Matching Wits with Venus

by Therese Gilardi

  “Would you please be a darling and go to the galley and make me a mojito? It would really help me relax.”

  The captain swelled his chest.

  “Of course. But are you sure you wouldn’t prefer a little ‘sex on the beach’?”

  Venus lowered the binoculars turned around and pulled the caftan slightly off of her shoulder.

  “Maybe later.”

  As soon as the captain left the deck, Venus trained the binoculars on the beach. She scanned the strand studying various couples. In the distance stood a tousled hair blond, walking with his arm around a petite redhead. He looked so familiar.

  Venus gasped. It couldn’t be. She leaned forward. As she strained forward to get a closer look, the shell necklace tied around her neck with a silk cord fell into the water below and landed with a loud splash. She didn’t even notice. Venus turned the lenses…surely she was mistaken.

  “Your drink,” The captain said as he appeared at her side with a flourish, bearing the cocktail on a small silver tray. “Let me help you. You won’t find any seals between us and the shoreline.”

  Venus frowned.

  “I hate to trouble you but do you think you could go back down to the galley and make me a grilled cheese sandwich to accompany my drink?”

  The smile on his sun-speckled face flickered slightly as he processed Venus’s time-consuming request.

  “May I bring you some grapes as well?” He smiled. “Perhaps I can feed them to Madame?”

  “A plate of fruit would be fine, thank you.”

  Venus picked up the binoculars again and trained them on the distance. She saw her son’s blond head, the one she’d cradled all those centuries ago turned.

  Cupid shaded his eyes with his hand as he faced the surf; he seemed to be looking straight at his mother. The woman with him pivoted as well, turning toward the ocean. Venus’s mouth dropped open as she realized what she was looking at: her son, with his arm wrapped around the matchmaker who was not only methodically robbing her of her reputation as the goddess of love, but also her life’s work.

  She stumbled.

  “Madame, are you all right?”

  The cabin boy, who’d remained below deck at the captain’s insistence, appeared at Venus’s elbow. He helped her onto one of the swivel seats on the starboard side of the ship, settling her against a blue and white striped cushion. Venus looked up into his brown eyes, wishing she were two thousand years younger.

  “I, I need to get back to shore right away.”

  As soon as Venus arrived at the villa she summoned Renaldo.

  “I need you to bring me Cupid. Immediately.”

  Renaldo nodded solemnly.

  ****

  Cupid and Amelia were sitting in the sand, sharing a bucket of fried chicken, when he heard the low rumbling signal. He looked up at the sky immediately. The stars had been rearranged so subtly that not even an experienced astronomer would notice at first glance.

  But Cupid knew what they meant: that Venus wanted him home, and fast. The celestial signals were her own personal SOS, a call she’d been sending him ever since Galileo had given her the gift of temporary command over the stars as a thank you for finding him the perfect partner. Cupid sighed. He knew it must be important; to her credit Venus never used the distress call unless it was a true emergency.

  “I’m going to have to go after we finish our meal. I’ve got to take care of some business tonight.”

  Amelia pulled her sweater closer and cocked her head. “Business? On a Sunday?”

  Cupid nodded. “It’s for my mother. You know it’s nine hours ahead in Rome so already it’s morning and she’s trying to leap ahead into the new week.”

  Amelia smiled as she ran her fingers through Cupid’s hair. The blond ends glowed as if they’d been kissed by moonlight.

  “You can do that from my house.”

  Cupid kissed the bridge of her nose. “I know. And thanks for offering. But you and Petal deserve a good night of sleep. And once my mother gets going, well it’s going to be hours of gossip about all of my cousins. You know how that is.”

  Amelia shivered.

  “I’m sorry, are you cold?” Cupid took off his suede jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

  “I…it’s getting chilly. Let’s just get going now.”

  They packed up the picnic and drove to Amelia’s bungalow in silence.

  “I’m going to make it up to you,” Cupid said as he eased the convertible next to the curb.

  “Don’t think twice about it. I understand more than anyone how difficult mothers can be.”

  ****

  Venus was waiting in the living room, clad in her red velvet brocade traveling cape, which she’d had made in Venice centuries ago. She rubbed the soft fabric against her cheek and smiled. At least some things in life were dependable. She sat against her favorite silk club chair, sipping a kir royale from one of the champagne flutes the Baccarat people had commissioned in her honor. She smiled as Cupid entered wearing the same jacket and jeans she’d seen him in on the beach. At least he’d come promptly. She nodded toward a cherry wood side table where bottles of cassis and champagne stood next to a fresh glass.

  “Pour yourself a drink.”

  Cupid filled his glass and raised it in his mother’s direction. “What’re we toasting?”

  “The solution to my problems.”

  Cupid’s left eyebrow twitched.

  “Cheers.”

