cupidschance-blog

[cupidschance-blog]

Chapter Three

 One of Archer's favorite places in the world was at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco, when the cherry blossoms trees were in bloom. The fragrance of the garden and the beauty of the trees seemed to draw in all kinds of people and today two of those people together would come together.

He had cloaked himself and sat beneath a cherry blossom tree; the light-colored petals littered the ground all around him and though he knew he should keep his mind on his work, he couldn't help but close his eyes and enjoy the blissful moment. 

"Sleeping on the job, Archer?"

He didn't have to open his eyes to know who had intruded on his peaceful moment. There were only so many beings that could see him cloaked.

The choice to remain silent danced around in his thoughts for a moment, knowing if he showed annoyance through his words, his peaceful day would come to an abrupt end. The other cupid would hover around him for the rest of the day just to annoy him further. Forcing a smile, he opened his eyes and glanced up at her. 

"Good afternoon, Evony. You are looking lovely today." Though his words were true, he loathed at the need to say them. Evony was one of the vainest cupids he knew and he had made the mistake of crushing her ego through rejection, but that never stopped her from trying over and over. The last thing Archer wanted was for her to think he was playing hard to get. She had a habit of sizing him up with a pair of bright blue eyes that could melt a man's heart in a second flat, and from what he knew about her, she did it often. As far as he knew, he was the only exception. 

"Thank you for noticing, though I must admit, I look this good every day," she said flashing her bright white teeth at him, causing him to shiver.

"I know." Archer said glancing down at his timepiece, he had about 20 more minutes before he needed to be on the job. He sighed then looked back up at her. 

Her presence was enough to annoy him but to dismiss her right now and not find out what was on her mind would end up keeping him up at night. Archer swallowed his pride and asked, "What can I do for you today, Evony?"

"Must I want something? Can't I be here because I enjoy your pleasant company?" She said as she swept blossom petals from her bare shoulder. The throaty coo in her voice, and the blatant attempt to draw his gaze from her eyes to her bare skin, sent another shiver through him. He had noticed it, how could he not? She was the only cupid that deviated from the normal white clothing choices and wore vivid red, tight and little material as if she needed any help to catch attention.

Leaning back against the tree, Archer crossed his arms over his chest and watched Evony. "You only visit when you do. It would be much easier if you told me what it is instead of playing games with me. I'm on a schedule," he said politely as possible, doing his best to hide his irritation.

Evony walked toward him, brushing her fingertips along his shoulder, then strode around the tree placing a hand on his other shoulder. She leaned down and whispered in his ear, "If only you would play my games, we both would have a lot more fun."

His lips formed a smile as he reached up and curled his fingers around her wrist, rubbing the pad of his thumb across the vein that ran along the underside of her wrist. "I enjoy a good game and I have denied myself such for too long," he said in a low tone. Archer brought her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss to her knuckle.

The Cupid watched Evony's expression shift from doubt to disbelief, then coming to rest with a victorious grin. Archer was laughing on the inside; Evony was so full of herself that she believed he was giving in after so long. He rose to his feet and drew her in, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing her body against his. 

Gazing down into her dark eyes for a moment, he placed a soft kiss to her forehead then put his lips to her ear and whispered, "Now why don't you tell me why you're here before we go any further."

Evony trembled beneath his touch, a touch he knew she craved. She placed a hand on his chest and slid it up to his shoulder then the back of his neck, her fingers playing with his dark hair. "Ivar sent me to you, with a special assignment," the purr in her voice hitched as Archer's hands rested on her lower back. 

"It must be a rather important assignment to wrap it in such a... gorgeous package." Archer traced circles into her back with his fingertips causing her to press even closer to him. "What is the assignment?" He asked gripping at her waist and holding her in his arms. He knew he should feel guilty for his actions, playing her the fool, but this was something he watched her do to so many others and he was only giving her a taste of her own medicine. 

"Silas Carter Lockhart, Jr., another human The Fates have washed their hands of in trying to find a match. You are to take up the challenge in finding a mate. Ivar's exact message was when your list clears and you see the single name, your new assignment begins." 

Evony stretched up onto her tip toes, nipping at his chin, but Archer released his hold on her taking a step away to put distance between them.

"I'll have no other assignments while finding a match for a single person, with no suggestions from the Fates?" Archer asked perplexed.

