The Perfect Christmas (3 page)

“What do you mean?”

She waved a lettuce leaf in his direction. “Like I said, I questioned his actions and his decisions. He didn’t like it.”

“I wonder why he rejected Angie,” Shawn mused. “I mean, she’s not annoying or—”

“Hey, stop right there.”

Shawn laughed and leaned his elbows on the counter where he sat. “Who’s that picture of on the fridge?” he asked.

Although she didn’t need to turn and look, Cassie
did. She tensed slightly as she stared at the photograph of Jill and Tom and their perfect Christmas. “That, brother dearest, is my inspiration.”

A
few minutes later, Cassie reached for her phone on impulse and dialed Angie’s number.

“Hello? Oh, Cassie, I was hoping you’d call. How’d the appointment go?”

“Do you like taco salad?” Cassie asked rather than answering.

“Is there any food group I don’t like?” Her friend had a smile in her voice.

“Silly question. Come join us.”

“Us?”

“Yes, Shawn stopped by. I’m making a taco salad and if you have fresh tomatoes bring one. If not, we’ll do without.”

“Shawn’s there? Your brother?”

“That’s what I just said. Are you coming or not?”

“I’m on my way, and I’ve got a tomato,” Angie said,
“but when I get there, I want details about the meeting with Dr. Dodson.”

Shawn grabbed an orange from her fruit bowl and tossed it in the air, juggling it with an apple and doing a poor job. The orange hit the floor and rolled into the living room. “I’m glad you invited Angie. How’s she doing?”

“You know Angie. She’s always in a good mood.”

Her brother retrieved the orange. “Well…it’ll be nice to see her again.”

Cassie nodded absently as she began to sauté the ground beef.

By the time Angie arrived, Cassie had the hamburger with taco sauce simmering together. The salad fixings were in a large bowl, awaiting Angie’s tomato. Shawn was grating the cheese.

Angie brightened the moment she walked into the room. “Shawn, it’s great to see you.”

“You, too.” He set the cheese down long enough to give her a brief hug. Cassie always forgot how tiny her friend was until Angie stood next to her brother, who was well over six feet.

While Cassie got out the bag of tortilla chips and assembled the rest of the salad, Angie set the table and Shawn filled their water glasses. “Sorry I don’t have any sangria,” Cassie said as she carried the large wooden bowl to the table. Smaller bowls of meat, cheese and chips followed.

“This looks wonderful,” Angie told her.

“Allow me.” Shawn pulled out Angie’s chair. Then
he hurried around to the other side of the table to do the same for Cassie.

“Since when have you acquired gentlemanly manners?” Cassie asked.

Jokingly Shawn checked his watch. “About five minutes ago.”

“Perfect timing.”

“I’m dying to hear how everything went this afternoon,” Angie said, her fork poised over the salad. “How was the meeting with…Dr. Dodson?” She glanced toward Shawn as if she wasn’t sure she should say any more.

“It’s okay.” Cassie nodded. “He knows all about it.”

Shawn rolled his eyes. “Personally I think she’s nuts. So, what’s the story with you and this matchmaker?”

Angie ignored the question and returned her attention to Cassie. “Don’t keep me in suspense. What was your impression when you met him?”

“He’s abrupt and ill-mannered, don’t you agree?”

“That’s putting it mildly.” She turned to Shawn. “He rejected me. I didn’t make it past the initial interview. I’ll admit it was a blow to my ego but I felt I had to tell Cassie about him.”

“I can’t believe he’d reject you.” Shawn looked genuinely outraged on Angie’s behalf. “I don’t understand why either of you would have any interest in someone who seems to enjoy insulting you.”

“Why?” Cassie answered. “We’re getting desperate, that’s why. It’s not easy to meet decent men, you know!”

“Not at our age,” Angie added.

“See that picture of Jill and Tom?” Cassie said, pointing to her refrigerator. “She has the perfect life, the perfect family and is about to have the perfect Christmas. I want all that.”

“Me, too,” Angie murmured fervently. “And so far I haven’t even come close.”

Shawn blinked. “You two are actually serious?”

