The Perfect Match

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. Johnathan lit the other candle and blew out the match. Everything was going exactly as planned. Lydia was going to be so surprised! The little old cabin was a bit rustic, but it had everything he needed except a refrigerator, and vital to his weekend’s agenda – it was remote. It was imperative that there be no interruptions, not tonight. He glanced at his watch, ten minutes after eight. She’d be there any minute! To keep from pacing nervously, he performed a mental check to ensure he hadn’t missed anything. Tonight, had to go off without a hitch. Gourmet meal, check. Romantic candlelight, check. New Egyptian cotton sheets on the bed, check. Two bottles of Lydia’s favorite wine…ice chest…tr…Johnathan’s mental inventory was interrupted by the sound of tires on gravel. His pulse quickened as he quickly smoothed his freshly pressed blue button up, the one Lydia said made his eyes look bluer than the ocean. This was the night he’d been waiting for! Everything depended on tonight. Everything! There was no future for him without Lydia and he needed tonight to go his way. Jonathan took one deep breath to gather his courage and opened the door. Lydia had just gotten out of her Uber with her overnight bag and waved happily as she shouted from the driveway, “Hey Babe! You get tired of waiting?”

“Never!” Johnathan tried to sound warm and inviting but his stomach churned inside, and he hoped she couldn’t see the slight quiver he felt from his bottom lip.

As she ascended the small porch steps, Johnathan locked eyes for a moment with the Uber driver and they gave each other a curt nod of greeting before the car drove off. Lydia rushed to Johnathan’s arms and kissed him so deeply she almost made him lose his balance. He gently pulled away from her, “You must be famished. Come eat before the food gets cold”.

He made way for her to enter with a mock bow and mischievous grin. Lydia caught sight of the beautifully set table, large bouquet of roses, and flickering candlelight and turned to him with glistening eyes, “It’s perfect!” She practically purred at him.

“Oh, Johnathan! You’ve outdone yourself!”

He flashed her another mischievous grin to hide his mounting apprehension and pulled out a chair for her. As they enjoyed the meal, they engaged in awkward small talk as both were anxious about what the night would bring. Although they’d been dating for almost three months, they hadn’t been intimate. Johnathan had gone through the tragic death of his wife and insisted they take things slow. If she was being honest with herself, Lydia had been ready to have sex after the first week but didn’t want to push for fear he would think less of her. She’d been so delighted when the roguishly handsome forty-four-year-old approached her while she enjoyed her coffee and book at the Stay-a-while, the local coffee shop and bookstore. He’d actually asked if she read Keats! She didn’t think anyone, but lonely women and English teachers still read romantic poetry – surely no modern man would! But there he was, asking her about her favorite poet! It was more than serendipitous! It was fate! Johnathan was almost too good to be true! Yet here she was, with the sweetest, most attentive man and although he hadn’t voiced his love, she just knew he was in love too! Her heart fluttered with excitement in anticipation of what was certain to be the most pleasurable night of her life. She’d waited months to have extended quality time with him. It would all be worth it – she was going to marry him. She was going to be a doctor’s wife! His work as a resident was almost completed at the region’s largest healthcare system. He worked grueling hours. They’d actually only had one date night out. He’d taken her to a new restaurant in an adjacent city because she’d said she loved Italian. He was so exhausted after such long hours that they ordered in and watched a movie instead of going out. He worked so hard. She couldn’t remember a movie they’d started that didn’t end with him drifting off to sleep. This would be the weekend though. He would be all hers, no falling asleep tonight. She glanced up and smiled demurely. Lydia was certain tonight they would finally make love. Dare she might hope that he also planned on proposing? She studied him as he thoughtfully traced the rim of his wine glass with his left hand. He still had the faintest hint of the white line where his wedding band shielded him from the sun. Maybe it was too soon. What if she was just a distraction for a man in mourning? She quickly dismissed any gnawing doubt. His wife had a lengthy illness; he’d mourned her loss long before she’d passed. She’d told him she wanted him to find love again…Maybe Johnathan was going to ask her to move in. She liked that prospect too. She’d yet to see his place as he’d been most unfortunate in a series of setbacks with the contractor who was renovating his house. He’d wanted a fresh start and decided that would take more than a coat of paint. She would’ve lost her temper with the contractor weeks ago, but Johnathan assured her they were still on schedule. He fretted that the construction was unsafe for anything other than a quick tour and said he preferred time with her over checking to see if the paint was dry and the floors were down.

Johnathan rose from his chair and took her empty plate. “I take it the meal wasn’t to your liking?” he teased.

