Soulmated

by Diane Darcy

  “No, apparently, he’s really smart. Straight-A student.” She glanced at the girl. “You meet at,” she tapped on The Sage card and shook her head as if trying to clear it. “A science fair? But you’re not doing a science fair project, are you?”

  The girl’s eyes widened. “I was thinking about it!”

  “This guy admires girls with good grades. I get the impression yours improve over the next year, does that seem right?”

  The girl nodded at once. “I am trying to get my grades up, and stay out of detention.”

  “Oh, that’s why I’m seeing this.” She went on about all the happy things that were going to happen in the girl’s future, and both daughter and mother were enthralled and thrilled about her fortune.

  The father looked amused as he handed her a healthy tip. “Thanks.”

  She grinned at him and winked. “You bet.”

  After they left, her grandmother was still busy so she waved and walked outside into the April sunshine. Las Vegas in springtime was usually about eighty degrees, and today was no exception.

  While she liked to dress in blacks and reds as befitted her profession, (and coincidentally looked good on her), her skirt was thin, and her blouse made mostly of lace, and she wore strappy black sandals. She liked to stay cool, too.

  She’d missed the Double-Decker Deuce, but it didn’t take long to walk to Fremont Street and she waved to several of the regular performance artists, and local crazies, all out trying to score cash from the tourists.

  A band was playing, bass thumping, and a buzzing had her glancing up toward the huge canopy above to see young men fly by on the zip lines, cameras in hand, as they shouted to each other.

  Vegas as usual.

  She arrived at the family caravan parked in the middle of the street in a prime location. She loved the thing. It resembled a gypsy wagon, the red paint, and eye-catching black and gold lettering on the sides proclaiming Psychic Readings and Tarot Cards, with a picture of a palm and a crystal ball. She walked up the three steps, unlocked the door, and hung her sign. Madame DeVille is in.

  She was officially open for business.

  As it was still daylight, she figured customers would be sporadic, but you never knew, so she had to keep trying. She did, after all, need to get her truck fixed.

  She leaned against the wagon, hoping to look nonthreatening and interesting at the same time. The conveyance alone was usually enough to garner interest, and when customers approached, it was easy to interact. After all, most were on vacation and eager enough to spend money as long as they had stories and pictures to take home.

  Her phone rang, and she took it out of her skirt pocket. Fireworks and confetti flew across her phone’s screen.

  She grinned, wondering who’d sent it to her, and then noted the Soulmated banner pop up. You’ve been Soulmated, it announced.

  She’d been matched? Already? That was quick. Maybe a little too quick for comfort. She’d been expecting it to take far longer. A thrill of excitement was followed by a frisson of fear.

  Thumb hovering, she finally pressed the look button and a picture popped up. Just one, where she’d been expecting maybe two or three, and it took only seconds to realize she’d hit the jackpot.

  Oh. He was cute.

  Well, maybe cute was the wrong word. He looked big, bad, and dangerous to know. Dark wavy hair a little on the longish side, dark brown eyes, and a grin that said he loved to have a good time.

  Was that a dimple on the right side of his mouth?

  Big, bold, and larger than life, she wasn’t sure how she got that out of a headshot, but that was definitely the impression.

  Seriously, score!

  Below his picture she read a message that if she pushed the green accept button, they’d send him her phone number.

  She hadn’t realized it would work that way.

  Again, she felt that strange mix of excitement and fear. She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the button as she looked up and down the street.

  This was her normal life. Hanging with the locals, the sights and smells of the place, telling fortunes, scamming tourists who actually wanted the experience and didn’t seem to mind. Something positive to go home and tell their friends and families about. She’d often wondered how many photo albums her picture had landed in over the years.

  She liked her life. Did she really want to change anything?

  How many men would understand what she did for a living? Yes, it could be scammy, but it was fun. She actually felt she helped people, or tried to, anyway. And if not, she was at least showing them a good time. Her powers might consist of parting people from their money, but she tried to do it in the nicest possible way.

  Past experience told her boyfriends tended to see her job in a negative light. She didn’t need that in her life.

  A tremor of fear, or was it a premonition of fate? rushed through her. She was spooked, and tempted to click the red pass button, put her phone back in her pocket and ignore the whole thing. If her sister ever asked what happened, she could just say nothing, and that would be that.

  She couldn’t get herself to do it.

  She glanced down at the man’s picture, and though she knew it was impossible, this time there seemed to be a slight challenge in his stare, as if he was daring her to say yes. She didn’t have to agree to a date, after all, she assured herself. She could just —

  Before she could think better of it, maybe even feeling a bit hypnotized by his appeal, she pushed the green button.

  She inhaled, held her breath for a moment, then slowly let it out. Had she really just done that?

  The phone rang.

  As she stared at the screen, excitement, dismay, horror, and another flash of excitement all raced through her, seemingly at the same time.

  She should not have pushed that green button!

  It was probably someone else. A client, or someone who’d seen her phone number in one of the ads, or one of the postings around town. She paid boys to give out fortune-telling flyers all over the place.

  She answered, slowly raising the phone to her ear. “Hello?” she said cautiously.

