ONE
ALLIE
“Ms. Varga?” the woman asked as she opened the door for Allie.
“Yep! That’s me!” Allie made her way into the office and glanced around at the spacious interior of The Paranormal Dating Agency. Her stomach did a few flip-flops, thanks to the anxiety wreaking havoc on her mind and body.
She didn’t know why she was so damn nervous, but she was. It wasn’t that the woman looked unfriendly or anything. Actually, she was a natural beauty. The problem was the scents that Allie had picked up the second she’d walked through the office door. They bombarded her senses, sending her into a tailspin.
“Have a seat. I won’t bite,” the woman said with a laugh.
“Thanks.” Allie pulled out a chair and sat as the woman had suggested. She tried to relax by sucking in a few deep breaths, but that didn’t help. It only sent her anxiety to a higher level and made her feel like she was going to pass out.
“I’m Gerri Wilder. It’s nice to meet you.” The woman took a seat across from her and smiled, making her feel welcome and thankfully stemming the unease that rushed through her.
Allie smiled back. “Sorry, I’m so nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before,” she explained. “Plus, the scent in here is heavy from other shifters. It reminds me of being in a crowd … surrounded if you will.”
It was the strangest collection of scents she had ever picked up in the same room. Sure, her parents had hosted plenty of parties when she had been growing up, but never had her home had this collection of shifters.
“Relax. There’s nothing to be nervous about. It’s just the two of us, nothing to concern yourself with at all. Now, tell me, what it is that you’re looking for? And be honest about it, or it does us no good,” Gerri said.
Allie thought for a moment. Why the hell was she here in the first place? What was it she really wanted? Hot sex? Absolutely. Hot sex on a regular basis? Was there some sort of sign-up sheet for that? A sexy guy who she had a hard time keeping her hands off of? Uhh … hell yes!
Of course, she wanted all that, but she also wanted a best friend. Someone who would love and cherish her. Someone who would treat her like a queen. She was tired of dealing with dickwads who thought they were God’s gift to women.
She was especially tired of men who talked big dick games only to have a pecker that was no bigger than her pinkie finger. The whole situation had become depressing and tiresome. And for the love of God, she didn’t even want to talk about her mother’s attempts to set her up with every eligible bachelor she knew. That was a hard no and even a harder pass. Hence, her meeting with Gerri Wilder, the infamous matchmaker.
“Honestly, I’m not sure what I’m looking for. I’m tired of chasing my tail when it comes to men. The dating world these days is a complete drag. It’s exhausting. I just want to find someone like me. Preferably the same species. I’ve dated a few wolves and other shifters, and while it was fun for a short time, I’ve found they have no idea what to do with someone like me. I’m not a pack animal. I prefer the solidarity of peace and quiet. Of nights spent with a loved one. No distractions.”
“So, you’re basically looking for your mate?” Gerri asked with an arched eyebrow.
“I’m not sure I believe in that whole love-at-first-sight or scent thing. My parents had an arranged marriage, and it worked out fine for them. They never once complained about not finding their mate or anything like that. My mom told me they eventually learned to love one another and have always had a great marriage.” Allie sighed, thinking about the relationship her parents had.
“Everyone has a true mate out there. You just have to find that one special person.”
“If you say so.” Allie left it at that. How could she agree or disagree when she didn’t buy into that fantasy of one true mate? She had always believed that a person had many great loves over different periods in their lives. Each was solely dependent upon where you were in your maturity and the stage of your life.
“I know exactly who you are looking for. Leave it to me. I’ll be in touch with you shortly,” Gerri said and stood, ready to show her out.
“Okay. Umm, thanks.” Allie stood and headed for the door, thinking that it had been the weirdest, shortest meeting in the history of meetings. She also had zero freaking idea how Gerri was a great matchmaker when she didn’t even bother to have her fill out any forms.
There wasn’t a single question about what she wanted in a man or what type of men interested her. Just a … I got it, goodbye. She was so confused, but she shrugged it off, determined to get on with her day.
Allie climbed into her truck and wondered again what the hell had just happened. Had she insulted Gerri? Or were The Paranormal Dating Agency and Gerri Wilder nothing but a damn scam? There was no way that Gerri knew who she was looking for or what she wanted in a man. Not after that short-ass meeting.
Allie was going to have a serious talk with the friends who had sworn Gerri was all that and a bag of chips. They were absolutely full of it, and she freaking knew it.
Allie pulled into her garage and turned her truck off. Normally, she would hop out and dash into her home, but not today. Her mind was in shambles after her meeting with Gerri. She had gone into the meeting optimistic, but that had faded quicker than she could blink.
“I knew I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up,” she said out loud.
Her beast sighed in her mind. Allie felt the bite in her animal’s sadness as swiftly as she had felt her own. The fact was that despite her best intentions, she had gotten the idea that finding their mate would come easily. Her friends had raved about Gerri’s talent and her ability when it came to finding someone’s true match.
“I can’t believe I put on a bra for that. What a waste of makeup,” Allie said, making her way into her house and dropping her purse on the kitchen table. She padded back to her bedroom, unhooked her bra, and flung it on the recliner in the corner.
Grabbing a box of leftover pizza from the fridge, she popped open the lid and threw a couple of slices on a plate. It wasn’t as gooey as it was last night when it had been fresh and hot, but whatever. It was good enough for dinner since she didn’t feel like cooking.
I’m getting really sick of old pizza,her animal said in her mind.