“Oh no. Not at all.” She flirted back shamelessly.

He took the dishes to the tiny sink and returned with dessert, Tiramisu, her favorite. “You remembered!”

Before sitting to enjoy his own dessert, he took their wine glasses to the small kitchenette and opened a second bottle of wine. “Of course, I remembered” he chided over his shoulder.

He returned a full glass to her and watched amusingly at her devour the delicious confection. She was so intent on getting to the final delight of the evening, she practically chugged her wine. Just as she finished the last swallow of wine, she realized he’d been watching her the whole time. She blushed and, in a ploy, to not seem desperate, she slowed her movements as she reached to blot her lips with her napkin. Having finished and being more than eager to retire to the bedroom, she grew irritated with his maddening slowness in savoring his dessert and wine. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he was purposefully stalling. Not wanting to cause any friction on such a glorious night, she decidedly enjoyed drinking in his beauty while he finished.

He was just bringing the last bite to his lips when Lydia felt her equilibrium shift. Becoming woozier by the second, she braced her hands on the table to stand. She had just enough time to push back from the table and rise then turn to him, “Darling, I’m a bit dizzy. I…” As she slipped from consciousness, she was faintly aware of his sinewy arms as they caught her.

Lydia opened her heavy eyelids and blinked hard, trying to focus. Upon trying to lift her hand to rub the haze from her eyes, she found herself completely incapable of movement. Frantically she struggled against the sheet that seemed to be pinning her so tightly to the mattress, she felt like she’d been shrink wrapped to it.

“What’s happening? What…” Although terribly alarmed, her voice seemed to her barely a whisper. Again, she tried to free herself only to realize she was thoroughly immobilized.

She’d been so distressed at waking to find herself restrained; she hadn’t noticed the two men talking softly across the room. Lydia turned and finally gaining some strength and gasped loudly in bewilderment. Her Johnathan was there along with the Uber driver.

“Lydia, I’m sorry darling. I really am. I know this isn’t the romantic weekend you were expecting.”

She whimpered out fearfully, “Johnathan, what’s going on? I don’t understand! You’re scaring me!”

He calmly strolled over and leaned down to brush her hair from her face. “You my dear, you are a perfect match. We’ve been looking for you for a very long time. Three long years as a matter of fact. Thousands of medical records…thousands… I’d almost lost hope. Then there you were, the perfect match! The most frustrating part was trying to figure out where you were and when you’d be there so I could meet you. Sweet Lydia. You are a perfect match, for my wife. We need your heart you see. We can’t keep gambling on the damned waitlist! Joseph here, he’s Joanne’s brother, he’s been practicing so we’d be ready. We need you. We’ve tried everything else. We can’t keep waiting…We need you now.”

“It will never work! You’re crazy!”

Joseph finally spoke, “Oh but it will work. Dr. Sebastian is an old friend of the family. He loves Joanne as much as we do. He'd do anything for her. He’ll do his part. This is already planned out; the paperwork is done…”

Lydia’s brow glistened with sweat as tried to free a hand, a foot, any part of her body.

Johnathan gazed intently at her. He seemed to be earnestly considering her distress. “I regret that we were unable to secure adequate anesthesia to keep you comfortable, but I assure you, as said, we’ve been practicing. It will all be over soon.”

Lydia trembled as great sobs racked her body. She hadn’t been able to loosen her bindings in the slightest and persisted to fight them in vain.

“It’s no use fighting. We used an old family restraining technique,” Joseph chuckled over his shoulder. He cruelly taunted her, “The sheet has been embroidered to the mattress! You’re literally sewn in!” This time Jonathan’s feigned regret broke, and his lips curled with evil glee.

Joseph turned and brought a tray of prepared surgical instruments sitting them atop the bedside table, crushing the single longed-stem red rose that lay there. Johnathan pulled out his handkerchief and tenderly dabbed at the tears wetting her cheeks. She tried to recoil from him and spit in vitriolic disgust. Her heart ached at the treachery of his betrayal. How could he be so vicious…I believed he loved me…he lured me…used me…they want to…to harvest me!

“I hate you!” She spat at him again.

His stare intensified, “I know. I don’t blame you. I know you don’t believe me, but I am sorry.”

Joseph took a pair of scissors from the tray and cut a flap open on the sheet to expose her bare skin.

Frenzied with panic she begged for her life, “Please! Please! No! You don’t have to do this!”

“Oh, but we do.” There was no emotion on Johnathan’s face or in his voice, only a grim finality. He nodded at Josheph, who promptly opened her chest.