by Delia Latham
A little dish packed with assorted tea flavors sat next to a selection of dainty, china cups.
She chose a relaxing chamomile and added hot water from a nearby teapot. Grasping the cup of steaming brew, she sank onto a cushiony sofa and sighed. Her first moment of relaxation all day.
On the table in front of her, a domed tray held several bagels. She chose a blueberry one and bit into it, relishing the burst of fruity flavor.
“Hi, Kylie! I’m Destiny Gallagher.”
Timing was everything. She dropped the rest of the tempting treat onto her plate and cast a frantic glance around the room.
“Looking for a napkin?”
A stunning vision of auburn-haired beauty—every hair in place, dressed like a million bucks, and shapely to boot—grabbed a piece of white linen off a nearby buffet and held it out. “Good gracious, girl, your eyes are stunning! They go on for miles, don’t they?”
Yeah, especially when I’m wearing this sensational deer-in-the-headlights look. She patted her lips and hoped at least a hint of frosty pink still remained. Laying the napkin aside, she forced a smile. “Thank you. You caught me at a bad moment.”
Destiny waved off her explanation. “Don’t worry about it. I need to get something besides bagels in here, I guess.” She eyed the remaining ones and wrinkled a perfectly straight little nose before swinging her gaze back to Kylie. “You can’t just tear a bite off and swallow, can you? There’s a whole process to eating one of these babies.”
Kylie couldn’t help laughing. “Yet we don’t abandon the process.”
The redhead patted her flat tummy and grimaced. “That’s a fact, girl.” She poured some kind of aromatic coffee into a mug and added several blue packets of sweetener before raising an eyebrow at Kylie. “Are you OK? My assistant said you were in a car accident this morning. You sure you’re up for this?”
“I’m fine, really, and so is my car. Well, it’s at least as fine as it was yesterday.” She raised her cup. “This’ll calm me down in no time.”
“All right! Then let’s get started.” Destiny settled onto the sofa near Kylie. “I prefer to do interviews here in this room. It feels a little more welcoming than my office. Besides, my next appointment won’t be here for another hour, so we don’t have to worry about interruptions.”
She pulled a small tape recorder from a drawer in the table. “Do you mind if I record our conversation? I like to talk without worrying about notes.”
Kylie shook her head, but her stomach gave a nervous lurch and her mouth went dry as a crust of day-old bread. Maybe it was a good thing she hadn’t finished that bagel.
Destiny sipped at her coffee. “Mmmm…nothing like a good, hot cup of java!” Her green eyes twinkled when she grinned, and Kylie immediately thought of the unhappy emerald-eyed hunk she’d made such a crashing impact on that morning.
“But then, you’re a tea drinker, aren’t you?” Destiny settled back against the cushions, managing to come across as though the two of them were old friends catching up on old times. “Let me tell you about Solomon’s Gate.”
Kylie learned that the agency opened its doors only about six months earlier when Destiny managed, against all financial odds, to obtain a small business loan while unemployed and without any kind of official proposal for the lender’s consideration.
“I know that sounds like a far reach, but God is good at making a way where there doesn’t seem to be one.” Destiny sipped at her coffee, while a smile crinkled the corners of her eyes. “I’ll tell you how He did it another time. For now, let’s just say that in doing so, He made more than one dream come true for me.”
Based on biblical principles, the agency catered to a Christian clientele. Rather than the typical “members,” or “customers,” Solomon’s Gate clients were called Seekers.
“It’s kind of a play on a verse in Song of Solomon—I’m sure you know the one,” Destiny said. At Kylie’s blank look, the matchmaker gestured toward the opposite wall, where a tastefully framed and matted verse of scripture served as the only decor.
…I will seek him whom my soul loveth.—Song of Solomon 3:2.
Destiny opened the drawer in the tea table again and pulled out a sleek brochure, which she laid on the sofa next to Kylie. “This explains our mission, as well as our statement of faith. Also, it’s packed with little details that I hope you find of interest—like why I named the agency Solomon’s Gate.” She pulled one foot up under her on the sofa and snuggled into the soft cushions. “Now tell me what brought you to us.”
