Operation Cupid

by Allyson Lindt

  “Why me?”

  He had to force himself not to trace a thumb over her flushed skin. Not to warm her with a kiss. “Call it an impulse.” His footsteps slowed as they neared the company diner. Of course it was packed. Three hundred and sixty-four days a year the place was almost empty. But since today was the busiest day of the year, every one of his colleagues was on the clock and would be taking advantage of the fact that the diner always had a person’s favorite foods on the menu.

  She only got a few steps ahead of him before she spun back. “What’s wrong?”

  “You know what? Maybe we should come back later.” He didn’t want to be surrounded by anyone. Something selfish inside wanted Kaylee’s company all to himself. “Do you want to go somewhere else?”

  She glanced toward the building, and the corners of her mouth tugged down. Another gust of wind swept over her, and she shivered and hugged herself. “As tempting as it is to wander the streets until we find the one place in the entire town that’s not completely packed, this should be fine.” She glanced up at him. “Besides, now I’m looking forward to that brownie.

  He nudged her toward the diner again. “Then I won’t be the one to disappoint you.”

  They stepped inside, and a wash of chatter and noise assaulted them. She hovered in the doorway. He reached for her hand, and she intertwined her fingers with his. Her grip was tight, as if she was afraid she might slip away if she let go.

  “Table for two?” A familiar voice cut through the full-volume din.

  Devin whirled to face the host, Josh, and pasted a neutral expression into place, trying to pretend like the guy in front of him was an almost stranger instead of one of his best friends. Every cupid worked the diner occasionally. He’d have to find out later what Josh had done to be tucked away as a host today instead of out cheering someone up. “As far away from the noise as we can. Is that an option?”

  Josh exhaled loudly, not successfully hiding his smile. “Outside is available.”

  Kaylee pressed closer when another couple walked through the front door. Her skin wasn’t warming up, and her eyes darted all over the room. Every inch of Devin ached at not being able to remove her apprehension. They’d work on that.

  “Anywhere is fine,” he told Josh.

  Seconds later they were seated in a corner booth near the back of the room, close to an exit door. Some of the tension seemed to drain from Kaylee’s shoulders as she scanned the menu, and her smile threatened to return. She glanced up when he set his menu aside.

  He shrugged at the question in her eyes. “I’m a regular. I have a pretty good idea what I want.”

  A loud clatter rolled through the room, and Kaylee winced.

  “Y’all ready?” A waitress seemed to appear out of nowhere.

  Devin didn’t recognize her, but there were thousands of them in the program, and someone was always coming or going, so he wasn’t surprised. He glanced at Kaylee. “How about you, little lady? You know what you want?” He didn’t know where the fake southern accent had come from, but it was kind of fun.

  All traces of amusement vanished in an instant, and her chin quivered.

  Shit, what did I do? He fumbled, wracking his brain for a solution to a problem he couldn’t identify. “Unless you need more time?”

  She took a deep breath, and then another. “I’m fine.” The words sounded strained. The kitchen door slammed open, and she jumped.

  Maybe it was the crowd. Not being alone wasn’t quite the same as being surrounded by hundreds of chattering strangers. He grabbed her menu. It had to be hers that he used, it was customized to her. He didn’t know how that worked, but it always did. He handed it to the waitress without even looking, along with his. “Entree, salad—” He glanced at Kaylee. “—on second thought, soup. And brownies. Two of them. And can we get it to go?”

  “Of course, hon.” The girl vanished in an instant.

  “You didn’t have to do that.” The relief in Kaylee’s eyes contradicted her weak reassurance.

  He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. “I know a place that’s guaranteed to be quiet.”

  A screaming sob ripped through the room, and a man bolted from the diner, a woman following closely behind. Kaylee seemed to fold in on herself as she watched the disruption. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.”

  Chapter 3

  Kaylee’s instincts were fighting a non-stop war with her longing, and longing was winning. Every time Devin did something that reminded her so intensely of Tyler, she didn’t know if she wanted to bolt—run home and lock herself in her room until the longing subsided—or stick around to see what he’d do next. She’d almost lost it with the accent though. She’d always loved the lilting reminder in Tyler’s voice of where he was from.

  Even though the situation was odd, she never felt like she was in danger. There was something about him that made her feel safer than she had since Tyler.

  She exhaled slowly, trying to force the rambling thoughts out at the same time. His palm was warm against hers as he tugged her out the back exit, their to-go food dangling from the plastic bag in his other arm. I’m only holding on to warm my frozen fingers. But no part of her wanted to let go. He led her down a short alley, through another door, and they emerged in an empty corridor that looked like any number of office buildings in the city.

  As they moved farther from everyone else, and the noise faded in the background, her logic circuits crept in for the first time since that morning. There had been people around before. She hadn’t appreciated the crowds, but it had meant witnesses. Now she was letting him lead her to some unknown place, with a bag of something random that he had ordered when she’d completely locked up, and no one she knew had any idea where she was and…

  “We’re here.” His smooth voice cut into and mingled with her growing unease.

  Warm sun hit her face, and her panic evaporated, replaced with awe. “It’s beautiful.”

