by Schulte, Liz
“I wanted to love him. I tried to love him. He wouldn’t let me.”
“That’s why you have to see if it is possible.” My fingers crossed behind my back.
Psyche’s face was completely unreadable. Perfect and alien, she reminded me a little of an angel, only less scary. Finally she nodded once. “One meeting.”
I got her phone number, then Phoenix and I left. The door to the elevator closed and I leaned back against the wall. Hopefully she wasn’t expecting a miracle. We could explain to Cupid what she wanted, but we couldn’t change him—only he could do that.
Phoenix hit the emergency stop, a wide smile on his face. “You did it.” He pressed his lips to mine with passion and enthusiasm. It was the sort of kiss that made me not care if I ever took another breath again so long as it didn’t stop.
But like all good things, stop it did. The elevator’s buzz broke us apart and Phoenix restarted it, that glint still in his eyes.
I almost closed the distance between us again myself when my phone rang. “Hello?”
“Hey, Maggie, how have you been?” Boone’s gentle baritone came from the other end.
I closed my eyes. “Pretty good. How about you?”
There was a long pause. “I’ve been better.”
I held my breath waiting for him to continue. Nothing. “I’ve been taking boxes to the shelter.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“I know,” he said. “They told me. I haven’t—it’s been a while since I could volunteer. Do you have time to talk?”
I could feel Phoenix’s eyes drilling into me. “Not at the moment. Raincheck?”
“Sure. Can you meet me tonight? At the bakery around nine?”
I sank my teeth into my lower lip. Hopefully, we’d be done by then. “Um, sure.”
I hung up the phone and didn’t quite meet Phoenix’s gaze. The elevator opened and we made our way back to the town car and headed for Cupid, who I assumed was back in Xavier’s. Cars passing by and the blare of horns all blended together in a cacophony of sounds that made up the city. The lights blurred all around us. I glanced over at Phoenix who was still looking at me.
Something stirred in my chest, quickly followed by fear. I couldn’t do this again. My emotions would never be separate from what I was doing. I was an all or nothing sort of girl. If he legitimately wanted to give us a chance I needed to know. “Phoenix—”
He pressed his finger to my lips and shook his head. “Just let me have this moment.”
I frowned. What was he talking about? Have what? After a few more seconds of silence, I had to say something. If he didn’t want to talk about us, that was fine. We’d talk about Cupid and Psyche. “Where do you think we can get a reservation for them tonight? Xavier’s isn’t the atmosphere we’re looking for.”
“I agree, and I have it covered. Tell Psyche to meet him outside of the library at eight.”
Xavier’s wasn’t even open yet, but Cupid was parked in the same spot he’d been the night before. He swiveled on the stool and watched us walk toward him. “Did you see her?”
“She’ll meet you tonight,” Phoenix said.
Cupid launched to his feet, wings fluttering. “What did she say exactly?”
“That’s not important. What matters is Maggie got you a second chance. You’re going to meet her tonight and Maggie is going to tell you what you need to do.”
Cupid’s long, curling eyelashes fluttered a little as he looked at me. “You? You can tell me about love? I can smell your desperation and loneliness from here.”
I wasn’t going to be judged by him. “Says the deity who has had thousands of years to figure out how to let the woman he loves in, yet still holds her at a distance in the most epic case of Peter Pan syndrome to ever walk the face of the earth. You want to prove your love, stop trying to ruin everything around her and tell her how you feel.”
Phoenix put a hand on my shoulder.
“I personally think you’re a whiny asshole who’s in love with his own image. But for some reason this beautiful woman actually loves you—just can’t stay with you because you aren’t able to open up to her. She doesn’t want to live a separate life from you. She wants to know who you are.”
He glared at me and I glared back until he broke. “She knows.”
“She doesn’t feel like she does.”
He circled me slowly. “Tell me more.”
****
When Phoenix said that he had somewhere they could go tonight, a library wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. It was a lovely building, though. I stayed outside waiting for Psyche, and pulled my short leather jacket tighter around me, freezing.
“She’s late,” I said as Phoenix came up.
“Beautiful women normally are.” He slipped off his coat and dropped it over my shoulders. “You weren’t half bad today.”
I smiled a little, staring down at the sidewalk. He edged toward me until we were nearly touching. I closed the distance, leaning against him, enjoying his warmth. His arms wrapped around me, hesitantly at first. I looked up at him. I had to know what this was. After lecturing Cupid and Psyche about communication, the least I could do was try to get Phoenix to tell me what was going on. He had been acting strange since all of this started. I opened my mouth.
His eyes flickered away for just a moment, then his arms loosened, dropping away from me. “She’s here.”
Psyche glided toward us, shimmering in a silky gold dress. “The first threat he utters and I leave. Your world is on its own.”
As we headed to the top floor, I crossed my fingers behind my back. I had talked and talked and talked to Cupid all afternoon, but how much got through was anyone’s guess. The elevator doors opened and I gasped softly. It was magnificent. The room was huge and the ceiling was made entirely of glass. Soft warm lights gave the room an inviting amber glow. One intimate table was set up in the center. Psyche with her head high stepped off the elevator, Phoenix and I trailing behind her.
