Chapter 2 A new man

Leila was floored. She pinched her thighs to wake herself up from this nightmare but the man didn't disappear.

"Hi," he murmured. "I'm Carlson."

"Hi," she replied. Pulling out her phone, she tapped on Carlson's Tinder profile and zoomed in. "Um, I don't mean to be rude but I'm waiting for this person."

Leila slid the phone to him so he could see the man on her screen. A tall, handsome man with blue eyes that saw into her soul, not this short man over here with brown eyes and a scalp that was almost balding. He didn't even have a beard.

The fake Carlson laughed. Was his name even Carlson? It could be but he wasn't her Carlson?

"Yeah, that's me, Leila." Her heart rolled to her feet. The urge to slap off the smirk on his face grew and she clenched her hands under the table. No, this was a prank. "You work an eight to five job. Your friend owns the pet you used as your profile picture."

Right. "I don't believe you." He laughed again. Her misery must be funny because why the hell was he laughing? She grabbed her phone, stared long and hard at the man on her screen, then back at the different man seated across her. "We had a video call."

"With my cousin," he supplied.

Drumming her fingers on the table, she said, "So this person is real but it's just not you?" Carlson nodded again. His confidence annoyed her. He should be on his knees, grovelling and begging for forgiveness. Not like she would forgive him. She lost interest the minute he waved at her from the door. "You're short."

Her face squeezed in horror but she didn't take back the words. He lied. He lied about everything. Even his face wasn't the same.

"Am I?"

"Your bio says you're 6 foot 4."

"Does it?" He laughed through his reply and her hand closed around her milkshake. She should pour it on him and call it a mistake. This date was a mistake. "Oops, must have meant to write 5'4."

Leila was 5'8.

Unlike him, she didn't find this funny. And when the dumbass finally noticed, he asked, "Does that bother you?"

"Yes. A lot, actually." She gathered her things, shoved her phone into her handbag. Bringing out some dollar bills to pay for her drink, her glare froze Carlson in place when he offered to pay. Leila slapped the bills onto the table. "I can pick my own tab, Carlson. Thank you very much."

For once, he looked uncertain. Did he really think she would have laughed this off? He must be out of his mind. Him and his stupidly handsome cousin.

"I'm sorry," Carlson murmured.

On her feet, she replied, "Yeah, me too."

"You're leaving?" No. She was getting ready to sleep here. One more stupid question out of him and she would smash his face with her handbag. "I thought you said appearance didn't matter."

"Appearance doesn't matter when the man you're chatting with looks like your cousin," she said.

His expression crumbled but she felt nothing but pity for herself. Appearances didn't matter as much to her like she told him earlier. But for him to blatantly lie to her and expect her to forget everything, now, that was the height of this.

"Thank you for showing up," she told him.

After one last fake smile directed at the waiter approaching their table, she stepped out and inhaled Carlson free air.

Stupid men. Stupid Tinder. Stupid her.

Walking to the gates with no clear destination in mind, her steps slowed when her phone rang. She knew before she picked the call, it was Freya. Leila kept close to the curb, the honks of cars zooming past her muffled by the earbuds she plugged in.

"What about your date?" her friend asked.

The wallet caught her eyes as she pulled out her purse from her handbag. It would be a miracle if she found the owner. "He died. Where are you?"

"He died! How?"

Leila paused so she could think up a better reply. People brushed past her without so much as a glance in her direction and she hugged her bag tighter to her chest. What about her date?

"Did I say die? I mean, he...he couldn't make it."

"Leilani May Collins." She winced at the use of her full name. She had to do better as a liar since she was terrible. "What happened to your date?"

"I'm going to say this only once." With two fingers raised up, she flagged down a taxi. The taxi stopped in front of her, she moved her bag to the other hand and opened the backdoor. "I got catfished."

A sigh escaped her as she settled into the backseat of the taxi. She pulled the phone from her ear to be sure Freya was still on the line.

"Where are you?" Freya whispered.

