Her resolution made, she felt like she’d walked far enough. She tapped on her map app and used it to guide herself back to the cabin.
On the way, she called the doctor, and told him about her concerns about the alcohol she’d drunk since she’d been pregnant, suddenly terrified that it could’ve harmed the baby. He told her not to worry. That many women don’t realize that they’re pregnant during their first trimester, so continue to drink. As long she didn’t drink any more, it wouldn’t be a problem. He also suggested that she drink ginger tea and take some vitamin supplements to help with her morning sickness.
*
The following morning the sickness wasn’t so bad, and by lunchtime, Raven was looking forward to her interview at the boutique store.
Raven liked Lori at first sight. She was a very kind woman, and she seemed excited to meet her. She showed her around the store and the catalogs, talking animatedly, and holding her gaze with her unusual, violet-colored eyes. She said that she had an eleven-year old stepson called Tad, with her husband Bruno, who was a firefighter. She also had a two-year-old daughter called Nancy, who spent a lot of time hanging out with Lauren’s daughter. Nancy was in the back of the store, playing. She had Lori’s eyes and radiant smile. Raven didn’t want to deceive her and explained that she didn’t have a ton of experience, but Lori brushed her worries aside, saying she could tell she had a passion for design.
“When can you start?” she asked as Raven was saying goodbye.
“You’re offering me the job?” she said, stunned. Lori laughed.
“Of course, my dear!”
“Oh, in that case, I can start tomorrow.”
“Great!” Lori laid a hand on her arm. “Lauren told me you’ve been having a hard time with morning sickness. I had it bad with Nancy, so I do understand if you need to come in a little later.”
“Thank you,” Raven replied, stunned that there were such kind people in the world. “I’ve been drinking ginger tea though, which seems to be doing the trick.”
“Ok, in that case, I’ll see you at 9.30 tomorrow.”
“See you then,” Raven said, and she couldn’t stop grinning all the way home. As they were pulling up at the cabin, Caitlyn received a call from the organic supermarket saying that they had some casual shifts for her. The world was beginning to look like a benevolent place.
Chapter Eight
The following Wednesday, Lauren was standing at the kitchen sink washing some glassware when she heard a very familiar creaking sound, followed by a muted crunch. Her heart leapt. After three years of being with Connor, she was no less excited to see him than when they’d first met. She yanked the front door open and tore across the driveway.
“Hey, babe!” her handsome mate said in his deep growly voice. As she ran up to him, he lifted her right off the ground and spun her around, before lifting her into his arms for a long, tender kiss. Connor was the only man who’d ever made her feel small before. “I think you might’ve missed me,” he said as he carried her back to the cabin.
“Nah. Willow did, but me, not at all!” He grinned and planted kisses all over her face. “Where is my little bear cub?” he said, putting Lauren down gently.
“Daddy!” Willow yelled, running toward him, metal firetruck in hand.
“Hi, sweetheart!” he said, picking her up and holding her over his head at arms length until she shrieked and giggled, before cradling her against his body and smelling her sweet toddler smell. “I’ve got all my girls back!”
The three of them snuggled on the sofa for a while, before Willow started to wriggle, desperate to go and play with her toys again.
“How was the last night of the show?” Lauren said, sliding her hand up his shirt and stroking his rock-hard abs.
“It went really well. There was a huge audience – almost too many to fit into the hall – and I think we made a lot of money.”
“That’s great, honey. And, now you’re finished getting naked for a lot of screaming strangers, do you think it’ll be my turn soon?” she whispered in his ear.
“You bet,” he replied with a grin. “As soon as we’ve got this one off to bed this evening. And don’t count on getting any sleep tonight!”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Lauren said, kissing him.
“Actually, before I forget, the management company has decided that we should do one last show in Hope Valley. Is that ok with you?”
“Sure. Anything to keep those nasty corporations away. When’s it going to be?”
“In the next week or so. We need to wait for Timo though. He didn’t come back with us today.”
“Why?” Connor puffed his cheeks out.
“He’s gone off on a wild goose chase looking for a girl that he thinks is his mate.”
“From the Shiftr app?”
“Nope. They hooked up on the first night of our show in Hope Valley, but she ran off straight after.” Lauren pulled herself up into a sitting position, an alarm going off in her brain.
“What? This happened after the show?”
“Yup. He took her up on stage, and actually kissed her – you know the bit where the guys are supposed to pretend to kiss the audience member?”
“Uh huh.”
“Yeah, so he did it for real. And when the show was finished, she came looking for him when we were all having beers outside. They got hot and heavy pretty fast, so we soon left them to it. He says they had this incredible mating session, and he knew that she was the one. But Timo, being the guy he is, didn’t manage to get her phone number. He remembers that the girl said she was on a three-state bachelorette party, but he can’t remember which town she said she lives in, so, he’s been scrutinizing the map of all the surrounding states, trying to remember, bless him.” Lauren’s intelligent eyes were sparkling with unspoken thoughts.
