Shiftr_Swipe Left for Love_Connor & Lauren

by Ariana Hawkes

  She checked the time. Damn. More than ten minutes had passed and she was now running late. She locked her phone and hurtled to her bedroom to finish getting ready. She picked out a black wool mini-skirt, gray wool pantyhose, and a red festive sweater. This was her favorite outfit combination, and she teamed it with long black boots, which broke up the line of her legs, making her look taller than she was.

  Melissa passed through the town on her way to the park. It looked so pretty in the snow. But then every season suited it so well. She loved to see it amid the red and orange leaves of fall, the blossoms of spring, and the flawless blue skies of summer. Unlike the other girls, it wasn’t her hometown. She’d grown up in a small, industrial town in the east of the state, and she felt blessed that she’d found her spiritual home in Hope Valley.

  The road wasn’t so bad, and within half an hour she was in the vicinity of the national park. Suddenly, her phone made a loud radar sound. A minute later, the same thing happened. And then there was a whole chorus of radars going off. What is that? As her sat nav told her she’d reached her destination, she parked and looked at her phone. There was a message alert on the screen, bordered with hearts, stars and little orange paw prints. It said:

  Proximity alert!!! A Shiftr you’ve been messaging is very close by!!!

  She tapped the tapped the message and an alert filled the screen.

  This member is approximately 2,000 feet from your current location!

  It was accompanied by a thumbnail photo. She tapped the photo. The screen filled with the image of a well-built guy with black hair and smoldering black eyes. It was the wolf who’d just been swapping musical tastes with her. He lives in the park! Another alert popped up on top of the photo.

  This member is approximately 1,500 feet from your current location!

  The photo was of one of the guys that she’d sent a smiley face to, saying that she wanted to get to know him better. This is too much. All these potential mates are right here, in the forest! But she didn’t have time to think about it now. She had to get to Lauren and Connor’s cabin pronto. She picked up a bag full of gifts, locked her car and walked to the edge of the woods, wondering if she’d have to get someone to pick her up. But as she got closer, she saw that there was a line of footprints, clearly imprinted into the virgin snow, and leading deep into the forest. She identified two sets of women’s footprints, which had to belong to Kristin and Dina, as well as several sets of much bigger prints. Melissa followed them into the dense forest, the snow coming half way up her boots. Most of the trees had lost their leaves, making it easier to navigate than in the summer. But still, she almost missed the cabins. Their sloping roofs extended far beyond the edge of the verandas, they were weighed down with snow, perfectly camouflaging them. The app’s radar went off again, but she was too occupied with not falling over in the snow to stop and see who it was. She walked along the line of cabins, looking for Lauren and Connor’s place. Locating it, she walked up the steps onto the veranda and knocked on the door. She was expecting to be greeted by Connor, so when a man with a tauter, leaner build opened the door, she started in shock.

  “Hi, Melissa,” Doctor Harley said.

  “Hi,” she said, too stunned to say anything more. His eyes were warm, and his handsome features were lit up with a sexy smile.

  “You look beautiful in the snow,” he said. Then he pressed his lips together, as if checking himself. She ran her hands through her hair self-consciously.

  “Oh, I must look terrible,” she said. “My nose is probably red from the cold.” He frowned, as if uncomprehending.

  “No, not at all. You’re glowing. The cold weather really suits you.” Melissa felt her cheeks burning, both from cold and embarrassment. He stepped back and allowed her to enter the house.

  “Melissa, you’re here!” everyone exclaimed. She rushed over and kissed Lauren and Connor and gave them her gifts, and then she greeted the rest of the guys. Willow was asleep in her little wooden cradle, oblivious to all the excitement.

  “I’m so sorry I was delayed getting here,” Melissa said.

  “That’s ok, honey. I think I know what was delaying you!” Lauren said with a dirty laugh. Melissa blushed for the second time in two minutes. She peered at the doctor through her lashes, and looked away again when she saw that he was regarding her intently.

  “Melissa, I’ve been making some mulled wine. Would you like a cup?” Connor asked.

