Playing Cupid

by SC Alban

  He does have good qualities other than good looks, you know, my inner voice reminded me, and a smile passed my lips as I remembered our walk together, our easy conversation, our shared stories.

  Climbing into bed, I pulled my blankets up to my chin. The weight of the quilt felt good against my body. It was the hug I’d fallen asleep under all the nights between Mom’s passing and now. It’d been the arms I’d always longed for. I sighed at the limp comfort it provided and realized this whole time I’d forgotten what real comfort felt like. The quilt was nothing like Dad’s hug and, now that I had that back, I promised myself I was going to do better.

  I pulled out an old picture from under my pillow of my parents taken just before Mom got sick. We had vacationed in Yosemite that summer. I was only ten years old, but the memory was still strong. It was one of the last among the many fading over time.

  After our fourteen-mile trek, we’d picnicked along the Merced River and played in the water. Mom was wearing a pair of khaki shorts, a black bathing suit top, and a purple handkerchief in her hair. Tiny amethyst studs in her ears glinted in the sunlight. She looked so strong and vibrant and healthy and beautiful. At the time, I’d never thought I’d live my life without her. I smiled sadly at the hard truth that life is never what you expect. Perhaps that was the way it was supposed to be. Slipping the picture back under my pillow, I turned out the light and lay back.

  “Hey, Mom,” I whispered into the darkness. “You’ll never guess what happened tonight.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Okay,” I said as I entered the barn the next morning, my steps lighter than the night before. “If Jay is the next mark, then Jay it is.”

  “Well, that’s quite a turnaround from last night,” Amadeo said as he sat on his overturned bucket, writing in his little red book.

  I swallowed before I continued. This was going to be more difficult than I had anticipated.

  “I want to apologize for my behavior last night.” I shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m…I’m sorry I got so angry. I didn’t mean to lash out at you. It was wrong.”

  “Why the change of heart?” His voice was neutral as he placed the pen in the notebook and tucked it safely away in its usual spot. He regarded me casually, his face not revealing his emotions.

  I folded my arms across my chest and hugged tight. I was still feeling the residual effects of the conversation with my father from the night before. It felt good, comforting, and made me vulnerable as all heck.

  “Yeah, well, last night, it became clear everyone deserves a little love, even those who believe they don’t want it. Besides, it’s not my job to question the authority of the Emotion Realm. Like you said, ‘The heart wants what the heart wants.’ And who am I to override what lies in that little book of yours?”

  I didn’t pause for his snarky remark, which I was almost sure he would’ve offered had I waited for a response. Instead, I walked over to Cosmo’s stall and began his daily care.

  It was closing in on nine o’clock before I was completely ready to go. Amadeo was patient, for the most part, only huffing and sighing twice as I finished packing my bag for the day.

  “Just letting you know,” I added as we headed out. “I’m with you today, but I’m taking tomorrow off.”

  “What do you mean, you’re taking tomorrow off?” Amadeo questioned with an incredulous expression. “Cupids don’t take days off.”

  I held up one finger. “One, I’m sure I don’t have to remind you I’m not a cupid. And two”—I ticked off another digit—“tomorrow’s Christmas. I’m spending the day with my dad, so no, I will not be chasing down possible love matches.”

  Though his face drooped in disappointment, he didn’t argue.

  “However, today I’m all yours. So we’d better start moving, ’cause we’re burning daylight.”

  “But the next day, you’re back, right?”

  “Of course,” I replied, easing his mind. “And I promise we’ll find the perfect match for Jay.”

  “Well, I’m glad one of us is so optimistic,” Amadeo retorted. “Because if the first two matches were any indication of this last one, I’m positively doomed.”

  I opened my mouth to make a snide comment in return, but thought better of it. No use getting into a spat now—the day was still young. Besides, I could already tell he was in a mood. Something was up. His little bow mouth was pursed into a tight line, and his left eye looked a little twitchy. I grabbed my bag and walked out the door.

