by Haley Weir
Ms. Prince accepted her hand. Tingling electricity chased up Ava’s arm when their hands touched. For a moment, Ava wondered if it was static electricity, but all of the floors were hardwood. Ms. Prince closed her eyes for a moment as if concentrating on a distant tune. When she opened them, Ms. Prince released Ava’s hand, and a smile softened her features. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. Take a seat, Ms. Daniels. I’d like to hear your marketing plan for my business.”
Chapter Four
Mason straightened his tie and looked in his SUV’s rear view mirror. He swept his hands through his wavy black hair. His appointment at the dating agency was in a few minutes. He was surprised they fit him in with such short notice. Granted, that was after he told them his full name, which definitely carried weight in the community.
He leaned back into the driver’s seat and looked at the building. The fact he was there at all showed how desperate he was to not lose everything he worked for. But he still hated the idea of it. He wasn’t desperate. He never liked blind dates, and refused to settle for just anyone. Unfortunately, his father had put him in this position.
Mason stepped out of his SUV after one last look in the rear view mirror. He walked to the building with long strides, trying to project and manifest the confidence he lacked at that moment. Ever since his father gave him the ultimatum, he didn’t feel like himself. Things at work weren’t as easy to manage; he couldn’t seem to muster his typical “can do” attitude. Trying to find a mate, especially through a dating agency, was thing he should need to worry about. He was in his early thirties. Not to mention, whenever he needed a woman’s attention in the past, he didn’t need to search long or hard to find it.
As soon as he opened the door, a cute brunette receptionist sitting at the front desk smiled at him. “Welcome to Prince Dating Agency. Ms. Prince will help you find your match in a few moments. May I have your name?”
He did his best not to grimace and keep a neutral face. “Mason Sinclair.”
She typed something into her computer, and then turned a bright smile to him. “Thank you, Mr. Sinclair! Ms. Prince knows you’re here. She’ll be with you soon. If you could have a seat, there’s a Keurig machine in the waiting room. Feel free to make a coffee or some hot chocolate while you’re waiting.”
“Thanks.” He headed over to the machine, and fixed himself a dark roast coffee before taking a seat.
After a few moments, one of the employees came to the waiting area, craning her neck to look around the room. They made eye contact. “Mr. Sinclair? Please come with me, and you will be asked a few questions before Ms. Prince comes in to meet with you.” She looked young, brunette, and innocently pretty. The person who did the hiring certainly seemed to have a type. Or maybe it was just a coincidence?
Mason tossed his paper coffee cup into the wastebasket. He turned and saw the woman was already out of sight. He rounded the corner quickly to follow her, and realized another woman was barreling towards him, distracted. Her head was turned, and he was moving too fast. They were about to collide.
She smacked against his chest hard, letting out a startled yelp. She teetered on her high heels, and he grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m such a klutz.” Her gaze ran up his torso until she looked at his face, when her blue eyes widened and a pink blush spread up her neck to deepen the color of her cheeks.
A smirk spread across his lips. “No problem, miss. You’re fine.” Normally he could easily bounce back in situations like these, but he felt his beast rear its head. It sniffed at her, drawing in scent of lilac on her skin and in her hair.
The smile faded at the corners. He was shocked by how nervous he felt around her, and the intensity of his desire for this stranger. Many shifters over the years explained to Mason that finding their fated mate was almost like love at first sight. He had thought it was yet another tradition that stemmed partly from fantasy and folklore. Now he wasn’t so sure.
The lady in his arms stared up at him, making no effort to pull away. It seemed like she was reading his mind, and felt the same magnetic pull. As quickly as that fantasy entered his mind, it was shattered with a few words.
The woman who originally called his name noticed that Mason was not directly behind her, and doubled back to find the pair in their current precarious position. She cleared her throat, attempting to pull the two of them back to reality. “Mr. Sinclair? Would you please follow me?” she asked, frowning slightly.
“Of course. If you’ll excuse me, miss. Be careful out there.” He released the woman in his arms, even if his bear wasn’t yet ready to let her go. He walked after the brunette, but he couldn’t help but glance back at the woman standing there one final time. Maybe this place was the answer to his problems, especially if he could be matched up with a girl like that.
“Right in here, if you will, Mr. Sinclair.” She opened the door to an office decorated in white with red accent colors. He took a seat in one of the two chairs facing the desk. The nameplate on the desk informed Mason that the woman’s name was Isabella. Isabella got settled and briefly started typing on her computer. After a beat, she looked back up him. “Thank you for coming into Prince Dating Agency. Once I’ve taken down your preferences, you’ll be able to speak with Ms. Prince. She is our founder and the matchmaker. She’s very gifted at helping those looking for love. So, to start us off, what brings you in today?” She gave him a more relaxed smile now that they had gotten down to business. She was clearly in her element.
Mason pointedly looked around the room and shrugged. “I suppose I’m here to find my special someone. My brother showed me the mailer for this place. To be blunt, I’ve never seen dating as something I struggle with.” He ran a hand through his hair, feeling on edge after his interaction with that woman in the hallway. He should’ve just asked her for her number while he’d had the chance. He’d been so distracted by his bear that he let the opportunity slip through his fingers. “I’m busier than I used to be since I spend quite a bit of time at the office. I figured I could use the help. Besides, my father isn’t content that I’m single. He wants to see me find the right person,” he explained vaguely.