  It was like a sliver of spring in the middle of the concrete and glass. The atrium was the size of a large yard and open all the way to the top of the building, several stories up. A handful of trees dotted the area, with a patch of grass in the middle, and worn-but-maintained, wooden benches bordered it all.

  “Right?” He spun to face her, mouth quirked in a seductive smile. “I don’t know why no one spends any time here, but it’s always empty. And I’m not being facetious. I have never seen another person in here.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and led her toward the center of the clearing. “Let’s see what’s for lunch, shall we?”

  Odd choice of words. He’d said he knew what was on the menu, and he’d ordered.

  Dropping onto the lawn, he patted the ground next to him. “Join me?”

  This is so weird. Like Alice through the Looking Glass, but without the crazy queen. For a moment, she had to resist the urge to search around her for a woman shouting “off with their heads!” Might as well make the most of it. If it was a bizarre dream, at least she could enjoy it. And if it was real…she tried to be subtle about studying Devin. He had one leg stretched out and the other bent at the knee so he could prop his arm on it. He was watching her with those clear, green eyes she wanted to dive into until she found the answers to everything.

  If it was real, she fully intended to enjoy it anyway. She took a seat next to him, not sure how close was appropriate.

  “See? Isn’t this better than spending the day listening to all the forced cheer?” He tilted to the side, resting his head on her shoulder for a moment before pulling away.

  The gesture was too familiar, but instead of sending a dagger of pain through her, it was comforting. He rocked back into an upright sitting position, making an exaggerated show of rocking back and forth before stabilizing.

  A laugh slipped out at the antics. “Far better, yes.”

  He covered her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers, and a flood of warmth rushed through her. Please, if this was a dream, let her remember it when
she woke up. A tiny voice whispered this wasn’t Tyler, and she was setting herself up for a world of pain when whatever was going on became clear. She pushed it aside and locked it behind a sturdy door. Of course he wasn’t Tyler. She knew that. She was just enjoying the moment. That was all.

  He nudged the food with his toe. “Regardless of whatever else is in there, those brownies you like are tucked away safely. Sound like a place to start?”

  A slice of regret wormed through her when she left his touch behind, but curiosity compelled her. She pushed onto her knees and crawled the short distance to the bag of food.

  Inside were to-go boxes—plastic with clear lids, not Styrofoam like she expected. Plates and silverware were packed to one side, and directly on top was a cardboard box with what had to be two brownies in it. She had to know what else was in there. She pulled out one container after another, surprise growing as each dish was another of her favorites. Until she got to the bottom. She pulled open the corner of the lid and wrinkled her nose at the smell that assaulted her. Her gut churned, but from the memories, not the sickly sweet combination of spice, sour, and sweet.

  “What’s wrong?” Devin’s question dragged her back to the now.

  “Wings.”

  “Seriously?” He was next to her in an instant, snatching the plastic container away and peeking inside. He inhaled deeply. “Extra spicy, my favorite.”

  Tyler’s too. The sharp thought dampened her awe. No, she wasn’t dwelling. It was harder to push the nagging thoughts aside this time, but she managed. “Go figure. The food you ordered has your favorite dish among it.”

  He shrugged and set the wings aside with the rest of the food she’d laid out. “A guy can hope, right? Where do you want to start?”

  She surveyed the food and then crawled back to her original spot. “It’s all incredible, but the thing is, it’s only ten a.m., and I’m not really hungry yet.”

  He sat next to her again, arm brushing hers. “No worries. We’ve got time, right? Unless you have somewhere to be.”

  Excuses and logic plowed through her thoughts, and she ignored them. “You know, I really don’t.”

  They spent the next several hours just talking, and Kaylee found herself sucked into the conversation in a way she hadn’t in ages. It was too easy with him. So comfortable and fun. The sun crested the glass at the top of the atrium, and they unpacked the food. And still the banter continued to flow.

  As they finished eating, and packed everything back up again, she realized a single box still sat to the side. Devin shook it gently. “Saving these for last?”

  The brownies, right. “I don’t think I could.” She hated to say it, but everything else had just been too perfect, and she’d eaten far more than she should have.

  His lower lip jutted out in an exaggerated pout. He popped the lid and broke a piece off one. “Just a bite.”

  She shook her head, but she was torn. It was her favorite.

  He leaned closer. “Open up.”

  She opened her mouth, and closed her eyes when the chocolate and cherries melted against her tongue. “Mmm.”

  A sharp, but pleasant, jolt raced through her at the feather-light sensation of his finger brushing her bottom lip. A sigh tore from her throat and mingled with his groan.

  “You’re so gorgeous, Kelle-belle.”

  The nickname sheared through her heart and plummeted into her stomach. Her eyes slammed open, and she locked her gaze on him. “What did you just call me?” Her voice came out as a croak.

  His brow furrowed, and he wouldn’t meet her gaze. “I don’t know. It just popped into my head.”

  She scrambled to her feet. No one knew that name. She had never told a single soul. It was between her and Tyler. “Who the fuck are you?”

  He was standing in an instant, reaching for her but not touching her. “I can explain. Sort of.”

