“Poor girl,” Melissa said at last. “She must have a lot of pain inside her.”
“Trust you to say something charitable,” Kristin said with a laugh.
“Come on, I know her story touched you too. Otherwise you would’ve fired her, right?” Kristin nodded.
“Yeah, I did end up feeling pretty sorry for her. She’s not a bad girl, she’s just been pretty misguided.”
“I remember her mentioning that her parents were putting her under a crazy amount of pressure in high school. I guess they just pushed her onto the career treadmill, and she never knew how to get off.”
“Yep. They must be pretty disappointed now. I guess she’s back living with them at the moment too, seeing as she’s broke, and hasn’t retained any close friends whose place she could stay at.”
“Are you glad you gave her another chance at the job?” Melissa asked.
“I’m a little nervous. She sounded genuine about being committed, and she’s never opened up to me like that before. But time will tell. It’s just going to increase my workload a little while I check everything she’s done.”
“You’re a sweetheart, Kristin. Under that feisty exterior,” Melissa said. Kristin threw her a dirty look.
They were quiet as they ate the last of their egg and ham sandwiches.
“No boyfriends either,” Melissa continued. “I always had the impression that she was dating these super hot, rich, powerful guys.”
“Uh huh, she used to convey that pretty persuasively in her group emails,” Kristin said.
“We should totally tell her about Shiftr now.” Kristin frowned.
“I’m really not sure that’s a good idea. Lauren and Dina were worried about telling me, because they knew I’d want to write a story about it, and Andrea’s ten times more ruthless.”
“But she’s changing.”
“Apparently. As much as I want to believe that it’s a permanent transformation, I don’t really trust it yet.”
“But Tamika thinks she’d be perfect,” Melissa said, and Kristin laughed.
“Quit looking at me with those puppy-dog eyes! I’m not even sure that she deserves it. I mean, I’m willing to give her another chance, but she’s said so much bad stuff over the years that I’m not going to forget that in a hurry.”
“But isn’t that part of giving someone a chance – forgiving their past actions?” Kristin groaned.
“You’re right. It should be, Saint Melissa. I guess I need to work on my less fluffy urges. But you only get to tell one person about Shiftr. Isn’t there someone you know who’s closer to you?” Melissa shook her head.
“No. There’s a couple of curvy girls in my office, but they’re both married. My sister is married too, and all my besties are already hooked up. That’s it.”
“Hmm. Maybe you could get her to sign an NDA, as Dina and Lauren forced me to.”
Melissa burst out laughing. “Are you serious?” she said.
“Yes, but I don’t blame them. They know how desperate I am for stories.”
“I guess that’s an option. How about I call Tamika and tell her everything, and see what she says?”
“That’s a great idea. Now, hun, I’ve got to rush off to an interview with the guy in charge of the town’s recycling, but I’ll catch up with you very soon.” Kristin left her share of the check on the table, stood up, kissed Melissa on the cheek, and hurtled out of the café.
Melissa looked at her watch. It was time to go back to the office, but she didn’t want to leave the café. She was so cozy and sleepy in front of the fire. She’d take an extended lunch break. Her manager was pretty relaxed about things like that, as long as she got all of her work done on time. She took her phone out of her purse and dialed Tamika’s number.
Tamika answered right away, and Melissa told her all about Andrea’s situation.
“Poor thing. I just knew she was starved of love when I met her,” Tamika said, her voice full of sympathy. “I totally think she should be your choice. But how about you let me handle it? I can see from what you’ve said that she can be a little difficult, so I need to present the app as something exclusive – which it is, of course.” She gave a bark of laughter. “But I’ve got to make her see the value of it. So, I’ll invite her for dinner at my place. I’ll get my chef to whip up a tasting menu, and I’ll tell her all about it. How would you feel about that?”
“That would be amazing,” Melissa replied. “I really wasn’t looking forward to explaining it to her.”
“Actually,” Tamika cut in. “I’ve just had another very particular character sign up to the app. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they turn out to be compatible. Watch this space!”