Isabella nodded as she jotted down notes using a pen and paper now. “Yes, we can definitely help you. Don’t worry if you feel skeptical about this process. Many of the clients we work with are hesitant at first. If you keep an open mind, I know you’ll be pleased with the results.” She tilted her head to the side, thinking for a moment. “So your biggest challenge right now with dating is your job. What would you say you’re looking for in another person? Do you have any preferences in terms of hair color, what type of personality do you feel is best suited to yours? Anything at all we should know?”
Mason ran his hands through his hair again. This was complicated. He knew what they were asking, and he resented it a little. Did he have a type? Would he want to be matched with a five-foot-two platinum blonde who wore a size zero? No way. “Right. My job is a challenge, but I can deal with it during this process. I have some flexibility right now.” When he’d admitted what he was doing to his father, Bradley enthusiastically told him he could take as much time as he needed in order to fulfill his duties to the pack.
“I don’t have strong preferences when it comes to women,” Mason continued, uncomfortably fidgeting in his chair. “If we hit it off, then we do. I’m not superficial. I don’t target women based on their hair color or waist size. In terms of personality, I like someone who is comfortable in her own skin. I guess I want someone who is confident, who doesn’t take life too seriously. Someone who has ambitions and isn’t content to just settle.”
Isabella continued jotting down notes, looking up at Mason before glancing back down at her note pad. “We don’t ask because we believe our clients are or should be superficial, Mr. Sinclair. We ask questions so we can be sensitive preferences, especially if those preferences are tied to negative past experiences. That doesn’t mean we wouldn’t show results of
matches with a particular hair color or body type. If we feel like someone would be a good fit, we wouldn’t hesitate to provide you with her profile to let the two of you go on a date.” She smiled at him. She probably repeated that same speech over and over again throughout her workday.
Mason realized he was giving her a hard time, and that it was probably counterintuitive to fight every aspect of the process. “That’s good to know, Ms. Grace. I didn’t mean to imply you were asking for superficial purposes, but I just wanted to make things clear. I’ve never done this before. Perhaps I need to follow your suggestion and try to keep an open mind.” He moved his hands toward his lap. His beast reminded him of the woman he met in the hallway. “Since you’re asking, I think light brown hair and blue eyes is a pretty combination.” He lifted his gaze toward Isabella. “Actually, I wouldn’t mind being matched with that woman I met in the hallway. Perhaps you could set something up?”
Isabella frowned for a moment. She blinked and quickly shook her head. “Sorry, Mr. Sinclair. The woman you met was here on a job interview. She wasn’t here to find a match. It’s against company policy for clients and staff to date. Ms. Prince is very strict about that.”
He narrowed his eyes, feeling his beast become unwieldy in his chest. Neither of them wanted to take no for an answer. “She was here for a job? If she was here for an interview, then don’t give her the job. That wouldn’t be violating company policy then. I would like to date her. If you can’t help me, perhaps your supervisor can. I’ll pay double the normal price of your services to get what I want.” Part of him hated that he was taking his approach, but so much was at stake. If he was going to be with someone for the rest of his life, it was better to be someone who sparked his beast’s interest as well.
Isabella set her pen down. “Sir, I could get in trouble for even broaching this subject. As I said, it’s against company policy. Please...”
Mason crossed his arms over his chest indignantly. “Triple the normal price. Let me talk with someone who can make this happen.”
She rose from her chair, and he wondered for a moment if he was about to have security called on him. To his surprise, she wrung her hands before nodding. “I’ll speak with our hiring manager. She may come in to speak with you as well. I’m… I’ll let you know, Mr. Sinclair.”
Isabella walked back into the room along with another slightly older woman who gave him a once over. “Hello, Mr. Sinclair. My name is Henrietta Douglas. Ms. Grace told me you were hoping to be matched with the woman who was being interviewed today?” She looked at Isabella. “I’ll handle things from here. If you’d like to wait in the break room, I’ll come get you when we’re done here.”
“Yes, Ms. Douglas.” Isabella hurried out of the room again, softly closing the door behind her.
Mason looked up at Henrietta as she headed to Isabella’s desk, curious what she was going to do. “I am interested in being matched with her. She…sparked my interest more than any woman I’ve dated in years.”
Henrietta wore a friendly, warm expression, but he could see something more calculating behind her eyes. “I see. You said you would pay triple the price of the services. If this were done off the books, as it would need to be if Ms. Prince isn’t to learn of this, then I’d prefer it if the extra payment was made directly to me. Is that acceptable?”
He considered her deal for a few moments before nodding. He was getting what he wanted, why should he feel guilty about that? “Yes, it is.”
The woman began typing at Isabella’s computer. She nodded approvingly after she’d completed whatever she’d been doing. “This should do the trick. You know, the girl you want to date would have been a terrific asset to this company. I’ll have to figure out an explanation to Ms. Prince on why we decided not to hire her.” She shrugged. “However, I suppose that will come easily enough. Ms. Prince will be in to speak with you shortly. Don’t mention our arrangement to her. If you do, I’ll refuse any knowledge of this agreement. Have a good day, Mr. Sinclair,” she said curtly. With that, she walked out of the room.
