Desire: The Arranged Hearts Series

1. Desire Chambries

“Mr. Harris,I know you’re a busy man, but this is the third time this week you’ve been late picking up Azaria.”

“Daddy,” Azaria sang as she ran to her father.

He picked her up and hugged her to his chest before kissing her forehead.

“Were you a good girl today?” he asked.

She nodded as she spoke. “Yes, Daddy. I good girl.”

“Good. Go get your things ready while I talk to your teacher.”

“Okay,” she responded as he placed her back on her feet.

“I apologize for being late. Things are busy at the office, and I lost track of time,” he said apologetically.

“Isn’t there someone on your staff who can pick her up or, at the least, remind you of the time?”

“My daughter isn’t their responsibility, Mrs. Chambries.”

“For the hundredth time, it’s Miss Chambries. While I appreciate your commitment to be fully present in your daughter’s life, everybody needs a little help.”

Aziel Harris was the mayor of Onyx City. Although I’d heard his personal life was messy, he appeared to be a great father.

“Maybe you can help me,” he suggested.

“And how could I do that?”

“I could pay you to take Ria home with you at the end of the day and pick her up from your house when I’m done working.”

“You’d trust me to do that?” I questioned.

He chuckled, and I admired his smile and beautiful white teeth. “I did an extensive background check on every employee before I enrolled my daughter. I trust you. Besides, it’ll give me a reason to see you more often and not on school grounds.”

His eyes took ownership of mine as he spoke, and I was mesmerized. For a moment, it felt like he was undressing me with his eyes, and I didn’t shy away from his gaze. He licked his lips, and my breath hitched as I watched his tongue slide over them. I imagined his tongue in places on my body that hadn’t been touched in a while, causing me to shiver.

“You good?” he asked with a sly smirk, pulling me out of my inappropriate thoughts about him.

Mayor Harris was too fine for his own good and knew it all too well. He wasn’t extremely tall, probably about six feet. His light bronze skin was smooth, and his Caesar cut and perfectly manicured beard made my panties wet. He continuously threw a smile my way, with glistening white teeth that were so straight I’d bet my last dime he had worn braces.

“Oh, umm, I’m fine. Why would you need to see me off school grounds?”

“You got a man?”

My eyes bucked at his question. This wasn’t the first time Mayor Harris had flirted with me, but he’d never been this forward. I ignored his question and returned to our initial topic.

“I’d have to speak with the school”s director about Azaria coming home with me before agreeing. She’s an angel, so I wouldn’t mind spending a little extra time with her when you need me.”

“It would help me a lot, and I caught how you dodged my question.”

“From what I see, you have plenty of women to keep you busy. I’m certainly not trying to become one of them.”

“Maybe I haven’t found the right woman.”

“I’ll talk to the director tomorrow,” I replied, ignoring his statement. “I, umm, I have an appointment to get to.”

He chuckled. “My bad. I hope I didn’t cause you to be late.”

I looked at my watch. I’d be cutting it close, but I should arrive right on time.

“No, I’ll be fine. Azaria, it’s time to go now,” I called out.

She’d been sitting at one of the tables coloring while I spoke with her father.

“Okay. I see you tomorrow,” she told me as she hugged my legs.

“You sure will.”

I lowered myself to her level and hugged her. Mayor Harris apologized a few more times as I walked them to the main entrance. Once they were gone, I quickly got my things and left the building as well.

As I headed to my destination, I called my twin sisters, Destinee and Dream, on three-way to tell them my plans. I expected them to be shocked, so I was prepared for their comments.

“I only told y’all because I had to tell somebody, but if y’all tell Mama and Daddy, forget I’m your sister. Don’t tell your husbands either.”

“What do you expect us to do?” Destinee asked.

“Exactly! This is crazy!” Dream exclaimed.

I should’ve followed my first instinct and not said a word about what I was doing, but my sisters were my best friends, and we told each other everything. When I saw the ad for Arranged Hearts, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I’d just been stood up for the third time and was sick of dating men who didn’t think I was worth their time.

“I’ve been careful with every decision I’ve made in all my thirty-five years. For once, I’m taking a chance.”

“First of all, stop with the lies. I recall you doing some pretty off-the-wall shit,” Destinee said.

“Right! Like dropping out of law school to become a preschool teacher without telling our parents,” Dream added.

“Yep, and that time you snuck off with—” Destinee began before I interrupted her.

“Okay, okay! I don’t need any reminders of my occasional poor decision-making.”

“It’s more than occasional, but go off, sis,” Dream said.