Chapter Four
Andrea gave a low whistle as she walked up to the wrought-iron gates fronting Tamika’s property. This was luxury. The house was beautiful – all white, in a European style. It had an elegant front door with brass trimmings, and potted shrubs lined the front wall. As she reached for the intercom, the gates slid open noiselessly and she walked through.
Her feet hurt as she strode across the crunching gravel of the driveway. Her parents wouldn’t let her take their car, and she couldn’t afford a taxi, so she’d taken the bus part of the way and walked the rest. And now she had blisters on the balls of both feet from her stupid high heels. She was also burning with embarrassment at the bottle of wine she was carrying. She’d scraped enough together to buy what she’d thought was a nice bottle, but now she could see that it was woefully inadequate.
She tapped the brass knocker, and the door was snatched open to reveal Tamika, all cascading golden hair and flashing teeth. She looked great. She was curvier than all of them, and her form-fitting clothes were perfectly tailored to make the most of her voluptuousness. She was wearing a low-cut red dress, with a wide black belt cinching her waist.
“Andrea! Thanks so much for coming all the way out here!” she said, enveloping her in a hug. “But where’s your car – you didn’t park it in the driveway, did you?”
“Uh, no, I don’t have one right now,” Andrea mumbled.
“Goodness! You walked here? Your feet must be killing you! Come in and take your shoes off, beautiful though they are.”
“Thanks.” Andrea stepped out of them, restraining a sound of relief as her bare feet made contact with the cool flagstone floor.
“We’re having dinner on the second story. Come on up.” Andrea followed Tamika up the stairs, her lips parting as she gazed around at the house. It was the last word in elegance and good taste. Everything showed amazing attention to detail, while at the same time, there was a careless, artistic undertone, as if the owners were painters or art collectors with eclectic tastes. They went through to a balcony that was enclosed in glass.
“Wow, it’s amazing to be out here,” Andrea breathed, gazing out at the view of the starlit Hope Valley skyline.
“I know. I love sitting out here so much when the weather’s warm that I had this conservatory constructed so I could come here all year round,” Tamika said. The balcony area was lit with white fairy lights and candles. It looked very romantic. As they sat down, a waiter appeared with four canapés on a small plate and two champagne flutes.
“Foie gras ballotines and queso de cabra pinchos, with champagne cocktails,” he announced.
“Cheers, darling, and welcome back home!” Tamika said as she and Andrea clinked glasses. “I’m so glad that you’ve returned to your hometown. I’ve got a feeling that you’re going to be very happy here.”
Something shifted in Andrea’s mind. In that moment, she found herself believing Tamika. Was it possible that she could enjoy living here? The view outside was breathtaking, with the town so pretty below and the lights from the houses in the mountains twinkling far in the distance. It was the first time she’d seen Hope Valley as something other than a place she needed to escape.
“Eat up, there’s plenty more to come!” Tamika said, popping a canapé into her mouth. Andrea ate o
ne too. It was absolutely delicious, full of complex flavors.
“This is incredible!” she breathed.
“Isn’t it?” Tamika agreed. “I’ve got a new French chef and she was excited when I told her I wanted a tasting menu tonight. She’s a very creative woman.”
More small plates of food arrived.
“Wild rabbit lasagna,” the waiter announced, and replaced their champagne cocktails with two small glasses of something that looked like white wine, but was even dryer.
“Manzanilla, from a famous sherry-making region in Spain. It has a slightly salty taste, as it’s made near the sea,” Tamika commentated.
“It’s nice; unusual,” Andrea said.
“It’s an acquired taste,” Tamika replied with a laugh. “I hated it at first, but now I can’t get enough of it. So, now we’ve lined our stomachs a little, I’ll tell you why I invited you for dinner here tonight.”
“Ok,” Andrea said, leaning forward, her curiosity piqued.
“When I met you the other day, I told you that I ran a little dating agency.”
“A very exclusive one, I’m guessing?” Andrea said.
