Heartstrings and Diamond Rings Read Online Free PDF

sorry. Now…where were we?”
    Alison was still thinking about that phone conversation. Could he do for her what he’d done for Susan? Introduce her to a man who made time stand still?
    “We were talking about your fee,” she said hesitantly. “It’s a little…high. I mean, compared to Internet dating…”
    He nodded thoughtfully. “Think of it this way, Alison. Internet dating is like a ten‑dollar buffet. You pick out several things that look good, put them on your plate, and hope you can stomach at least a few of them. Matchmaking is like eating at the chef’s table at a gourmet restaurant. You put yourself in his hands and trust that you’re in for a five-star experience.”
    She had to admit that analogy really hit home. After all, hadn’t Randy very nearly made her barf?
    “Still, it’s a lot of money,” Alison said. “I’m going to have to think about it.”
    “I understand completely. But I’m also sure you understand that matchmaking is a very personalized service, which means I can take only so many clients at a time. My schedule is booking up fast.”
    “How fast?”
    “I have room for only two more clients this month.”
    “But it’s only the fifth.”
    “Exactly.” He rose from his chair, came around his desk, and held out his hand. “It was nice to meet you, Alison. If you decide you’d like my help, give me a call. We’ll talk more about what you’re looking for in a man. If not this month, then maybe we’ll see each other next month, okay?”
    She rose and shook his hand. “Uh…yeah. Thank you for seeing me.”
    “Of course. You have my number. Just let me know when you’d like me to introduce you to your future husband.”
    With that, he sat back down, pulled out a file, and laid it open on his desk, moving ahead with business as usual. Alison walked to the door, each step a little slower than the last. Future husband. She loved the sound of that.
    It wasn’t as if she didn’t have the money. But was it a smart use of her money?
    She admitted to being a little impulsive, but it was usually limited to things like ordering octopus at a sushi bar, or dyeing her hair red. The fact that she’d even considered using a matchmaker was crazy enough. Could she actually spend fifteen hundred dollars to let a man find her a man? This could turn into a bigger disaster than her Florida trip, where she’d ended up as mosquito bait.
    Or she could find the man of her dreams.
    No. That was crazy. This was crazy.
    She started to open the door, only to stop short, her hand on the doorknob. But if not this, then what? Was she just going to wait around, doing nothing, hoping for a man to stop her on the street and tell her he was the one?
    Just take some time to think about it. A day, or an hour, or at least a few minutes…
    Then she had a terrible thought. What if she waited until next month, and Brandon gave away her perfect match to another woman who hadn’t hesitated to seize the opportunity?
    Feeling a surge of conviction, she spun back around. “Brandon?”
    He looked up. “Yes?”
    “If I write you a check today, when can we get started?”
    He pulled out his phone and hit a few buttons, then looked back up at her with those dark, sexy eyes, a smile of satisfaction playing over his lips.
    “How does Thursday look for you?”

Chapter 3
    T he moment Alison left the house, Brandon slipped the check she’d written him into his shirt pocket. He slapped shut the file on his desk, stuffed it randomly into a file drawer, and trotted up the stairs to the second floor. He stepped into the first room on the right, where Tom was leaning across the pool table, his cue in place, taking aim.
    “That was fast,” Tom said. “I’m guessing she told you to forget it. But hey. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” A flick of his cue sent the four ball into a side pocket.
    Brandon pulled Alison’s check from his shirt pocket. “Think again.”
    Tom’s eyes grew wide. He dropped his cue, came