Eve took the time she needed to compose herself. “Usually I get to do the picking. But due to a new company policy that I don’t agree with, I am going to let you choose. Isn’t that so nice of me? Used to be we would make you a mail order bride or fiancée. But someone whined, so the rules have changed. I’m pretty certain they will change back soon, but until then we play by a different set of rules!” Eve snapped her fingers in Sabine’s face with a loud snap. “Are you functioning upstairs in your head yet, Space Cadet? Get up, so we can play.”
Standing slowly, she realized that she was still in her space environmental suit in the middle of nowhere. Grass, dirt, rocks and scrub brush was all around her. Not a single building in sight and no recognizable landmarks. “Where are we?”
“Details, details,” Eve said, waving her hand. “First thing, we have to get you in something a bit more appropriate. Don’t you think? I bet its hot as could be in that insulated suit. You look like a walking marshmallow. Actually, you look a lot like a big, puffy marshmallow! You know, swelled up from the heat? I like my marshmallows roasted until they are crispy. Set them on fire and then blow them out. Crispy and gooey! They are delicious!” Eve said happily. She stopped talking suddenly and stared at Sabine with awful determination and a mischievous look.
“Oh darn! I should have done that instead of letting you pick aortic dissection. I could have lit you up like a candelabra, and then put out the fire to get you here. Meh. Maybe next time,” She said callously, shrugging.
Sabine stared at the woman, not fully sure she heard her correctly. Was she a sociopath? She was actually disappointed that she didn’t roast her like a marshmallow over a campfire? Completely insane! Suddenly, the blistering heat of the noon sun made her feel like she was baking inside of the thick astronaut suit.
“Oh wow, yeah it’s pretty hot in here but…” she agreed, stopping mid-thought as she began to try to get out of the environmental suit that quickly felt like she was roasting alive. She almost wailed aloud as she was stopped for a moment. Eve handed her a set of clothing like nothing was wrong. Was she actually filing her nails? Sabine was sweating buckets and feeling distinctly faint.
“There is nowhere to change,” she said absently and ducked down inside again to get herself out of the contraption. The darkness inside the suit combined with the heat was suffocating. I need out, now! she thought desperately. She was feeling faint as sweat poured down her forehead and stung her eyes. A sudden split gave way and the cooler air from the outside felt like a beacon of hope. Finally!
“No one will see you,” Eve said. “Oh, you mean me?”
Nodding, she watched Eve turn around as she slowly yanked herself out of the bulky, hot environmental suit. Sure enough, there was only her and Eve nearby. Not a building to see for miles on end. Striping down completely, unabashed, she was grateful to feel her body cooling off slightly from the intense heat. She wondered if it was on purpose. Roasted marshmallow, humph!
She put on the coarse pants and tied them at her waist. No zippers? Slipping on the shirt, she realized that it was thin material. The outline of her pink bra stood out against the cotton. “I can’t wear this, you can see right through it!”
“There is a vest there, too. Last girl was flat chested, like you. So you should be fine,” Eve called out over her shoulder, nonchalantly.
“I’m not flat chested,” she countered, as she buttoned the front of the garment. Tiny, white, bead buttons slipped into roughly-sewn holes.
“Well, those aren’t melons, my dear!”
“You shouldn’t be looking,” Sabine muttered putting the vest on and buttoning it as well. The vest was a lot longer than she anticipated. It covered her breasts, completely hiding the pink bra. The thick material reached down to her bottom, masking any signs of her previous life. She slapped the large, brown hat on her head at the exact moment Eve spun around.
“Much better!”
“Much cooler. And thank you,” Sabine quipped politely after she saw the slice in the environmental suit on the ground. She hadn’t been able to think straight due to the intense heat. Eve must have worked some magic mojo in order to cut through the thick material. It was tough to get out of a suit alone. The material was supposed to be virtually impenetrable.
