Someone Like You Read Free Page A

woman,
he’d believed her.
    He lay down
flat on the bed, wondering how long it would take to match him with someone.
And when she found a woman for him, he’d insist on having sex at her place, not
here. He’d never, ever invite a woman to have sex in Katie’s home. Hell, he’d
never invite another woman into the house, period.
    Sex… condoms, he’d need to buy a box of those. He hadn’t needed
to in years. Well not since he and Katie had gotten serious and committed
totally to one another, and she began taking the pill.
    ****
    “I know
you’re going to think this awful of me and maybe you feel I need an escort
service more than a matchmaking one. But it’s been so long since I’ve had sex.
I mean it’s hard when you’re a single parent and…”
    Gen realized
she was rambling as she always did when she was nervous.
    Sadie put her
hand on her forearm and suddenly Gen felt relaxed, like a world of worries had
been lifted from her aching shoulders.
    “There’s no
need to explain. I’m a woman, and I know exactly what you’re talking about.”
    “You do. Oh
thank goodness for that.”
    “Absolutely,
and in fact, I have a client who just signed up and is also looking more for
the physical aspects of a partnership. He’s a widower and recently returned
from active service in the Army.”
    “Really,
a widower. So he’s old?”
    Listen to me being picky.
    Sadie shook
her head. “Not unless you call thirty-eight old.”
    “No,
no, definitely not.”
    “Should I
arrange a meeting for the two of you? Coffee this Saturday
morning at Mabel’s. Shall we say at 10 a.m.?”
    The speed at
which all this was happening took Gen by surprise.
    “Sure, that
sounds fine.”
    “Good. I’ll
give him a call, and if there’s a problem with that day and time I’ll let you
know.”
    Gen stood and
shook Sadie’s hand, once again feeling a relaxed calmness that assured her that
the rest of the day, hell, the rest of the week, was going to be perfect.
     
    ****
    Sadie watched
as Gen walked back to her car and got inside. Everything had gone to plan. She
knew by luring Gen into the vicinity of Perfect Pairing with that sales call
would get her thinking about using the coupon. She turned around to see
Nadine’s supervisor from the Department of Love standing there. She was
visiting and monitoring Sadie’s activities so she could report back to The
Board. Sometimes it was hard to remember that the whole Perfect Pairing
business had started because she’d been punished for putting a spell on her
neighbor which caused him to crash his car into his front yard. Being assigned
to the Department of Love had been anything but a punishment. Everyday was more
fun than the day before. For that reason alone, she needed to toe the line.
    “Ms. Sutton.
Do I have to remind you that you’re supposed to be working on bringing together
mortals for love and commitment, not just sex?”
    “I know, but
sometimes people need to start somewhere. And I’d rather these two come together
for a little hanky-panky than not at all.” Sadie put her hand over her heart.
“I know deep in here that once these two spend time together, even if it’s just
to have sex, they’ll see they’re made for each other. I haven’t been wrong yet.
I’m two for two, and this will be my third, you wait and see.”
    “I hope so.”
    “That reminds
me, did I show you the photos of the previous two Perfect Pairing weddings
we’ve had?”
    ****
    “Shit, not
again,” Jake swore when the razor nicked his face for the second time in less
than two minutes. How many times had he shaved in his life? Cutting himself was
a rare occurrence. Today of all days, he was going to look like he’d been
beaten up. He pressed his finger against the stream of blood and looked in the
mirror.
    In a few hours
he was going to meet Gen Thompson, who Sadie had matched him with. He’d
panicked when he’d heard the words single
mother but then realized it wasn’t a commitment, just