www.Cupid Read online

  Aphrodite had been there just the day before. She sighed inwardly. Of course, Cupid’s new partner would be here more often the closer it got to Valentine’s Day. Allison was dirty, tired, and not in any mood to play tour guide. Still, Cupid had asked, so she couldn’t say no, but there was no harm in trying.

  “Sir, I really don’t think…”

  He laughed. “Nonsense. I know my new partner will be fine in your capable hands. You two run along. Aphrodite, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to bring them to my attention.”

  “Of course, Cupid.” She turned to Allison. “I’m sure Allison will be very helpful.”

  I’m glad you think so, Allison thought as she opened the door and held it for Aphrodite. “After you, ma’am.”

  Aphrodite nodded her thanks and slipped out ahead of Allison.

  Chapter Seven

  “And finally, this is Flowers and Poetry,” Allison said. She nodded to people she knew as she and Aphrodite walked around the office.

  Famous love poems hung on the walls along with flower charts, outlining the types and meaning for each flower. Large vases of all types, overflowed with different flowers from all over the world. The lights here didn’t glare as they did in other departments, and, coupled with the mingling scents wafting through the air, the ambiance gave the office a warm, comfortable atmosphere.

  “This is where many of the props we use come from. When Romance and Proposals sends down an order, as soon as it’s processed, it’s delivered to the agent upstairs. Then they take it on the assignment and make sure it’s given to the right person at the right time.”

  “And how do you know when the right time is?” Aphrodite said.

  “Each agent is given an assignment sheet and, included in that, is a timetable of when things are supposed to happen. If the agent takes too much time with one couple, they are supposed to drop out and move on to the next assignment, letting the relationship take its natural course.”

  Aphrodite frowned a little. “Really? At my company, nothing is left to chance. My agents stay with their assignment until it’s complete. They are told to do whatever is necessary to achieve the final romantic goal.”

  Allison hesitated before finally replying. “Cupid has specific rules he likes people to follow.”

  “You can’t make love follow rules. Love does what it wants, and an agent has to adapt to the situation. They have to be flexible and deal with anything unforeseen that may crop up.”

  “We had an agent here who thought the same way,” Allison said. “He was let go due to a series of unfortunate circumstances.” And if I could get him back, I would.

  Aphrodite laid a delicate finger on her perfect lips. “You know, Cupid and I were quite the couple back in the day. We had a bit of a disagreement and broke up. I think that’s when he became so insistent on rules. He never used to be like this. That’s why I approached him about this merger.”

  “Wait. You approached him?”

  Aphrodite chuckled. “Yes. Let me guess. He said he it was his idea.”

  Allison nodded.

  “Men. They’re all the same. It doesn’t matter who they are or how old they are.” She winked. “It’s our job to let them think all the good things are their ideas.”

  “Aphrodite, do you think Cupid will lighten up a little on the rules once this merger has gone through?”

  She shrugged. “It’s hard to say. He might.” She peered closely at Allison. “Why?”

  “The agent who used to be here worked outside the rules all the time. He’s a good agent, and I want him back here. If Cupid weren’t so strict, he could return.”

  “Maybe when the merger is complete, I can speak to him and get him back to you.”

  Allison stopped and stared at Aphrodite. “Back to me? I think you mean back to the department.”

  “No, Allison,” Aphrodite said. “I know your heart. You need to know it, too. I will get him back to you.”

  ****

  Preston stared at the computer, not wanting to write the letter. He took a deep breath and began to type. He read it over and erased it, starting again. Finally, it sounded official and he got the bitterness out of it. The whole time he tapped the keyboard, he thought about Allie. Would she be glad he was gone?

  He would’ve said no at first, based on her recent responses to him. Now, he wasn’t so sure. He still felt like this was the best move for him. He was excited about starting at the Holiday Security Agency, but his heart ached at leaving his old job. He was good at it, just not so good at following rules that tied his hands at every turn.

  He read over his resignation one more time before printing it out. While the printer whirred, he chuckled. Cupid hadn’t even wanted to start a website. Allie had been instrumental in convincing him to adapt to the changing world. As humans built and used new things, so did the magic realm. There was a need for the magical creatures to keep up with the humans. The denizens of his world could pierce the veil between worlds easier now. The new devices they used made their jobs easier.

  Cupid gave in on all those points but not on his rules and policies. Preston had a theory that Cupid’s rules contributed to the high rate of divorce. The Romance and Proposal agents weren’t allowed to follow up with their respective couples. Cupid was supposed to be setting up a new department for that job. He snorted. As long as it took his former boss to do anything, Preston didn’t think it would ever happen.

  Grabbing the letter, he folded it, and slipped it into an envelope. He drove to Cupid Corporation, parked in his usual spot out of habit, and went in, heading straight to his old floor.

  Sarah looked up and smiled. “Hey, Preston. How can I help you?”

  “Is Ms. McCall in?”

  “Not right now. Aphrodite showed up for a surprise visit and Allison is playing tour guide. I can call her up here if you need to see her.”

  He wiggled the envelope in his hand. “No, I just need to put this on her desk. Is that okay?”

