Chapter 5

You can’t put this off forever. The sooner you do it the better. 
I puffed as I scrolled through my contact list. I found the number and dialed, figuring if I gave myself another second to rehearse my speech, I would chicken out. Again. Like I already had, several times before. 
Lyra wouldn’t have minded doing it for me but I felt like I had to be the one to do it. Out of respect and in part, to hear what he had to say. More importantly, how he responded. I didn’t know what I was hoping for exactly. Would it make me happy if Cristo hated me for it? If he outright asked me to call off the whole thing? Said he didn’t want anyone else that wasn’t me? That was unlikely to happen but I couldn’t help the sliver of hope that tugged at my chest. 
 “Lilith,” Cristo said in a boisterous voice, catching me off guard. “How are you?”
“I’m… fine.” Why was I stuttering? I had spoken to him a million times before. Snap out of it, Lilith!
“So I’m calling about a potential match,” I said, finally finding my voice. “A Suzan Abrams. Um, you have heard of her.”
“Suzan Abrams?” He sounded surprised. “You are not talking about the former congressman’s daughter, are you?”
“The one and only,” I chuckled.  
“Oh. That’s awesome. I look forward to meeting her.” The tone of his voice gave nothing away, to my utter disappointment. 
I was dying to know if they had met before, what his impression of her was and whether he thought they were compatible. If I asked all these questions with the pretext of doing my job, I risked playing the role of a bitter, jealous ex. Of course I was but if Cristo knew that, it wouldn’t sit well with my ego.  
“Okay. I will call Suzan and plan your first date,” I said. 
If someone replayed our conversation, they wouldn’t believe I was the same person who’d begged him for a second chance less than a month ago. My voice was utterly professional. My responses were simple and straight to the point. All these, a stark contrast to what I was feeling inwardly. 
“Alright. Keep me posted.” 
Why was he so cooperative? Was Selene bribing him somehow? I was tempted to ask but I remembered my vow not to meddle. 
“I will.” 
That was our cue to hang up but neither of us wanted to end the call. I curled a strand of hair as I waited for him to speak. Or not. Whilst I couldn’t see him, somehow, I felt that’s what we both wanted. We didn’t need words, hearing the sound of each other’s breathing was enough. It was reassuring and comforting. Perhaps it was wishful thinking overtaking logic but I knew the silence meant that he missed me and that this was hard for him too. Knowing he at least felt something, maybe not loss exactly, even nostalgia, made me feel ten times better. 
It was almost akin to him lying beside me, listening to my heartbeat. And in that moment, I was tempted to mute the call so that he wouldn’t hear my heavy breathing which resembled the whimpering of a pregnant bear. 
“Lilith,” he said at last. Perhaps it was my imagination but he sounded a bit…sad. His voice had been stripped of its vibrancy.  “I know this puts you in an uncomfortable position but I know there is no one else more suitable for this job. Thank you.” 
The man I love is telling me I’m the right person to find him a wife? Is this a cruel joke?
Was it…was it possible that Cristo really wanted to move on? Did my promise mean nothing to him? What about our history? Was he giving up on us that easily? 
People can be replaced, I reminded myself sternly. I wasn’t special and I knew better than anyone else that love was unpredictable. There was nothing I could do about it except what was expected of me. Be his relationship coach and watch him live happily ever after. I could blame Selene all I wanted but when all was said and done, it was me who’d given up on us first. No one was holding a gun over my head. It was a choice I’d made. 
 “You’re welcome. I know you and Suzan will make a good couple,” I managed to sound upbeat.
This time, he did end the call. 

For their first date, I arranged for Cristo and Suzan to meet at a trendy wine bar. But before they met, I had Suzan come to my office for coaching. 
“Are you nervous?” I asked her. 
That bit was obvious from her choice of outfit but I still asked anyway. Suzan was in a yellow, knee-length, off- the- shoulder formal dress. It showed off her delicate collarbones and accentuated her tanned skin. The black stilettos added several inches to her height and gold earrings dangled from her ears. Her runway-ready midnight black hair was swept to the side to expose a sinuous neck. Tucked under her arm, she carried a sleek, black clutch. 
I had to admit, she was dressed like someone who was going out for dinner at a fancy restaurant not for drinks at a bar. While jeans would have been more appropriate, she seemed to be able to pull it off anyway. Besides, I always advised my clients that it was better to risk being overdressed than underdressed. First impressions are important and an outfit tells a lot about personalities. 
“Yeah,” she breathed. “A bit. I mean, I have never been on a blind date before.” 
 “It will be fine,” I soothed, my nose trapping the fragrance of her floral oriental perfume. “You will see.”
“I have no doubt.” She smiled. “Any first date tips? Rules, precisely?”
“Be yourself,” I simply said. “Ask him questions to show you are interested. Just don’t make it look like you are interviewing him for a position in your company.” 
Suzan laughed. A brief, musical yet full-throated laugh. She even has a nice laugh, I thought bitterly. 
“I get the picture,” she said. “What about me? How much should I reveal?” 
“Your responses shouldn’t be too vague,” I advised. “Don’t put everything out there too either. The idea is to have a little mystery.” 
She nodded. “That shouldn’t be too hard.” 
“One more thing. Be on time,” I advised. “That’s all.”
She rose to leave. “Thank you, Lilith.” 
“You’ve got this,” I said, meaning every word. 

