Episode 6
EPISODE 6
FASCINATING
River
Twenty Years Earlier…
“Come on, Riv.” Brett yanks my arm.
We’ve all just completed our freshman year of high school. Brett’s the oldest of our group, and I’m the youngest. He’s always been our makeshift leader, but he and I have known each other the longest—since we were three years old and our mothers brought us to their book club in our small Montana town.
Since kindergarten, the five of us—Brett, Alex, Seb, Jake, and me—have been buddies, starting with ruling the playground. We weren’t bullies or anything. We were leaders. Still are.
But we also like to pull pranks and have fun, like the time we threw a flaming sack of shit onto Old Man Larson’s porch. The guy deserved it after taking a shot at my dog two years ago. Ernie’s some mixture of German Shepherd and Pitbull, but he wouldn’t hurt a flea even if the sucker was making him itch up a storm. Larson’s a terrible shot and he missed my mutt by a mile, but now he’s public enemy number one. What kind of man fires at an innocent dog? Ernie was only trespassing. He didn’t go after the chickens or anything.
I hate the old bastard, and though I’d love to see him rot, I’m feeling off about what Brett is suggesting.
“We could get in a lot of trouble,” I warn.
“Only if we’re caught, but we won’t be.”
Present Day
My longtime housekeeper thinks we’re nuts trying to meet wives like this, and part of me agrees with her. On the other hand, though, matchmaking sure beats online dating, and none of us has the time to go out and meet women the old-fashioned way.
Evangeline Livingston is an elite matchmaker who’s trying to redeem herself after botching a match for a high-profile client, so she jumped at the chance to put together this event. When we approached her with this idea to create an immersive experience as an over-the-top mixer with the goal of matching all four of us, she couldn’t wait to get started. She’s spent the last six weeks screening and searching, and now that we’re here, I’m impressed. She’s found us some beauties.
Brett, Alex, and Seb are already mingling. Me? I’m not a sprinter. I had my eye on the reddish brunette, Ariel, but Brett got to her first.
I’m a patient man, though. I can wait. We have time. The idea is to get to know all of them, see if sparks fly. Brett’s always been a front runner—in our friendship and in life. I bide my time and then strike when the iron is scorching.
The more things change…
Damn.
Twenty years have passed, and we all have amazing lives. Yet lately the past haunts me in ways I thought I’d sealed up for good.
“River”—Evangeline’s voice cuts into my thoughts—“have you met Juniper Loring and Rachel Cooper?”
I take a sip of my drink, set it down on the table, and rise. “I haven’t yet had the pleasure.”
“Ladies,” Evangeline says, “meet River Barrett.”
Juniper holds out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Call me June.”
“Nice to meet you, June.” Her hand is soft as silk. I turn to Rachel. “Hello.”
She gives me her hand as well. “Hello, Mr. Barrett.”
“Please, it’s River. Would you ladies care to sit down?”
June and Rachel take chairs on opposite sides of me, making it impossible to focus on both at once.
Okay, then.
Which will it be?
June’s features are nearly perfect—oval face, rosy high cheekbones, deep-set blue eyes, and flowing mahogany hair that caresses her creamy shoulders like a silky curtain. Not to mention her body… The woman models lingerie, so there’s that.
Rachel is a physicist. That should turn me off right away. I love the sciences…except for physics. She’s got these irresistible dimples, though, and the one on her left cheek is slightly larger than the one on the right, which for some reason makes my dick ache. Her face is rounder than June’s, and her jawline more pronounced, but she has eyes to die for—deep brown with long black lashes. She’s gorgeous in her own way, and her hair, though not as long as June’s, is a prettier color in my opinion. Dark brown to match her eyes.
Both women are drinking champagne, though June’s flute is nearly empty. I flag down a server and point at June’s glass.
He places another in front of her. “Ma’am?” he asks Rachel.
“I’m good for now. Thank you.”
“What brings you ladies here?” I ask.
Stupid question. We all know why they’re here. Evangeline recruited them based on what the others and I want. Intelligence, ambition, social skills, an interest in a long-term relationship, and finally, attractiveness. We considered not making physical attributes a requirement, but then we figured an initial attraction was necessary or nothing would come of any of this.
