by Liz Schulte
His jaw tightened. “You aren’t going to make this easy.”
I softly kicked my foot against his leg. “I promise I’ll stay out it. I’ll let you handle it unless it looks like you need my help.”
Finally signs of life came back into his face. “I love the qualifier. It leaves the entire situation very open to interpretation.”
“I learned from the best.”
“Yeah. Olivia.” Phoenix put away his phone. “I don’t think Cupid’s bluffing. He wants her back. Word is she left and he is refusing to use his magic or do anything until she comes back. To the point that even Venus has taken notice. We don’t need the attention of the gods especially after Holda.”
I nodded. “I’m fed. My tempter is under control. I won’t fly off the handle. I promise I can do this.”
His mouth pressed into a thin line. “That may have been at least partly my fault.”
I turned toward him. “How?”
He shook his head. “We’ll talk later. How about dinner after we finish here?”
I nodded. I didn’t eat, but I’d be happy to sit with Phoenix while he did. He obviously had something on his mind. “Sure.”
“We’re here,” he said, opening the door as soon as the car came to a stop.
The car stopped in front of a beautiful building with unobstructed views of Lake Michigan. Phoenix redirected the doorman and up we went to the top floor. The elevator opened into a hallway with a single door. He rang the bell.
Moments later the door opened and a woman who made the word beautiful seem small answered the door. Her golden hair fell around her tall, willowy frame. The loose white dress she wore was short and much more appropriate for summer than February.
“He sent you,” she said, stepping back opening the door wider. “Come in.”
Phoenix looked as shocked as I felt, but we followed her in. She sat on the couch crossing her legs. “I’m going to go back.” She didn’t sound angry or upset. She was just calm. “Venus already spoke with me, but I needed to make him understand.”
I looked to Phoenix. He wanted to handle this. It was all his.
Phoenix nodded. “Understand what?”
The only imperfection in her entire house was a worn novel on the end table next to her. She folded her hands in her lap. “Worlds come and go, but we have an eternity together. One that could either be a heaven or a hell depending on him. I don’t want to live separate lives.”
He sat back with a frown. “But you are going back?”
“Eventually.” She stood.
“He will destroy us all if eventually doesn’t come before the fourteenth.”
Her laugh faded into a sigh. “He hasn’t learned his lesson.”
“What if he has?” I said. “Talk to him. Give us a chance to show you that you that things can be different. Please?”
“Why should I? As I said, worlds come and go. I have no attachment to yours. If he chooses to destroy it, I will find a new one.”
Saving people, obviously wasn’t going to be a pull for her. “After all the years you have spent together, wouldn’t you like to finally get to know him? Making him learn a lesson like this is fine, but what will that really change. Giving him a chance to change on his own, that’s so much more meaningful.”
She didn’t fidget or move in any way as she stared down at me. “Would you give him such a chance?”
I nodded. “I like to think it isn’t ever too late to fall in love.”
“Because it saves you,” her voice was cold.
“Because I’m a romantic. I believe in lasting love built on mutual respect and friendship.” I squinted at the book on the table. I couldn’t quite see it, but it was clearly a romance novel. “I think you do too.”
“I wanted to love him. I tried to love him. He wouldn’t let me.”
“That’s why you have to see if it is possible?” My fingers crossed behind my back.
Her face was completely unreadable. Perfect and alien, she reminded me a little of an angel only less scary. Finally she nodded once. “One meeting.”
I got her phone number and Phoenix and I left. The door to the elevator closed and I leaned back against the wall. Hopefully she wasn’t expecting a miracle. We could explain to Cupid what she wants, but we couldn’t change him completely in a matter of hours.
Phoenix hit the emergency stop, a wide smile on his face. “You did it.” His pressed his lips to mine with passion and enthusiasm. It was the sort of kiss that I didn’t care if I ever breathed again so long as it didn’t stop.
But like all good things, it did. The elevator buzzing broke us apart and he restarted it, that glint still in his eyes.
I almost closed the distance between us myself when the phone rang in my pocket. “Hello?”
“Hey, Maggie, how have you been?” Boone’s gentle baritone came from the other end.
I closed my eyes. “Pretty good. How about you?”
There was a long pause. “I’ve been better.”
I held my breath waiting for him to continue. Nothing. “I’ve been taking boxes to the shelter.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“I know,” he said. “They told me. I haven’t—it’s been a while since I could volunteer. Do you have time to talk?”
I could feel Phoenix’s eyes drilling into me. “Not at the moment. Raincheck.”
“Sure. Can you meet me tonight? At the bakery around nine?”
I sank my teeth into my lower lips. Hopefully, we’d be done by then. “Um sure.”
I hung up the phone and didn’t quite meet Phoenix’s gaze. The elevator opened and made out way back to the town car and headed for Cupid who I assumed was back in Xaviers. Cars buzzing by and the blare of horns all blended together in a cacophony of sounds that made up the city. The lights blurred all around us. I glanced over at Phoenix who was still looking at me.