“Listen, I’m just going to the interview, and I can still back out if I want to, but I don’t think I will.”

“Of course, you won’t,” Destinee mumbled.

“After the interview, things will move very quickly. I didn’t want the news to come out of nowhere.”

“It’s still out of nowhere, but whatever. Call us when it’s over and tell us what we need to do,” Dream offered.

“Okay, and don’t tell?—”

“We won’t!” they shouted simultaneously before ending the call.

“They’d better not,” I mumbled as I turned into the parking lot of my destination.

After turning off my car, I took deep breaths to calm my nerves and gave myself a pep talk.

“It’s not that serious, Desire. Arranged Hearts is an extremely reputable company with a ninety-seven percent success rate. I’m sure all their clients are good, well-established, successful, attractive people. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Now, let’s go find a husband!”

“Hello,Desire. I’m Savannah Bryant, and this is my husband, Nathan. Thank you for coming in for an interview. We usually conduct this interview virtually, but we just happened to be in town.”

“No problem. It’s great to meet you both in person.”

We shook hands, and I followed them into a conference room. They sat beside each other on one side of the long table while I sat across from Savannah.

“The bottle of water is for you,” Savannah stated, referring to the water in front of me in the center of the table. “Is there anything else we can get for you before we start?”

“No, thank you. The water is fine.”

“Great. Based on the information you included in your profile, we already have a few potential matches for you. This interview will be the final deciding factor. Please answer each question honestly and provide as much detail as possible. Everything is being recorded on my laptop.”

“Okay.”

She pressed some keys on the laptop before picking up a notebook.

“Ready?” I nodded. “What are the most important values you look for in a partner?”

“I want a partner with integrity who is honest, loyal, kind, caring, and who respects and values my thoughts and opinions.”

“Do you have a preference for your partner”s education level or career path?”

“I don’t, as long as he’s comfortable with the path he’s chosen. I am well-educated, so he can’t be intimidated by my level of education.”

“What are two interests or hobbies that you enjoy most?”

“I love to read, and during school breaks, I love to binge-watch seasons of shows.”

“How important are physical attraction and chemistry to you in a relationship?”

“I may be shallow, but you said to be honest. If I don’t find a man physically attractive, I cannot connect on any other level.”

“Do you want children? If so, how many?”

“Yes, and I wanted at least four when I was younger. However, I’ll be getting a late start, so one or two is fine.”

“How do you feel about dating a man with a child or children?”

“I quit law school to become a preschool teacher. I love children and would love them as my own.”

The interview continued for about twenty more minutes. She asked about my interests, hobbies, beliefs, love languages, and more. It was a very thorough process, and I was confident they’d find a perfect match for me.

“That concludes the interview. The next time you hear from us, it will be to let you know we found a match and to tell you your wedding date.”

“Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you.”

The couple walked me out, and we shook hands again before saying goodbye. When I stepped out of the building, I released a breath I felt like I’d been holding during the whole interview. Once inside my car, I called my sisters.

“Are you married already?” Destinee asked as soon as the call connected.

“No, I’m not married, but hopefully, I will be soon.”

“You are truly certifiable,” Dream declared.

“Shut up!”

“She’s not wrong,” Destinee cosigned.

“That’s easy for you two to say. You both have been married for years and have families. The mindset of men these days is depressing. I know y’all have seen those podcast niggas who have nothing positive to say about Black women. It’ll take a miracle for me to find the right man in these conditions.”

“Oh my God, Desire! You act like you’re an old maid. You have plenty of—” Dream started.

“I don’t have plenty of time if that’s what you were going to say. My biological clock is ticking, and I don’t want to be a first-time mom in my forties. I always see them picking up their toddlers from preschool, and they look tired.”

Neither of them spoke for a minute, and I hoped they were digesting my words.

“I researched the company, and they seem really good at what they do. The couples” testimonials were very inspiring,” Destinee said.

“I told you they have a ninety-seven percent success rate.”

“I know, but I wanted to see for myself.”

“Yeah, I did a little research, too. I hope they find the perfect man for you, sis. You deserve it, even if this is a little unorthodox.”

“Thank you. Having your support means a lot.”

“Mama and Daddy are gon’ kill you when they find out, and we’ll be next when they find out we knew and didn’t tell them,” Dream said.

I was worried about how my parents would react when they found out, so I didn’t plan to tell them until the day before the wedding.

“Let me worry about that. I have to go. Love y’all.”

“Love you, too,” they replied in unison before the call ended.