6. Annie
I may have gone a little overboard. At first, all I wanted to do was fix the elastic on the broken wing. Sure, I could have fastened it with hot glue or duct tape, but sewing it would be more secure.
So, I did that. No problem.
But the silly things were so plain they were ugly. I only meant to use a little spray glue and dust the edges with silver glitter, but the nozzle on the glue was clogged and forced the spray sideways, leaving a streak of glue down the center of one wing.
So, I added a few scraps of lace I had laying around in order to cover the glue marks.
Now it was off balance. What kind of Cupid walked around with asymmetrical wings? More lace followed on the other wing to match. A few ribbons. A whole lot more glitter.
Hand-sewing the crystal beads in heart patterns everywhere was probably excessive.
When I tried them on, I was satisfied. They hung from my shoulders like airy clouds sparkling with raindrops. I spun around and did a little dance in front of the mirror, then spent the rest of the evening in front of the television in my pajamas and wings eating ice cream and watching Meg Ryan movies. By the end of You’ve Got Mail, my back hurt from leaning forward the whole time to keep the wings from getting crushed against the back of the couch.
That didn’t stop me from watching Kate and Leopold before I took the wings off and went to bed.
I dozed off smiling, thinking how confused someone might be if they’d walked in and saw nobody in the room while the remote kept moving around on the coffee table.
Since I had the next two days off, I was going to spread as much love in the world as I could.
~*~
I worried at first that I wouldn’t be able to figure out the blowgun. Turns out, it had its own sort of magic. Either that or I was a natural at it.
After a quick breakfast, I put on my shiny new wings and took a walk around the apartment complex. To my surprise, the invisibility thing came with a bonus ability to walk through walls and doors. My first stop was down the hall at the corner apartment on my floor. I poked my head inside to make sure nobody was naked, then glided through to the living room.
Daisy, a pretty, chatty blonde, sat at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal. She was dressed in her pink Pancake Factory uniform and reading a book. A moment later, her roommate Dwight walked into the room, crossed in front of me, and poured himself a cup of coffee. He grunted a good morning at her, and she grunted back without looking up from her book.
Rather than join her at the table, he dropped onto the couch and checked out his phone while he sipped his coffee.
The two had been roommates since I’d moved in two years ago. I’d always thought they’d be perfect together, but nothing had happened in all the time I’d known them. All traditional matchmaking attempts had failed.
“Hold still, big guy. I’m about to shake up your world.” I took aim at the eagle tattooed on Dwight’s dark brown, muscled bicep and blew out my first dart.
To my surprise, he jumped and slapped at his arm. “Ow.”
Daisy looked up from her book. “What’s wrong?”
He shrugged and rubbed his arm. “Dunno. I thought a bug bit me or something.”
“Oh.” She glanced back at her book, then looked at him again. “Are you working the night shift at the factory tonight?”
He stared at her for a moment before answering. “Yeah. I’m covering for Jeff.”
“Okay.” She took a bite of cereal. “I’ll be quiet tomorrow so you can sleep.” She returned to her book.
Dwight sat unmoving on the sofa, gazing at her. I scooted past him, took aim at Daisy, and blew.
This time, knowing I’d hit Dwight pretty hard, I held back and blew with less enthusiasm and force. The dart struck her thigh beneath the hem of her polyester skirt. She gave the spot an absent-minded scratch and turned the page. I put away the blowgun and stepped out of the way.
A page later, she stopped reading, placed her book on the table and faced Dwight. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because.” He shifted his gaze to the floor, then back to her face. “Because you’re so pretty.”
Daisy blushed. “You shouldn’t say that. We agreed.”
Dwight rose from the couch and took a step toward her. “But it’s true. I don’t want to pretend it’s not. And…” He trailed off, his smile widening. “And I don’t want to pretend that I don’t want to kiss you, either.”
Daisy gasped. “We agreed no romantic entanglements. What if…” Daisy strode toward him, and he met her halfway.
It only took a few steps from each of them. The apartments in my building were tiny.
When they met in the middle, their lips touched first, then hands and arms locked around shoulders and waists in a mass of parts making one person. My breath caught at how sudden the darts had worked and at how beautiful the roommates looked together.
A smug smile crept onto my face. “I knew you two were perfect for each other.” I turned and left, not wanting to intrude on new love. “I’m so good at this.”
My next stop was down on the first floor. I had to wait awhile for Mrs. Browning and Mr. Kingston to come out of their apartments at the same time, but eventually, they had to take their dogs for a walk. That was partly because I’d been teasing the dogs separately, trying to get them riled up.
