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“Nope, but our relationship did start that day.”
I purse my lips. “I suppose you could say that.”
His eyes widen, and he pivots on the seat to face me. “Excuse me. I am hurt. I kissed you that day, or don’t you remember? I think that counts.”
“I do remember. But it was fake.”
“That kiss wasn’t fake, and you know it.” He winks, and I can’t hold in my laughter. He’s not that far off. The tingles I felt that day were very real.
I roll my eyes playfully. “Fine.”
“What would people say about us if they were looking now?”
“Hmm . . .” I place a finger on my lips. “That we’re too damn cute and madly in love?”
A grin springs to his face. “They would be right.”
Our first few days in New York are a dream come true. Wade booked us a luxury suite near Central Park, and we couldn’t have hoped for a better location. We do all the typical tourist stuff and indulge in a bit of shopping. Now, we’re meeting his friend Colton for coffee at a local coffee house.
“Colton.” Wade jumps to his feet as a tall, handsome man saunters over to our table. Sporting black hair and a perfectly groomed beard, he’s wearing a fitted high-end suit in dark grey—Armani or Boss, I’m guessing. He looks a little grumpy at first glance, but his face lights up the moment he sees Wade. They share a hearty embrace, like long-lost brothers.
“So good to see you, man,” Colton says when they break apart. I wasn’t expecting his American accent. I’m guessing he’s been living here for a while. “Can’t believe you actually hauled your ass to the States. But I’m guessing it has something to do with this young lady,” he adds, turning to me with a smile.
“Yup. You’d probably never have seen me here otherwise.” Wade nods, wearing a broad grin. “Colton, this is my girlfriend, Roxy. Roxy, this is Colton, my childhood friend.”
“Nice to meet you.” I shake his hand, and we all sit down at the table. When the waiter comes by, we order a round of lattes and espresso.
Colton leans back. “How’s everything going, then? Training’s starting up again soon?”
“Yeah, in a couple of weeks. Not so eager to go back, though. I’m enjoying my holiday,” Wade says, putting his hand on my knee.
“Wade Hunter, not eager to play football? Impossible,” Colton teases.
“Nothing is impossible with love,” Wade says in a cheesy way that makes us all laugh.
“Ooh, I should use that for our next campaign,” Colton jokes. “Along with the success stories of people accomplishing great things thanks to their partners.”
Wade turns to me. “I don’t remember if I told you, but Colton’s an app developer. He created the Love Connected app.”
We’re interrupted by the waiter, who brings us our drinks. The smell of freshly brewed coffee envelops the space.
“Oh, right. You mentioned it. That’s splendid.” I raise an eyebrow at Colton. “Does it actually work?”
“Uh-oh. Might not be going as well as you think, Hunt,” Colton says, but Wade just rolls his eyes.
“Oh, I’m not interested,” I giggle, sipping my coffee. “Just curious. I’ve never used one of those dating apps.”
“It works,” Colton says with a nod. “You enter your likes, dislikes, what you look for in a partner. We also collect data on people you’re attracted to based on photos and short phrases. We go deeper than most dating apps, asking the hard questions. Our algorithm doesn’t only match you with people you’re similar to, but people you differ from. People who complement you. Creating a profile takes time, but once you get a match, it’s usually a good one.”
“Sounds interesting. Is it available only in the States?”
“For now, only North America and a few countries in Europe. But we’re about to launch it in the UK. I’m actually in town for a meeting to pitch the service to even more territories, but convincing investors isn’t easy. Especially when the CEO is single,” he says with a shrug.
“Yeah, mate. Why on earth are you still single, then? Just find your perfect match with that magic app of yours,” Wade says.
“Ah, you know me. I’m a lone wolf.” Colton runs a hand along his beard. “And way too complicated. Even for my state-of-the-art algorithm.”
After coffee with Colton, we enjoyed a pleasant walk on the high line, a park built on a former elevated rail line. Finally, we went back to our hotel. Wade is taking me out tonight, but he refused to say where. So I go for a casual elegant look—a midnight-blue maxi dress with wedges and some chunky jewellery.
