Angels at the Table (Angels Everywhere #7)(30)

From the office he caught the subway to Brooklyn. The sky was dark; snow had fallen intermittently all day so that a soft layer of white covered the landscape. Schoolchildren were out and about and Aren counted several snowmen as he walked to Heavenly Delights. Under normal circumstances he would have taken a cab, but he wanted to clear his head.

The restaurant had been open only a few minutes when he arrived. Wendy Ferrara’s face broke into a brilliant smile the instant Aren stepped into the restaurant.

“Aren, how good to see you.” She greeted him like family with a kiss on the cheek. “Lucie had such a wonderful time last evening; it was all she could talk about this morning.”

“I had a great time myself.”

“Here, sit down. I’ll get you a hot cup of coffee. It’s freezing out there and you’re half frozen.” She led the way to a table.

Before Aren could protest, Wendy was off to the kitchen.

Having no choice, Aren sat down and looked around. The restaurant had been decorated for the holidays since his last visit. Each table held a sprig of holly around the base of a thick round candle and was set with green and red linen napkins. A swag of silver tinsel surrounded the hostess desk and two glass ornaments dangled across the front with Wendy and Lucie’s names printed on them. Another glittery swag was draped across the length of windows with identical ornaments with the employees’ names written for all to read.

Wendy returned a moment later, carrying a steaming cup of coffee. Aren would gladly have gone without it, but she was right, he was cold.

“I hope you don’t mind but Lucie had to step out for a quick errand. She should only be a few minutes. I apologize, she must have forgotten you were stopping by.”

“She didn’t know … it was a spur-of-the-moment decision.”

“Ah, that explains it. She’s quite taken with you, you know,” Wendy told him.

Hearing that was like listening to those incredible singing voices at the play all over again. His sister was right. What happened at the show was all over the news. Once word got out that he’d attended, Aren lost count of the number of people who stopped by his cubicle to ask about it. He wished he’d paid more attention. At the time, the antics of the angels had all seemed so natural, as if it was intentional. People get elevated on stage all the time. Good grief, Spider-Man darted all over the audience from one side of the theater to the other and no one had made much of a fuss about that. But then the wires were clearly visible.

“I think the world of Lucie, too.”

“Can I get you anything to eat?” Wendy asked.

“No thanks. I stopped by to have a quick word with Lucie and then I need to go.”

“Then I’ll pack up a dinner for you to take with you.”

Aren raised his hand in protest. “Please, Mrs. Ferrara, that won’t be necessary.”

“Nonsense. I won’t take no for an answer.”

Before he could protest further, Wendy disappeared inside the kitchen. When she returned she brought out a large paper bag. If the size of the container was any indication, he’d have enough food for a week.

“I phoned Lucie and she’s on her way. She asked me to keep you here no matter what.”

Aren had no real reason for his visit other than the need to see Lucie again and the fear he was about to lose her.

“What’s going to happen?” Will asked. He frowned with concern almost as if he knew in advance what was about to take place. “When Lucie learns Aren wrote the negative review, she’s going to be terribly upset.”

“I’d be upset, too,” Shirley agreed. “There simply must be something we can do to help. I don’t understand why Aren insists on ruining such a promising relationship.”

“We can’t interfere,” Goodness insisted, regarding the others. “Gabriel wouldn’t like it.”

“He wouldn’t like you absconding with a camel either, but that didn’t stop you from pilfering it right off the stage,” Mercy reminded her dearest friend.

Goodness had the good grace to look more than a little chagrined. “That was a momentary slip in judgment. Has … anyone heard from Gabriel yet?”

“No, and kindly lower your voice before he does hear.”

Mercy did a rapid three-sixty, certain Gabriel would appear at any moment and banish them from Earth forever.

“I say we keep our shenanigans to ourselves for now.”

“If we can,” Goodness whispered, and glanced over her shoulder.

“What about Aren and Lucie?” Will persisted, sitting impatiently in a corner of the restaurant. “What’s going to happen?” He flittered about the room, revealing his nervousness.

“We won’t know until later when she reads the article,” Mercy explained. She worried about the young couple as much as Will, but the future was held in God’s hands.

The three of them plus Will hovered above the restaurant, waiting for Lucie to arrive. Mercy noticed that the tables filled up fast. When Lucie rushed into the kitchen, she was immediately inundated with meal orders.

“Is Aren going to talk to her?” Will asked.

“It looks like he wants to try,” Mercy said, closely watching the scene as it unfolded with Aren in the kitchen with Lucie.

——

Aren followed Lucie all around the busy kitchen. He had trouble keeping up with her. He found it amazing she could accomplish as much as she did in such a compressed space, especially with two other workers darting this way and that.