Both people were in their late seventies and had lost their spouses to cancer years before. I often wondered why they hadn’t automatically fallen in love, since they had similar stories, were approximately the same age, and both had nervous, long-haired chihuahuas as companions.
When they appeared at their doors, I shot them both, one after the other. A few shy smiles later, they were heading out the door together holding hands.
Being a Cupid was the best job I’d ever had. Even if it wasn’t really my job.
Every match I made in my apartment complex gave me a thrill of delight. But eventually, I ran out of people I could match. At least for the moment.
But I knew one match that absolutely had to be made.
I grinned to myself as I packed up my wings and headed for my car. “Don’t you worry, Michelle. I’ve got your back.”
Stuart would never see it coming.
~*~
When I arrived, I slipped through the front door and darted into the public restroom before Stuart realized I was there. The lobby was fairly empty, and I didn’t think anyone else saw me, either.
In the ladies’ room, I pulled the string that held the wings in their hamburger shape, and they popped open. The added ribbons and lace had been risky, but they hadn’t added enough bulk to keep the contraption from folding up. Folding them, however, did loosen the glitter, and I left a trail of silver on the bathroom floor.
I shoved my arms through the elastic and got myself situated. A peek in the mirror confirmed my invisibility. “Here I come, Stuart. Your life is about to change.”
I had to time things exactly right. Since I hadn’t had the benefit of actual training, I didn’t know if he’d have to make eye contact with Michelle immediately in order to fall for her. Maybe it would be automatic, since she was already in love with him. Would I also have to dart her in order for it to work?
I had no idea what I was doing. But I was willing to experiment until I got it right.
When I emerged from the restroom, Stuart stood at the front desk alone, transfixed by the employee handbook he always kept close by in case there was any question about how to handle a given situation. He often studied for fun and tried to quiz me on it.
Michelle could do so much better.
As if thinking about her coaxed her into existence, Michelle appeared carrying a small room service tray.
She made a beeline for Stuart, her eyes sparkling and hopeful. “Hey, Stuart.” She smiled at him when he glanced up at her. “I know you’re shorthanded these days and can’t get regular breaks. I thought you might like something to eat.”
He blinked at her as if not understanding. “You brought me food.”
“Yes.” Her smile wavered, but she held it. “Can I take this into the back room for you?”
“Uh, yes. Thank you.” He watched her go, which I would have thought was a good sign from anyone else. But Stuart was tricky to read. He might have been concerned that she’d steal something if left unsupervised. Or he might have been checking to be sure her uniform was regulation.
A person never knew with Stuart.
I moved closer, buffing the blowgun on my sleeve to make it shine, then took aim at Stuart’s butt while we both waited for Michelle to come back. A second later she returned, and I took a deep breath.
The elevator dinged, the doors opened, and Josh stepped out. I saw him from the corner of my eye as I inhaled, then choked on my own saliva.
Very graceful.
I doubled over, coughing and sputtering and feeling incredibly foolish, despite my invisibility. By the time I recovered, Josh had sidled up to the front desk like an old-fashioned cowboy in a saloon. And he was chatting with Michelle.
I groaned. “Get out of the way, you big tree.”
He stopped speaking and glanced around the room frowning. He shook his head as if to clear it. “I’ll have to try that Thai place you mentioned, Michelle.” He spoke to her as if distracted. “Thanks for the advice…” He trailed off and wandered toward the front doors.
Michelle raised an eyebrow and glanced at Stuart. Stuart shrugged in response.
I took that moment as the best I was going to get. I shot Stuart in the butt, then re-aimed and shot Michelle in the arm, just to be certain.
I may have been a little enthusiastic again.
Stuart yelped and turned in a half circle in an attempt to look at his own ass. Michelle squeaked and rubbed her arm.
They both stopped, turned to face each other, and grinned as if they’d only noticed each other a second ago.
“Michelle, I didn’t thank you for bringing me lunch. You take such good care of me.”
“It’s my pleasure. I couldn’t let you starve.”
With each sentence, they stepped closer until they were across from each other at the desk. Michelle’s cheeks turned pink as their hands touched across the oak counter.
“Son of a bitch.” Josh stood by the door, head whipping around and eyes wide. “Stop that.” He lowered his voice to a whisper when the two lovers glanced at him then back at each other. “You’re not authorized or trained. Whoever you are, give me back my wings and blowgun.”
I laughed and answered him, though I knew he couldn’t hear me. “Not going to happen my friend. You were careless.” I stood on tiptoe and inhaled his scent, then kissed him on the cheek. “Next time, take better care of your things.”
