by Maia Star
So, I took his number and stuffed it at the bottom of my purse and climbed on top of one of my motel beds to eat my Chinese as I flipped through the cable TV. I landed on a romance channel that played these cheesy love story movies; I originally flipped past it, but in the end, I scrolled back. I wasn’t the biggest romantic in the world but letting myself go to some feel-good love wasn’t the worst. Were these movies going to kill me on the inside, and make me cry over my impending divorce with Adam? Of course they were, but at least I wouldn’t be bottling those feelings up inside anymore.
So I cried and cried, watching and watching until the commercials flipped on, slurping up Chinese noodles. I was the picturesque poor woman whose life had gone into the gutter.
I got up when the first commercial came on and trudged to the bathroom to clean away the sauce I’d accidentally dabbed away from my mouth during a very violent crying session.
It was when I dabbed at my cheek with a damp towel for the fourth time that I heard a familiar chime on the TV. Peeking back out, I saw a dragon soaring through the skies above San Francisco, landing on a beach, receiving a fire breathing baby from some beautiful C-Tier actress that could only smile as the naked dragon shifter held up the baby and grinned into the camera.
“Are you a dragon shifter, or regular human, and want a hybrid baby but are unsure of whether you want that long, frustrating relationship that goes with it? Then the Hybrid Baby Hearts Service is for you! We’ll match you with either a surrogate human or dragon shifter mother, and then all you have to do is wait for your baby to be born! Give us a call at…”
My eyes widened as I listened to the commercial, and soon I forgot all about the sauce stain on my cheek. I ran over to pick up my smartphone, tapping quickly on the screen to bring up the web. I typed in the Fiery Hearts Inc. into the search box, and before I knew it, I was looking at reviews, tips, and how surrogate mothers were treated. They were given a hefty salary during the nine months they were pregnant. I flipped past all the rules since I assumed most of it was common sense.
My heart pounded as I imagined meeting a dragon shifter, getting pregnant with his baby, and getting paid for it no less! Why hadn’t I thought of this before? It was perfect for me. A way to not only earn money, but to quickly move on from Adam. This was my way forward.
Holding myself, I stared wide-eyed at my phone screen, moving on to creating my account and profile, and requesting I get matched sooner rather than later. I didn’t even think while I set it all up. I was just too damn excited.
When I was finished, I collapsed back in bed and clutched my phone over my heart, drifting off to sleep with my TV still blaring that commercial.
Chapter Six
Lily
It wasn’t until a week later that I got a call from Fiery Hearts Inc.
I was in the shower, lathering up my hair with the motel brand shampoo when I heard my ringtone go off. “Sympathy for the Devil” blared from somewhere under my sheets, muffled slightly. The sound startled me, but once I realized that it was my phone and not some intruder alarm going wild, I hurriedly doused my hair under the showerhead and hurried out to dry myself off.
Fumbling around in my bed moments later, I managed to grab my phone and click the green answer button just before it was about to go off, bringing it up to my ear, panting.
“Hello?” I said.
“Is this Lily?” a female voice said.
“Yes, this is her. Um, who are you?” In my haste to receive my first call in a week, I hadn’t looked at the caller ID.
“Who am I? Oh, my name doesn’t matter. What does is that I’m with Fiery Hearts Inc. More specifically, I work in the Hybrid Baby Hearts Service. I’m an agent there, and I was calling you to inform you about your match!”
I blinked as I stared at the blank TV screen, seeing my reflection. My hair was hanging in damp clumps over my shoulders, and the white towel I’d wrapped myself in clung to my hourglass figure tightly. My mouth was partially open, and I saw myself shaking my head. “Wait, you’re calling me about it?”
“Well, yes, since you weren’t responding to the message my colleague sent a few days ago. I figured I’d give a call since you put your number down on your profile.” After a beat of silence on my end, she continued, “Are you okay with getting a match this quickly? It’s not like there’s anything binding you to your match...yet. The contract signing and all that woo-hoo isn’t until later, after you meet the dragon shifter whose baby you’ll be carrying.”
I scratched my neck, adrenaline suddenly bursting through my veins. It’s happening. It’s really happening. I wasn’t prepared for this!
“Um, ma’am?”
I laughed and shot to my feet, walking back and forth quicker than I meant. I just didn’t seem to be able to handle all the excess energy my body was throwing out. “Hi! Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting to be matched so soon. That’s why I didn’t check...um, I’d love to keep going with the process.”
“Wonderful! There’s no rush, but we can set up a meeting with your match today.”
“Today?”
“Is that not good for you? We can set up another—”
“No, no! Today works. Sorry...I just...wasn’t expecting you to say today. But that still works. Um, at what time?”
“We still have to contact your match. So what time would be best for you? As our client, and the first one we reached out to, you have the power to dictate the time of the meeting.”
It was hard to focus on the call as my mind raced, thinking about meeting the sexy dragon shifter guy I would meet later today. I twirled a lock of my hair in between my fingers. Obviously, this wasn’t a dating service, but suddenly it felt like I was about to start a better relationship. Or, at least one kind of relationship. I was about to get pregnant. About to have a child inside of me, and not just any child, but a hybrid child!