  “Oh, yes please!” she said, almost running after him into the kitchen. He was stirring a big vat of liquid on the stove, and it smelled amazing, full of orange, cloves and cinnamon. Connor ladled a cupful out for her, and she took a swig to settle her nerves.

  “Are you ok?” Connor asked her. She looked up at him, surprised at his perceptiveness. “You’re wondering how I noticed, aren’t you?” he said in his deep, gravelly voice. She nodded and he laughed. “We shifters are extremely sensitive to changes in behavior. We pick up on things that humans would never be aware of.”

  “That’s pretty cool. I’m fine though,” she said with a small laugh to reassure him. There was too much to explain about her connection with the doctor, beginning with why she’d been having a panic attack in the first place.

  “Hey, you know what Lauren and I were discussing earlier this morning?” he said.

  “What?”

  “We were thinking that you and Harley might be really compatible.” Melissa almost spat out the mouthful of mulled wine she was drinking. When she’d recovered, she shook her head.

  “No, I don’t think so. He’s way too hot for me.”

  “Melissa, are you kidding? He’s the one who’d be lucky to have you,” Connor said, looking genuinely stunned. Melissa grinned at him. All those bears were absolute sweethearts. They expressed their emotions so openly and unaffectedly.

  “I – I just feel so short and dumpy compared to the others girls,” she said, surprised to be confiding in him. It felt strangely good though. It was one thing telling your girlfriends about your insecurities, as you expected them to be supportive, but something completely different getting a guy’s perspective. Connor gave a low, rumbly laugh.

  “You’re only a couple of inches shorter than Lauren, and when you’re as big as we are that means nothing to us,” he said. “Lauren is the perfect height for me, and a lot of guys really dig petite chicks. As long as you’re not all skin and bone, you’ll have shifters going crazy for you, trust me. And from what I’ve heard, you haven’t been short of messages from the app.”

  “No, that’s true,” she conceded.

  “So, give Harley a go. He’s a really nice guy. I’ve known him for years. I know he wants to settle down. We can never figure out why he hasn’t found the right woman yet.”

  “Ok, thanks, Connor. Maybe I’ll speak to him when I’ve had a couple of these,” Melissa said, indicating her mulled wine.

  Aware that they’d been away from the others for a while, they went back into the living room. Melissa could hardly look at Harley. God, he’s so attractive, she thought. He had the most kissable lips she’d ever seen. They had defined edges, but they were really full in the center and light pink. And she loved guys with firm jawlines that gave them that slightly hollow-cheeked appearance. She hadn’t noticed last time they’d met, but in the daylight she could see that he had a long, thin scar stretching from his left ear to an inch from his lips. It was kind of sexy, and it made her curious. But then there was something else. A lightning flash of memory sizzled across her brain – something that had happened in high school. What was it? She tried to focus, but it was gone again. One of those memories that are buried so deep inside that they can only be pulled out in shreds, before they float away on the breeze again. High school hadn’t been a good time for her, due to bullying about her weight and height, so most of the recollections from those days had been stuffed into a box in her mind and duct-taped shut. She could feel Harley’s eyes on her, but why was he looking at her when he obviously wasn’t int
erested?

  Lauren was talking about the birth to Kristin and Dina, and Melissa joined in.

  “It was actually way less painful than I was expecting,” she said. “I mean it hurt, of course.”

  “I kind of had that impression when you were yelling your lungs out,” Kristin said, patting her on the back.

  “I was?” Lauren said, looking shocked. “I don’t remember that at all. They always say that all the pain’s forgotten once you see your little one for the first time, and I guess they’re right. But I hope I didn’t scare the hell out of you all?”

  “Nope. I’m just honored that Willow decided to enter the world via my apartment,” Kristin said with a laugh. Lauren looked at Melissa, her big brown eyes softening.

  “Was it ok for you, hun? It must’ve been difficult? I remember feeling bad that you had to witness the whole thing.”