He jerked, like he’d felt or heard something, but looked in an entirely wrong direction. “I know you’re here. Come out.”
Not a chance of that happening. He was delusional if he thought I’d give it up so early.
“See you soon. Don’t wait up!” I went out the front door and down the street before he could know I was gone.
~*~
So much for two days off in a row. Stuart called in sick on Thursday, so I had to cover for him. I’d spread a lot of love on the one day off though, so I didn’t feel like I’d wasted the single day I’d had.
I relieved Chet first thing in the morning.
“I’m worried about Stuart,” he said, scratching his cheek. “He’s never called in sick in five years. He must be feeling awful.
“Well, there’s a bug going around.” I checked the clipboard while I spoke, unwilling to make eye contact. “Michelle wasn’t looking like she’d feel well enough to come in today, either.”
Chet shook his head. “We’ve got to get more people hired.”
I stifled a yawn and hung up the clipboard. “You’re telling me.”
Everything went smoothly for the first couple of hours of my shift. Then the elevator pinged and dumped Josh into the lobby.
I bent my head and tried to look busy.
Josh was having none of it. He slapped his palm on the counter in front of me, making me jump, then leaned toward me in a conspiratorial way. “Morning.”
“Good morning, sir.” I forced myself to make eye contact. “What can I do for you today?”
He kept his voice low for privacy. “How about you tell me what you can do to help?”
I shook my head. “I’m not sure I can help without knowing the problem.”
He sighed. “Okay. So, that’s how you want to do this.” He leaned even closer. The muscles in his jaw twitched. “Some of my things have gone missing.”
I raised my eyebrows to feign surprised concern. “Oh, dear. Did you call the police?”
He shook his head. “Don’t do that. You know. I know you know. Just give it back and I won’t ask you for anything more.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Flynn. You didn’t lose it in this hotel, did you? I assure you, our housekeeping team is carefully vetted, so they’re very honest. Perhaps you misplaced this thing. What did you lose?”
He gave me a long look, his expression one of patience worn thin. “You seriously aren’t going to help me?”
He was not going to wear me down. I gave him my best look of wide-eyed innocence and pulled the hotel phone onto the counter. “Of course I want to help. It’s my job. And I certainly don’t want people to think their things aren’t safe with us. Why don’t you let me call the police for you?” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “I’m sure they can be discrete.”
I had no idea how he knew it was me that took his wings and blowgun. There was no possible way he could know for sure, though he seemed confident. But I could call his bluff and play chicken with him all day. I kept my gaze steady and unblinking,
He sighed and shook his head. “Never mind. I’m sure the thief is long gone. I’m sorry to waste your time.”
I struggled to keep my lips from turning up in a smug smile. “If you’re certain.” I tucked the phone away. “If there’s anything else I can help with, I’ll be happy to try.”
“Thanks.” He gave me a broad smile. “You know, there is something. The woman I was talking to yesterday, from the restaurant. Is she in today?”
I smelled a trap and smiled as broadly in return. “I wasn’t here yesterday. Can you describe her?”
“Long dark hair? Blue eyes?”
“Michelle?”
He snapped his fingers. “Yes! Michelle. That’s it.”
My face grew hot in irritation. What about her? Why was he so damn interested in Michelle all the time? “You know I can’t give you her phone number, if that’s what you’re after.” The words came out a bit more terse than I’d intended.
“Oh, that’s not…I didn’t…” Josh continued to sputter for a moment before regaining his composure. “She was telling me about a Thai place I should try, but I forgot where she said it was.”
“Over on Throckmorton.”
His eyes lit up like he thought he’d caught me out. “Oh?”
“I assume she was talking about Opal Garden. We have it delivered here sometimes.” I resisted the urge to flutter my eyelashes at him.
He sighed again. “Yeah. I think that was it. She’s not here, is she?”
I shook my head. “I believe she called in sick.”
“This isn’t your regular shift, is it? Where’s that sweater-vest guy? Stuart?”
“He also called in sick.”
He nodded as if he’d expected it. “I suppose they caught the same bug. There’s something going around.” He shrugged and looked me square in the eye. “If they just let nature takes its course, it’ll go away naturally, I’m sure.”
“I’m certain they’ll be perfectly fine.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and headed for the front door. “Have a good morning. If my stuff turns up, just put it in my room. You know where it is.”
I watched him go and snorted once the door shut behind him. “Yeah. I’ll do that.”
What was it about that guy that got under my skin so much?
I spent the rest of the morning wondering what would happen if I darted Josh Flynn, then turned the dart around and darted myself.
Probably nothing good. Or maybe something fantastic.