‘Better than you know.’ Surprisingly, Nina didn’t look sorry for her or condescending at all.
‘I got complacent, but I want to try new things now. I can’t go back to my old habits. I want to meet new people.’ Erin wrapped both hands around the back of the chair in which she’d been sitting. ‘I want to date a different type of man.’
Nina folded her hands together and draped them across her knee. ‘Is sexual exploration part of this self-analysis?’
Erin’s face heated. After being around Jason and Sienna, it better be. There was so much she’d been missing in that part of her life. ‘Maybe?’
Nina’s look was steady. ‘What we talk about doesn’t leave this room, not even to Sienna. I’ll tell her what she needs to know to do her job, but you can share things with me in confidence.’
Erin sat again, but stayed perched on the chair’s edge. ‘Marty was my one-and-only there, too.’
‘Luxxor’s contracts prohibit sexual contact.’
The weight inside Erin’s chest dropped. The pressure had just eased. Right? That’s what it was. ‘That’s probably best.’
‘Unless physical contact is acceptable to both parties.’
The weight bounced back, shortening her breaths.
‘Brushes of one body against another, a gentle caress of a hand against the small of a back, an impulsive kiss…’ Nina said, offering examples.
For incidental contact, it sounded awfully sexy.
Nina sat back against the cushions and rolled her ankle lazily. ‘Can I ask why you don’t just start dating again?’
Because just talking about being intimate with other men unsettled her? Excited her. Erin slid back into the chair and smoothed her skirt.
All of which pointed to one very good reason. ‘Things were wrong before, and I didn’t see it. I was hoping…is that not part of the service you provide? To help me understand what to look for in a match? Or explain what I’m doing wrong? Could we talk about how the dates go so I can get feedback?’
‘Can’t you do that with Sienna?’
‘Not any more.’ She used to, but with things going so well for her roommate and Jason, it was embarrassing that her own love life was in the dust. Erin let out a breath that stirred her hair. ‘I was hoping to work with a professional.’
‘A pro–?’ Nina let out a cough. ‘Well, I suppose we could do that for you.’
‘Can you do it?’ She was impressed with this woman. She could tell she’d experienced a lot in life. She was smart, tough and sexy – all things Erin aspired to be. She was looking for a mentor, not a friend.
‘I’d be willing to make that part of our arrangement.’
Erin relaxed. ‘So have we come to an agreement?’
‘I believe we’re on the same page.’ Nina lifted a finger. ‘But trust me, what you’ll find out in the end is that you, sweetie, are definitely not boring.’
They spent the rest of the hour talking about Erin’s ideal man and working up a contract. Erin tried to be general, but Nina was a stickler for details. Once Erin got past her embarrassment, she had definite answers.
She liked them dark and athletic, smart but not geeky, and tall but not too tall. She was short. She didn’t mind toughness, but she insisted on fairness. Race didn’t matter, and if a guy had a sense of humour, all bets were off. She loved to laugh.
‘You’ll never find someone who meets all these requirements,’ she said as she signed the contract on the dotted line.
‘We call them wishes, and while I’ll try to meet them, sometimes it’s someone completely opposite who’s the best fit.’
‘See.’ Erin passed over the pen. ‘That’s why I came to you.’
‘And that’s why I look forward to working with you.’ Nina shook her hand. The grip was warm and sure. ‘I’ve taken enough of your time. Let me escort you back to the lobby.’
Erin smiled. It might have been a wild hair, but coming here had been a good idea. Luxxor had so much to offer. She was impressed by Nina’s self-assurance, and those shoes! Things could work out even better than she’d hoped.
‘I love the way you’ve done your offices,’ she said as they walked out together. The scheme moved easily from room to room and offered the luxuriousness she knew the company was trying to impart.
‘Why, thank you,’ Nina said. ‘Do you do much interior decorating?’
‘My major in school was design.’ Actually, she had a masters in the subject. With Marty travelling so much for work and Sienna sticking around to get her advanced degree, she’d continued her studies, too. Not that she’d worked as hard as Sienna. Design had always come naturally for her. As her mother said, she had an eye.
‘Are you working in the field?’
‘No.’ Although it was time she looked into it. She needed to buck up and decide what she wanted to do with her life. She’d enjoyed her coursework, and it had been easy for her. She just hadn’t put much value in her studies back then.
And that had been really stupid. Her lips flattened. She’d been so dependent on others. So passive. She had a brain, and she had skills. Others took care of her, but she could contribute. ‘Rest assured, I can afford your services.’
‘I’m not worried about that, dear.’
More code. Luxxor had done its homework on her. They would have had an easy time of it with Sienna on staff. Finding information on the company, though, had proven difficult. They were so low profile, they were nearly off the radar.
Which sealed the deal for Erin. She needed the freedom and privacy to explore herself and her relationships with others.
Rielle smiled when they reached the lobby area. She had a hopeful look on her face.
‘Erin has signed with us as a client,’ Nina announced.
‘That’s wonderful.’
Erin shook the office manager’s hand, too. ‘Should I just wait for you to call?’
Nina folded her arms around her waist. ‘Yes, we’ll need a bit of time to scour our database and find potential matches. Once we do, we’ll work with you to decide a time and venue for your first…date.’
First date.
Wow.
Erin’s heels twisted like Dorothy’s in The Wizard of Oz. She felt like she was going back in time, yet moving ahead, finally, into adulthood. Her choice. Her terms. Her timeline.
Empowerment, at last.
‘I can’t wait.’
She left the swanky office with her head held high and her steps crisp. She strode down the hallway to the elevator and pushed the call button.
Who would they set her up with? Dark and handsome? Blonde and boyish? Clean-cut and sexy?
And what about that sexual contact clause in the contract? It wouldn’t possibly be needed. But what if it was? What if she was attracted to the man they paired her with? Or men?
Heat crept up in her cheeks. She was so immersed in the daydream, she blinked when the elevator bell rang. Moving forward on autopilot, she came to an abrupt halt when someone exited.
‘Oh,’ she squealed. Yet the ‘Ohhhhhh’ kept right on going as she tilted her head back to look at the man who stood less than a foot in front of her.
Talk about dark and handsome.
Add rugged and rough-and-tumble