Chapter Five
A few days had passed since Ava went to Prince Dating Agency’s office for the in-person interview. She glanced over at her phone for the eleventh time in the past ten minutes. Meeting Henrietta and Ms. Prince had gone so well, and the phone interview had been great too! Why hadn’t she heard anything yet? It had sounded like such a sure thing.
Despair weighed on her shoulders, and gave her a sinking feeling again as she stared up at the ceiling. Since her interview, she received one call from a grocery store about a cashier position, but the person had blown her off when she started talking to him about her past experience and why she would be a good fit for the job. Next time she should be more vague. If they didn’t know she had plenty of skills, maybe they would take pity on her and give her a chance.
She shook her head. How was it possible that she had not heard a single thing from the Prince Dating Agency when everything had gone so well? It was only a matter of days before the eviction notice would take effect, kicking her out of her house. If she didn’t get a job before then, she’d have no proof for her landlord that he’d be paid soon. She’d be homeless. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she placed her hands over her face. That didn’t matter. Ava would need to apply for more jobs and hope things worked out. That was what she had to do, right? She opened her laptop and scoured a few job sites, hoping for inspiration.
A yawn rose from her throat, and she closed the lid on the laptop again, setting it aside. Maybe it was for the best. Her eyes were starting to cross from all of the job listings she’d read this morning. If she skimmed through one more, she was afraid her eyes might forever be stuck in that position.
She decided to stretch out on the couch, thinking that a short nap might loosen the tension radiating in her back and shoulders. She shifted positions to lie down on her side, and brought the throw blanket from the back of the couch on top of her.
All of a sudden, the phone rang. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she sat up quickly. She sucked in a deep breath. This could be her chance. This could be the news that she’d been anxiously waiting to hear. She started playing out positive scenarios in her mind. She decided that she would grab a cheap bottle of wine from the grocery store to celebrate the job offer, and she’d spend a tiny portion of her first check on a bottle of nail polish as a treat. She picked up her cell phone, telling herself to calm down. The last thing she needed to do was get her hopes up. It could just be another bill collector.
“Hello?” Ava answered the phone cheerfully.
“Hello, Ms. Daniels.” The woman on the other end of the line sounded pleasant, if not a little reserved. “This is Isabella Grace with Prince Dating Agency. Is this a good time to talk?”
“Yes, of course. I’m surprised it’s taken a while for a response since Ms. Douglas was quite prompt before. I’m glad to hear from you though,” Ava found herself rambling.
Isabella cleared her throat. “My apologies for the delay. I...” She paused for a moment, seemingly searching for the right words to say. That didn’t help Ava’s nerves at all. “Actually, I was calling to let you know that you’ve been matched with a man named Mason Sinclair. Once you have a pen and some paper, I’d be happy to give you the time and location for your meeting with him. Please let me know when you’re ready.” The words were tumbling out of Isabella’s mouth, like she was anxious to get them out as quickly as she could.
Ava chewed on her lower lip. She wasn’t sure what to think…this wasn’t the news she was expecting. Could this be a final step in the hiring process? She certainly hadn’t signed up with the dating agency to meet anyone. What was going on? “I’ve been matched with someone...? Oh…okay.” She grabbed a pen. “I’m ready for the information whenever you are.”
Isabella released a quiet sigh. “Great. Thank you, Ms. Daniels. Here’s what you need to know. Be sure to wear something nice as it’s an upscale restaurant with a dress code.” She r
ead off the time and location of where to meet Mason Sinclair, and then gave her a few tips on making the most of the date.
“Thank you for all of the advice. I’ll be sure to put it to use,” she said, still confused about what was going on. But Ava held out hope that this was all a strange part of employee onboarding.
Ava remembered going to the same restaurant for an old company luncheon. Nestled on a marina, the place was pricey even when she was making decent money. In her current financial state, there was no way she could afford to go there. But it seemed like she couldn’t say no. Getting the job would be a dream come true.
Isabella made it seem like doing well was important, so Ava needed to act natural as possible. Maybe this Mason Sinclair would buy the meal to simulate an actual date. She had no idea what to expect.
When they said their goodbyes and hung up, she laid back down on the couch again. The date was later tonight. Maybe she would hear from the company tomorrow to give her the details on when she could start working. She assumed they would talk to Mr. Sinclair about how the dinner was, and hopefully she would pass this test with flying colors.
Her thoughts went back to the restaurant’s dress code. She had no idea what she was going to wear. She’d sold most of her nicer clothes to consignment shops. Whatever she wore needed to be great if she was going to nail this final aspect of the interview process.
* * *
As Ava pulled up to the restaurant, she remembered marveling at how delicious the food was. The blackened salmon with rice pilaf and seasonal veggies were superb. Her stomach grumbled just thinking about the menu. She worried that she should’ve eaten a snack before coming out. The last thing she needed was for her growling stomach to embarrass her.