It's all Cupid's fault (The Holidaze Book 2)

Chapter 3

Chapter 3
Mia had to admit that the way she had met Sean had a magical air about it. The situation was almost a romantic cliché, but she would work with anything if it offered her a good man.
Sean had the looks, the job and the confidence without it turning into arrogance and she admired that. From her vantage point he resembled exactly what she wanted in a man, but she wasn't sure if she could trust it. Was it all too good to be true?
For the first date, he had her laughing in her seat as they shared a quick drink over lunch break. The second date of an afternoon tea had piqued her interest. She had to wonder if she'd finally found that elusive guy meant just for her.
The third date was where things normally went wrong for her. When he excelled at that, her hope flourished and her heart opened to him. She had made the executive decision to sleep with him. After they shared a spectacular night together, she knew she'd found her life partner and she couldn't be any happier.
This time on her Wednesday chat between the dimensions with Meri, she finally had something good to report. She gushed over Sean and told Meri everything. Meri was so happy for her and Mia almost cried at the sheer bliss surrounding her. She hadn't made it past the third date in such a long time.
It was at the grocery store a few days later when reality set in. She hadn't gone to her normal store, instead she chose one closer to where Sean said he lived. Mia had her shopping list out and had started weaving her way through the clustered shoppers in the store.
Her eyes scanned every shopper with growing anticipation that she might spot Sean. When she first saw him, her heart raced in a crazy rhythm and a huge smile spread on her face. She couldn't believe that she had found him!
For a moment, all she could focus upon was the perfection of the man and how he might end up as hers. Sean pushed his trolley with such confidence that she admired him more.
It was only when Mia heard a woman's tinkling laugh from next to him that she took in the truth. A woman pushed a stroller, complete with baby, and occasionally added items to Sean's trolley.
Mia dragged in a deep breath and considered that this may be his sister. That assumption ended when the woman leaned up and affectionately kissed him full on the mouth. Shouldn't this woman be one of those tired mothers with no time for any loving gestures?
Even with an aching heart and a billowing anger, Mia considered her options. She wasn't going to let this man make a fool of her anytime soon. She straightened her spine, narrowed her eyes and intended to give him a chance to explain but first…
The bag of flour flew at Sean's head with keen accuracy. It burst and exploded on impact creating a cloud of white that cascaded down over his shoulders. It covered him thoroughly and he swivelled in her direction. The second he recognised her, his mouth dropped open and he darted a glance to the woman with the stroller.
“What is going on?” the woman asked as she jumped away from Sean's flour dusted self. She brushed at her clothes but not much had covered her because she had leaned down to check the baby. “Where did that come from?”
“From me,” Mia admitted and all eyes in the store swivelled to her.
Sean, who was already pale from his flour drenching had paled even further. His eyes darted from a foot tapping Mia to the woman and baby.
“Mia, uh, hello,” Sean weakly waved at her.
“Do you know her?” the woman asked.
“It's nothing, darling,” Sean swished his hands around.
“Nothing? We just had three dates in the last week. I thought you were a good honest man but instead you're a pathetic, pitiful cheater. Are you married? Is this woman your wife? I have to ask because you never mentioned her or a baby before,” Mia drawled as she hitched a hand on her hip and glowered at Sean.
“I can explain,” Sean stuttered as his eyes darted between the two women again.
“Excellent, I'd like to hear it too,” the woman replied.
“We slept together and you think you can explain?” Mia snapped.
“You slept with her? It had to have been the other night! You said you had work,” the woman screamed.
Sean floundered. He gulped, tried to make a calming gesture to both women and then peered sheepishly at them, “I just needed something. It was never going to be a permanent thing.”
Mia caught her breath in shock, “three dates. We had three dates and you acted like you wanted it to continue. We had already set up our next date,” she exclaimed.
“Mia, come on, it was just a bit of fun,” Sean opened his arms and flour fell from him in fluffy waves.
“Next time you want a bit of fun, don't make promises you can't keep,” Mia said as she pointed a finger at him.
She turned on her heel as the other woman started screaming at him about his infidelity. The baby joined in the chorus and Mia knew it was her chance to leave. She stormed to the checkout.
The amused man scanning her groceries said nothing when Mia glowered at him. She paid for the bag of flour she had wasted along with her other groceries and left the store knowing she'd never return here.
All the way home she fumed. The hope she had left with this morning shrivelled up and turned into the most acidic anger. She thought she might have finally found that figment of imagination who wanted to spend his life with her, the one to grow into old age with, but he was just a cheater.