“Serious enough to pay thirty thousand bucks to find the right man.”

Shawn’s eyebrows shot up. “
How
much?”

Cassie didn’t feel like repeating it. “You heard me.”

Shaking his head, Shawn muttered something about being in the wrong business.

Angie sighed. “It’s a ridiculous amount of money, I know, but from what I understand, it’s worth every penny—if you’re accepted, that is. Now, Cassie, tell me about your meeting with Dr. Dodson.”

Mentally reviewing the appointment, Cassie suffered more than a few doubts. “I don’t think I went over well.”

“But you have a second appointment, right?”

“Supposedly.” Cassie shrugged. “He said he’d call…?.”

“Cassie, that’s great! Dr. Dodson read my application, took one look at me and said he didn’t have anyone who’d suit me.”

That wasn’t precisely what Angie had told her earlier. Simon had apparently said she already held feelings for someone. If that
was
the case, Cassie didn’t have any idea who it might be. She wished she’d questioned her further, but at the time she’d been too inter
ested in hearing about this matchmaker and now didn’t seem appropriate. Especially since Angie was obviously reluctant to talk about her own situation. The man in question must’ve been someone she’d met years ago, which was what Angie had implied. It certainly wasn’t anyone Cassie knew, and they’d worked together for six years.

“Tell us what he said,” Angie urged.

“Simon was pretty rude,” Cassie said between bites of her salad. She added another layer of crushed tortilla chips to the lettuce.

“How?” Shawn asked. “I want specifics.”

“Well, he didn’t seem to like a single thing about me. Not my body type, not my choice of clothes or the color of my suit.”

“I love that suit!” Angie cried.

“I did, too,” Cassie said, immediately noting that she’d used the past tense. Hard as it was to admit, he was right about that. She would’ve preferred it in a soft robin’s-egg blue, but the only available color had been navy.

“Didn’t he have
anything
nice to say?” Angie asked.

“Well…he did mention that my hairstyle suited me but it needed more length. That was as close to a compliment as he got.”

“But you made it past the first interview,” Angie said again, as though Cassie had managed a feat of unparalleled skill.

“What I don’t understand,” Shawn said, pushing back in his chair, “is why you’d allow this man to insult you. I mean, everything he said was just a matter
of opinion.
His
opinion.” He raised both hands as the women started to protest. “Okay, I understand you’re feeling desperate—to quote you—but I don’t get it.”

Cassie and Angie shared a look.

“I think it’s the promise,” Cassie said.

“The promise,” Shawn repeated. “What promise?”

Angie leaned forward, folding her arms on the table. “Dr. Dodson guarantees that he’ll find you a match.”

“Someone who’ll be a perfect match…”

“Someone who’s as eager to meet us as we are them,” Angie explained.

“The thing is,” Cassie said, “I can’t help wondering if the man of my dreams is actually out there.”

“Of course he is,” Shawn insisted. “Frankly I think all of this is nonsense. How can anyone
guarantee
that he’ll find you a
perfect match?
” Sarcasm dripped from his words. “I can’t believe you’re willing to pay the guy that much money when you’re completely capable of finding yourself a husband.”

“Where?” Cassie asked, opening her arms and gesturing widely. “Tell me where he is and I’ll send a search party to bag him.”

“I’ll volunteer,” Angie said. “Maybe there’ll be an extra man hanging around for me.”

“Where?” Shawn ignored their teasing. “There are men, decent men, everywhere. You can meet him at work—” they shook their heads simultaneously “—well, then, at…at the grocery store. Or on the street. Or in a bookstore. Or…”

Angie cocked one finely shaped eyebrow. “Did you hear what I just heard?”

“I did,” Cassie confirmed.

“What?” Shawn looked from one woman to the other.

“You used the word
meet,
” Cassie told him.

“Not marry,” Angie said.

“Now, just a minute—” Shawn started to speak but Cassie cut him off.

“You’re a prime example of what we’re talking about.”

“Me?” Shawn placed a hand over his heart. “I’m too busy for a wife and family. I’m constantly on the road. That’s no life for kids.”