Kylie cleared her throat. She probably shouldn’t mention her friend’s double-dog dare and her own inability to pass up a challenge.
“I’m, uh, I’m Mr. Gallagher’s new executive assistant.” Apparently, her boss hadn’t shared her name with his lovely wife. Still, she’d only been hired a week ago at Gallagher Investments. Maybe he was waiting to see if she worked out.
Destiny’s eyes widened, and a broad smile lit her face. “Clay sent you?”
“Well, no, not exactly. I overheard him mention you and your business to a colleague. I’d been considering contacting a dating service, but I kept putting it off.”
“What made you put it off?” No apparent censure, just curiosity.
“I don’t know, it just—well, it seemed a little scary, not to mention kind of desperate.”
The other woman shook her head, but Kylie hurried on without waiting for a reply. “Mr. Gallagher told his friend that Solomon’s Gate is a Christian dating service, and I thought…” She forced herself to meet Destiny’s steady gaze. Spoken aloud, it didn’t seem like such a great reason to be here.
“You chose Solomon’s Gate because you’re a Christian?”
“Well, yeah. Er…no. I’m not a fanatic or anything, but I have a Bible, and I go to church every once in a while, you know.”
“I see.” Destiny nodded, her expression sober. “Kylie, have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?”
This lady didn’t pull any punches.
She lowered her head, gnawing at her lip. First, her mother, then the hunk in the clunker she rammed on the way over. Now Destiny. Had she missed the memo about this being Shame Kylie Day?
“No, I guess I haven’t. My parents took my sister and me to Sunday services every week when we were younger.” She smiled a little as long-forgotten memories surfaced. “When I was twelve or thirteen, I remember wanting to make a commitment, but…well, I didn’t. I was terrified of walking up that aisle in front of everybody. Then when I got older, it seemed somehow less important. I eventually quit going to church altogether.” She sighed, then brightened as a sudden possibility crossed her mind. “Do I need to do that to sign up, or anything? I guess I could.”
Destiny chuckled. “No, I’m afraid becoming a Solomon’s Gate Seeker is not reason enough to give your heart to the Lord.” She sobered, studying Kylie face. “Having Christian members is the principle behind this agency, Kylie. It just makes things go much smoother. The Bible admonishes against being unequally yoked together with unbelievers.”
“But I am a believer!”
The corners of Destiny’s lips twitched a bit, but she didn’t laugh, much to Kylie’s eternal gratitude. “Well, you’re not a stranger to Christianity, and that’s a start. I do occasionally make a conditional exception, and I’m leaning toward doing that for you. I’ll need to give it some thought and prayer.”
Destiny set her empty coffee cup on the table. Kylie watched, surprised to realize she’d stopped breathing for a moment. She was here on a dare, after all. Why did it even matter whether this woman decided she could join her little band of…what was it she called them? Seekers.
“OK, let’s do this.” The matchmaker spoke, and Kylie found herself once more digging her teeth into her lip. Her elegant mother hated when she did that. Yet another thing to feel guilty about. “I’d like to make it part of our agreement that you will attend services every Sunday for the next couple of months. Deal? I won�
�t tell you where to go because choosing a church is a very personal decision. But go somewhere. And if you’re truly sincere about being a believer, then don’t put off the act of commitment. There’s never a better time than now to think about your soul.”
Kylie squirmed a little and had to swallow twice before speaking. “Well, um, OK. I can do that. Go to church for a while, I mean.” Wouldn’t it have been easier to just say a prayer and get it over with?
Destiny gave her hand a warm squeeze. “Wonderful. I have to be honest, Kylie. You not being a practicing Christian narrows the possible matches I might find for you, because I am adamant about not bringing together what the Bible refers to as ‘light and darkness.’ If you’re not familiar with that admonition, find your Bible—” She paused. “You did say you have one, didn’t you?”
