Paranormal Dating Agency: Bearly Rivals (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

  Text copyright ©2018 by the Author.

  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Latin Goddess Press, Inc.. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Paranormal Dating Agency remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Latin Goddess Press, Inc., or their affiliates or licensors.

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  Chapter One

  Bailey sat on the couch with her legs folder under her. The morning was colder than usual giving her cozy apartment a bit of bite. She stirred her coffee which had finally cooled off enough to drink. She closed her eyes savoring the caramel-flavored sweetness.

  “You’re not listening to me, are you?” Felicity’s icy stare lowered the temp in the room another few degrees.

  Bailey was trying her hardest to ignore her best friend but the woman had a knack for being heard. “No, I’m listening,” she lied. “Please continue.”

  “Okay, so we were at the office working the problem...”

  Bailey tried to reconcile the topic she zoned out on with the last thing Felicity said and she couldn’t, not unless… “Wait, your entire office knows about my love life?”

  "You don't have a love life, that's the problem."

  Felicity would never understand. She was a statuesque blonde with bright blue eyes and a perky attitude. Bailey was a demanding grouch that worked too many hours and wore her stringy brown hair in a messy bun on most days. And while she had her best friend's curviness, she was not blessed with the height to go with it. At 5'4 she was more dwarfenesque.

  Men tripped over themselves to fall at Felicity's feet, though her best friend still managed to pick the absolute worst out of the bunch. Her boyfriend, Rob, was an emotionally abusive loser which made Bailey even less interested in dating men her best friend chose.

  "I can't believe you told your coworkers all my business. Next time I pick you up from work, I'm not stopping. I'll slow down and you'll just have to jump in." Bailey mumbled into her coffee cup.

  Felicity laughed heartily under the assumption that Bailey was joking. She wasn't. "Don't worry, I didn't tell them we were talking about you. I told them that my best friend, Haley, was having problems finding a man."

  Bailey sighed. "Even if you hadn't picked a name that rhymed with mine, you can only have one best friend."

  "That's not true. Haley and I have grown very close over the past year. Once I sat with her in the hospital all day because her mom was sick. Another time, we got really drunk and almost got matching tattoos. She got a swan on her right shoulder but I chickened out at the last minute. And now, with her biological clock just tick tick ticking away and no prospects in sight, I feel like I really need to step up and help her out."

  "That was me. All those things happened to me in the past year." The tattoo on Bailey's back tingled in remembrance. What had she been thinking?

  Felicity shrugged. "As far as my office is concerned, they happened to my other best friend, Haley, who is also the one currently having relationship problems. But there is good news, one of my coworkers gave me a card. We're gonna get you professional help." Felicity opened her little pink purse and pulled out a business card offering it to Bailey.

  Bailey took the card unable to hold back her curiosity. What kind of professional help could she possibly-- "No." Bailey tried to hand back the matchmaker's card but Felicity wouldn't accept it.

  "At least try it once. Come on. What could you possibly stand to lose?"

  "My self-respect. My dignity. What if she sets me up with some crazy ass serial killer who chops me up and eats me?"

  Felicity tapped her chin. "Then I suppose you'd get a refund."

  Bailey glared. Did her best friend really think the situation was that desperate? "I'd rather just meet someone naturally."

  "All you do is work. And how many single straight men do you meet as an interior designer?"

  Felicity had a point there, her pool of eligible bachelors was more like a wading pool. Bailey closed her eyes and sighed, she knew she couldn't win this, but she didn't want to give in.

  Felicity must have been able to sense she was faltering because she added. "You still want a family, don't you?"

  Ever since Bailey was a little girl she dreamed of being a mom. Growing up, she didn't have much, but she saw how hard her mom worked to provide and more than anything she wanted to be just like her when she grew up. But finding the right guy to build a life with was turning out to be a difficult task. She was one more hellish date away from just going to the sperm clinic and starting her family alone.

  Alone. No, she didn't want to do this alone.

  "You are the strongest woman I know. I've seen you fight for everything you've ever wanted and get it. Why not fight for the one thing you want the most? Why wait for it to come to you?" When Felicity started to speak again, Bailey realized she hadn't answered her question.

  She stared down at the card. "Fine. I'll call the matchmaker."

  Felicity clasped her hands together. "Great! You won't regret it."

  "I regret it already."

  Felicity ignored her, pulling out her phone. "So, where should we go for breakfast?"

  * * * * *

  Three days passed and that little white square remained on Bailey's desk, taunting her. She said she was going to call, but she didn't say when. Plus work had gotten so busy with them taking on two new clients she really didn't have time to think about dating.

  Work needed her full focus and it was probably best to put the card away, at least for now. As Bailey picked up the card, her phone beeped. A text from Felicity came in that read: CALL HER.

  Bailey sighed. Sometimes it seemed as though her best friend was psychic. She picked up the phone and dialed the number. Her palms grew sweaty as she listened to the rings.

  On the third ring a woman answered with a singsong tone. "Gerri's Matchmaking Service, how many I help you?"

  "Hi, um...I'm Bailey Anderson. I was calling to make an appointment to...you know..."

