Playing Cupid

by SC Alban

  “Um, I really should go,” I said. “I have some errands to do today.”

  “Oh, yeah, sure,” he said, his voice low. “I should head out, too.”

  “But we’re still on for coffee, right?” I asked, making sure my window of time was still available. “You’re not gonna bail on me?” I teased.

  “No way,” he said, his voice a little lighter, his eyes a tad brighter. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  I offered him a smile. “Okay, but if you cancel—”

  “I promise,” he interrupted. “I’ll be there waiting for you.”

  He pulled his beanie from his back pocket and tugged it on his head. Flashing me one last smile, he turned and walked away, his head tucked down against the cold weather.

  Taking a deep breath, I ran my hands through my hair.

  “Well, that’s the résumé of a stand-up young man,” Amadeo said from over my shoulder and I jumped at the sudden presence of his voice. “I wonder who the lucky gal will be? Any ideas yet, Megan? Any at all?”

  I shook my head. “Not yet. And we won’t find her standing around here.” I tugged at the hemline of my shirt. “Come on. Let’s go see if those drama kids are still around.”

  I heard him release a loud sigh, but I couldn’t waste another moment; we were seriously running out of time. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what was up with him. Looking over to the where I’d last seen the group, I was relieved to spot them at a table with a pizza.

  “Okay,” I said, confident Amadeo would find a perfect match for Jay among them. “We’ve taken long enough. Down to business. Who’s the lucky lady?”

  “Oh, yes, back to business,” he commented. “How about the short girl with the long braid over there?”

  “Missy Pratt? Are you sure?”

  “Why? Is there something wrong with her?”

  “Well, nothing in particular, unless of course you don’t mind always having to talk about, well, her. She’s nice enough, I guess, just completely self-centered. You know, maybe it’s a drama club thing—always wanting to be center stage. I’m not sure about her. Jay needs someone who’s willing to share the spotlight, not star in the show. Is there anyone else you’re leaning towards?”

  “How about if you tell me? Since you’re the apparent expert now.”

  I perused the group of kids. There were plenty of choices, but I wasn’t convinced any one of them was the best match for Jay. My stomach clenched each time I tried to imagine one of those girls with him, holding his hand, kissing—nope. It didn’t feel right. Not that there was anything particularly bad about or wrong with the girls, but Jay’s match needed to be perfect for him, and the patrons of Double Decker didn’t quite meet the criteria.

  “You know what?” I said after giving the group one final studious look. “I don’t think there’s any one here who fits the bill. Let’s try somewhere else.”

  “Whatever you say, Megan,” he replied. “You’re in charge.”

  I stopped short.

  “Okay, seriously. What’s wrong with you? Spill it,” I choked out. “You just said I was in charge. If that doesn’t tell me something’s up, I don’t know what does.”

  “For the last time, nothing’s wrong. I’m trying to find a match for Jay, just like you,” he said. “Perhaps all this bowling excitement has gotten to me. Maybe I should rest before we continue.”

  I narrowed my eyes. What was his angle? Something was up, but I hadn’t a clue what it was. After searching my brain a bit longer, I let it go. I’d figure it out sooner or later.

  We left the bowling alley without another word. The crisp air bit at my cheeks as we walked back to the town square. My breath made little icy puff clouds with each exhale. The tip of my nose was chilled through.

  We scoured all downtown the rest of the afternoon with no success, and not for lack of opportunity, but every girl we came across just wasn’t quite right. For the first time in forever, my heart and brain were finally on the same page. Only somehow, that made the job harder.

  Classic.

  It was near dark when we called it quits. I was cold and frustrated, not to mention famished. I thought briefly about ordering some of the fries at Dave’s, but quickly voted against it; there was still too much work to be done. Never had I put forth such a bold effort in attaining something, only not to achieve it. I couldn’t understand why it was so difficult to find a match for Jay. I silently pouted as we drove home. I was certain I’d be able to knock this out of the park in no time, especially since I knew so much more about him. Strange how that just made it more difficult.

