“It’s a long shot,” Josh cautions. “Henn’s a fucking genius, but he can’t turn water into wine.”
“Henn?” I ask.
Josh proceeds to tell me he’s got a hacker-buddy from college named Peter Hennessy who’s apparently “freakishly talented at tracking people down,” oftentimes based on “the tiniest shards of information.” “Just ask Jonas,” Josh explains. “Henn found Sarah for him when Jonas had nothing to go on but her first name and an anonymous email.”
I look at Jonas and Sarah, expecting them to elaborate on that intriguing bit of information, but they don’t say a peep. “Why’d Jonas have only Sarah’s first name and an anonymous email?” I ask, my curiosity too great to resist. “Did you two meet on hot-girls-dot-com or what?”
I meant the latter question as a stupid joke, of course. Sarah’s a law student, for cryin’ out loud, and Jonas is a highly respected businessman in Seattle. But the minute I see the look of absolute mortification on Sarah’s face, I know I’ve hit a nerve somehow.
I press my lips together, not quite sure how to backtrack from the awkward moment.
“Sarah and I met through a high-end online dating service,” Jonas says smoothly, sliding his arm protectively around his wife’s waist. “Sarah worked at the service processing applications, and I applied—and when she read my application and the plethora of arrogant statements I’d made therein, she took it upon herself to send me an anonymous email that set me straight about a few important things.” He squeezes Sarah and kisses her temple.
Sarah grins. “And the reason I sent Jonas my email anonymously was that it was against the company’s rules for intake agents to contact clients. And then Jonas called me out of the blue and asked me out to dinner—even though I’d told him only my first name and used a dummy G-mail account.”
“And that’s all thanks to Henn getting her phone number for me,” Jonas adds. He looks at Sarah, a huge smile on his face, his eyes blazing. “I’d read Sarah’s email and felt like my very life depended on finding her. It was crazy to track her down based on nothing but her email, but I felt like I had no choice in the matter.”
Goose bumps erupt all over my arms and back of my neck. Holy shit. Jonas just perfectly articulated exactly how I’m feeling right now—like I have no choice but to find Samantha and explain that everything Olivia said about me, including what she said about me soliciting that note from the blonde in the restaurant earlier tonight, was complete and total bullshit.
“I’d never felt anything like the madness that overtook me,” Jonas continues. “It felt dangerously close to obsession.” He chuckles. “Okay, that was bullshit—I’m trying to make myself sound semi-normal. It was obsession. Total and complete.”
Everyone laughs.
“I felt this indescribable connection to Sarah, just that fast,” Jonas adds. “It was like nothing I’d felt before—and yet, I didn’t even know Sarah’s last name, where she lived, what she looked like, or anything whatsoever about her, other than the few clues she’d unwittingly provided me in her email. So that’s when I called Josh and asked for his help.”
“Because I’m wise and powerful,” Josh interjects.
“Because he’s wise and powerful,” Jonas dryly echoes. “And he ‘wisely and powerfully’ called his college buddy Henn, thank God—and the rest, as they say”—Jonas holds up his hand, displaying the wedding band on his finger—“is history.”
Holy fuck, I feel like my heart’s gonna explode. It seems I’ve met two soulmates tonight: Samantha and Jonas Faraday. “Thanks for telling me all that, Jonas,” I say. “You seriously just gave me chills.”
“Me, too,” Sarah says, flashing an adoring smile at her husband.
“I can’t believe you were that determined to find Sarah based on nothing but an email,” I say.
Jonas smirks. “It was one hell of an email.”
Sarah laughs.
I can’t help but laugh with Sarah.Damn. All these years, I always suspected buttoned-up Sarah Cruz was a little vixen behind closed doors—I could just sense it. And now, Jonas’ story all but confirms it. Ha! “But weren’t you at least a little skittish about tracking Sarah down when you hadn’t even laid eyes on her?” I ask Jonas.
“Nope,” Jonas says. “Like I said, I was instantly obsessed. I knew my reaction was totally irrational, but I didn’t care. I hadn’t seen Sarah with my physical eyes, but I’d seen her with my soul, which I personally consider to be a much more reliable information-gathering mechanism than my physical senses.”
Whoa. I glance at Josh for his reaction to that statement, and Josh flashes me a smile that plainly says, “Meet Jonas Faraday.”
Jonas continues, “And before you think I’m some kind of saint who doesn’t care about physical attraction, I did wind up seeing a photo of Sarah before our first date—a photo Henn retrieved for me from her student file.” Jonas looks at Sarah and smiles. “And my physical eyes were beyond thrilled with what they were seeing, right along with my soul.”
Sarah slides her hand into Jonas’ and rests her cheek on his shoulder.
I bite the inside of my cheek, letting everything Jonas just said sink in.
“So, Ryan,” Josh says, drawing my attention to him. “I think what Jonas is trying to say in his very unique way—and, please, bro, correct me if I’m wrong here—is that he gets where you’re coming from.”
Everyone laughs.
“That is correct, sir,” Jonas says.
“So if you wanna give Henn a call and see if maybe he can help you out,” Josh continues, “we’ll hook you up.”
