Excerpt: BRIDE OF THE LIVING PROOF, Neighborlee, Ohio, Book 7

 I still couldn't remember Harrison or his project.

"You were part of my testing group."

I was in a lot of testing groups. If we weren't theorizing and setting up experiments, then we earned our credits by being tested, usually by filling out reams of questionnaires or watching videos with electrodes attached to our heads.

"I think you'll be very interested to know that I parlayed my relationship analysis program --"

Oh, dang. Him. Mr. Computers-will-do-all-the-dirty-work-and-let-you-get-to-know-someone-twice-as-quickly-with-half-the-fuss.

" -- into a matchmaking program. I've been in business a couple years now, and doing very well, if I do say so myself." He gave the name of his company. Even though I had heard of it, serving the higher economic bracket of the East Side, I hadn't heard much of anything about the company, good or bad.

"Anyway," he continued after a short pause. Like maybe he expected me to pick up, all excited about his programming genius and financial success? Was this guy expecting me to be all gaga for him? (Maybe gag-gag.) "Just for grins and giggles --"

Yeah, I remembered him now. What a stupid line!

" --I still had your profile from that class project. Heck, I have everybody's profile. I put them all into the program, just to see what or who would pop out. Hey, Lanie, I found your perfect match. Now, as a favor to an old college pal, normally I'd charge two big ones for the basic level service."

I certainly hoped that when he said "big ones" he meant hundred, and not thousand. Because if he did, and if he expected to get paid for something I didn't ask for, I was going to break every vow of ethics controlling the superheroes in all those comic books I read growing up. I would sabotage all those computers he loved so much. And that was just for starters.

"But for you, it's free."

"Better believe it's free, considering he put your private information into his system without your permission," Conrad growled, from about five feet behind me. 

Yes, I jumped about four inches straight up out of my chair. The guy had snuck up on me. Just how often did that happen? I usually could tell when someone was watching me, trying to eavesdrop on me, or just plain sneak up on me.