The stare he levels at me is unnerving. "Right."
"I'm aware of how difficult it can be to try something like this, especially if you haven't used any form of matchmaking services before. But we're complete professionals, and I promise you that our service is always first-class. We'll never pair you with someone we don't believe will be a good fit."
He leans back in his chair, hands curving around the armrests. Something flashes in his eyes. Is it amusement? This man is impossible to read, but I'll figure out his language.
"Good to know," he says.
"Not to mention we have complete client confidentiality."
"Right." His gaze travels from me to the framed images on the wall beside me. They're wedding photographs.
A real chatty Cathy, this guy.
"All successes," I tell him. Couples who meet through Opate often send their wedding photos to us, together with handwritten thank-you notes. I'd saved every one. "What made you approach Opate Match?"
He looks down at the sleeves of his suit jacket, re-adjusting them. Is he smiling? Offended? He's giving me nothing to work with, and it's not like I have access to his initial emails with Vivienne. No, I'm flying blind, but I'll have to pretend I'm not. Is he a stockbroker or an oil tycoon? Interested in men or women?
I'm walking a tightrope over here.
"What made me approach Opate Match…" he repeats, his deep voice filling my office. "Truthfully, I've never had much respect for agencies such as yours. I've long been somewhat of a… skeptic, you might say."
I nod. This is not unusual. "That's understandable when you've never been a client of one before."
"Most dating services and websites seem to be quick ways for people to find sexual partners," he says, looking straight at me, a glint in his eyes. It's clear he thinks he's offending me.
I lean back in my chair. If he thinks he'll unnerve me, he has no idea of the matches I've brokered. Three times divorced? I'll find someone perfect for them. Can't date in public for fear of the press? Bring it on.
"There are certainly some who use dating services for that end," I agree. "But Opate is not one of those services."
"Oh?"
"No. We pride ourselves on making lasting matches, ones our clients are pleased with long-term. Naturally, what people do with their free time is outside of our hands, but once we know what a client wants, we'll never set them up with someone looking for a different level of commitment."
He gives a slow nod. "And the couples on the wall there? They all wanted the same level of commitment from the beginning?"
"For the most part, yes."
"Hmm."
"You don't seem convinced," I say, adding my widest smile. "I understand that blind dating can be unusual, intimidating even, when you're not used to it."
He drums his fingers along the armrest. "You believe in this company. In what you offer."
"Of course I do," I say. "I wouldn't work here if I didn't."
"Many people work with things they dislike."
"Not me."
He gives another quiet hum and glances from me to the room around us. The hardwood floors and white walls, polished tables and expensive armchairs, filled with the elegant minimalism so common in high-end decor. "Opate Match profiles itself as a company for elite matchmaking. Matches for the rich and famous, I believe, is one of the tag lines."
"Our clientele is well-heeled, yes." I tip my head in his direction. "Like you."
When in doubt, flatter a client.
The look on his face makes me think he's fighting against rolling his eyes. "Right. Well, I understand the merits of that… but it doesn't convince me the company deals in true love."
I've had clients in my office who have cried, screamed, cursed the person they were just on a date with for not wanting to continue. This man might be obstinate, but he's far from the most difficult case I've had. Has he been burned in the past?
"How so?"
"It's prestige dating," he says. "Trophy wives and rich men, or Upper-East-Siders who didn't have the good fortune of meeting their future spouse at an Ivy League college. They're not here for love, Ms. Davis. They're here for an arranged marriage."
My hands fall flat on the desk in front of me.
It's one thing to be accused of being a service setting up people for the sole purpose of sex. It's something else to be told I don't deal in love.
"Our clients, due to their status, have a very unique set of challenges when it comes to dating. Not all of them can walk into a bar and talk to a stranger," I say.
He inclines his head. "That can be difficult, yes. But for more people than just the so-called elite."
"You're right. A difficulty with dating isn't unique to the people who hire us," I say, smiling wide again. Whatever he might say, I'll crack him. I'll just have to work a bit harder. "But we always pre-vet clients before accepting them. The level of personal interaction between myself or Vivienne with each client means that the matchmaking is a far smoother process. There's no need to spend three weeks dating someone to later learn you're incompatible on some fundamental level."
"You've turned a messy, human process into something logical?"
"In some ways, yes. But we don't control it. We're just facilitators. The real magic happens when our clients leave this office, ready to meet with someone who's just as ready as they are to find a life partner."
He gazes back at me. "I see."
"Is it all right if I begin with some introductory questions? Just to get to know you better and round out your client profile."
"Go ahead," he says. Still with that half-scowl, half-amused look on his face. Like he can't believe he's actually here, sitting in this chair, about to do this.
I pick up a notepad and lean back in my chair, crossing my legs. Always better to have the first meeting face-to-face, to connect with a client. The computer comes later.
"Remind me," I say, "how old are you?"
"Thirty-three."
"Terrific." I note it down. "Now, I understand your reticence about us as a company, but I assure you, you're in good hands. We'll be transparent about the entire process."
"I appreciate that."
"Are you looking for a male or female partner?"
There's a smile on his face. "I'm interested in women."
"Excellent."