“Of course! I am here to help you get situated in your new life.” Eve snapped her fingers and the astronaut suit disappeared completely, quickly melting away into the ground like it was water.
“Okay, that was odd and incredibly final.” Sabine stared at the now solid ground where the suit had once lain. There was not a shred of evidence that it had once lay there, nor that the ground had looked almost watery, allowing it to sink.
“I can’t have that laying around to be discovered. This is the Old West and that suit is pretty out of place.”
“Old West?” Sabine said, extending out her foot and tapping on the ground to be safe. It looked solid, but the disappearance of the suit had her completely freaked out. She was positive that sinking away into the ground would be a horrible way to die. One she did not intend to find out either.
“Well, maybe not like the movies but, yeah, there are cowboys and Indians. You didn’t put your belt on,” Eve announced with an upraised eyebrow. “Go ahead and then we will begin.”
“No, there is a gun on there. I don’t like guns.”
“Oh, well, that might be a problem. Let me check,” Eve said, frowning and pulling out the booklet again. “Yes, yes. I was right. You will need a gun here.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, in the Old West, men carried guns.”
“I’m a woman. Surprise!” she retorted sarcastically.
“No, you silly chit, I know you are female. However, females were married off, raped or sold off if they were unprotected. I got you men’s clothing cause with that flat chest and short hair, I figured you could pass for a boy for a while until you picked.” Eve looked extremely put out at having to explain herself. Apparently, she had been quite proud of her garment selection, even if Sabine thought it all left a lot to be desired.
“Picked what?” she asked absently as she watched, stunned, as the belt floated upwards and wrapped around her middle by itself.
“Oh yes, this is the best part!” Eve clapped her hands excitedly and jumped around. “Pick your soulmate! Welcome to the Relocation Game, starring moi! I will be your host!”
“Toying with my life isn’t a game,” Sabine snapped, hearing the music playing in the background. It sounded like The Price is Right and she fully expected to see Eve whip out a microphone.
“No, but I thought it might make it a bit more interesting for you and that you’d be amenable to hear about each guy.”
“So, you have me dressed as a guy to have me pick out a guy? Maybe we should have a talk about my parents and their relationship again. Or the birds and the bees? You do know that I like guys, right?” she asked with an upraised eyebrow. “Remember, not interested in settling.”
“Don’t be a stick in the mud, Sabine. Now, hush up and let’s meet your bachelors! In this corner, weighing one hundred sixty-five pounds…”
“Are they wrestling? You sound like an announcer at a wrestling match.”
“And you are interrupting me during my shining moment of glory. Sit down and listen!”
Plopping down unexpectedly into a large leather chair that appeared magically, she stared at the odd woman. “Show is all yours, I guess.”
“Thank you! As I was saying, lets meet contestant number one. This is Sam. Sam is red-haired, tanned and missing a few teeth.”
“What?”
“It’s the Old West, sweetie, dental hygiene isn’t a big thing yet. There is no Waterpik and no Colgate. You interrupted me again. As I was saying, Sam doesn’t have all of his teeth but he does have a small bit of property that he is sure to make you a nice home on. Not a big fan of fighting, but he has mad skills playing cards. Small bit of a gambling problem, but that is how he got his money. I think
he will have all of his hair in ten years. No bald genes in his family tree. Teeth? Not so much.”
“He sounds perfectly dreadful.”
“Okay, not to be outdone, Is bachelor number two! Billy has all of his teeth so far, you lucky girl. A bit of a nasty temper for someone whose elevator doesn’t go to the top floor, if you get my drift. He is a fighter and will protect you. No home, no land but for the right gal, he might settle down.”
“He sounds awful, too.”
“Don’t get discouraged because we have bachelor number three not far behind! This man doesn’t plan on… oh, oh my,” she said nervously, pulling at her collar and studying cards that appeared out of thin air in front of her. “He doesn’t plan on getting married anytime soon. Hmm, okay. Says here,” she said as she flipped through the cards, flinging one or two callously over her shoulder. “It says that he has a chip on his shoulder and can be misconstrued as aggressive. Very forthright and a hard worker. If you get through his tough exterior, you will find a good man.”
