LITMIR.BIZ

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vacations was in families. He wanted to open a family-friendly resort, but with his reputation that was easier said than done. He had a chance to buy a well-known family vacation company but the owner was balking at selling to someone like Russell—not from a business standpoint but from a reputation-based one. So he’d decided to try to change his image.

      He’d already arranged with Willow and Conner MacAfee, Matchmakers Inc.’s owner, to give Gail a preview of the Gustav Klimt exhibit that would be opening here in the Big Apple Kiwi Klub on Wednesday. As a personal friend of Russell’s, Conner had suggested participating in the show as a course of action to help Russell out.

      “Where are we going?” she asked. “I think we are supposed to stay where we were.”

      “Afraid to get in trouble?” he asked.

      “No. I just like to follow the rules,” she said.

      “I don’t.”

      “Shocker,” she said.

      He laughed. She gave the impression of being very sure of herself and confident. Those were traits that he’d been hoping for in his match. “Don’t fret, Gail, this side trip has been preapproved.”

      “Good,” she said.

      “Here we are,” he said, opening a door that led into the mezzanine atrium. The hotel area was very modern and had large expanses of open wall space with a glass dome inspired by Van Gogh’s Stormy Night. The floor was made of marble.

      “This exhibit is opening on Wednesday, so we will be the first to experience it.”

      When he’d approved the design, he’d specified that the atrium be used to display art. He had wanted to capture the feeling of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and replicate it here. If he was going to get families and couples into his hotels, then he needed to give them something special.

      “I love Klimt’s work. I have a print of The Kiss hanging in my bedroom at home,” she said.

      Russell thought it interesting that Gail had chosen that piece to hang in her bedroom. In it, the man was completely wrapped around the woman, holding her face in his hands as he kissed her neck. Klimt’s style was very sensual.

      “Have you ever been kissed like that?” he asked.

      She glanced up at him, a bit of shock in her eyes. “No. I don’t think so. But I’m sure you have.”

      He arched one eyebrow at her. She didn’t seem to like him very much. “A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.”

      “But then, you never have been a gentleman,” she said almost sharply.

      “That’s true,” he acknowledged. “I’m not exactly the kind of man who’s been circumspect in my relationships. But that’s why I’m here.”

      “Truly?”

      “Yes. I’m not on this show to play games with you, Gail. I’m looking for a match just like you are.” He knew if he was going to be successful in changing his reputation, it had to start with Gail. If he couldn’t convince her he wanted to change away from his bad boy image, the viewers at home wouldn’t buy it either.

      “I’m sorry if I jumped to conclusions,” she said.

      “You should be,” he said, flirting with her.

      The PA motioned for them to move, and Russell put his hand at the small of Gail’s back and steered her toward another framed picture. It was a portrait of a high-society woman. They stood in front of it for a long time.

      “She reminds me of you,” he said. It was a sensual portrait of a fully-dressed woman with an open bodice, just starting to reveal herself to the viewer.

      “Did I mention that I don’t fall for practiced lines,” Gail said.

      “What makes you think that was a line?” he asked. “She’s so sexy,” Gail said.

      “You are too,” he said.

      Gail gave him a yeah, right look, and Russell realized for the first time that he was dealing with Gail’s future as well as his own. And though he’d decided to do this purely for business reasons, he was determined to give her the very best of himself—however little that might be.

      He reached over to touch her face, but Gail drew back. Getting past his reputation was going to be harder than he’d expected. It had been too long since he’d moved in any circles other than those inhabited by his decadent friends.

      “She’s mysterious like you, as well. There is more to you than meets the eye,” he said.

      “And you’re all flash, aren’t you?” she asked.

      “I’d like to hope not. Otherwise I’d be pretty boring.”

      “Well, no one has ever called you boring,” she admitted.

      Russell turned them both back toward the end of the hallway. He’d forgotten the cameras were there. He rarely let anyone distract him from his surroundings and was a bit surprised that Gail had.

      “Okay, cut. Great job, you two. Jack, come on in,” Willow said.

      Jack joined them, and Russell was reminded that this was definitely a TV show. Jack shook his hand and Gail’s.

      “You two are doing great,” he said.

      “Thanks,” Russell replied.

      “Okay, we’re ready to start shooting,” Willow said from across the room.

      “Now that you’ve finished your first date, what do you think of Matchmakers Inc.?” Jack asked.

      “They saw what I wanted even though Gail isn’t my normal date,” Russell said. “I think that the matchmaker was very intuitive.”

      “And you, Gail?”

      “Well, Russell is definitely the last guy in the world I would have expected, so in that respect they found me a man I couldn’t find on my own.”

      Jack laughed and then Willow called, “Cut.”

      “Jack, we’ll need you to finish shooting the intro. Russell and Gail, you are free to go back to the dining room, where a crew will tape you talking and eating.” The crew started heading back in that direction.

      “That should be exciting,” Gail said, turning sharply and walking across the atrium.

      “What’s your hurry?” Russell asked.

      “I want to talk to Willow before we film any more.”

      “Why?” Russell asked.

      “I just need to confirm some details with her,” Gail said.

      “Are you going to try to back out of this?” he asked.

      She shrugged. “Don’t take it personally, but I’m not sure that you are at all the right person for me. I’m sure that this would be interesting viewing—the whole opposites attract thing—but I want more than interesting viewing.”

      She started to walk away, and Russell realized anew how hard changing his reputation was going to be. “I’m not doing this for ratings.”

      She stopped and glanced back over her shoulder at him.

      “Why are you doing it?”

      “We all have to grow up, and I’d say it’s definitely my time.”

      He saw something change in her eyes and knew he had her. She wanted to see if he really was just the playboy, or if there was something more.

      “Fine. I won’t say anything to Willow until after this date. But I’m not going to make it easy on you. Finding a husband is my goal for this year, and I don’t want to waste my time with someone who clearly isn’t marrying material.”

      Clearly, this

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