  She nodded. “Sure. Do you want to wait? I’m sure she’ll be back soon and I know she’d want to talk to you.”

  “I don’t think so. It could be awkward.”

  Preston walked into Allie’s office and stood there for a minute. He could see her sitting at her desk, yelling at him. She stood by the windows, yelling at him. He frowned. If all he could remember when he looked around was her yelling at him, he must have been a real screw up.

  But, she never complained, never said a bad word about Cupid or the company, and she genuinely liked her job. Preston smiled. She’d never badmouthed him to the higher-ups either, so she may have even liked him, though she probably wouldn’t admit it. How many people could say that? Not many, he answered himself. He’d liked his job, but now, he was starting the career he really wanted.

  “Are you okay?”

  Preston turned and saw Sarah watching him. “Yeah. I was just thinking about being here. When I first started, I didn’t know what to expect. I worked my way up to this department. That’s when I found out what hindrance regulations could be. I had a little too much freedom in Flowers and Poetry. Probably not the best place for me to have started working.”

  Sarah leaned against the doorframe. “I don’t know. I think it made you see things from a different perspective. Change isn’t a bad thing.”

  “It is, if it costs too much.” He dropped the envelope on her desk. It didn’t need to be placed prominently for her to notice it. Allie always knew instantly when something was different on her desk.

  They walked out of Allison’s office and Sarah sat at her desk, wiggling her mouse to wake up her computer.

  “If you don’t mind me saying,” Preston said, “my friend, Will, would be perfect for you.”

  “How do you know I’m looking for someone? I could already be married or engaged or something.”

  Preston laughed. “Think of where we work. Don’t you think I’d know if you were seeing someone?”

  “Touché.” />
  “Here he comes. Talk to him. I think you two would be good together.”

  He hurried out of her office and back to his car. There was a lot to do before he started at the security agency. For one thing, he needed some new clothes. If he was going to be a security agent, he’d better get a few suits, like the one he saw on Agent Sexton. He turned toward downtown and didn’t look back.

  ****

  Allison took Aphrodite back to Cupid’s office before going back to her own. She was wiped out, physically and emotionally, and still covered in dirt. At her window, her reflection stared back at her. Her hair lay flat against her head, whatever style she’d started with was long gone, and there was a tear in her skirt that hadn’t been there that morning. Movement outside drew her gaze down, and she watched Preston’s car make a left out of the parking lot. It turned the corner at the end of the street and was gone.

  Dragging herself to her desk, she flopped in her chair and swiveled around. Spying the envelope, she hesitated before finally grabbing it and ripping it open. She scanned it quickly, before reading it again, slowly. Preston’s resignation. This was it. He was gone from the company. She dialed his cell and, once more, it went straight to voicemail. He probably didn’t want to talk to her anyway.

  The walk to Cupid’s office reminded her of a prisoner walking down a hallway for the last time. The resignation crinkled in the breeze as she walked. Once Cupid had it in his possession, Preston was done. She stopped and read it again. The tone of the letter left no room for doubt. He wasn’t coming back.

  “I have a letter that needs to be given to Cupid.”

  After a brief wait, Allison was waved in. Another deep breath, this one more to stop the sadness from spilling out for all to see.

  She handed the letter to Cupid. “Preston Carlyle has resigned his position with us.”

  Cupid scanned the letter and nodded once. “I had a feeling he might. He was a good agent. He could’ve been great if he’d just followed the rules.”

  “Sir, maybe Preston was right. Maybe we’re too caught up in rules and regulations to do our jobs properly.”

  Cupid narrowed his eyes as he stared at Allison. “Are you saying I’m wrong, Ms. McCall?”

  “No, no, sir,” she said quickly, her hands going up in surrender. “Just saying maybe, sometimes, some situations call for a little leeway.”

  “That will be all, Ms. McCall.”

  Allison backed out of Cupid’s office. She shut the door and leaned against it. Did she really just tell the boss how to run his company? Maybe it was a good thing Preston had resigned. He was becoming a bad influence on her.

  Chapter Eight

  Voices faded as the last few people got in the elevator. Allison reached over and turned on her CD player. The soft piano melodies filled her office and she rubbed her eyes. All she wanted to do was go home and get cleaned up, but Valentine’s Day was tomorrow and her paperwork seemed to have doubled through the afternoon. Everything had to run smoothly, to show Aphrodite they had a well-run operation here, and that she could trust the Cupid Corporation to handle the company’s most important holiday of the year, properly.

  The tapping on the computer keys sounded louder than usual in the quiet office as she put more data into the file she would send to her boss. The current year’s numbers were better than last year. Allison thought for a moment. Her department could handle more requests if they made Romance and Proposals two separate departments and expanded them. She made a quick note before turning back to the computer.

  Clunk.

  Her head jerked up as the sound of something being moved and then falling grabbed her attention. She was the only one who was supposed to be on this floor. Grabbing the first thing her hand found, Allison stood and crept around her desk on her tip-toes. She looked at what she grabbed. Her stapler. Well, it was something at least. At the door, she poked her head out, looking first to the left, then to the right.