  “It was fine,” Melissa lied. “I was so happy to be there and see Willow right after she was born. And it won’t be long before we see your little one, Dina! It’s so great that the three of you are going to have kids so close in age. They’ll be best friends, and get to grow up together.”

  “And I’m sure it won’t be too long before you’re having one of your own, sweetie,” Dina said.

  “So, we’ve heard that you’ve been getting more than your fair share of messages,” Lauren said. “But we can’t help thinking that Harley could be a really great match for you.”

  “I know,” Melissa said with a laugh. “Connor was just filling me in when we were in the kitchen.

  “Annnd?” Kristin said. “Come on, you must like him? He’s so good looking.”

  “I wonder if he’s on Shiftr?” Lauren butted in. Melissa nodded.

  “He is,” she said.

  “What?” they all said at the same time.

  “You’ve been keeping that one very quiet,” Lauren said. Melissa laughed.

  “I haven’t actually had much of an opportunity to tell you, amid all these interrogations.”

  “Stop holding out on us, girl,” Dina said. “How compatible are you?”

  “99%.” Three mouths fell open.

  “That’s fantastic!” Dina said.

  “I just knew it!” Lauren said. “He’s such a nice, gentle guy, but so smart and sophisticated as well, so I knew he’d be perfect for you.”

  “He’s a wolf, right?” Kristin said, eyeing him discreetly.

  “Yep.” Lauren nodded. “But not your average wolf. He’s not an alpha, I’m sure, because then he’d have his pack and be really domineering, but I don’t know what he is. I think he moved here from another town or state, back in his teens, which is quite unusual for a wolf.”

  “Hey, he’s gone outside with Roman. Let’s see his profile,” Kristin hissed. Melissa pulled her phone out of her purse with reluctance.

  “Won’t he see that I’ve been stalking him again?” she asked as she tapped the orange paw print.

  “I’m sure there’s a way to disable that,” Lauren said, taking the phone from her. “Oh, yes there is. You’ll always leave a track the first time you visit someone’s profile, but you can change your settings so that you only leave one track, ever. There you go.” Melissa swiped to her messages and tapped Harley’s thumbnail. The other girls bumped heads crowding around the phone.

  “Wow, Doctor Harley, you’ve got a pretty smoking body hiding under your clothes,” Kristin said.

  “That is a good-looking man,” Dina said.

  “He is ridiculously attractive,” Melissa agreed.

  “So why the hesitation?” Lauren asked.

  “He’s visited my profile,” Melissa said. “I can see by the track he left on it.”

  “And?”

  “And nothing. He obviously saw what was supposed to be a great match, clicked on the profile, saw it was me, and knew that he wasn’t interested.”

  “So he visited you, you visited him. That’s when you’re supposed to leave him a message,” Lauren said.

  “No, he would have messaged me if he liked me,” Melissa said. Lauren shook her head.

  “He probably felt weird about it because he met you while he was working.”

  Just then, the front door opened and the guys hurtled back in, accompanied by an attractive woman, a couple of years older than the girls. She had long, immaculately-styled golden-brown hair, and her curvy body was dressed in a very stylish winter coat. She rushed over to them.

  “Congratulations, Lauren!” she trilled, enveloping Lauren in a hug. “I’m so incredibly happy for you!” She turned to the cradle and gazed down at Willow, her eyes becoming tender. “She’s so beautiful,” she said in a hushed tone. “I can’t wait for her to wake up so I can see whether she looks more like you or Connor.” Lauren beamed.

  “And it’s all thanks to you, Tamika!” she said. “Oh, this is Melissa. You just approved her to join Shiftr.”

  “Melissa! Of course,” Tamika said, drawing Melissa into another voluminous hug. She smelled of expensive perfume and salon shampoo. “It’s great to meet you, darling. I heard so much about you! I know it won’t be long before we find you someone amazing! There aren’t many girls as deliciously petite as you on the site, so I’m sure you’ll be inundated!” Melissa went to reply, but she was temporarily tongue-tied. Tamika seemed to have that effect on people, with her eccentric, ebullient personality. Kristin gave Tamika a significant look and angled her head towards Harley. Understanding came into Tamika’s eyes. The guys started laughing loudly about something, so Kristin took the opportunity to lean close and whisper to Tamika.

