Matchmaker 01: January

"So have I."

"I'm going to miss you."

"You could come to New York with me," he said with a smile.

"I can't do that. What about my practice?"

He shrugged. "What about it? Surely you're not the only C.P.A. in San Antonio."

"No, but my life... what would I do in New York?"

"You could live with me."

"Be a kept woman?"

"No, that's not what I meant. But would it be so bad?"

"What about all those women you said were only interested in your money?"

"Are you interested in only my money?"

My lips narrowed in annoyance. "Do you even have to ask that?"

"No. So what's the problem?"

"I want to be my own person. I don't want to be Bryant Legato's girlfriend."

"So be your own person. Just be that person in New York."

I shook my head. "I wish it were that easy."

"It is that easy."

"I can't."

He sighed. "Okay. If that's what you want."

I nodded firmly. "It is," I murmured, but I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince.

"What's that?" I asked as Lane held out a small, folded, piece of paper.

"A check."

"A check? For what?"

"I've decided I want to keep the ski equipment and clothes. I can't remember the exact cost, but this should cover most of it. If it's not enough, let me know."

"No."

"Yes."

"No," I repeated more firmly. "Brooklyn very clearly explained to me, and I assume you too, that I was to pick up all the expenses."

"And you have. I've only paid for my ski equipment and clothes."

"That's part of the expenses."

"Please take it," she said. "Please don't ruin our perfectly wonderful time together by making me feel like I've been bought and paid for."

"You know that's not true."

"It's important to me," she said, holding the check closer to me.

I took it. Just because I had it didn't mean I was going to cash it. "Are you sure? You know you don't have to."

She looked down. She looked like I felt. "I know. But I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror when I get home, and I don't want people saying I whored myself out for stuff."

My lips thinned. "Like Nick, that prick of a boyfriend of yours? If anyone says that about you, they're beneath your notice." She wouldn't meet my eyes. "Lane, look at me." She didn't look up. "Look at me," I repeated. She finally lifted her eyes to mine. "Remember what I've told you. You're amazing, you can do anything, and you shouldn't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I know," she said softly.

"Do you?" I asked just as softly.

"Yeah."

"Hey, come here," I said as I pulled her into a hug. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too."

"It's not too late for you to come to New York. It's a chartered plane. All you have to do is get on board."

She shook her head. "I can't."

I'd pressed her pretty hard last night, hard enough to make her cry. I never wanted to make her cry, so today I backed off. "If you change your mind..."

"I have your card."

I sniffed out a short laugh. "Yeah. Don't share that around. That has my personal cell on it and there are a lot of people who'd like to have that."

She giggled quietly and stepped out of my arms. "Blackmail material."

"You don't have to blackmail me, Lane. Anything you ask for, I'll give you."

Her face crinkled. "Don't make me cry."

I cupped her face in mine. "Never. I'll never make you cry."

"I should go."

I looked at my watch. Fuck. "Yeah. We better get on the road."

It was a ninety-minute drive to Montrose, Colorado, where she'd catch a flight to Denver, with a connecting flight to San Antonio.

The drive was quiet. We talked a little about our month together, our hands gripped tightly and resting on the center console, but mostly we kept to our thoughts. I didn't love her, but I wanted to. I wanted to spend more time with her, to allow the feelings I had for her to grow and mature. A month was just too damned short to make a lifetime commitment, but it was enough to know that Lane might be 'the one.'

I turned in the Range Rover at the rental counter and went with her as she checked her skis, the one small bag she'd brought, and the larger suitcase I'd bought that contained her new clothes. Her bags on their way, I walked with her to the security checkpoint.

"Come with me," I tried one last time.

"You promised not to make me cry."

"Don't cry. Just come with me. You don't have to live with me if you don't want too. I'll get you your own place."

She sniffed. "Please, just stop. I can't."

"Will you at least kiss me goodbye?"

She blubbered and held out her arms. I took her into my arms as she wrapped her arms around my neck and held me tight. "I had a wonderful time. I'll never forget you."

"Nor I you. Remember what I told you. If you ever start to forget, you have my number. Call me and I'll remind you."

"I will."

She kissed me, the meeting of our lips so soft and loving I never wanted to let her go, but I had to.

I stood, watching, as she made her way through the security line. As she passed through the scanner, she looked back at me one last time, waved, then squared her shoulders and marched away without a backward look.

"Well, fuck," I muttered, so softly no one could have heard. I didn't normally talk like that, except in the heat of passion, but it seemed to fit the situation.

A plane was waiting to take me back to New York. I caught a cab to take me to the charter terminal. It wasn't even a mile away, but I didn't want to lug my skis across the parking lot. I paid the cab, dumped my stuff on the floor inside the office, and walked to the desk.

