Cupid in Crisis

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Absolutely,” I replied. “Hadley will make sure your party is settled and we can use Mrs. Seaver’s office.”

  “Lovely.”

  I PRETTY MUCH disliked Jay Miller on sight. He had an air about him, an ego big enough to suck all the oxygen out of the room – any room.

  “I’m not going to lie,” he started, his expression grave. “I expected Mrs. Seaver to be here. We’d already discussed the logistics of this shoot. I don’t like having to explain myself more than once.”

  “She didn’t plan to hurt herself. She took a terrible fall this morning. She was unconscious. Believe me, she didn’t do it to ruin your day.”

  Miller either didn’t pick up on the ice under my words or opted to ignore it. I leaned toward the latter. “We have a lot of shots to get through. This is a bathing suit shoot for a new clothing company and there’s a lot riding on this.”

  “And you think I’m somehow not up to the task?”

  “I think that you have no idea what we need to make sure this is a rousing success. I really would like to talk to Mrs. Seaver.”

  “Well, that’s not possible.” I was willing to do anything necessary to make sure Mrs. Seaver held onto her hotel, but I wasn’t going to kiss this guy’s overblown ego no matter how he talked down to me. “She’s ill and recovering. I’m here to make sure the shoot goes as planned.”

  “But … .”

  “No. That’s how it’s going to be.” I held up my hand to get his attention. “Why don’t you wait until I actually do something to earn your ire before unleashing it? For all you know, I’ll be the best bathing suit shoot coordinator you’ve ever met.”

  “I guess that’s fair.” Jay looked me up and down. “I’ll save the yelling for when you screw up.”

  Not if, but when. “Great.” I moved toward the door and then thought better of it. “Still, it would be helpful if you had a list of the things you and Mrs. Seaver agreed upon. I want to make sure I don’t miss a thing.”

  Jay beamed. “That will be easy to track down. I’m glad you see things my way.”

  “Yes, sir,” I gritted out.

  HALF THE WOMEN WERE MISSING from the lobby when I returned. Hadley was leaning against a wall, listening to one of them go on and on about the flight – apparently they almost died from the turbulence – and Paige was handing out room assignments.

  I’d barely entered the room when one of the models, a willowy blonde as tall as me in her heels, cut off my avenue of escape.

  “Hello,” she purred, tilting her head to the side as she rested her hand on my chest. She made it look as if she was stopping me for a specific reason, but I knew better.

  “Hello,” I replied, keeping my voice calm. “Do you need something?”

  “I was hoping to ask you a few questions about the island.”

  She didn’t care about the island. She obviously only cared about getting into my pants. I’m not saying that because I have an ego – no, seriously – but because as a cupid I emit certain pheromones. Some women find it impossible to stay away from me. Apparently my new friend was one of those women.

  “I’m sure Hadley can answer any questions you have about the island.” I hoped I sounded polite rather than impatient. “I have to get some things for your boss before you start shooting. When is the shoot scheduled for, by the way?”

  I wasn’t familiar with model shoots so I thought it was a fair question. The way she laughed – as if I was a child who’d said something particularly ridiculous – made me rethink that assumption.

  “Oh, you’re so funny.” Her hand bopped up and down on my chest. “You’re built, too. Do you work out a lot?”

  “Not unless you count drinking beer.” I took a purposeful step away from her and sent Hadley a mental SOS. If anyone could get rid of the woman, she could. “I really do have things I need to do.”

  Hadley looked thrilled to escape from the woman bending her ear and practically skipped in my direction. “Hello, handsome,” she drawled, making a quick and hilarious face behind the model’s back. “I see you’ve met Ivory. She only has one name, like you.”

  “You have only one name, too?” Ivory looked tickled. “Maybe it’s meant to be.”

  “I sincerely doubt it.” I reached around her and grabbed Hadley’s shoulder, pulling her in front of me as a buffer. For some reason, Hadley was immune to my cupid powers. Sometimes I found that fact annoying – mostly because I enjoy messing with Galen – but I was grateful for it today. “I have a few tasks to discuss with you. Do you have time?”

