Chapter 5
Chapter
Five
Max sat at his cluttered desk, typing vendor emails on a laptop while glancing at spreadsheets of festival logistics. A half empty mug of cold coffee sat beside him. His event planner mother had managed the Fate Mountain Beer Festival flawlessly for years, and now Max needed to prove the Bocks had chosen the right successor.
He flipped between screens, confirming vendor details in one window while checking supply chain updates on his phone. “We need at least two more food trucks... maybe a dessert vendor,” Max muttered.
The festival budget left little room for error. Every addition required cuts elsewhere, a balancing act that grew more complex as the event date approached. His siblings contributed their expertise, but final decisions fell to Max. He felt the pressure mounting, conscious that every misstep would reflect on the brewery and the family.
A sudden chime on his phone pulled Max’s attention away from the cost analysis spreadsheet. The mate.com icon flashed on his phone screen, an automatic notification he hadn’t expected. Excitement spiked through him as he read the pop-up banner: “Congratulations! We’ve found your fated mate.”
Max’s pulse spiked as he tapped the notification. He found the profile with the username “Hydro Girl.” But there was no photo, just a default avatar silhouette. He quickly scrolled through the description, reading about an environmental scientist who enjoyed hiking and discovering new places.
His inner grizzly stirred with unexpected intensity, whining and roaring with frustration. The bear recognized something. Max had learned to trust his bear’s instincts over the years, finding them unnervingly accurate in judging character and situations.
Without overthinking, he typed a brief, friendly introduction: “Hello from Fate Mountain. So, we’re fated mates. That’s wild, don’t you think? What’s it like being an environmental scientist? Max.”
He hit send before he could second-guess himself. Max stared at the screen for a moment before forcing his attention back to the festival logistics. The beer festival planning couldn’t wait, even though his inner bear was going crazy with excitement.
He returned to vendor emails, confirming participation from local artisans who would showcase their crafts. As he worked, he found himself glancing at his phone, hoping to see a response notification. His bear continued to pace within, unusually agitated by the lack of contact. He couldn’t ignore the pull of a perfect match, even as he tried to focus on work responsibilities.
The clock on the wall showed it was past midnight. The bar would close soon, the closing staff already beginning cleanup procedures in the taproom. Max grabbed his phone, checking the message thread again to confirm it had sent properly. The app showed his message had been delivered but not yet read. Disappointment settled in his stomach as he set the phone down and resumed work on the entertainment schedule.
The festival required live music throughout the event. Local bands had priority, supporting the community that supported the brewery. On a final check of mate.com before preparing to leave for the night, Max realized something had changed. When he tried to view “Hydro Girl’s” profile again, he found it no longer existed. An error message appeared instead: “This user is no longer available.”
The phone’s screen dimmed on the empty user page. He could hear staff saying final goodbyes to patrons in the taproom, chairs scraping against floors as tables were cleared for the night.
Disappointment knotted in his stomach with a sick certainty that he had just lost his mate forever. Max set the phone aside, slumped back in his chair, and closed his eyes. His head spun and nausea rose in his throat. His bear growled with frustration and loss, refusing to accept the abrupt ending. He tried to console himself. If she truly was the one, fate would have to find another way to bring them together.