Mike had given up dating for a while, because he simply couldn’t stand the scenes. Lately, he’d been spending his spare time with his charity work, instead. And putting in more hours at the gym.

‘And where do you think you’re going to find this super mercenary creature, Mike? Girls don’t walk around with signs on them saying they’ll marry for money.’

‘What a short memory you have, Rich. I’ll get her from an internet introduction agency, of course. Didn’t you tell me yourself that you tried Wives Wanted before you found Holly? And didn’t you confess to me over a bottle of Johnny Walker that that particular matchmaking service had loads of good-looking gold-diggers on their books?’

Richard frowned. ‘You’re right. I did say that. But, in hindsight, maybe I misjudged them. I was in a pretty cynical state of mind at the time I dated those women. They probably weren’t as bad as all that. I mean, Reece found Alanna using that agency. No one in their right minds would call her a gold-digger.’

‘There are always the exception to the rule,’ Mike said, his mind momentarily going to Reece’s lovely and very loving wife. ‘Alanna is that exception. Wives Wanted will have what I’m looking for. What I need from you, Rich, is their contact number. Do you still have it? If you don’t, I could ask Reece.’

‘I have it here somewhere,’ Richard admitted.

No use protesting further, he realised as he opened the top drawer in his desk and went through the pile of business cards he kept in the corner, looking for the one from Wives Wanted. Mike was clearly determined to do this. And who could blame him? A partnership with Chuck Helsinger was the chance of a lifetime.

Still…

Holly wasn’t going to believe him when he told her about this tonight. Mike was the most anti-marriage guy they knew. Anti-marriage. Anti-love. And anti-women.

No, that was going too far. He wasn’t anti-women. There was always some beautiful dolly-bird on his arm. Women buzzed around Mike like bees to the honeypot. Richard wasn’t too sure why, since Mike wasn’t conventionally handsome. Holly said it was because he was tall, dark and dangerous-looking.

Richard conceded that Mike’s macho appearance might be the main contributing factor to his attractiveness. He had wall-to-wall muscles. And then some.

He also rarely dressed in suits, favouring jeans and leather jackets. Black, like the one he had on today.

Whatever it was, Mike was never lacking in female company. Fortunately, Holly didn’t go for that type. She preferred his own more conservative, well-groomed style. Thank God.