“Six and seven.” She turned on her blinker before merging right. “They attend an after-school program if no one is home, but with their mother out of town, I wanted to pick them up on time today. I won’t be able to the rest of the week.”
“You’re that busy?”
She nearly laughed at his surprise. Although she got that a lot.
“I am.” Hadley shot him a sideward glance. “Did you think I was kidding when I said my next opening was in December?”
He half laughed. “Yes.”
“Matchmaking and dating services are big business both in the US and abroad.”
If she took him on as a client—and that was a big if—Hadley was curious about the specific traits he wanted in a wife. Patience and independence were usually high on the list with her elite clientele because of the hours they worked. Intelligence came next—especially for those in tech. Many looked for a partner who was accomplished in a chosen field. Intelligence often gave candidates an edge.
He glanced over his left shoulder. “Lex is still with us.”
She glanced in the rearview mirror to see the massive black SUV following her. Hard to believe she had the cell number of a professional bodyguard in her contacts now, but Lex had wanted her number as a precaution. For what, she didn’t know, and honestly, didn’t want to know.
“You could have ridden with him.”
Blaise shrugged. “It’ll give Lex a chance to see if the tracker works.”
Her gaze jerked to Blaise before she stared at the street again. “Tracker? Internal or…”
“External,” he said. “A friend built a prototype for a security application.”
“You’re a beta tester.”
Blaise nodded. “My friend is likely the only one excited about my sudden trip to San Francisco. Or will be once he finds out. Present company included.”
Hadley didn’t need Blaise to tell her he’d rather be at his office. Each flash of annoyance when he glanced at another email or text on his phone told her that.
Her palms sweated more. “Let’s hope you don’t have to test whether or not the tracker works.”
“The bodyguard and the prototype are precautions because of something that recently happened. It’s no big deal,” he said, nonchalantly. “Only a handful of people know where I am at the moment. But even if more did, I’d be fine on my own here.”
“Confident.”
“Yes, but not reckless. I do what’s required of me.”
Several of her clients had security teams. Some bodyguards had come into her office rather than staying in the lobby as Lex had.
“Do you ever worry?” she asked.
“About?”
“Kidnappers, attacks, false accusations, frivolous lawsuits, gold-diggers?”
He laughed. “That’s quite a list.”
It was her turn to shrug.
“It’s part of the package. Lifestyle, so to speak,” he admitted. “Having money comes with its own challenges. Security depends on how well-known you are and how many people you’ve upset along the way, but I prefer dealing with all this to…”
“What?”
“Not being wealthy.”
She pulled behind a white Mercedes that was in the line of cars waiting to pick up students.
