The Matchmakers

by Jennifer Colgan

  `Have you got experience?´ Farley’s booming voice reached her before she made it to the front door. Callie only hesitated for a moment before doing an about face. `Two years at Pepe’s Dockside Bar and Grill in Anaheim.´ Two weeks, actually, but the rest was true. She’d filled in for Felicia during the girl’s whirlwind romance with Jack. Of course, Felicia wouldn’t remember the faerie who took over her part time job, and neither would anyone who’d worked at Pepe’s, but something told Callie Farley wasn’t really interested in references right now.

  `It’s a temporary position. My head waitress«is on a leave of absence, but the minute she gets back, you’re out. Got it?Ćallie nodded. She studied Farley while he swept up the errant peanut and chucked it in the trash. What had happened to the jovial flirt she’d met last night? `When do I start?´ The bartender sighed. `Start now. Put these bowls out on the tables and sweep up the back room. I’ll give you a tour of the place later, then you can run over to Best Mart and pick up a uniform. The apron’s free, but the rest you gotta buy yourself. Don’t worry, you’ll make enough in tips to cover it pretty quick if you’re any good. If you’re still here a week from now, I’ll order you a t-shirt with our logo on it.Ćallie grabbed two overflowing bowls and deposited them on nearby tables. `I’m Calliope, by the way.´ `I remember you. Nick Garrett’s new girlfriend, right?´ `I’m not his«yes.Ćallie told herself it just made more sense to let people think she and Nick were a couple. That way he’d be less likely to get distracted by other women while he was supposed to be concentrating on their task. Assuming, of course, that he had any intention of concentrating on their task. While Farley puttered in the office and behind the bar, Callie did as he instructed. Her gentle attempts to pry some more information out of him about Diane were met with grunts and grumbles but no concrete facts. By the time he sent her on her way to Best Mart, she’d learned nothing about why her flat tire plan seemed to have failed so miserably, except that the name Diane Martin was not to be spoken in his presence on pain of dismissal. Demoralized, her wings aching with shame and her heart heavy, Callie trudged out of Farley’s at half past noon convinced she faced nothing but a long, loveless existence.

  Chapter Twelve

  By five PM, Nick had been all over town on his weekend errands. He’d run out of ways to avoid going home and decided he’d worked up the stamina for another dose of faerie. The apartment was dark when he arrived, which prolonged his reprieve. With a small measure of guilt, he tackled the unfinished dishes and had just assembled the ingredients for a world-class grilled cheese sandwich when the phone rang. Though he refused to admit that he’d begun to worry about Callie, the sound jangled his nerves. He jumped up and grabbed the phone before the second ring. `Yeah?´ `Hello? Nick?´ `Tinkerbell? Is that you?´ Nick had no trouble convincing himself hunger had caused the sudden lightness in his chest. It couldn’t be relief at hearing her voice. `It’s me. I’m on a break. Can you come and meet me at Farley’s?´ `A break? He hired you?´ Why didn’t that surprise him? She laughed. `Of course. But Diane apparently quit last night. I’ve been trying to get details from Hayden, but Farley keeps glaring at us. He won’t talk about her. I have a plan, though.´ Nick leaned against the counter and ran one hand through his hair. Not another plan. Hopefully this one would not include vandalism of any kind. `Are you still there, Nick?´ `Yeah.´ `You know where Diane lives, don’t you?´ `Yes.´ He’d installed a new screen door for her one sultry afternoon in July. They’d shared a companionable silence in the shade of her screened-in porch, drinking homemade iced tea. `Why do I already think this is a bad idea?´ `It’s not a bad idea at all. Why don’t you drop by her house tonight? Maybe you can find out what happened, and then we can figure out a way to fix it.´ `What about Hayden? She’s friends with Diane. That would make more sense.Ćallie sighed. `Hayden can’t go because she’s working. It has to be you.´ `Did you ever think maybe Diane and Farley just weren’t meant to be?´ `Nick, I’ve been doing this for three hundred years. There’s something there. They just got off to a rocky start.´ Nick eyed the bread and cheese he’d set on the counter and wished he could come up with a sterling excuse not to butt into Diane’s business. `Tink, a rocky start is when you bump noses during your first kiss. Quitting your job over a flat tire is«like the Titanic hitting an iceberg. Maybe we should stay out of it.´ `We’re already in it, Nick. It’s our iceberg.´ `µOur’ is kind of a broad term, sweetheart.´ `Come on, Nick. Help me out here. Please? I’m sure Diane will open up to you.´ That’s just what he was afraid of. `All right. All right.´ `Thank you! I’ve got to get back to work. Will I see you here later?´ `I’ll pick you up. When does your shift end?´ `Farley said I could leave at midnight since I’ve been here all day.´ `All right. I’ll be there. You ´ Nick hesitated. The words `be careful´ had gotten stuck in his throat.

