Chapter 4: Fate?

Silja POV

Mrs. Sinnett and Trina Mayer are by far two of the most difficult clients I have had in a while. By the time we were done, and I started showing proofs to them on the computer, they finally settled down.

“You were right about the second landscape for the dress. It lends beautifully to the Luna Ceremony theme.” Trina said.

“Thank you, Ms. Mayer. I’m so pleased you liked the idea and results. Would you like me to include any specific pictures from this set with the initial set?”

“Yes. I would like the first three from the second set.”

“Excellent choice, I agree with you.” I said.

After we finalized the details and she paid the first half of the payment, I told her I would have it delivered the day before her Luna Ceremony after the second half of the payment is received. She signed the agreement and left with Mrs. Sinnett, and I smiled at another satisfied customer.

A short while later my boss, Ebba, came in. She is a short lady with bob haircut. Her hair is white, but she doesn’t look a day over forty, even though she is almost sixty. She is wearing a bohemian skirt and top, with a chain belt around her waist and brown strappy sandals. She always looks so relaxed. I wish I could be that relaxed.

“Silja, my dahlin’. How did your first client go?” She asked me.

“Oh, it went great, Ebba! I even got her to buy photos from an impromptu second set.” I said, excitedly.

“Oh, that’s wonderful. Good job!” She said. “Tomorrow, we have a family portrait for a family of fours. It’s the Harrington’s. Usually, the kids are distracted and don’t focus long to take the picture. The kids are little sweet morsels of cuteness; however, their parents are a bit serious. So, use caution when dealing with them. If you can win the kids over, you will win the parents over.”

“Kids rule, parents drool. Got it.” I said with a chuckle.

Ebba chuckled as well. “Now, what do you have planned for the weekend?”

“Me? Oh, I was hoping to go home for the weekend and see my parents. I was planning to leave Friday night and be back by Sunday evening.” I said.

“Well, that is wonderful. Family is important. You know my son is recently single. If you would like me to introduce you to him, I would be glad to. I think you are a good girl and you two would hit it off.” She said.

I groan internally. I do not need to think about men right now. I especially don’t want to think about the boss’ son. “Ebba, I’m just not interested in dating right now. I want to grow my portfolio right now. When I’m ready, I will let you know.” I said.

She sighed, “Silja, take it from an old lady that waited a long time in life. When you find love, hold on tight and don’t let it go. Careers come and go. But it won’t be beside you when you breathe your last breath, but those who love you will be.”

I smile gently at her and hold her hands. “I understand. I promise if that day ever comes, I will be ready and receptive.”

After cleaning up and putting everything away, I called Romy and told her to meet me at my place for my proper breakdown. All day long, in the back of my mind, I was thinking about how I have been marked and mated by my own mate and I don’t even know who it is. All I have is a first name. It’s so common that it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack and that haystack is in a dark cave.

Romy comes over and she has pizza and ice cream. “I come bearing gifts as my apology for letting you get hooked up with Mr. Hottie with a body.”

I laughed. “Really, it’s okay. It was my own fault. I shouldn’t have started drinking with you. But there is something serious that happened.”

“Okay, let’s discuss over extra cheese and pepperoni.” She said.

I just looked at her and pulled my collar down.

“WHAT?!”

“Yeah. Pau said that guy is actually my mate. I don’t know who he is. Only that his name is David and he is rich. Not that it matters.”

“Not that it matters?! He is your mate! How did you not know this when you woke up?!”

Then we both said it at the same time, “Aconitum.”

I sighed, “Yeah. I’m not touching that stuff ever again. I lost my virginity to my mate, and it wasn’t even special. I don’t even remember it.”

“Or maybe he wasn’t memorable and that’s why you don’t remember it.” She said, trying to make him the problem and not me.

I laughed out loud. “That has to be it. He was so terrible in bed that I couldn’t remember anything special that he did. He must not know how to work it.”

Romy and I joked the entire night, but towards the end I settled down and became serious. “You know I wanted to save myself for my mate. It appears I did that. But I’m also not ready to settle down. I’m just starting to build my portfolio.”

“Yeah, but you are marked now, Silja. You know the Moon Goddess is going to make you cross paths again.”

“Perhaps it won’t be any time soon though. Maybe it will be prolonged.”

“You know better.” Romy said. “What do we learn in school about mates, huh? We learn that we appear in each other’s life when we are needed. Whoever Mr. Right was, he is going to need you, and you are going to need him. My guess is you will need him more than he will need you.”

“Is that right?” I said crossing my arms.

“Yeah, that’s right.” She said seriously and I know she is not kidding. “No offense, Silja, but you are way too innocent. The kind of innocent that people trick and scheme against. You may be independent, spirited and bright, but there is always someone around the corner that will try to snuff it out. David is rich. Remember he was sporting that black card and you woke up in a five-star penthouse. He is the kind of guy that wrestles with barracudas every day.”

“I guess we will have to see. I’m sure it’s not one sided though. I may need him, but I’m sure he is probably going to need me too.”