"In a cab."

The driver clapped again to get her attention and she held out a finger to signify patience. Freya was yet to laugh. Why wasn't her best friend laughing at her?

"I'm at Total Gardens. Come. Join me."

The call ended before Leila could protest. With a big forced smile, she told the driver, "Take me to Total Gardens."

On the ride there, Leila reported Carlson's account. The idiot had left her a message there. Shaking her head, she blocked him on all social media platforms. A minute before Leila arrived at the location given to her, she sent her best friend a text.

Freya was waiting for her when the taxi drove to a stop. Her friend engulfed her in a hug and Leila mumbled into her shoulder, "I'm deleting that app."

"Don't." Looping her arm through Leila's elbow, Freya tugged her in the direction of the reception. The wedding was over. "He was just one guy and a fucking liar. Doesn't mean the rest of them are."

"I doubt they are different," Leila murmured.

They entered a garden decorated with flowers and Leila bent before a bouquet hit her square in the face.

"Keep it until the end of this year."

"Year?" Leila cried out in horror. "Hell no."

The tables had been set, chairs arranged around them in a circular pattern. An aisle divided the tables. Beside the makeshift stage, a band played soothing music that tugged at her heart. She still couldn't believe Carlson was a catfish.

Freya guided her to a table and pulled out a chair for her. "Fine. What about a month?"

"No, a week." Taking out her compact mirror, Leila smacked her lips and added another layer of red lipstick. "I'll go on one more date and I'm done."

"Fine." Leaning closer to her best friend, Freya whispered, "Some of the guests are hot. Just wait."

And Leila was uninterested in them. Being single wasn't the end of the world. "I don't care, Freya."

Freya laughed. "You will once you see them and you might have no use for Tinder anymore."

Out of curiosity, her eyes scanned the garden as Freya tapped on her phone, probably chatting with her husband. The place was empty except for them, the band and the caterers setting up the meals.

Oh. There was one other person.

A man.

The man's head was bent over his phone. His grey tux fit snugly to his body and each time he moved, his biceps tugged on the material of his suit. He must have felt her eyes on him because he lifted his head. His fingers ran through his hair like he was angry at something and Leila blushed.

He was hot. Hotter than Carlson's cousin.

He arched a brow when she continued staring and she looked away. Her cheeks warmed, she picked her phone and pretended to type into it. He was familiar. She should know him but at the moment, she couldn't place his face.

Freya stood. "I have to get something outside." Leila could feel the stranger's eyes on her but she didn't look. Freya adjusted her hair and gown. "How do I look?" Leila gave her best friend a thumbs up. As always, Freya was stunning. "Thanks. Have fun without me."

She could try but fun was more of Freya's thing. And she was still traumatised from Carlson.

One of the servers dropped a bottle of wine on her table and Leila muttered her thanks.

Faint voices filtered into her ears, the band changed song as the bride and groom walked in. The man smiled at his wife and she grinned back. Leila didn't know them. They were friends of Freya.

She felt those eyes on her again and she peered from under her lashes to get a better look at him.

Thick brows. Full lips. Chiselled jaw. Delicate nose. Short hair that was constantly falling over his forehead. She wanted to walk up to him and smoothen the hair out of his face.

The MC said something Leila didn't hear because she was focused on this stranger but it made the guests laugh. The stranger's lips quirked like he knew the effect he had on her. Her cheeks warmed, she returned to her Tinder app, determined not to give the hot stranger the satisfaction of meeting his gaze again.

Her brows furrowed at her screen. She had been paired with someone. A Kelvin. That was odd. It usually took a while for her to get paired, thanks to her bland profile. Carlson had been a lucky match.

The guy's profile was almost the same as hers. Short and uninteresting. His display picture didn't show his face but a toned body and the mouth-watering six packs made her hesitate.

What if the body belonged to Kelvin's cousin?

Throwing caution to the wind, she hit the accept button and a message popped in immediately.

Kelvin: Hi.