WRAPPED Read online

  ✶

  Thanks to the shit show that was Prince Charming: New Zealand, Shae managed to pretend that she wasn’t thinking about what was happening inside her phone for the rest of the night. Or at least until she got in bed a few hours later. She turned off her bedside lamp and lay under her covers, staring at her phone. It had been two hours and she, and Aidan were still matched.

  The words MESSAGE AIDAN taunted her. She looked at his pictures again instead. He was really cute. The worst that could happen was him ignoring her and her feeling a little embarrassed for a few hours. The truth was, she had nothing to lose. And Joanna did pray to Santa and Mrs. Claus.

  Just message him, she told herself. Shae clicked the little menu on the side of his profile and brought up the empty chat box between them.

  Hey! Looks like we have a match.

  She typed quickly, adding the smiling emoji with its tongue sticking out, then hit send before she could stop herself. Then she set her phone back on her bedside table. She knew what would happen next. He'd either see her message and immediately unmatch with her, realizing he'd swiped right on someone he had a first hand non-attraction to, or he'd message her back something crazy like his laxed opinions on gun control or our need for border walls. Then she’d have to block him and delete the app for at least a week to recover from the knowledge that yet another man had turned out to be a disappointment.

  And honestly, that’s where she went wrong—getting prematurely invested in anything that could leave her feeling disappointed. “Turn the hopes down a little there, boo,” she said to herself as she rolled over to face the wall.

  Five minutes later, her phone vibrated. Shae’s eyes popped open. She was mimicking sleep to encourage her body to relax, but the buzz of the notification had her alert as ever. She grabbed her phone and looked at the screen.

  You have a message from Aidan.

  “Okay. Chill out. Just chill out. He’s probably just saying hello.” Shae sat up and unlocked her phone, opening the MATCHED app. There was definitely a response from Aidan.

  Hey! I thought you were married.

  Shae’s eye twitched as she started typing her response. She wished people just knew she'd gotten a divorce so she didn't have to talk about it anymore. Hopefully Aidan wouldn’t have any follow up questions once she clarified.

  Was. Married no more.

  Shae stared at her phone for a minute and just when she realized he might not be sitting in bed hanging on her every word, those three little bubbles popped up.

  I'm really sorry to hear that.

  Unless it's a good thing.

  Definitely a good thing.

  Glad to be back out there.

  Kinda.

  This app is terrible.

  She added the laughing emoji with the tears squeezing out of the corners of its eyes.

  Have to agree.

  Present company excluded.

  Of course.

  Of course.

  Shae typed back. And then her mind froze. This was the point where things usually got weird for her. She could go the small talk route. Something felt off about that though. Should she just straight up ask him out? Then they could do the awkward face to face. Did she even want to go out with Aidan?

  Um, dude? her brain chimed in. How many times did you and the other women in your office talk about how sexy and sweet Aidan was? The answer was literally every time they saw him. Should I ask the dumb question? Of course she should. She wanted to know the answer.

  What brings you to Matched?

  Looking for love?

  The sex?

  Hiking partner?

  Cosplay partner?

  Aidan answered right away this time.

  The classic fear of dying alone.

  Ah, that old chestnut.

  I guess I shouldn't feel so special

  about your swipe than.

  Since you're desperate and all.

  She added a wink.

  I wanted to see if you were still baking.

  I still dream about that chocolate caramel

  crunch thing you made for the office.

  You wanna come over and taste my sweets? She started to type, but she couldn't hit send. Aidan knew her. Not really well, but enough for that kind of cheap come on to come off as weird. She knew exactly how he'd respond. He'd say “as a matter of fact, yes” and then they'd sext until things got weird or they'd actually set up a booty call and then things would get weird. She was tired of things getting weird, but she knew it was already too late for things not to get weird.

  Things got weird with every guy she'd talked to on the app. Also, as hot as Aidan was and no matter how much she’d seriously considered sleeping with him in the last few hours, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to go through with it in real life. She needed to be sure. Shae deleted her cheesy come on and started to type something more sensible, like Well it was nice talking to you again... Before she could hit send another message from Aidan popped up.

  Let’s get off this app for one night.

  Shae instantly felt hot all over. Was he asking her out?

  What do you have in mind?

  Lady’s choice, my treat.

  Bowling. Dinner and movie out.

  Dinner and a movie in.

  People watching at the Grove.

  We could be real creepy and go people

  watch from some shrubs at Griffith Park.

  How about this?

  Why don’t you plan a date that doesn’t involve

  hiking or any other outdoor activity

  that makes me sweat and I’m game.

  I think I can handle that.

  Not a big fan of hiking myself.

  What’s your schedule like?

  I’m free most nights,

  but I go into work early

  so I turn into a pumpkin by 10 pm.

  You’re up late tonight.

  The eleven-fifteen at the top of Shae’s phone was taunting her. It didn’t stop her from smiling as she responded though.

  I got a match.

  Who can sleep through that?

  Ha. True. You sleep.

  We’ll reconvene tomorrow.

  You might laugh, but I have to ask.

  Does this mean we’re going on a date?

