Eron

Chapter 1

1

JuneCupid wore a kilt. I blinked at the garish logo of the dating agency, wishing I was somewhere else. If Anna hadn't sat next to me, I'd have left half an hour ago.

"Don't look like you're about to be tortured and burned at the stake," Anna whispered. "This will be fun."

She was my best friend, but sometimes, I wanted to throttle her.

If only I hadn't agreed to that bet. I'd been drunk out of my mind and it had seemed like a good idea at the time. In retrospect, it was clear that Anna had tricked me. She knew I was rubbish at darts. She knew that I couldn't resist a challenge. And she'd made me drunk as a sailor by keeping me supplied with mojitos.

Now I was trapped.

"I'm only going to sign up," I told her firmly. "I won't reply if they find a match."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Haven't you seen their ads? If your match is even half as hot as the guys in the advert, you'll want to meet him."

She was right. The men on the Hot Tatties Dating Agency posters were drool-worthy with their kilts, their muscles, their proud faces. The agency specialised in Scottish men and took full advantage of their clientele's sexiness. Anna's sister-in-law had worked on the agency's marketing and had even found herself a Highlander of her own. I'd never met either of them, but they were the reason why Anna had persuaded me - no, forced me - to come here today.

"I'm happily single," I complained. "Self-partnered. I like having no commitments."

Anna snorted. "And that's why you were lamenting how lonely you were last night."

I couldn't remember saying that, but my head still pounded with a hangover and I only recalled maybe half of what we'd talked about. It was all a bit foggy. I'd not been that drunk in years. My friends were all married or in long-term relationships, some had kids, and none of them wanted to go out partying like we used to.

Maybe Anna was right and it was time to settle down. Find a guy to have more than a one-night-thing with. Buy a house. Get a dog.

No, that wasn't me. I wasn't that kind of woman. I loved my independence. Marriage was for other people.

"June Summer?" The receptionist looked around the waiting room. I'd been surprised that we weren't the only people wanting to register with the agency - but then, their ads were everywhere.

Anna pulled me to my feet and waved at the young woman. "That's us."

"Let go of me," I hissed. She only grinned and tightened her grip on my arm as if she was worried I'd run away. She wasn't wrong.

She forced me to follow the receptionist into a larger office. The dark pink wallpaper was garish and together with the fluffy pink cushions and the red carpet, it made me think of a brothel. Behind a desk sat a woman in her forties, above her another large kilt-wearing cupid.

She got up and walked around the desk to greet us with a handshake. "I'm Pam, owner of Hot Tatties. Thanks for coming."

"Anna," my friend introduced herself. "And this is June. She's the one to register, I'm already happily married."

Pam gave me a wide grin. "You're not the only one to bring a friend. It's always nice to have some support. Take a seat, I'll bring over the tablets. Would you like some tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate?"

I'd planned to say no until she mentioned the chocolate. I could never resist a sweet treat like that. At least that would almost make this experience worth it.

"Hot chocolate, please," I said.

Anna nodded. "Same."

While Pam got our drinks, I stared at the row of picture frames on the wall opposite. Ten men smiled at me, all of them gorgeous, all of them wearing kilts, all of them very lickable. I was starting to think that the agency used models for their marketing, not actual guys. What were the chances of finding ten perfect but single men like these? Guys who looked like that weren't single. And they certainly wouldn't choose someone like me.

"We should go," I muttered. "This doesn't feel right."

Anna took my hand, either to reassure me or to keep me in place; I wasn't sure. "We're staying. You lost the bet. You have to do it."

Before I could give her a very angry reply, Pam returned with a tray. She'd added a bowl of shortbread. How very Scottish. I wrapped my hands around my mug to stop myself from fidgeting. I always did that when I was nervous.

Pam put a tablet on the table in front of us. "We've got a questionnaire for you to complete. We can either do it as a sort of interview or you can fill it in yourself, whatever you prefer. Then I'll take a few quick pictures, you spit in a tube and we're done."

Had I heard her right? "Spit in a tube?"

She smiled. "We've got access to the latest DNA matching technology. Scientists have found certain markers that can tell if someone's a good match." She lowered her voice. "I personally like to call it the soulmates test, but that might put off the people who don't believe in fated mates. Do you?"