"Yes, sir? May I help you?" the pretty blonde behind the desk asked.

"Bryant Legato. I have a charter to New York today."

The woman smiled. "Yes, sir, Mr. Legato. Your plane is fueled and ready. The pilot is in our lounge on standby. You can depart when you're ready."

"I'm ready. Can you have someone take care of my luggage?"

"Yes, sir. Just a moment, and I'll have someone escort you to the plane."

It took about fifteen minutes before I was sitting in the sumptuous leather seat of the Citation Latitude. Legato didn't own any jets since we did all our development in and around New York, but we did own a helicopter. When I flew, I always few a charter. I didn't want to mess around with commercial flights because I was used to coming and going when I wanted, where I wanted.

As the pilot brought the plane to life, I mused, ignoring the thumps and bumps of the aircraft. I couldn't believe I was letting Lane get away. It was what she wanted, but it wasn't what I wanted, and I almost always got what I wanted.

And for what? Because of her business? I admired that independent streak. She was walking away from my money because she didn't want me to own her. I wouldn't own her. I just wanted her with me. Maybe it was because I couldn't own her that I wanted her so badly. Maybe it was true people always wanted what they couldn't have.

We'd been in the air for almost an hour, still turning the problem over in my mind. I simply couldn't let it go. She never said she didn't want to come to New York. She never said she didn't want to be with me. She'd said she couldn't. Something was tying her to San Antonio, and I think I knew what it was.

I got up and moved to the cockpit. "Change of plans. I want to go to San Antonio."

"Our flight plan is direct to New York."

"I know, but you can change that, right?"

"Well, yes sir, but—"

"Then do it."

"You understand that will cost—"

"I don't care. I'll pay the extra fuel, penalty, overtime, whatever. Just take me to San Antonio."

"Yes, sir."

I nodded and returned to my seat. I had some back of the napkin work to do before I arrived.

It took a little work and a lot of phone calls, but I had everything ready. It was Monday afternoon, and I'd just spent two hours at a local bank as the branch scrambled to meet my deadline. The Legato legal department lawyers nearly had a stroke when I called them first thing this morning from Texas. They were expecting me in the office today, and for me to call demanding to have a contract ready to sign by lunch had set off a mild panic, but now everything was in place.

I pulled to a stop in front of the glass front of Lane Carlisle, C.P.A. Her office was located in a small but neat strip mall in the heart of the business district. There was a newish Honda Accord sitting in front of the door that I assumed was hers. I picked up my freshly purchased briefcase from the seat of my rented Mercedes and walked to the door. Normally I was dressed in a suit when I conducted business, but jeans and a polo would have to do today. It was the end of January, but so warm I'd had to go shopping for a shirt. No wonder she'd never seen snow. I stepped into her pleasantly cool office, a bell ringing as the door opened and closed. I couldn't help but smile as the quaintness of it.

"Bryant?" she asked as she stepped out of an office. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you in New York?"

"Business," I said as I stepped around her into her office.

"Business?" she asked, clearly confused as she turned and followed me.

"That's right. Good to see you, by the way," I said, looping an arm around her waist and pulling her in for a quick kiss. "I'm here to buy you out." I sat my briefcase on her desk and released the locks. "I sense a business opportunity, and I want to capitalize on it."

"What are you talking about?"

I opened the lid and began setting bundles of hundred-dollar bills on her desk. I counted out ten bundles, a hundred thousand dollars, tossing the bundles on the desk one at a time for effect before I closed the lid. I didn't want her to see what else I had in there.

"I want to buy you out. Lane Carlisle, C.P.A. I want to open an office in New York, but since you won't move, I want to buy your name."

Her eyes flicked from the bundle of cash on the desk to my eyes, and then back. "You're crazy. I'm not selling you my name."

"Why not? It's just a name of your business, like McDonalds or Price Waterhouse. I want to open a small C.P.A. firm that specializes in helping small business. New York has plenty of huge accounting firms, but I'd like to open a string of small offices, like this, to go after the clients that can't afford one of the big firms."

"So start your own!"

"First rule of business, never start your own business if you can buy one that's already established."

"This is bullshit, Bryant!"

I opened my briefcase and tossed out five more bundles, another fifty thousand. "No, it's not. Lane Carlisle, C.P.A. I'm not sure why, but that has ring to it, don't you think? It sounds warm and friendly. It's a name people can trust, don't you think?"

"You can't buy me."

"I'm not buying you," I clarified, emphasizing you. "I'm buying your business. I'd like to have you come along to run it, but if you don't want to, that's your choice. You told me a little about your business, and I want in." I pointed at the cash. "I think that's a fair offer."