This was the first time he had heard of the Fates issuing an assignment without a match already set for the person and he always had at least five names on his assignment list at a time that's why it was the assignment list.

"Are you sure that was the entire message? I should speak to Ivar or maybe I can schedule a time to see The Fates."

Evony closed in on Archer within a single step and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm just the messenger. I wasn't told of other assignments, but when do they ever tell us everything as it is, darling. Go take care of your current assignment, I'll be here," Evony purred unzipping the back of her dress and sliding the straps down her shoulders. 

Archer shook his head and said, "I told you I enjoy a good game, but this one is over."

Hurt and embarrassment shone on Evony's face before she slapped Archer across his face. "You will pay for that, you imp." 

"That will be enough, Evony," a raspy voice came from behind Archer. "That was cruel coming from you, Archer, but I respect that."

Evony huffed and pulled her dress back into place as Ivar Steele their Cupid assignment overseer stepped out from behind a cherry blossom tree with his hands resting casually in his white pants pockets, a color all cupids wore. Ivar's clear blue eyes shifted between the two cupids and a faint smirk touched his lips.

"Thank you for delivering the message, Evony. You may return to your assignments, I will finish things up."

The look on Evony's face silently screamed with anger and Archer knew she would not forget what he did to her. He wondered if it was even worth it considering now he would to have to watch his back for the next century... or two. A smile danced across his lips as he watched Evony, knowing she wanted to storm, rant, and rave, but she wouldn't do that in front of Ivar without consequence. 

Evony faded giving Archer a death glare on her way out.

Ivar looked to Archer and shook his head saying, "Baiting her was not the best idea."

"I know," Archer admitted, feeling like a child being scolded. Ivar was a friend, but he was also like a boss in the cupid world. Archer was always honest with Ivar so he confessed, "Sometimes I don't even understand how she can still be a cupid. The way she treats men, the things she gets away with... She doesn't even stick to the dress code colors."

Ivar laughed, "You don't have a crush on her, do you?"

Archer studied Ivar, thinking about the accusation a moment before responding. "No, I don't have a crush on her, this isn't one of those boy meets girl, boy gets annoyed with the girl then realizes he's in love with her moments. Since we met, she's just put me off and you know it, Ivar."

Ivar laughed again and said, "Well Archer my boy, not everyone is a rule abiding drone like you are. So, did our promiscuous friend tell you about the assignment the Fates have assigned for you? Because there wasn't a lot of talking going on from what I saw."

Archer said with a nod, "She told me the Fates were leaving it up to me to find a match for some guy, they are washing their hands of or something along that line. What is this all about, Ivar? I've never heard of them doing something like this before. Is this something you've done before you were promoted? Will I get anymore assignment during or after? It won't take long to find a match for this guy." Archer's watch beeped notifying Archer he was still on the clock. "Walk with me, I'm on the job and I still want answers."

Ivar obliged and followed along as Archer got to work.

He wasn't thrilled with how the day had turned out. It had been a normal peaceful afternoon, he wasn't prepared for his current assignment nor did he understand his new mysterious one. Archer tried to remain quiet as they walked along the path that led to the location where the current assignment couple would connect and Ivar answered none of the questions.

Archer could feel Ivar's gaze on him as he awaited this task, it made him uncomfortable. He wanted the information then to be alone to do his work, not wait for the answers.

Ivar stopped placed a hand on Archer's shoulder and said, "The Fates wouldn't have given you the assignment if they didn't think you could complete it. Have faith in yourself Archer, the cupid you have grown to be and you'll be fine. The Fates never give you more information than needed to let things fall into place."

"How can I feel good about this? The Fates have done nothing like this before, I feel like it's a test and they are waiting to see whether I pass or fail."

"If that is how you feel, then do whatever you need to do to make sure you don't fail. Archer, I don't think you understand how good this assignment could be for you. There are plenty of Cupids that would love to be in your place," Ivar said sounding a little intense. "I must go now," the cupid said with a smile then took a few steps away into a fade.

"Ivar," Archer Called out, catching the cupid before he faded. "Is it my only assignment or will there be others?" 

"That is up to the fates," Ivar said with a wink then disappeared before Archer could ask more.