Cupid jolted to his feet, bumping into the table, splashing the wine over the edge. Large red spots grew on the white tablecloth as he headed toward her with singular focus. “Psyche, my love, you have returned. I knew you’d see the error of your ways.”
Apparently he hadn’t listened at all.
She stopped moving toward him. “Me? I was at fault?”
“Yes. But it’s okay.” He took her hands completely oblivious to her tone. Cupid was a moron. “I forgive you.”
“You forgive me?” She took a step back then looked over her shoulder at me accusingly as she pulled her hand away. “We’re done.”
She stalked back to the elevator while Cupid dropped to his knees wailing. “For crying out loud,” I snapped. “You get her. I got him.”
Phoenix cut Psyche off before she could leave and I focused my attention on the simpering fool at my feet. “Didn’t you listen at all? I told you exactly what she wants. She wants to know you. She wants you to hear her when she talks. She doesn’t want whatever this is.”
He looked up with red rimmed eyes, tears still spilling down his cheeks. “But I forgave her for leaving me.”
“She left because of you. Treat her like a person or she’s never coming back. If, and that’s a big if, Phoenix can talk her into coming back in here, you need to sit at the table and talk to her. Tell her how you feel about her. Not in grand gestures, but in the little things you say and do because you love her. Can you do that, or should we abandon all hope?”
He brushed his tears away. “If this doesn’t work, I’m taking it out on you.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
We shook hands. Ten minutes later Phoenix came back toward us with Psyche at his side. Phoenix and I moved to the side of the room, giving them privacy. At first they didn’t talk at all, then slowly it began to build until I felt at least assured she wasn’t going to storm out.
I turned to Phoenix. “How did you know this would be here? When did you have time to set it up?”
He glanced around the room with an expression I couldn’t read. “Do you like it?”
“Of course. It’s beautiful.” I looked around the room. It had to have been reserved for months. “I’m sure whoever had this booked thought it was beautiful too. I can’t believe you stole someone’s venue.”
He didn’t look at me. “When people wait too long to make their move, they deserve to have it stolen from them.”
I narrowed my eyes. It didn’t feel like we were talking about the room. I looked at it again. He’d asked me if I’d have dinner with him tonight. He was nervous and wearing a suit. And all of this just happened to be here waiting for us. My chest tightened. He’d said we needed to talk. But he never said—
“I don’t think they need us anymore.” He gestured to Cupid and Psyche. They were holding hands across the table and leaning toward one another still talking.
“Right.” I pushed my hair behind my ears. “Um, Phoenix—”
He looked down at me like he wanted to say something. “Thank you for helping me with this, Maggie.”
“Of course. We’re friends.” I edged toward him.
His head went back slightly and he swallowed. “You bet. I believe the carpenter is waiting for you. Take the car.” With that he disappeared into a puff of smoke. I was stunned motionless. What had just happened?
Chapter 5
Boone was sitting in his old, beat up truck outside Knead to Know when I made it back. I waved at him as I unlocked the door and let us inside, still wearing Phoenix’s coat. After I made a quick pot of coffee, I poured him a cup and carried it out. I still couldn’t get Phoenix out of my mind. Had he really set all of that up for me? Even if he stole it from someone else, he still did it for me. And wore a suit for me. And was nervous. And—
“Nicole and I broke up,” Boone said.
I shook off my own problems. I couldn’t help the wave of sympathy and, frankly, hope. But I forced the latter from my mind. That wasn’t being a good friend. I took his hand. “I’m so sorry.”
He covered my hand with his. “It’s not your fault.”
It was nice of him to say, but I sort of felt it wasn’t completely honest either. In the short amount of time I had known Boone, I managed to turn his world upside down. I seemed to have that effect on people these days.
“Did she remember any of her time with Holda?”
He shook his head. “But that was part of it. I can’t put her in danger or share that part of my life with her. It’s not fair. I tried to stop acting on them, but the visions kept coming and I can’t stand that I can prevent someone’s worst day, but don’t because I’m afraid of what it will do to my own life. That’s not who I am, or not the person I want to be anyway—and it’s not the man Nicole fell in love with either. ”I nodded. He was right. Boone was the person who helped me finish my bakery when I had no one else. He nearly took a bullet for me and he barely knew me. He spent all of his free time volunteering at shelters or helping me solve his visions, which prevented people from getting hurt. He wasn’t selfish.
“I’m still sorry,” I said.
He took a deep breath. “It’s okay. This is just a new chapter in my life.”
****
The next couple days were beyond busy with getting ready for Valentine’s Day. I didn’t hear from Phoenix or Boone, which was definitely for the best because I was more confused than ever. On the actual day of our event, I barely stuck my head out of the kitchen until just before it was time to reopen our doors for guests.
The café looked unbelievable. The lights were low and candles glowed from every table. Bottles of wine lined the back counter and bouquets of fresh cut flowers were everywhere.