  Or is this like a friend hang?

  I’d love for it to be a date,

  But if you’d rather meet up as friends,

  I’m cool with that. We haven’t seen each other

  in a while. We can catch up.

  Shae had plenty of friends. She didn’t need more, not like this.

  Let’s call it a date.

  Okay. It’s a date.

  Well since we have that settled

  I should head to bed.

  See you soon?

  “Yes, definitely time for bed. Don’t want to fuck this up by saying anything else,” she said out loud.

  Absolutely.

  Goodnight, Shae.

  Goodnight Aidan.

  Shae locked her phone and put it back on its charger. Then she flopped on her stomach and took a deep breath before screaming into her pillow.

  “Dear God,” she said out loud. “No, scratch that. You’re actually busy with illness and genocide and things. I hope. Dear Santa. Please let this go reasonably well. Please don’t let him be low key dickhead. Or a knife-wielding collector of women’s ears. I just want one good date. Or many good dates. Yeah, many good dates with this super hot guy that I know you sent my way because I have been such a good girl this year. Okay, that sounded really gross. To the republic for which it stands, in Mrs. Claus’s name. I really appreciate it.”

  Shae rolled on to her back and stared at her ceiling. This was really happening. She really had a date with Aidan Meyer. Then she picked up her phone again and jumped on the group text she had with the girls.

  Holy shit. I’m going on a date with Aidan.

  Joanna responded first. Praise Frosty!

  2

 
; Dear Santa, It’s just a date. I can do this. Right…?

  “What are you looking at?” Aidan glanced over his shoulder as his business partner, Matt, passed behind his desk. Then he looked back at his screen. He’d been researching events around Los Angeles all morning.

  “Gotta date coming up. I volunteered to plan it.”

  “What kind of date? A bang ’em and bounce date, or a real date?” Matt flopped down in his chair and let it skid backwards a few feet across the hardwood floor. They were alone in their office. As usual. They were the only full-time employees. Aidan watched as Matt stopped his backward progression with the heels of his sneakers, then started spinning himself slowly around in the chair. One day their company, PrimedRealty.com, would expand and they’d have to act like mature adults in front of what Aidan hoped turned out to be many future employees. For now, he turned down the music they were blasting so he could hear Matt a little better.

  “Real date. Met her on MATCHED. Actually, that’s not true. We used to work together and I ran into her again on MATCHED. I'm gotta find someplace nice to take her.”

  “Got a picture?”

  “Yeah.” As Matt scooted his chair back to their desks, Aidan picked up his phone and brought up his Facebook account. He wouldn't admit it, but he'd spent most of his night and part of his morning looking at Shae’s pictures on her Facebook profile. When she popped up in his MATCHED feed, he admittedly swiped on her out of curiosity. He’d always had a bit of a crush on her. At first for juvenile reasons.

  Shae had the body of an old school pin up—large breasts, large hips and an ass to match. She wore a dress to work every day and no matter how she switched up her look, she always managed to pull off this vibe that was a mix between comfortable, classy and sexy as fuck, while still professional. And then there was the baking. Shae could bake her ass off and she baked all the time. Their CEO had approved a small budget that allowed Shae to bake for employee birthdays and most holidays. That’s how good she was in the kitchen.

  As Aidan got to know her, he got to see that she was more than a body and baked goods. She was pretty damn thoughtful and considerate, and she had this great, upbeat personality. Once he found her crying in one of the back stairwells and when he asked if she was okay, she managed to make them both laugh. All that had turned his crush into legitimate attraction, but there was the small issue of her husband. Aidan had seen the guy once in the parking lot of their office building and now he was out of the picture. Pictures he’d been looking at all day.

  Aidan remembered what had really sent him over to full crush territory—her smile. Every time he walked down to the payroll department to ask them a question or request paperwork for someone on his team, she’d always greeted him with a warm smile. He wasn’t sure if she was just a master of customer service or what, but after a few months and various company functions, he knew that upbeat demeanor was just Shae. A few times he may have told himself she only smiled like that for him. That was a lie. He wasn’t anyone special in her bright sunny, world. Now that they’d matched, though, maybe that would change.

  “Oh.” Matt tilted his head to the side. “She’s hot. You ever date a black girl before? Not that you shouldn’t. I just—”

  “Once in high school for ten minutes, the whole football player/cheerleader thing, but her dad made us break up so she could make honor roll.”

  “Where’s that girl now?”

  “Crystal? Pretty sure she’s a research scientist.”

  “Good call on the dad’s part. Good luck with this one.” Matt laughed as he handed back the phone.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. From the looks of her profile, she has her shit together and she’s good looking. I know nothing about her, but I’m pretty sure she’s too good for you.”

  “You are probably right.” Aidan felt himself swallow as he looked at his phone as Matt rolled back to his desk. He knew he had some pretty good qualities to bring to the table. Still, this was kind of the girl of his dreams.

  “What does this one do? What’s her name?”

  “Her name’s Shae. And she’s a baker now. She owns Sweet Creams over—”

  “That bakery, by Platform!?”

