Sienna & Jacob: A Bioexpa Match Read online

  Sienna & Jacob: A Bioexpa Match

  Copyright © 2015 Thayer King

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Prologue

  February 2100

  The waiting room walls were a stark white. Above his head and on the wall opposite were picture panels at least seventy-two inches wide that displayed tranquil ocean scenes of water lapping at beach shores. Jakob House wondered briefly if they were being piped in live or if they were recorded video footage. To his left was a bank of silver elevators. On the right there was a window that spanned the entire wall and filled the space with light. Outside blue skies and a few puffy clouds filled the view. In front of the window was a large semicircular desk. The surface was clear and slanted on an angle toward the receptionist. Her hands moved deftly over the glass desktop, opening and closing files on her computer.

  Jakob returned his attention to the tablet in his hands. He’d already sent the extensive contract to his lawyer for review. Though the document was almost two hundred pages, he’d been informed that it was the standard Bioexpa Data Match contract. It was thorough and airtight but completely legal.

  His hand trembled as he placed it over the tablet to scan his palm print. The print was more binding than a signature and could not be duplicated by anyone else in the world. He reminded himself that he was doing this for Ella. She wouldn’t consent to be his wife unless they were paired by Bioexpa.

  The far reaching success of Bioexpa was amazing. Bioexpa Data Match was much more than a matchmaking firm. They were renowned for their happy and lasting marriages in a time when divorce had become rampant. In the relatively short time the company had existed, they had so ingrained themselves into society that getting married without being matched by Bioexpa was as taboo as intending to marry a blood relative.

  Jakob’s misgivings about completing his registration went beyond any wariness he harbored about giving the matchmaking service permission to invade his privacy. He couldn’t help the nervous turn of his stomach that told him this was a mistake. There was no guarantee that they would be matched and they had no plan in place if that possibility came to pass. Ella seemed so confident that their relationship would receive the Bioexpa stamp of approval. But then, Ella had a tendency to ignore any unpleasant details that ran counter to her wants and desires. Each time he’d broached the possibility, she’d brushed aside his concerns or become angry. However, he was a born planner. Ignoring facts was impossible for him. The entire situation was enough to make him break out in hives.

  Jakob looked around at the other occupants and realized that he was the oldest registrant in the room. Most people registered at eighteen. Eleven years ago when he’d graduated from high school, his only thoughts had been of his career. Marriage hadn’t been on his radar. Across from him were three boys, each holding a tablet computer. A pretty blonde girl to his right conferred with her mother.

  Having procrastinated long enough, he rose and approached the receptionist’s desk. The nametag on her silver jumpsuit declared her name to be Sarah. Her hair was short, spiky and dyed a blinding white. She smiled as he approached. Jakob handed her the tablet. She glanced at it briefly. “Thank you, Mr. House. You may now fill out our questionnaire. That can take some time. If you need to break for lunch or complete it at another time, please let me know. After the questionnaire, there will be your physical, during which they will need samples of your blood, saliva, and sperm. Following that, they will schedule an appointment for a psych evaluation.”

  Jakob flinched. “What? Why would you need my sperm? Or my blood and saliva for that matter?” He tried to keep his voice low, but he felt certain that he was on the edge of hysteria.

  “We use it for pheromone testing. It was explained in the contract.” She smiled, seemingly unfazed by his near panic. “Don’t worry. We won’t use it for disreputable purposes such as cloning.”

  He frowned. If that was supposed to be reassuring, it wasn’t. But it wasn’t as if he had much choice in this matter. He’d already placed his palm on the contract. They had the right to delve into his financial records and his criminal history. A few fluids…he suppressed a cringe…didn’t get much more invasive than that. Resigned, he nodded his acceptance.

  She pointed at a hallway to her right. “You may fill out your questionnaire in the first room to the right. Go through the white double doors. You may sit at any available desk. To log in to the questionnaire, simply place your hand on the surface so that it might be scanned.”

  Feeling more trepidation by the minute, he followed her directions. Pushing through the white doors, he found another white box of a room. This one had rows and rows of glass surface desks. A Bioexpa employee wandered the room assisting those who needed help.

  Jakob sat in the last row in the seat closest to the door. Placing his hand on the surface activated the computer. “Welcome, Jakob” flashed on the screen before the questionnaire opened automatically. The first questions were basic. He confirmed data about his age, birthdate, and job status. He expected the questions about what he was looking for in a woman. He hoped he was describing Ella, but he wasn’t sure. They didn’t ask him about his physical preferences for a mate. He knew he wanted someone who was kind and supportive. That he should be sexually attracted to that person was a given. When he got to the questions about what he liked sexually, he could feel himself blushing. He glanced around the room. It was fairly full. He wondered how many of these young kids could answer these questions with any degree of accuracy. He’d lost his virginity at fifteen, but if someone asked him what he wanted at eighteen he would have been flummoxed. Even now he didn’t feel like he was getting everything he wanted from Ella. But he’d committed to her and overall, he was satisfied with their love life.

