Scout - Love

Leo felt something click behind his ribs—the same way he felt when he spotted a future star in a crowded coffee shop, or a brilliant coder stacking boxes in a warehouse. Potential , his brain whispered. She’s potential . His name wasn’t actually Leo. It was Leonard Cross, and he was the best love scout in the business.

She raised an eyebrow. "No clipboard? No personality assessment?" Love Scout

She turned. Dark curls, sharp eyes, a smudge of what looked like ink on her knuckle. "And?" Leo felt something click behind his ribs—the same

Leo looked at her—really looked. The ink smudge was still there, faded now, like a permanent fixture. She wasn't dazzled by him or the agency's reputation. She wasn't trying to be found. His name wasn’t actually Leo

She tilted her head, not smiling but not frowning either. "Maybe it belongs there. Maybe someone who needs a story will be browsing chemistry and find it instead. Maybe that's more interesting than order."

"You're protecting yourself," Leo said one night, after she turned down a candidate so perfect the agency had offered a bonus.