“Wow,” I said. “Izzy, it’s fantastic.”
Her wide face split into a grin. “I know. Emery helped a lot.”
Emery gave a mock curtsy. “This is so cool. We should do this all the time.”
Izzy groaned. “Once a year might be all I can handle. I’m half dead.”
I laughed and nodded to the door. “Looks like we have our first arrival.”
The rest of the evening was a blur. When we finally closed up shop for the night, Izzy dragged herself upstairs and Emery went home. I lingered in the kitchen, looking at the one box of leftovers. I grabbed the box and the wine before I could think about it and left.
****
My hand paused over the door, indecision taking hold. This was such a bad idea. It was too soon. I knocked on the door anyway.
“Come in,” his voice called from the other side.
I straightened my shoulders and went through. Phoenix sat behind his massive paper-strewn desk. I could hear my heart thumping in my ears as his eyes met mine.
He blinked like he thought that might make me disappear. “Hi.” His eyes trailed to the box in my hand then back up to my face. “How’d tonight go?”
“It was almost perfect,” I said, hardly recognizing my voice over the sound of my heart.
“Almost?”
It was now or never. “You weren’t there.”
He rose slowly from his chair, moved around the desk, and came toward me. His eyes were as dark and unreadable as always.
“This is for you,” I shoved the soufflé and the bottle of wine at him.
He took my offerings and set them on his desk, without taking his eyes off of me. “Maggie, actually now is not a good time,” he said with a faint trace of warning.
I didn’t care if he was busy. Short of him picking me up and carrying me out, we were going to talk about all of this. “Dinner at the library…that was for me?”
He eyed me warily, not saying anything.
“And the suit?”
He shifted, still not answering.
I closed my eyes. Izzy was right. The more I thought about things, the more trouble I made for myself. None of that was about me. I took all of this as signs of his undying love or something equally pathetic. People like Phoenix didn’t make grand gestures, especially to people like me. I shouldn’t have come. He was never going to let me live this down.
“Yes,” he finally said. “But—it doesn’t matter, Maggie. I was wrong and you were right. We aren’t Cupid and Psyche. I can see that now. They want each other. That’s not the case with us, is it? I am who I am and that will never be the carpenter.” He shrugged. “So go take what you want. I won’t hold it against us.”
My eyes sprang open. Everything after “yes” was irrelevant. He had moved closer but wasn’t touching me. The sway of his breath lifting his chest took mine away. I needed to stop thinking so much and leap. And so did he. I placed my hands on either side of his face and stared into his eyes. “Maybe I don’t know what I want. Not anymore.”
We stared at each other, breathing in sync. After what felt like hours he finally answered. “We should probably find out.”
I pulled him toward me and kissed him like I meant it because in that moment I did.
Check out more books by Liz:
URBAN FANTASY/PARANORMAL ROMANCE
The Knead to Know Series
Knead to Know (A Knead to Know Short Story)
Fairytale Ambrosia
Psyche Souffle
Ghostsnaps (Coming Soon)
Black Magic Mousse (Coming Soon)
The Easy Bake Coven Series:
Easy Bake Coven
Hungry, Hungry Hoodoo
Pickup Styx
Tiddly Jinx
Ghosts in the Graveyard
Ollie, Ollie Hex ‘n Free
Frost’s Bite (An Easy Bake Coven Short Story)
If the Broom Fits
Stark Raven Mad (Coming Soon)
Moonlight Madness (Coming Soon)
The Sekhmet Bounty Series
Sweet Little Lies (A Sekhmet Short Story)
Catatonic (A Sekhmet Short Story)
Catastrophe
Catacombs
Catapult (Coming Soon)
The Guardian Trilogy:
Se
crets
Choices
Consequences
Be Light (Guardian Trilogy Christmas Short Story)
Snow and Mistletoe (Guardian Trilogy Christmas Short Story)
Good Tidings(Guardian Trilogy Christmas Short Story)
The Jinn Trilogy:
Ember
Inferno
Vestige
Without a Map (A Jinn Trilogy Short Story)
MYSTERY
Dark Corners
Dark Passing
Dark Obsession
The Ninth Floor
MANY AUTHORS CLAIM to have known their calling from a young age. Liz Schulte, however, didn’t always want to be an author. In fact, she had no clue. Liz wanted to be a veterinarian, then she wanted to be a lawyer, then she wanted to be a criminal profiler. In a valiant effort to keep from becoming Walter Mitty, Liz put pen to paper and began writing her first novel. It was at that moment she realized this is what she was meant to do. As a scribe she could be all of those things and so much more.
When Liz isn’t writing or on social networks she is inflicting movie quotes and trivia on people, reading, traveling, and hanging out with friends and family. Liz is a Midwest girl through and through, though she would be perfectly happy never having to shovel her driveway again. She has a love for all things spooky, supernatural, and snarky. Her favorite authors range from Edgar Allen Poe to Joseph Heller to Jane Austen to Jim Butcher and everything in between.
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