“You don’t feel the need for companionship, then?” Angie asked.

“Not really.”

“Men don’t,” Cassie complained. “They don’t know they’re miserable until we tell them.”

“So I’m miserable now?” Shawn laughed as if she’d made a joke. “Too bad I’ve never noticed.”

Cassie wasn’t about to argue with him. “Men aren’t on the same timetable women are, and when they finally wake up and realize they want the same things we do,
they
can still father children.”

“A woman has biological limitations,” Angie said, “if she wants kids.”

Her brother’s look sobered. “You two aren’t kidding.”

“No way,” Cassie said. “In fact, we’re willing to put up with the criticism and scrutiny of someone like Simon Dodson in the hope of finding a good man we can share our lives with.”

Shawn grew thoughtful. “I don’t understand why he’d reject
you,
Angie. It seems to me you’d be an ideal candidate.”

“Well, he did, and it’s his prerogative,” she said briskly. Then she smiled at Cassie. “I can hardly wait until you have your next appointment.”

“Now, just a minute,” Shawn said again. “You should’ve asked me to set you up before you went to all this trouble.”

Cassie’s eyes widened. “You have someone you want me to meet?”

“Well, sure. I know a dozen eligible men. I could’ve introduced you.”

Cassie glanced at Angie. “He only thinks to mention this now?”

Angie frowned. “Do you really trust your brother to find you a husband?”

Cassie shook her head. “My idea of what I want and what he has to offer might be worlds apart.”

“Hey, you two,” Shawn said, breaking into their conversation. “I’m sitting right here. If you have any doubts, you can address them to me directly and not to each other.”

“Okay,” Cassie said. “Tell me about one such man.”

“All right.” He appeared to be deep in thought.

“I don’t think he can scrounge up even one,” Cassie whispered, raising her eyebrows.

“Give me a minute, would you,” he snapped.

“Notice how testy he gets when challenged.”

Her brother silenced her with a look.

“There’s Riley,” he declared triumphantly. He beamed a smile at Angie and then Cassie.

“I’ve always liked the name Riley,” Angie said.

“Riley.” Cassie threw back her head. “You’re joking!”

“What’s wrong with Riley?” Angie wanted to know.

“He’s an artist friend of Shawn’s. He’s got two ex-wives, a gambling problem and he drinks too much. You’re scraping the bottom of the frying pan if you’re suggesting either of us should marry
Riley.
”

“He’s reformed.”

“Yeah, right. And when did this happen?”

Shawn seemed unsure. “Not too long ago. He said he’s through messing up his life. What he needs now is a good woman.”

Cassie exhaled slowly. “Tell him to talk to one of his ex-wives, then.”

“Sorry,” Angie said, “I’m not interested, either.”

“You’re going to have to try harder than that,” Cassie informed her brother.

“What about Larry Upjohn? You couldn’t meet a nicer guy if you tried.”

“Do you know Larry?” Angie asked her.

Cassie nodded. “He’s Shawn’s CPA and in a word…
b-o-r-i-n-g.
”

“You didn’t say you were looking for a stand-up comic,” Shawn said, obviously annoyed.

“Call me superficial, but I don’t want to date a man who wears knee-high socks with his sandals and a pocket protector in his pajamas.”

“A little personality would be helpful,” Angie said
in a defeated voice. “As you can tell, it’s not as easy as it seems.”

“Warren!” Shawn’s face lit up. “What about Warren?”

Once more Angie turned to Cassie.

She nodded, but without enthusiasm. “Warren’s a…possibility.”

“What’s wrong with Warren?” Shawn cried.

Cassie shrugged. “Nothing really. He just doesn’t ring my bells. He might Angie’s, though.”

Shawn leaned back, throwing out his arms in an expansive gesture. “I can introduce you, if you like.”

“Tell me about him first,” Angie said.

“He’s Shawn’s agent,” Cassie explained. “He’s a nice guy.”

“
Nice
isn’t a word I’d use to describe Warren,” Shawn commented. “He’s a tough negotiator.”

“But a real kitten on the inside,” Cassie said. “He’s also divorced. Recently, if I remember.”

