The Dating Experiment (The Experiment, #2)(24)

“I just want to know! Do I need to do more in-depth research? I mean—”

“She has a fucking kid!” I threw my arm out to the side.

She froze, mouth open where I’d interrupted her.

“Yeah,” I said a lot quieter. “She has a child, and I’m the asshole who told her we couldn’t see each other again because I’m not ready to have a child in my life.”

I wasn’t my sister. I didn’t have any lingering feelings the way she’d had with Elliott. I wasn’t ready to have a child of my own, never mind anyone else’s.

“That doesn’t make you an asshole,” Chloe said. She looked down at her hands, fidgeting. “If anything, she’s the asshole.”

I folded my arms and raised an eyebrow. “How’d you figure that out?”

With a tiny shrug of her shoulder, she said, “She didn’t tell you she had a child. She deliberately lied on her profile. I mean, come on. She has a child. It’s not like she has five cats and pet llama in the backyard.”

I snorted. I couldn’t help it. “A pet llama?”

“Hey, I’ve seen it before. Or maybe it was an alpaca? I don’t know. They look the same.” She waved it off. “Point is, she kept major information from her profile. You’re not a horrible person for not seeing her again when she’s someone you should never have been matched with in the first place.”

“Yeah? Can you tell her that? She looked at me like I was the physical embodiment of Satan.”

Chloe perched on the edge of my desk. “That’s probably just because she could see right through you.”

“He clearly changed his host from you to me, then.”

She grinned. “Nah, I was just temporary. You were always his favorite.”

I let out a small laugh. “Whatever. But now you know, so you can leave me alone.”

“Do you want me to find you another date? I have a couple still from when I—”

“No.”

“No?” She opened and closed her mouth a couple times. “No?”

“No,” I repeated, just as firmly. “Thank you, but no. I don’t want you to find me another date.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want one.” I held my hands out to my sides. “It’s that simple, Chlo. I’m good for now.”

She stood up off the desk and walked over to me. “But, how—”

I let out a heavy sigh and grasped her shoulders. I made sure I met her eyes before I spoke because I wanted her to know that I was being completely serious.

“Chloe,” I said softly. “I don’t want you to find me another date. Not that Rachael wasn’t great until the whole “I have a daughter” thing, but because I just don’t want one.”

She dropped her gaze to my left arm briefly before bringing her eyes back up to mine. “Why not?”

“Because, and I mean this in the nicest way possible when I say this—”

“I don’t like the sound of this.”

“—Nobody you match me with will be able to compare to what I really want, all right?”

Her lips parted, but she didn’t say anything.

“So, it’s just that simple,” I finished. “I don’t want to date anyone right now.”

“I don’t understand,” she said softly.

“You don’t need to understand. It’s my issue, not yours.” I dipped my head once again, so our faces were close. “So, leave it now. All right? Focus on the people who need your help to find a date, because I don’t see myself being one of them anytime soon.”

“I don’t—” she stopped before she presumably repeated herself. “But you were all for this before. What changed your mind?”

Sitting across from another woman and comparing everything about her to you.

“I don’t think I was ever really into it,” I admitted. “Not like you are.”

“Oh.” Her expression dropped slightly. “I guess—okay, fine.”

“Fine? You’re not going to argue with me?” I dropped my hands from her upper arms and took a step back. “Wow. Okay.” I gave her a quick once-over and stopped.

She looked different—aside from no make-up.

Chloe lifted a hand to her face. “What? Is there something on my face? In my hair?” She ran her fingers over her cheeks and then through her hair.

Her hair.

“Did you cut your hair?” I asked, squinting slightly.

“Oh. That. Yeah. Just a bit.” She blushed and tucked it behind her ear. “Why? Does it look bad?”

You could be bald, and the answer would still be no.

“No,” I said honestly. “You look great.”

She froze, as if she thought I’d tell her otherwise. Her cheeks flushed pink. “Oh. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” I tugged my lips up to one side. “I’m gonna go upstairs. Can you lock up?”

“Sure. I’ll see you Monday?”

I pulled open the office door and, with a glance over my shoulder to the woman who was still blushing, nodded. “See you Monday, Chlo.”





Chapter Ten – Dom