An Unlikely Match (The Match Series - Book #1) by Barbara Dunlop Page A

up to offer it.”
    “They head-hunted you?”
    “They did.”
    “ You must be a bona fide genius.”
    “Technically, yeah, sure.” His tone was matter-of-fact. “But ‘genius’ is a bizarre label. My brain just happens to work in a way that lends itself to understanding science and technology. And, right now, in adult America, that’s something some people admire. A few hundred years ago, I would have been judged solely on my ability to forge weapons or handle a broadsword. And don’t get me started on what impresses the girls and the jocks in high school.”
    “Are you telling me you can’t handle a broadsword?”
    “Afraid not.” He played along with her joke. “Luckily for me, I don’t live in the fifteenth century.”
    “ So, you’re not one of those geniuses who’s trying to invent a time machine?”
    He shook his head. “Life’s confusing enough in the here and now.”
    “ Confusing how?” She found herself curious at his choice of words. “What is it that a genius like you can’t figure out?”
    “Reality TV.”
    She laughed. “I have a theory about reality TV.”
    “ You have a theory?”
    “Are you saying cheerleaders can’t have theories?”
    “No.” He seemed to stumble. “I just thought you spent all your time perfecting things like in-the-air splits. Don’t get me wrong,” he hastily added, “I have nothing but admiration and respect for people who can execute in-the-air splits. I could never do them. Not that I’ve tried.” He paused. “I’m sorry. I know how I’m making this sound.”
    “Not at all,” she mocked airily, even though she wasn’t remotely offended. It was obvious he was being awkward rather than mean-spirited.
    He took a drink of his wine. “Please. Do tell me your theory.”
    She wanted to tease him a little longer, so she pretended to be annoyed. “If you’d prefer, I could show you a few cheerleading moves instead.”
    “ I deserved that,” he told her seriously.
    “You did,” she agreed , gazing at his profile, thinking guilt made him look attractive, kind of brooding and inaccessible, but in a very intriguing way.
    “Are you going to tell me your theory?” he asked.
    “ Sure. Though it’s going to be a letdown after all that buildup.”
    “ Try me.”
    “ Reality TV contestants are the gladiators of the twenty-first century. It’s no longer morally acceptable to have people physically hack each other to death for our entertainment. But it’s fine to let them do it emotionally.”
    He seemed to consider her words. “Is that what you think they’re doing? Emotionally hacking each other to death ?”
    “ I do,” she asserted.
    “ You watch reality shows?”
    She couldn’t help but quirk a smile. “ Some. I have a lot of time to kill while jogging on the treadmill. You know, keeping in shape for those in-the-air splits.”
    He nodded sagely. “I knew they factored in somehow.”
    She threw him an elbow. As soon as it connected, she felt a surge of sexual awareness. It stunned her for a moment.
    “It’s actually not a bad theory,” said Morgan.
    She blinked past his glasses, the ugly shirt and the shaggy hair. When had he gotten hot?
    “ Amelia?” he prompted.
    She shook herself back to reality. “Yes?”
    “I said I liked your theory.”
    “Thanks. That’s good.”
    She bit into her burger, forcing herself to focus on reality. This was her nerdy neighbor. She had absolutely no business thinking about anything other than his genius IQ and his ability to clean sofas.
    She put a teasing note back into her voice. “But you should see me do the splits.”

Chapter Four
     
    Morgan came to a halt in the bright white hallway near his computer lab, staring with surprise at the bulletin board poster.
    “Impressive,” noted Ryder McKinley, an electrical engineer with lab space close to Morgan’s. The two men had met and hit it off on Morgan’s first day. “They just announced the lecture series.”
    “Is Dr. Finnegan