  Amadeo, in contrast, appeared to be fine with just about any girl I pointed out. I was appalled at his lack of professionalism, considering his precious toaster was on the line. It was like the trigger-happy cupid was willing to detonate the glitter bomb at any moment.

  Had I been wrong? I thought about some of the choices we’d come across throughout the day in case I’d missed something. No, I’d been right. There weren’t any suitable matches, at least not yet. But maybe I was hungrier than I thought. Maybe I just needed some food and a little more patience. Or maybe I was having such a tough time because I wasn’t a real cupid; I just played one on TV. Whatever it was, I left town grumpy, hungry, and empty-handed because honestly, I just couldn’t understand what Amadeo saw in any of those girls.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Before I knew it, time had flown by, and not one possible match had been found. It’d been too many long days of canvassing downtown, and we were no closer to finding the perfect someone for Jay than we had been when he visited my barn. As we drove to The Hot Spot, I began to freak out, my stomach fighting against the thousands of giant Amazonian moths battling each other inside it. It was nearly ten o’clock.

  “Amadeo,” I said, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tight, my knuckles were turning white. “How can you be so calm right now? In less than five minutes, we’ll be there, and we still haven’t found the right person for Jay. What are we going to do? Time’s almost up, and you still need one more mark to meet your quota.”

  “Megan, relax,” he said calmly. “Don’t worry. We still have time.”

  “What do you mean, we still have time?” I yelled. “We are, quite literally, out of time. I suppose I can arrange to meet with him again later tonight before midnight; that will at least give us a couple more hours, but I’m not sure he’ll even want to see me then. What if he’s leaving town or is going to a party or something? Then what?”

  “Megan, take a breath, you’re freaking out.”

  “Of course I’m freaking out,” I screeched. “The question is, why aren’t you?”

  “Everything will work out the way it is supposed to. It always does,” he said softly. “You just need to have faith and believe in the greatness of love.”

  Taking the turn a bit too sharp, I hit the curb as I pulled into the parking lot of The Hot Spot.

  “Don’t,” I warned as the passenger side of the truck bounced on impact. I didn’t even have to look. I knew what expression would be on his face.

  He chuckled.

  I swung into a spot near the front of the shop, nearly missing a garbage dumpster with my bumper as I screeched to a halt. Amadeo was as calm as a lake on an early spring morning.

  “You know, your reckless driving is what got you into this mess in the first place. You may want to be more mindful of the road,” he chided. “I would hate if something bad happened to you, especially since you’ve come so far under my tutelage.”

  My glare only elicited a soft smile from his handsome face. He took a deep breath.

  “So, what’s the plan?” His voice held an edge. “Jay’s in there waiting.”

  My brain pounded against my skull. “I don’t know, Amadeo, I don’t know. Tell me, what should I do? How can I help you? Help Jay?”

  He shook his head. “I can’t tell you what to do. Not this time,” he said softly. “Only you can do what needs to be done.
As much as I’d like to—and believe me, I’d like to—it needs to come from your heart. You’re the Cupid-in-Charge, here.”

  My hands grew cold and clammy. I had no idea how to proceed. Panic seized my throat, and it was difficult to take a full breath. Somehow, I’d have to make a choice. But how? There was no one good enough for Jay, at least not in Mountain Valley. I tried to swallow, but the lump lodged in my throat refused to move. I started shaking, my vision blurred by my tears. I’d failed. Myself. Amadeo. Jay. Tears carved tracks down my cheeks at the realization.

  Amadeo placed his hand on my shoulder. “Hey. It’s okay.”

  “I’m…I’m sorry,” I sputtered. “I can’t do it. I want to, I do. I want to find him the perfect match, I want to help you, get you the toaster, but I can’t match him with just anyone. It wouldn’t be right, it’s…it’s too hard.” I studied the dashboard, avoiding his eyes. My chest ached. I brought my hand to it and massaged back and forth, trying to rub away the deep pain.