Something stirred in my chest quickly followed by fear. I couldn’t do this again. My emotions would never be separate from what I was doing. I was an all or nothing sort of girl. If he legitimately wanted to give us a chance I needed to know. “Phoenix—”
He pressed his finger to my lips and shook his head. “Just let me have this.”
I frowned. What was he talking about? Have what? After a few more moments of silence, I had to say something. If he didn’t want to talk about us, that was fine. We’d talk about Cupid and Psyche. “Where do you think we can get a reservation for them tonight? Xaviers isn’t the atmosphere we’re looking for.”
“I agree. I have that part covered. Tell Psyche to meet outside of the Harold Washington Library at eight.”
Xaviers wasn’t even open yet, but Cupid was parked in the same spot he had been the night before. He swiveled on the stool to watch us walk toward him. “Did you see her?”
“She’ll meet you tonight,” Phoenix said.
He launched to his feet, wings fluttering. “What did she say exactly?”
“That’s not important. What matters is Maggie got you a second chance. You are going to meet her tonight and Maggie is going to tell you what you need to do.”
His long curling eyelashes fluttered a little as he looked at me. “You? You can tell me about love? I can smell your desperation and loneliness from here.”
I wasn’t going to be judged by him. “Says the person who has had thousands of years to figure out how to let the woman you love in, but still you hold her at a distance.”
Phoenix put a hand on my shoulder.
“I personally think you’re a whiny asshole who’s in love with his own image. But for some reason this beautiful woman actually loves you, but she can’t stay with you because you aren’t able to open up to her. She doesn’t want to live a separate life from you. She wants to know who you are.”
He glared at me and I glared back at him until he broke. “She knows.”
“She doesn’t feel like she does.”
He circled me slowly. “Tell me more.”
* * *
> When Phoenix said that he had somewhere they could go tonight, a library wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. It was a lovely building, though. I stayed outside waiting for Psyche. I pulled the short leather jacket tighter around me, freezing.
“She’s late,” I said as Phoenix came up.
“Beautiful women normally are.” He slipped off his coat and dropped it over my shoulders. “You weren’t half bad today.”
I smiled a little staring down at the sidewalk. He edged toward me until we were nearly touching. I closed the distance, leaning against him, enjoying his warmth. His arms wrapped around me, hesitantly at first. I looked up at him. I had to know what this was. I opened my mouth.
His eyes flickered away for just a moment, then his arms loosened. “She’s here.”
Psyche glided toward us shimmering in a silky gold dress.
We went up to the top floor. It was magnificent. The room was huge and the ceiling was made entirely of glass. Soft warm lights gave the room a lovely glow. One intimate table was set up in the center. Psyche headed straight for Cupid.
I turned to Phoenix. “How did you know this would be here? When did you have time to set this up?”
“Do you like it?”
“Of course. It’s beautiful.” I looked around the room. This had to have been reserved for months. “I’m sure whoever had this planned thought it was beautiful too. I can’t believe you stole someone’s venue.”
He didn’t look at me. “When people wait too long to make their move, they deserve to have it stolen from them.”
I narrowed my eyes. It didn’t feel like we were talking about the room. I looked at it again. He asked me if I’d have dinner with him tonight. He was nervous and wearing a suit. All of this just happened to be here waiting for us. My chest tightened. He said we needed to talk.
“I don’t think they need us anymore…” He gestured to Cupid and Psyche, holding hands across the table and leaning toward one another.
“But.” I pushed my hair behind my ears. “Phoenix—”
He looked down at me. “I believe the carpenter is waiting for you. You can take the car.” With that he disappeared into a puff of smoke. What just happened?
Chapter Five
Boone was sitting in his old, beat up truck outside of Knead to Know when I made it back. I waved at him as I unlocked the door, letting us inside. After I made a quick pot of coffee, I poured him a cup and carried it out. I still couldn’t get Phoenix out of my mind. Had he really set all of that up for me? Even if he stole it from someone else, he still did it for me. And wore a suit for me. And was nervous. And—
“Nicole and I broke up,” Boone said.
I shook off my own problems and took his hand. “I’m so sorry.”
He covered my hand with his. “It’s not your fault.”
It was nice of him to say, but I sort of felt like that wasn’t completely honest either. In the short amount of time I had known Boone, I managed to turn his world upside down. I seemed to have that effect on people.
“Did she remember any of her time with Holda?”
He shook his head. “But that was part of it. I can’t put her in danger or share that part of my life with her. It wasn’t fair to her. I tried to stop participating, but the visions kept coming and I can’t stand that I can prevent someone’s worst day, but I don’t because I’m afraid of what it will do to my own life. That’s not who I am. That’s not the man Nicole fell in love with.”