“Seriously? Those three losers are my choices?”
“They aren’t losers. They are your opportunities. It’s all in how you look at it. You have a chance to pick your soulmate! Who else gets a chance like that?”
“So, I have to choose from Nasty? Mean and nasty? and Mr. Grumpy, mean and nasty?”
“Well when you say it like that, it sounds perfectly dreadful.”
“Why did you pick three personalities like that?”
“Like what?” Eve asked confused, cocking her head to the side.
“Three unappealing guys. What did I ever do to you to get saddled with someone like that?”
“You have your choice of three different personalities. You have brains, brute or body.”
“Well, gee. That still sounds like a heck of a choice,” Sabine said snidely. At Eve’s dark expression, she bit back any further comments. “Can I think for a moment about my selection?”
“Of course,” Eve said amicably, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Do I get to see them, my prospective suitors?”
“Of course!” She cried happily, snapping her fingers. A portal that looked like an oval mirror appeared, showing three men on horseback.
Staring at the mirror, she couldn’t believe how insane this all sounded. “Do I have to pick right now?”
“Yes, yes. It’s not that hard. Would you like me to pick for you?” Eve asked eagerly, gleefully rubbing her hands together at the prospect. “I love choosing soulmates! That is how I got into this field. Want me to pick? I’d be happy to!”
“No! Let me think.”
Brains had missing teeth, that was a big minus for him. But he was smart, which was a plus. Red hair wasn’t normally her thing but neither was dying or being forced to pick out someone to be with for the rest of her life.
Brawn looked perfectly intimidating. Cold eyes that looked lethal. She couldn’t imagine him being kind to anyone much less a strange woman that is dropped in his life. He looked like what she thought an abusive man would look like. He would not do.
Body, looked to be no different than any of the others. He was an angry-looking man but she could see laugh lines around his eyes. That was a good sign, right? He was extremely handsome, also another plus in her book.
“You look troubled,” Eve said, interrupting her thoughts.
“Oh my gosh, have you just now noticed?” she cried out sarcastically, attempting to look shocked. She was actually pretty darned pissed about how her day started beautifully and was ending wretchedly.
“Well, you don’t have to be nasty about it!”
“I’m a little out of my element right now. If you were to pick, who would you choose for me?”
“Are you asking me to choose your soulmate?” Eve asked eagerly and clapped her hands happily in front of her.
“I’m asking your opinion. That’s it.”
“I don’t have one.”
“Well, me either. Can we draw another three guys out of the stack?”
“No. Each one of these three has something in them that calls to you. Calls to your soul. Each person has a match. And you? You, my Space Cadet, have three rare opportunities here- and one in another time period. I didn’t think you would like a caveman though.”
“Frankly, I am not impressed by any of them. They don’t look far from caveman-esque.”
“Why?”
“Look at them! They looked like three hard-nosed killers! They probably shoot people for breakfast without a second thought.”
“Do I look like a killer?” Eve asked softly with a knowing smile.
“Touché. I think we both know the answer to that one!”
“Exactly, so looks can be deceiving. You have to think, reach, feel with your heart which one will be best for you. Tell you what, we’ll get you a bit closer so you can see if you can pick up any vibes from them.”
“That sounds good. A bit hokey, but good.”
“Go ahead.”
“Go ahead and step closer? By myself?” Sabine asked warily.
“You want me with you?”
“Absolutely! I have heard of this before. I turn my back and then you are gone. No, ma’am! That isn’t happening today.” Sabine had no plans to be left alone in the middle of nowhere with three men that looked to be potentially criminal in nature. Each one looked like they could have just robbed a bank, in her opinion. There was nothing really endearing about any of them from Eve’s descriptions. Soulmate, ha!