Evangeline did her job well. All eight women are drop-dead gorgeous in their own ways, plus they’re ambitious, and I assume they’re ready to settle down. Our tastes differ enough that we figured the chance of two of us going for the same woman was unlikely. But if it happens?
We’ll figure it out. It won’t be the first time we’ve gotten out of a mess.
Seb and Brett are good at this conversation thing. Alex and I? Not so much. When I was younger, my mother used to tell me to pretend I was a talk show host and ask a woman about herself. But I already know what these women do for a living, what their hobbies are, their plans for the future.
“What do you like most about beef ranching?” June asks me.
“Working with the animals.”
“Doesn’t it make you sad, though? I mean, you raise them for meat, right?”
Damn. Good thing she’s got a killer body. What a thing to say to a rancher. These women are supposed to be equipped with stellar social skills.
“I’m more of a businessman now than a rancher,” I explain. “But yeah, I love all my animals. Feeding people is a noble calling for any animal, and I treat them humanely. They’re pastured and grass-fed and they live happy lives. That’s important to me.”
“Yes, of course.” June smiles. “I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise. I just figured it’s difficult to watch animals you love… You know.”
Her comment makes me think of my old dog Ernie and the day I lost him. He was a damned good dog. At least he didn’t get taken out by Old Man Larson’s bullet. He lived to a ripe old age and passed in his sleep before I left for college. But I don’t know these ladies well enough to tell them that story.
“People have to eat, June,” I reply. “ Agriculture Today just did a spread on Barrett Ranch that details our focus on animal welfare and environmental sustainability. What my company does is called regenerative farming.”
“And that’s how you became a billionaire?” This from Rachel.
She raises a good point. My ranching business is thriving, for sure, but I became a billionaire by investing in Brett’s company. We all did, though we’re multi-millionaires in our own rights.
We made a pact—all four of us—twenty years ago. We swore that one day we’d never have to worry about money again. Every one of us got there on our own, and when the opportunity to invest in Brett’s business came up ten years ago, we all helped him…and we’re richer for it.
“It’s partly how I became a billionaire,” I reply. “I have outside investments as well.”
Rachel smiles. “I know we’re not supposed to talk about money, but?—”
“Who told you not to talk about money?”
“Evangeline did. I mean, we know you’re all richer than God. But I’m curious about how you got there. It’s all very interesting to me.”
I can’t help a chuckle. “I’m glad it is, because I’m afraid what you do is not even slightly interesting to me.”
Rachel takes a sip of her champagne, clearly not at all fazed by my comment. “Sounds like maybe you took a physics class once and didn’t do well.”
Bullseye. “Maybe.”
She nods. “Physics isn’t an easy discipline. It requires critical thinking and excellent problem-solving skills. But once you get past the rudimentary parts, it’s fascinating.”
“You know what I find fascinating?”
“What’s that?”
“The fact that you aren’t upset by my saying physics isn’t interesting to me. It’s not even true, because I’m actually very curious about how you make a career out of it. I shouldn’t have been so frank, and I apologize.”
“No need to apologize. I’m not upset. I’d make a terrible beef rancher, I’m sure. I don’t even eat red meat.”
“Sounds like the two of you have nothing in common,” June interjects.
“You’re probably right.” Rachel grabs her flute—still half full—and rises. “I’ll leave you two to talk. It was nice meeting you, River.” She leaves with a smile that isn’t at all forced.
She truly isn’t upset.
But I am. I want to continue our conversation.
“I want to apologize too, River,” June says, “for my comment about your animals.”
“No need. This is a nerve-racking situation for all of us. There are bound to be some slipups.”
My main one is that I drove Rachel away. I may not find physics fascinating, but Rachel?
She’s another story.
“Would you excuse me?” I rise, grab my drink, and follow Rachel, until?—
Someone clinks a fork against a glass.
“May I have your attention?” Evangeline stands next to the table where the food is set up. “Gentlemen, you all wanted to say a few words.”
Right. Our big welcome thing. I head toward Evangeline, nodding to Brett and Alex along the way.
Once we’re there, Evangeline makes eye contact with me, and then Brett and Alex. "Where is Sebastian?”