“Yes, darling, you could say that,” Tamika said with a smile. “Now, I’m not going to beat around the bush, because this is going to come as a bit of a shock however I phrase it. My dating agency is designed to bring lovely, curvy girls like ourselves together with sexy shape-shifting men.”
“Shape shifting?” Andrea echoed.
“Men who are half-human and half-animal, and can switch between their human and animal sides at will.” Andrea gulped down a mouthful of wine.
“What? Is this a joke?”
“I don’t joke about matchmaking. The world is full of these men, but, of course, their nature has been very carefully concealed from the human world for centuries. Isn’t that right, Dixon?” Tamika turned her head to the doorway, and Andrea gasped as a red fox ran out onto the balcony and stood in front of her. It regarded her with mischievous green eyes as its pink tongue slipped out of its mouth and ran over its needle-sharp white teeth. She shrank away from it.
“You’ve got a wild animal in your house?” she hissed. Tamika’s eyes sparkled with amusement.
“Dixon, I know it’s a lot to ask for you to shift twice in quick succession, but would you mind doing the honors?” As Andrea watched, transfixed, the fox’s body began to grow and grow. Its neat legs began to bulge with muscles, its red fur seemed to be disappearing, and its head took on a squarer shape. It seemed to have the skin of a man, and its paws started to look a lot like fingers. There was a swift movement and a loud crack, and suddenly, the waiter who had been serving them was standing in front of her, naked, except for a cushion held in front of him to preserve his modesty. The same green eyes stared into hers and his lips were parted in a good-natured smirk.
“Oh. My. God!” Andrea said. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. She knew what she’d seen, yet, seconds later, it already seemed too incredible to have happened.
“Pretty impressive, huh?” Tamika said. “Thank you so much, Dixon. I’ll pay you double time for your efforts tonight.” Dixon bowed and left the room. “Your friends have probably been a little evasive about how they met their mates, but I can tell you that they both found them through my agency. Kristin’s mate, Roman, is a tiger shifter, and Melissa’s mate, Harley, is a werewolf. Their friends Lauren and Dina are both mated to the loveliest bear shifters you can imagine.”
“But – but why shape shifters?” Andrea stuttered.
“Because they absolutely love curvy girls like us. And they’re all insanely attractive. It’s the most harmonious combination imaginable. What’s more, they’re all looking to find their forever mate. They’re loving, loyal, and endlessly frisky. I’m mated to a werewolf, Kyle. We met in London, years ago, and I was as shocked as you were when he revealed his true nature to me. But by that time, we had already mated, and I was head over heels for him. I remember thinking wolf while we were making love, and having a vivid image of a beautiful silver wolf in my mind. At the time, I thought my mind was flipping out because of all the incredible things he was doing to me. But when I discovered the truth, it all really made sense, you know? Every day I feel so privileged to be with a shape shifter. He makes me feel like the only girl in the world. I get so much love, protection and unending devotion. And I wanted to pass on my good luck to all the curvy girls out there, who deserve to be loved and cherished as much as I am.”
Andrea stared at her wordlessly. The veneer of disdain that she’d carried with her in New York as body armor, proof that she was cool enough to be there, shattered. She wasn’t surprised to discover that her eyes were wet with tears. She dabbed them with her napkin.
“I’ve never been loved by a man,” she said in a quiet voice. “Never felt like I was worth anything. I’ve always felt like I had to compete to hold a guy’s interest, to stop him from running off with the skinny girl.” Tamika reached for her hand.
“Well, that’s all about to change, honeybun. We’ll have you fixed up with an amazing shifter very soon.”
“What do I have to do?” Andrea demanded.
