Read 04 - Shock and Awesome for Free Online Page A

we do exactly what we say we do. We match wealthy clients with their perfect partners. These are just a few of them, and we've had seventeen marriages in the past two years."
     
          "They're all wealthy?" I asked, my obvious curiosity getting the better of me.
     
          "Oh yes. This is no Sugar Daddy agency. All our ladies and gentlemen are... independently wealthy, shall we say? It's very important for our clients not to feel like... targets." She took a breath at that as Solomon and I exchanged glances. Targets, indeed. Helen obviously had the same thought as we. Clearing her throat, she continued, "Poor choice of words, perhaps now that we suspect one of our male clients is targeting the ladies here. Solomon tells me you'll pose as a client to gain access to our clientele."
     
          "It seems the best way to accomplish it," I agreed, filling the sudden silence as Helen clearly expected me to say something. "A hands-on approach."
     
          "We'll build a profile for Lexi , itemizing what makes her the most attractive prospect, based on what has attracted the thief so far. All you have to do is supply those details to your male clients and we'll take it from there," Solomon told her. "There will be minimal involvement from you, and none from your staff. It will be very discreet."
     
          She leaned forwards, placing her hands on the desk, and sighed. "That's very important to us. To me. Like you, I prefer the hands-on approach. Madeleine is my only staff member and I haven't informed her of my suspicions. If word gets out that our clients are being targeted by thieves, our subscription base will disappear. In short, we'll be ruined. No one wants a date with a gold-digging thief."
     
          Everyone, that is, except me. Yippee. Being single never seemed so appealing as right now.
     
          "Are you ready for this, Ms. Graves?"
     
          "You bet."
     
          " Lexi's cover story will be ready to go within the next twenty-four hours," Solomon told her. He stood up, extending his hand for a parting handshake. I followed suit. "The thief won't see her coming."
     
          "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that," said Helen. "Let's get the ball rolling. You'll see to it that Ms. Graves is suitably briefed about the requirements of the job?"
     
          "Of course." Solomon nodded as he looked towards me. "She's Montgomery's newest, most eligible millionaire, and everything about her will reflect just that."
     
          Everything? Gulp.
     
          ~
     

     
          There was only one closet I knew of that was consistently better stocked than mine. Actually, there were probably an awful lot of closets with better clothing than mine, but only one belonged to my sister, Serena. And by one, I mean she had one hell of a closet. Working in my favor was all the baby fat she still had to lose. As I handed Victoria back to my sister, I mentally thanked my baby niece for fattening my sister up. Most of her clothes hung unworn and pristine while Serena sported a shirt that had a suspicious looking glob dried midway down the front. Serena caught my eye, raised one eyebrow the barest fraction, daring me to mention it. I bit the insides of my cheeks, watching as her eyebrow edged upwards a hair's depth before thinking better of it. No point antagonizing the beast, especially when I still had a favor to ask.
     
          "Please can I borrow a really nice dress?" I asked between blowing kissy faces at Victoria. Victoria wriggled in her mother's arms, puffed out her chest, and let rip an enormous belch, then smiled lazily, her cheeks pinking with delight.
     
          "Don't you dare high five her," snipped Serena as my hand began to rise on its own accord. I let it drop. "What do you need a dress for? You have a whole bunch of dresses."
     
          "Yes, but you have really nice dresses and I only have moderately nice." She was also a total clothes horse and had