A sudden weight settled on Archer's shoulders, he knew the Fates were testing him and he wasn't too sure if he was the right cupid for the challenge. It wouldn't be as bad if they had precedence in doing such a thing but to his knowledge, this was something unheard of which only lead to even more frustration. His own fate was unknown. He glanced down at his timepiece and cursed under his breath. Three minutes left, he was cutting it short.

A sigh parted his lips as he looked at his assignment list, only three names left when there were ten names this morning. Ignoring the last name, he concentrated on the two he was here to bring together now.

A smile lit up his face and lightened his heart as he read over the report. The two soul mates already knew each other. Match: Noah Addison and Grace Brayden Location: Japanese Tea Garden Time and Date: April 20th, 2015 1:27 pm  Noah Addison: 31-year-old high school basketball coach with two children, Matthew 8 and Melody 6. Three years into his marriage, his wife died giving birth to their daughter. Her death weighed heavy on him for years before he could even look at his daughter and not feel the grief of loss. 

The attached picture showed a handsome man that stood tall with short black hair and blue eyes. Though it didn't stand out in the photo, Archer could feel the love Noah had for his children and even the kids he coached. Grace Brayden: 27-year-old grade school teacher at the same school Noah's children attended. She was engaged for two years while her fiancé served in the Army, but while stationed in Germany he met another woman. He broke off their engagement over the telephone and even asked her to mail him the engagement ring. She was heartbroken and swore she would never love again. 

In the attached photo, she was at work finger painting with a student, the child smiling at the picture they were painting. Grace was beautiful with long dark brown hair and matching soulful eyes. 

Archer wondered, as he read her story if a cupid interfered with her previous relationship. Interfering with a committed relationship was against the rules, but as with all rules, there were exceptions. The Fates always had a plan.

Archer smiled and sighed at the feeling that accompanied his matches, bliss. These two deserved love, and they deserved each other, to make each other happy, and to forget about their past. He believed with his whole heart these two were a good match, another bulls-eye from the Fates arrow. He had a flicker of anxiousness about having to do what the Fates did and find his next assignment's mate but then brushed it off. Archer glanced at his wrist, it was time...

[cupidschance-blog]

[cupidschance-blog]

Chapter Two

  "Good evening and welcome to Boulevard, name on the reservation please."

"Carter Lockhart, I'm meeting Owen Danvers, has he arrived?"

"Not yet,  Jennifer will escort you to your table, Miss Lockhart." The maitre d' motioned toward a young waitress wearing a tailor fit uniform.

Carter gave the maitre d' a slight nod then followed the waitress to a nice quiet corner table.

"Would you care for something to drink while you wait for your guest?" asked Jennifer handing Carter a menu.

"Chardonnay will be fine, thank you," Carter said shifting her gaze toward the restaurant's entrance before looking at her watch.

He was late, which was very much unlike Owen. Normally she kept him waiting, but that didn't matter tonight, it would be special regardless--she was breaking her streak. Tonight marked the sixth month and one day of their relationship. To her it wasn't just a trivial milestone to celebrate; it was a freaking miracle. Carter Lockhart for the first time jumped the dreaded six-month relationship-hurdle.

By the time Jennifer made it back to the table, Carter had one of those silly grins on her face, the grin of someone considering whether she had fallen in love. She thanked the waitress and took a sip of her wine as she remembered the day she met Owen.

Owen Danvers was an artist who moved from Poland to San Francisco eight months ago. He set up a gallery and because most of the artwork was worth millions of dollars, he needed a security firm that specialized in moving expensive items. She was proud to run the company her father had built.

The day Owen walked through the door, her world shifted. He was a couple inches taller than her five foot four and slender enough to squeeze into her skinny jeans with a dark shaggy mop of hair on his head--not the type she dated. Owen's expressive eyes changed her mind the warmth and knowledge in his honey brown eyes belonged to an old soul and spoke to her. The first two months they spent a lot of time together working out the details of transporting his shipment. Three days after their business concluded, Owen walked into her office and presented her with a portrait he had painted of her from memory before inviting her to join him for dinner. Like all couples, they had their ups and downs, but they survived and now they had made it past the dreaded six months, she couldn't be happier.

"What has put that smile on your face?" The accented voice pulled her back to the present and she locked her gaze on his.

"Just having a good evening and thinking about things," Carter responded.

