Today's author has a story that drew me right it. I want to know more about what happens to Cupid.
JESS BUFFETT
available now!
Cupid’s job is to help find true love for
others, but it's a hard job to do when he’s in love with a man who barely
acknowledges his existence. Fighting his own desires, he is ready to give up
all emotions just to avoid the pain of not having the respect of the one that
holds his heart, let alone craving his love.
The Keepers can find their soul mates among each other, but Cupid is young compared to the one who is meant for him. However, when violence strikes close to home for the Keepers, Cupid is needed to help in the healing process, but only if the soul mates acknowledge their love will the healing begin.
Is Cupid in time or will time finally run out? Leaving the one who brings couples together, alone and emotionless for all of eternity.
The Keepers can find their soul mates among each other, but Cupid is young compared to the one who is meant for him. However, when violence strikes close to home for the Keepers, Cupid is needed to help in the healing process, but only if the soul mates acknowledge their love will the healing begin.
Is Cupid in time or will time finally run out? Leaving the one who brings couples together, alone and emotionless for all of eternity.
EXCERPT
Cupid stood at the
bar of the night club with a drink in hand. The cool liquid soothing its way
down his throat as the lights pulsed and the music blared. Streamers, balloons,
and every other corny Valentine’s Day decoration a person could think of, hung
from every corner. Club Gayteway seemed to have hopped on the V-Day express a
week early in preparation for Cupid’s day. It truly amazed him how big his day
had gotten. As one the youngest Keepers, no one had expected the holiday to be this
popular so soon. Though, his was one of the only ones that belonged to a Keeper
that focused more on the adults than the children.
A small grin crept
up on his face as he thought of how many times his holiday had led to children
though. So really, if it weren’t for him, Keepers like Nick and Harry would
have less to do. Not that he’d ever say that thought out loud. Cupid wasn’t
silly enough to take on Santa and the Easter Bunny.
Besides, he had a
job to do, no time for being a brat. He scanned the room, desperately searching
for the man, or men, he had come for tonight.
No, it wasn’t to
hook up, well at least not for him. He was there to make sure the two men did
though, considering it was kind of his job.
He was a Keeper.
Those of his kind created for the sole purpose of giving humanity hope. Cupid
was proud to stand beside the likes of St. Nick and Sandman. Some people called
them guardians, others fairy tales, either way they all had a specific job to
do. Cupid’s was naturally to help people fall in love. He found their perfect
match, their soul mate, then guided them toward one another. If he had learned
anything over the eons, it was that humans could be as dense as they were
stubborn.
“Can I buy you a
drink?” a husky, yet slightly irritating voice asked.
Cupid turned his
head to peer at the man. Average height, slim build, and eager blue eyes stared
back at him. Mister husky voice wasn’t a man, but a kid, no more than sixteen
or seventeen at a guess.
Smiling politely,
Cupid shook his head. “Sorry, love. I’m a bit busy at the moment.”
Although cute in
his own way, the boy held no interest for him. He wasn’t into cradle snatching,
yet Cupid saw no need to be rude.
The young man’s
gaze narrowed. “What are you, working or something?”
He smirked. “Something
like that?”
If only he knew.
“So you’re a
whore?” the kid scoffed and Cupid fought hard not to roll his eyes. “Well, if
that’s the problem, I’ve got no issue payin’?”
Oh
jeez.
Annoyed, Cupid
turned to face the adolescent brat square on. “No, I’m not a whore. However,
your quick assumption and clear inability to grow a proper beard, suggest you
are much younger than you claim to be,” he shrugged, “at least to get into this
club anyway.”
Stiffening, a
perpetual frown appeared. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Uhuh, I’m sure I
don’t,” he drawled, his eyes moving to scan the room again. He huffed out a
sigh when the kid continued to stand there scowling. “Listen, we both know you
are too young to be here, and way too young to be offering what you are so not
willing to give just yet.”
As one of his many
gifts, Cupid could hear what was in a person’s heart. And this kid's was
screaming that while he felt the pressure to prove a point to someone, Cupid
had no idea who, but knew this boy really didn’t want to be here at all.
With a pout the
boy asked, “Can I even get your name?”
His name? He had a
few, though the only name he could give was an anglicized version of his
original name. Cooper was what he went by now when introducing himself to
humans, yet was known by many. Amor, Eros...but in the end, he was Cupid, or
you know, the chubby kid in the diaper.