The sharpness of her disappointment fought with that dark anger. How could he have cheated on his wife with such a young baby? It broke her up inside that he would treat either of them in this manner.
Only when she tossed the groceries on the kitchen bench did something occur to her. Was Cupid now mocking her by throwing Sean her way? This had to be his idea of a joke. What kind of game was Cupid trying to play with her?
A growl escaped her lips as she abandoned the groceries to march over to her desk. Cupid was about to get another piece of her mind for this cruel set up.
Once again, a letter landed on Devinah’s desk. The charred remnants had her raising her eyebrows. Cupid had assured her that he had fixed the problem. She quickly scanned the letter. At the end, she wasn't sure whether to chuckle at the situation or scold Cupid for his lack of ethics in this matching.
“Cupid, get out here!” Devinah called smugly.
“I told you that I'm busy,” Cupid answered distractedly.
“You didn't help that woman at all. You set her up with a married man,” she admonished as she strode into his office.
“Stop wasting my time,” Cupid didn't even glance up once from his game.
Without a care, Devinah walked over and stood in front of the wall where he projected the game. There wasn't any use trying to turn it off at the power source when magic ran everything in this realm.
“Get out of the way!” Cupid demanded.
“Treat this little human right and I might leave you alone. Listen carefully to me, you set her up with a married man. All I can say is that hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn,” Devinah chuckled as she tossed the charred paper into Cupid's lap.
“It can't possibly be the same woman,” Cupid declared.
“Sort it properly by taking this,” Devinah held out his bow and his quiver of different arrows.
“I don't need it when I have this,” he waved the Match-a-Matic around.
“You know what will happen if you fail in answering the old ways, so use your bow and your common sense. Don't use a gadget that's made you into this lazy lump of a God.”
“It's not making me lazy! The Match-a-Matic is a revolution. It matched perfect couples together and there were no complaints.”
“Until now,” Devinah interrupted.
“It's not the Match-a-Matic’s fault. There's something wrong with that woman,” Cupid grouched.
“No, you just haven't bothered in finding the right partner for her. Get to it!”
Devinah shoved the bow and arrows at him, but he refused to take them. He deliberately put the Match-a-Matic in his pocket and glowered defiantly at Devinah.
The one thing that bothered him was a growing itchy sensation that extended within him. It made him realise that he wanted to see that woman again. He wanted to see what crazy thing had happened to the last man he'd set her up with. He wanted to see her and that made him uncomfortable in a way that he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
The Match-a-Matic had never failed him before, so he put the blame squarely on this Caramia’s head. That woman was the only problem he could see.
He checked the Match-a-Matic to find Caramia had an astonishing amount of matches. At no point had he seen that before. All of the matches were listed between eighty to ninety five percent. What did she have to complain about when nearly every single man had the potential to be her match? She had to have been one of the fussiest women he'd ever heard of before.
Cupid's heart sank. If he couldn't find someone for this woman then they would find someone to replace him. He'd end up on the lower rank of Gods that nobody worshipped anymore. There was no way that he'd let that happen.
Between his shoulder blades itched and he scratched there with growing irritation. Gods didn't itch! Why was this woman causing such a bizarre reaction in him?
He knew Devinah had it right. He would have to do this in the traditional manner and dammit, that meant the use of his wings, complete with the bow. Nothing aggravated him worse than having to look like a cherub!
Striding around the room, and trying to put off the inevitable, Cupid decided that one more use of the Match-a-Matic couldn't possibly hurt. Surely it wouldn't bring the wrath down upon him.
This time he'd watch her and make sure that the man he chose didn't do anything wrong. He'd make sure this Caramia would end up with the happiness she continued on demanding of him.
If he had to go all winged and complete with bow and arrows then he'd do that afterwards. Surely the Match-a-Matic wouldn't get it wrong again. Third times a charm was the saying he'd heard. This would work.
He scrolled down the selection of men in Caramia’s profile and came upon one named Bevan. With a careful examination, he couldn't see why she wouldn't fall in love with this man. He wasn't married, Cupid double checked that information. The man had been single for a year, and he had a good job. There was something odd about his living arrangements but surely that wouldn't cause issues.
Bevan was an all rounder type of person, perfect for the overly fussy Caramia. If she wasn't happy with this man then he doubted she'd find happiness with any male human.
Cupid intended to hover around until she found this Bevan the man she'd always dreamed of. Bevan was her match. Cupid would see to it until she agreed and sent him no more letters so he could get back to his own world.