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“I would consider becoming a nun if I didn’t like dick so much. I just can’t seem to not need it. I’m just having a hard time dealing with guys these days. I do not understand them at all. Nor do I really want to try. It’s all just games and bullshit and a bunch of weirdos.”
“So, what happened?” Yulia asked.
“Fine!” Amelia sighed again. “We met on a dating app, but not like Tinder. Because I’m actually looking for a relationship and not a hookup. We met and seemed to click instantly. We have a ton of things in common. He looks super cute in all of his pics and the video chats we had. So I wasn’t worried about any of that when we actually met. What I wasn’t prepared for were the noises he made when he ate or how rude he was to the waitress. Then there was the fact that he was a chauvinistic pig.”
“Oh, no! What did he do?” Jane asked.
“First, you all know that I can’t handle when someone chews with their mouth open, but this guy was extra when it came to that. Like, next-level grossness. He sounded like a damn cow chewing his cud. I could literally see the food sloshing around in his mouth. The smack, smack, smack of his lips grated on my nerves. I thought I was going to lose my shit. If that wasn’t gross enough, he picked his teeth clean with a fork after he was done eating. Chunks of steak stuck between his teeth flew onto the table and plate. It was all I could do to keep my own dinner down.” Amelia shuttered, recounting her tale.
“Oh, that’s nasty. Did his mother not teach him better?” Yulia asked.
“I have no idea. He was so rude to the waitress too. I hate people like that. I ended up leaving a note and a nice tip. Hopefully, it made up for his behavior.”
“Did you speak to him about any of it after the date?” Jane asked.
“Nope. I’ve been a full-on ghost with his never-ending stream of texts and phone calls. I have no desire to spend my time with someone like that. He probably kicks puppies too. I just don’t need people like that in my life.”
“This is exactly why I will never date again,” Jane said. “I don’t have to and will never again deal with men who act like that.” Listening to Amelia’s horror story only gave Jane the proof that she needed to keep the status quo and stay the hell away from any and all men. It confirmed what she already knew. Being single was the best thing for her mental and emotional health. Who wanted to deal with that bullshit? Certainly not Jane.
FOUR
Mason parked across the street from Jane’s Treats & Sweets, wondering for the millionth freaking time why Gerri had sent him to this place. He watched as two females entered the shop with a key. Once they were inside, one turned and twisted the metal tumbler on the glass door, locking the bakery back up.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and googled to see what time they officially opened. “Twenty more minutes,” he said aloud. Maybe then he would find out what the hell the mystery was that Gerri had been so coy about. Why she had refused to answer even the simplest of questions. He scrolled through his emails, needing to kill some time before he went out of his damn mind.
Conversations that he’d had with his friends passed through his mind. Everyone he knew who had worked with Gerri had been head over heels happy with their mates. They had all promised Gerri was the real deal when it came to matchmaking, but he was still skeptical as fuck.
How could the woman know anything about him or what he was looking for in a mate, having only met a single time for fewer than ten minutes? It was impossible as far as he was concerned and more than likely on a damn wild goose chase. If that was indeed the case, he was going to be straight-up pissed.
Mason glanced up from his phone just as a couple of people made their way into the now-opened bakery. He turned his truck off, grabbed his keys, and hopped from the cab. Crossing the street in a few quick strides, the scent of freshly baked goods hit him almost instantly, making his stomach growl in response to the mouthwatering aromas wafting from the bakery.
The two young women he saw entering earlier caught his attention but failed to maintain it. It wasn’t that they weren’t pretty. They were. Just nothing spectacular, in his opinion. The one was short and blonde with a rail-thin figure and striking blue eyes. The other was a redhead who was a bit taller with more curves and a wedding ring on her finger. Definitely not for him.
The one who caught his attention and held it was a beautiful brunette with a smile that lit up the entire bakery. Mason sucked in a deep breath.Is the smell of peaches and cream coming from something here in the bakery or the woman?He asked his wolf, who had been uncharacteristically quiet in his mind for weeks.
His wolf inhaled once, then a second time before charging forward, trying to break free of the hold Mason had on him.
MINE!his wolf shouted.
Well, well, well. This was a stunning turn of events and one that Mason had not expected. Gerri had been right all along. He would indeed find everything he needed at Jane’s.
All he had to do now was keep his wolf in check and pick his mouth up off the floor.
The sound of her laugh was a symphony to his ears as she greeted her customers, talking and joking with each. He could tell by the way they looked at her that they were her regulars and held a deep admiration for the woman.
“Welcome to Jane’s. How can I help you?” the woman asked as he stepped up to the counter.
“I’ll have an everything bagel with cream cheese, a large black coffee, and your number.” He smiled at her with what he knew to be his bestyou know you want melook.
“One bagel and coffee coming right up.” She smiled back without batting an eyelash. Somehow, she had completely managed to ignore his request for her number.
“Don’t forget to toss in your number. I’d like to take you out for a night on the town.” How could she say no to that?
“While I appreciate your candor, I’m going to have to pass. But thank you.” Without giving him a chance to answer, the woman grabbed a large paper cup and filled it with coffee. Popping a lid on it and setting it on the counter, she didn’t even bother to look up at him as she prepared his bagel. Once it was bagged, she made her way back to the counter to ring up his order.
“Other than my number, is there anything else I can get for you?” she asked as he handed her a ten-dollar bill.
“Yes. I’d really like to get to know you,” he persisted, knowing damn well that she was his mate.