  “Nothing good has ever been easy, Megan.” His voice was low. “Especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Trust me on this one.”

  I met his eyes; they were soft and understanding. He offered me a kind smile. I wiped my tears away with the back of my sleeve and nodded.

  “You’re right about that,” I conceded. “When I started this, I thought it would be…easier. I had no idea it would be this hard; dealing with all this emotion, you know? I never imagined I’d be in this situation.” I leaned back against the headrest.

  “And it’s quite a situation, if you ask me,” he said. “No better off than when Jay walked into your barn. But don’t give up. Not yet. Love needs you. Plus, we’ve still got a couple minutes, right? Let’s just go over where we’re at so I’m certain I know what we’re looking for.”

  I wasn’t sure what we were going to accomplish in two minutes, but I wasn’t going to question him. At least he was finally showing some interest in finding someone. He sat up in his seat.

  “So, as I understand it, we’re looking for someone who is around his age, mature, and who understands what it means to not have a parent,” he began. “Let’s see, someone who won’t demand attention or want to be center stage all the time…jump in here whenever you want.”

  “Okay.” I wiped my face again. “Okay, um, don’t forget, someone who is a good listener.”

  “Anything else?” he said, raising his eyebrows.

  “Hmm, someone who is willing to help him through his bad days, who’ll call him out when he’s difficult to deal with, which believe me, is more often than he wants to admit.” I released a small snort. “Oh, but let’s not forget someone he can talk to like a friend, but more. He needs someone who he could be comfortable enough with to lower his walls. To be more of himself with.” I paused and thought, adding, “Obviously, this person must care for him greatly and, well, you know, Ms. O’Dowd says ‘being a good cook never hurts…’”

  My breath quickened as my heart began to beat twice its usual rhythm. A chill ran from the base of my spine, straight up to the nape of my neck, and down the length of my extremities, causing every hair on my arms to stand up.

  A slide show of memories flashed through my head. The glint in Jay’s eyes as he opened up about his mother, the way he wore that ridiculous apron perfectly during cooking sessions in class, how he smiled at me when he asked to meet for coffee. The fountain, the bookstore, the barn, the bowling alley, the fries…it all flooded my head in a seamless montage. My stomach tightened around those thousands of butterflies flitting inside. And suddenly, I knew.

  The beginnings of love flickered like a tiny flame and grew steadily until my racing heart was beating loudly in my chest. I could feel its intensity throughout my entire body. My mouth opened as I gasped.

  “And she’s finally figured it out, folks. Give the lady a prize.” Amadeo’s playfully sarcastic tone brought me back to the car. One look at his face told me he had known what I just realized for quite some time.

  “But…but…I don’t understand. How long have you known?”

  He tilted his head to the side, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. “A while.”

  Understanding hit me when I realized just how long he had to have known. “Oh, right. Cupid. But what about those other girls? You said they’d be fine.”

  “I only chose those girls because I knew they were bad matches for him. I knew you’d recognize it.”

  “For days, I’ve been running around crazed like a…a rabid animal. Couldn’t you have just told me instead of all…this?”

  He rested his hand on mine.

  “Of course I could’ve,” he said gently. “I could’ve used several cupid tools to lead you to recognize your love. I could’ve used my powers of persuasion, my influence. I could’ve even used simple magic. But I didn’t want to. I wanted you to come to the conclusion on your own. Without magical intervention. I wanted there to be no question about what you felt. I wanted you to know it was real. That’s the best way.

  “And I knew you’d come around…eventually. You’re pretty smart when you want to be. I’m pretty sure some of my brilliance has rubbed off on you.”

  I sat there stunned, listening and not knowing how to respond. The only thing I absolutely knew for certain was that I needed to go into the coffee shop. A.S.A.P. I looked through the window and saw Jay waiting inside. For me. I couldn’t race in there fast enough. My heart thundered; there was just one thing left to do.

  “But you still need to make your quota. There’s still one arrow left.” I looked to the quiver on the bench seat between us.

