Page 60 of Heat Me

The silence stretched on. Star didn’t move, his sharp eyes fixed on my face, waiting.

"Unfortunately, this is the only proposal we have at the moment," I barely pushed it out, lowering my gaze.

"Then get ready to pay a fine. Not only have I not received a single pairing, but now you’re trying to force me to participate in an open fair when I specifically stated I didn’t want that."

With clenched eyelids, I managed to blurt out, "There’s also a general company policy you accepted, separate from the contract you signed. It includes a clause stating that if we can’t find another pairing, the last resort is an open auction combined with a fair."

I pulled out my tablet and showed him the policy in question on the screen.

Star’s lips twitched slightly in a grimace of anger and irritation. His mask wasn’t indestructible, after all.

"So my signature means nothing?"

"The signature is on the main contract. You first filled out the form on our website, where you selected the option not to participate in an open auction or fair. But the form wasn’t legally binding—it was just a questionnaire to gather preferences. When you created your profile, you accepted our general terms of use, which include this clause." I pointed to the paragraph in question. "It applies in situations where a pairing doesn’t work out," I explained robotically, the words barely making it past my lips. I knew how unfair it sounded, forcing him into this no-choice situation.

"Even in the main signed contract, there’s a paragraph explaining that every client must have a valid profile on our site—even if it’s publicly hidden, as in your case. And to create that profile, accepting the general policy is mandatory."

Star sighed angrily. It was the only time I saw any stronger emotion on his face, though even then, it barely cracked his icy mask.

"It’s really audacious of you to pressure me into a no-deny situation! Is this some example of fine print trickery? Deceiving customers into signing unfair contracts?"

I sighed. "At this point, there’s not much I can about it. You need to participate in the fair to fulfill your obligations. However, if you still can’t find a pairing there, your obligations to our company will end, and you’ll be entitled to compensation. If you don’t show up, the company could appeal, and then you’d get nothing."

I could see he wasn’t convinced, but he glanced down at the tablet screen, then back at me.

"Alright. I’ll go to that damn fair! But I assure you, I’ll leave your company the worst reviews imaginable. If you had issues with accepting my preferences, you should’ve told me instead of luring me in with promises of great pairings!"

I felt foolish because, first of all, he was absolutely right. Second, I wasn’t the one who made those promises. Mr. Ragu had really gone overboard with his sales pitch.

"Please… accept my apologies," I stammered. "I’ve only been working on your case for three days. I was just put in charge of these matters. I’m sorry you were treated this way, but I had no say in how the contract was written."

"Yeah, I’m in customer service myself, so I get it. It’s not your fault. But unfortunately, the people who work in these types of services have to deal with all the complaints. It’s just part of the gig. Still, the company really fucked me over. I was promised plenty of pairings to choose from, but I haven’t seen a single one in almost six months. And now this? Humiliation is exactly what I wanted to avoid."

I felt for the guy. The company had truly let him down. But I promised myself to do everything in my power to find him his perfect mate.

"I’m sorry about that. Fate’s Choice ran those crazy promo ad campaigns back then. Not to make excuses, but you know how it is with young companies—they tend to be overly optimistic."

Star clenched his jaw and stood up, signaling the end of the meeting.

"We’re done here. You should be with your omega instead of running around meeting clients. Some people don’t have anyone waiting for them at home, you know," he said, his tone vaguely hostile, but his words hit me hard.

"Ain’t that the truth," I murmured, nodding as I gathered my things. "I’m sorry again for how this turned out."

As I headed for the door, Star followed.

Before leaving, I paused for a moment. What he said about ‘someone waiting at home’ lingered in my mind, exposing a glimpse of his deepest wish and vulnerability. Even if he presented himself as a literal frozen icicle, I was certain there was more to him.

So, I added, "Best of luck at the fair, Star. I’ve got a good feeling about it. My intuition is usually spot on—I think you’ll find someone special there. Trust me, it has worked before. Please, keep your hopes up."

His eyes, before appearing so aloof, seemed different up close as we stood in the narrow hallway. They weren’t hostile anymore, but rather… simply guarded.

My well-wishes were genuine, I wholeheartedly wanted him to find someone who could appreciate his beauty and look beyond his past.

Star glanced away and gave a slow nod.

"Alright, I’ll be there."

"I’ll be there too, keeping an eye out for potential matches and sending them your way," I said, shifting to a more professional tone.

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