A faint smirk touched Owen's lips as he leaned down and placed a polite kiss to her cheek, avoiding the lips Cater tried to present him with. As he pulled back two things caused a brick to drop into the pit of her stomach. She'd caught a slight whiff of cheap perfume and a look in his eyes that seemed guarded.

Instead of taking the seat next to her, he chose the chair across the table from her, crossing his arms over the edge of the table he stared at the water glass in front of him. Taking a deep breath then releasing it in a slow sigh, he started, "I apologize for being late, though I must admit I never expect  you to arrive on time."

All the happiness she had been feeling faded as she watched him. Her stomach sent a big flashing neon sign to her brain that screamed get up and walk away now, but she couldn't move, her body was glued to the chair.

"I see," she said. I see! Seriously? That's the best she could come up with? Her throat felt dry, and she drained her wine before looking back to Owen.

"I don't want to endure this a moment longer than necessary, so I'll get straight to the point. I can't do this anymore Carter, I'm not happy and I don't want to pretend to be happy anymore. I'm sure you know this is long overdue." Owen paused, watching her, "Look at you, the way you sit there, perfectly stoic as if nothing I am saying is even getting through to you. That shouldn't surprise me, over the past six months not once have you allowed me even a slight glimpse into your heart."

As her world shifted for a second time due to the man seated across from her, she took a sip of her wine not trusting herself enough to speak just yet. It took all the strength she had to keep the moisture from gathering in her eyes. Carter held her head a little higher and squared her shoulders, adopting the approach she picked up in her military training before she responded.

"I was unaware you were so miserable. Why did you wait until now instead of bringing it up sooner? We could have fixed whatever made you so unhappy," she said with deadly calm.

"Unaware? That is priceless," Owen laughed. "I'm already fixing what made me unhappy. I'm leaving you."

Carter sat up straighter. She knew why he requested a public dinner, he wanted to make a scene and embarrass her, knowing she would not respond in kind. His words cut her like a knife and she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold herself together.

Owen smirked as he watched her and said, "Look at you, sitting there with ice running through your veins. The perfect ice queen."

"Six months and a day," Carters words were little more than a whisper as they passed her lips, afraid to speak any louder. She blinked to fight back the tears he was causing her.

"Don't, don't even try to feign sadness, it doesn't become you, Carter. Before I leave, let me give you some advice. In your next relationship, make sure you let the poor guy know you are an emotionless workaholic ice queen and if he needs references, give him my number. I'll be more than happy to fill him in." Owen rose from his chair, but Carter's tone of voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Sit down Owen, you have had your say, but now it's my turn," she said wrapping her slender fingers around the stem of her wine glass.

Carter drained the remaining contents of her glass before she locked her hazel eyes on the man that now turned her stomach. "This whole time, I sat here and listened to you belittle me and point out my flaws, but what you failed to inform me, is if you were so unhappy with me, why did it take so long to tell me? Just last week did you suggest moving into my house?"

She tapped her finger against the globe of the empty wine glass she still held in her hand. "But then I realized," She paused as Jennifer stepped over and to fill her glass. Carter glanced up at the girl and nodded her head in thanks, knowing full well she had been listening to their conversation and it made her wonder how many others were listening in. She took a sip of the wine then pinned her eyes back on Owen who was squirming in his seat.

"I'm not an imbecile, you have met someone. I hope she can give you what you deserve." She drained her glass of wine once again, then arched her brow at him. "You're dismissed."

Owen stood up and laughed, "Always have to get the last word in..." He shook his head and walked away.

Before Cater could even get her thoughts together, Jennifer was at her side.

"Are you all right, is there anything I can do or get for you?"

The concern in the waitresses' eyes made Carter sick to her stomach. Carter despised being pitied. She brushed everything off then glanced at the menu. "I'll start with the sea scallops then the Angus filet mignon, and bring me a bottle of Kistler Chardonnay, please."

Carter knew better than to run after drinking, but she needed to find a release for all the anger that had built up inside of her. At first, she had considered going home and cleaning her Colt 1911 but decided in her current mood, she would end up shooting out the windows of Owen's gallery and getting arrested. That would have been fun explaining to her father. She was on the trails that lead through Golden Gate Park pushing herself until she made it back home.

