MisMatch (A Humorous Contemporary Romance) Read Free Page A

you'll lay off the
whole finding me the love of a good woman thing. It gets old.
Follow me in your car. I need to drop off the Degas first.”
    Vince grinned, and Eli could see why women
flocked to him. He had the grin of a big kid. He kept in shape. At
six two, they were the same height, though Vince probably had forty
pounds on Eli. Eli kept himself fighting trim with Krav Maga and
running workouts. Vince liked his bench-press and a bulkier
look.
    Vince shrugged. “I'm just saying. There are
few things in life that can’t be solved with a woman.”
    Eli ignored his partner. The last thing he
needed was to have to take care of someone else in his life.

Chapter 2
    Jessica surveyed the crowd of wannabes and
starlets as Will.I.Am and Britney Spears blared from the speakers.
Everywhere she turned, groups of girls jumped up and down quoting
the words. Jessica couldn't help an eye roll. Was that what Izzy
meant by being a grown up? Had she grown up entirely in the process
of trying to start her business? Was she old now? Somehow
uncool?
    She glanced down at her fuchsia, backless
dress and black spiked heels with pink bows. Whatever, she looked
fierce. And she was only twenty-four, for the love of God. Besides,
as long as she knew who was on the radio, she was good.
    The DJ kept the dance music flowing as
Jessica moved through the crowd. Given her small stature, it wasn’t
an easy feat. She only narrowly escaped drink-on-dress-itas by a
narrow margin, but she had a target in mind, and drunk, mindless,
post-pubescent wannabes weren’t going to deter her.
    In the center of the room hung an opaque
sheet. She frowned as she studied it. Was this guy some kind of
aerialist? How the hell would she market that? Her mother hadn’t
told her anything about the guy. Just that she needed to go see one
of his shows, and she'd be forever changed. Granted, her mother
always said things like that. How would her mother survive when
something life changing actually did happen?
    The DJ changed the tunes to what sounded
like the newest single by the hottest new pop star, but with a more
synthesized base beat, and he slowed it down just a hitch, too. Hmmm, maybe it's show time . Nervous energy
buzzed over Jessica’s skin. Laugh as she might, there was nothing
as exciting as meeting a new artist. It was all about the
possibilities they could bring. What they could actually create.
She wasn’t holding her breath on this one, but it didn't mean the
excitement wasn’t there. She was her father’s daughter when it came
to art. She never had the talent herself, but she loved beautiful
things. Things people created with nothing but their imaginations.
It fascinated her.
    The lights dimmed and transformed. Gone were
the flashing strobe mixers. Instead, they were replaced by more
targeted spots that highlighted the center stage.
    Half the women in the club crowded the tiny
viewing area directly in front of the stage, and Jessica watched
them carefully. They weren’t the usual party-goer types. Their
gazes were set, transfixed on the stage. They were well dressed,
sporting designer names, and none were anywhere near borderline
trashy. These people had money. These were the people she could
reach with this artist. She made a mental note and tucked the
observation away for later.
    The volume of the music dropped, and the
emcee’s voice came out of the speakers. “Ladies and Gentlemen,
Sphinx Nightclub is proud to bring you Samson Marks.” The women in
front cheered loudly. One of them looked like she might actually
pass out. Who the hell was this guy, and what was he doing to these
women?
    Then she saw. Through the opaque curtain,
she could make out a woman on a settee or chaise. Her head was
tossed back, and her breasts were pertly on display, nipples at the
ready. Was she—?
    She can’t be naked? Can
she? Jessica strained to decipher if the model was, in fact,
naked. She chuckled to herself as she realized this was probably
part of the fun of the