As usual, my clients were supposed to give me separate accounts of the date. Both parties were supposed to give me feedback but somehow, I already dreaded Cristo’s call. In fact, a big part of me was hoping that he wouldn’t get in touch. Of course, I would have to call him at some point if he didn’t contact me himself, just so I knew whether I had to schedule another date with a different match but I wasn’t going to. If the date was a disaster, I was bound to hear from him very quickly. Like most clients, he would give a colorful recap and ask for my honest opinion. Whether he did something wrong or if he should give Suzan another chance. I figured that a lack of communication would mean it went well. 
Suzan was the one who called me first. I had just exited the shower when I heard the phone vibrating on the nightstand. When I saw the caller ID, I was tempted to let it go to voicemail. Figuring she would just call Lyra, I answered. 
“I like him,” was the first thing she said, skipping pleasantries. “He is funny, easy to talk to and open minded.”
“That’s wonderful,” I commented. If she wasn’t so excited, she would have sensed that I didn’t mean it. 
It was not wonderful. Nothing about this was wonderful. It was Cristo we were talking about. My Cristo. 
“He didn’t brag about his achievements the whole time,” she gushed. “He listened to me. Do you know how rare that is? The majority of men I have gone on dates with like to dominate the conversations.”
“I understand where you are coming from,” I laughed. 
It wasn’t unusual for a client to call me saying their date checked all the boxes they wanted in a man but that they talked too much. It saddened me to see a man lose someone who was good for him because of a single mistake. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a trait we could immediately pick up on during the screening stage. People were always putting their best foot forward and as a result, were careful not to reveal their self-centeredness when filling out their applications. 
 “I know, you probably interact with such people on a daily basis.” In a brighter tone, she said, “So anyway, it’s a good thing Cristo isn’t an egoistic jerk.”
“Yeah.” That part was true. 
“His looks are just a bonus,” she went on. “I swear he made my heart stop when I spotted him. He is so sexy.” 
Spare me the gory details, I’m not one of your girls. 
Under any other circumstances, I would have asked what Cristo wore to their date. For my other clients, it helped to understand them better. But with Cristo, it was unnecessary as I knew him inside out. His weaknesses, passions and aspirations. Also, I didn’t want to torture myself with another image of Cristo looking sexy in casual wear. 
“You are welcome,” I joked. 
“Thank you,” Suzan said, going along. “Okay so there is something I have to confess.” 
“What?” I forgot to mask the fear in my voice. 
Don’t tell me you kissed him. Or worse, slept with him. Please God, if you are listening to me, don’t let this be bad news that I’m about to hear. 
 “This will sound crazy but…I think I’m attracted to him.” 
Thank you. It wasn’t good news to me either but at least I could take that. Maybe it was even one sided. Too bad I still had to speak to Cristo himself to come to that conclusion. 
“There is nothing wrong with liking him at first sight,” I encouraged. The relief in my tone was unmistaken. “Chemistry is important, remember?’ 
“It’s just that…” she said, unconvinced. “What if it was obvious? Won’t that be a turn off?” 
“I wasn’t there so I can’t tell that for sure. But how about we put it this way,” I consoled. “He thinks you are interested but not desperate.” 
“Okay.” she said, relieved. “You are really good at this, has anyone told you that before?” 
“Yes but I never get tired of hearing it again.” In a more serious tone, I added, “I will speak to Cristo again and I will be in touch soon if he thinks you guys should go on a second date.”
“Actually, he said there would be a second one.” 
“What?” I exclaimed without thinking. Why can’t I tame my own mouth? Argh. I’m usually good at this. 
“I mean, what were his words, exactly?” I quickly amended. 
“This has been fun. We should definitely do it again,” Suzan answered. “I’m not reading too much into it, am I?” 
“Of course not,” I reassured. “That definitely means what we think it means.” 
Several agonizing minutes later, Suzan wished me goodnight. We had exhausted all the details and I didn’t think I needed Cristo’s version. In as much as it pained me to admit, Suzan could handle the whole situation perfectly on her own. She was observant and tactful. The odds were working in her favor. With such skills, she could make a pretty decent matchmaker. It was a wonder she was still single.
That night, I lay in bed watching a movie. I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t sleepy while in the actual sense, it was Cristo’s call I was waiting for. Suffice to say, he didn’t call. At around twelve, I gave up and pulled the covers to my chin. 
The next morning, I woke up to a text from him. 
The evening flew by. Suzan is amazing. A second date would be great.
The Billionaire Matching Club Books 1-6
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