  `What?´ `Don’t get into any trouble, okay?´ `I’ll try not to. Bye, Nick.Áfter Callie hung up, Nick stared at the phone for a full minute. He’d just agreed to do exactly what he didn’t want to do, butt into someone else’s personal life. How had she managed to talk him into it? Just to be stubborn, he finished making his sandwich and ate it while watching CNN before he left the apartment. He might be at the mercy of a devilishly manipulative Fae, but the cause of true love would just have to wait until he finished dinner. Callie hoped that sending Nick to check on Diane would help rather than hinder their mission. She could have arranged to leave the bar for a little while and made sure Farley never missed her, but with the Saturday evening crowd tumbling in, Hayden could barely keep up. Callie had learned quickly during her first shift that Diane did a lot more than take drink orders. She kept the place on an even keel by helping Farley with inventory as well. Many of the regular customers looked forward to seeing her and asked about her when they realized she wasn’t around. That only served to irritate Farley even more, and he’d taken to barking orders and scowling when he counted out change. With him moping behind the bar and Hayden trotting from table to table serving drinks and fielding inquiries about Diane, Callie had little opportunity to think about Nick. Hopefully, he’d be able to find out what happened last night. Callie couldn’t help but wonder though, if she’d sent a fox into the chicken coop. What if Nick’s natural charm made Diane forget all about Farley? `Go check on the back room,´ Farley said, bringing Callie out of her thoughts. `And make sure Bud isn’t licking the cue chalk again.´ `Sure, boss.Ćallie grabbed her cork-lined tray and scooted through the crowd, nearly colliding with Hayden. The younger girl looked exhausted and a little pale. `Are you all right?Ćallie whispered as they passed each other. `I miss Diane. She always handles the jerks.´ Hayden’s voice trembled a bit. `Is someone bothering you?´ Hayden nodded. `Back there. The guy standing next to the jukebox. He’s not a regular. He tried to feel me up.Ćallie set her analytical gaze on the man Hayden pointed out. His crisp white shirt and clean-cut good looks clashed with the expression of utter disgust on his face. This wasn’t his element, obviously. Her Fae intuition told her that he considered himself above the patrons of Farley’s, yet there he was, his hard features illuminated by the inner glow of the Wurlitzer.