Cupid shivered at
that imagery. One day he was going to make Nate pay for that one, though he had
to admit, Cupid kind of started it when he went around referring to Nate as a
woman. In his defense, how was he supposed to know the nickname Mother Nature
would catch on?
Already bored with
playing nice to the kid beside him, Cupid glared. “Go home, kid. You don’t
belong here. And you don’t want to.”
Without a second
glance, Cupid grabbed for his drink and left the bar, moving through the crowd.
The thumping of
the beat echoed and vibrated up through his feet. He loved the sound of techno,
nothing got the bodies swaying and grinding like a decent base. And when that
happened, his job got a whole lot easier.
He could feel the
men’s eyes roaming over him as he passed them. Cupid knew what they saw. Ice
blue eyes, muscular, yet slim build encased in the tightest pair of black denim
and white shirt. His hair was so pale it almost looked silver, though flecks of
gold strands cut through to break it up. Add in a youthful looking, rounded
face and sometimes Cupid could forgive people for mistaking him as a cherub.
However, there was no excuse for the damn diaper.
He had a fairly
good existence though. Loyal friends in the other Keepers, Nick had taken him
under his wing a few thousand years ago and became almost like a father to him.
Big as a bear, all muscle, not fat like the humans think, Nick was one of the
gentlest people he knew. Hell, the man was Santa for Christ's sake.
Reaching the other
side of the dance floor, he claimed a seat with a perfect view. Whilst the
sight of all those hot, sweaty male bodies were tempting, Cupid really did have
a job to do. This time of year was always his busiest. With Valentine's Day
just around the corner, so many souls were crying out for their other half that
it nearly drowned him. He couldn’t always find everyone’s perfect match, their
soul mate, but he did what he could. He was Cupid after all.
Still, he was
allowed to have some fun too, but after…
Just as the thought
of future fun and games trailed across his mind, the person he had been
searching for came into his line of vision.
“There you are,”
he murmured, standing and leaning against the banister.
Greg Morton, age
thirty-two, single, and an accountant. Greg had lost his partner three years
earlier in a car accident. Since then, he had found it difficult to find love
again. This is where Cupid came in. Hearing the man’s soul screaming out for
his other half just a few days before, Cupid had been pleasantly surprised to
discover the very match to Greg’s soul had been the man sitting across from the
accountant. The man’s assistant.
Yes, he knew it
was extremely cliché, but hell, he didn’t actually match up the souls, he just
guided them to each other. If anyone was to blame, it was those three meddling
sisters. Fate really could be a bitch, times three. Cupid spoke from personal
experience.
Back to poor old
Greg though, and after just a few hours of observation, Cupid had picked up on
the problem. Greg had no idea Trevor was gay, and Trevor didn’t think Greg was
ready to date again.
Both were dead
wrong. So with a little persuasion of the magical kind, Cupid was able to
implant the idea of them coming to this very night club at the same time. This
very gay night club where it was known for a great place to hook up.
It was like his
very own gay Disney movie.
His plan was
simple, Greg would see Trevor here tonight and know he was gay, opening himself
to the possibility of being with the other man for real, and not just in those
oh-so-wicked fantasies.
Then Trevor would
see Greg out and about, on the scene as it were. The two would come together,
more open with how they felt, a little more confident thanks to the extra help
Cupid would give them, and then wham. Job. Done.
Cupid watched as
his plan unfolded perfectly, the two men coming together. Damn,
he was goodat this. Greg and
Trevor hesitated, so Cupid gave them a little nudge. Rolling up his long
sleeve, he revealed a tattoo only visible to other non-humans like himself. An
arrow ran from his shoulder, all the way to his wrist, the head of the arrow
was shaped in a heart. Most thought he worked with a bow and arrow, the whole
set up. Cupid laughed. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to carry a bulk
like that around all the time. And while a tattoo may be easy enough to mask, a
bow set was a tad trickier.
Standing and
lifting his arm, Cupid took aim at the hesitant Greg, and fired. A burst of
light, still unseen to the human eye, shot out and headed directly for Greg.
The moment the blast hit its target, Greg shivered, a sure, confident light
glinting the man’s eyes. Leaning forward, Greg planted his lips on an
unsuspecting Trevor, who in turn kissed back with as much vigor as possible.
That first kiss almost made him swoon it was so powerful.
He was a romantic
fool. Pity his own love life was non-existent.
“A job well done,”
he sighed, extremely satisfied.
A deep, masculine
chuckle echoed behind him and Cupid froze.
No, please, no.
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