Soul Mates by Jeane Watier Read Free Book Online Page B

who’s everything that Nick wasn’t.”
    “Okay, you want a poor, dumb, unsophisticated slob who won’t cheat on you,” Tanisha teased. “Maybe the guy at your aunt’s apartment would qualify after all.”
    “Definitely not!” Cassandra shuddered at the outrageous suggestion. Having recounted the incident to her best friend, they’d laughed about it. She wasn’t as angry as she had been. Still, she hoped she’d never see him again. “I think I’m giving myself tangible examples of what I don’t want in a relationship, so I’ll know more clearly what I do want and be able to recognize it when it comes along.”
    “Or maybe it’s one of those situations where the guy is the exact opposite of what you think you want, and he turns out to be your dream come true,” Tanisha suggested.
    “You watch too many movies.”
    “I wonder what he’d be like under different circumstances,” her friend mused. “What if you met him at a bar or nightclub? Is he good looking? How tall is he?”
    “For starters, we’d never go to the same clubs.” Cassandra was getting annoyed with the teasing. She didn’t know why the guy irritated her so much. It was unusual for someone to affect her in such a negative way, especially someone she’d only met twice. “And good looking? I really don’t know. His personality was unattractive; I guess I assumed his physical appearance was too.” She tried to recall what he looked like, wanting evidence to support her assumption. She found none. The image that came to mind was a pleasant-looking man about her age, and that annoyed her even further. “It doesn’t matter, anyway,” she added defensively. “I’ll be happy never to see him again.”
    “You’re going to Port Hayden again this weekend. You’ll be visiting your aunt,” Tanisha continued teasing. “Maybe the fates are setting you two up.”
    “I don’t believe in fate,” Cassandra replied curtly, putting a stop to the conversation by signaling their server to bring the check. She needed to put the experience behind her, lock it away somewhere. The very thought of him perturbed her. It bothered her much more than she’d expected. She felt violated in a way she didn’t understand. Whether it was him or merely people like him that put her on the defensive, she wasn’t sure. Whether she saw him as a threat to herself or to her aunt, she couldn’t tell. It was a big, indiscernible knot of emotion, and it didn’t feel good.
    In the days to follow she tried to erase him from her mind, but his image remained. The image was connected not only to thoughts of her aunt but to the inexplicable knowing that something big was about to happen in her life.
    AS JACE RETURNED home from work, he noticed a car parked in front of his building. Shiny black and gleaming in the sun, it looked as though it had just been driven off the showroom floor. He admired it as he walked past. It was the exact vehicle he’d buy if he had the money.
    Not lingering to dream, he went up to his apartment and began making dinner. He turned on the TV and was enjoying his meal when he heard a knock on his door. He opened it to find Sophie with her coat on, her purse on one arm and a grin on her face.
    “I wonder if you’d mind driving me to the market. I need to pick up a few items.”
    “I…um…” Jace hesitated as questions filled his mind. Is she expecting me to take her in my car? He hadn’t told her it wasn’t running. Moreover, he was surprised she would make that assumption. Does she expect me to be available whenever she needs me? He wondered if he’d made a mistake agreeing to be her driver.
    His thoughts came to a halt as she pulled a set of keys from her purse and handed them to him. Staring at the distinctive “H” on the key, he responded awkwardly. “That new Accord…it’s yours? I mean…you got a car already?”
    “I bought it today. I asked Peter to get me one that wasn’t too big,” she smiled in her sweet way. “It