  As soon as they finished their drinks and the tin of foie gras Renaldo had laid out on the sideboard, Venus looked at Cupid and smiled.

  He smiled in return. Venus felt the duck liver rise slightly in her throat as she studied his beautiful face. It was so hard to believe her son had betrayed her. But she’d seen it with her own eyes.

  “I’ve had Renaldo pack our bags for the cheery blossom festival. We’ve got to leave immediately to catch the opening of the blooms with the empress.”

  Cupid shook his head.

  “I can’t.”

  “What? We’ve never missed it.”

  Cupid sighed. It was true; they had attended the festival every year since its inception. And he had treated his mother terribly over the past several weeks. Plus, Amelia would understand if he had to be away for a few days. He’d call her from Japan. Besides, he told himself, she would get a lot more work done at Happily Ever After By Amelia if he wasn’t around for a little while. He suspected she had a lot of ideas for writing a new computer program that had been put to the side thanks to their daily dates.

  “You’re right.” Cupid said, and smiled. “Let’s go.”

  Renaldo refused to make eye contact as he handed Cupid his monogrammed leather overnight bag.

  Venus swung her arm through Cupid’s and led him to the elevator, where the normally chatty operator stared at his shoes. Cupid flinched. He must’ve hurt his mother more than he realized when he’d failed to send out the arrows on time. Still, he’d gotten the job done, through Inuus. He leaned back against the elevator wall. The ride to Kyoto seemed to take forever even though they were traveling at warp speed.

  “Miyoki will take our bags. There’s something I want you to see,” Venus announced as they stepped from the lift and a dwarf in a cobalt kimono rushed forward.

  Cupid followed his mother down a serpentine walkway strewn with underbrush and vines that looked like they belonged in the Amazon rather than Japan’s sacred city. They walked up a brush path and stopped in front of a thick wooden door. Venus knocked twice and stepped to the side.

  Two samurai warriors in black kimonos embossed with red dragons appeared from somewhere behind them. They stood on either side of Cupid and held him in their beefy arms. The wooden door opened and they carried Cupid across the worn threshold. He looked back over his shoulder. Venus was standing beneath a large white blossom, tears streaming down her face, rocking from side to side.

  “You’ve left me no choice, Cupid. You’ve left me no choice.”

  Ven
us reached forward and closed the windowless door, covering her ears to muffle her son’s cries for help.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “I’m sure he’s all right. You know how bad phone service can be, especially in those remote locations. And you can forget about finding internet access…” Jennie stroked Amelia’s arm as she spoke.

  Amelia frowned. “It’s been over a week.” She looked at Jennie. “Don’t you think I must have been right, that he’s not what he says he is?”

  Jennie wrapped a lock of hair around her finger and twisted it as she pondered the question.

  “I don’t know. I mean I’m hardly one to judge am I?”

  Amelia slumped onto the Victorian settee in the front room of Happily Ever After By Amelia. She picked up one of the pink satin throw pillows that had been given to her as an offering shortly after she’d opened her matchmaking business and slowly ran her hand along its smooth seam. It reminded her of how she loved to trace Cupid’s jaw line. She sighed. Jennie looked up.

  “At least you didn’t, well, you know,” Jennie said.

  She sat down next to her friend.

  Amelia covered her face with the pillow and began to sob.

  “Oh no. You’re kidding right?”

  Amelia pulled the pillow down.

  “I wish I could say I was. The whole thing makes me sick.”

  She got up and ran to the bathroom. Jennie heard the sound of Amelia retching. When she was done Amelia returned, wiping her mouth with a wet paper towel.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve lost complete control.”

  “This is so unlike you. Tell me what happened.”

  “I, I really don’t know. It’s almost like a spell came over me. Like I was hit by one of Cupid’s arrows, as as my dad used to say,” Amelia said, then laughed bitterly. “Do you think that’s the explanation? I swear I don’t recognize myself.”

  Jennie giggled.

  “I’m sorry I know I shouldn’t laugh but you’re right, it is funny–the notion that someone would just respond to some sort of outside signal like an arrow or spell. You sound like Esmeralda.”

  Amelia smiled weakly.

  “I know. But it’s the closest I can come to an explanation. I really have no idea why, but I felt like...” Amelia looked at Jennie.

  “Don’t laugh, but like he’s my other half.”

  She held up her hand, remembering how snugly it fit into Cupid’s palm. “I sound just like all those promotional lines I always use on our clients. And we know how that’s turning out.”

  She looked around the empty office.

  “You really felt that strongly?”

  Amelia nodded.

  Jennie chewed her lip. “Then I’m betting he felt that way as well. I’m going to call our embassy in Japan. Maybe something’s happened to him.”

  Amelia shook her head. “He’s not an American, remember? Besides you know as well as I do that they never release that kind of information.”