  Callie patted Hayden’s arm. `Why don’t you take the back room? Keep an eye on Bud, and I’ll deal with Prince Charming.´ `Would you?Śome color returned to Hayden’s cheeks. `No problem. If he gives me trouble, the only thing he’ll be feeling for is broken bones.´ Hayden’s pretty face glowed with relief, and she bounced away, her problems solved. Callie took a deep breath and worked her way through the crowd, stopping to take two drink orders before she reached Mr. Jukebox. `Hey, baby. What took you so long? That little gal wouldn’t take my order.´ He greeted Callie with a salacious leer that left her feeling tarnished. This was a man looking for trouble, and he intended to find some anywhere he could. Callie avoided his dark gaze and concentrated on her order pad. `What can I get you?´ `How about your phone number?´ He snorted a laugh at his own clever entendre. Callie mustered a wan smile. `I don’t have a number.´ He raised a
pale eyebrow at her response. `No phone number? What about your address then?´ `Would you believe I don’t have one of those, either?´ `Come on, honey. Give a guy a break.´ `Sorry. The most I can do is take your drink order.´ He snorted and shrugged a response, but his eyes traveled up and down, assessing her in a way that she guessed was supposed to be flattering. `All right. I’ll have«a Ball and Chain. Do you know how to make one of those?´ `No, but my boss does.Ćallie wrote it down, and the man slapped a twenty on her tray. The look in his eyes told her there was more to his drink choice than a preference for schnapps. `If you want a big tip, reconsider giving me your number.´ `Ooh, I’ll keep that in mind, Mister ?´ `You can call me Daddy if you want to, babe.Ćallie laughed despite the queasy feeling he caused. She waved the twenty at him. `A guy who wants to be called Daddy pays with a fifty and says keep the change. You work on that, and I’ll be back with your drink.Śhe turned away and eased through the crowd, glad to be rid of him momentarily. She placed the order with Farley and leaned against the bar, surveying the crowd until Hayden arrived. The younger girl cast a scathing glance across the room. `How did it go with that guy?´ `He’s under control,Ćallie replied. She watched Farley prepare the drink and, when he placed it on her tray, gave it a little of her own special hocus-pocus. Unlike Nick with his disappearing beer, Mr. Jukebox would find his glass perpetually full this evening. Farley wouldn’t make much profit on the guy, but with a never ending drink in his hand one that wouldn’t make him drunk he’d have no need to bother her or Hayden again tonight. With several drinks balanced on her tray, Callie headed back toward the jukebox. She delivered the Ball and Chain last, along with his neatly folded change. She smiled sweetly as he took the drink and the money from her tray. Before he could comment, she faded into the crowd, leaving him staring after her. The rest of the evening went smoothly. Mr. Ball and Chain spent most of it staring into his glass, his brow wrinkled in consternation. Bud Wylie had agreed not to lick the cue chalk or anything else in the back room, and by eleven no one was asking about Diane anymore. At eleven-thirty, Callie started to worry about Nick and once again questioned her decision to send him to Diane’s. Was he offering her comfort, Callie wondered, or flirting to take her mind off whatever had happened with Farley? She convinced herself her only concern was for the mission. After all, if Nick talked Diane out of her interest in Farley, they’d be back to square one. Every moment lost meant they were both one step closer to losing love forever. Diane Martin’s little yellow house sat well back from the road under the shade of a hundred-year-old oak tree. Twin rows of bright orange marigolds lined the narrow front walk, and the porch light glowed an inviting shade of amber in the crisp autumn darkness. Her car sat in the driveway, all four tires plump. Someone must have fixed the flat. Nick would have bet it wasn’t Farley. The excited yapping of Diane’s hyperactive Shih-Tzu greeted Nick as he climbed the three front steps. He didn’t have to ring the bell. The newly installed screen door swung open, and Diane appeared, the fluffy dust-mop of a dog cradled in her arms. `Nick Garrett. What brings you out here?´ Though she smiled, suspicion laced her greeting. On the way across town, Nick had worked on excuses for dropping by, but now, faced with Diane’s hawk-like gaze and the dog’s curious stare, he decided not to lie. `Rumor has it you quit Farley’s. I don’t want to be nosy, but ´ `Did he send you over here?Śhe tucked the dog under her arm and stepped out onto the porch. `No«I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.´ The dog eyed him, its little nose vacuuming the air between Nick and its mistress. `Is everything okay? Ha.Śhe set the dog down, and it danced around Nick’s feet, yapping for attention. `Quiet, Roarke.´ `So what happened?´ Nick hated to ask, but something told him Diane wanted to talk about it. She needed a sympathetic ear. He wasn’t sure how he knew that, but he did.

