8. Annie
Val’s emotional fluctuations were off the charts. One minute she was talking about how sweet Richard was last night, doing the dishes after dinner and taking a walk with her. Two seconds later, she was crying and insisting he didn’t really love her because she was fat.
I was sure she had to be about to start her period. She was acting like a crazy woman. But you don’t say that to a crazy woman who’s about to start her period.
Val sniffled and wiped her nose with her sleeve. “Did you see last night’s episode of Piper Hill? I can’t believe Kathleen told Emma about the affair. What a bitch!”
She knew I didn’t even watch that show, so it didn’t matter. No spoilers here.
The doorbell rang. In my desperation to get a minute of peace to clear my head, I jumped up. “I’ll get it.”
“Well, if it’s a salesman, don’t buy anything. I don’t want to encourage them to come to my house.”
I ignored her and trotted through the living room, throwing the door open without looking through the peephole.
My heart dropped into my shoes. “Josh.”
“You’re here.” He looked as startled as I felt. “I thought…I was trying to…”
I put my hands on my hips and scowled. “Are you stalking me?”
“Well, no. I need to…I need to talk to you.” He ran his fingers through his hair, exasperated.
I wondered whether his hair was as soft as it looked.
“Why are you at my sister’s house, Josh?” I knew exactly why, but it seemed wiser to keep him on the defense as long as I could.
He blinked. “Your sister. Okay. That makes sense.” He scratched his head. “Look, I’ll just come out and say it. I’m in a lot of trouble. And you will be, too, if I don’t get my stuff back.”
I kept my gaze steady. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He threw his head back and groaned. “Come on, Annie. This is serious. We don’t have much time. My boss is pretty upset.”
I stared at him for a moment, trying to process what he was saying and decide what to do. He looked so pathetic. And adorable. But also pathetic. Clearly, the loss of his Cupid equipment was a serious problem. I hesitated, feeling guilty. Maybe I should give him his stuff back. But he’d left his wings in an unlocked car. And I felt like I could do so much good with them.
I narrowed my eyes and put my hand on my hip. “You still haven’t told me what you lost or why you think I have it.”
He scrubbed his face with one hand and took a deep breath. “Fine.” He poked his head through the doorway, glanced around, then lowered his voice. “You want me to say it out loud. I am a Cupid working for the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency. I know you have my wings and my blowgun. I suspected it, but my boss back at the office confirmed it. The gods know everything. Don’t ask me how.”
I held my face still, so he wouldn’t see me react. It wasn’t easy. Holy cow. It was one thing to don the wings and be invisible for awhile. That was crazy enough. But to hear the gods were real and they ran an employment agency? My face was about to snap like a rubber band from trying so hard to keep it from moving. “You know you sound crazy, right?”
He nodded. “Yes. I am aware. But I’m also aware that you believe me. And I have to fix the bad matches you’ve made and get you and my equipment back to headquarters within forty-eight hours, or we’re both in a lot of trouble.”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise before I could stop them. “Me? I’m supposed to go with you?”
He held up his hands. “It’s not what it sounds like. You’ll be fine. I won’t let them wipe your mind or anything.” He stopped, his face pale. “I mean, you’ll be fine. They just want to talk to you. See if you have god blood in you.”
“Wait…what?” I frowned, and my fingers tightened on the doorknob. “Let me see if I understand what you’re saying. You think you work for Greek gods and that I stole your magical office supplies. You—a guy I’ve only seen a few times at work—have stalked me to my sister’s house, made crazy accusations, and are demanding that I get in the car with you to go meet with people who may or may not attempt to take some of my blood and wipe my memory. Is that right?”
“Well, no. Yes. I mean…” He groaned. “You are the most difficult woman.” He pressed his hands together as if in prayer. “Look. Forget about coming in with me. Just give me back my stuff, and we’ll forget anything happened. Please?”
I narrowed my eyes. I didn’t trust this guy for a single second. The minute I confessed, he’d drag me to this god agency of his. “I told you. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I slammed the door in his face.
