Club Endless Fantasy (Haremworld)

“She’ll have a nice red wine. Just bring the bottle—the best one you have.” Angelina smiled towards the waiter.

“Absolutely, I’ll be right back.” He nodded and did a quick turn on his heels before darting towards the kitchen.

Waste your money if you want, Angelina. It doesn’t impress me.

“So, about your date with Joaquin.” Angelina tilted her head to the side, completely ignoring my rant.

“Why?” I glared at her and exhaled sharply. “Why can’t you just take no for an answer and go help someone else find their Infinite Fantasy, or whatever you call it?”

“I knew when I first met you that there was something special about you. This is your journey.” Angelina scoffed and tilted her head in the opposite direction. “You went on the date with Joaquin, right?”

“Yes.” I tightened my jaw and nodded.

“Then you felt it.” She nodded and reached for her drink. “You felt that… connection—a need that is almost spiritual.”

Fuck, I didn’t even know how to put that feeling into words, but that’s exactly how I felt.

“So what if I did?” I sighed and shook my head. “It’s too complicated.”

“No, it isn’t. Trust me. I’m guiding you on your journey and Joaquin is just one part of it. That feeling you felt—that’s it. That’s the power of two people who were destined to be together finally finding each other.” She leaned forward and put her hand on mine. “Don’t run from this. You’re so close to seeing I’m right.”

“It was a good date.” I looked down at her hand and sighed again.

The kiss we shared is burned into my soul—there’s no way to deny that.

I stared at Angelina, feeling like I was locked in a battle of wills with the meddling blonde woman. It would have been so much easier to just get up and leave if I hadn’t alre

ady seen the result of her matchmaking with Harmony. That love, even if it was a strange relationship with multiple men, was the realest thing I had ever seen. I didn’t even understand it completely until Joaquin kissed me. I was feeling the connection Angelina mentioned—the need that was almost spiritual. It set me on fire when I felt Joaquin’s lips. My silent stare was interrupted by the waiter who brought over my glass of wine. I wasn’t really in the mood for a drink, but I couldn’t resist an aged red that was probably more expensive than my rent.

“What if I just want to feel that with Joaquin? What if that’s what I truly need—just one guy.” I softened my tone and sipped the wine.

Holy hell, that is like ambrosia in my mouth.

“It’s not.” Angelina shook her head back and forth. “It’s what you need right now, and the two of you would probably be happy for a time, but those missing pieces would eventually start to haunt you.”

“I don’t understand how all of this works. You’ve got a computer algorithm, right? How does that predict destiny—fate? I mean, how does it find the right person with flawless accuracy?” My curiosity finally took over, and I was right back in Angelina’s game, despite my efforts to resist it.

“It depends on what you believe. The concept of soulmates has been around since ancient times. There are mentions of it in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. They believed souls were split when human beings were created by the gods, and people would wander forever trying to reunite with their other half.” Angelina shrugged and sipped her drink. “Some modern philosophers, like Ralph Waldo Emerson, believed it was just some sort of chemical affinity. He even believed it went further than love—and defined true friendship as well.”

“That still doesn’t explain how the algorithm works.” I narrowed my eyes and shook my head.

“It’s complicated, but just think about the world we live in. There are very few secrets that we keep completely to ourselves. People seek out others like them. It’s just human nature. In the digital age, we share everything. Did you know the poem you wrote in fourth grade is still on a computer server somewhere? The algorithm does.” Angelina smirked and nodded.

“I’m pretty sure that was about hating carrots.” I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. “What does that have to do with finding my supposed soulmate?”

“With enough information, you can build a profile for anyone. Likes, dislikes, even secret kinks you might not even realize exist within you.” Angelina shrugged and sipped her drink. “Things you say—things that are left unsaid. All of it goes into the algorithm.”

“But with Harmony, she had a connection to all three of the guys you hooked her up with. I had never even met Joaquin before I walked into Hal’s Pub.” I leaned back in my chair. “I certainly don’t have anyone from my past that I want to rekindle a relationship with.”

“You say that was your first meeting, but are you sure? What if you passed him on the street a hundred times since you moved to Chicago? Would you have even known?” Angelina raised her eyebrows inquisitively.

“I mean, no—I guess not.” I couldn’t help but admit she was right.

“The algorithm learns things and it evolves in time. After building a number of profiles, one thing has really stuck out to me. People that are meant to be together are naturally drawn to each other.” Angelina nodded and smiled.

Our discussion was interrupted by our waiter again and it was time to order our food. Once the order was placed, Angelina continued explaining her theory about soulmates and the natural connection that was shared. I wasn’t entirely convinced, but I could see the passion in her eyes as she talked about it. She might have been a meddler, but she genuinely believed every word she said. She also told me about other success stories from her time in New York running Club Infinite Fantasy. It was hard not to feel a little intrigued, and I felt my resistance to what she was offering slowly fading as she talked about all the happiness people found at the end of their journey towards their Infinite Fantasy.

“I can’t deny that it’s fascinating…” I sighed and let my words drift off.