It was a difficult business, match making, but Bella Michaels had always had a flair for love, she had even gone so far as to open her own business, Flirting with Disaster, but this was probably the most difficult case she had ever come across.
"I'm not asking for much." The man said, his expression grim.
"Not asking for much?! You call all of this "not much"?" Bella pointed at the computer screen. "Then maybe you should have your eyes checked!"
"There's no reason to become hostile, I'm just looking for a woman who is as close to the criteria as possible."
"There is no one out there like this!"
"Of course there is." It infuriated her that he was so sure.
Bella sighed and rested her head in her hands, this was probably the most difficult case she had ever come across but Seto Kaiba was not a man to cross and there was a substantial amount of money involved. She had no idea where she would find a woman that conformed to his ideals, what he was asking for was someone just as cold and calculated as himself. Bella lifted her head and peered at the screen again, carefully reading each and every thing he had written onto his Match Application, a woman who is moderately well off, no children, a well paying job and who didn't ask a lot of questions. From the start she had gotten the feeling that he wanted a trophy wife, someone to show off but not gain a deep appreciation or love for.
She had no idea what the hell she was going to do.
"Mr. Kaiba, I'm not saying that it can't be done, I'm saying that there is no one in my database left who matches your criteria."
"Your guarantee states that you could find me a date with a month or my money back, it's been two weeks and you've only set me up on four dates."
"That's more than I have ever had set up for any of my clients, that and you're not my only client! Besides, what the hell was wrong with all those other women?"
"They were too cold."
"That's what you asked for!"
Kaiba remained silent, he glared at her intently. "Madam, if you cannot find me the right woman in the next week, I will be taking my money and leaving."
Bella returned the glare. "You can take it now for all I care!"
"No." he started to stand. "I will give you one more week. Good day, Ms. Michaels."
"Bye." She said curtly.
Bella didn't look up from the computer screen as he picked up his briefcase, lifted himself from the deep cushioned Queen Anne chair and walked out of her office, leaving the door wide open as he left. One whole week to find him a woman. Somehow, now, the task looked incredibly daunting, where once she had been optimistic, now she was doubting everything.
"Bella?" Tea Gardener stuck her head through the opening in the door.
"Yea?" she said, grumbling slightly.
"Was that who I think it was?"
"Yea."
Tea seemed to see that she was upset. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes…. No….. not really."
"Did he do something to upset you?"
"No, he's just..."
"What?"
Bella hesitated, it wasn't company policy to tell other people about her cases. "He wants me to find him a date."
Bella looked when Tea didn't answer. "What?"
Her face was red and she had placed one hand over her mouth. "What?"
A second later Tea burst into laughter, she seemed to shake with force of them bursting from her chest, Bella cocked her head to the left and stared at the brunette. "What the hell is so fucking funny?"
"Kaiba….wants….date?" she said in between bouts of giggles.
"Yea, what's the problem with that?"
"I can see why you're having so much trouble!"
"Why?"
"Because Kaiba is a jerk!"
"He's kinda cold but I don't think that he's a jerk." Bella said, trying to reason with the girl.
"No…" another bout of laughter. "You should talk to my friend Yugi, he's had to deal with him before."
Bella frowned and sighed again. "Don't you have work to do?"
"Yes, ma'am." Tea mock saluted her and exited.
Bella returned to her state of frustration only now it was mixed with just a little confusion, was Tea really being fair by saying that? She decided it wasn't the time to be worrying about it and returned to her computer screen, there was a picture of Kaiba, looking dark and intense with icy blue eyes that seemed to pierce like glass shards. She stared at the picture for a moment, she wondered why he had come to her, obviously with his good looks and with the money he was making from Kaiba Corp he didn't really need a match- making business to find a date for him. It confused her.
Below his picture was a list of qualities that Kaiba wanted and notes that Bella herself had written about Kaiba, just as she had guessed from his online application he was very different from many of the men who had applied at Flirting with Disaster. He seemed to be absorbed in his work all the time, not making time for the other things in life, he also seemed to be cooler towards people, almost anti-social, and made his dates out to be more like business meetings. Who could love someone like that? Bella rammed one hand through her long brown hair as she continued to read, sorting out her thoughts when the phone rang.
"What?" she growled.
"Whoa, relax, it's just me." Her sister, Cassie's voice was a welcome distraction.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Just wondering how you're doing."
"Fine, just concentrating on a particularly interesting case."
"Which one?"
"None of your business."
Cassie laughed. "Oh… THAT one."
"What one?"
"The one you've been stressing over for like two weeks."
"I am not stressing." Bella said, more to try to convince herself. "Can we not talk
about this right now?"
"Yea, hey I was wondering if you wanted to go to lunch with me."
"Sure, I need something to get my mind off work. Mind if I invite someone?"
"Yea sure."
"I'll see you in ten at the diner."
"You got it."
Cassie hung up and Bella stood, she needed some time away from this case and
from work, it was long past time she took a break.
"Tea, I'm going to lunch, you coming?"
"Yea, sure let me get my jacket."
Bella exited her office locking the door behind her, there in the doorway Tea
stood, a smile plastered across her mouth, she found this strange but didn't remark upon it. Outside she saw a group of people standing in front of the door.