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

Chapter 7

Chapter 7
Mia abruptly found herself back at home. She wasn't at Meri's or even somewhere within Santa's Village, she was at her home in her own dimension. Dizziness gripped her and she clutched at her head. What had happened?
When she realised that Cupid must have used a magical suction on her, she struggled to contain her rage. What right did he have to send her home? She hadn't done anything besides argue with the gorgeous God, who couldn't see why she had a problem with him.
Mia rampaged around her house before deciding that that wasn't such a good plan.
She owned too many precious and breakable items that she loved.
Working out her frustrations on the punching bag, which she left out on her verandah, would have to do. It was how she spent every afternoon once she left the office, especially if she had one of the prima donna type women as a client.
Having no way to contact the God of Love bothered her. In fact she couldn't even contact Meri. Something had severed the connection between the dimensions and Mia knew that it had to be Cupid.
That God was much more spiteful than a God of Love should be. Surely he was meant to be all roses and chocolates. Instead, he lived in a dingy hovel that resembled Halloween far more than Valentine's Day.
Over a fortnight after her visit to Cupid's realm, she still had no word from him. The difficulty she had was when not a single soul asked her out and all of her date options dried up. No men even glanced her way anymore. It was all Cupid's fault!
As much as she tried to contact Meri, she found that an impossibility too. She had nobody to talk to and gripe about this whole situation. Mia had even tried Meri's parents' connection to Santa's Village but they couldn't connect through to the other dimension either.
The following Saturday morning had Mia busy with yet another wedding. Once again she rushed around putting out fires and making sure that everything ran perfectly. That was the day when she first saw Cupid again.
She had adapted to seeing him in billowing robes, but now he wore a tailored suit that helped him to blend in as much as stand out. Mia gritted her teeth as he approached her. The man looked too perfect and it grated on her more than she wanted to admit.
“Why can't I contact Meri? What did you do with the connection?” Mia demanded the second he drew close enough to converse with.
“And hello to you,” Cupid said cheerily as he waved at a few of the stunned women staring at him.
“Answer me!”
“I assure you that I have done nothing to incapacitate your contact with Meri,” Cupid insisted in a snobby, formal tone.
“You used a magical suction on me and now I've lost contact with my best friend. This is all your fault,” Mia found it hard to compose herself and not shove a finger into Cupid's chest while demanding an answer.
“Mia, is everything alright?” Gala asked as she tapped a pen upon the clipboard in her hands.
“Everything's fine,” Mia managed a brittle smile for her assistant.
“We're ready for the cake,” Gala hinted.
“Give me one moment,” Mia raised a finger.
“Certainly.”
Gala walked off, but she continued turning her head back around to stare at Cupid in thinly disguised lust. Cupid offered her his come hither smirk and that only enraged Mia more.
Why did this God of Love and desire have to turn up now? There wasn't a single man in this place. Mia knew because she'd checked. This wedding had only married men, so why a visit from this annoying God?
“What are you doing here?” Mia spat the words as her eyes narrowed on Cupid.
With a click of his tongue, Cupid produced his bow and arrows. For a long moment, Mia could only stare. If she had expected something small and easily concealed, she couldn't have been more wrong.
The bow was the most ostentatious thing that Mia had ever seen. Along the edges were cherubs etched artistically into the wood. Each one held a bow with an arrow notched ready to shoot an unsuspecting victim. The cherubs all had angelic expressions and fluffy wings.
“I didn't see a single cherub in that hell hole of yours, so why is this covered in them?” Mia jabbed her finger at the bow.
Silence stifled the air between them and Cupid wasn't sure how to answer. The music and hubbub of the wedding drifted into the background. Cupid glanced at the bow and then at Mia. Why did this woman always cut straight to the bone with her questions?
“The cherubs will come to my aid when I call them,” Cupid replied confidently, even when he wasn't sure if they would anymore.
“I wouldn't if you made me live in that depressive world of yours,” Mia snapped.
“I am here to find you the man of your dreams, so you'll cease with your annoying letter writing,” Cupid wriggled his bow in her face.
“What happened to the Match-a-Matic?”
Cupid scowled at her, not enjoying the reminder of what the Higher God had told him. Why did this woman have to mess up everything that was going so well?
“You're so special that I have to revert to the old ways if I want to get anything done,” Cupid drawled.