  Diane ran a hand through her hair, which hung loose from its usual neat ponytail. She looked tired and though Nick would never have admitted it, a little older than he remembered. He’d never noticed the tiny lines around her eyes or the weary set of her mouth. When she spoke, she sounded resolved and a little bereft, as if she’d lost her lifeline and had given up trying to get it back. `I had a flat tire last night, and Farley fixed it for me.´ Despite himself, Nick laughed. `Well, the car’s still in one piece. He couldn’t have done that bad a job.´ `He nearly killed himself. The man doesn’t know a tire iron from a tree branch.´ `So how did this lead to you quitting your job?´ Diane bowed her head and gave a deep sigh and a brief, self-pitying laugh. Roarke gave his mistress a quizzical stare. When she looked up, her eyes were bright. `Have you got a couple of hours?´ Nick looked around. As long as Roarke kept his sharp little teeth away from Nick’s shins, he didn’t mind staying. `Sure.´ `Come on in. I just made some iced tea.´ `Do you have a ride home, Callie?´ Hayden asked at eleven thirty-four. Callie’s gaze hadn’t left the door since eleven. She’d begun to wonder if Nick had forgotten about her. Six hours with Diane might make a man forget a lot of things. `Oh, I’ll be fine.Śhe handed Farley the receipts from her last round of drinks and tucked some cocktail napkins into the front pocket of her apron. She’d made a respectable amount in tips and was toying with the idea of offering to pay Nick a little rent while their incarceration together lasted. She wondered if feeding his denial by acting as human as possible would help in the long run. When the whole ordeal was finally over, it might prove easier for him to forget everything if he never truly believed in her to begin with. Though he’d seen with his own eyes some of what Callie could do, deep down he hadn’t really believed it. One of the reasons the Fae still survived to this day was that it was easier for people not to believe, easy to dismiss the unexplainable. Hayden brushed Callie’s arm. `You’re waiting for Nick, aren’t you?´ `Well, he said he’d meet me.´ `Why don’t you give him a call? I’ll cover for you.´ Hayden winked and motioned to the pay phone in the alcove beside the bar. `No. Things are too busy. If he doesn’t come by, I’ll just take a bus home.´ Hayden’s blue eyes widened. `The nearest bus stop is across the highway on Sycamore. You can’t walk over there. If you can hang around until closing, I can drive you.´ Hayden’s sweet idealism made Callie smile. She’d already considered Farley’s junior waitress as a candidate for true love, but at barely twenty-two, she had far too many things still to accomplish. She reminded Callie of Felicia and the drawbacks of finding love, even true love, too soon. Hayden needed to discover herself first, to hurt and heal, to love and lose before she’d be ready to meet her match. Callie didn’t want to see someone else miss out on the life lessons that made true love so much sweeter when it finally happened. She thanked Hayden for her offer and forced her gaze off the door. If Nick didn’t show up soon, she might just have to pop over to wherever he was and find out for herself what he was up to. `Come dance with me, pretty lady.Ćatfish, the fiddler, crooned an invitation to Callie when his worn out dance partner begged off the next song. He loosened the tray from her hands and set it on the edge of the bar. Then he tugged her toward the dance floor. Since ten o’clock, he’d been playing harmonica and giving free dance lessons. Besides Callie and Hayden, there wasn’t a woman left in the bar who hadn’t had a turn around the floor. Callie hesitated only a second and let Catfish swing her into his reed-thin arms.

  For a man built like a Muppet big head, big feet with a wiry body in between Catfish could dance. As he twirled Callie around the floor, kicking up sawdust, he sang his own lyrics to the jukebox song in perfect pitch. By Callie’s third circuit around the floor, she’d forgotten about Nick. She allowed herself to delve into Catfish’s psyche while he sang to her, and she made up her mind that she needed to find a lady with an angel’s voice and the energy of a team of oxen to keep up with Catfish and help him dull the ache of losing his young wife to cancer ten years earlier. `Don’t look now,Ćatfish sang as Callie twirled around him, stamping her feet to his rhythm. `But I think I see«a man who wishes he was me!Ćallie laughed at his rhyme and clapped along, barely keeping time with his complicated two-step. When she
looked up, Nick stood by the bar. His infamous half smile curved his lips as he watched her dance, but the intensity of his gaze made her blush. He couldn’t be jealous of Catfish, could he? In fact, why would Nick be jealous of anyone at all? Chapter Thirteen