Page 1 of The Partner Predicament

Chapter One

Aspen

Since I can remember, I have wanted to find the perfect Partner. Someone who will love and cherish me. Appreciate me for who I am. When I first tested positive to be fertile, I was ecstatic.

I knew that some of the girls who ended up at the House of Fertility were unhappy. They didn’t want to be here. Some wished they could be more than a fertile woman. There were some who worried about their future, but I am not one of them. I trust the system. I know that the Proving Law was put in place to help save humanity from dying.

I know in my heart that I will be partnered with the correct person and that my future will be exactly what it is meant to be. And today I find out if all the faith I have held in my heart was worth it. Today, I leave the House of Fertility to meet my Partner.

“Aspen,” my Keeper calls out as she enters the room.

Her gaze travels over the immaculate space. I never have anything lying around. My bed is made, and my bookshelf is perfectly organized. I work especially hard at being the perfect woman. Early on I learned to cook and clean for my family, and later brought that over to the House of Fertility. I have never wanted anything as much as I want a husband and a family.

“There you are,” she says and smiles. “Perfect as usual.”

I smile in return before rising from my seat. “Is it time?” I beam at my Keeper.

“Yes, Aspen,” she says. “We are leaving shortly. Do you have everything you wish to take with you?”

I lift the small bag to my shoulder before following behind her. There isn’t much inside—my diary, a photo of my family, and my sketchbook. I don’t need much else. Outside a blue car is waiting to take us to the place I will call home and the man I will call my Partner.

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Mason

Sitting behind the massive mahogany desk in my home office, I don’t have the faintest idea why I have agreed to this farce. I don’t want or need a partner in my home. I am perfectly content living on my own.

Perhaps it is seeing my friend Skye and her men all living together in blissful happiness that has me thinking I could have something similar. Maybe it’s because I grew accustomed to having someone around in the short months that she was staying here.

But as the time draws near for my Partner to arrive from the House of Fertility, my nerves grow more frayed by the minute. I read through the questionnaire she has filled out a million times and every time I grow more and more nervous. There is so little personal information:

Full Name: Aspen Green

Date of Birth: 3 May 2021

Age: 18

Hair color: Black

Eye color: Green

Measurements: Chest: 40; Waist: 28.5; Hips: 38.5; Height: 5 ft. 2; Weight: 119 lbs.

Hobbies: Cooking and reading

Dislikes: Cats

What do I know about eighteen-year-old girls? I am twice her age! What will she think when she meets me for the first time? The law doesn’t allow for her to return to the House of Fertility of her own volition, but I could send her back if I wanted to. I know she’s here because she was matched to me. After all, we stand the highest chance of procreating. But a thought occurs to me. Perhaps we don’t need to have sex. Maybe we can just live companionably together.

I don’t have time to ponder any more of the reasons why this isn’t a good idea or how to get myself out of this stupid situation, as I hear a car in my driveway. She is here. I have no choice but to welcome her into my home and see what happens. Striding outside the house, I wait for her to emerge from the car.

Chapter Two

Aspen

“Are you nervous?” my Keeper asks quietly.

A wide smile spreads across my face before I answer her. “No. But I am excited.”

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