Page 2 of Embrace

I rolled my eyes. “I know God gives His stronger soldiers the hardest battles, but I want to take a leave of absence for a while. I’m tired of going through obstacles. I’m ready to get my happily ever after.”

“Why don’t you pick a movie, and I’ll order us some ramen. We can watch movies, eat good, and forget about that fuck nigga.” Blaze always had the best remedies to cure my sad and broken heart. No matter how many times I’d cried on his shoulder, he was always there to ride the wave with me.

“That sounds perfect.”

I climbed back into bed while Blaze made his way out of my bedroom and into the kitchen. It took about forty minutes for us to get settled in my bed with ramen and a thriller on the screen. I’d began scrolling on my phone when Blaze made me pause the movie so he could use the bathroom. An ad popped up on my phone.

“Welcome to Arranged Hearts—where destiny decides who you marry,” the woman on the screen explained. The ad was for an arranged marriage experience with a location in Downtown Houston. It was like the fates had put this ad in my line of sight as a sign to take a leap of faith.

“Blaze, look!” I tossed my phone at him when he emerged from the bathroom.

“What’s this?” He looked at the screen and raised a brow as the video played again.

“What if I signed up?” I asked after the video played.

“Are you sure? You’re still so young, Su.” Worry lines creased his forehead.

“It could be fun to find my perfect match,” I explained.

“That shit could be a complete scam,” he warned.

I shrugged. “If it is, then all I have to do is say no at the altar. I’m sure they have clauses and things in place to protect both parties.”

He smacked his lips. “You’ve already made up your mind, huh?”

“Yes.”

“I guess I ain’t got no choice but to do it with you,” he grumbled.

My eyes lit up. “See! This is why you’re my best friend. You’re going to always try something with me. I love you, loser.”

“I love you, too.”

Two weeks later

The room was cozy. Soft R&B played in the background from a pill shaped speaker as the woman sat in the seat across from me. A voice recorder sat between us on the small glass table as she crossed her legs at the ankle and offered me a gentle smile.

“Thank you for joining me this afternoon,” the woman began. “Welcome to Arranged Hearts—where destiny decides who you marry. My name is Lamya Montgomery, and I’ll be your interviewer,”

I gulped. What the hell am I doing at a matchmaking service? The question replayed through my mind the entire drive here, but I’d committed, and it was too late to turn around now—especially since they'd already received my service fee.

“I’m not a hundred percent sure why I decided to do this, but I’m happy to be here.” I rubbed my hands together as I picked at a loose thread on the bottom edge of my fleece jacket.

It was only a few days after my twenty-fifth birthday, so the weather hadn’t transitioned from winter to spring yet. In Houston, Texas, we’d probably see cold temperatures until the end of the month, or closer to April. As a Pisces, I enjoyed the cold temperatures during my birthday month. I liked to consider myself a cozy girl.

“Don’t worry. The process is smooth. I’m going to ask you a series of questions to get a feel for you and the type of partner you’re most compatible with,” Lamya explained.

“That’s what the tape recorder is for?”

“Correct. Most interviewers can jot down the answers, but I like to hear each response when I put your answers into the system.”

Lamya explained the history of Arranged Hearts and how there were locations all over the country. They’d been successful for many decades. She explicated how the Houston location has had a ninety-five percent success rate since opening, and then she explained the overall ninety-seven percent success rate of all the locations. I thought she was exaggerating, but then she showed me updates on over three dozen couples which put me at ease. They came highly recommended, so I'd trust their process—especially with the amount of money my best friend dropped to get me the interview. He said to think of it as an additional birthday gift.

“Wow…” I breathed. “I guess I’ll leave the fate of my relationship status up to y’all.”

“It can be a long process. Once we’ve submitted your answers into the system, our team will work diligently to find your perfect match. It can take days, weeks, or even months before we get a hit on your profile.”

“At least y’all are thorough.” The thought gave me a bit of comfort.

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