“How about one?” I blurted. “Just after lunch sounds good to me.”
“Wonderful choice! When we contact your match and confirm the time, we’ll text you confirmation.”
“Awesome.”
“Great, well, have a nice day!”
“Um, actually…”
“Yes?”
I licked my lips, sitting on the bed and leaning forward. “Could you...tell me what my match is like? Like is he tall? Or blonde? What’s his name?”
“Oh, I’m very sorry, but all that is strictly confidential until you meet in person!”
“And where will we be meeting?”
“At the Fiery Hearts Inc. building in downtown San Francisco.”
“Sweet. Thank you!”
I was the one to hang up, my hand locking firmly around my phone as I let it hang in the air. I stared at it as if it were my ticket to a better life. Well, it practically was! If this were two weeks ago, would I have imagined I’d suddenly be matched with a dragon shifter to have his baby? Nope!
Rising to my feet, I could already feel the nerves working into my system as I trembled.
No, don’t just stand there. Move, get cleaned up. Put on your make-up. Do something other than standing there!
So I did exactly that, letting my towel drop to the floor and practically jogging over to my suitcase, where my favorite clothes were. I picked out a simple loose, white t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. They’d both be slightly wrinkled from sitting in my suitcase for so long, but honestly, I could look past it.
The rest of the morning went by in a blur. I flitted through it like a race, going from one step to another. After I had cleaned myself up and gotten myself looking decent, I tried to sit down on my bed since I still had hours to go, but that did nothing to get rid of the boundless energy that was coursing through my veins. So grabbing my purse, I left and walked around the city.
Once it was time to head over, I found my legs stiff as boards, and I swore people stared at me for every stride I took. I probably looked like I was being held up by an invisible gunman. A few men in suits catcalled me a few times, b
ut I ignored them, and instead, I focused on reaching the Fiery Hearts Inc. building. One step at a time, Lily. One step at a time. Yet my nerves wouldn’t settle down. I mean, I’d be meeting with a real-life dragon, after all. Not that I hadn’t met one already.
Felix. I wonder what that guy was up to right now? Meeting him definitely changed my perspective of dragon shifters a bit. For a long while, I had imagined most dragons were stuck up, or too proud to speak with us lowly humans. But Felix came to my rescue, treated me to dinner…
I shook my head. My heart pounded just thinking about how romantic that situation had been. Adam had never done anything like that for me.
Next, I looked up and found myself across the street from Fiery Hearts Inc. The building was incredibly modern, silvery on the outside with overhangs over the ten different floors I could see. Both women and men flooded in and out of the main sliding double doors directly across from me. I couldn’t quite tell who was human and who was shifter, but I took a deep breath, looked both ways, and jogged across the street.
When I reached the double doors, I made to go inside. I couldn’t see anything save for right in front of me, as my mind raced about what was about to happen. So, of course, I didn’t see the man about to collide with me. I bumped into his shoulder and spun, falling backward into the entrance, not even having the time or thought to let out a yelp. A strong arm wrapped around my shoulder, catching me in midair. This time, nothing spilled from my hands, but for a split second, I had flashbacks to when Hunter caught me. But when I looked up, I was shocked to find a different, familiar face.
“Felix!” I said as he held me in the doorway. His eyes went wide when he saw me, but then a wide grin appeared on his chiseled face
Chapter Seven
Felix
I couldn’t quite believe my eyes. I thought she had looked familiar out of the corner of my eye, but it wasn’t until she hurriedly bumped into me that my heart lurched in my chest. I whipped out my arm, cradling her shoulder and keeping her from smashing into the floorboards. Others around us stopped to see the spectacle.
“Felix!” she shrieked, rather adorably.
Helping her to her feet, I pretended to brush dust off her shoulders as we stood in the doorway. When we didn’t move, other shifters scoffed at us, but I shot them all glares. A few backed down, while others puffed out their chests and pushed past me. Lily gazed at us exchanging quick challenges with all the understanding of a child. I quickly steered her over to a couch nearby where practically no one else was sitting...except for an older woman, who was reading the newspaper.
“Funny seeing you here, Lily,” I said, leaning forward. “Of all the people I was expecting to see, you weren’t one of them.”
She seemed dumbfounded, almost in shock. Her jaw was open, so I sighed and closed it with one finger under her chin. That was when she appeared to come to life again. “Felix!”
“You’ve already done that part,” I said.
“What are you doing here?”
I shrugged. “I’m here to meet my match.”
“Your match...oh, yes, of course. How silly of me.” She straightened and seemed to relax. That glowing smile of hers got me again, and I couldn’t help but grin back. “You signed up to date here, huh?”
I shook my head, my inner dragon roaring at the thought. “Not exactly...I’m here to meet the surrogate mother who’ll carry my baby.”
She blinked. “Wait, really? You want a baby?”
“Why the shock?”
