking of him in a different way. He just hadn’t been quite ready for the humiliation of having her laugh hysterically at the suggestion that they go on a date.

“Jess and I don’t really click,” he said carefully.

“According to these criteria of yours?” Laila pressed.

Will squirmed. “Not exactly. I left myself out of the mix when I ran her data through the computer.”

Laila looked surprised. “Why?”

“Like I said, I already knew we didn’t click.”

“But we do, according to the computer?” Laila repeated.

He nodded. “You and I had at least a half dozen or more things in common, similar interests, ambitions and so on.”

She gave him an amused look. “Sounds as if we’re a match made in heaven.”

“Who knows? We could be.” He held her gaze, hoping he’d feel something, even a hint of the chemistry he felt when he was in a room with Jess. There was nothing. It didn’t mean his criteria were off. It just meant he had no quantifiable way to measure attraction, and even he knew that was a key ingredient in any relationship.

After an awkward moment, he changed the subject, asking her opinion of a variety of economic and banking issues. Laila, he discovered, could hold her own when it came to such a debate. She was informed, opinionated and direct, all good traits to his way of thinking. They’d finished dessert before he realized that the time was late and he was due back at his office for his next appointment.

“This was fun,” he said, meaning it. “I’d love to have lunch again sometime.”

“So would I,” she said, “but next time it’s on me.”

Will saw the declaration for what it was, an offer of friendship. Since he’d been thinking along the same lines, he was relieved. “It’s a deal.”

“But not a date,” she responded. “Forget your stupid computer, Will. Ask Jess out. You know she’s the one you want. She always has been.”

He frowned at the statement. “We’re not suited.”

Laila waved off the comment. “Says who?”

“Mostly Jess,” he confessed.

“You’ve actually asked her out and she’s blown you off?”

“Well, no, but she’s made it abundantly clear that I make her uncomfortable.”

“That’s exactly what Jess needs, someone who can shake her up,” Laila said. “Stop wasting your time trying to find a replacement who’ll never measure up. Go for the real thing.” She gave him a hug. “That’s my advice to you.” She grinned. “And lucky for you, I don’t charge your hourly rates for it.”

She strode off down the street, leaving Will to stare after her and wonder why she couldn’t have been the one. Candid, no-nonsense Laila Riley was a whole lot less complicated than Jess O’Brien would ever be.

He sighed. That, of course, was the problem. He apparently liked complications. Unfortunately, that was probably going to be his downfall.