“He and Clare split last year. I don’t know many guys your age who aren’t divorced.”

“That’s reassuring,” Cassie muttered. Warren was the best of the rather shallow pool of Shawn’s male friends and acquaintances. Shallow pools, as everyone knew, were usually the slimiest, too. This was exactly why she’d decided on the matchmaker.

“Warren’s got a couple of kids. His wife has custody.”

“Thanks, big brother, but I’ll stick with Dr. Dodson.”

“I appreciate the suggestion,” Angie said, “but I’ll pass on Warren, too.”

“If I think of anyone else, I’ll give you a call.”

“You do that,” Cassie said, although she didn’t expect he would. “On second thought, phone Angie.”

S
imon kept Cassie waiting forty-five minutes on her next visit. His assistant, Ms. Snelling, had called the day after her first appointment. It was now Friday. Since she’d been on pins and needles for three whole days, an additional forty-five minutes didn’t bother her. Today would be when he’d announce whether he’d found her a match.

She couldn’t figure out how, based on their brief conversation, Simon would be able to match her up with the perfect man. Maybe, as Angie said, it really was all about his ability as a psychologist, his scientific study of her lengthy questionnaire.

For three nights now, she’d been like a kid at Christ
mas—only instead of sugar plums dancing around in her head she saw men’s faces. Men who were enthralled with her. Men who’d go through the same insulting rigmarole she had for the chance to meet her. Men who were just as eager for the very things she wanted—a home and family, security, a sense of belonging and a lifetime filled with love. And one of those men would be her perfect match.

“Dr. Dodson will see you now,” Ms. Snelling said in the same crisp tone she’d used on Cassie’s first visit.

Cassie bounded up from the chair as though she’d been ejected. Despite her eagerness, she tried to move slowly and calmly. When she entered his office, she found Simon sitting at his desk.

Without looking up, he gestured for her to sit, too.

Cassie did, perching on the very edge. She didn’t expect an apology for being kept waiting and wasn’t disappointed. When Simon eventually looked up, she noticed streaks of gray in his hair that had escaped her notice previously.

“What are your plans for Christmas?” he asked.

Of all the things Cassie had expected him to say, this wasn’t it. “Ah…I’m not sure yet.”

“Family plans?”

“Not really.” She hadn’t talked to her brother yet. Her mother and stepfather lived in Hawaii and it was unlikely that they’d fly in for the holidays. Her father…well, she hadn’t spent Christmas with him since she was five or six. “There’s just Shawn and me.”

“And Shawn is?”

“My brother. It’s on the questionnaire. He’s—”

“Ah, yes,” Simon broke in. “What did you do last Christmas?”

“Well, let me see…” She tried to remember where she’d been and with whom. Was it last year that Angie—

“This shouldn’t be so difficult,” he said.

“It was eleven months ago,” she snapped. His attitude irritated her. “As I recall, Shawn and I went out to eat. Angie, a friend of mine, was supposed to join us but at the last minute she couldn’t and we—”

“Yes, yes,” he said, interrupting her again.

“And what exactly were
you
doing?” she demanded.

His eyes widened. “I beg your pardon?”

“Where were you last Christmas?”

“As I indicated during our previous session, I’m the one asking the questions.”

Cassie made an effort to hold her temper. “I guess that slipped my mind. But I was allowed one question then, so I assume that’s the case today, and I’m asking it now.” She took a deep—and necessary—breath. “Where were
you
last Christmas?”

He exhaled slowly. “Right here in Seattle.”

“With friends and loved ones?”

“That’s more than one question.” He looked pointedly in her direction. “Shall we continue or not? The choice is yours.”

Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, Cassie tried to regain her equilibrium. “Yes, let’s continue, although I don’t understand what last Christmas has to do with anything.”

“That’s not your concern.”

“Are you always this dictatorial?” She realized she was asking yet another question, but she couldn’t stop herself.

“I am when I feel I can find the right match for a client. An exasperating one, I might add.”