  Clunk.

  Taking a shaky breath, she stepped quietly out to where the cubicles were, peeking into each one before passing it. She gripped the stapler harder as the sounds were getting louder the further she delved deeper into her agents work area. The last cubicle, one that was all too familiar, was the source of the noises.

  She jumped around the corner, intending to catch whoever it was in the act of doing—something. “Ah ha!”

  The person was on the floor with his head under the desk. He jumped at her cry and whacked his head on the underside of the desk. He backed out on his knees, rubbing the back of his head, and turned to her.

  “Preston?”

  “Hi, Allie.” He looked at what she held. “What were you going to do with that? Staple me to the floor?”

  “I didn’t know who was here. I was supposed to be alone. You scared the life out of me.” She staggered into his former work area and sat in the chair, taking ragged breaths to try to calm down. “What are you doing here anyway? You resigned.”

  “I left my phone charger here,” he said, wiggling a black cord at her. “It wasn’t in the box I took home and it wasn’t at my apartment. So it had to be here. Found it. What are you doing here so late?”

  “Paperwork. Tomorrow’s the big day and there are a few things I need to finish before I go home. I’ve got a few suggestions I need to prepare for presentation and then there’s the reports and files and things of that nature.”

  Brushing his hand across her lap, he watched dust fly through the air. “Looks like you got the road rally.”

  “Yes. I’ve been covered in grime all afternoon. This should’ve been you.”

  Preston sat cross-legged on the floor. “Yes, it should’ve been.” He gazed at her. “You always work so hard.”

  “This job is important to me. I want to make it to the board room level.”

  He grinned. “You weren’t like this in college.”

  “No. I wasn’t.” She shook her head. “You were, though. Come back to my office. I’ve got coffee and munchies.”

  They walked back to her office and Allison gestured for him to sit on the couch by the wall. She poured two cups and grabbed a couple of pastries, the cellophane crinkling loudly. The CD had started over while she was gone.

  “Who’s in the player?” he asked.

  “Jim Brickman. He has the most romantic piano music I’ve ever heard. It’s like he knows how to soothe and create the perfect mood at the same time.”

  Preston sipped his coffee. “He’s pretty good for a human.”

  She nodded. “I agree. He’s one of my favorites.”

  They sat in silence for a few minutes, letting the soft melodies caress them. “Preston, what happened to us?”

  “We changed. We finally knew what we wanted out of life and went for it. We grew up.”

  Allison thought about what he said. Inevitably, they’d grown, but not together the way she hoped they would at one point. She’d adopted a more business-like attitude, and he’d become the way she’d once been, carefree, not worrying about the future.

  She gazed at him, and noticed he watched her, probably wondering what she was thinking. And what exactly was she thinking? He was so handsome and they’d been so good together once upon a time. Could they go back to being that couple? It didn’t seem likely.

  “Why didn’t you come back and look for your charger earlier?” she asked, her voice quiet.

  He waited a few moments. “I was afraid to face you. I did resign. I thought it’d be best if we didn’t see each other after I handed in the letter. I didn’t want things to be awkward between us.”

  Allison nodded. What he said made sense. It was something she would’ve thought of herself. “I just don’t understand why you think you need to leave here. I can work things out.”

  “I’ve already taken a new job somewhere else.”

  “I see. Where?”

  “The Holiday Security Agency.” Preston reached out and took her hand, pulling her closer to him. “I really miss what we had in the
past, Allie. I wish we could have that again.”

  She sat next to him and kicked her shoes off, curling her legs on the couch, draping her arm across his stomach and laying her head on his shoulder. They fit together perfectly, just like before. “I know.” She had wished that too, on more than one occasion. “Do you remember the day when that girl stole my physics paper? I was so mad and I came storming into your dorm.”

  His chest rumbled as he laughed. “Yeah. All the guys on my floor ran from you. I don’t think they’d ever seen someone so fired up.”

  “You told me to calm down and tell you what happened. I did and the next day, you got my paper back. All I could do was cry.”

  “You think you were crying. I had to take her out to get that paper back for you. She wasn’t my first choice for someone to hang out with, but I would’ve done it a hundred times over for you. I hated seeing you so upset.”

  His warmth drew her in and she moved closer, sighing as she did so. “And I really appreciated it, more than you ever knew.”

  “I knew. I found out when you sat with me when my dad passed away. You didn’t say anything, didn’t do anything, you were just there.”

  Allison sniffled a little. The memory of seeing him hurting so much at the loss of his father had been almost too much for her to bear. He hadn’t wanted to talk or do anything. He’d just wanted someone to be there with him. She’d gone with him to the funeral, staying by his side when he needed her, leaving him some space when he’d needed a few moments alone. She’d never revealed to anyone how he’d broken down several times when it had been just the two of them.

  She gazed up at him. “How’s your mom doing these days?”

  “She’s doing all right. She’s still mad I let you get away.”

  “Maybe, when everything settles down around here, we can try again.”

  He placed a small kiss on the top of her head. “Maybe. I’d better get going. It’s getting late, and I’m sure you want to finish your work so you can go home.”