I nodded. He was right. Boone was the person who helped me finish my bakery when I had no one else. He nearly took a bullet for me, and he barely knew me. He spent all of his free time either volunteering at shelters or helping me solve his visions and preventing people from getting hurt. He wasn’t selfish.
“I still sorry,” I said.
He took a deep breath. “It’s okay. This is just a new chapter in my life. One that I have no idea where it will go.”
* * *
The next couple days were beyond busy with getting ready for Valentine’s Day. I didn’t hear for Phoenix or Boone, which was definitely for the best because I was more confused than ever. On the actual day of our event, I barely even stuck my head out of the kitchen until just before it was time to reopen our doors for guests.
The café looked unbelievable. The lights were low and candles were glowing on all of the tables. Bottle of wine lined the back counter and bouquets of fresh cut flowers were everywhere. “Wow,” I said. “Izzy, it’s fantastic.”
Her wide face split into a grin. “I know. Emery helped a lot.”
Emery gave a mock curtsy. “This is so cool. We should do this all the time.”
Izzy groaned. “Once a year might be all I can handle. I’m half dead.”
I laughed and nodded to the door. “Looked like we have our first arrival.”
The rest of the evening was a blur. When we finally closed up shop for the night, Izzy dragged herself upstairs and Emery went home. I lingered in the kitchen, looking at the one box of leftovers. I grabbed the box and the wine before I could think about it and left.
* * *
I hand paused over the door, indecision taking hold on the way over. This was such a bad idea. It was too soon. I knocked on the door anyway.
“Come in,” his voice called from the other side.
I straightened my shoulders and went through. Phoenix sat behind the massive desk with papers strewn all over it. I could hear my heart thumping in my ears as his eyes met mine.
He blinked like he thought that might make me disappear. “Hi.” His eyes trailed to the box in my hand then back up to my face. “How’d tonight go?”
“It was almost perfect,” I said, hardly recognizing my own voice over the sound of my heart.
“Almost?”
It was now or never. “You weren’t there.”
He rose slowly from his chair, moving around the desk and coming toward me. Those eyes were as dark and unreadable as always.
“This is for you,” I shoved the soufflé and the bottle of wine toward him.
He took them and sat both on his desk, without taking his eyes off of me. “Maggie…” he said with faint traces of warning.
“Dinner at the library, that was for me?”
He eyed me warily, not saying anything.
“And the suit?”
He shifted, still not answering.
I closed my eyes. Izzy was right. The more I thought about the things, the more trouble I made for myself.
“Yes,” he finally said.
My eyes sprang open. He was close but not touching me. Not yet. I placed my hands on either side of his face and kissed him like I meant it because I did.
MANY AUTHORS CLAIM to have known their calling from a young age. Liz Schulte, however, didn't always want to be an author. In fact, she had no clue. Liz wanted to be a veterinarian, then she wanted to be a lawyer, then she wanted to be a criminal profiler. In a valiant effort to keep from becoming Walter Mitty, Liz put pen to paper and began writing her first novel. It was at that moment she realized this is what she was meant to do. As a scribe she could be all of those things and so much more.
When Liz isn’t writing or on social networks she is inflicting movie quotes and trivia on people, reading, traveling, and hanging out with friends and family. Liz is a Midwest girl through and through, though she would be perfectly happy never having to shovel her driveway again. She has a love for all things spooky, supernatural, and snarky. Her favorite authors range from Edgar Allen Poe to Joseph Heller to Jane Austen to Jim Butcher and everything in between.
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Also by Liz Schulte
URBAN FANTASY/PARANORMAL ROMANCE
The Knead to Know Series:
Knead to Know (A Knead to Know Short Story)
Fairytale Ambrosia
Psyche Souffle (Valentine’s Day Knead to Know Short Story)
Ghostsnaps (Coming Soon)
The Easy Bake Coven Series:
Easy Bake Coven
Hungry, Hungry Hoodoo
Pickup Styx
Tiddly Jinx
Ghosts in the Graveyard
Ollie, Ollie Hex ‘n Free
Frost’s Bite (An Easy Bake Coven Short Story)
If the Broom Fits
Stark Raven Mad (Coming Soon)
Moonlight Madness (Coming Soon)
The Sekhmet Bounty Series:
Sweet Little Lies (A Sekhmet Short Story)
Catatonic (A Sekhmet Short Story)
Catastrophe
Catacombs (Coming Soon)
Catapult (Coming Soon)
The Guardian Trilogy:
Secrets
Choices
Consequences
Be Light (Guardian Trilogy Christmas Short Story)
Snow and Mistletoe (Guardian Trilogy Christmas Short Story)
Good Tidings(Guardian Trilogy Christmas Short Story)
The Jinn Trilogy:
Ember
Inferno
Vestige
Without a Map (A Jinn Trilogy Short Story)
MYSTERIES
The Ella Reynolds Series:
Dark Corners
Dark Passing
Dark Obsession
The Ninth Floor
A BOURBON STREET VALENTINE
Deanna Chase