Inked by an Angel (10 page)

Jed took a couple steps, trying to work his way back into the main work area and to his client. As much as he’d love to hear this, he knew he had to give them their privacy. But Michael didn’t seem to have any compunction about eavesdropping. He stayed rooted right where he was, his eyes pinging back and forth like he was watching a tennis match.

“Listen,” Kyle implored. “I’m working. Can we talk later?”

“Just tell me, are we still engaged?”

Damn it. Now he had to listen. Jed slowed his steps, smiled to let his client know he hadn’t forgotten him, and made a show of gathering some supplies, while he waited for her response. He didn’t dare look, but he could imagine her sighing, pushing her glasses up the way she always did.

Michael mumbled something.

Charles gave a terse reply.

The front doorbell sounded.

Jed’s heart pounded. What was taking her so long? Why wasn’t she saying something? Were they kissing? Had she left with him for a night of hot, sweaty make-up sex?

The suspense was killing him. He looked.

No, they weren’t kissing. No sex. In fact, Charles was gone and Michael was holding Kyle as she wept so hard and pathetically that her sobs were silent.

Her tears echoed through his heart in a way that his mother’s never had. He knew there was nothing he could do for her and he was glad that Michael was offering her some comfort. But, for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why it almost looked like Michael was smiling.

He made his way back to his client and snapped on a clean pair of gloves.

“Sorry about that. Had to clean out some riff-raff.”

He picked up his needle and set to work. He purposely ignored Kyle’s sobs as Michael led her to the back of the studio. For once, even Kierstan seemed to have a heart and left her alone.

He wiped the ink and kept working, his mind buzzing right along with his needle. So, had he just witnessed the end of Muffet and loverboy? It would appear so.

He thought of his woman beneath the weeping cherry tree. “Ah, hell,” he mumbled.

His client snapped around and looked at him strangely.

“It’s all good here.” He nodded down at his tat. “I just remembered something,” he tried to explain.

He’d remembered something, all right. Man-code Rule Number One was out the window and not there as his safety net if Muffet was indeed a free woman now.
Holy Friggin’ shit.

Michael strolled into his AA meeting at the Tabernacle feeling as confident as he’d ever felt. He was whistling as he took his seat, smiling at his brothers and sisters.
Yeah, go ahead, ask me about my humans.
Finally, he had some real progress to report. He was sorry Kyle was hurt over her break-up with Charles, but that relationship was just not meant to be. Now, if he could get her on board with the whole Divine Plan and looking in Jed’s direction . . .
shabam!

Uriel sat down next to him with a smile. “How’s it going?”

Michael nodded once, trying to play it cool. “Good. Good. You?” He wondered how the newbie was doing with his assignment between the widowed teacher and the deaf neighbor. Had to be a tough one. “Made contact yet with your humans?”

“Oh, yeah. No problem there.” Uri leaned in as if to speak confidentially. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“You ever have one of your female assignments, uh . . .” He flushed and looked around.

“What?”

Uri peered at him, his eyes pleading. “Any of them ever seem to be coming on to you?”

He felt his jaw drop.

“I didn’t do anything to encourage her, I swear!” He raised his hand. “I’m well aware of the Commandments. But what should I do?”

“Tell me what happened.”

“Well. I made contact at the school, just like I was supposed to. We get along great. She’s a nice girl. We had lunch together with some of the other teachers a couple of times.” He wiped his palms on the legs of his jeans. “Then one day, it really seemed like she was flirting with me.”

Michael leaned forward. “Flirting how?”

“You know. Flirting. Tossing her hair over her shoulder. All of a sudden, everything I say is funny.” He raised a brow. “She texts me now. A lot.”

“Well, has she said anything about her neighbor? What’s his name?”

“Steve. And that’s the other part of my problem.”

Gabe stood at the front of the room as the doors were locked and the Holy Light descended to call the meeting to order.

Michael turned to Uri. “Tell me later?”

He nodded and they both gave Gabe their attention.

Gabriel held up his cell phone. “I’ve just received a call from our brother, Rafael.” He smiled. “You’ll all be happy to know he’s doing wonderfully and adjusting very well to his new role in Messaging. He’s jumped right in there working hard. Even though he had to do some fancy footwork and dodge a dark one, just this morning he got to deliver the news of a miracle healing. Isn’t that fabulous?”

Everyone spoke collectively of their excitement amidst a mish mash of cheers and laughter. Miracles were big business for Father. It kept the Prayer Hotline open and it certainly did a lot for the human’s faith in general. Even Michael couldn’t begrudge Rafe this one. A healing was a privilege. Good for him.

Gabe got the crowd back in order, his ethereal light shimmering especially bright this evening. “Let’s talk the business of the week. Michael? Would you like to start?” He glanced down at his notes. “What’s new with Jedediah and Kyle?”

