Matchmaker

One

I'm a professional woman. I've always prided myself on that fact. I'm intelligent; I graduated at the top of my class. I've always been one to keep myself grounded; never really walking around with my head in the clouds. I've been nothing but rational my entire life. So why is it that as I watched our newest partner waltz his way through the reception area, all I could think about was how good he would look under that incredibly expensive-looking suit?

His sandy blond hair; longer on the top and faded down, was styled neatly. Not one hair out of place. Piercing blue eyes squinted in a smile under thin wire-framed glasses that were perched on top of his perfectly chiseled nose. His square jaw flexed as he greeted the people around him, and his perfect pink lips pulled tight around his commercial-quality teeth as he laughed. If there were a perfect man in this world, I was staring at him in a soot black suit and deep Cabernet red tie.

I hadn't met him officially yet, but I knew his name. Hell, everybody in the office knew who he was. Trevor Grant had only recently bought a majority of the shares in the matchmaking business, effectively saving my job along with those of my coworkers. If it weren't for him, the office would have shut down within the next few months.

I focused my eyes back on the project in front of me. One of the new clients had submitted her personality profile and I was searching for a match to suit her as well as possible, but as hard as I tried, I could not concentrate. There was too much excitement in the office.

Riley sat on her desk twirling her finger in her red curls, smiling and flirting with the savior of the company. She was a sweet girl, not much older than myself. She had sort of become my friend by default when I started working at L'accord Parfait. She and I shared a very small office in the first months of my new job. She showed me how things worked around the place and we bonded quickly over our love of a good drink and a night out dancing.

People called us the trouble of the office. With her deep red curls and sparkling green eyes, she had any and every man in the building doing her every command. You could practically see them salivating over her milky white skin as it peaked out from behind the mint green wrap dress she wore. Her nose was cute, almost what people would describe as a button nose. We were always together when we were at work, and most of the time even afterwards.

I've always been told I was beautiful. The boys would always admire my chocolate brown eyes and long platinum blonde hair that fell down my back in waves. People have said I have an "exotic" look about me. I guess it's to be expected with my birth mother being from Russia and my father being Hispanic.

Riley hopped off the desk and came walking in my direction, swaying her hips, hoping Mr. Grant was watching. "Nika, you've got to meet this guy. He's so freaking charming." I could practically see the butterflies making themselves known in her stomach. "If I were you, I'd take this time to do a little ass kissing since he's practically owning us now."

"I'm really busy here, Riley. I'm sure I'll meet him sometime in the near future." I flipped through a few pages in one of the many files laying on my desk. "Besides, I'm perfectly fine being one of the behind the scenes workers. I don't have any reason to try to get in good with the boss."

"I'm just saying make yourself known. I'm not trying to get you to get in good with him. I plan on doing that myself." She gave me a mischievous smile.

"You're so gross." I laughed.

"You're the only one who thinks that, and I bet it's just because you've never got in good with anyone."

"Riley! Personal secret!" I scolded and she chuckled a bit as my cheeks heated with a blush. "Also, Mark does his best."