Kindle

  Illuminate Matchmaking, Book 3

  Elouise East

  Copyright © 2023 Elouise East

  KINDLE (ILLUMINATE MATCHMAKING SERIES, BOOK 3)

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, Elouise East. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the internet or by any other means, electronic or print, without premising from Elouise East.

  The unauthorised reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Please purchase only authorised electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights and livelihood is appreciated.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  All products and/or brand names mentioned are registered trademarks of their respective holders/companies.

  Publisher: Elouise East

  Cover Design: Teased by Antonette

  Editor: Abrianna Denae Proofreading

  Beta Readers: Emma Brown

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Books by Elouise East

  About Elouise East

  Kindle

  Good first appearances are crucial…

  Striking out with his own therapy business is Marcus’s dream. Getting clients to take a chance on him, however, is not as easy. So when his sister gives him a ticket to meet a prospective new client on a train to Edinburgh, he accepts. But when he finds out his “client” is actually supposed to be his date, he has to pivot - fast.

  Levi’s dream is to stay at home and hibernate. He doesn’t need to leave home to make money - being a voice actor gives him that. But he wants to share his life with someone, and to do that, he needs to find them. Not so easy. He signs up to Illuminate Matchmaking, hoping they’ll take the anxiety out of meeting someone new.

  It’s a shame his date doesn’t want to be there…

  A mistaken identity, MM matchmaking novella.

  Chapter 1

  Marcus

  Marcus Evans grabbed his bag that doubled as his suitcase and stuffed in the final paperwork he needed for the client meeting. He double-checked he had his wallet, keys and phone and raced down the stairs to his sister’s shout.

  “Marcus! Come on! You’re going to miss the train at this rate!”

  Who would’ve believed she was his younger sister?

  “I’m here. I’m here.”

  “Finally. You know better than leaving late when London traffic is involved,” Evelyn said, rolling her eyes.

  Marcus ignored her and locked his apartment, almost slipping on the steps as he followed her down to her car. “Fuck!” He raced back up the steps again, unlocked his door, grabbed his coat and relocked the door again. When he climbed into Evelyn’s car, she waited impatiently for him to secure his seatbelt.

  “Do you have everything you need?” she asked, taking her eyes off the road for a split second, which was far longer than he wanted her to. There were some things that he couldn’t deal with, especially after the accident.

  He pointed out of the windscreen and didn’t reply until she’d returned her gaze to their best position—the road. “I think so. I didn’t bother grabbing a spare set of clothes. I didn’t see the point.” He was usually more organised than he was that morning, but he’d woken up late and had been trying to catch up ever since.

  Evelyn sighed. “I do wish you’d listen to me occasionally. You have four hours in Edinburgh. Your feet will kill you by the time you’re done.”

  Marcus shrugged. “I’ll rest in a cafe or something. It’s not the end of the world. Or I could buy some trainers. I could do with a new pair, anyway.”

  “If you say so. Did you get an appointment with Harper Lewis?”

  Harper Lewis was a firm that dealt with people with therapy needs. If he could get on their books as a referral therapist, he might get some more business.

  “I have a phone call booked for tomorrow with them.”

  Evelyn grinned. “Sounds promising.”

  “It helps that Adam called them and recommended me.” He wished he hadn’t had to ask, but he needed some more clients if his therapy business was going to get off the ground.

  “Hey, don’t worry about using your contacts to help you get business. They wouldn’t think twice about doing the same to you if they needed it.”

  Marcus stared out of the window. “I know. Doesn’t make me feel any better about it.”

  “You remembered to cancel everything for today, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, Mother.” He huffed a laugh. “I swear you’re worse than Mum.”

  “She taught me well.” They laughed as she pulled into the train station drop-off point. “Have a good time, big bro.”

  “Let’s hope we get on well; otherwise, the journey will be very long,” Marcus said, climbing out of the car, gritting his teeth against the ever-present twinge in his back.

  “It’ll be great. Don’t forget to take loads of pictures.”

  “You should’ve booked yourself to come with me. I could use you as a PA and write it off as a business expense.”

  She laughed as he’d wanted her to and waved her hand. “Go. I’ll be here to pick you up tonight.”

  “Are you sure it’s not too late?” He slipped his coat on and grabbed his bag.

  “No, it’s fine. Besides, you don’t want to be paying for parking or a taxi. You could rent an apartment for a month at those prices.”

  “See you later, then.”

  He slammed the door shut and headed for the steps, following the directions to his platform. A few people were milling around, and others from different platforms were staring across at his, for some reason. He heard the announcement that his train was arriving at the platform and clenched his hand around his bag, fighting off a wave of nervousness. He met new clients all the time, but his sister had arranged this one. She said she thought they’d be a good match, but that he had business to attend in Edinburgh and had offered for Marcus to join him on the journey so they could see if they worked well together. Marcus had thought it a strange choice, but he hadn’t argued. He needed the business.