Michael sat up straighter in his chair. “Well. Kyle has broken her engagement with that other guy, Charles.” He tried not to smile. “And she’s accepted a job working as Jed’s CPA. They seem to be spending more time together.” Now he did smile. “She went to his home to do some work the other day and I’m hopeful that they’re warming to each other.”

Gabe’s golden eyes glowed. “That’s wonderful, Michael! The plan is coming together nicely. I hope she didn’t take the break-up too hard?”

“Well, yes, she did. But I offered her all the comfort I could. And we all know Father’s Plan won’t fail her. It’s only a little bump in the road.”

“I’m sure your support helps. So, what’s next on the agenda? Has her broken engagement caused her to pull away from Jedediah at all?”

Michael fidgeted a bit, unsure. “Uh, I don’t think so. She’s taking a few days off to think things through, but she’ll be back soon because she’s not a quitter. And when she does come back, I was thinking the next phase of my plan needs to be encouraging Jed to do something nice. Buying her a gift or taking her out to eat to thank her for all her hard work. I need him to woo her without realizing that’s what he’s doing, because he’d never go for it otherwise.”

Gabe nodded. “That sounds like an ingenious plan. Let us know how it goes.”

“You know I will.”

“Uriel.” Gabe turned his attention to the thin man sitting next to Michael. “How about you? How is it going on your first love assignment? Are you adapting well?”

Uri cleared his throat and cast a worried glance to Michael. “Well, I’ve met up with Bethany. That was actually easier than I would’ve thought.”

“Good.” Gabe leaned on the little podium and listened. “Go on.”

“Oh, okay. And we get along well. She seems to like me.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose beneath his glasses. “A lot.”

Gabe furrowed his brows but didn’t say a word.

Uri continued. “Anyway, she called me just before I came in to the meeting today. It’s the first time she’s mentioned anything about her neighbor. Steve.”

“Ah, yes, her mate,” Gabe prompted with a genuine smile.

“Yes.”

“What about him?”

Uri started to squirm. “Are there rules to this whole Love Detail thing I should know about? Beyond the Commandments, I mean?”

Gabe straightened and looked mightily concerned. “What do you mean
rules
?”

Uri dropped his head. “Fine. She’s agreed to a date with this guy Steve tonight. But she doesn’t want to go. She said she really wanted to ask me out, so she wants to make it a double date and fix me up with a friend of hers. I didn’t know what to say, so I said yes. I was on the spot and didn’t know what else to do.”

Michael spoke up. “But you’re going to be with the friend and she’ll be with this Steve guy, right? As long as you don’t have any romantic feelings or an intimacy with a human, you’re not breaking a Commandment, so that’s not so bad. Sounds like you did something right to me.”

Uri shook his head. “You don’t understand. I think she’s going to pawn Steve off on her friend. I could tell by the way she said, ‘
My friend’s been going through a really hard time and Steve is such a nice guy. If Kris could just meet him they might hit it off . . .’
”

“Kris?” Michael asked. “I thought you said it was a double date. As in two girls.”

“It is. Her friend has a boy’s name. Kris, or . . .” He turned to Michael with wide, stunned eyes. “Kyle.”

Michael jumped up from his seat. “Oh, no you don’t!” He wagged a finger in Uri’s face. “No angel is going on a date with
my
human!”

Uri’s face paled. “But I can’t cancel now! I have to get Bethany and Steve together while I can. You just said it’s not breaking any Commandments and it’s my golden opportunity.”

Michael didn’t say a word, just looked to Gabe for some refereeing.

Gabe even seemed to be at a loss.

Uri dropped his head into his hands. “I’m not interested in your human or in your match. I just want to go on this date because it’s the first chance I have to get
my
people together. Romantically, anyway.”

Michael studied the top of his head until Uri looked at him again. “All right, Uri. But you listen to me. I’m finally making good progress. Don’t you go and blow it by being charming and making Kyle like you even a tiny little bit.” He started to walk away, but turned back. “I mean it, Brother. Please. You may be an angel, but you’d better find a way to act like the Devil tonight.”

Kyle sat in her Prius outside of the bakery and wondered what had possessed her to agree to go out on a double date with Bethany. She was fresh out of a long-term relationship, for cryin’ out loud! She wasn’t ready for anything new.

It didn’t have to be anything but a fun night out with a new friend, she reassured herself as she checked her makeup in the mirror. She wondered what Jed would think of her tonight, then promptly chastised herself for thinking about him at all. Who cared what he thought of her? It was just that she so rarely dressed up and put on makeup he probably wouldn’t recognize her. Heck, nobody would. She was a pale comparison at best to her stunning mother, so she’d learned over the years to never even try to be more than the plain ol’ Kyle that she was.

“Alrighty, here goes nothing.” She grabbed her purse and stepped out of the car to make her way to the bakery and meet Bethany, hoping she didn’t wobble on her heels.

