Unwanted Heat

I spend the next few minutes reviewing the NDA which seems pretty straight forward. It basically outlines what Bridget has already mentioned; essentially I can’t discuss anything we talk about with anyone.

The NDA also warns that I can be sued if I discuss the contents of this meeting with someone, especially if the information is then leaked to the media. My curiosity is peaked even more as I wonder what Bridget could want to discuss that would require such a high level of confidentiality. Immediately I toss out the idea that she wants me to be a personal shopper for her at other stores, not that it was a very good idea to begin with.

A waiter quietly brings in our salads and entrees, setting them in front of us before Bridget nods, dismissing him. She pours us each a glass of wine from the bottle that has been opened and is on the table with us. I take a deep breath and sign the NDA, closing the folder before taking a sip of the wine she just poured. I haven’t had a glass of wine or really anything containing alcohol in the last year and a half; not that I haven’t often wanted something but more because I was focused so much on saving money and just surviving.

“Do you mind if we discuss things while we eat? I’ve had a busy day and ended up missing lunch today so I’m famished,” Bridget asks.

“I don’t mind at all.” I’m secretly relieved because I’d rather get the reason for this meeting out in the open than dragging it on much longer.

“Kenzie, I want you to keep an open mind with what I’m about to offer you,” she warns and I can’t help but nod in agreement as the anxiety in me rises even higher. “As you know, I run a very successful consulting firm here in New York. What you don’t know is what my services entail. I work with very successful business men and women across the tri-state area who, because of their busy lives, find dating to be either undesirable or something they don’t have time for. This is where I come in: I set them up with men and women who match the qualities they are looking for.” “Like a match maker?” I ask completely surprised.

“Sort of… I suppose you could call me a match maker. However, unlike most match making services out there, my ultimate goal is often not about wedding bells and happily ever after. That doesn’t mean that some of my clients haven’t ended up married, of course, but the primary objective of the match is not compatibility for life.”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“I’m sorry. I’m a little confused. If you’re not looking for a husband or wife for someone, what’s the point in the match?”

“Company, companionship and sometimes even friendship – what most people want out of life. The people I work with are very successful individuals in their respective industries. Often times they work 60, 70 even 90 hours per week with little to no time for their personal lives. They have sacrificed those personal lives for their success and this is something they accepted long ago.

“However, sometimes they just want to go to dinner with a lovely woman and have a conversation that doesn’t revolve around the stock market or the latest merger. They don’t want any type of commitment and because of their success, they always worry that someone is only with them for money so they never trust anyone completely. I pair them with someone that I think they have something in common with or that I think would be a good match for them. The two have dinner, go to a play, see a movie or more often than not go to social events together. You would be surprised how many business deals are ironed out over social events with husbands and wives present.”

“I’m actually not as surprised as you would think,” I mumble aloud.

“Oh?” she asks but when I don’t comment she continues. “I’ve known you for more than a year now so I’d like to think I know the qualities you possess. I am confident that you would be a good match with several of the men, or women if you prefer, that I work with. I would like to offer you the opportunity to join my consulting firm.”

“Ummmm… this is a lot to take in. Can I ask you a few questions?”

“Of course, ask anything you want. You’ve signed the NDA so I feel comfortable speaking freely with you about this.”

“What exactly is expected on a date?” I ask cringing at the word date. Can you even call it a date if you are being paid to be there and the person is paying for your service?

“It depends on the context. Assuming it’s not a business-social event, think of it like two friends going out together. You eat, chat about whatever you want: sports, the weather, aspirations in life… really anything. If you are accompanying someone in a business-social situation, you would likely have met the person ahead of time and he would have outlined what he was looking for at that event. Usually they need you to play the doting girlfriend role: hold hands, maybe dance if the event calls for it, and just make small talk with the other guests. They will have briefed you ahead of time on the key players and given you their opinions on business or political topics.”

“How long do these… arrangements typically last?”

“I have some staff who have been meeting with the same client for years now. The press, without a doubt, assumes they are a couple but in reality they only see each other for business events and the occasional dinner beforehand. I have other clients who will ask for someone to go to dinner with once every few months when they are in town traveling for business. It really depends on the client and how well they click with my staff.”

“What about… physical contact? Is that an expectation-”

“Absolutely not!” Bridget slams her hand down on the table between us. “I do not run a prostitution ring, Kenzie! Beyond holding hands, any physical contact is limited: a hand on the small of your back when you walk into the room, an arm around your waist when discussing something with another couple, etc… At most, a kiss on the cheek at the end of the evening. There is nothing beyond that-it is spelled out in the contract all clients and employees sign stating their will be no intimate contact between the two parties unless they both terminate their contract with my firm.”