Her house was larger than necessary, but she had a love for historical homes. Her three-story Italianate-style house was classic with modern interior renovations. It was a home she wanted and hoped to one day start a family in. So far, that family only comprised her blue French bulldog Max, Russian blue cat Grizzelda, and herself.

The moment Carter reached her front door and opened it, she heard the clicking of Max's manicured nails striking the hardwood floor. Before she could even close the door behind her, Max was leaping at her. She leaned down and scratched behind his ears and said, "We have work to do buddy."

Max followed her into the garage and watched as she grabbed boxes and emptying them. She took the empty boxes pausing in the kitchen long enough to grab a bottle of water and a black marker from the junk drawer then continued up to her bedroom on the third floor. Carter dropped the boxes on her bed, almost hitting Grizz, who let her know she was lying in the center with a low growl. Max jumped on the bed and laid down causing Grizz to hiss and swat at him, but Carter shooed the evil cat off the bed. "You know you aren't supposed to be up here Grizz, now go."

The cat paused in the doorway and flicked her tail back and forth before sauntering down the stairs. Carter rolled her eyes said to Max, "Why can't you act like a normal dog and chase the cat away instead of letting her bully you?"

The phone rang as she pulled Owen's clothes from her closet. She dropped them on the bed--not caring if they wrinkled--and glancing at the number before answering her phone. If anyone else had called, she would have just shut the ringer off, but she couldn't ignore a call from Major-retired Silas Carter Lockhart.

"Major, you're up past your bedtime," She said putting the phone on speaker and laying it on the bed and continued shoving Owen's clothes in the box.

"Since when do  I have a bedtime?" His gruff voice caused Max to leap off the bed and run into the bathroom to hide.

Ignoring his question she asked, "What are you up to tonight, sir?"

"That's top secret," he responded.

"Since when have I not privileged to your top secret information?" she asked. She couldn't help but chuckle wondering what he had gotten himself into tonight.

Since when do you question when I say something is top secret?" he argued.

"When you call me at," she said then glanced at her clock, "10 pm, I have clearance for top secret information."

"I'm in hiding," he mumbled sounding embarrassed to admit it.

She thought she had misunderstood, but laughed. "In hiding? What or who are you hiding from Dad?"

"Claire," He said sounding defeated.

All thoughts of what had happened earlier disappeared from her mind.

"What did you do to Claire this time?" She asked sitting down on the bed, waiting to hear the story.

"Well, I may or may not have forgotten an important date she may or may not have told me about a month ago, along with a reminder a week ago and yesterday," he confessed.

"Please tell me you did not forget your 20-year anniversary." Carter shook her head in disappointment.

Claire was her father's second wife. It had taken him a few years to find someone after her mom had passed from brain cancer. At first, she wasn't sure if Claire was right for the Major, but after getting to know her better, Carter had decided that Claire and the Major needed each other. Claire was a recovered alcoholic for 20 hard years, but she spent ten of those with the major. He had helped her fight her demons while Claire helped him get over his guilt of not being there when his wife passed away.

"I know I fucked up, but she has been nagging a lot so I've been avoiding her and I guess it slipped my mind. I know it was important, but nothing I can do about it now but hide," he rambled.

"Just go home and apologize to her dad, throw a little party for her and make sure you shower her with attention. That will make her happy. You're been together too long for her not to forgive you."

He was silent for a moment then said with a sigh, "Well... That will be a problem.""Why? What did you do or say to her?" Carter asked.

"Oh, nothing like that... It's just when I go into hiding, you know I am superb at it and tonight I ended up out on the boat, in the harbor fishing."

"Still don't see the problem dad," She couldn't help but shake her head as she threw Owen's clothes into boxes again. Sometimes her dad could frustrate the hell out of her when it came to getting information out of him, like pulling teeth with tweezers.

"Dammit, I'm out of gas, okay? I'm out in the middle of the harbor in a boat, hungry, out of beer and no damn gas," he said feigning anger then chuckled. "Need you to get down to the slip and bring the dinghy out to rescue your poor old man."

There was something about a Major saying the word dinghy that made her laugh. "Yes sir, I'll be there in 20 minutes," she said with a laugh.

"And bring the pizza!" the major added.

"Want me to grab beer too?" Carter asked."If you don't, I'm throwing your ass into the ocean. Let me grab my coordinates for you," he said, but then Carter heard some kind of struggle. "Gotta bite, call you back in a minute... " The phone went dead.