  “Hello,” said a warm masculine voice with a touch of Scottish brogue. “I’m William Murray, yer soulmate.”

  A chuckle rolled out of her, releasing tension. Along with a sexy Scottish accent, he apparently had a sense of humor? She could work with that.

  “I’m Lena.”

  “Lena.” He seemed to savor her name.

  She shivered. Wow. His voice was deep, accented, and extremely attractive.

  “I’m excited to talk to ye.”

  Her heart pounded and her impulse was to hang up the phone. Instead, she took a breath, not even sure what she was going to say to the man, and finally decided to heck with it, if it didn’t work out, they wouldn’t go out, and that would be the end of it. No big deal. She’d block his number, and life would go on.

  “Me, too. So, tell me about yourself?” The words rushed out of her mouth. She could still end this, Lena assured herself, without meeting him, without telling him a thing.

  He chuckled, the sound warm and amused, almost as if he knew why she’d taken the initiative.

  “Weel, I’m originally from Scotland, but I’ve been living in Las Vegas for years now.”

  “Oh.” She relaxed in increments. “Nice. I’ve lived here my whole life.”

  “Truly?” He sounded astounded for some reason.

  “Yes.”

  “And we’ve never run into each other?”

  “It’s a big city,” she said.

  “I could listen to yer voice forever.”

  Heat rushed up her cheeks and she glanced around, then chided herself for being ridiculous. No one could hear them. “You’ve been here a long time?”

  “Aye. I work security at The Hemlock Hotel and Casino.”

  “Really?” She’d tried to go into The Hemlock once to drum up business, but hadn’t made it through the doors. Even though she had
n’t announced her intent, it was like they’d known who and what she was, and turned her away. But the times she’d gone inside for fun? There hadn’t been a problem. “Your security is pretty tight over there, isn’t it?”

  “Why do ye say such?”

  She certainly wasn’t going to tell him about her pointless attempt to hand out business cards. “Just something I’ve heard.”

  He made a noise in the back of his throat, as if he wanted her to elaborate, but didn’t want to push.

  “But don’t worry. I love that place. It’s fun.”

  “Ye’ve been here before?”

  “Sure, lots of times, with my sister, my girlfriends. We go to the shops, restaurants. We saw a show there once. Frankenstein.”

  “A while ago then. I cannae believe ye’ve been here, and we’ve never met.” He actually sounded upset. “Ye’d think I would have sensed ye near.”

  She laughed at that, but had to give him points for the romance of it. She decided to take a chance. “And here I thought I was the psychic.”

  “Ye’re psychic?” He sounded impressed, which surprised her. “Do ye think we could meet in person?”

  Did she want to? Maybe they should just talk on the phone for a while? Like maybe once a week? Just until she got used to his voice? “I don’t know … .”

  “There’ll be no pressure, I swear it upon my honor. I just wish to meet ye. Somewhere public?”

  She was still undecided. But that voice, that face … she’d be crazy to refuse to at least meet with the guy. And this was Las Vegas. It would be easy enough to ditch him in a crowd if she decided it wasn’t working out.

  Anyway, why so negative? While it was true Olivia had been the one to post her profile, Lena hadn’t been totally against it. And she’d never hear the end of it if Olivia found out she’d been matched with this man and hadn’t bothered to even meet him.

  Was she that much of a chicken?

  Lena chuckled again, realizing she was building herself up to giving the answer he wanted, even if she was scared to do it. “Okay.”

  Had he just said yes under his breath?

  That small bit of excitement allowed her to take the next step. “Somewhere public, you said?”

  “Aye, lass, anywhere ye like. I can tell ye’re hesitant, but I hope to put ye at ease, very quickly. In the meanwhile, would ye like to come to The Hemlock? We could meet for drinks, or better yet, have dinner?”

  She hesitated a moment. “I would prefer our first meeting somewhere neutral.”

  “Ah, I understand. How about The Eiffel Tower restaurant at The Paris?”

  The guy was really trying to impress. The Eiffel Tower was one of the finest restaurants in town, with French food and views of the strip. She’d never eaten there before.

  She was, as usual, on an extremely fixed budget. “That’s sort of expensive … .”

  “My treat,” he was quick to insert.

  She wasn’t sure she wanted him paying for something that pricy, but … she had always wanted to eat there.

  Before she could change her mind, Lena quickly said, “All right. At The Paris. Seven o’clock?”

  “Ye’ve a wonderful voice. I cannae wait tae get to know ye better.”

  “Uh … ” her phone beeped, saving her from further conversation. She glanced to see it was a forwarded call from the shop. Probably a customer. “I have a call. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Aye, tonight, lass. I look forward to it.”

  She could hear satisfaction in his voice, and it made her smile. She disconnected, looked at his picture on her phone once again, and took a deep breath.

  She certainly hoped she hadn’t bitten off more than she could chew.

  She answered the call. “Hello, this is Lena.”

  Tonight seemed a million miles away.

  Chapter 4

  Lena’s voice was incredible.

  Though he’d not moved a muscle — in fact, was still looking at her picture on his phone — William was dizzy, spinning, off-kilter.

  He couldn’t wait to meet her.