“So, you saw this girl, you said?” He nodded.
“What did she look like?”
“Uh, long dark hair, almost black. Wearing a pink bachelorette outfit. You know, silly pantyhose and a short skirt.”
“Anything else? Like what were her eyes like?”
“I don’t know, baby. I’m not good with these things. And I didn’t take a real good look at her. You know I only have eyes for you.”
“You’re so smooth, Connor,” Lauren said, clicking her tongue, but she couldn’t restrain a grin of delight from creeping across her face. “Did you get any impression of her personality?”
“Well, let me think. She was a little tipsy. She seemed nice and friendly. And she was acting like she wanted to eat Timo alive. Why are you asking anyway?”
“Oh, no reason. Just an idea that popped into my mind. It’s probably nothing.”
“What?”
“I don’t want to say yet, until I’ve figured a few things out. But I’ll tell you in time, I promise.” She leaned close and fastened her mouth to Connor’s earlobe and gave it a little nip.
“Okay,” Connor said with a purr of pleasure. “Anything you say.”
Much later that night, when Connor was passed out after several hours of blissful mating, Lauren messaged Tamika, her good friend and the creator of Shiftr – the dating app that matched shape-shifting men with beautiful curvy women.
*
The following afternoon, Lauren invited herself over for coffee at the girls’ cabin. They’d already added some nice touches to make it more homely, and it was starting to have a character of its own. They sat out on the porch together, catching the last of the afternoon sun and breathing in the fragrant summer air. Raven had just finished her first day at the store, and she was buzzing with exhilaration.
“Lori is so great,” she said. “Today I spent the morning in the store, and then in the afternoon, I researched some new suppliers and purchased a couple of new lines. Lori even said that I could visit suppliers around the country to look at their stock if I want.”
“I’m so glad to hear that,” Lauren said. “I was pretty sure that you’d be happy there.�
�
“What have you been doing today, Lauren?” Caitlyn said.
“Well, I’ve been testing out some updates to an app that a friend of mine owns. It’s looking good so far.”
“What does the app do?” Raven asked, immediately curious. She loved apps and new technology.
“It’s in beta at the moment, but it’s a personality profiler. You enter details about your personal qualities, and what your partner is like, and it’s supposed to give you a very accurate personality profile.”
“Okay,” Raven said dubiously. It didn’t sound particularly innovative, but maybe there was something she was missing.
“She’s actually looking for a couple more people to test it out. Would you girls be interested?”
“Sure,” they both said.
“Great. She’s looking to complete the testing phase very soon, so if you have a moment to do it now, I know she’d be very grateful.”
“I’d be happy to. What do I need to do?”
“Just give me your phone and I’ll install it for you.” Raven handed it over and Lauren tapped away for a couple of minutes.
“Okay, you need to add a profile photo to start. Is there one in your photo stream that I can use?” Raven picked out her favorite one. It was a close-up, and she was sitting in the sun, the light enhancing the greenness of her eyes. “So, I’ve entered all the things I know about you. I just need you to fill out these sections right here.” Raven took the phone back and frowned in concentration as she filled out her personal qualities.
“Jeez, I’ve never done anything like this before. Some of these questions are hard!” she muttered.
“I know. When I did it, I tried to just write the first thing that came into my head. Tamika believes that’s the way to get the truest answers.”
“Okay.”
Raven was silent for a while.
“Now it’s asking me what I look for in a partner. But I’m not looking right now?”
“It doesn’t matter. Just imagine you were, and add your answers on the basis of that.” Raven raised an eyebrow, but did as Lauren asked.
“Strong, protective, kind, big-hearted. I kind of have a thing for guys who are a little shy. I mean, like gentle giants, you know? Maybe a little dreamy? I’m not so into guys who are aggressive and always want to be the center of attention.”
“That sounds nice,” Lauren said with a knowing smile. “You should put that in too.”
“Ok, I’m done,” she said after another couple of minutes. “Whew, that was hard. I feel like I’ve bared my soul to this app.” Lauren laughed.
“And Tamika will be very grateful to hear that.”
“What happens now?”
“You tap that little button to process your results, and we wait.”
The three of them crowded around the screen while the little timer icon popped up.
Suddenly, the screen filled with thumbnails of half-naked men. Smoking-hot half-naked men. Raven gasped.
“Wow! What is this?” She flashed Lauren a suspicious glance. “This isn’t just a personality profiler, is it?” Lauren pressed her lips together.
“Not exactly,” she said. “It is a dating app, but I thought you wouldn’t want to try it out if I told you the whole story, with you being pregnant and all.” Raven handed the phone back.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m happy to be a beta tester, but dating is the last thing on my mind right now.”
“I understand, totally. But would you just look at this one last screen, and give me your opinion on the look and layout?” Raven shrugged.