Carter kept laughing and ran her hands over her face, the day had been one hell of a whirlwind and didn't look like it would come to an end soon. She grabbed her keys, purse and slipped on a pair of tennis shoes before heading out the door. As soon as she got into her car her cell rang again.

"So, what did you catch?" Carter asked.

"Nothing, it got loose," her dad grumbled. "Let me get you those coordinates."

"I can get your location on my phone GPS, I'll stop and grab the pizza, beer, and gas then head out to you."

"See you soon, Semper Fi," said the Major.

"Ooh-rah!" Carter said with as much enthusiasm she could muster then I hit the end button.

Carter gave her dad a short blast of the horn to let him know she was coming up on him. As she approached starboard, he tossed a line to her to tie the dinghy up. Once she was secure, she passed her cargo along to the Major then climbed onto his boat. It had been a couple of years since she had last been on the boat, the Major preferred to fish alone, claimed it allowed him to clear his mind."Here," Her father tossed her a beer then sat back in his captain's chair and eyed his daughter. "You look like you've been running, Marine."

Carter sat down on the bench seat and propped her feet up on the side of the boat as she twisted the top off the bottle. She knew she should have changed out of her running shorts and tank, hell, she should have taken a shower, but all she wanted to do when she got home was get rid of anything that reminded her of Owen. She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders and said, "Needed to expend energy, running was the most acceptable way to do so at the moment." She flashed him a grin and took a drink.

"Humph," He took a swig from his bottle and leaned back, resting his head against the top of the seat. "When are you going to bring that new guy around to meet me? What's his name again? Brad? Robert... or was it John?" He lifted his head enough to look over at her and smirked.

"You know damn well his name is Owen, and I won't be bringing him around. We broke up tonight," Carter said staring up at the stars in the sky.

"Owen... Ow-en... Owe-n... Who in the hell names their kid Owen? Is he owned? It's like they are in debt or something and they owe everyone. What was he again?" he asked.

She nearly choked on her beer as she laughed, using the back of her hand to wipe her chin. Her first thought was that Owen was an asshole, but that's not what her dad was asking. "He's the artist, the one we transported the art for, from Poland."

Silas tilted his head and scratched his jaw, looking as if he were trying to remember what Owen looked like. He gave a shake of his head. "Please tell me he was not that little wormy guy you were flirting up a storm with that day I came into the office."

Carter kept her interest in staring up at the beautiful night sky, hoping if she didn't respond, he'd just drop it--she should have known better.

"It was, wasn't it? Dammit, girl, you are better than that worm. Why can't you find someone like Troy? Now he is a fine example of a man. He's a hard-working family man and from what I hear he still goes to dinner at his mom's every Sunday evening. I think he even goes to church with her on Sunday mornings as well and so you know what the best thing about him is? He was a damn good Marine."

"Can we forget about Oworm! Its done. And Troy is my best friend and married with whom he has three wonderful children. Besides..." She finished her beer and dropped the empty bottle into the cooler and grabbed another. "We never clicked that way. I get to spend as much or as little time with him as I want, then I get to leave and his wife has to put up with him the rest of the time." As she lifted the fresh beer to take a drink, her cell phone rang. "Claire," she said reading her caller ID.

"Don't you dare..." her dad warned.

"Hello, Claire!" Carter said answering her phone and flashing a grin at her dad--that'll teach him to bring up her love life. "Oh yeah, Dad's sitting right across from me. He brought the boat out into the harbor and ran out of gas. I had to come rescue him. Want to talk to him?"

Carter couldn't stop grinning as she handed the phone over to her father then laid back down on the bench, to gaze at the stars. She knew he'd get her back for it, but right now it helped her mood. As she drifted off to sleep, she thought she heard wings flutter overhead.

[cupidschance-blog]

Cupid's Chance

Chapter One

The list grew smaller and smaller each year. Too many people developed a pattern of rushing into relationships that didn’t fit together. They would either give up all together or compromise on their compatibility and values.

The worst culprit for bad relationships were the dating apps, terrible decisions at their fingertips. Everyone was so busy swiping left or right, not bothering to pay attention to the surrounding opportunities. They did not understand what or whom they could miss out on. All of this made the Cupid’s work almost impossible. Some lucky fools got a second chance while others missed out on finding their soulmate all together.