“Serves you right,” Mia grinned viciously.
“Let's find you a man.”
“All of these men are married, so you'll have to come back another time.”
“What?”
“You heard me. This couple is the last to join the married ranks,” Mia waved a hand towards the bride and groom.
“Cake, Mia!” Gala snapped her fingers at Mia.
“I'm busy and you're not needed here. Come back when you can actually attempt to do your job right,” Mia said sweetly as she followed her assistant away from Cupid.
“Who was that guy?” Gala whispered.
“Nobody of importance,” Mia turned when she spoke to jab the words at Cupid, but he had disappeared. “Damn!”
Mia watched out for Cupid to reappear during the rest of the wedding but he never did. She hated the disappointment that flooded through her. Why was she feeling anything but irritation towards that far too good-looking God of Love?
Fury fuelled her for the rest of that wedding. She had to leave early and let her employees ensure that the paying patrons had a happy wedding.
Marching around her home didn't help her. Mia tried to calm down, but every time she thought of him turning up at a wedding with no single men, it only infuriated her more. Huffing out a breath, she decided to go for a walk along the beach.
“What type of man do you even want?” the voice that Mia didn't want to hear, but also longed to hear, sounded by her ear.
“Why are you here?” Mia stopped walking and faced a more casually dressed Cupid.
Her jaw dropped open as she stared at him. How could anyone look that perfect and annoy her all at the same time? Board shorts, and a bare tanned chest faced her, leaving her speechless.
He carried his bow and a sheath of arrows slung over one shoulder. It exasperated her that he looked so darn perfect.
“I'm here to help you find this elusive man of yours, so you'll leave me alone, as I stated earlier. Answer my question, what type of man do you like?” Cupid answered her with a decisive nod.
“Everyone’s going to notice that huge bow and the arrows,” Mia pointed to the objects in question.
“No, they won't. Now answer me!”
“I don't have a type and you should know that by now. All I want is a loyal man who wants to spend his life with me. I wouldn't mind someone who knows his way around the bedroom, but who can also change my tyres if I haven't got the time,” Mia started speaking, but it wasn't long before Cupid raised his hand and she stopped.
“This person you're imagining with all of these traits doesn't exist,” Cupid said with a roll of his eyes.
“What? Why not?”
“What if his expectations of you are to cook, clean, produce children and care for those children.”
“You asked me what I wanted and I told you,” Mia answered as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“You're expecting way too much from one man,” Cupid shook his head.
“No, I'm not. All I want is.”
Cupid held up his hand to stop her speaking, “what about him? He's single and looking for love,” he pointed to a man with long dreadlocks and a surfboard under his arm.
“How do you know he's single?” Mia demanded.
“Down here I know the facts just by looking at individuals. It's one of the reasons I avoid coming here. Seeing a person and knowing too many facts about them isn't a comfortable position to be in,” Cupid complained far more than he meant too,
“Great, so what supreme knowledge do you get from me?” Mia dreaded asking, but her curiosity about it left her wondering.
“That doesn't really matter right now,” Cupid quickly turned things around. He didn't want to admit that he received very little knowledge of her when compared to the rest of the human population. “I'm here to find you a suitable prospect so you can leave me alone,” Cupid waved his bow at her.
“Then no to him,” Mia pointed to the dreadlocked man. “People who don't take care of their hair bother me. I don't expect the guy to have perfect hair, but that's disconcerting,” Mia pointed to the man.
“No dirty hair,” Cupid chuckled.
“Shouldn't you know that about me just from looking at me?” Mia demanded.
Cupid shifted on his toes subtly. This woman was turning into nothing but trouble for him. He opened his mouth and then closed it before he said too much. Why did every other human give him nothing but information, but this woman remained a mystery? He didn't appreciate his lack of knowledge, it made him sound idiotic. The Higher God had warned him that he would find this time aggravating, but he hadn't realised the extent of it all.
Finding humans a lifetime partner in their petty little lives was what he did, so why did he have to struggle to find someone for this woman?
Cupid glanced at her, only to find her glaring piercingly at him with those bright green eyes. Some uninhibited emotion stirred in his chest as her gaze softened the slightest bit.
With a sigh, Cupid knew that the Gods expected results, and they expected him to deliver those results. Reluctantly, he turned back to the unhappy woman and prepared to do his job.