  “I really, really doubt that.” She didn’t know what was rushing through her, but it was uncomfortable, and she suspected it was the doubt she’d been trying to ignore all day. Following some strange guy wherever he wanted just because he reminded her of her past? Diving into a memory she knew wasn’t real—with someone she didn’t know? Even if the entire situation didn’t scream creepy and bizarre-as-hell, something like that still wasn’t fair to either of them.

  She took another step back. She shouldn’t be doing this, it was a mistake. What had she been thinking? “I have a better idea. Don’t touch me. Don’t follow me when I walk out of here. Forget we ever met.”

  “Kaylee, please?”

  She hesitated at the door to the atrium; something in his plea sliced through the already shredded mess that was her insides. And what was worse, she didn’t regret spending the day with him. Every moment had been amazing. But knowing he wasn’t who she really wanted, even if he had known that nickname…she couldn’t reconcile it in her thoughts. She needed to get away. Now. “No. Just don’t.”

  Chapter 4

  Despite the warmth from the greenhouse effect in the atrium, Devin was frozen to the grass. Images that weren’t his own nudged his thoughts, and a gaping hole sat in the middle of his chest. It had just been a job, like so many before. It hadn’t gone well—that bit was new—but it shouldn’t feel like he’d just lost an appendage.

  After all, she obviously hadn’t really wanted to be there. He’d call it a day and head back to his apartment.

  If he could convince himself to move. How could he be missing her? She’d only been gone about thirty seconds, and it wasn’t like he even knew her. He definitely wasn’t going to follow her. It didn’t matter that he had her address—it was part of the assignment—or that every inch of him hummed with the need to make things better.

  She had a point; from the outside, everything about the way he acted was creepy and off. Even to him. He buried his head in his hands. Damn it. He had to find a way to make it right. To apologize to her without making things even worse. He just had no idea how.

  “Will you tell me the truth?” Her desperate plea soothed the edge on his nerves.

  He looked up to find Kaylee standing a few feet away, arms crossed, and corners of her mouth tugged down. “If I stay, will you tell me what’s actually going on? Because—so help me—I need answers, and since I didn’t have questions before you showed up, I’m hoping you can clear things up.”

  “Absolutely.” He didn’t care about breaking the rules anymore. There was no way he would be responsible for the frown marring her full lips. Besides, if it kept her there longer, he’d give up everything to try and make her smile. He had no idea where the impulse came from, but a second chance wasn’t worth it if it made this woman miserable. He nodded at the ground in front of him. “I’ll tell you everything I can.”

  She dropped onto the grass. He pushed aside the disappointment that she wasn’t closer; he needed to draw the line somewhere on whatever was screwing with his head.

  She crossed her legs, holding them close with clasped hands. “Start simple. Tell me your full name.”

  He grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and tossed his driver’s license to land between them. “T. Devin Huddleson. I’m twenty-seven, and I live in an apartment on the fifth floor of this building.”

  Her eyes grew wide, and her face paled when she looked at the license. She glanced between him and the plastic several times before throwing it back. Her voice cracked. “What does the T stand for?”

  He shrugged. “They never told me.”

  She clenched her teeth, and her nostrils flared. It was several seconds before she spoke. “Who? Your parents?”

  He wished. Though maybe, he didn’t know. He didn’t have any idea who his parents were, or know anything about his past before the company. “No. Them.”

  Her low growl mingled with a whimper. “You said you’d tell me the truth.”

  “I said I’d tell you what I could. And you need to let me do that, instead of asking what you think are the right questions.”

  �
�I’m waiting.” She clamped her mouth shut, lips drawing into a thin line.

  The same speech he spewed every time an assignment asked who he was flashed through his thoughts. But it didn’t seem sufficient. “Two years ago, I died.”

  She hiccupped, and bit the knuckle on her middle finger, but she didn’t say anything.

  “At least, that’s what they told me.” He held up a hand before she could ask something like who they were again. “I say they because I don’t know what else to call them. Angels, maybe. Head cupids. That’s what they call us—cupids. I woke up in a room I’d never seen, at least as far as I could remember. But that was part of the oddness—I couldn’t remember anything.”

  He would be in so much trouble for telling her all this, and it didn’t even matter. “They told me I had died before my time. That I still had potential, and that all they asked was that I helped them until I figured out what that was.”

  “How?” The single word squeaked from her throat. “How did you die? And what are you still doing here if you’re dead?”

  “I don’t know, to the first one. They just told me it was an accident. Sometimes I get phantom pains in my skull. They told me it’s because my soul remembers the accident, even if I don’t.” As if to prove his point, a jagged pain tore through his temple, vanishing again before he could react.

  When she didn’t say anything else, he continued. “I’m still alive because they brought me back. At least that’s what they told me. I know, it’s really difficult to believe, and I didn’t either, but the things I’ve seen over the past couple of years…If there’s a better explanation for things like a menu always knowing what you’re in the mood for, I don’t have it.”

  She nodded. “You know, this is all really difficult to swallow.”

  He couldn’t fight his smile. “But you’re still here.”

  She shrugged, and then scooted closer on the grass until her knees were touching his. “You sound like you believe what you’re saying, and I can’t help but listen.”