Kylie nodded. She did, but buying a new one would probably be easier and quicker than trying to round up the one she’d been given for her thirteenth birthday.
“Good. When you get home, please read Second Corinthians chapter six. Pay special attention to verse fourteen, all the way through the end of the chapter.” Destiny picked up the brochure she had given Kylie and scribbled the information across the top before settling back into her comfortable position on the sofa. “Now. Tell me about yourself. Have you always lived in Castle Creek? Ever been married or engaged? Any children? I want to know everything in your life that makes you who you are.”
“OK.” She licked her lips, which didn’t help much since her tongue was every bit as dry. “I was born here, I’ve never been married, never engaged, and I don’t have any children—but I’d like to someday.”
“Me too.” Destiny’s eyes went a little hazy for a moment before she spoke again. “Someday.”
“My mother is Elle Matthews, and—”
“Wait, wait! Elle Matthews? Are you talking about the former Miss California?”
She nodded.
“I remember seeing her on television, and I read every article I could find about her when I was a teenager. She’s a gorgeous woman!” Destiny leaned her head to one side and narrowed her eyes as she studied Kylie’s face with fresh interest. “You are too, but…I don’t really think I see your mom in you.”
“No, I’m definitely my father’s daughter.”
“Nothing wrong with that. I’m sorry I interrupted. You were saying…?”
“That my mother is…well, who she is. My sister Shay is an actress. You would know her as Shayla Matts-Hughes.”
“Are you serious?” Wide-eyed, Destiny shook her head. “I loved Shayla in Family Forever. And speaking of families—yours is star-studded, isn’t it?”
Kylie shrugged. “I guess so.”
Destiny studied her again. “You don’t look like your sister, either. Now that I know who she is, I think she and your mother favor though.”
“They look more like sisters than Shay and I do.” She forced a laugh, hoping the bitter taste in her mouth hadn’t colored her voice.
“OK, so we’ve established that you have a lovely family, and you work for—in my admittedly biased opinion—the best man in the world. Do you like your job so far?”
“I love it!” About this she could be perfectly honest. “Mr. Gallagher hadn’t told you about me?”
Destiny laughed. “Who’s Mr. Gallagher? Surely not my Clay?”
At Kylie’s shy nod, she shook her head. “Well, trust me, he won’t let you keep that up for long. And in answer to your question, no. He hasn’t told me about you yet. I just got back in town this morning. I’ve been gone for a week, attending a business convention, and I barely found time to call and say hello while I was away. Clay did tell me he had hired someone, but he didn’t give any details.” Her soft laughter warmed the room. “When he does, I promise I won’t tell him I know more about his new assistant than he does.”
Kylie blanched. The possibility of her boss hearing private information about her had not crossed her mind until now.
Destiny touched her hand. “Please don’t be concerned, Kylie. I don’t share my clients’ information with my husband. The fact that you work for him won’t change that, except perhaps that I’ll be even more careful about any mention of you. Anything you tell me is confidential, and I won’t betray that confidence to anyone, not even Clay. You have my word on that.”
Apparently the woman had it all—incredible beauty, skinny genes, sparkling personality, and a bonus ability to read minds. Kylie nodded and managed a shaky smile.
Destiny sipped at her coffee, tapping a well-manicured finger on her cup as she thought. “I can’t help wondering…what is it you’re holding out for?”
She shook her head, frowning a little. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Think about it.” She looked down at the printout from Kylie’s online application, which lay face up on her lap. “You’re twenty-four years old, a lovely girl—quick witted, with a fun personality, and a good job. You’re obviously intelligent, or my husband wouldn’t have hired you. And yet you’re here, at a dating service. Not married, not emotionally attached. Right so far?”
“Well, mostly. I think you’re reaching a bit calling me ‘lovely,’ but the rest of what you said…yeah, pretty much.”
Destiny laughed. “So we need to work on your self-esteem.” She made a note in the margin of Kylie’s form. “But we’ll go there later. You still live at home?”
More humiliation. “Temporarily. I’m between apartments right now. The new one will be available in a couple of days.”
