Page 5 of Fake It For Love (Faux Love)
“I also answered very random questions,” I reminded her. “Things like what my favorite color is and what kind of music I liked.”
Her smile brightened. “Those two things are very telling about a person. Do you want to date someone who loves country music?”
I cringed at the thought. “I could but I wouldn’t want to listen to country if I didn’t have to.”
“Exactly,” she said. “Compatibility is important. You answer questions, she answers questions, and then I do my thing. I have a very good knack for putting couples together.”
“We wouldn’t be a couple,” I corrected. “Not in real life.”
“Of course not,” she cooed. “No, no. But you need to be compatible. I know people. It’s what I do. I’m looking at you and listening to what you say, and I’m very confident your escort is going to be a good fit. You two will get along very well. I just know it.”
“And she’ll be there when?”
“She has an event on the island next week,” she said. “She’ll be there on Sunday.”
I nodded. “And I can meet her then?”
“Absolutely. I’ll set up a meeting.”
“What happens if we hate each other on sight?” I asked. “I’ve been told I can be, uh, difficult. Not mean, but I’m not very adept at social encounters.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” Della assured me. “My service removes the awkwardness. It’s a transaction. You are a successful businessman, correct?”
I nodded my head. “I am.”
“I imagine you often have business meetings with people you don’t know all the time,” she said with a smile. “Are you awkward then?”
“No. Not really. I know my business very well.”
“When you meet your date, think of it as a business meeting,” she advised. “You are hiring the woman for a service.”
“And you’re certain she’s compatible with me,” I said. “This high school reunion is not something I’ve been looking forward to. I need my date to be good company. I’m sure you remember what high school was like. This fun little reunion will be nothing but judgment. I need someone who can stand beside me and weather the storm. I’ll happily pay more.”
Della was smiling at me. “From where I’m sitting, it doesn’t look like you have a lot to worry about.”
I got that a lot. My looks were like my Superman cape or my Batsuit. I was blessed with good looks, but sometimes, it wasn’t enough to fend off the snide comments that had been following me all my life. “You didn’t go to school with the same jackasses I did. They’ll find a way to judge.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “People judge us every day. We don’t have to accept anyone’s judgment. We all answer to the deity of our choosing. The rest is obnoxious buzzing in the ear.”
“Thanks,” I said. “So, what now?”
“I have the confidentiality agreement for you to sign, along with the financial business,” she said. She handed me a tablet with a contract. “I’ll contact the escort right now to see if she is available for the time requested.”
“And if she’s not?” I asked.
Della grinned. “Trust me, with the amount of money you’ll be paying her, she will be.”
I read through the contract. I signed nothing without reading it first. Satisfied with the terms, I signed my name with the electronic pen. “She will have signed the same agreement?” I asked.
“Of course.”
“She cannot tell anyone I paid her to be my date?” I clarified.
“She would not,” she assured me. “You have to imagine being in her shoes. Would you want to announce it to the world?”
“No, I suppose not.”
“I will send you contact information for the first meeting,” she said.