  “Relax,” I said. “He’s like the most popular guy at school. There’s practically a hundred choices.”

  With no time to waste, we climbed into the car and headed down the mountain towards town. I passed through Main Street and headed east.

  “So, where’re we headed?” Amadeo asked.

  “Jay’s neighborhood.”

  “Splendid, you’ve been to his house. You two are closer than I thought.”

  “Just hold your roll right there,” I snapped. “First of all, I said we’re heading to his neighborhood, I never said his house. Second, the only reason I know he lives out this way is because this town is so freaking small, I’d have to be living in a hole not to know.”

  I chewed my lip and thought. I couldn’t remember exactly which house was his, but I could at least get us in the general vicinity. When we reached the entrance to the neighborhood, I pulled along the shoulder nearby. I took out my phone and opened the contacts.

  “Who could you possibly be calling at a time like this? We have work to do.”

  “I’m calling Jay, all right? I may not remember his address, but I’ve still got his number in my phone, so chill,” I shot back. “You’re making me nervous.”

  “Oh, but you two aren’t that close,” he teased.

  “It was strictly for classwork,” I huffed. “It’s not like we ever actually chatted on the phone or anything. In fact, our conversations were mostly him blowing me off.”

  I found Jay’s name on my contact list, and a sizzle of excitement shot through my fingers. That was strange. I continued to chew my lip as I pressed the call button.

  “So, what are you going to say?” Amadeo asked.

  “Shhh…it’s ringing,” I whispered. “I’m not sure. I figured it’d come to me.”

  “Great plan,” he said sarcastically. “That seems to work well for you.”

  I was about to give a rebuttal when Jay picked up the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Um, hi, Jay. It’s Megan…Cooper…from school.”

  “Yeah”—he chuckled—“I know.” It was as if the smile on his face practically jumped through the phone. Duh, of course he knew me. My cheeks grew hot. “So, tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

  A rush of warmth flew to my cheeks. Was he flirting? My mind blanked. I forgot what I was going to say. Any sort of plan I’d thought I’d had promptly dissipated with his words. I spat out the first thing that popped into my head.

  “Um, I must’ve accidentally taken your mid-term from home ec and wanted to give it back to you.”

  I pressed my lips together and closed my eyes. Of all the things I could’ve said, it was probably the stupidest thing I could’ve chosen. I cringed at my own ineptitude. What. The. Holy. Hell.

  “I’m…I’m sorry…what? Did you just say you want to return my mid-term paper to me?” he asked, sounding puzzled.

  “Yes,” I squeaked.

  “The mid-term from October? The one we don’t need anymore?” he repeated.

  “Yes.” My voice was fading now. Embarrassment was settling in and dried out my throat.

  “On Christmas Eve?”

  “Yeah.” My voice was now a hoarse whisper.

  “Um, thanks…that’s, um, nice of you…and a little weird maybe, but I’m actually hanging out with my dad, you know, for the holiday and all.”

  “Yeah, sure, of course. Totally get it. I was just cleaning out my stuff and found it and thought you might want it or some
thing. No biggie. Forget I called,” I said in a rush.

  “Listen, Megan—”

  Those were the last words I heard before I ended the call. My face was so hot, it felt like the bites of a thousand fire ants were searing my flesh, my entire head two seconds away from implosion. I dropped my phone in my lap and covered my face with my hands. I didn’t even want to acknowledge my passenger, who I was sure had more than a few things to say about what had just transpired.

  “Don’t even start,” I said through my fingers.

  My phone rang.

  “Crap! He’s calling back!” I panicked and declined the call, sending it directly to voicemail. “Don’t say anything,” I warned.

  “Oh, believe me, I won’t. I mean, I wouldn’t even know where to begin. That was… masterful. So articulate…so suave…”

  “Shut up,” I muttered.

  Amadeo continued as if I hadn’t spoken.