Spring arrived early in the middle of February, bringing a warm breeze into the San Francisco Bay. Archer Valentine looked up at the street sign of the intersection, then glanced back down at the names on his list:

Match: George Roberts and Tabitha Walker Location: Ray’s Diner–Market Street Time and Date: April 14th, 2015 12:33 pm

George Roberts–33 years old joined the police force after spending two years in the army. He comes from a good family that believes in showing love and affection for one another. George’s favorite thing about his family was every holiday and special occasion, no matter how minor they gathered together to celebrate.

Tabitha Walker–26 years old, a runaway at 16, she escaped an abusive mother that blamed her for her father leaving. Even though she was homeless, she stayed with friends when able, and still got up every morning and go to school. She found a job and took care of herself. After graduating high school, she ended up with the wrong guy and got married. She became pregnant but lost the baby after a violent fight with her husband.

Archer closed his eyes and released a sigh, able to imagine where her story went from there. He hoped fate remained on their side and allowed him to bring these two people together. He glanced down at the timepiece he wore on around his wrist. A slow, crooked smile formed on his face, almost time… any second now.

The loud thumping of his heart and the radiant warmth that flowed from his body and filling the restaurant proved the match was perfect. It didn’t matter how many times Archer brought two people together, each was like the first. His heart pounded so in his chest, and the butterflies invaded his stomach.

Archer closed his eyes and concentrated, his wings pushed through the narrow slits in the back of his clothing and unfurled, stretching out around him. The wings of pristine white gleamed in the afternoon sun folded against his back, tail feathers brushed the ground.

He tucked them over his shoulders; his frame seemed to pulse like a heartbeat as particles of colors shimmered in the air swimming out of focus. Less than a second later, he sat in the rear of a police car, listening to the conversation between the driver and his partner, invisible to the world.

“Hey George, there’s Ray’s Diner, let’s stop in for a coffee.” Officer Barns wagged his thumb toward the small corner diner as they drove down the street.

“Ha, coffee, right Rich, you want to flirt with Janice. You realize one of these days you will get yourself into trouble. Let’s try out that new taco truck instead.” George turned to glance out the driver’s window of the squad car to hide his grin as if he already realized how Rich would react.

Worried that George might continue to argue with his partner, Archer pulled a plum colored bag with a golden string from his coat pocket and opened it. The bag contained a pale pink dust that sparkled like tiny crystals. A small pinch of the dust shimmered in the air as it floated toward George.

Free will still course through George, the powder only meant to help influence him in the right direction. The choice of whether to follow the guidance was up to him.

“You know damn well my stomach can’t handle that spicy shit. Look!” Rich slammed his fist on the dashboard “There’s a parking spot right in front, pull over man.”

George chuckled and pulled up to the curb and put the car in park. “20 minutes, no longer. I don’t want to be late logging out tonight, gotta head to Fremont for my nieces birthday party.”

The bell over the door jingled as George and Rich walked into Ray’s Diner, George paused just inside the doorway, not realizing Archer slipped in behind him. Rich slapped George on the back and chuckled as he walked past and sat down at the counter close to where Janice stood.

George smirked and took the stool next to Rich. Archer walked to the other side of the diner and stood next to an elderly gentleman who enjoyed grabbing peoples bottoms. A faint grin touched Archer’s lips as he tossed a small pinch of dust onto the customer.

“Oh, Tabby? Another cup before you head out,?” called out an old man at the other end of the diner. He held up his cup and gave it a quick tilt back and forth, the grin on his face made Tabitha’s smile twitch a little.

“Sure thing Ernie,” Tabitha  said.

Archer watched as she sent an exasperated glance to Janice, her shift replacement. Janice and the officer seemed oblivious to everyone outside their bubble. Tabitha kept her smile in place as she approached Ernie and filled his cup.

“Here you go, sir. If you need anything else, Janice will be more than happy to take care of you.”

She didn’t step back quick enough, and Ernie’s hand landed on her calf and was working its way up to the hemline of her knee length uniform. Tabitha gasped and took a step backward.

Tabitha’s gasp caught George’s attention, causing him to turn around just as she stepped backward. Archer tossed another pinch of dust, causing her to trip and fall back into George’s waiting arms, catching her and preventing her from spilling a single drop of coffee from the pot. Once he righted her, she turned around in his arms and gazed into his eyes.