She looked at the pile of cash again. "No. I'm not for sale."

"You're not, or your business isn't?"

"Either."

I counted out five more bundles. I had five more in my case, but that was my limit. I really did envision a string of small C.P.A. firms spread across the nation, eventually, but we could start with one in San Antonio and New York and spread out from there.

"That's more than two and a half years salary," I said pointing to the pile of cash, "just for the use of your name. You can continue to work out of this office if you want, as my employee, but I'll own all rights to your business name."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want to make money."

"Is that the only reason?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. It matters a lot to me."

I debated a moment and decided she deserved the truth. "No, it's not the only reason."

"You're trying to buy me?"

"No, I'm trying to buy your business. That's what's holding you here, isn't it?"

She swallowed hard. "Maybe. That, and my family."

I nodded. "You know flights leave New York for San Antonio every day."

She looked at the money again and licked her lips. "If I sell, what happens next."

"That's up to you. I'd like it if you'd move to New York and open the second office. We'll open a few more locations as company offices, to build the name, and then we'll begin to franchise. You'll be in charge of overseeing that growth."

"You know I've never done anything like that before, right?"

"It's New York, baby. You'll have access to all the experts you could possibly need to help you see it through and become a success."

"And I'll work for Legato Real Estate?"

"No. You'll work for Lane Carlisle Enterprises."

"And who owns that?"

"I do... to start with. I'll be open to a takeover bid, if it ever comes to that."

She smiled, and I knew I had her. "I'm sure if that happens, it would be some intense, private, negotiations?"

"Very intense and very private."

She nodded at the table. "Is that your best offer?"

I smiled and tossed the remaining bundles onto the desk. "That's it. Plus a, say, two-fifty a year salary to run the company. I don't have time for the day to day operations, so I'm going to lean heavily on you."

Her smiled faded. "There has to be some ground rules."

"Name them."

"I have my own place to start with."

"Done."

"I pay my way. No free office space, no paid apartments, none of that stuff."

"Done. I have a small office ready for you in one of our buildings. We're having a hell of a time filling the space because it's so small, but it'll be perfect for you. Rent is eight hundred a month."

"Eight hundred?" she asked, her voice flat.

"Eight hundred. It beats zero, which is what it's earning now."

She stared at me a moment and then nodded. "This is purely business. Anything else we have... that's separate."

"Agreed. Anything else?"

She seemed to think it over and then smiled. "Where do I sign?"

I smiled as I pulled out the contract. It didn't have any of the stipulations in them, but they weren't important for closing the deal. Those were between her and me. "Right here."

I leaned back in my chair as the phone on my desk purred. I smiled as I picked up the handset. "Mr. Legato, Brooklyn Lancaster. How are you today?"

"Brooklyn! So good to hear from you. How are you?"

"I'm doing fine. I'm simply following up. It's been three months since you returned from your vacation. Did everything work out as you hoped?"

"Better!"

"Then you're pleased with my services?"

"I'm very pleased."

"May I count on you as a reference in the future?"

"Of course."

"Is there any other service I can provide you?"

"No. Nothing at all. But hang on a second. Someone wants to talk to you." A woman's voice came on the line. "Brooklyn, this is Lane."

"Ms. Carlisle. How are you?"

"I'm great. I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am to you."

"For what?"

"You know what."

I shook my head. "All I did was introduce you two. The rest was up to you and Mr. Legato."

"Yes, but you introduced us, and I've never been happier."

"That's good. I'm glad to hear that."

"If you ever need someone to act as a reference, please contact me."

I smiled, pleased. "Thank you for the offer."

"Also, if you need someone to do your books, I'm opening a string of low-cost accounting offices that specialize in small business, if you're interested."

I smiled. "Thank you for the offer, but I've got someone handling them."

"Fair enough. In any case, thank you again," Lane said, and she was gone. Bryant came back on the line. "Yes, thank you."

"You're welcome. Happy clients are what make this job so rewarding."

"I'm very happy, and it was worth every penny."

"I'm glad you feel that way. If you know of anyone that needs my help, you know how to reach me."

"Yes."

"Goodbye, Mr. Legato. I wish you and Ms. Carlisle the best of luck."

"Thank you," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

I placed the handset back in the base and rose from my desk. I worked out of my house, and since I was done for the day, I poured myself a glass of wine and settled down, turning on some slow, New Orleans jazz.

Some people called me a madam or a whore, but I didn't care. Hearing the happy voices of clients like Bryant and Lane, that made me believe in everything I did. I smiled as I sipped slowly on my wine. Money couldn't buy love, but if you had enough of it to afford me, it could buy you an introduction, and sometimes, an introduction was all that was needed.