Page 8 of Surrender

Chance nodded. “That’s exactly what it is. In the hard times, remember that. Marriage is a full-time job. There are no breaks, no holidays, no paid time off. You wake up every day and choose to put forth your best. Work as hard to build your relationship as you do to sell those books. By the way, my wife asked for an autograph from you. She loves your books as much as my baby girl.”

I chuckled. “Sure thing. Tell her to find me at the reception.”

“I’ll do that. Well, let’s get out of here, Kelcy. I’m sure Mr. Mitchell would appreciate a few moments alone. We’ll see you shortly.”

“Thank you.”

They left me with smiles. Once they were gone, I took a seat on the couch and allowed my body to fully relax into the cushions. Today was my fucking wedding day. It wasn’t how I imagined this day going, but here we were. I really was excited to meet the woman who was set to be my wife. Even though I didn’t know what she looked like, I thought of her often the last five months.

I wondered what she looked like or sounded like. I wondered what she smelled like. What was her favorite food? Favorite color? What was the one thing I could bring her to make her happy? What was the quickest way to piss her off? I thought about that and so much other shit.

The woman lived rent-free in my mind and I didn’t even know her name.

I dreamed of her last night… well, my idea of her. In it, we met at the altar, and I immediately fell for her. I knew it wasn’t realistic. I knew that it was my mind trying to justify what would be an awkward situation. I didn’t know what she would think of me or what I would think of her.

I just hoped the attraction was mutual.

I stood in front of the full-length mirror, admiring myself. I had to admit, I looked damn good in my wedding dress. It was a strapless, nude, lace-covered, mermaid-style gown that hugged my every curve. The sweetheart neckline accentuated my breasts and shoulders. Elegant white gold pieces adorned my neck, ears, and wrists. My makeup was light and natural, and my hair hung in long, soft curls framing my face.

I looked beautiful.

Even as beautiful as I felt, a hint of sadness dwelled in my eyes. I was here alone. I arrived alone. I’d gotten ready with assistance from my makeup artist, who was provided by Arranged Hearts. They were a blessing throughout this whole process. Not only did they match me, but the wedding was held in a venue owned by the company.

They took care of the food, decorations, flowers, and the minister. The planning process was quite different. There was a series of questions both myself and my match had to answer to gauge our styles. I was very anxious to see what they came up with.

The only thing I had to buy was my wedding dress and my future husband’s wedding band. I thought back to the day I got the call. I was at Sunday dinner at my parent’s house. My phone vibrated against the table. When I saw that it was Kelcy, I quietly excused myself.

“Hello?”

“Ms. Lewis? It’s Kelcy from Arranged Hearts. I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”

“No, no. Now’s as good a time as any.”

“Great. I usually don’t call on the weekends, but I wanted to let you know that I finally matched you with someone.”

I froze. For a moment, I think my heart stopped, and I couldn’t breathe. She told me this could be a long process. It had been about two months since my initial appointment, a much shorter process than I was expecting. I wasn’t sure how to feel.

“Ms. Lewis?” she called, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I shook my head as I tuned back in. “I’m here…” I whispered.

“Did you hear me?”

“Yes. You matched me.”

“Yes. I think you’ll be very pleased with this gentleman. My partner and I worked very closely on your compatibility. Might I say, he’s quite the looker, too.”

I giggled. “You aren’t just pulling my leg, are you?”

She shared in my laughter. “Not when it comes to matters of the heart. Congratulations. I’ll be in touch to let you know the next steps.”

“Okay. Thank you, Kelcy.”

“You are so welcome.”

I hung up the call and clutched the phone to my chest. It was official. I’d been matched, and I was getting married. This was really happening. I slowly walked back into the dining room and reclaimed my seat. I could feel all eyes on me as I picked up my fork.

“Everything okay?” my father asked.