Playing Cupid. A Holiday Heartbeats Short Story. (1st Half)

Playing Cupid

 "Thanks for coming with me to see the new house this evening, Bailey. I would have gone nuts if I had to hang out with Rodney by myself." Luc looks down at me and smiles, the relief in his eyes genuine and warm. As usual, a small knot in my stomach unfurls, releasing butterflies in its wake. I shrug it off, just as I've had to do for the past few months.

"No problem, Luc. You've always spoken highly of Rodney, and I'm excited to finally meet him." Luc smiles, and as usual, it's impossible for me not to smile back.

"He was a notorious practical joker back when we were roommates, but he's always been there when I really need him. He's a great guy, just a little over-the-top sometimes. It'll be fun having him around here in San Diego with us." Luc seems a bit uncertain, so I smile at him reassuringly.

"Well, I'm sure we're going to have a great time this evening."

"Even if you have to hang out with the two of us clowns on the most romantic day of the year?" My heart skips a beat, and I avoid looking him in the eye, just in case it really is a window to my soul. In all honesty, there's no place I'd rather be tonight than with Luc. Even if it means that I'll be the third wheel. I'm pretty sure it can't get more pathetic than that.

"Come on, Luc. It's no big deal. Besides, when have I ever made plans for Valentine's Day? It's one of the worst, most overrated, contrived holidays in the entire history of holidays. My original plans were just to—"

"—Order a pizza and a bottle of red. I got you, Bailey." Luc rolls his eyes in affectionate exasperation. Despite the heat of embarrassment warming my cheeks, I toss him a good-natured grin. I like the sound of that. Especially coming from his lips.

I got you, Bailey. If only he knew how right he is. I force a casual smile.

"After being my best friend for 20 years, I should hope so. But I'm sad to see that you've gotten rusty in the past two years since you've come back from college. That's not exactly my preferred menu anymore." Luc raises his eyebrows, making the softness of his hazel eyes a bit sharper.

"Are you kidding me? You've loved fancy cheese pizza and cranberry juice since the beginning of time. As soon as you turned 21, you graduated to red wine. Since when has this changed? It's only been half a year since—" He winces, the reminder of a tenuous period in our friendship sobering us both.

We'd lost touch for over 6 months last year because his first serious girlfriend understandably wanted Luc's attentions exclusively. I liked her well enough — aside from the fact that she clearly wasn't good enough for him. But she always viewed me as being a threat.

When I bowed out of the trio, trusting that Luc's and my friendship would survive the duration of their relationship, I wasn't prepared for the great sense of loss that I felt. Worse yet, I was blindsided by the inkling suspicion that maybe she was onto something I'd never allowed myself to be aware of. Have I really caught feelings for my best friend after all this time?

It's been three months since Luc broke things off with her, and even though he and I picked up where we left off, things have definitely been... different between us. Every time we're together, which is often, we have as much fun as we always have. But neither one of us is brave enough to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

"You still with me, Bailey? Looks like you zoned out on me. I said Rodney's house is right around the corner. We're almost there." Luc's hand brushes against my shoulder, and I flinch at the unexpected sensation of his fingers against my bare skin. My heart suddenly thinks I'm getting ready to run a 5k.

"Sorry. I guess my mind wandered a little. I really like how incredibly walkable North Park is. Rodney has access to everything he loves, especially the nightlife." Luc shrugs and looks around.

"Maybe, but the downside is that all of his guests have to search for public parking. We're parked five blocks away from the house." I bite my lower lip to suppress my smile. Call it willful imagination, but I kind of thought Luc parked so far away on purpose so we'd have a chance to talk on the way to Rodney's.

"Meh, it's a small price to pay for living in a revived hotspot in San Diego. Anyway back to the most important topic. Of course I still love a great margarita pizza, but now that I'm 24, I'm making healthier choices."

"Uh-huh. Howso?" Luc's long strides slow down as he looks down at me in surprise. I willfully ignore the skepticism in his baritone voice.

"Well, now I only eat half a pizza — and I love it with a green salad." I grin wickedly.

"Duly noted. Dork." He grins back, rolling his eyes before picking up the pace again. We turn the corner to see a row of newly renovated houses on the opposite side of the street.

"Which one is it?"

"The adobe-style one at the end." We take a moment to admire the small, but gorgeous home. Just then, Rodney steps out onto the patio.

"It's about time you two got here!"

"Sorry, we couldn't find a parking space. And since you weren't willing to move your car from the driveway..."

"Congratulations on your new house; it's beautiful!" I beam at Luc's friend.

"Thanks, sweetheart. You look as beautiful as Luc always described you to be." Rodney leans over to give me a quick peck on the cheek. Luc makes a strange noise that makes us both look quizzically in his direction.

"Sorry. Something in my throat." He doesn't look pleased. Rodney laughs and shakes his head as he ushers us inside.

"Whatever, man. Glad you two could make it. Let me show you around."

The tour doesn't take too long in the 3-bedroom bachelor pad, but Rodney clearly saved his favorite area for last.

"This room has the best view, so I made it the entertainment room. Go on in."

"Whoa, Rodney. I can see why this room's your favorite." I'm immediately drawn to the picture window with sliding glass doors leading to a small fenced-in patio in the backyard. Edison lights illuminate the pine picnic table. A cozy fire pit surrounded by four brown Adirondack chairs makes it even more inviting.

"Yeah, it's gorgeous out there. But inside I've got my pool table, HD-TV with surround sound, and gaming center. This was supposed to be the master bedroom, but since I do more entertaining than sleeping, it made sense to convert it to an entertainment room. The ensuite will come in handy to reduce foot traffic to other parts of the house."

Luc and I look around, admiring everything we see. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it feels like the room is electrically charged. A feeling of inexplicable anticipation surrounds me, enveloping my consciousness as seductively as silk, as tempting as red velvet. I feel the heavy awareness of Luc's eyes on me.

Just when our eyes meet, I hear the door close, followed by an ominous click. Whatever moment was happening between Luc and me is over. I don't see Rodney anywhere, and Luc rushes to the door.

"Are you freaking kidding me? Open the door, man! This isn't the time for one of your stupid jokes." I hear Rodney's chuckle on the other side of the door, and despite Luc's efforts, it clearly won't budge.

"Rodney!" Rodney's laughter grows faint, and I struggle to hear his parting words.

"You two have everything you need in there. Just make the most of it! I've got my own Valentine's Day date to worry about. Have fun kids!"

The front door slams, and a few moments later, a car engine roars to life.

Dumbfounded, Luc and I stare at each other.

~ Playing Cupid is available NOW as a free download at your preferred ebook retailer. ~