Page 12 of Heat Me

Ragu was quiet for a moment, our eyes locked. The silence dragged on longer than I was comfortable with.

Finally, he said, "You worked here as a bodyguard during your college years, right? I can offer you that job again, in a limited capacity. Fairs only. It’s not too demanding since the fairs are only every two weeks and last a maximum of three days. Basically, six days of active work plus two extra days for setup and takedown."

"What’s the pay?"

"The same as it was back then, Storm. Don’t push it."

I sighed and nodded. It wasn’t bad. Back then, I’d been working the entire month at their old headquarters in the lobby—not just during the fairs. Now, doing only the fairs seemed pretty generous, all things considered.

But I made sure to keep my expression a bit sour still, like I was doing him a favor.

"Fine. Now, I want to dive into these cases right away. I need more than just a bodyguard gig to get by, though it’s better than nothing."

His face relaxed slightly, the tension easing away.

"Well, great! So—"

"Wait, there’s one more thing. My friend might need my assistance… you understand. For a few days, very soon," I said, giving him a meaningful look.

In ABO society, everyone knew what that meant—‘heat assistance.’ No need for further explanation. "So I’d need to work remotely."

He nodded. "Of course, that’s no problem. We can set you up with a company laptop that connects securely to our systems. You can handle the tasks online, go through the client database, and look for matches. You don’t have to be here in person for that."

"It’s still uncertain if he’ll need my assistance, but I’ll know for sure in the next few days."

"Anyway, it's Friday. If nothing clears up over the next two days, you can come in on Monday and report to HR. If you find out your friend really needs help, call this number." He slid a small business card across the desk. "It’s for our desktop support guy. He’ll arrange to get you a company laptop with secure access to the database."

I sighed in relief. I couldn’t let Damien down—I had to keep some window of opportunity open. Even if he already had another guy lined up, I wanted to be ready in case he changed his mind.

"Great, I’m glad we could work this out." I smiled, feeling lighter.

There was hope after all. I wouldn’t have to keep checking the assignment board, stressing over the next gig.

The dreaded Johansson case?

I’d be free of it.

The only one left was with the dog-man, and I could handle that.

As I stood up, I let out a long breath. Phew.

It wasn’t until I was leaving Mr. Ragu’s office that I realized just how much it had stressed me out. It was a weird mix of emotions. If both Ragus knew what my success as a matchmaker was really based on, they’d probably laugh their asses off. But I wasn’t planning to tell anyone—it was way too weird.

Toward the end of my relationship with my ex, I’d gone from being just an assistant to an actual matchmaker.

As things got worse between Tom and me—more strained every week—I buried myself in work. I spent hours searching databases and analyzing personality questionnaires.

But what really worked? Just staring at their photos.

Yes, that simple. When I looked into their eyes, sometimes I'd see a glow and feel the urge to look at another photo. Certain pictures seemed to be connected somehow. Some of them had this colorful hue; grayish for most, but more vivid for some. Shades of blue, green, red—it varied. When I compared two linked photos side by side, the colors would match. The intensity of those colors would differ depending on how compatible the people were.

The first time it happened was after a big fight with Tom. I’d locked myself in another room, scrolling through the database like a zombie. I was supposed to find a match for a picky omega, someone we’d promised a Half Mate at least. The list of candidates was long, and I didn’t even know where to start.

Then one photo caught my eye. I couldn’t look away. And it was weird—he wouldn’t have been my first choice. They seemed like opposites. The omega was a college graduate and a credit specialist at a bank, while this alpha was ten years older and worked as a plumber.

I grimaced, thinking it didn’t make sense. We usually matched people based on education or shared interests.

On a whim, I called the omega and suggested that he go on a blind date. I took a risk, didn’t provide any details about the plumber. Just said, "Trust me, I think you’ll like him." The alpha was attractive, at least, so I hoped that would cover me if anyone questioned my choice later.

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