  Hadley’s gaze was mischievous as it bounced between Ivory and me, and I briefly thought she was going to abandon me to my plight. Ultimately, though, she nodded her head. “Absolutely. I’m your assistant. We need to talk about important stuff.”

  I kept a firm grip on her arm and waved at Ivory with my free hand as I steered Hadley toward the patio. “It was nice meeting you. I hope your bathing suit extravaganza is everything you hoped it would be.”

  “Oh, I’m sure it will be.” Ivory’s gaze was longing. “We’ll definitely be seeing each other again.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  HADLEY WAS A MASS OF giggles and hiccups when we hit the patio. She didn’t bother hiding her mirth. In her position, I probably wouldn’t either. It was still grating.

  “Oh, she’s hot for you, buddy.” Hadley lightly punched my arm, her grin so big it threatened to swallow her entire face. “I wonder if you smell like a carrot stick to her, because I’m guessing that’s all she eats.”

  “Ha, ha, ha.” I wanted to give her a little shake to stop the giggling, but I refrained. “The director is getting me a list of things he needs for the shoot. Apparently all of this was agreed upon by Mrs. Seaver. The stuff is probably somewhere in the hotel.”

  “Then we shouldn’t have too much trouble finding it,” Hadley noted, her smile slipping as she studied my face. “You’re really worked up about this, aren’t you? I thought maybe Galen was just having a bad day, but you’re really agitated. What gives?”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Oh, it’s something. I’m offering my help for free. The least you can do is tell me the truth.”

  I thought about putting her off. She would eventually give up – or at least postpone her curiosity – because she understood there was a lot at stake. She might not grasp all the intricacies, but she was far from stupid. It would be easier to tell her, though. Just get it out of the way.

  “I’m tight with Mrs. Seaver,” I explained. “So is Galen. She’s always been a part of our lives. She stopped us from fighting one day – I mean, it was getting serious – and she grabbed us by the ears and told us we would never get anywhere if we spent all our time hating each other.”

  Hadley’s brow wrinkled. “Seems like common sense.”

  “Yes, but we were kids. We couldn’t see past the hatred we had for each other. You might think the way we treat each other now is ridiculous, but we were much worse as kids.”

  “Fair enough.” She held up her hands in capitulation. “So, she stopped you from fighting and ensured you would be best friends forever. Is she a mystical miracle worker or something?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.” I flicked her between the eyebrows because it seemed the thing to do. “She talked to us, listened to us. We were always fighting as kids, but she gave us tasks to do and made us complete them together. She’s the only reason he and I get along today.”

  “See, I think you would’ve eventually gotten over yourselves and realized you had friendship potential. But who am I to argue with your memories of this woman? I take it you both remained friends with her throughout the years.”

  “She was alone,” I supplied. “She didn’t have any family. Her husband died in his forties and left her to run the hotel on her own.”

  “Is that why this place is so run down?” Hadley made a face as she glanced around the patio. “I mean … that fence is only half painted.”

  I scow
led. “I was working on that when she fell. I’ll finish it before the end of the weekend. And this place isn’t run down. She does the best that she can.”

  “Sor-ree.” She widened her eyes. “I didn’t realize you were so testy when it came to June. I didn’t mean to insult her. I was just fooling around.”

  “Well, don’t. She scared me when she fell today.” That was the truth, and it was a relief to get it off my chest. “I followed her to the hospital. Galen was already there because he’d heard the call on the radio. We both love her.”

  “I understand.” Hadley was serious now. “We’ll make sure everything goes according to plan. I won’t let you down.”

  Her insistence allowed me to let out a breath. “Thank you.”

  “Sure. I do have a question, though. Don’t worry. It has nothing to do with June.”

  “Fire away.”