“Stop,” Archer whispered and everything came to a standstill as he paused time itself.

The Cupid reached into the pocket of his black trench coat and pulled forth a small dark green bag, secured with a silver drawstring. Archer opened the bag and took a small pinch of red and lilac colored dust and blew it in George’s face, then another small pinch and blew it into Tabitha’s face. He stepped back and whispered, “Let love find love, begin.”

Only after she realized she was gazing up at a handsome police officer, she lost her footing again, spilling coffee on the both of them.

She gasped for the second time in less than a minute. “I am so sorry, I’ll pay for your dry cleaning.”

The officer held onto her waist, to help steady her and smiled down at the top of her head. “Don’t worry about it, guess we’re lucky it wasn’t boiling.”

The emotions that ran through the two overwhelmed Archer. The dust, meant to help open their eyes to the possibility of love, but when a match was as perfect as the one between the cop and the waitress, it was amazing to see how it played out. Archer stepped closer to the two, placing a hand on each as he listened to their hearts and minds.

Tabitha lifted her gaze up to meet the officers and the moment their eyes locked, her breath caught in her throat. There was something about this man that made her heart thump like it would beat out of her chest and stop beating at the same time. She could sense the color rising in her cheeks as he continued to watch her. She realized she should say something, she knew he was waiting for her to say anything, yet she stared into his eyes and forced herself from giving in to the overwhelming urge to kiss him.

George was staring down into this woman’s beautiful blue eyes and saw the color touch her cheeks, which made her even lovelier. He led her over to the counter and helped her up onto a stool, then regretted it because he no longer had an excuse to keep his hands on her waist. George set the empty coffee pot on the counter than offered his hand. "I’m Officer George Roberts"

It took Tabitha a moment for everything to catch up in her mind, but when the warmth of his hands left her waist, she seemed to freeze, then the warmth returned when he took her hand.

She glanced down at their joined hands and then back up into his green eyes and smiled. “I am pleased to meet you, Officer Roberts, I’m Tabitha Walker.”

She pulled her gaze from his and glanced over her shoulder as she spoke. “I’m sorry about that, I am normally steadier on my feet.” As her gaze swung back around to meet his, she confided, “And usually quicker too.”

Though this time she was thankful to Ernie for his attempt at manhandling her and letting her fall into this handsome man’s arms.

“Tabitha, you had better not be sitting on your ass while you are on my time!” The owner and cook of Ray’s Diner glared at her through the small serving window.

She glared right back at him, annoyed that he had butted into her conversation with the handsome Officer George Roberts. “I clocked out 10 minutes ago Micky.”

“Then what the hell are you doing taking up space at my counter, get on,” Micky said then turned back to man the grill.

The color in Tabitha’s cheeks grew darker when she looked back to the police officer but irritation showered his face. She smiled at the thought maybe he was considering taking up for her and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “It was a pleasure to meet you Officer Roberts, but as you heard, my shift is over. I’m sure Janice will be more than happy to take your order.”

As she mentioned Janice’s name, the waitress sauntered over and stood next to Tabitha, draping an arm over her shoulders. “Good thing you were here to protect and serve, Officer or our poor Tabby would have hit the floor, breaking the coffee pot. With Micky’s short temper he could have fired over that.” She flashed George her most winning smile and winked at him.

George  spoke, “Officer Barns is ready to place his order, I good, but thanks anyway.” He looked down at Tabitha and offered her a genuine smile. “I would like to take a walk around the park and stretch my legs, would you care to join me?”

Fifteen minutes ago, she would have told the person to drop dead, but her legs and feet seemed rejuvenated and she wanted nothing more than to spend time with Officer Roberts. “I would love to.”

He held her hand a little tighter while held the door open for her and led her outside. With a smile on his face, George looked back at Rich and said. “Take your time, I’ll be out here getting to know this lovely young lady.”

Archer smiled as he watched a red line connect between the two names on his list. Archer followed the couple outside and walked across the road, then turned back toward the two as they stood outside the diner, talking to each other. He pulled a camera from his pocket and snapped a picture of them, then folded his wings around his body and shimmered until he faded away

[cupidschance-blog]