  “And the reasoning was so solid. So well thought-out. I must ask, what would you have done if he told you to come right on over? Did you even have a plan at all?”

  “Shut it, Amadeo,” I grumbled, though I couldn’t be irritated at him for pointing out the obvious. My ego shrank to the size of a pea. “I didn’t really think it through, okay?”

  “Really? I couldn’t tell,” he deadpanned.

  “I don’t know, I guess I just panicked. There’s something about him that gets under my skin, okay? I thought if I could talk to him, I’d find out where exactly he lived and maybe learn more about him, and if I knew more about him, I’d be able to choose a suitable match for him. I was just making it up as I went. Going with my gut. Not one of my better plans, I’ll admit, but it doesn’t matter anyway; he’s going to be with his dad all day today.”

  Amadeo just stared and shook his head. He blinked several times. “Truly unbelievable.”

  Just then, the rumble of a large truck engine caught my attention. I looked up and spotted Jay’s cobalt blue F-150 pull out onto the main road heading out of town. Toward Leighton Heights. Alone.

  “Huh, that’s strange. Did you see that?” I said as I started up my Ranchero and pulled out a few cars behind.

  “What?”

  “On the phone, Jay told me he was spending the day at home with his dad. But he’s obviously leaving his house, and he’s the only one in the truck.” I kept my distance as I followed him. “Why would he lie to me? I mean, I’m nobody to him.”

  “That, my dear, is the least of our worries. After your little phone theatrics, I’m in full control. From now on, I’m giving the directions, here.” He sat up straight. “Now, follow that truck. And hurry up and don’t lose him. This could lead us to his possible match.”

  “Terrific,” I muttered, quickly checking my fuel gauge to make sure I had enough gas for a wild goose chase. “I hope you’re up for a long drive.”

  “It’ll give us more time to come up with an actual plan,” he said.

  I grimaced, not sure I was up for being stuck in the car with Commandant Cupid for the next forty-five minutes. However, considering my ego was still recovering from my earlier epic fail, I was willing to follow orders. After all, he was supposed to be one of the highest-ranking cupids in his realm. If that didn’t deserve some sort of respect, then hell, I didn’t know what did. But he sure didn’t make it easy. I swallowed hard, my pride more difficult to push down than I’d thought, and turned onto the highway.

  Our last one. This is the last one, I repeated to myself.

  If we could just find a match for Jay, then all this would be over. I pressed down on the gas pedal not only to appease Mr. Bossypants, but also to quiet the suspicion that tickled the back of my neck. Why would Jay lie to me? What was the point? Again, he owed me nothing. It didn’t make any sense, and I wanted to get to the bottom of it.

  Leighton Heights, though by no means a cosmopolitan metropolis, was the closest thing to a city our corner of California had. Forty-five minutes later, and we were weaving in and out of traffic that would never hit the streets of Mountain Valley, even on its busiest day.

  “You might want to switch lanes,” Amadeo suggested.

  Great, not only was I indebted to a cupid who was high maintenance, but he was also a backseat driver.

  “Um, I think I know how to do this. I’ve been driving for quite some time now. You know, I was driving before I—”

  “Oh, really?” he sarcastically countered, interrupting my argument. “Because he just turned into that lot back there.”

  “What? Crap.” I glanced over my shoulder and spotted the truck pulling into the indicated parking lot and going around to the back of the building. “Oops.”

  I quickly made a U-turn and, after cutting off two drivers, I inched into the lot, searching for the blue vehicle. It wasn’t hard to spot. I parked a few spaces away a couple of rows down and waited for Amadeo to give his next order.

  “Where are we?” I examined the building in front of us. Standing three stories high, the tan and green structure was plain and unmarked. What was this place? It looked like some sort of abandoned insurance company or other innocuous place. It was so ambiguous. The exterior gave away nothing of what was inside or its purpose.

  “We’re exactly where we need to be,” he replied. “C’mon, get out.”