“Ok. I guess it can’t hurt.” She looked at the app again.
“So I’m looking at a ton of thumbnails. Kind of cool how all these dudes are shirtless. And every one of them looks like a god. And to the right of the thumbnail is a rating, starting with 100%, then 79%, 76%, 72%, etc.” She pursed her lips. “Is that supposed to be my compatibility level with these guys?”
“Yes.” Reflexively, she tapped on the thumbnail beside the 100%. “Holy hell!” she exclaimed, blinking very fast. Then she dropped the phone in her lap.
“What is it?” Lauren asked innocently. Raven picked the phone up again.
“It’s the guy I had the one-night stand with. The father of my baby. This app says that he’s 100% compatible with me!”
“No way?” Lauren said, unable to hold back a grin of triumph, mingled with relief. She’d had a very strong feeling that this would be the case, but a little seed of uncertainty had been niggling away at her.
“Hold on, let me look at his profile. It says that he wants a family, and he loves hanging out with his clan and being a part of his local community. He works as a carpenter, and a volunteer firefighter. It doesn’t mention anything about him being a stripper. Weird. Maybe he doesn’t want to admit to it on a dating profile.” Lauren took her hand.
“Raven, I have something to tell you. Something that will make you happy. I wanted to tell you yesterday, but I needed to confirm my suspicions first. I know Timo very well.” Raven gaped.
“But how?”
“He isn’t a full-time stripper. He actually lives here in Hope Valley. The current tour he’s doing is a charity thing, to help raise enough money to save our local stores from being bought out by big corporations. My husband is also taking part in the tour, along with eight other guys that we know really well.” Raven’s face was frozen in shock.
“So he’s not some sleazy dude who tours the country, sleeping with a new girl every night?” Lauren laughed loudly.
“No, not at all. He’s the really lovely, genuine man that he seems to be. And, what’s more, I learned from Connor last night that Timo has been moping around ever since he met you, beating himself up because he didn’t get your number before you took off.” Raven clapped her hand over her mouth.
“Oh my god. This is so much to take in.”
“This is great news, Raven,” Caitlyn said, eyes shining.
“I know. I’m just stunned. And the app – I don’t understand – did you set it up so he’d appear as my number one match?”
“Nope. It’s all genuine. Timo said he felt like you were the one for him, and if that was really the case then the app would discover that you were compatible. It was like a test, I guess. Although –” Lauren’s cheeks warmed a little. “I wasn’t being completely honest when I said that the app was a new thing. It’s been around for a long time and all us girls have used it to meet our partners.” Raven grinned.
“So the app is always right?”
“In our – pretty substantial experience – yes!”
“This is amazing. I mean, I felt this really strong connection to Timo, but we didn’t get to talk a lot, because, um, we had other things to do. So it’s great to see that our personalities are actually compatible.” She stood up and gazed around, as if she might catch sight of him. “Is he in Hope Valley now?” Lauren shook her head.
“No. He’s away at the moment – looking for you!”
“What? But how does he expect to find me?”
“According to Connor, you mentioned the name of your hometown when you were together. But he can only half remember it, so he’s currently in some place that he thinks is the right one, hoping to track you down.” Raven sighed.
“That’s so romantic. Wait – is he in Russellville?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Connor. Let me call him.” Lauren picked up her phone and dialed her mate’s number. “No answer. I think he’s working right now,” she said, and left a message for him to call her back. “I should go and leave you ladies in peace, but I’ll call you as soon as I hear from Connor.” Lauren hugged them goodbye, her face lit with an impish grin.
As she drove away in her truck, her tummy fluttered with excitement at the cunning plan she was hatching.
*
Raven couldn’t stop staring at Timo’s profile. Her brain was trying to process everything that Lauren had just told her, but it was so much to take
in. Timo lived in Hope Valley, and he wasn’t really a stripper. And he wanted to be with her. It was like a dream come true, but she felt like she wouldn’t be able to believe it until Timo was standing in front of her, telling her that she was the one he wanted to be with. She flitted around the cabin and the patch of lawn, impatient for Lauren to call her, and she kept taking her phone out and looking at his profile.
“How gorgeous is he?” she said to Caitlyn, sitting down next to her on the porch.
“Let me see his photos again.” Caitlyn took the phone and swiped left on his photos. There was a close-up of his handsome face, his brown eyes so deep and intense. It was followed by a series of full-body shots. There was one of him standing in a forest – probably this forest – Raven realized with a little frisson; one of him carrying a wooden beam; one of him cooking food on a barbecue, and one of him having beers with the guys, all of them looking like they’d just completed some physical labor.
“Yup. That’s the guy I remember on stage,” Caitlyn said. “He’s so hot.” The last photo was not of him but a bear – a huge bear, with silver-hued fur, standing on its back legs and looking into the camera curiously.
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love Page 7