"Yes," Anna said immediately. "The moment I met Ewan, I knew that we were meant together."

I'd always envied her for that. Ewan and Anna really were perfect for each other. I'd never seen them fight. They fit together like two jigsaw pieces.

"And what about you, June?" Pam asked.

I shrugged. "I guess there may be soulmates for some people, but I don't believe every person has one."

"Well, if your soulmate is in our register, we will find him. Or do you prefer women?"

"No, men are good. I mean, women are nice too, but not for me."

"I understand. You'll be pleased to know that we currently have over eleven thousand men on our roster and that number is rising daily. I wish I had that many women signing up. Don't get me wrong, we have ladies sign up every day, but I lack the manpower to recruit even more. Anyway, that's my problem, not yours. I'm sure we'll find you the perfect match." She picked up the tablet. "Let's do it this way, that's more fun for me."

She gave us a wide grin. Her enthusiasm was strangely infectious. I suddenly didn't feel as negative about it all. Maybe she was right. Maybe my soulmate was out there, waiting for me.

"June Summer, is that right?"

I nodded, waiting for some comment or joke on my name. Everyone did it. But Pam moved on to the next question right away. How refreshing.

"Age?"

"Thirty-two, although my birthday is next month."

"Your birthday is in June? Is that why your parents gave you the name?"

I sighed. "Aye. They were idiots."

"I think it's kind of sweet," Pamela said while typing. "Where do you currently live? And would you be willing to relocate?"

"I'm in Dumbarton, but I work here in Glasgow. And I suppose... for the right person, I could potentially move, yes."

Not that I expected this to happen, but if I had to be here, why not indulge Pam.

"Good. Most of our men prefer the ladies to move in with them rather than the other way round. They live in a beautiful place, though. If I wasn't married already, I'd grab myself one of them." She winked and I couldn't help but return her smile.

"They all live in one place?" I asked.

"Mostly. It's a large area though, so don't worry, you'll have privacy. They're split into clans who each have their own towns."

"Wait, towns? I thought they lived in the Highlands. There aren't many towns there. I think I'd know if there were towns full of sexy, I mean, good-looking guys walking around in kilts. Everyone would flock there."

Pam smirked. "They don't like prospective matches know too much about where they're located, exactly because of that. They want and need to be selective about their partners which is why everything is handled through Hot Tatties. But let's move on. What do you do for a living?"

I hated that question because the answer made me sound like the most boring woman ever. "I work in finance."

"Oh, I'd never have guessed that. Lovely. What do you like to do in your free time?"

On and on the questions went until Pam finally put the tablet down. My mug had been empty for at least ten minutes and I was ready to leave.

"That was fun," Anna whispered while the agency owner rummaged around her desk. "I didn't know you liked clay-pigeon shooting and hill walking."

I made sure Pam wasn't listening before I replied. "I made that up to make me sound more interesting. My hobbies are so boring. Besides, it's not like anyone will ever find out that I lied."

She gave me a doubtful look but didn't say anything.

Pam waved a camera, beckoning me to get up. "Stand in front of that wall over there, dear. This is mostly for my own purposes. It always helps me remember the ladies I've met while I search for a match."

"Does that mean nobody else will get to see the picture?"

"Only if you're matched and give permission to have me pass on your details. We like the women to be in control of the process."

I liked that. I smiled for the camera, feeling a little self-conscious. I was wearing my business suit since Anna had picked me up at my office. Not what I'd wear for a first date. But this wasn't real, I reminded myself. Just to placate my friend after losing a bet.

Happy with the photos she'd taken, Pam handed me a plastic vial. "Now I just need your sample and then we're all done for the day."

I gave the vial a doubtful look. Spitting into it in front of them seemed embarrassing, although I wasn't quite sure why. People spat on the pavements all the time without thinking. I sighed and did as she'd asked. Pam screwed the vial shut and put it in a plastic bag decorated with the kilted cupid logo. That little half-naked creature really was everywhere.

"I'll be in touch once I find a match," Pam chirped. "I'm sending the next batch of samples to the lab tonight, so it might be sooner than you think."

No, it wouldn't be. I wasn't going to get a match and even if I did, I wasn't going to meet them.

This wasn't real. It was just to make Anna happy. I was going to stay single.