“Really?” That was worth all the insults he could issue, Cassie decided. She slid so far to the edge of the chair that she was in danger of falling onto the carpet. “You actually have someone in mind?”

“I do.” This was said in a clipped, businesslike way.

She waited, but he wasn’t any more forthcoming than that.

“Before I introduce you, there are a few matters we need to attend to.”

“Fine.” Her heart felt as if it had moved into her throat.

“My fee is thirty thousand dollars.”

“Yes, I know… That’s a lot of money.”

Simon glanced up. “I thought you were aware of my fee. If you can’t afford me, then I suggest you leave now and save us both a lot of time and trouble.”

The money was safely tucked in Cassie’s savings account. “I put it aside for a wedding, but obviously there won’t be one without a groom. I’m willing to make the investment.”

“Good. Then I’ll introduce you to John.”

“His name is John?” John was a solid name, implying that he was a solid man; she liked him already.

“Before I introduce you—”

“There’s a money-back guarantee, right?”

“I’ll explain that in a moment.”

“Okay, sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She wanted to capture every single detail of this meeting so she could repeat it all to Angie.

“I have three tasks I want you to complete first.”

“Excuse me?” She wondered if she’d misheard him. Cassie was waiting to hear about her perfect mate, and he was talking about
tasks?
What was this, homework?

“These are qualifying tasks,” he was saying. “I need to be sure you’re the woman for John.”

“But…no one said anything about needing to qualify.”

He ignored her outburst. “Once you’ve fulfilled these three
simple
tasks, I will introduce you to John. The choice is easy—do what I ask and meet the man of your dreams or keep your money and walk away now.” He sat back in his chair and clasped his hands, clearly regarding this as a take-it-or-leave-it proposition.

Cassie’s head reeled. “Do you ask this of all your clients?” she cried, almost positive he didn’t. Her nerves were quickly fraying.

“How often do I need to tell you? I’m not in the habit of answering questions.” He paused and looked her straight in the eye. “However, I’ll admit that I don’t ask this of every client. Only certain ones.”

“What made me so lucky?”

“Your motives. You expect to find the perfect husband, the perfect marriage and the perfect Christmas, correct?”

She remembered having said as much. She nodded.

“You’re asking for the impossible.”

“But…isn’t that what you promised?”

“No. If you’ll examine my Web site, you’ll see that I promise the
right
mate. The most suitable spouse. But that’s just the beginning. A happy marriage is about much more than the appearance of perfection.”

Others had found true love. Jill and Tom had, so why couldn’t she? “I can dream, can’t I?” she muttered.

“Yes, you can dream as long as your dreams are rooted in reality.”

“And you consider it your duty to drag me out of my happy fantasy and into the real world,” she said sarcastically.

“What I consider my duty is to match you up with someone who’ll spend the rest of his life thinking he’s the most fortunate man alive to be with you.”

“Oh.” She swallowed tightly.

“Do you accept the three tasks or not?”

She hesitated. She needed more information before she agreed to anything. “What are they?”

“I’m not asking you to swim in shark-infested waters, if that’s what you’re worried about. It’s nothing life-threatening.”

“I won’t have to eat anything disgusting, will I?”

He cringed. “Good grief, no. As I said, these are simple, ordinary tasks. It sounds as if you’ve been watching too much reality television.”

“Actually, I don’t. My friend Angie watches that stuff and then tells me about it the next day.”

He ignored her explanation and reached for a slip of paper on his desk. “Here’s your first task. I need you to volunteer for a four-hour shift as a bell ringer in front of the Southcenter Mall near Kent. Do you know it?”

“I know every mall within a two-hundred-mile radius of Seattle.”

“I have no doubt of that.”

Really, how difficult could a four-hour shift be? “Sure, that won’t be a problem.”

“It’s the weekend after Thanksgiving.”

“Great. The mall will be hopping.”

“There’s a quota the charity expects you to make, but I don’t think you’ll have any trouble with that.”

“Okay. What’s the second task?” The first one didn’t seem too hard; the next one was probably along similar lines.

“You said on the application form that you’re interested in a man who wants children.”

“I am.”