  We stepped out of the car and walked up to the building’s entrance. A small sign was securely fastened next to a set of thick, double-paned glass doors.

  New Directions Psychiatric Residential Treatment Center.

  “What? This can’t be right. This doesn’t make any sense,” I said out loud to no one in particular.

  “Okay, Megan, here’s the plan. I’m gonna go around back and poke around for another way to sneak into this place. You go in this way and look around. We’ll meet back here in thirty minutes. Got it?”

  “Wait,” I cried. “Why do I have to go in through the front? What am I supposed to do? How will I even get in?”

  He gave me a half smile.

  “Oh, I don’t know, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

  “Really? You’re gonna bring that up again?” I gave the building another once-over. “I don’t know; this just feels wrong.”

  He put his hands on his hips.

  “Am I or am I not in charge of this little expedition?” he huffed.

  “You are, but if Jay’s here, doesn’t it seem like some sort of invasion of privacy or something? Like if he wanted me to know, he would’ve told me?”

  “Listen to me,” he said. “I have been doing this for centuries. Don’t you think I’d know if something was amiss? Trust me. I know what I’m doing. And right now, I’m telling you to get inside that building and find Jay. Besides, you owe me. We wouldn’t even be here if someone hadn’t hit—”

  “Fine. What am I supposed to do, just barge in?”

  He waved his hands in the air. “I don’t know everything.” He paused. “Just make it up as you go, and I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

  I gave him my most sincere scowl, though I doubt he noticed since he’d already popped out of sight.

  My hands grew cold and my shoulder muscles clenched. I was on my own. I took a deep breath and made up my mind to walk through the door. I’d show him who could think fast on her feet.

  My hand shook as I grabbed the door handle and entered the building. The inside was cozy and light—not at all what I was expecting, though I wasn’t sure what it was I’d expected in the first place.

  I scanned the empty reception area. It was neat and clean and filled with several comfortable-looking chairs. A fire blazed in the fireplace, and several side tables were positioned accordingly throughout the room, magazines splayed on top of each one. A small sign on the counter read Be Back In Five. Another door on the wall to the right of the reception counter led to the interior of the building. I walked over and tried the handle. Locked. Maybe I was in the wrong place. I couldn’t imagine what business Jay had here.

  I took a seat in the brown leather
chair next to the locked door and tried to look like I belonged. Yeah, right. What was I even doing here? I grabbed a magazine and flipped though it while I waited. At least I could ask the receptionist about the facility when she returned.

  A conversation coming from deeper inside the building grew louder as the speakers approached the door. Quickly, I lifted the magazine to shield my face. A man and a woman entered the reception area. They were so engaged in heated conversation that they didn’t even seem to notice my existence.

  “I just don’t understand why they have to give her that medication. It makes her a zombie,” the woman said.

  “I know, but she has a history of violence,” the man replied. “It’s only temporary, just until they can come up with a better treatment plan.”

  As they walked toward the fireplace, I quietly stood and slipped through the door before it closed. My heart pounded. What was I doing? I was pretty sure I was breaking at least twenty laws, not to mention invading people’s privacy. My gut wrenched.

  Amadeo told you to do this. You said you’d help him. You can’t go back on your word. Not now.

  I shoved my hands in my pockets and tucked my chin down. What was Jay doing here? Was he even here? I hung to one side of the hall as I made my way down the corridor. My stomach twisted. Nope. This didn’t feel right. I had to get out of here.

  As I turned to leave, I noticed the end of the hall opened to a larger room where Christmas decorations hung from the ceiling and a tall tree bedecked with strands of popcorn and cranberries stood tall in the corner. Next to the tree sat a table adorned with a menorah. A large, wooden dreidel lay next to it.

  How pretty.

  I drew closer until I stood in the entrance and scanned the room. There were a few small groups of people gathered in different areas, their voices hushed. It looked like a visitor’s room of some sort, one for families to spend time together.