Chapter 2

• “I know you have a duplicate under your bed. Let it go; I’ll get it myself.” Her pal stalked over to the canary yellow futon and slid her hand between the cushions. She licked her lips and held the list triumphantly between her bright red fingernails, as if she were about to dive into a lusty romance novel. Alexa sat down on the carpet and sagged. Allow the humiliation to begin.
• “Number one,” Maggie said. “A Mets fan.”
• Alexa braced herself for the impact.
• “Baseball?” Maggie screamed. For dramatic effect, she waved the paper back and forth in the air. “Damn it, how can you make baseball your number one priority? They haven’t been to the World Series in many years! In New York, there are more Yankees fans than Mets fans, which eliminates the majority of the male population.”
• Alexa clenched her teeth. Why was she constantly chastised for her New York team selection? “The Mets have heart and personality, and I need a man who can cheer for the underdog. I will not sleep with a Yankees fan.”
• “You’re a hopeless case. I’m done,” Maggie said. “Number two: loves books, art, and poetry.” She paused to consider it, then shrugged. “I agree. Three: adheres to monogamy. The importance of the list cannot be overstated. Fourth: desires children.” She raised her head. “How many?”
• The thought made Alexa smile. “Three please. But I’d be happy with two. Should I have specified how many people were on the list?”
• “No, Earth Mother will get it right.” Maggie went on. “Number five: understands how to communicate with women. That’s a good one. I’m tired of reading about Venus and Mars. I’ve finished the entire series and still have no idea. Sixth: adores animals.” She sighed. “That’s as bad as the Mets!”
• Alexa turned on the carpet to face her. “How can I continue volunteering at the shelter if he despises dogs? What if he is a hunter? I’d wake up in the middle of the night to find a dead deer staring at me from above the mantel.”
• “You’re so dramatic.” Maggie returned her attention to the list. “Number seven: follows a moral code and believes in honesty.” Should have been number one on the list, but I’m not a Mets fan. “Eighth: a good lover.” She raised her brows. “That’s number two on my list. But I’m proud that the item appears at all. Perhaps you aren’t as hopeless as I thought.”
• Alexa swallowed hard, her insides curled with fear. “Keep going.”
• “Number nine: has a strong family sense.” That makes sense—you guys remind me of the Waltons. “All right, number ten...”
• The clock struck twelve. Alexa observed Maggie reading the item once more.
• “Alexa, I think I’m reading number ten wrong.”
• Alexa let out a sigh. “Probably not.”
• Maggie read the last request aloud. “Needs $150,000 available cash.” She raised her head. “I need more details.”
• Alexa drew her chin up. “I need a man I can love, plus an extra $150,000. And I need him right away.”
• Maggie shook her head, as if she had just risen from the depths. “For what?”
• “To save Tara.”
• Maggie gave a quick blink. “Tara?”
• “Yes, my mother is at home.” Like in the movie “Gone with the Wind? Remember how my mother used to make fun of the fact that she needed more cotton to pay the bills? Maggs, I haven’t told you how bad it’s gotten. Mom wants to sell, but I’m not going to let her. They don’t have any money and have nowhere else to go. I’ll do anything, even marry, to help. Exactly like Scarlett.”
• Maggie sighed and reached for her purse. She took out her phone and dialed some numbers.
• “What are you doing?” Alexa fought panic at the prospect of her best friend not understanding. After all, she’d never before asked a man to solve her problems. Oh, how the powerful had fallen.
• “I’m canceling my date. This new item, I believe, should be discussed. Then I’m going to call my therapist. She’s very good, very discreet, and she takes appointments at midnight.”
• Alexa burst out laughing. “You’re such a good friend, Maggie.”
• “Yeah, tell me about it.”
• _____///_____
• Nicholas Ryan was sitting on a fortune.
• But he needed a wife to get the one thing he desired.
• Nick had many convictions. Working hard to achieve a goal.
• Controlling anger and using logic when a situation became heated. And constructing structures. Buildings that were both structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing. Blending of smooth angles and sharp lines. Bricks, concrete, and glass attest to the solidity that people sought in everyday life. The brief moment of awe when a person sees the finished product for the first time. He could understand everything.
• Nick did not believe in eternal love, marriage, or family. These things made no sense to him, and he had made the decision not to incorporate such societal themes into his life.
• Uncle Earl, however, had changed the rules.
• Nick’s stomach clenched, and his sick sense of humor almost caused him to laugh. He stood up in his leather chair and removed his navy jacket, striped silk tie, and snowy white shirt. With a flick of his wrist, he unbuckled his belt and changed into a pair of gray sweatpants and a matching T-shirt. He stepped into his office’s inner sanctum, which he’d filled with models, sketches, inspirational photos, a treadmill, some weights, and a fully stocked bar. He pressed the MP3 player button on the remote. The sounds of La Traviata filled the room, clearing his mind.
• He stepped onto the treadmill, trying not to think about smoking. Even after five years, when the stress level rose, he craved a cigarette. He exercised because he was annoyed by his weakness when the urge struck. Running made him feel better, especially in his perfectly controlled environment. There were no distracting voices, no scorching sunlight, and no rocks or gravel in his way. He assembled the panel and began the steady pace that would eventually lead him to a solution.