“First, I need to get you to sign an NDA, to confirm that you won’t mention anything about this agency, or about shape shifters to another living soul.” She handed her a form and a pen, and Andrea signed immediately. “Thank you. And now we get to have fun. Give me your phone for a second.” Andrea passed it over and Tamika tapped and scrolled quickly. “Ok, I’m, going to beam the images onto a bigger screen, so we can both see.” The white wall at the side of the balcony exploded with color as the image of a very muscular, shirtless guy filled the entire area. Andrea had to stop her mouth from falling open. “So, my dating agency takes the form of an app. It’s called Shiftr. You get to see all the guy’s profiles, like this. But, if you swipe left on the photo, like this, you get to see their animal side.” The wall filled with the image of a black panther, poised on a rock, as if it was about to pounce on its prey. “Go ahead and try it for yourself. I’ve set the order to random, and you can scroll up and down to see the different guys.” Andrea took the phone eagerly and began to play with it, scrolling and swiping. She was silent for a long time, and Tamika watched her. Seeing people taking pleasure in her creation was one of her favorite things in the world.
“This is – unbelievable,” Andrea said at last. “These guys are like ten times as hot as the ones in New York who weren’t interested in me because I wasn’t a size zero.” Tamika nodded.
“Exactly. And they’ll love you for who you are. Are there any that you feel particularly drawn to so far?”
“I don’t know. They’re all so sexy, it’s hard to tell. I guess I like guys with hair lighter than mine – blond or light brown. Does it matter what kind of animal they are?”
“Yes, it matters a lot,” Tamika said with a smile. “Alpha wolves are very strong and protective, but they can be too dominant for some women. Beta and omega wolves are usually softer, and very devoted mates. They’re often a favorite of women who are quite maternal. Bears are sweethearts. They’re big guys who tend to work with their hands. They’re direct and loving, but tend to get sleepy and grizzly in winter when, by rights, they should be hibernating. Big cats are lively mates. They’re full of energy, and will always keep you on your toes. They’re not afraid of a challenge, although some of them need to keep their egos in check. Horses are strong, yet sensitive and flighty. They’re often artists, and they like to go off by themselves. They suit a girl who appreciates her own space.” Andrea’s eyes had gone dreamy. “So, tell me. What are you looking for?” Tamika said. Andrea sucked her lips in.
“A strong guy. I think I’d crush someone who was too nice and easygoing.”
“Strong as in protective like a bear, or feisty like a tiger?”
“Feisty like a tiger, I guess. I like to be able to have debates with the guys I date.” Tamika chuckled.
“Kristin said something simila
r, and she ended up finding herself a 100% match with Roman,” she said.
“Wow, no wonder she seems so happy. How does the match thing work?”
“You just add your personal qualities to your profile, say what you’re looking for, and the app has a sophisticated algorithm that matches you with potential mates. You can also restrict the guys you see by compatibility levels, which is a neat way of making sure that you don’t get overwhelmed by the amount of choice out there.”
“So where do I enter my details?” Andrea said, tapping different options.
“Right here. But, to get the most from the app, I’d advise you to think carefully about what you want to say about yourself. Really be honest. Otherwise you’ll waste time going on dates with shifters that aren’t a good match for you.”
“Ok, I’ll fill it out later, when I’ve got some time to think,” Andrea said. She was becoming aware that she didn’t even know who she was anymore.
“I often feel like everyone is a shifter in some respect,” Tamika said. “Sometimes you’re one thing in one set of circumstances, but, change the circumstances, and you become something completely different.”
“That’s so true,” Andrea replied, startled that Tamika had picked up on her thoughts. “Do you ever think about the path you didn’t take? About all those moments in your life where you had a choice, and how things would’ve worked out if you had gone the other way?”
“Sometimes. But there’s another school of thought that believes that whatever choice you make, you’ll ultimately end up where you were supposed to be, according to some grand plan that was set out for you. I think I prefer to subscribe to that one. Who alone knows what tangled paths led to me meeting Kyle in London. When I think about all the coincidences that were necessary for us to meet, it seems improbably that we could ever have encountered each other. But here we are, as happy as two creatures could be.”
“I think I’ve always lived my life as if I knew that my destiny was to be a famous journalist, with a perfect life in New York. But I’m beginning to wonder whether that was just instilled in me by my parents to the point that I didn’t see that other paths even existed.”
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love (Andrea) BBW Lion Shifter Romance (Hope Valley BBW Dating App Romance Book 4) Page 3
