Juliette

It was only when she got into the car and drove out into the warm dusky night that she let out a long breath. After months of dates with weirdoes, morons and men old enough to be her grandfather, this had been her last go at dating ever. She had not expected to walk in to Maxim’s to find her blind date had the most handsome face atop a body that would make a nun blush. If Sacha could have built a perfect man for Juliette, this would be him. He was tall, at least six feet and had hair that sat just a little too messy to be a businessman but not long enough to be a rocker. It brushed over his ears with a flick to the front that just covered one eye. It was the eyes that really got her. Piercing green eyes, precisely the colour of freshly mown grass had peered back at her when she asked if he was Richard. He wore jeans and a casual shirt, not at all she was expecting from the description she had been given of him. She’d been told he was the owner of an architectural firm and so she’d expected him to turn up in a business suit. His shirt wasn’t tight but it was hard not to notice the firm pecs underneath. It was almost a shame that he had the same problem as she had... It was the only explanation that she could think of that he was single because he was way too hot not to be otherwise.

Dating had all been her best friend Laura’s idea, but after two months of the most dull dates at one end of the spectrum and horrific ones at the other, she’d all but decided that being on her own was preferable. She’d been on her own since college when she’d split up with her boyfriend Jake and she’d gotten used to it. Laura had badgered her many times over the years but it was only when she was asked to be the bridesmaid at Laura’s wedding and she saw how happy Laura and Tom were that she realised just how much she was missing out on. Any woman over the age of thirty was considered ancient by Hollywood standards and she was already nearly thirty one. A relic in Hollywood terms. So she’d gone on blind dates set up by friends and friends of friends and hated every minute of all of them. When she met Paul the producer and he asked her to star in some weird kinky porno he was producing, she knew her dating days were over. That was until Laura passed her the card for The Hollywood Dating Agency. At the time, she’d argued that it sounded sleazy and that they wouldn’t be able to find a match with her particular affliction, but Laura had already set her up with an appointment with Sacha so she decided to give it one last go.

She remembered walking up to a non descript but nevertheless exclusive apartment block in Beverly Hills just three days earlier with nothing but a card with the name Sacha and the address written on it. A doorman smiled as she walked through the front door and pressed the elevator button to the top floor.

The elevator opened to a trendy reception area with a stunning young woman at a desk. Bunches of flowers of every colour and type filled vase after vase on the reception desk. They were the only colour in the all white room.

“How can I help you?” asked the bronzed beauty. In any other city she would have been working as a supermodel but here in LA, surrounded by stunning women, she was a lowly receptionist.

“I’m here to see Sacha,” Juliette replied timidly, feeling completely out of place in her unfashionable day dress and overshadowed by the beauty in front of her. “My name is Juliette Dixon.”

“Sacha is expecting you,” the beauty smiled. “Go right in.”

Juliette followed the woman’s gaze to an unmarked door. Taking a deep breath, she walked towards it and knocked.

“Come in.” If voices were food, the one belonging to Sacha would be Caramel, mused Juliette as she opened the door to find another stunning woman with an even more stunning view over the city out of floor to ceiling windows.

“Take a seat.” Sacha motioned to a large comfortable seat, which Juliette took.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to help me,” Juliette said, feeling completely out of place. The stunning Sacha with her perfectly straight black hair and slim-fitted blouse showing off perfectly pert breasts leaned forward in her chair, steepling her fingers together as she did.

“I’ve been running this agency for fifteen years and I’ve not had an unhappy customer yet. In a world of internet dating and office place hook ups, we offer a complete matching service that guarantees complete compatibility.”

Juliette found it hard to believe that they could guarantee something so complicated as love but then again she couldn’t believe that Sacha was old enough to have run the agency for fifteen years. She looked to be in her early twenties.

“I have a thing,” replied Juliette, squirming in her seat as she said it. Only two people knew her problem. One was Jake who learned it the hard way and the other was Laura, and even then it had taken three years of friendship and an inordinate amount of vodka to finally spill her deepest darkest secret.

“Laura has already told me of your issue. No need to worry. If I can set up an aging actor with crippling arthritis and an even more crippling gambling problem, I’m sure I can find a partner for you. I’ve never not managed it yet.”

“Did it work out though, for the old actor, I mean?”

“They got married last spring. Last I heard, his lovely new wife was expecting twins and he’d given up going to casinos.”

It all sounded impressive but Juliette was still surprised when she received a phone call the very next day from Sacha telling her she not only had a date but he shared the same problem as her.

When she finally made it home after her date, the first thing she did was call Laura. It was late, but she knew her friend would be waiting by the phone to hear all the juicy details.

“So, what was he like?” asked her friend as soon as she picked up the phone.

“I think I’ve just had a date with the hottest guy on the planet. Sexy doesn’t even cover it.”

“Wow. It’s almost a shame.”

“Don’t be like that, Laura. I still have eyes. Just because I can’t have sex doesn’t mean I can’t find people sexy.”

“And he’s ok with this?”

“Of course. Sacha told me he wanted a non sexual relationship too.”

“I wonder what his problem is. Maybe his dick was torn off by a jealous lover.”

“That’s gross. Trust you to bring the conversation down. Plenty of people want to have committed loving relationships without the sex part.”

“Yeah and some are just kinky perverts that pretend that just so they can get you to star in some weird virgin porno.”

“Urgh. Don’t remind me.”

“I’d find out what his story is sooner rather than later because if he’s as sexy as you say he is, then there must be some weird reason he’s not into putting out.”

Juliette hated to agree with her, but she was right. She’d been so caught up in how wonderful he was, that she’d not even thought about why he didn’t want sex.