She fidgeted with her locks of hair. I watched her fingers intently. They were slender, perfectly proportioned as if they were made to tease. I ripped my gaze away, my thoughts going to the more lustful side of my brain. This isn’t why I’m here. Stay focused, Felix. But my inner dragon refused to shut up and continued to urge me to gaze at her. I couldn’t help but look up and down her outfit, noticing how tight-fitted her jeans were, and how her loose white t-shirt still hugged her torso lovingly. Maybe I should have started with finding a mate. There’s just so much of her to look at.
She snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Hey! Eyes up here, buddy.” Her cheeks were red from the attention. When I glanced sideways, I noticed the old woman peeking a glare at me over her newspaper. I bared my teeth at her, but all she did was give me a harrumph and cross her legs. When I turned back to Lily, she was giving me a raised brow. “Wow, so first you make eyes at my chest, and then you make eyes at some older lady next to us?”
“What? No, that wasn’t...oh, it doesn’t matter.” I chuckled, running a hand through my hair. There was something about this woman I liked. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was, but she was a catch. Maybe after we both ended our business here today…
Her frown turned to a giggle too. She was becoming more relaxed by the second. “Yeah, it doesn’t. Sorry, I’m just a little on edge. You see...I’m here to meet a match too.”
I raised a brow. “To date? Or to have a baby with?”
“The latter.”
Now I was intrigued and laughing even harder. “Well now, wouldn’t it be hilarious if we were matched to each other? I mean, the timing, the fact that we met each other a week ago...I’ll overlook the fact you never dialed me up if we are.” I winked at her.
She met my tease with a grin of her own. So, she was having fun right now.
There was a crackling sound from the speakers embedded in the ceiling. “Felix Summers, if you’re here, please report to the front desk to sign in.”
Rising to my feet and buttoning the middle button of my sports coat, I gave Lily one last smile. “Well, it’s my time. Listen, after this is all over, wanna grab dinner with me? It doesn’t have to be anything serious, just a fun time with a beautiful lady and hunk like me.”
She giggled again and nodded. “You know what, that sounds good to me.”
I waved goodbye as I made my way up to the front desk. She watched me stride away, but the moment she glanced off, her smile faded, and I could see the nerves setting in again. I suddenly felt the urge to go back and comfort her, but I ignored the feeling, though it left me frowning.
At the front desk, I was greeted by a charming woman who didn’t seem to know how not to smile. “Felix Summers?” she asked delightfully, as if just speaking my name was the greatest part of her job.
“That would be me! Dragon shifter extraordinaire, and single, I might add.” She blinked at me, her smile never breaking. “Okay, so what are the steps I gotta take here?”
She handed me a stack of paperwork and a shiny pen. “Just sign of all this, and then we’ll bring you to the meeting room!”
I glanced back at Lily, who met my gaze with a soft smile. “Is there any way I can just...skip the paperwork and get this show on the road?” I said, turning back around. “I’ll say...you’re hot as hell. Maybe a cutie like you could help a guy out here?” Instead of helping me, though, she stared at me, so I shrugged and got to work signing and flipping through the pages. “Alright, alright. There’s no harm in actually putting in the work, I guess.”
The speakers came on again, this time with more static than before. “Lily Bradford, please come to the counter now.”
Stunned for a moment, I turned to see Lily shoot to her feet and come waltzing up right next to me. She cast me a brief glance before speaking with another front desk woman.
“Same time, too…” I said under my breath, signing without looking at how well my penmanship was.
When I was finished, the front desk woman stood and walked out from behind the counter, motioning for me to follow. Thrusting my hands in my pockets, I followed, fighting the urge to see which way Lily was led. We walked through another set of double doors and into a long hallway, only stopping in front of a door at the very end. She smiled at me and gestured to walk inside, so I did, pushing the door open to find a room with red carpet and three white chairs facing each other in a triangle. In the chair facing the door was a female dragon shifter. She was going over papers, h
er eyes scanning the pages, a thin smile on her face. Curiously, behind her was another door. To what it led to, I couldn’t say, so instead, I sat down in the right chair as the door shut behind me.
Without looking up, the woman spoke. “Felix Summers, right?”
“That’s me,” I said, tapping the armrests with my fingers. “Well, you’re prettier than I’d imagined, but I thought my match was going to be human…”
She finally decided to look up at me. “Oh, I’m not your match. It’s a woman by the name of Lily Bradford. Though she is quite gorgeous, I’d say.”
My jaw nearly dropped to the floor. “Say who now?”
But then the door opened behind me, and time seemed to slow down. A wide grin appeared on my face as I turned to see Lily marching inside. She froze when she met my gaze, and my inner dragon decided to roar out in excitement. Lily didn’t say a word until she came forward and sat down, her eyes never leaving mine. “This must be fate.”
“Fate indeed,” I said, instinctively leaning towards her. “I guess that cancels our dinner plans for later, huh?”
Chapter Eight
Lily
I was stunned. It really must have been fate that I would be paired up with Felix, of all the dragon shifters in San Francisco.
At first, something inside me was okay with it. I was calm enough to sit down, though trembling at the idea. I was able to speak with the nervous jitters invading my voice, and I was able to be attentive without letting my mind wander. Being the surrogate mother for Felix’s baby seemed...right.