“Annie, who was at the door?” My sister’s voice drifted through the house along with the sound of running water from the kitchen sink.
“Nobody. Just a guy from a local church.” I leaned against the door and concentrated on controlling my breathing and slowing my heart rate. Any second, he’d probably knock on the door again, and I wouldn’t be able to hide the situation from my sister.
What did he mean, I’d made bad matches? And what would happen to me if I went with him to this Mt. Olympus place and talked to his boss? Would they give me a job? Would they arrest me? I really didn’t like the sound of having my memory wiped.
I spun around and peered through the peephole. To my surprise, Josh had turned his back and was walking away. A sigh of relief blew out of me, unbidden, and I made up my mind about what to do.
Josh had said he had forty-eight hours. I would take twenty-four to finish the work I wanted to do with the equipment—and I’d even double-check the matches I’d made to make sure they were working out. Then I’d drop his stuff off in his room anonymously. He’d never be able to prove it had been me, no matter what his boss had said.
Let Josh stew a little. It served him right. He had a fantastic job and he took it for granted.
I smiled. For the next twenty-four hours, all of downtown Dallas was going to think it was Valentine’s Day.
~*~
Okay. So maybe not all of downtown Dallas. I learned quickly that I’d have to limit my territory to match my physical limitations.
My intention was to end up at the firehouse where Richard worked, but it would be a little while before he was supposed to be there, so I worked in the surrounding area while I waited.
I started across the street at a coffee shop with an outdoor area. A woman in her early twenties sat with her laptop open, sipping a latte and reading something on the screen. A guy around the same age came out and wiped the tables around her, looking at her from the corner of his eye every chance he had. She glanced up, and he gave her a goofy smile. She gave him a vague smile in return, then went back to reading her screen.
His look of disappointment was the call to action I was waiting for.
I aimed my blowgun at her and puffed a dart straight at her. She jumped and rubbed her arm without looking up. I blew again and hit the barista in the side.
After a count of ten, the woman looked up again. Her smile this time was genuine, and she touched her auburn hair, twisting it around her finger. I stood on the sidewalk watching until they handed their phones to each other to exchange numbers. Satisfied, I moved down the street to see where else love waited for my help.
At the hardware store, I darted the bald guy behind the counter and the angry redhead trying to return a gallon of cornflower blue latex paint. When a young guy came out from the stockroom and bumped into a woman around the same age who was scrutinizing paint chips, I darted them both. Both couples were well on their way to eternal happiness by the time I left.
When I left the hardware store, I thought I saw Josh disappear into a music store. I frowned and crossed the street to see if it was him. I blinked in the bright overhead lights. The store was practically empty. Rows and rows of tables held boxes of old vinyl records, and musical instruments lined one wall. I didn’t see anyone in there but a guy at the cash register wearing black-rimmed glasses, a tiny beard on his chin, and jeans so skinny I thought he might be starring in Swan Lake later that afternoon.
Josh was nowhere I could see, and I didn’t see any potential matches. I backed out of the store and crossed the street to the pet store.
Two people stood on opposite sides of a cockatoo cage, trying to get the bird to talk.
“Hello, pretty bird,” the lady said. “Hello! Hello!”
Not to be outdone, the man let out a wolf whistle and cooed. “Pretty boy. Pretty boy!”
I darted them both. The cockatoo tilted his head and eyed me, making me wonder if animals could see me.
After a ten count, the humans ignored the bird and wandered toward the fish tanks, grinning at each other. Satisfied, I returned to the sidewalk to look for my next…what did they call them? Patients? Customers? Targets?
I checked the time. I’d been at it for a couple of hours. It was probably time for me to check the firehouse to see if Richard had gone in yet. He was technically off for the next few days, but Val had said he was supposed to go in for a meeting. One more reason for my irrational sister to be upset with her perfectly wonderful husband.
As I turned toward the firehouse, I thought I caught a glimpse of Josh staring out the window from the coffee house across the street.
“Get a grip, girl. He wasn’t in the music store. He’s not watching from the coffee house.” The idea that Josh might be somewhere nearby gave me both a guilty chill and nervous butterflies. He wasn’t my type. Guys like that were not true love material. I had to stop thinking about him like that. Especially since I was currently running around with stuff I stole from him.