  “Still, if we told them he’s a California resident… What’s his address?”

  Amelia looked away.

  “Lia! What’s his address?”

  “I don’t exactly know.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. He said something about having work done on his place, somewhere on the west side. Since he liked Petal so much and my place is close to work, we always just went to the bungalow.”

  Jennie sucked in her breath.

  The shrill sound of the rotary dial wall phone Amelia had purchased on one of her antiquing jaunts cut the still afternoon air. They smiled at each other. It was the first call they’d received in over ten days. Jennie reached for the receiver. Amelia stood ready to talk to anyone who wished to speak with her.

  “Hello.”

  Amelia took a step forward. Jennie held up her hand indicating for her to stop. She nodded as she listened to the speaker.

  “All right.”

  Jennie hung up the phone and walked over to the computer. She turned it on to the local news channel, which featured a live stream. Carefully she guided Amelia back to the settee and put her arm around her shoulder.

  Samantha Yolandez was standing in front of Gerard’s house in her safari jacket. She must have had it dry cleaned, Amelia thought, as the dusty streaks embedded into her sleeves were gone. Below her wide-eyed face the words “breaking news” flashed across the screen in block letters.

  “Oh no!” Amelia gasped.

  “If you’re just joining us now let me bring you up to date. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of renowned research scientist Dr. Gerard Coillard.”

  “On what grounds?” asked an off-camera male voice.

  “Unconfirmed reports tell us that Dr. Coillard is being investigated as the possible source behind the bizarre wildlife mating—or should I say lack of mating patterns that have occurred this spring. According to unidentified neighbors Dr. Coillard appears to have seen himself as some sort of latter day Noah. We’ve heard as yet unsubstantiated claims that there are pairs of animals from various species, hand-selected by Dr. Coillard living behind these walls. Apparently Dr. Coillard has removed these creatures from their habitats, and possibly contaminated their living environments, in an attempt to bring about a new natural order.”

  “Incredible!” the off-screen voice cried.

  “Come on, I’ll drive.”

  Amelia was so dazed she was still wearing her white matchmaking sweater and clutching the wet paper towel she’d use to wipe her mouth with moments earlier. Gently Jennie bucked Amelia into the passenger seat of her convertible. As they pulled away from the curb Jennie saw Esmeralda and the man who owned the taco stand where they often bought lunch running down the pavement toward them.

  ****

  Stella was standing in the driveway when they arrived at Gerard’s house, her brow struggling to furrow beneath all of the Botox that had been injected into its folds. She had her arms crossed tightly in front of her chest as she glared at Samantha Yolandez and the other local news crews who’d set up camp on the sidewalk. She hurried toward Amelia.

  “Two sheriffs went in about half an hour ago along with several people from Fish and Wildlife,” Stella said as she bit her long red nail. “He hasn’t come out yet.”

  Amelia grabbed her mother’s hand. They walked to the front door, ignoring the microphones being shoved at them.

  “Please let us in,” she said to the young uniformed officer at the door. “We’re his wife and daughter.”

  The man tapped his holster. “Sorry ma’am, but I couldn’t let you in even if you live here. These premises are sealed while evidence is being gathered.”

  “Please. My father’s not well. At least let me know if he’s in need of medical attention.”

  The man looked at Amelia and Stella then nodded. “Give me a minute.” He walked away, out of earshot, and spoke into his cell phone before turning back to them. “It’s all right. The sheriff brought along a doctor, apparently law enforcement was aware of Dr. Coillard’s medical condition.”

  “Not enough to care about what the stress of this is going to do to him,” Stella snapped.

  Amelia took her mother’s arm and guided her back to Jennie’s car, where they spent the next half hour flipping between Spanish talk radio and classical music as they waited for Gerard to emerge.

  “I’m going to call Fernando and see if he’ll represent your father.”

  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Mom.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Gerard needs a good lawyer and Fernando’s one of the best in L.A.”

  “When it comes to negotiating divorce settlements. But I don’t think he’s going to be able to handle something like this.”

  “You may be right.” Stella pushed her cuticle back with her long nail. “But at least his office will be able to give us a recommendation.” She opened the car door. “I’m gonna walk to the end of the street to get better reception.”

  “I notice your mother’s accent’s
gone,” Jennie said after Stella left.

  “Yeah. She forgets it when … oh no!”

  Amelia pointed. An ambulance was making its way up the street, its progress hampered by the meandering crowd gathering on both sides of the road. It stopped in front of Jennie’s car. Two fit men in dark blue jumpsuits hurried around to the back door and withdrew a stretcher. The crowd parted as they pushed the gurney up the sidewalk, Amelia and Jennie behind them. Stella came running up the pavement, her stilettos click-clacking against the ground.