Untried Heart

by Nicky Charles

  “Powers?” She stared at him blankly. “I don’t have any yet beyond flying and all the angels can do that.”

  “Are you kidding me? You have a whole range of powers…or you should.” Zeke’s forehead wrinkled in a frown.

  Eugenie shook her head. “I know some GAs can do amazing things but I’m still a beginner, remember?”

  “Oh boy!” Zeke shook his head slightly. “Sorry, Babe, I keep forgetting you weren’t born to the position like moi, so your GA powers need to be learned as they’re not part of your genetic make-up. But don’t worry, the longer you’re up here, the stronger your powers get.

  “Think of it like a video or computer game. As you advance – or in this case the longer you live up here as a GA – you get extra health and strength. Even the short time you’ve been a GA should have been enough to give you a few extra abilities. You probably just haven’t discovered them yet. And Michael should’ve given you a power boost when you got this assignment. He gave me one when I got my first big job.”

  “Power boost? No, I don’t think he did.” She frowned, totally confused.

  “Huh. Well, perhaps Michael thought you were ready. I’m damned sure I wasn't ready when I got my first real case.” He shrugged. “But as I said, it’s like this video game. You—”

  She had to interrupt him. “Zeke, I don’t play video games. For that matter, I’ve no idea how to even use a computer.”

  “You don’t? What do you do in your down time?”

  “Er… I read.”

  Zeke’s look of incredulousness was a work of art. “Oh, Eugenie, honey, you have so much to learn. I tell you what, while we’re looking for a place for you to crash I’d better give you a quick run-through on GA 101 and life in the 21st Century.”

  The following afternoon Eugenie was riding the bus back to Benjamin Davis’ home. It had been an interesting twenty-four hours. Zeke might still be considered a young GA but he knew so much that she didn’t. She was currently the proud possessor of a rental contract on a small apartment in an old house. Just two rooms with bath and a kitchenette but it was all she needed. It was only temporary after all.

  Her wallet now had cash in it and a plastic rectangular thing called a credit card and another that was apparently a debit card, different from a credit card and she was still somewhat confused over the difference. Zeke had shown her how to use it because she hadn’t been able to make head nor tail of Pete’s explanation. Her fellow GA had also called into question her command of the English language. Apparently, her vocabulary was singularly old-fashioned.

  And... she’d just missed her bus stop!

  With a sigh, she waited and exited the bus a couple of blocks further on than she wanted.

  “Pay attention next time,” she chided herself.

  Retracing her route, she couldn’t help but notice how clean the streets looked, how fresh the air smelled. Back when she was alive, winter was more likely to be foggy, the air choked with fumes from a myriad of coal fires. The air here was invigorating and trees dotted the landscape rather than rows of buildings. Even though the branches were now devoid of leaves they still looked picturesque against the clear blue sky.

  Benjamin’s house was at the end of a long road some distance from the main thoroughfare and not really on the bus route at all. Her intended stop was as close as she could get and now she had at least another mile to walk. The paved road became a gravel road and then more of a dirt pathway with ruts from the car tires. She placed her feet carefully, not wanting to turn her ankle. As an angel, she’d recover quickly, it would still hurt like the blazes in the meantime.

  She slowed as Benjamin’s home came into view. Despite having seen it before, this was the first time she was really taking in its rundown appearance. In its day, the building must have been a cute little place but now the shutters were crooked and the paint was peeling. Dead weeds filled the flower beds and the fence was partially falling down. The entire place gave an air of being tired. Similar to its owner, she thought.

  The dog came loping out to greet her as she walked down the driveway. It greeted her as if she were an old friend.

  “Hello, dog.” She scratched his ears and then followed him as he led the way back to the barn where Benjamin would be working. The building was in no better condition than the rest of the place. The red paint was faded and the windows were covered with cobwebs and a thick layer of dust. Even the door seemed rickety, hardly suitable to keep out the weather or intruders.

  Oddly enough, there was no sound of hammering or sawing coming from the building. Had he injured himself again? Her heart began to pound at the idea of him lying on the ground bleeding and she yanked open the door and rushed in. Immediately, the smell of stale alcohol hit her, drowning out the aroma of new wood and sawdust.

  The room was dimly lit and she fumbled for a switch, flicking the lights on, wondering what was going on. The return of brightness was accompanied by a string of curses. Following the sound, she found Benjamin sitting on an old wooden crate, his elbows on his knees, cradling his head in his hands. The nearby stove was stone-cold and she wondered why he hadn’t lit it yet.

  “Benjamin?”

  He looked up at her with bloodshot eyes, his face sporting a day’s worth of whiskers. “Don’t yell.” He winced as if even the sound of his own voice were too loud.

  “I’m not yelling, I—” She took a step closer and then cocked her head, reassessing the situation. He was hungover!

  “Benjamin Davis! What have you been up to?” She planted her hands on her hips and used the sternest tone she could muster.

  He frowned at her. “I know you. You’re that girl...” He waved his hand as if trying to marshal his thoughts.

  “Yes, I’m the girl that was here yesterday. I said I’d be back.”