“Man, I like your spunk, my Space Cadet! You remind me of myself. I will give you a second treat. Not only will I let you get closer, I will let you touch their hands and see if you feel the calling. If you don’t feel it with any of the three then I will put you back on the shuttle or we can try the caveman prospect.”
“You sure know how to tempt a person to get what you want, don’t you?”
“I’m good at what I do,” she said, shrugging with a sly smile.
“Fine, let’s do this. But I have your word that if all three are wrong, you will put me back on the shuttle? I don’t even want to try living like a cavewoman. That isn’t an option. Shuttle, okay?”
“Oh yes.”
“Alive,” Sabine said flatly, crossing her arms. She had no intention of not choosing and being yanked back into the shuttle only to be dead. Floating in space was fun. Floating in space as a dead person? Not so much.
“Are we negotiating now?” Eve crowed in delight, clapping her hands happily. “Awesomesauce!”
“Is that an option?”
“Let’s just see how these three men work out,” Eve countered, stepping through the portal. She looked to be so far away, yet so close. Sabine could see Eve in the mirror, but there was also a faint ghostly reflection of herself in the glass as well. Creepy! Eve’s long, delicate hand eerily distended from the mirror glass towards Sabine, complete with black fingernails. “You coming?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I’m not sure yet.”
The hand reached out and snatched Sabine’s quickly, pulling her through. “No maybes about it. You need to pick and I am going to need to get going soon.”
“You can’t leave me here with them!”
“Of course not, you haven’t chosen yet. Touch him,” Eve ordered. “He is frozen and won’t see you.”
Reaching out her hand towards the redheaded man, she prayed that there would be no telling sensation, vibes or inclination that he was the one for her. She wasn’t completely sure what she was supposed to sense, but assumed it would be quite telling. As her pointer finger made contact with his hand as it sat on the pommel of the saddle, she felt skin. That was it. Whew!
“You really didn’t want him, did you?”
“Not in the slightest. I’m big on hygiene and I could smell his breath from here.”
“Which one do you want to try next?” Eve asked, choking back laughter.
“None?”
“Har de har har, Space Cadet.” Eve said rolling her large, b
lue eyes. “Don’t be chicken!”
Grasping Sabine’s hand, she extended it to the middle man who looked to be the meanest out of the three. Yanking her hand away from Eve, she jumped backwards. He felt malicious. Thick, dark, evil sensations pushed towards her. She knew deep inside somehow that he was bad. Sinister. She clutched it protectively against her chest and stared at him, horrified. “You feel it, don’t you? He’s wrong. Not him, I don’t care what you say. Not him!”
“Try the third one. You can feel the auras, the calling, even if you are fighting it. Contestant number two’s aura was dark.” Eve nodded in approval. Her dark blue eyes were all knowing. They held knowledge and Sabine just wished she could pick around her mind for two minutes to see what she was thinking. There was more to all of this than Eve was letting on, and she was sure of it.
“Anyone ever tell you that you are weird?”
“All the time. Now it’s his turn. Touch him.”
Sabine walked towards the third man, staring up at him for a long moment. “Do you feel it?” Eve asked quietly from behind her.
“Quit pushing me, Witchy Woman!” Eve’s dry cackle of laughter made Sabine’s hair stand on the back of her neck. She held out her hand and noticed it trembling. “I don’t think I want to,” she said softly. “I’m scared.”
“Don’t be. Shut your eyes, reach out and feel for him.”
Sabine extended her hand and felt it trembling. Like she was getting ready to put her hand up to a flame. She could sense the heat off of him. She felt a tingling in the tips of her fingers. “Do you feel that?” she breathed, surprised. She expected to see electricity or crackling between them, it felt so potent. “It’s like I am building up static and fixing to touch something metal. What is that?”
Enchanted by You: Timeswept Soulmates (Timeless Brides Book 3) Page 3