“Good. I’m going to give you the opportunity to spend an entire afternoon with the little darlings. You’ll be one of Santa’s elves for a picture-taking session at the Tacoma Mall.”

“An elf?”

“There’s a costume. I apologize, but it’s one of the requirements.”

“Okay, fine, I can be an elf.” She didn’t like the idea of wearing some silly outfit with tights and pointed shoes but she could cope. “And the final task?”

He reached for another slip of paper. “I also saw on your application that you enjoy cooking.”

“I do.” And she was pretty good at it if she did say so herself.

“Excellent. For your third task, I want you to cook Christmas dinner. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes
with gravy, salad, vegetables…that sort of thing. Oh, and two different kinds of homemade pie.”

“And who’s going to be eating this huge meal?”

“Your neighbors.”

“Ah.” She raised her index finger in protest. “I don’t have the friendliest neighbors…?.”

“Invite them, anyway.”

“And who’s going to check up to see if I’ve completed these tasks?” she asked. She suspected Simon hadn’t thought this completely through.

“I’ll be checking in on you during the first two tasks.”

“You might as well come to Christmas dinner, then. Can I invite my brother and best friend, too?”

“Of course,” he said, but he didn’t respond to her admittedly reluctant invitation.

“Can they bring a contribution?” She was thinking Shawn could scrounge up a cooked turkey somewhere and even Angie could manage stuffing out of a box.

“No, you will be providing the entire meal.”

Cassie was afraid of that.

“Now that you know the tasks, do you feel you can handle them?”

“I guess so—but what exactly is the point?”

He smiled—a glimmer of a smile. “Each task will tell me something about you. Something important. However, you don’t seem very confident. Can you or can’t you? A yes or no will suffice.”

Lifting her hand to her brow she saluted him smartly. “Aye, aye, sir.”

Her gesture failed to amuse him, but he did relax
somewhat. “Now that we’ve squared away that portion of our discussion, it’s time to finalize the paperwork.”

“All right. Oh—do I get to ask three things of you—small, easy-to-perform tasks?”

He sent her a withering look.

“Obviously I don’t,” she said under her breath.

“Let’s make this clear,” he said with exaggerated patience. “
You’re
the one who sought me out. You came to me because of your desire for a husband and a family. I don’t advertise. I didn’t ask you to step into this office. You came of your own free will.”

“I did,” she concurred.

“Then we play this by my rules.”

She resisted rolling her eyes for fear he’d demand she leave. “Rules,” she repeated softly. “Is this a game to you?”

“No, this is life, yours and John’s. He’s a good man who wants the same things you do.”

“Okay, I accept your rules.”

“Thank you.”

“Can I at least see his photograph?”

“No. You will meet when it’s time. There will be no information exchanged before that official meeting.”

Cassie didn’t like it, but she didn’t have any alternative. She nodded.

Simon opened a side drawer and withdrew a contract. “I advise you to have your attorney look this over before you sign it. This is a standard contract, stating what you can expect for your thirty thousand dollars.”

“What if John and I don’t gel? If we aren’t a good fit?”

“That occasionally happens and it’s a fair question. Your money will be refunded to both of you in full.”

“In that case, will you introduce me to another potential mate?”

“No.”

“No. No?”

“This is a one-shot deal.”

“One-shot?” That sounded risky.

“If I offered choices, my clients would be wondering who else might be available. When I pick a mate for you, it’s the best match I can find, someone I believe will complement your strengths, share your values and fulfill your desires—within reasonable parameters.”

“And your success rate is?”

“High. I don’t accept a client unless I’m confident I have the right person for him or her. It’s as simple as that.”

Cassie stared down at the contract. She’d feel better if she liked Simon more. The man was rude, arrogant and short-tempered.

It was as if he’d read her thoughts. “You don’t need to like me, Cassie,” he said. “In fact, it’s preferable that you don’t.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really,” he returned. “The last thing I want or need is for a client to fall in love with me. It only complicates matters, and I don’t like unnecessary complications. Understood?”

“Now who’s dreaming?”

A smile came and went. A smile that charmed her despite everything he’d said and done.