  His eyebrows raised when the train pulled in. It wasn’t a usual train. This was a higher standard all on its own. How much money did this guy have? More people had joined the platform, all standing alone and watching the others. Marcus could read people easily enough most of the time, and everyone seemed extremely nervous. But why? If they were going on the same train, they must know the man he was meeting. Either that or the man was some kind of mafia and had everyone scared to death of him. What had Evelyn put him in the middle of?

  Marcus watched as an older man with greying hair and a rounded belly climbed down from the train and stood by the open door. He glanced around at the other people waiting on the platform, noting their attention was on the same man. The air stilled when the man opened his mouth.

  “Welcome to Illuminate. My name is Don, and I will be the manager on board today. Please have your tickets ready.”

  Everyone appeared frozen for the time it took for one person to step forward, then several others followed. Marcus hesitated, then drifted towards the silent queue. This was the right train—his ticket said Illuminate on it. But what was Illuminate? Marcus wouldn’t complain about anything. He received an all-expenses-paid trip to Edinburgh, four hours touring the city, and the journey home just for meeting with the client. It looked like there were two carriages, so if they didn’t hit it off, he could always move seats and stay away from him.

  “Good morning.”

  Marcus jerked his gaze towards the voice, realising he had arrived at the open train door. He cleared his throat and stepped forward, holding out his ticket. “Good morning.”

  Don grasped the paper, the punch of the ticket machine—another thing that differed from other platforms—loud in the echoing station before handing it back. “Welcome. I hope you have an enlightening trip.”

  Frowning at the older man, Marcus glanced into the carriage, then back to Don. “Thank you.”

  As confused as ever, he boarded, drifting past the seats until he found his number. He settled himself into the large comfortable seat, sighing in relief at the release of pressure on his lower back. Every time he felt a twinge, it took him back to the fateful day of the car accident, and his mood plummeted. It had been far too many years, but it still tormented him.

  Grabbing his notebook and a pen from his bag, he set them on the table in front of him and stared out of the window as he collected his thoughts. Turning to a clean sheet, Marcus put pen to paper. His hand flew across the page, expelling his tumultuous thoughts. He passionately believed if he asked his patients to do certain exercises, he needed to understand the benefits and limitations of them, and therefore, he completed them himse
lf when he needed to.

  His internal musings—although they could be interpreted as external now they were on paper—were interrupted by a softly spoken greeting.

  Marcus lifted his gaze to a man who slid across the seat to sit opposite him. The large, blue chairs seemed to tower over the guy whose gaze flickered from Marcus to their surroundings, to the table and back again, all through the curtain of his hair. Translating body language was a must in his profession, and it was an automatic reaction when meeting someone new. This guy was tense. His hands fidgeted with the zip of his jacket, his shoulders were hunched, and if the vibration along the table was any indication, his knee bounced repeatedly. Uncomfortable was a pale imitation of what this guy was throwing out.

  “Hi.” Marcus held out his hand. “I’m Marcus Evans.”

  The guy hesitated, then gripped Marcus’s hand in a soft, but not limp, handshake. “Levi Campbell.” Pulling his hand back, he speared his fingers through his chin-length auburn hair, tucking it behind his ear.

  “Nice to meet you, Mr Campbell.”

  What did Levi need help with? It was glaringly obvious that Levi had confidence issues, but was it the reason he was searching for a therapist?

  “Good morning.” Don’s voice came through a speaker built into the edge of their table. “We are ready to leave the station. Once the train gets underway, the stewards will be around to take your drink orders. Lunch will be served at noon, and we estimate arriving in Edinburgh at two o’clock, barring any delays. I will always be available should you need anything, and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask a steward to find me. Enjoy your journey.”

  Everything about this carriage screamed wealth. He, once more, considered why the client had given him this trip when the client—Levi—might not even sign up for his business. Shaking his head, he returned his attention to Levi. “So, Mr Campbell. What—”

  “Levi, please.” Levi peered at Marcus through his—once again—curtained face, the strands having fallen forward when he’d dropped his gaze to his lap. He shifted in his seat, dropping his gaze again.

  “Okay. Levi.” The man was truly uncomfortable. Marcus needed to relax him before he’d be able to get any details from him. “Well, let me give you a bit of information about myself. I’ve been dealing with clients with a variety of mental and emotional issues for around thirteen years now. I began within the hospital environment when I initially qualified before moving on to being part of a private clinic. Recently, I decided to branch out on my own, and here I am. I have plenty of references, should they be needed.”

  Levi shook his head, a crease forming between his eyebrows.