  “Didn’t think you meant it.” He gave a heavy sigh and pushed himself upright.

  “That doesn’t explain why you’re totally cropsick this morning! You must have been absolutely blotto last night to be in such a condition at this hour of the day.”

  “Cropsick? Blotto?” He shook his head then let out a groan as if the action had pained him. “What are you talking about?”

  “Hungover and drunk.” She winced. Zeke was right. She obviously needed to update her language skills.

  “Well, I was drinking because I wanted to, not that it’s any of your business.”

  She pressed her lips together. “I suppose it isn’t. However, you do run a business and I’m here as a customer and I expect some service. Now, light the stove. It’s freezing in here.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

  “All right, all right. No need to nag.” He crouched down and set to work on the stove.

  The dog appeared at her side, a scrunched-up piece of paper in its mouth. She took it and smoothed it out. It appeared to be a bill of some sort. A demand for payment from a bank. From the looks of it, Benjamin was in serious debt. Her buying one or two pieces of furniture wouldn’t dig him out of the hole he’d found himself in.

  “Hey, where did you get that?” Benjamin snatched the paper from her hand.

  “Your dog gave it to me.”

  “Chip?” He glanced at the dog who was now settling in beside the stove for a nap.

  “Is that his name? Very appropriate given you’re a carpenter.”

  “My dad named him. Chip was his dog and I inherited him along with the rest of this place.”

  “Inherited? Your father passed away?” She reached out and touched his arm. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  “Yeah, well, he’s in a better place now, or so they say.” A muscle ticked in his jaw.

  “He is indeed. Never doubt that.” She rushed to reassure him and then stopped not wanting to give herself away. A change of topic was in order and fast. “I notice you seem to owe a lot of money.”

  “Not your concern.” He shoved the bill in his pocket. “So, you came back to buy something?”

  “Yes, I’ll take
your entire inventory.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. You probably live in a small apartment and barely have room for a decent-sized table.” Arms folded, he fixed her with a cold look. “And besides that, I’m not some damned charity case.”

  “I guess my statement was a bit impulsive. My place is too small to hold all this but I really do wish I could purchase more.” She held up her hand to stop him when he opened his mouth to speak. “Not as an act of charity but because the furniture really is lovely.”

  He studied her for a moment before nodding. “Thanks.”

  “However, maybe I do know some people who might be interested in buying a few pieces.” She thought of Zeke’s former partner who lived on earth; maybe he’d purchase something. And hadn’t her new landlord mentioned redecorating?

  “Why are you trying to help? You have some kind of guardian angel complex or something?”

  She felt the blood drain from her face. He couldn’t know, could he? A nervous laugh escaped her. “Of course not. It’s like I said. I know a few people.”

  “And I’m a billionaire disguised as a washed-up carpenter.”

  “You’re not washed-up, Benjamin!”

  “Then what do you call this?” He flicked a glance around the workshop before frowning. “And how do you know my name?”

  “I...I heard it in town when I was asking where to buy furniture.” She surreptitiously crossed her fingers behind her back hoping he wouldn’t ask where. Thankfully, he didn’t.

  “Yeah, well, call me Ben. Benjamin is what my ex called me.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “What do you want to buy?”

  Chapter 4

  Ben glanced out of the corner of his eye as he steered his old truck down the road. The woman who sat beside him was a bit of a mystery. She seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and yet he couldn’t shake the feeling he knew her. It niggled at the back of his mind, just out of reach.

  She was a pretty little thing. Light brown hair that skimmed her shoulders, hazel eyes that revealed her emotions. And she seemed to have a good heart, wanting to help even though she was a bit too nosey in his opinion.

  He returned his gaze to the road and frowned. The table and chairs she’d bought would give him a bit of cash. Not enough to pay off his debt to the lumberyard but at least he’d be able to put gas in the truck. He sure hoped she’d been telling the truth when she said she knew people who wanted to buy his furniture. His luck had been going steadily downhill for the past year and he’d pretty much hit rock bottom. If things didn’t turn around soon, he didn’t know what he’d do.

  “We turn here.” The girl pointed to the left and he slowed the vehicle.

  “What’s your name?” It suddenly struck him he didn’t know anything about her.

  “Eugenie Suzette Winslow.” She kept her eyes trained out the window, a smile curving her lips as if she was truly loving the passing scenery.

  “That’s quite a mouthful.”

  “Yes.” She sighed. “My father was a professor of ancient languages but he loved European poetry and literature. I’m named for a French writer who lived early in the eighteen hundreds and for my grandmother.”

  He nodded and silence fell between them until she indicated the place where she lived.

  “I have an apartment upstairs here.”

  “This is quite an old building.” He eyed the rambling Victorian as he climbed out of the truck and rounded to the back where he flipped the tailgate down.

  “Yes, but the rent was affordable.”

  He made a non-committal sound and hefted the table in his arms then turned to Eugenie. “Lead the way.”

  The exterior staircase was steep and he had some doubts about what kind of place she might be living in. Some old houses that were subdivided into apartments could be in pretty rough shape and he’d hate to think of her living in a dive. Once they reached her actual apartment, it seemed to be a nice enough place, though sparsely furnished. She could definitely use the furniture she’d bought.