  He checked his watch. Six hours. Would he recognize her the moment he laid eyes on her? It bothered him to know she’d actually been in the hotel before. He should have sensed her, scented her, somehow been aware of her presence the moment she’d crossed the threshold.

  Staring at her picture, he realized he was already half in love. It hadn’t escaped his notice that she hadn’t given him a last name. He grinned. She was hesitant, cagey. He liked that about her already.

  As he loved nothing more than a good chase, it was one more indication they were a perfect match.

  His friend, Caleb, having given him all the privacy he was capable of, surged forward to clap him on the shoulder. “Weel?”

  William clicked his phone off and shoved it into his pocket as a low growl revealed his jealousy. “Weel, what?” he snapped.

  Caleb’s eyes widened as he lifted both hands in the air and took a few steps back. “Just wondering what happened with the girl?”

  William tried to get himself under control. The other male was not going to learn anything about Lena from him, that was for sure. “Tis no’ yer business.” He was suddenly glad they weren’t meeting at The Hemlock after all.

  “All right.” Caleb’s hands, still in the air, lowered in increments as if calming a beast. “All right, I get it. She turned ye down. It happens. I’m sure another soulmate will come along someday. Mayhap in another seven hundred years or so. In the meantime, perhaps I could get her phone number?”

  With another growl, William strode out of the casino, determined to get some fresh air, even as Caleb’s laughter trailed after him.

  Quinn Gordan, blue eyes twinkling, stopped him out in the crowded marble foyer. “Ye look a bit dazed, my friend. Anything ye wish tae tell me?”

  William glared back into the casino, but didn’t catch sight of Caleb’s cropped black hair. The fool must have spread the word that he’d made a match. “As if ye doonae know.”

  His friend grinned. “News travels fast. So, ye’ve been Soulmated?”

  William thought about denying it, but there was really no point. “Aye, I have.”

  “I’m excited for ye. I cannae say I’m no’ jealous, but I’m happy for ye, ye lucky SOB. What are ye still doing here? Why aren’t ye with her?”

  “I’ve arranged tae meet her later tonight.”

  Quinn’s look was pure disbelief. “Ye’ve far more patience than I do!”

  If he’d had his way, William would have rushed to her side, but he’d be seeing her soon enough. He’d waited centuries; surely he could wait a bit longer? He suddenly grinned. “And give up the chase? Watch and learn, boy.”

  The envy flitting across Quinn’s face was payback enough for the teasing and William stalked off, deciding to take the elevator up to his suite on the top floor. He needed to decide what to wear, how to approach her, and how to impress. He ran his hand through his hair and realized how shaggy it had gotten and swerved toward the mall area to get a haircut.

  He could also use a shave.

  It wasn’t every day he met his soulmate.

  Thinking once more about the way she sounded, about the way she looked, William’s excitement continued to rise. He really was one lucky SOB.

  Weaving his way through tourists, he opened her picture and looked at it once more. Her green eyes, dark hair, the curve of her cheek.

  He didn’t have a single doubt. At first sight his heart leapt, and the hollow ache in his chest filled. He’d heard her voice and blood had coursed through his veins from the thrill of it.

  She was the one. Finally, it was to be his turn. No more loneliness, no more emptiness, no more looking for her in crowds.

  His life was about to get amazing!

  Chapter 5

  Lena took a shuttle to The Paris and slowly made her way through the crowds at the entrance and then followed the signs to the restaurant.

  She’d mad
e the mistake of telling her sister, Olivia, she had a date. Otherwise, she might have chickened out, ditched the guy, and blocked his phone number.

  Instead, Lena had spent the afternoon being fussed over, her sister plucking her brows, giving her a facial, and fixing her hair in an intricate updo. She’d tried on about fifteen different outfits.

  As irritating as Olivia’s ministrations had been, at least Lena did feel confident she looked her best.

  After the casual picture her sister posted online, would William even recognize her? She wore a cute-chic dress made of silky red and black material with a one-shoulder drape, and matching black heels. She’d only worn it once before to go to a club with girlfriends. Did she look like she was trying too hard? If so, too late now.

  But if he didn’t recognize her, maybe she’d have one last chance to change her mind. To escape.

  She walked through the casino to the elevator and as the glass doors shut, she glanced at the elegant, white Eiffel Tower emblem on the door as the car rose into the air. Nerves clenched her stomach. What was she doing here? She’d been to the top of The Paris with friends before, but never to the restaurant.

  She checked her phone for the time, and was glad to see she was early. She wanted to get a feel for the place, become familiar with her surroundings, and maybe come up with an escape plan. Just in case things went south.

  Butterflies continued to tickle her stomach, but at the same time, anticipation filled her. No need to be a total pessimist. Surely there was a little room for what if? What if things turned out well? What if she was on her way to meet someone who would be important to her? What if she had fun?

  As the elevator door slid open, she arrived in the glaringly white … kitchen? Chefs in white aprons and hats cooked in the background as a young, gorgeous Asian lady in black moved forward to greet her, black heels clicking on the white tile.

  Lena moved out of the elevator and the lady welcomed her and gestured for her to follow around the corner and down a long hallway toward the restaurant.