  “I—”

  A man in a white shirt with dark grey trousers and a waistcoat paused at the end of their table. “Good morning. My name is Simon, and I will be your steward today. Could I ask what drinks you would prefer?”

  “Oh…um, tea would be great, please. Levi?” Marcus studied him, noting the shaking of his hands as he twined his fingers together.

  “A glass of water, please.”

  “Very good. I will bring your drinks over shortly.” Marcus turned a smile to Simon before he moved to the next table.

  Levi’s bashful tone caused Marcus’s stomach to flutter, and he glanced out of the window, squashing his Daddy response back into its box. It wasn’t welcome in his meeting with clients. That was the worst way to start a business relationship. Internally shaking himself, Marcus focused back on Levi.

  “Okay. What do you hope to achieve with our sessions, Levi? What’s your ultimate goal?”

  Levi lifted his chin, staring at Marcus with a puckered brow, the little creases making Levi appear older. Marcus had no idea how old he was, so that observation wasn’t much help. There was a lot of information his sister hadn’t provided—as in, nothing at all.

  “Sessions?”

  The soft, hesitant word had alarm bells ringing. Marcus’s stomach dropped. “Yeah, I thought we were meeting to see if you were interested in my services?” Marcus tried to interpret the expressions flashing across Levi’s face, but they were going too fast for him to get a grip on them, despite having years of experience.

  “What?”

  Marcus had a sinking feeling he was on the wrong train or in the wrong seat. He glanced around them, seven other couples sitting as he and Levi were. He waved to gain Simon’s attention, watching as he hurried over.

  “Yes, sir?”

  Marcus pulled out his ticket. “Am I on the right train?”

  Simon perused the ticket, nodding. “Yes, sir. Illuminate train to Edinburgh.”

  “Am I in the right seat?”

  Simon frowned. “Yes, sir. Marcus Evans and Levi Campbell.”

  Marcus glanced between Simon and Levi, completely baffled. “What exactly is Illuminate?”

  ****

  Chapter 2

  Levi

  Levi audibly inhaled. “You didn’t want to be here.”

  The pain in his chest intensified, and he could feel his heart rate increasing. He needed to keep calm because he couldn’t have a panic attack here.

  “Where is here? What’s going on?” Marcus said.

  Simon flashed Levi a look of pity, and Levi turned away, hiding behind his hair and staring out of the window. Why couldn’t he catch a break? It was taking everything in him to stay in his seat and not hide in the bathroom.

  “This is a train for people who have arranged for matchmaking services provided by Illuminate Matchmaking.”

  “Matchmaking?” Marcus’s voice sounded far away, and Levi bit down on his lip to keep himself together.

  “Yes, sir,” Simon said.

  Marcus groaned. “I’ll kill my sister. Thank you, Simon.”

  “My pleasure, sir.”

  Levi couldn’t help sniffing as his nose started to run, even though he had control over his tears for the moment.

  “Levi, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know anything about this. My sister must have set this up.”

  Levi’s heart broke, and he covered his face with his hands, trying to make himself as small as he could. It had taken him months to pluck up the courage to sign up for Illuminate Matchmaking. When he’d finally clicked the submit button, he’d had a panic attack, wishing he could unclick it. Spending the following two days wallowing in self-pity, unable to work and knowing with certainty that Illuminate would not be able to make a match with him, he had isolated himself at home.

  His best friend and personal assistant, Helena, who had come by to make sure he was still alive after not hearing from him for so long, saved him from his internal battle. Once he’d explained what he’d done, she had whooped with joy and hugged the breath from him. She and his sister, Amelia, had also spent the ensuing days alternating between calming him down and building up his confidence, which was a usual day in the life of Levi Campbell.

  When he’d received an email from Illuminate stating they had accepted him and had found a match for him, he had re-read the email so many times, the words were imprinted on his eyelids. A mixture of emotions coursed through his body, far too many for him to name.

  In the run-up to the train journey, Levi had been a mess. He hardly slept, twitched when he had to sit in one place for any length of time and continually fidgeted. His work was delayed because he was easily distracted. Luckily, knowing his emotions varied on a day-to-day basis, he always ensured the work he agreed to had a long turnover date.

  He inhaled. “It’s okay. You don’t have to stay. There are other carriages to travel in.” His voice would be muffled by his hands, but he tucked himself closer into the corner by the window, not wanting to face the expression undoubtedly present on Marcus’s face.

  He heard some ruffling and peered through a gap in his fingers. Marcus’s jaw was tight, and he stuffed his papers into his bag. Levi’s stomach dropped, and he covered his face again, trying not to feel like it was his fault this had happened. It was Marcus’s sister’s fault. How had she even signed Marcus up without him knowing? Surely Illuminate had some way of knowing it hadn’t been him signing up. It was a good job he didn’t know about Levi’s little tendencies because that would’ve made things even more embarrassing.