  “They saw each other for the first time when he was delivering Lauren’s baby, and Melissa has already found him on the app, and discovered that they’re 99% compatible. He’s checked out her profile too, but they’re both being shy about making the first move.”

  “Why, darling?” Tamika asked Melissa. “You’re obviously an amazing match for each other.”

  “Because he tracked my profile first, and didn’t message me. Which suggests that he’s not interested.”

  “Oh, fiddlesticks. He probably felt like it would have been an abuse of his position because you met while he was in doctor mode.” Tamika said.

  “That’s what I said!” Lauren said in a sing-song voice.

  “You think I should message him?” Melissa asked Tamika, still full of doubt.

  “Not message him, honeybun. He’s right here. Go speak to the guy. Technology is great for helping you connect with people you wouldn’t otherwise meet, but it’s no substitute for actual, human, face-to-face interaction!”

  Willow snuffled, made a little grizzly noise, then burst into full-volume wailing. Lauren’s face lit up and she leaned into the cradle and took her out.

  “She’s a good sleeper. She’s done well to sleep through all this excitement,” Tamika said.

  “Just like her dad,” Lauren replied, looking at Connor with love. “I expected to be exhausted in these early days, but she’s only been waking once in the night so far, so I actually feel fine.” She went over to the sofa to breastfeed Willow, and the others followed her, gazing adoringly at the little bundle.

  “Now, how can we get Melissa and Harley alone together?” Tamika asked, once Willow was feeding contentedly, her long eyelashes splayed on her soft baby cheeks.

  “I could send him on an errand,” Lauren said. “He’s not drinking because he’s on duty, so I could say that I need something from the store?”

  “Great idea!” Tamika said, clapping her hands together. “And, Melissa, you go too. I recall that you’re a fan of cooking?” Melissa nodded, impressed by Tamika’s memory. “Good. Say that you need an obscure spice, and Melissa can help to find a substitute if it’s not available. That’s perfect.” Everyone grinned. It sounded like a good plan. Lauren cleared her throat.

  “Hey, Harley!” she called, over the guys’ deep, rumbly chatter.

  “What is it? Is everything ok?” Harley said, bounding over. Melissa was touched by
the concern in his expression. It was obvious that he really cared about people.

  “Yes, everything’s fine with this little monster,” Lauren said. Except that she never seems to be full. I was just wondering if you’d mind going to the store for me, since you’re one of the few capable of driving right now?”

  “Yes, of course,” he said immediately. “What can I get for you?”

  “She needs some fenugreek,” Melissa said. Harley turned to look at her, and she was rendered speechless at the intensity of his deep amber gaze.

  “No problem, I think,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve never heard of it, but I’ll ask a store assistant if I get stuck.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Melissa said shyly. “I can help pick out something else if they don’t have it.”

  “Great,” he said, and his eyes seemed to match the enthusiasm in his voice.

  As Melissa put her coat on and followed Harley out of the door, she was almost shaking with nerves. Her thoughts were caught between her attraction for him and her certainty that he wasn’t interested in her.

  “I’ve been wanting to speak to you alone since I saw you today,” he said, as they began to cross the snow. Her heart gave a little jump.

  “You have?” she said.

  “Yes. I wanted to make sure that you were ok after your panic attack, and check that there hadn’t been any repercussions.”

  “Oh,” she said, feeling like she’d been sucker punched in the gut. He’d kept looking at her in the cabin because he’d been worried about her. Not because he was attracted to her. “Yes, I’ve been completely fine. I’m pretty sure it was a one-off. I just feel silly now for creating drama when Lauren had just given birth.”

  “You weren’t being silly,” he said. “You had no control over what was happening to you. As I said before, your body experienced a purely physiological reaction to the situation.”

  “I guess,” she said. “So, do you live around here?” she asked, desperate to change the subject.