Winnie sounded baffled, but kept her professional customer service voice equipped. "You provided it." She paused. "Well, except your age. We found that out from a quick background search."
I bolted upright and paced my bedroom. "Okay, wait. Just... hang on. Why are you performing background searches on me? What is this call even about?"
Sensing my confused frustration, Winnie explained in a gentle, friendly voice. "So, a few weeks ago, you submitted your name and contact info for an opportunity to enter the Dragonfate Games, a televised dating experience."
My brain felt scrambled. Dragonfate Games? Televised dating experience?
I rubbed my temples. How could I tell this woman I wasn't interested in whatever she was selling without sounding like a dickhead?
"I don't want to be on some reality TV show," I said in a strained voice. "I don't evenowna TV. And I never submitted my name and contact—"
I froze.
That wasn't true. Ihadsubmitted my name and contact info to entersomething.Except I’d been tricked into thinking it was a quilting sweepstakes, not a gods-damned reality dating show.
I ground my teeth and hissed. "Muzo."
"Sorry?" Winnie asked.
I couldn't vent at this poor woman who was just doing her job. I huffed. "Look, this has all been a big misunderstanding. My idiotic friend told me I was entering a quilting contest, not... whatever this is."
Winnie's nails clacked against the keyboard. "What's the name of this idiotic friend?"
"Muzo."
"Is that a Muzo Zavala?"
I frowned deeper. "Yes. How'd you know?"
"He's also been accepted to enter the Dragonfate Games! That means the two of you will share food, lodging, the whole experience. Only one contestant can win, so for the one who goes home, it's basically an extended paid vacation. We also deal with contacting your workplaces to assure time off, and set up transportation services—all complimentary, of course."
My head spun. None of what she said felt real.
"Is this a scam?" I asked bluntly.
Winnie laughed. "No, but I can see why you'd think that, Mr. Chalchin! It's not often this kind of opportunity happens to people."
I sat back down on my bed, feeling winded. "Do you, like, want money from me?"
She laughed casually. "Nope. Like I said, we pay for the whole experience. All you have to do is show up—and maybe fall in love."
I ignored the second half of her sentence. "Who iswe?"
"The dragon brothers of Chromatimaeus Island. I'm just their secretary. They're the ones who organized this event."
That hit me like a freight train. I nearly dropped my phone.
"Dragon brothers...?" I murmured. "But dragons aren't real."
There was a hint of sympathy in Winnie's voice as she chuckled. "They're super real, Mr. Chalchin. They pay my bills." She giggled. "If you accept the offer, you'll meet them in the flesh."
I couldn't believe it.
Dragons.
Dragons were real—and they organized a fucking reality TV dating show?
I fought the urge to tell Winnie that this all sounded like a load of crap. As much as I didn't want to believe her, I did. It was too ridiculous to be a lie.
