Miss Matched [COMPLETED]

28. Tayla

Two days later when I open the door to Aaron's car dealership, my heart pounds with nerves, and my palms are slick with uncertainty. Will Aaron talk to me? Should I be going to Simon instead? I've gone around in circles about the best way to tackle my Simon problem. When I replayed our conversation with Aaron at the party, some of his comments rang different bells on a second listen. I'm sure he knew about GameSetMatch. What else does he know?

His office door is open, and I peer around the edge, my knuckles skimming the outside of the door. "Aaron?"

He glances up from whatever paperwork he's organizing. The smile on his face slips a notch when he recognizes me. Not a good sign.

"Looking for a test drive?" Aaron asks.

"I already test drove the Simon model. He seemed like a good fit, but I'm worried he's a lemon." I shrug and gesture to the seat across from his desk. "Are you busy?"

"Not too busy for you." He places the papers to one side and gives me his undivided attention. "So, Simon, huh?"

I take a deep, steadying breath and run my hands along the arms of the chair. "You've known him a long time."

"Since high school."

"So, you're aware of everything that happened when we broke up and what he's been doing this time as well, right?" I'm convinced he knows a lot, but I'm not sure he'll be honest. How deep does his loyalty to Simon run?

Aaron rocks back in his leather chair and observes me for a beat. "What do you want to know?"

Everything he's willing to tell me. Where do I start? "Did you know Simon had been contact by GameSetMatch before?"

"Yes," Aaron says, his voice measured. "Si said you didn't give him much of a chance to explain—not that I blame you, he's an idiot."

I absorb Aaron's comment. "So, he's been matched before me, with Jada?"

Aaron's eyes narrow, and he purses his lips in thought. "I get why you're asking me these questions. He wasn't completely honest with you about the circumstances around GameSetMatch, but I really feel you should be talking to him."

"I can't be sure he'll tell me the truth."

"If you can't trust him, Tayla, how can you build a relationship with him?" He rocks forward and put his forearms on the smooth expanse of desk between us. "I can give you the straight up facts that I know, but I can't give you the 'why' behind any of it."

"I'll take the facts." I swallow and cross my arms. "I'm trying to figure out if there's even anything to salvage between us. Maybe there's nothing to build."

"All right," Aaron says, locking his gaze with mine. "You're ready? I'm not going to sugarcoat what's happened. No sparing your feelings."

Sounds like these revelations will be unpleasant. Okay. I can handle whatever he throws at me. I already think Simon is a shit, so how much worse can he get? I clasp my hands in my lap. "Give it to me."

"Four women have been matched with Simon over the last six years. All of them through GameSetMatch. Of the four, the only one he met willingly and enthusiastically was you."

"Wait, wait, wait." I hold up my hand and peer at Aaron. "Four matches?" They've given him four soulmates? How is that possible? The foundation of their brand, their company is their ability to find your one true partner. They match people in ways no other app can or does. Success is virtually guaranteed. Ninety-nine percent of their matches are a success. All their ads boast their stats like a badge of honor. How can they make those claims and give Simon Buchannan four matches?

"Yep." Aaron's face remains stoic.

This doesn't make any sense. "Why did he keep signing up for GameSetMatch if he didn't want to meet anyone?" When I went, the whole purpose was to find 'the one'.

Aaron holds up a finger. "That's a why question, but I also happen to know the factual answer. He never signed up for any of GameSetMatch's bullshit. They data mine other dating sites for their unwitting prospects."

"So, Simon didn't sign up for GameSetMatch when we were dating, but he was on another dating site?" I slump into my chair. That's no better. One way or another, he was searching for an out from our relationship right before proposing.

Aaron winces and sighs. "All right, I know the answer to this one too. But any other questions, you've gotta go talk to him. Deal?"

I give him a hard stare, prepared for the worst. "Deal."

"Eight years ago, on the same night you and Simon bumped into each other at the bar, I convinced him to sign up for a dating website. It was free, and he was having terrible luck finding a woman who fit with him. Women who wanted him? No problem. Someone he had a genuine connection with? Awful. So, while we were pre-drinking before the bar, I got him to create an account."

The implication Simon was having lots of hot sex when we met stings a little. It shouldn't, probably, but it does. I search Aaron's face, but nothing in his tone or expression make me think he's not being sincere. Was Simon the one who wanted a relationship or Aaron?

"When GameSetMatch came at him with Jada and her 'perfect score' nonsense, they mentioned the free dating website as evidence Simon was on the hunt for a girlfriend. I'm pretty sure Simon never even logged into the website after he met you."

"Seems convenient," I say, scanning for any hint he might be covering for Simon.

"I forgot I made him sign up for the dating website until he told me GameSetMatch was hounding him with some chick they pulled out of thin air for him. His perfect match."

"Simon must have believed their sales pitch at least a little, to break up with me. He must have bought into their soul matching service or some part of it to go from proposing to breaking up with me."

"That's a 'why' question, and definitely one I can't answer." Aaron fiddles with a pen on his desk. "Are you going to talk to him about any of this?"

I tuck one foot behind my knee and run a hand through my hair. "When he got the email from GameSetMatch, why wouldn't he just tell me the truth?"

"You mean that he'd been contacted three times before you? Look, I suggested he should tell you." Aaron's mouth twists, and he eyes me for a beat. "If he told you, straight up, right from the moment he walked into your vet clinic, would you have given him even one more minute of your time?"

A huff of impatience leaves me, and I cross my arms again. "He broke my heart, Aaron. What do you think?"

"I think a desperate man sometimes does desperate things." He taps his pen on the desk. "I also think it's about time someone took GameSetMatch down. As far as I can tell, they don't make matches, they ruin lives."

I purse my lips and ease my hands down my jeans. Exposing GameSetMatch might not be a bad idea. "Now that I'm moving to Scotland, I could definitely use my money back," I muse.

"Scotland," Aaron barks out, his face brimming with amusement. "I suppose putting an ocean between you and Simon is one way to solve your problem."

Did my move solve my problems? Not really. Whether I'm in Scotland or here in Michigan, my feelings for Simon aren't likely to go away quickly. As much as I'd like to snap my fingers and have them disappear, prior experience with heartbreak tells me that's unlikely. Although I understand Aaron's point, I can't help wishing Simon had been honest from the start or earlier or anytime before Jada showed up on his doorstep.

Loving Simon is exhausting.

"I'll talk to Simon. I'll get my money back from GameSetMatch." I take a deep breath. "And then I'll put an ocean between us."

Reads: 23664   Unique readers: 251 (highest so far)