  “What’s the deal with the chick working behind the desk? She keeps giving me the evil eye and saying passive-aggressive things to me. I want to smack her in the face – maybe with a pie because I’ve always wanted to do that – but I don’t want to do it in front of an audience.”

  “Paige? She’s always been a pain. She’s bossy.”

  “It seems like more than that.”

  “Oh, well … maybe she’s still upset about Galen dumping her.” It was an off-the-cuff remark that I had no idea was going to escape my mouth until it was too late. “Er, well, I mean … crap.”

  The way Hadley’s eyes narrowed told me she was going to make a big deal out of the revelation. “Oh, really? When did they date?”

  “I can’t remember. Years ago. I think it was right after we graduated high school.”

  Hadley did the math in her head. “And she’s still holding a grudge? That seems a bit ridiculous.”

  “Perhaps Galen is such a stud that he ruins women for eternity. I wouldn’t be fearful of that because I have a feeling he’ll never leave you.”

  Her cheeks pinked with pleasure, causing me to roll my eyes.

  “Gross,” I muttered, shaking my head. “You two are so giddy sometimes it makes my teeth hurt. As for Paige, just ignore her. But do not tick her off. We need her. I don’t know how to run the front desk … or assign the rooms … or how to make key cards.”

  “I’ve got it.” She offered a half-salute. “I won’t ruin this for you. I know that June is important to you. I’ll give everything I have to make sure this goes okay.”

  “Thank you.” The sound of the patio door opening caught my attention, and when I turned I found Jay offering me a sheet of paper.

  “Your list,” he announced, giving the paper an extra flick. “These are all the things I need arranged for the photo shoot.”

  “Thank you.” I took the sheet from him and glanced at it, my stomach doing a small hop. “You need a shark inflatable? That’s specific.”

  “Ms. Seaver said she had it under control.”

  “Which means everything is probably in the storeroom,” I noted. “I’ll go and check everything on the list.”

  I was out of the room and halfway down the hall before I realized Hadley was following. “Go back to the lobby,” I commanded. “Wait on the models and give them whatever they want.”

  “I want to see the shark inflatable.”

  “I don’t even know if I’ll find it.”

  “Yeah, well, I want to see it. I’ve got a thing about sharks.”

  “I never would’ve noticed, what with your shark shifter fascination.”

  “I’ll see one eventually. Just you wait.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I had Mrs. Seaver’s keyring – she gave it to me in the hospital – but it took four tries to find the key to the storage room. I was hopeful everything I needed would be stacked inside, but instead I found a righteous mess. Things were strewn all over the room. “What is this?”

  “It looks like someone broke in,” Hadley said pragmatically. “I mean … the toilet paper is shredded and everything has been pulled off the shelves. I think someone was searching for something.”

  She wasn’t wrong. A second glance told me it was more than a mess. It was utter chaos. “Should I call Galen?”

  “He is the sheriff. He might need to dust for prints or something.”

  “Dust for prints.” I shook my head as I pulled out my phone. “No one dusts for prints anymore.”

  “Oh, then how do they do it, smart guy?”

  “Watch a cop show and learn something.” I heaved out a sigh as I pressed the phone to my ear. “Galen isn’t going to like this.”

  “Nope. Not even a little.”

  Five

  While waiting for Galen to arrive, I called Paige to the storeroom to show her the mess. In the back of my mind I was hopeful that Mrs. Seaver was a closet hoarder or unbelievably messy. I knew that was unlikely — she was an orderly woman, after all — but it was better than the alternative.

  “What did you do to it?” Paige’s eyes were accusatory when she turned them on Hadley. Hmm. That was interesting.

  “I didn’t do anything,” Hadley protested, frustration positively wafting off her as she planted her hands on her hips. “Why do you assume I did something?”

  “You’re the new element. Of course it was you. Booker certainly wouldn’t have done this.”

  Hadley was incredulous as she turned to me. “Can you believe this?”

  I had bigger problems than a chick fight. “Hadley didn’t do this,” I supplied. “She was with me. The room was this way when we opened the door.”