  "Find your match?" Gerri offered.

  "Yeah, that."

  "Well, I have a spot open this evening if you'd like to come in and discuss with me what you're looking for."

  Bailey became more at ease, this felt a lot like how she spoke to clients, but instead of drapes and marble counters she'd be picking out muscle tone and advanced degrees. Seemed simple enough. "Yes, I'm free. What time should I come in?"

  "Five o'clock. Let me give you the address."

  Bailey jotted down the address. She was cautiously hopeful. After all, a professional should do a much better job matching her with someone than her friends had.

  The last time Bailey let Felicity set her up on a blind date with was with one of Rob's friends. She could look past the balding and the crooked teeth, which was utterly ironic for a dentist, but when he laughed at her for ordering a salad and then changed her order, it took all of Bailey's self-restraint not to stab him with a fork.

  But then things hit an all-time low when he took her home and tried to sleep with her. She told him flatly that she wasn't interested in him in the least. To her surprise, he said he wasn't interested in her either. He just figured since he already paid for dinner he may as well--

  And that's when she slugged him. Bailey wasn't usually a violent person, but never in her life had she met a man more in need of a punch to the face. Simply put, Felicity had awful taste in men.

  The closer Bailey got to
the meeting, the more nervous she became. What if this woman fixed her up with someone that made Harold the Dentist look like Fabio?

  Or even worse, what if the matchmaker told her she had big fish dreams with guppy bait and there was zero hope she'd ever find anyone?

  That was Bailey's deepest, darkest fear. That unlike business where she had all the tools she needed to make it work--drive, conscientiousness, creativity-- in love she came up short.

  Bailey left work early to go see Gerri. She got quite a few looks on her way out with twelve hour days being her norm. But one of the benefits of being the boss was she didn't have to explain herself to anyone.

  When she pulled up to the address she was surprised to see it was an apartment building. For some reason she'd imagined she was headed to an office.

  She headed through the lobby in flats. She didn't have to meet with any clients that day so she was dressed for comfort rather than style. She hoped that wouldn't affect the matchmaker's view of her. She was perfectly capable of dressing up, but she only bothered to when necessary.

  She took the elevator up and headed to the apartment number she scribbled down. As she approached the door, warm sweetness enveloped her. Someone was baking. She hoped it was the matchmaker and she hoped the woman was in a sharing mood.

  She knocked and waited. A woman with silvery white hair in a bob opened the door. She stepped back inviting Bailey in.

  Bailey stepped inside. The wonderful smell that hit her in the hall was definitely coming from this apartment. She offered her hand to the matchmaker. "Hi, I'm Bailey, nice to meet you."

  But the woman unsatisfied with a handshake pulled her in for a big hug. Bailey couldn't help but think of her mother. Sometimes a person could hug you and you could just feel the goodness emanating from them. That's how it felt to be hugged by Gerri.

  "Good to meet you, Bailey. Now come, have a seat. Would you like some pie?"

  Was that even a question? Bailey headed over to the couch, almost as comfy as her own. She had shopped for a week to find the most comfortable furniture she could for her house, so she knew how difficult finding the right pieces could be. "I would love some pie. Thank you."

  Gerri headed into the kitchen and came back with a piece of warm apple pie smothered in caramel.

  "I absolutely love caramel," Bailey offered as she picked up the plate and started eating.

  "You don't say. Well, now that we know your taste in pie, time to move on to men. What are you looking for?"

  Bailey stuffed a forkful of pie in her mouth and chewed it slowly to avoid having to answer the question until finally she admitted. "Everything. Even things that contradict. No man in existence has any hope of meeting my standards so I don't know why I'm even trying."

  "How about you let me take a swing at it? Can you give me some specifics?" Gerri lifted a pad and started to take notes.

  She sighed. "Okay, I want a guy who makes me feel totally safe and protected. Yet at the same time scares me a little, excites me. He needs to be down-to-earth, but sophisticated. Sensible, yet eccentric. In other words, I need someone dependable enough to raise a family with, yet mysterious enough to keep me interested. Oh, and it wouldn't hurt if he was embarrassingly rich and had six pack abs, since I'm dreaming. Just tell me I'm being ridiculous and I'll get out of your hair."

  Gerri seemed to be writing down everything Bailey was saying as if her requests weren't ludicrous. "And well-hung. Can't forget that."

  Bailey nodded, enjoying her venture through lala-land. "Oh yes, ten inches or no deal. Am I right?"

  "Most definitely." Gerri said with a sly grin.

  "So what do you have for me doc?" Bailey knew she was in for a long lecture on unrealistic standards. Probably the same one Felicity had given her a dozen times, but the pie was good, so it was worth it.

  "You're right, it would be hard to find all of that in one man."

  Bailey took another bite of her pie. "I told you."

  "Your date will pick you up Friday at 8pm." She sat down her pad.

  Bailey dropped her fork. "Huh? What? You have Prince Charming tied up in the basement?"

  "If I did, I'd keep him for myself." She wiggled her brows making Bailey giggle. She must have been using some sort of voodoo magic because Bailey did not giggle. "But I do have an idea that might get you exactly what you're looking for. The only way to know is to try, right?"