  “I don’t know. Is that bakery called Sweet Creams over by Platform?” The block of new construction was only five years old, but had just started bringing in a lot of business in the last year, or so Matt had told him. Aidan never went over there because parking was bullshit, but there was some Korean BBQ /Mexican fusion place over there another buddy of his swore by.

  “Fuck yeah, there’s a bakery over there called Sweet Creams! Dude. I don’t give a fuck what people say about Confettis. That place tastes like dog crap compared to Sweet Creams.” Matt jumped out of his chair and started putting on his jacket. “Let’s go over there now.”

  “What? No. Sit down. I’m not going over there.”

  “Fine. I’ll go without you. It’s almost lunch time, and Adam and Chelsea won’t be reporting back on their mission to Tarzana for at least another three hours.” Matt had a point. They ran out to get lunch all the time. They could stop by the Korean spot and get some food, and then stop in and say hello to Shae. “We’re going to her place of business to purchase items she sells. We’re not sneaking into her sorority house.”

  “Alright fine.” Aidan stood and grabbed his own plaid bomber jacket. “But you’re driving.”

  ✶

  Sweet Creams was packed. The space wasn't all that big, just a few tables, the display cases, a table off to the side with cream and sugar and napkins, and the cash register. The tables were all taken, though and there was a line zigzagging in front of the cases of desserts. Christmas music was playing through the speakers above the door. It was only the second full week of December.

  Aidan usually settled into the spirit of the holiday season sometime around eleven forty-five p.m. on December twenty-fourth, but Aidan didn’t mind the festive jams at the moment. It was fitting for the whole scene. Nothing said rich sweets like Santa Baby.

  “What can I get for you guys?” one of the girls behind the counter asked.

  “We’re going to get two of everything. Shit. Give me one more second,” Matt replied.

  The girl laughed like she knew what kind of dilemma Matt was going through, then turned her attention to Aidan. “And for you?”

  “Uh—” He jerked back as Matt elbowed him in the stomach. “Um, is Shae in?”

  “Oh. Yeah. She’s in the back. And you are?” the girl asked.

  “Oh, sorry. Totally understand if she’s busy.”

  “Tell her Aidan Meyer is here. They have a date this week,” Matt said in a loud as fuck stage whisper. A bit of pink flashed up the girl’s light brown cheeks as she chuckled a bit.

  “She doesn’t have to come out here. I just wanted to say hello,” Aidan said, trying to wave her off, but she was already backing toward the swinging door to the kitchen. She held up her finger to the customers behind them, flashing the “I’ll be right back” nod, then disappeared.

  “Fuck.” Aidan ran his fingers through his hair, then shoved his hands in his pockets. This was a big mistake.

  “Relax and pick out a cupcake.”

  “You fucking relax,” Aidan grumbled. A moment later, the girl came back through the door.

  “She’ll be right out. She’s just rinsing her hands.”

  “Thanks,” Aidan replied. He tried to focus on the desserts in front of him and not the sense of doom that was making his heart pound behind his ears.

  “You have to try the salted caramel cupcakes. They—” Matt was still talking, but Aidan wasn’t listening. The door to the kitchen opened and out walked Shae. She looked better than Aidan remembered. It was definitely the smile. Her long curls were piled on top of her head and she was wearing a pink apron splattered with frosting and flour. Still, she looked like a million bucks.

  “Hi!” she said cheerfully. “Did I miss a MATCHED message or does our date start now?”
she laughed, but Aidan could hear the nerves in her voice. He’d fucked up.

  “I’m sorry. It—”

  “I made him come. I’m Matt,” his asshole friend said, reaching his hand over the top of the display case. Shae laughed and shook Matt’s hand.

  “Nice to meet you, Matt. I’m Shae. Welcome to Sweet Creams.”

  “Oh, I’m all about Sweet Creams. I Postmates you guys at least once a week.”

  “Oh, you’re that Matt. Nice to put a face to a name. You’re quite the loyal customer.” Aidan’s eyes roamed Shae’s gorgeous face as her full lips turned down in an impressed smirk. Okay, maybe he didn’t regret coming to see her. Unfortunately Matt would not stop talking.

  “He was planning your date in the office while he should have been working.”

  “You were?” Her eyes narrowed in shock. “And now you’re here.”

  “We’re on lunch,” Aidan said with a shrug. “And this seemed like a nice small business to support.”

  “Well, we appreciate it. Matt, you want to pick out a few cupcakes, on the house of course, while Aidan and I step outside for a second?”

  “Deal,” Matt said, licking his lips like an addict about to get his hands on the best crank he’d ever had in his whole life. Aidan followed Shae down the length of the counter, weaving through patient customers, then waited by the door as Shae came around the cash register.

  “Come on,” she said, walking out the door. Aidan followed her outside and around the corner. There were a few benches, but they were all taken. Instead they sat down on the concrete ledge near the steps that led out to the street.

  “Good thing it’s cool out today. That heat was killing me. So how are you?” Shae crossed her thick thighs and turned toward him. She rested her chin in her hand and flashed him the sexiest smile.