it? What do you do there?’
‘I’m their communications director.’
‘Director? That’s great!’ After struggling to find a job after receiving her degree, Sienna must be thrilled.
‘Thanks. It’s a small office.’
Small or not, it had been smart enough to hire a great employee. Erin wiggled the card between her fingers, but the company name didn’t ring any bells. ‘What does Luxxor do?’
Sienna shifted in her seat. ‘It’s confidential. The company likes to keep a low profile.’
Erin frowned. In DC, that could mean a few things. Defence contractor, intelligence related, even political fundraising. None of those seemed to suit her friend, though. ‘Oh, come on. Tell me. Please?’
‘I…I can’t.’
Erin pouted. ‘I was supposed to get married today.’
Sienna looked pained.
Jason just laughed. ‘You’re evil.’
‘I just want to know.’ Curiosity had been killing her. She could keep a secret, but she hated when she was kept out of the loop – especially if it was to ‘protect’ her. Her family had done that her entire life and where had it got her?
Blindsided when she’d been dumped.
Jason reached out to gently hook Sienna’s hair behind her ear. ‘She’s just embarrassed.’
The look that his girlfriend threw at him could have melted steel.
‘Why?’ Erin asked. What could a company possibly do that would be that embarrassing? ‘Do you make feminine products? Erectile dysfunction pills? Urinal cakes?’
Her eyes widened. ‘Oh, no. It’s not the call centre your mom referred you to?’
Sienna covered her face with her hand, while Jason fought not to laugh.
‘It’s a…’ he started to say.
Sienna grabbed his wrist. His gaze locked with hers, and he turned his hand over to take hers.
‘Matchmaking service,’ he finished. His thumb moved over the back of Sienna’s hand in a gentle caress.
Erin put down her fork and sat back in her chair. She looked at the card again. ‘Matchmaking?’
‘Of a sort,’ her roommate replied. She fiddled with her unused knife. ‘It’s very exclusive, catering to high-end clientele.’
Erin ran her finger over the crisp edge of the stylish card. Matchmaking…Take charge. Be aggressive. Go for the gusto. She didn’t know what was running faster, her pulse or her thoughts.
‘You can’t say anything to anyone,’ Sienna begged. ‘Not even your parents or your brother.’
Why would she say anything to them? This was information she needed. She wanted to break out of the norm and try new things. This was certainly new. ‘It’s that confidential?’
‘Yes.’
‘I won’t tell a soul.’
Sienna’s shoulders relaxed. ‘Thank you.’
‘Thank you for finally telling me.’ Erin lifted an eyebrow, but let the question go. Jason and Sienna had met at a charity function before Sienna had started working at Luxxor. But this was interesting…
She set the card beside her plate.
Sienna held out her hand. ‘I’ll take that.’
Uh uh. No way. ‘I’d like to keep it.’
‘I’m sorry. I’m not allowed to hand out my business cards to anyone but clients.’
So she wasn’t high-end enough? Erin cocked her head, ready to argue, but it obviously wasn’t a question that Sienna would be open to. She’d have to find someone else who’d be willing to give her more information. For that, she needed Luxxor’s phone number.
She lifted her chin stubbornly. ‘I’m your roommate. I need to know how to get in touch with you.’
‘You have my cellphone.’
‘But what if you drop it or it loses power? What if you get sick and need me to call into work for you?’
‘Jason has the number.’
‘Well, now I do, too.’ Erin deliberately took another bite of her waffle. Sienna stiffened, but Jason squeezed her hand, and the subject was dropped.
Yet Erin’s gaze kept going to the card as they finished their breakfast. Luxxor Limited. Her mind was awhirl, and, surprisingly, not over her cancelled wedding. She’d wanted to move on. Had the opportunity just fallen into her lap?
Did she have the guts?
When the meal was over, she helped clean up, but the first thing she did was take the card to her bedroom and hide it away. Sienna might not like the idea, but the more Erin thought about it, the more she liked it. A matchmaker might be exactly what she needed.
She was determined to do things differently this time. She wanted to stir things up and meet new people. Try new things. Broaden her outlook. Obviously, she needed help understanding men.
And who better than a relationship expert to tell her why her former fiancé had found her so boring?
Understated yet affluent. An address in downtown DC, too. This was reassuring. Real estate in this part of town was inhabited by only the upper echelon of law firms and political action committees. If Luxxor Limited was rubbing shoulders with these types, they were doing very well. This was a sign they knew their business. Impressive.
Their business of matchmaking.
Erin curled her hair around her finger. She’d never thought she’d be using a service like this, but it had come to her attention at precisely the right time. Online dating sites or the bars weren’t her thing. Besides, she wasn’t really looking for romance; she was looking for insight. One-on-one advice from someone impartial was the only way to get that.
And that’s why she was visiting during a time she knew Sienna was out.
Dropping her hand from her hair, she took a deep breath and summoned the poise she’d been taught but never quite mastered. She’d called the 1-800 number on the Luxxor business card first thing on Monday morning and had talked to the nicest woman. Rielle had been polite, but frustratingly vague and non-committal until Erin had mentioned Sienna’s name. Then everything had changed – as if it had been a password or something.
The intrigue was thrilling.
Now,
