Counterfeit Cupid (Mt. Olympus Employment Agency: Cupid #2)(14)

He stared at her for a moment before answering. “Yeah. I’m covering for Jeff.”

“Okay.” She took a bite of cereal. “I’ll be quiet tomorrow so you can sleep.” She returned to her book.

Dwight sat unmoving on the sofa, gazing at her. I scooted past him, took aim at Daisy, and blew.

This time, knowing I’d hit Dwight pretty hard, I held back and blew with less enthusiasm and force. The dart struck her thigh beneath the hem of her polyester skirt. She gave the spot an absent-minded scratch and turned the page. I put away the blowgun and stepped out of the way.

A page later, she stopped reading, placed her book on the table and faced Dwight. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because.” He shifted his gaze to the floor, then back to her face. “Because you’re so pretty.”

Daisy blushed. “You shouldn’t say that. We agreed.”

Dwight rose from the couch and took a step toward her. “But it’s true. I don’t want to pretend it’s not. And…” He trailed off, his smile widening. “And I don’t want to pretend that I don’t want to kiss you, either.”

Daisy gasped. “We agreed no romantic entanglements. What if…” Daisy strode toward him, and he met her halfway.

It only took a few steps from each of them. The apartments in my building were tiny.

When they met in the middle, their lips touched first, then hands and arms locked around shoulders and waists in a mass of parts making one person. My breath caught at how sudden the darts had worked and at how beautiful the roommates looked together.

A smug smile crept onto my face. “I knew you two were perfect for each other.” I turned and left, not wanting to intrude on new love. “I’m so good at this.”

My next stop was down on the first floor. I had to wait awhile for Mrs. Browning and Mr. Kingston to come out of their apartments at the same time, but eventually, they had to take their dogs for a walk. That was partly because I’d been teasing the dogs separately, trying to get them riled up.

Both people were in their late seventies and had lost their spouses to cancer years before. I often wondered why they hadn’t automatically fallen in love, since they had similar stories, were approximately the same age, and both had nervous, long-haired chihuahuas as companions.

When they appeared at their doors, I shot them both, one after the other. A few shy smiles later, they were heading out the door together holding hands.

Being a Cupid was the best job I’d ever had. Even if it wasn’t really my job.

Every match I made in my apartment complex gave me a thrill of delight. But eventually, I ran out of people I could match. At least for the moment.

But I knew one match that absolutely had to be made.

I grinned to myself as I packed up my wings and headed for my car. “Don’t you worry, Michelle. I’ve got your back.”

Stuart would never see it coming.

*

When I arrived, I slipped through the front door and darted into the public restroom before Stuart realized I was there. The lobby was fairly empty, and I didn’t think anyone else saw me, either.

In the ladies’ room, I pulled the string that held the wings in their hamburger shape, and they popped open. The added ribbons and lace had been risky, but they hadn’t added enough bulk to keep the contraption from folding up. Folding them, however, did loosen the glitter, and I left a trail of silver on the bathroom floor.

I shoved my arms through the elastic and got myself situated. A peek in the mirror confirmed my invisibility. “Here I come, Stuart. Your life is about to change.”

I had to time things exactly right. Since I hadn’t had the benefit of actual training, I didn’t know if he’d have to make eye contact with Michelle immediately in order to fall for her. Maybe it would be automatic, since she was already in love with him. Would I also have to dart her in order for it to work?

I had no idea what I was doing. But I was willing to experiment until I got it right.

When I emerged from the restroom, Stuart stood at the front desk alone, transfixed by the employee handbook he always kept close by in case there was any question about how to handle a given situation. He often studied for fun and tried to quiz me on it.

Michelle could do so much better.

As if thinking about her coaxed her into existence, Michelle appeared carrying a small room service tray.

She made a beeline for Stuart, her eyes sparkling and hopeful. “Hey, Stuart.” She smiled at him when he glanced up at her. “I know you’re shorthanded these days and can’t get regular breaks. I thought you might like something to eat.”

He blinked at her as if not understanding. “You brought me food.”

“Yes.” Her smile wavered, but she held it. “Can I take this into the back room for you?”

“Uh, yes. Thank you.” He watched her go, which I would have thought was a good sign from anyone else. But Stuart was tricky to read. He might have been concerned that she’d steal something if left unsupervised. Or he might have been checking to be sure her uniform was regulation.

A person never knew with Stuart.

I moved closer, buffing the blowgun on my sleeve to make it shine, then took aim at Stuart’s butt while we both waited for Michelle to come back. A second later she returned, and I took a deep breath.

The elevator dinged, the doors opened, and Josh stepped out. I saw him from the corner of my eye as I inhaled, then choked on my own saliva.