I stare at the glowing heart logo pulsing back at me, equal parts terrified and intrigued.
“Okay, Uncle Cookie Claus,” I whisper. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
The screen starts loading…and loading.
It must have timed out at some point, or maybe I did, because the first thing I notice when I wake up is that my phone is buzzing.
The second thing? I fell asleep on the couch, covered in cookie crumbs, wearing my Flour Power apron. Again.
“Ugh. Adulting, thy name is carbs,” I mutter, rubbing sleep from my eyes and reaching for my phone.
At first, I assume it’s an order notification.
The holiday rush has been intense, and most mornings my inbox looks like Santa’s spam folder.
But then I see the Date to Mate logo flashing at the top of the screen.
A pink heart with white wings, pulsing like it’s alive.
My stomach flips.
I sit up, clearing my throat like I’m about to face a firing squad.
“Okay, Marigold. You did this. You signed up for this. You invited magical chaos into your life. You have no one to blame but yourself.”
I tap the notification.
Congratulations, Marigold Santos!
Your fated match has been found!
Ebenezer Rogers, CEO of Rogers & Reed Investments.
I blink.
Then I blink again.
“Ebenezer Rogers?” I read out loud just to be sure. “What kind of Dickensian fever dream is this?”
A quick Google search later and—yep.
There he is.
His face is—well, it’s nice.
Green eyes. Nice lips. Great suit. Dark hair with a streak of pure white on either side.
Ebenezer J. Rogers.
Financial prodigy. CEO. Multi-millionaire.
“Are you serious?” I ask whoever is listening.
The guy is a literal Wall Street Scrooge with cheekbones sharp enough to julienne vegetables.
“Oh, come on!” I groan, flopping back against the couch. “My magical soulmate is a finance bro? A man who probably uses words like synergy unironically?”
The phone dings again, this time with a text message.
