Except Blaise wasn’t. He just had work to do.
His hours weren’t set. He could fly to the Bay Area and arrange a meeting or two so it wouldn’t be a complete loss of time, but he didn’t want to do that. She was asking too much. He’d stopped jumping through other people’s hoops years ago. “I can’t because of prior obligations.”
“Then there’s nothing more for us to discuss. I wish you success. Good luck, Blaise.”
Theline disconnected before he could reply.
He stared at the phone in disbelief.
Who was this woman?
No matter. Blaise set his phone on the desk.
Her loss.
He would hire someone equally good or better. He called Trevor who picked up after the first ring. “I want you to dig deep into each matchmaker on the list. Put together the top two or three for me to interview.”
“Ms. Lowell said no.” Trevor didn’t sound surprised.
“The travel is a deal-breaker for her.” As it was for Blaise. “Stop whatever else you’ve been doing. This is your priority.”
“Yes, sir.”
When his mom wasn’t high or desperate for a fix, she used to say everything happened for a reason. Another matchmaker was out there. Blaise would find the right one.
Because Wes and Dash deserved only the best.
* * *
I can’t believe I’m in San Francisco.
Four hours after his call with Hadley Lowell, Blaise flexed his fingers, trying to release the tension bunching his muscles. He battled a growing frustration. Since leaving the office, he’d spent every minute working or on the phone so he wouldn’t fall further behind because of this unexpected trip.
He blamed Trevor.
I haven’t worked for you long, Blaise, but if you want to find a wife, you need to hire Ms. Lowell. My gut and my research tell me that. She’ll get the job done right.
Whether his assistant showed bravery or stupidity by speaking up remained to be seen, but Trevor had been so earnest that Blaise had gone against his better judgment and flown to San Francisco. His schedule was irregular. Even though he paid others to woo clients and recruits, there were times he’d dropped everything to do his part. So this wasn’t totally unprecedented.
His desire to win the bet sooner rather than later had provided the real motivation. Knowing he couldn’t win on his own, however, somehow made being here worse. He was used to doing everything himself and hated needing help. That had made seeking investors in the start-up days of Blai$e difficult for him on several levels.
The elevator dinged. The doors opened.
Before he could exit, two men in suits stepped to the left, leaving a much wider path than necessary. That was because of the guy standing next to Blaise—his bodyguard.
Lex’s short, bleach-blond hair harkened back to his military days, but it was his intense gaze, the scar on his face, and hard expression that kept people away from Blaise.
Which was the point.
Lex exited first, surveyed the area, and motioned Blaise to follow.
Blaise doubted anyone was waiting to ambush him, especially in the Bay Area where billionaires—many worth more than him—were everywhere, but he had no choice. Ever since the fight with that business reporter, he’d been accompanied by a member of the security team contracted by his company.
Lex opened the door where Hadley Lowell leased an office. “You okay, boss?”
No. Blaise wasn’t, but he kept his feelings to himself. A lesson he’d learned at a young age.
“Fine.” Although he would need a massage when he returned home. He rubbed the back of his tight neck. “Sorry you drew the short straw and had to come with me.”