“How exciting! It’s so much fun to decorate a new place, isn’t it?” Destiny laid the application aside and gave Kylie an assessing look. “My point is, it’s pretty clear you’re waiting for something special. What is it?”
Could this woman actually see into her mind? Kylie looked away as dull heat rose from her neck all the way to her hairline. “Well….”
“Don’t be embarrassed, sweetie. We all wait for something. What are you looking for? Do you know?”
She heaved a sigh. Might as well lay it all out on the table. “I’ve probably read too many fairy tales and watched too many romantic movies,” she mumbled.
Destiny leaned closer, straining to hear. Kylie forced herself to meet the other woman’s curious gaze and raised her voice, blurting out the embarrassing answer. “I’m waiting for the kiss that makes my legs weak and steals my breath away. The kind of kiss where an over-dramatic movie producer would add fireworks and gunfire in the background.”
There. She’d said it. Kylie closed her eyes and plowed ahead. “I’m waiting for the man whose lips will touch mine and make my heart come alive,” she finished in a tiny voice.
Her words fell into silence, and she held her breath in an agony of regret. She had never told anyone about the silly teenage dream that somehow carried itself over into adulthood. Why had she made such a confession? Destiny would urge her out the door with an admonition to grow up before coming back to Solomon’s Gate.
Finally, she forced herself to raise her eyelids and found the other woman watching her, a gentle smile on her lips and a suspicious sheen to her eyes.
“Don’t you ever settle for anything less, Kylie Matthews!”
She released her breath as relief eased the tension from her shoulders. Then, while her guard was down, Destiny probed right to the heart of the matter without missing a beat. “Don’t even try to tell me you’ve never been kissed, because I won’t believe a girl who looks like you has virgin lips. And yet you’re still waiting for ‘the kiss.’” She cocked her head, curiosity lighting her eyes. “I won’t ask how many men have kissed you, Kylie. Even I have lines I won’t cross to know my Seekers. But I’m curious…did none of them come close to what you’re looking for?”
Kylie didn’t answer right away. Destiny waited in silence while she worked up the courage to touch on a subject she’d avoided for too long.
She shook her head. “Not really, although I did think I was in love…once. A long ti
me ago.”
“Without the kiss that curled your toes?” Destiny’s gentle smile robbed the blunt statement of any sting. “Obviously, you weren’t.”
Kylie shook her head, choking off the pain that tried to claw its way past her throat. “Not unless love leaves you feeling worthless and unappealing, with every possible emotion raw and bleeding.”
“Oh, sweetie, no.” Destiny slid a finger under Kylie’s chin and lifted it so she could look into her eyes. “Trust me on this, if you trust nothing else I say. Real love—true love—edifies and protects. When the man God created for you comes into your life, he will make you feel beautiful. Treasured. Safe and protected.”
Kylie nodded, blinking back tears that wanted to be shed for no reason whatsoever.
“And Kylie?”
She couldn’t speak without blubbering, so she raised her eyebrows in reply.
“When that man’s lips touch yours, you will know he’s the one.”
The tension building inside Kylie eased, and she started to relax. Talking about herself was usually about as much fun as a trip to the dentist, but Destiny had a way of drawing her out without needing Novocain to ease the pain. Within another half hour, her boss’s wife knew more about Kylie’s hopes and dreams than any of her friends, or even her own mother.
As she stood to leave, Kylie remembered something. “Oh, I meant to comment on your doorkeeper. He’s quite the effective touch, I have to admit. Keeping him up on the names of each appointment must be tricky, though, especially if someone just drops in unannounced.” She shook her head and chuckled, glad she hadn’t said anything when she first came in. At that point, she’d been half convinced the guy was some kind of supernatural being. “If he hadn’t been there, I’m pretty sure I would’ve turned tail and run away before I ever made it inside.”
Destiny frowned. “Doorkeeper?”
“I guess so. Tall? Superb costume—very much in keeping with your biblical theme.” Did Destiny not know this guy was hanging around outside her door? Now that could be a little scary.