Her cell phone rang. Before she opened the door, she pulled it from her purse and checked the caller ID. Her mother. Think of the gorgeous devil. She hit the
Ignore
button and slipped the phone back in her purse. She’d been dodging her mother’s calls ever since Charles had walked out of the studio. She couldn’t deal with the accusations and the butt-chewing that was coming her way once her mom got hold of her. Kyle knew the family would be disappointed about the break-up, but just once, she wished someone could try to see her side and give her a little support.

Bethany met her at the door where she’d come to flip the sign to ‘Closed.’

“Hey there!” Bethany grabbed her into a hug. “I’m so glad you came! Thanks for doing this. You’re really going to like Steve.” She seemed to catch herself and flushed. “I mean Uri. Both the guys. Come in while I finish up. They should be here to meet us soon.”

Kyle stepped inside and was greeted by the mouth-watering scents of Heaven on Earth in all forms edible. “Mmmmm. What was your special today?”

Bethany smiled. “It was a two-fer. Death by Chocolate cake and Red Velvet cupcakes.”

“Sounds fantastic.”

Bethany grabbed a bag. “Good. I saved you some to take home.”

“You’re an angel!”

“Ah, well, I don’t know about that. But I can bake.” She handed her the bag. “So how are you doing?”

Kyle nodded. “I’m fine. I have to admit, now that I’m done with my crying jag, I feel strangely liberated. Charles is a nice guy, but it just wasn’t going to work.”

Bethany locked up the cash register and put away the last of the baked goods in Tupperware containers under the counter. “I get it. He wasn’t
it.
”

“It?”

“Yeah. His soul doesn’t reach into yours and twist ‘til it aches.” She grabbed her purse and studied her with eyes that left no doubt she knew exactly what she was talking about.

“That sounds painful.”

Bethany shrugged. “It is when you lose it. But when you have him with you . . . I believe that’s why they’re called soulmates.”

Kyle knew Bethany’s husband died several years ago and she wasn’t sure what to say.

She saw headlights flash across the window as a car pulled in next to hers, easing the moment. One of the men must’ve arrived. Sudden nerves caught up with her. “So tell me again why we’re going on this date?”

A telling blush began to creep up Bethany’s cheeks. “Well, this Uri I work with is a cute guy. And it’s been a long time since I’ve found anyone attractive.”

Kyle glanced out the window at the sound of the car door slamming. A tall thin man with long, blond hair and wire-rimmed glasses was heading their way. “But I thought you set
me
up with your friend from work and you were going with your neighbor whose been asking you out for a while now?”

“I did. Technically.” Her eyes darted to the man who was nearly to the door. “It’s just that I’d already said yes to Steve because I felt guilty. He’s done a lot to help me around the apartment and he’s so good with Cody. But I . . .”

“You really wanted to go out with Uri,” Kyle finished for her.

“Yes. That’s horrible, isn’t it?”

Both women turned as Mr. Wonderful himself entered. “Hi!” Bethany gushed and she practically ran to hug him.

Kyle watched as the guy froze like a marble statue. “Hello.” He stood there and tolerated the hug, but didn’t return her embrace.

Bethany pulled back and gave him a puzzled look. “Everything okay?”

“Yes. Why wouldn’t it be?” He turned to Kyle. “This your friend? She’s hot. I hope she puts out on the first date.” He strolled toward Kyle and eyed her like a prized heifer.

“What did you say?” Bethany stuttered.

“I said I hope she can put up with me on our first date.” His grin was nothing short of suggestive. “I have a tendency to tell bad jokes. But I’ll try to behave tonight.”

Kyle watched the wiry guy, who resembled a surfer version of John Lennon, as he eyed her up and down. Finally, her ingrained manners kicked in and she offered her hand. “Hello. I’m Kyle.”

He took her hand. “Uriel. But people call me Uri.”

Another car pulled in and a man unfolded himself from the driver’s seat and came their way.
Whoa
. Tall, nice-looking with a thick head of run-your-fingers-through-it deep brown hair. He walked in with a friendly smile. His eyes were an even deeper brown, the kind you could get lost in.

“Hi.” His voice was deep and had some sort of strange quality to it that she couldn’t place. Maybe she was too busy ogling him.
This
was Bethany’s neighbor? The one she wasn’t interested in? She never mentioned he was so good-looking. How could she possibly prefer this Uri guy to
that
?

“Hello, Steve.” Bethany gave him an awkward little hug before pulling back too quickly. She turned back to Kyle and Uri. “What does everyone want for dinner?”

Uri draped his arm suggestively across Kyle’s shoulders. “How about that new steak place downtown?”

Kyle shifted away from him and his overly strong cologne. “Well, I’m not sure . . .”

“Bethany’s a vegetarian,” Steve said.

Now that he’d spoken a full sentence, it clicked. Kyle remembered Bethany telling her that Steve was deaf. He must be a phenomenal lip-reader because Bethany didn’t know any sign language and they had no problem communicating. And boy, his eyes were communicating a heck of a lot right now because it was pretty darn obvious he had it bad for Bethany.