  He shrugged his shoulders.

  “Meh, quota schmota.”

  “No,” I said looking at him intently. “I told you I’d help you, and I won’t go back on my word. I know now Jay and I are meant to be. I know it in my bones, and I’m confident he feels the same. Nothing can change that. I don’t know how, but you know what? Someone once told me I shouldn’t put too much thought in matters of the heart. That I should trust how I feel. And I know, in my heart, this is real. So, I guess all I need to know now is…how in the hell do I shoot myself with an arrow?”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I’ve never been so sure of anything else in my life.”

  He nodded.

  “Well then, if we’re going to do this, there’s no time to waste. I’ll go in and set the dust. You wait by the front door. Once the signal releases,” he paused, smiling, “all you’ll need to do is prick yourself with the arrow tip. Just a prick, no dramatics, you don’t have to stab yourself or anything. Anywhere is fine. If it were me, I’d go with the leg. Easy.

  “Oh, and remember, it won’t hurt, as you’ve seen, so don’t be timid. If you start to feel scared, just remember, love will overcome all.”

  “Will I see you after? You know, after it’s done?”

  He shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I’ll be heading home as soon as the match is complete. But don’t be too sad; I may just pop in sometime to check on my star protégé in action.”

  I smiled sadly. “I’ll miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you too, Megan. It’s been fun. By far the most fun I’ve had on this plane in centuries. You’re pretty cool, you know? When you don’t stumble and block your own path, that is.”

  I swallowed hard.

  “You drive safe now, okay?” he added.

  I knew what was about to happen. It stood like a wall between us. The thickness in my chest grew heavier with his impending departure. I leaned over and gave him a hug, my hands sliding underneath the soft feathers of his wings. Tears slipped down my cheeks. Despite our differences, I was going to miss him.

  We embraced a moment longer before he spoke.

  “It’s time. Ready?”

  I nodded. “Ready.”

  We got out of the car and approached the café’s entrance. Jay sat in the corner booth. Amadeo entered first. I held my breath as he threw the dust on Jay. A minute later, the explosion occu
rred, and the entire coffee shop filled with a golden iridescent cloud.

  Through the thickness of the sparkly fog, I met eyes with Amadeo.

  “Thank you,” I mouthed as I held the arrow firmly in my left hand. He nodded and popped out of sight. I focused on a spot on my leg.

  Shooting yourself with an arrow is a little intimidating, even if it is just a small prick. I would wholeheartedly say it is much easier when the target isn’t your own appendage. I rolled my shoulders back and remembered what Amadeo had told me about love. I lifted the arrow a tad and quickly thrust it down into my left thigh before I had a chance to reconsider. I watched as the arrow penetrated my leg and slowly sank in until it had completely disappeared. So cool. It felt warm as its magic spread throughout my body. My shoulders relaxed and my head felt a bit fuzzy.

  I searched for Amadeo, but instead, I met Jay’s eyes through the glass. He smiled and waved from the booth. I smiled back and immediately felt pulled toward him. As I entered the cafe, my stride grew quick, each step not nearly fast enough. He stood as I drew near.

  “Megan,” he said as I approached the booth, “you made—”

  I didn’t let him finish. I threw my arms around him and hugged him tight. I released the love that was beginning in my heart and let it flow through me and into him. He brought his arms around me and held me close. His body was warm against mine. I could feel the shaking of his muscles and wondered if he could feel how mine trembled. I inhaled deeply taking in the thick scent of cedarwood.

  Everything felt as it should be. It was all…just right.

  “It’s good to see you,” he said into my hair, his lips pressing down on my scalp.

  “Same here.”

  “You know, it’s weird. This morning, I knew today would be different. I don’t know how; it was just this funny feeling I had. Has that ever happened to you?”

  “Sometimes our feelings know more than our brains ever will.”

  I lifted my chin slightly as he leaned forward, just enough for our lips to meet. His were soft and gentle as they brushed up against mine. We both jumped as a jolt of electricity sparked at the touch.