  After Bailey wrote down her contact information and finished her pie, Gerri walked Bailey to the door. Forever the skeptic, she asked again, "I just find it hard to believe you could find someone who has all that going for them, who would still be interested in me."

  "Someone. Sometwo. All semantics. All that matters is the job gets done, right?"

  Another question formed on Bailey's lips but before she could ask it, Gerri closed the door with a reminder. "Friday at 8pm."

  Chapter Two

  Bailey looked into the mirror she applied lipstick. From a purely impartial perspective, she was a pretty girl. She had thick pouty lips. A cute button nose that curves slightly upwards. Big brown son eyes. And a mane of cinnamon colored hair. But even though on some level she knew she was pretty she often felt like the troll. As a child all she wanted was to be adopted. And yet time after time she be rejected by one family after another. She told herself it was because she wasn’t smart enough or pretty enough she wasn’t funny enough. There has to be something wrong with her else someone would’ve wanted her she would’ve gotten adopted. But she never did, no one ever chose her. She aged out of the system and started life penniless without a friend in the world. But she refused to accept the hand life dealt her.

  She started her own business. After she restored furniture. Taking the trash discarded by others turning it into treasure. Maybe Felicity was right. Maybe she has to be just as aggressive with her love life as she was with business. She didn’t sit around and wait for success to find her because she knew it never would. She knew in order to get the things she wanted out of life she had to fight for them. So why was it so hard? Because being rejected in business was one thing but being rejected in matters of the heart was something she couldn’t bear. It just seems so personal especially given her childhood. But nothing good ever came to cowards. So she would meet this man. This man Gerri believed could be everything she needed and everything she wanted. Maybe he was. Stranger things had happened.

  A knock at the door jolted Bailey from her thoughts. She balled up her fists and steadied herself. Fortune favors the bold. She took long steady strides towards the door and with the deep breath she opened it. She gasped at the sight of him. Over the past couple days she had imagined many different men with many different appearances. No matter what he looked like she was going to keep an open mind and get to know the man before making any decisions. But she wasn’t prepared for the man that stood in her doorway. He looked absolutely stunning. He was tall, a full head taller than her. And he had broad sturdy shoulders. This dark curly hair shone in the light of the hallway. He had a handsome face with the chiseled jaw. And his sexy grin could stop traffic.

  She had to fight the urge to confirm that he was there for her. After all, his expensively tailored suit suggests that he was looking for a movie star or perhaps an heiress. He couldn’t have possibly expected just a regular girl like Bailey. But the way he looked at her, as if he could eat her alive. His eyes were smoldering. He extended a hand towards her and in a deep baritone voice introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Jaxon.”

  Bailey stared at his hand outstretched towards her for a good five seconds before she realized she should probably reach out and shake it. She shook his hand, her mind fumbling for her own name. “I’m…um… I’m Bailey. Pleasure to meet you Jaxon.”

  He offered her his arm. Not only handsome but also a gentleman. “Shall we go?”

  Bailey took his arm eagerly. Just the idea of being seen what a man like this. He was the kind of man that would make other women jealous just from looking at her. She has to give Je
rry credit. The woman had amazing taste.

  Given the way he was dressed, Bailey was Surprised to see that he drove a Bronco. It seem like such a down-to-earth car for man who clearly had refinement and taste.

  As they drove, she stared out the window. Usually she’d be focused on the dirt and grime of the city, taking notice of every broken bottle, every filthy puddle. But not this time. All she noticed this time was the amber-colored glow of the streetlights and how the illuminated Jaxon’s skin. She still couldn’t believe he was real.

  He must have sensed her eyes on him because he said. “So, tell me about yourself.”

  She flushed, her gaze darting between him and the road in front of them. His wiry grin put her at ease. “Well, there isn’t much to tell. I’m an interior designer.” That was an understatement. She’d built her own business from nothing, but didn’t want to sound like she was bragging. “You?”

  He hesitated for a moment, as if he was coming up with an answer. “Um…I run a bar in a small town thirty minutes from here called Southoak.”

  Bailey quirked a brow. “You’re wearing a six thousand dollar suit. You expect me to believe you’re a bartender?”

  He looked over at her surprised. “This suit cost six thousand dollars?”

  Confusion swept over Bailey’s expression. “You don’t know how much your own suit cost?”

  “I had my assistant pick something up. I didn’t know she’d pick out a six thousand dollar suit.”

  Bailey crossed her arms. “So you’re a bartender with an assistant?”

  Jaxon sighed. “I also own a brewery in Southoak. My assistant handles the day to day, while I manage the bar.”

  She gawked at him as she put two and two together. He couldn’t be… “A brewery in Southoak? As in Southoak beer?”

  His eyes darted back and forth between her and the road. “Yes. Much to my endless regret, I’m a beer baron.”

  She couldn’t help but giggle. He seemed genuinely ashamed of being rich. “No one gets to choose who their parents are. Don’t worry, I won’t prejudge you because you come from money, as long as you promise not to judge me because I don’t.”