  After a few more explicit questions, he felt himself sweating. He might need to take a break so as to prevent his face from becoming permanently red. As the Bioexpa employee passed by his area, he had to resist the urge to cover the screen from her—which was ridiculous considering that she’d probably seen this questionnaire thousands of times.

  Taking a deep breath, he powered through the remainder of the questionnaire. When he stood, the employee approached him. She wore the same silver suit as Sarah, but she filled it out better with a curvaceous figure that was hard to ignore. Jakob’s eyes dropped to her nametag and quickly away lest she think she was ogling her breasts. Gemma smiled at him. “If you’d like to come back for the testing later, that will be fine. I know the questionnaire can be stressful for some.”

  “No. I’d like to just get this over with.”

  Her smile dimmed, but she nodded. “Mr. House, if you’re having doubts, perhaps it would be best if you took some time-”

  “No. I’m sure,” he said firmly. He’d promised Ella he would do this and he didn’t give promises lightly.

  “Okay. Then you’ll want to go back through the waiting room and take the elevator up to the next floor. Congratulations and good luck.”

  The congratulations were a bit premature in his case. He wouldn’t know true peace until he and Ella had been matched.

  Chapter One

  May 2100

  Ella rolled her eyes and emitted an impatient sigh. “Did we have to bring them? They’re like children.”

  Jakob glanced from his bristling girlfriend to his sister Mika and her best friend Sienna. Their mom and Sienna’s mom had sent them out on a last minute errand to pick up a few forgotten items for their families’ joint Memor
ial Day cookout. Partners in a bakery, Sienna and Mika had gotten distracted in the baking aisle. They kept picking up boxes, reading the descriptions, and then placing them back on the shelf.

  “I’ll try to hurry them along.”

  “You do that. I’ll be on the cosmetics aisle.”

  Jakob approached the two women. They were so absorbed in their task, they didn’t even notice him. He plucked a box of muffin mix out of Mika’s hand. “These don’t look like the spices, napkins or plastic forks our moms were demanding.”

  Sienna grinned up at him, flashing a row of tiny perfect white teeth. “Hey, we have to keep an eye on baking trends. How else are we supposed to keep our edge?”

  The dazzling smile against her warm sienna skin—she was aptly named—had him losing his train of thought. Earlier this afternoon in his parents’ backyard was the first time he’d seen her in years despite the fact that she lived with her parents’ in the home next door. The intervening years had been ridiculously kind to her. At twenty-seven, the same age as Mika, she was closer to thirty, yet with her thick black hair pulled up in a high ponytail on the back of her head, she could pass for a senior in high school.

  Mika used his inattention to snatch the box back. “We’re seeking inspiration here. But we multi-tasked,” she said with a gesture at their shopping cart. They’d already picked up all the items on the list and added a few extras. “Where’s her majesty?”

  “Mika,” he said in a warning tone. His sister did not like Ella. Unfortunately, the feeling was mutual. Being caught in the middle was giving him a stress headache. “She’s trying okay. She thought you guys were slacking off so she’s browsing the makeup aisle.”

  “She’s already wearing a ton of makeup. Is she aware that it’s ninety degrees in the shade today?”

  Jakob shrugged his shoulders, growing tired of having to defend his girlfriend. When they were on the road together, they didn’t have this many issues. But whenever he brought her home, it was drama every time he was around family and old friends. Since he was retiring from professional tennis and the plan was to settle near his parents, he’d hoped this trip would be better. “You guys are wearing makeup,” he pointed out.

  Mika’s dark brown eyes, so like his own, flashed with irritation. “Don’t you dare compare my mascara and lip gloss to the arsenal of foundations and powders she’s sporting.”

  “And I’m not wearing makeup,” Sienna said casually.

  Jakob stared at her. He leaned closer. “You’re kidding?” Her skin was flawless. He cupped her jaw and ran a thumb over her cheek. Last year at this time, his skin would have been darker than hers, but four months off had lessened his tan. Her lashes were long, lush and curved upward toward arched eyebrows. She had a cute small nose and sexy plump lips that reminded him of the early twenty-first century actress, Angelina Jolie. Mika’s snort of laughter brought him back to himself and he realized what he’d done. Touching her face was a very intimate gesture. He allowed his hand to drop. Sienna looked bemused, but thankfully not offended. He cleared his throat. “Um—”

  “We’ve got everything so we can head home as soon as Ella joins us,” Mika said, saving him any further embarrassment. She waved him off. “Go fetch her.”

  “Jake, I’m begging you. Let’s go to a hotel tonight. I won’t feel comfortable…you know, here under your parent’s roof.”

  Jakob looked around. Ella had purposely cornered him under a tree away from everyone. His mom and Sienna’s mom were arranging flatware and napkins on a long table while their fathers hovered around the grill drinking cold beers. He’d been home for only two days and admittedly being in his old bedroom wasn’t the most romantic situation, but he didn’t think a few days without sex would bother her. She’d never seemed all that excited about the prospect of it. Ella liked to set a scene of seduction with herself as the featured star. At first, he’d been flattered that she would go through so much work to seduce him. Their first night together, she’d transformed her bedroom into a harem. Her scenes were fun, but he’d soon learned that Ella enjoyed being the center of attention more than the actual act of sex. She didn’t want him to mess up her makeup or her hair. To that end, she often demanded to be on top. He didn’t object because, hey, sex was sex. It was a small matter and if it made her happy, then he was willing to do it her way.