  “Where do you want this?”

  “Over by the window. I can sit and enjoy the view.”

  He set the table down and helped her arrange it in place, their hands brushing. It was a brief contact but enough to have him pausing and looking up at her. Her eyes were focused on where they’d touched and then she slowly lifted her gaze to his face. A flush stained her cheeks before she jerked her hand back.

  “I..uh...think this is the right place for the table.”

  He nodded. “I’ll get the chairs.” As he made his way downstairs, he told himself he had not had a reaction to her. He’d sworn off women. He didn’t need another complication in his life. But...damn, it was cute how she got flustered so easily!

  A short time after Ben had left, there was a thudding sound on Eugenie’s door as if someone were kicking it, followed by the sound of Zeke’s voice, “Hey, Eugenie. I’ve got something for you.”

  “What are you doing out there? Can’t you knock like a normal person?” She yanked the door open then stared. “Oh.”

  Zeke was standing with a large box in his hands. A television. She’d seen them in Heaven but had never been interested in watching any of the entertainment broadcast on them.

  “Your landlord said this place was cable ready, so all we need to do is plug this baby in.”

  “Zeke, I don’t need a television.”

  “Sure you do. It’s a perfect way to stay current with cultural changes.” He set the box down and unpacked the device. “And it will help you upgrade your language skills.”

  “Hmm... I hadn’t thought of that.”

  Zeke grinned at her and tapped his head. “This brain of mine did. Stick with me, kid, and I’ll have you up to speed in no time!” He plugged in the TV and began to give her a crash course in using a remote control.

  The next morning Eugenie stood in front of the appliance called a microwave. Her landlord had pointed it out to her when he’d given her a quick tour of the place, mentioning it was brand new. Experimentally, she poked at a few of the buttons but nothing happened. The washer and dryer had proven similarly mysterious and had left her feeling ill-equipped to manage on her own. It would seem modern living wasn’t as easy as people said it was. When she’d lived with her parents, they’d had hired help to cook and clean.

  Turning from the mysterious devices, she decided it would be more prudent to spend her time speaking to someone about Ben’s furniture. She’d have a word with Brent, her landlord, and then go find Zeke.

  It turned out Brent was quite receptive to the idea of buying from a local craftsman. He’d just finished renovating the main floor of the building which he occupied and was now in the redecorating stage.

  “Yeah, I need a new bedroom set for this room.” Brent had looked down at her from the ladder where he was perched, carefully painting the decorative moldings that framed the ceiling.

  “I’m sure you’ll find something you like. Ben does amazing work.” She’d watched as Brent applied a final swipe of paint and then climbed down to wipe his hands on a rag.

  “I’ll stop by tomorrow and take a look around.” He’d hefted the ladder on his shoulder and moved to the other side of the room.

  Eugenie left him to his painting and headed back to Heaven feeling she was making good progress. Zeke was next on her list for finding potential buyers for Ben’s furniture. When she finally tracked the GA down, he was in the arcade playing some game called Space Invaders according to the name on the machine.

  “Hi, Eugenie.” He barely flicked a look at her, his attention focused on the screen in front of him. “I know this is almost archaic but I love the old games. How’s the apartment working out?”

  “It’s lovely but there are so many appliances that I have absolutely no idea how to use.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Babe. Next time I’m there it’ll take me two minutes to show you how to operate them.

  “But what if someone is in the apartment with me and
they spill wine on their shirt and I need to wash it?”

  “Just soak it in the sink.”

  She sighed and decided fine details like that might not be Zeke’s forte. “Anyway, that’s not what I need to ask you about.”

  Zeke didn’t take his eyes off the screen while he pressed buttons to shoot down electronic aliens. “How can I help?”

  “My client needs to sell the furniture he’s made to get out of debt. Once he’s solvent again I’m sure he’ll be able to make a success of his life; he’s very talented.” She paused, the thought of her client causing her to smile. “I was wondering… You mentioned you had a partner who preferred to live on the human plane. Do you think he might need any furniture?”

  “Furniture? It’s possible. And I’ll ask around.” Zeke became focused on his game again and Eugenie decided to leave him to it in the hope that he would remember to ask his friend without her needing to remind him.

  She left the arcade and headed towards Michael’s office to report what she’d done. According to the rule book, she didn’t need to check in every day. However, this was her first assignment that required actually making contact and she wanted to confirm she was on the right track. She tugged open the heavy plate glass door that formed the entrance of the building while mentally rehearsing what she’d say to her boss.

  “Eugenie.”

  The sound of Michael’s voice intruded on her thoughts and she looked up to see the archangel standing in front of her.

  “Hello, sir. I was just coming to see you.”

  “Is there a problem?” Michael’s brows rose but he gestured with his hand for her to follow him as they made their way across the lobby.

  “Well, my client seems to be experiencing severe financial difficulties so I’m trying to arrange the sale of some of his hand-crafted furniture.” She cocked her head. “I don’t suppose you need a new table or chair?

  He shook his head, his lips seeming to twitch as he pushed the elevator button. “Not at the moment.”