That wouldn’t exactly be a great place to start a relationship. A twinge of regret poked my gut. Maybe I was seeing him everywhere because I felt guilty for stealing from him.
I stood on the sidewalk arguing with myself until my feet moved on their own. Apparently, while my mind was still undecided, my body was heading for the coffee house to be certain Josh wasn’t in there.
The smell of coffee, warm and inviting, enveloped me the moment I opened the door. My stomach grumbled, reminding me how little I’d eaten today. Nothing I could do about it right then, though. I was invisible. I could stand in line all day, but nobody was going to wait on me unless they could see me.
I glanced around the tiny space. As I’d expected, Josh was not there. I was seeing him everywhere, but he wasn’t there. Great. Now I was losing my mind, too.
I darted across the street, avoiding cars that couldn’t see me, and entered the firehouse through their open garage. I knew in my heart that Richard wasn’t having an affair. He was a good guy working ridiculous hours, and he loved my sister with all his heart. But I wanted to see him interact with his coworkers with my own eyes. The people who worked at the firehouse were a family. If anything was going on, they’d know about it.
I’d spent too much time chasing after a non-existent Josh and had missed the meeting. People were already heading out to their cars, while others settled into the rec room to watch television. A big guy with a mustache broke off and headed into the kitchen while humming.
Two women and a man started a game of pool. I watched for a moment, wondering which woman to match up with the guy, when I realized the women were more interested in each other. I almost darted them both, until I noticed one wore a wedding ring, but the other didn’t.
Maybe they were married to each other and only one of them wore a ring. Or maybe I was misreading the entire situation. Josh had said I’d made some bad matches. Maybe I needed to tone it down a bit and pay closer attention.
I left them alone and moved into the dining room.
Richard sat with a cupcake in front of him on a plate, pushing the crumbs around with his fingertip.
Across the table, a tall guy with gray eyes and a shaved head watched the destruction of the cupcake. “You going to eat that, or desecrate one of Sky’s greatest creations?”
Richard shook his head and pushed the plate toward the other man. “Sorry, Gideon. I guess I’m not hungry.”
Gideon bit off half the small chocolate cake, chewed a few times, then swallowed. “What’s going on? You look like your dog died.” He shoved the rest of the cupcake into his mouth, then swallowed, barely chewing, his eyes wide. “Oh, man, Maggie’s okay, isn’t she? I didn’t mean to…”
Richard chuckled, though it didn’t change the weary expression on his face. “No, Maggie’s fine. She just had her yearly vet appointment. She’s good.”
Gideon let out a sigh of relief, then glanced at the empty cupcake paper with regret. “So, what’s wrong? Is Val okay?” He watched Richard’s face and flinched. “Ah. It’s Val. So, what happened?”
Richard threw his hands in the air. “That’s just it. I don’t know what happened. She’s being so weird. So emotional.” He ran his fingers through his hair, leaving pieces of it standing on end. “She thinks I’m having an affair.”
Gideon burst out laughing. “You’re kidding.”
“No. I’m not kidding.”
“Dude, that’s ridiculous.” He sat for a moment, staring out the window. “Weird question, but when was her last period?”
“Oh, God, don’t even think about telling her it’s PMS. Haven’t you ever had a girlfriend? Or a sister?”
“I’m not asking as a bro. I’m asking as a registered nurse. Have you considered maybe your wife is pregnant?”
I gasped. Pregnant? I knew she was hormonal! That had to be the answer! My sister was going to have a baby. It felt right. I knew it was right.
I was going to be an aunt!
Richard sat staring at his friend, dumbfounded. “You know, that kind of makes sense.”
“It’s not a diagnosis. Just a possible suggestion.” Gideon stood and gave Richard a soft punch to his bicep. “What are you still doing here? Go home to your wife, dude. It’s your day off.”
I didn’t stay to hear the rest. I was going to be an aunt. Forget the Cupid stuff for now. I needed to see my sister.