  “Ella, I came home to spend some time with my family before buying a house.”

  “Maybe I should go back to New York to be with my family until we decide where to settle.”

  He frowned. “I thought we’d decided.” Greenville, North Carolina was small in comparison to New York City, but she’d said she’d give it a chance for him. The plan was to buy a house here. They could travel. And hopefully in a few months they would marry.

  She lowered her eyes. “We still haven’t been matched yet.”

  Jakob ran a hand over his short curls. He’d registered with the matchmaking company Bioexpa three months ago to satisfy Ella. He didn’t really feel that they needed anyone’s approval to get married. He’d been making the important decisions in his life since he turned eighteen. Taboo or not, he would marry Ella tomorrow if she’d consent to it. They’d been dating for eleven months, but he’d only allowed it to become serious when he’d retired. Once he’d made the decision to retire, he’d become eager to move on to the next phase of his life.

  Even if he didn’t agree with it, Jakob understood her need to be matched. Bioexpa was created seventy years ago. The initial reaction to the company was somewhat skeptical. The company used biology, personality, and experience to match couples. Registering wasn’t for the faint of heart. Having recently registered, the horror of it was still fresh in his mind. The questionnaire was hundreds of questions long and extremely personal. The contract they signed was even longer. After registering, computers constantly monitored the lives of registrants. Unrepentant criminals and those with abusive personalities were never matched. While their approach to matchmaking was new, most had believed it only to be a gimmick.

  After the first ten years and each decade since, the company had released their numbers. Their success rate of matching happy couples was an astonishing ninety-nine point nine percent. Now, it was the way sensible people married. Marrying without being matched was the height of lunacy. Most people registered right out of high school, though the average age of being matched was twenty-five.

  At eighteen, he’d been focused on his future. Per his parents’ request, it was college first and then tennis. He’d finished college and gone straight into professional tennis. Since the tennis season was year round, he was on the road from one tournament to the next most times. He hadn’t wanted to put someone he loved through that. So he hadn’t registered. Ella was his first serious relationship since college. He was ready to settle down and start a family.

  “It’ll happen, Ella.” He held her hand in his. “It just takes time.”

  ***

  “I just know she’s talking him into moving somewhere far away,” Mika complained. “I don’t know what he sees in her.”

  Sienna sipped her tea. Where they sat at the picnic table gave them a perfect view of Jakob and Ella talking beneath a big weeping willow. Jakob was tall, an inch or two above six feet, and just as handsome as she recalled him being from high school. She was two years his junior. Her family had just moved to Greenville so she’d known Jakob only a year before he left for college. She hadn’t seen him much since he’d graduated from college but she’d talked to him occasionally when he’d called the bakery to talk to Mika.

  She swung her gaze to Ella. She was a delicate, pale brunette with big green eyes. “She’s very pretty,” Sienna said.

  Mika snorted. “She’s a snooty, condescending bitch. I’ve been praying that they aren’t matched by Bioexpa.”

  Sienna felt a twinge of alarm at the thought of them being matched also. She silently chastised herself for being ridiculous. As a s
illy teen, she’d had a crush on Jakob. All the girls did. He was gorgeous with big, deep brown eyes that just made you want to cuddle him and thick curls that made a woman’s fingers itch to caress them. But Jakob was more than just a cute boy. He was also kind. Yet she never had a chance with him. He was older and she hadn’t wanted to jeopardize her friendship with Mika.

  She thought back to how he’d touched her face in the grocery store. It had been nothing but an absentminded gesture on his part, but she’d wanted to lean into the stroke of his thumb. She’d wanted him to touch her lips, her neck, and lower. Such simple contact shouldn’t have affected her so deeply.

  “Mika, maybe if you get to know her better, you’ll like her.”

  “Humph!” She leaned in to whisper. “Mom and Dad don’t like her either.”

  “You’re exaggerating. Your parents have been very polite.”

  Mika rolled her eyes. “When aren’t they? It’s called hospitality. It doesn’t mean they like her. She—” Mika broke off with a strangled sound, her eyes widening. Mutely, she pointed a finger at the middle of the yard.

  Not one, but two Bioexpa drones were circling overhead in a figure eight dance and gradually descending to crowd level. The drones emitted a series of chimes that were strangely similar to a wedding march. Everyone froze in a state of nervous anticipation.

  “No, no, no,” Mika chanted as one of the drones broke free and headed straight for where Jakob stood beneath the willow. As they watched he extended his hand and a blue beam of light shot out of the bottom of the circular silver disk. “Oh, no,” Mika moaned. “This can’t be happening.”

  Ella watched the process with rapt attention. The drone was saying something in its electronic voice but, despite the fact that everyone had gone whisper quiet, they couldn’t discern the words from their location.