  Paige wasn’t placated by reason. “Then she snuck away to do it when we weren’t looking. I knew she was a bad seed. Everyone on the island is talking about it. She’s evil. You should cut her head off.”

  Hadley’s eyes went so wide I thought they might actually pop out of her head. “Excuse me?”

  “I’m not going to cut off her head.” I was firm on that. “She didn’t do this. I mean ... why would she?”

  “Maybe she likes taking things that don’t belong to her.” Paige’s suggestion was laden with innuendo. “She likes taking things that belong to other people.”

  “Now you listen here ... .” Hadley’s finger looked like a dangerous weapon when she started waving it around. I sensed a chick fight in the making — something I would be excited for on a normal day — but the moment was interrupted by the arrival of Galen.

  “What’s going on?” he asked blankly, absorbing the scene with a mixture of curiosity and dread. “Nobody is dead, right?”

  I shot him a withering look. “Not yet, but that could still happen.”

  “I can see that.” He licked his lips and glanced between Hadley and Paige. Smartly, he ultimately focused on Hadley. He would have to sleep with one eye open for the rest of the month if he didn’t placate her first. “What’s wrong, honey?”

  Hadley didn’t get a chance to answer. The endearment, honey, was enough to make steam come out of Paige’s ears.

  “Honey? Are you kidding me? She’s evil. We need to behead her right now.”

  “Stop saying that,” Hadley hissed, her fury on full display. “No one is going to behead me.” She turned to Galen for confirmation. “Tell her you’re not going to behead me.”

  Amusement flicked across his features. “That wasn’t on my to-do list for the day. Is there a reason I need to behead you?”

  “She’s an evil witch,” Paige responded, warming to her topic with glee. “The only way to kill evil witches and make sure they stay dead is to behead them and then burn both parts of the body in separate fire pits. Trust me. I’ve done some research and that’s the best way to go.”

  “You’ve done research, huh?” Galen finally met her gaze. “When did you start doing this research?”

  “About two months ago.” Paige’s smile was sickeningly sweet. “For some reason, out of the blue, I decided that evil witches were a legitimate threat and I needed to study up. I have no idea what propelled me, but it’s been an eye-opening resea
rch project.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  Even though we didn’t have time to dilly-dally, I couldn’t stop myself from making things worse. It’s one of my poorer qualities. “Didn’t you arrive in town about two months ago?” I asked Hadley.

  Hadley’s expression was murderous. “Don’t make me behead you. I will.”

  “See.” Paige jutted a finger in Hadley’s direction. “She’s evil. She’s threatening Booker, who is basically a good guy even though he’s a gigolo on the side.”

  This time Galen couldn’t swallow his laughter as I glowered at the front desk clerk.

  “Is that true, Booker?” Galen challenged. “Are you a gigolo on the side? I had no idea. Don’t you need a license for that? I don’t want to have to take you in.”

  I pressed my fingers to my eyes to relieve some of the building stress. “Don’t add to this insanity,” I chided. “She’s just trying to irritate us. Don’t feed into it.”

  “Says the guy who thought it was funny when she was insisting you should behead me,” Hadley grumbled.

  “No one is beheading anyone,” Galen insisted.

  “You’re only saying that because she’s bewitched you,” Paige argued. “I know the signs. I’ve been researching that, too. Do you want to know the signs?” She barreled forward before he could answer the question.

  “The signs are a sudden change in behavior,” she continued, relishing her moment in the spotlight. I very much doubted she’d been this close to Galen in years. He was careful when it came to being in the same location as her. She was a bit crazy at times, intense, and he had a strong sense of survival. She was on his “do not cross paths with” list ... and rightly so.

  “Let’s talk about the storeroom,” Galen interjected, eager to change the subject.

  Paige was having none of it. She had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away. “No, I think we should talk about this first,” she pressed. “Galen, I’m worried about you. I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, but you’re acting out of sorts and I would hate for our sheriff to fall under the wiles of an evil witch and put the entire island at risk.”