Meeting His Match

Chapter 4-2

Mac didn’t know what he’d been thinking emailing Gem. He wasn’t even sure she’d respond, but when she did, it was fun, almost flirtatious. He knew better than to flirt with her and open that window, but she intrigued him.

And he was a little nervous about who she’d pick as the final client. He hadn’t seen all of the videos; therefore, he had no idea what was lurking in the files. It wasn’t long before his email lit with a new message.

Here’s my girl, Ashley. I think she’s the perfect addition.

Mac heard Gem’s bubbly voice make the declaration and it sent a ripple of unease through him. He opened the video file and watched. Oh, hell. Ashley was a party girl, young, and Mac didn’t believe she was looking for a real relationship. But he wouldn’t give Gem the satisfaction of knowing he was worried.

He simply answered with a quick thanks and sent the file to Paul. Within ten minutes, Paul called.

“Hi.”

“Why are you sending me a video of a woman looking to settle down? Trying to give me a message? I already told your mom I don’t need her services.”

Mac smiled. His mom had always tried to work her magic on everyone she cared about. “No. That’s the client Gem chose.”

Paul laughed. “She sounds like Gem.”

That hadn’t been lost on Mac, either. “Did I screw myself by giving her this?”

“I don’t see why. You can work with the first two. The voting for the contest is two-fold. The clients each get a vote and then the online audience votes. If you get two-thirds of the clients, you’re golden.”

“What about the audience? She has a huge online following. That gives her an advantage.”

Paul chuckled again. “Who do you think is going to watch this show?” He didn’t wait for Mac to answer. “Women. While Gem might have a following and will get votes from her fan base, there will be many women who will vote for you because you’re you.”

Mac withheld the groan.

“Whatever works, man.”

He hung up with Paul and emailed Gem. It took three tries for him to get the wording correct. Interesting choice. Go ahead and send to Brad so he can get everything lined up.

A moment later his email pinged. Already sent. Wasn’t waiting for your approval. Followed by a winking emoji.

Mac liked this setup less and less. He dug into the information he had on each client. He needed to prep for his first meeting with them. Part of him wanted to call his mom and get her take on them, but he couldn’t. It would feel like cheating. He knew how she approached clients, how she questioned them, how she decided with whom to pair them.

While it wasn’t magic, it wasn’t a simple numbers game like Gem thought either. It was about knowing the client, her wants and needs, and why she hadn’t been able to find a successful relationship on her own. Something held her back. Mac needed to know what that was.

The thought brought him back to Gem, who was clearly not one of his clients. He couldn’t afford to waste headspace trying to figure her out, but she kept jumping in his brain. He wondered if she saw herself in Ashley and that was why she’d chosen her. Or was she oblivious to the similarities? No, Gem was sharp enough that she’d seen it.

What made her think she could find Mr. Right for Ashley if she couldn’t do it for herself?

The question itself was dumb and Mac recognized it as soon as he had the thought. Maybe Gem wasn’t looking for Mr. Right anymore than he was looking for Ms. Right. He didn’t believe his own lack of a perfect relationship would hold him back from helping others.

Refocusing on the clients, he prepared to prove to his mother what a successful matchmaker he could be.