Perfect Man

Chapter 1 “I have the perfect man for you, Alex.” “I’m not really looking for a man right now, perfect or otherwise,” Alexander Nichols told his sister. He shifted his cell phone to his other ear and continued to type the email message to his client. “Don’t you think it’s time you started dating?” “It hasn’t been that long, Jill.” Jill sighed heavily. “Travis broke up with you eight months ago. He’s moved on. He’s got a new boyfriend and Ken said he told him they are talking about moving in together.” Alex paused, his fingers poised over the keyboard. His ex-boyfriend’s brother, Ken, also happened to be Jill’s husband. It made things more than a little awkward at family gatherings. What few they’d had since Travis had dumped him. He winced and resumed typing. “Whatever. What does that have to do with me?” “The point is you seem rather pathetic because you haven’t even gone on a single date since.” “How do you know?” Silence greeted his question, but only for about ten seconds. “Have you?” Alex was tempted to lie. He really was. A tiny white lie would shut his sister up. At least for a short time. Nothing ever shut his older sister up for good. “Well…I had coffee with someone a couple of weeks ago.” He had, sort of. The coffee place he frequented ran out of tables and an old man sitting alone at one of them invited him to take the vacant chair. “Hmm. That’s a start, I suppose. Have you seen him again?” Sure, Alex saw the man all the time since he too frequented the coffee place. He shrugged. “I’ve seen him a few times.” “I still think you can meet my guy for a drink.” Alex rolled his eyes and hit send. “Your guy?” “You know what I mean. I work with Craig. He’s as handsome as sin, educated, owns his own home, drives a Mercedes. Charming and interesting too. I know a lot of women who wish he wasn’t gay.” Alex stared at the window of his tenth-floor office in the Century City section of Los Angeles. It was early February and the sky was overcast. The weathercast had said a slight chance of showers. Still dry as far as he could tell. “Alex?” “Sorry, I zoned.” He leaned back wearily in his chair. “It’s been my experience that guys named Craig are all jerks.” “Yeah, okay, but you’re meeting him,” his sister insisted. “I told him you’d meet him at six thirty tonight.” “What? Jill…” “Oh, calm down. It’s a drink. And he’s meeting you in the bar on the first floor of your own building so you don’t even have to drive anywhere. See how convenient I made it for you?” “I don’t need my big sister to pick up men for me. I don’t like blind dates.” Jill laughed. “Stop whining. I expect a call later tonight telling me how brilliant I am. He’s perfect, Alex, trust me. Gotta run. Bye.” Alex frowned at his cell and tossed it on his desk. His gaze flew to the clock on his desk. Only forty-five minutes until he was supposed to meet this guy? Blowing out a heavy breath, he considered leaving work now and skipping the whole thing. Coward’s way out? Maybe, but he didn’t even agree to meet this guy. He owed his sister big time for this crap.