Free An Unusual Cupid by Pamela Caves Page A

him, trying to
determine if he meant it. A stranger was offering him $100 just to
go talk to some random woman. He could definitely use $100. Who
couldn't? Although Marcus doubted he’d ever see the money, it would
be worth the effort just to get the guy off his back.
    "Fine. And if I don't, will you leave me the
hell alone?"
    "Sure." The silly grin grew wider.
    Marcus rose and made his way toward the
brunette. When he sat down beside her, she jumped in her seat. She
was pretty, yes, but Marcus had no intention of staying
long.
    She smirked and her brown eyes glistened.
Marcus found himself loving the oval shape of them. "You didn't
like your seat?"
    Marcus snickered at her attitude. "I liked my
seat just fine. Just thought I'd say hi."
    "Oh," she said, seeing the Stephen King novel
in his hand. "So you saw I was reading the same book and what? Came
to discuss it?" She used sarcasm quite well. Marcus was impressed.
"Don't tell me that you somehow stashed this thing into my bag when
I wasn't looking."
    "Excuse me?"
    "This book," she said, holding up her copy of
the Stephen King novel. "I know I packed a James Patterson novel.
This was in it's place."
    Marcus was momentarily stunned. "No, I promise,
I wouldn't do such a thing."
    "Hmmm," she said, clearly
suspicious.
    Marcus looked back over his shoulder. The Yo, Dude man wasn't there. At first Marcus thought that
maybe he could've went to the bathroom but an older lady was in the
process of scooting out of it. Where the crap did he go?
    "I'm Emily."
    Marcus turned his attention back to her but was
still clearly confused. "Marcus."
    ***
    The two of them spent the next couple of hours
conversing about books, celebrities, and they even played an
impromptu game of hang man. Marcus discovered that Emily was on her
way to visit her brother for the weekend in the same part of
Chicago where Marcus's mom lived. To make things even more strange,
Emily actually lived two blocks down from Marcus in
Moline.
    When they reached the terminal in Chicago,
Marcus gave Emily his phone number and she promised to call. As she
stood to get her things from the overhead, a piece of paper fell
from her pocket. Marcus picked it up and without really meaning to,
glanced at it. His heart caught in his throat.
    "Emily, who is this?"
    The picture was of Emily and the Yo,
Dude man in front of a statue he didn’t recognize. Emily had
her arms wrapped around him, planting a kiss on his cheek and Yo, Dude man had that same ridiculous grin.
    "Oh," she said, taken by surprise. "That was my
husband, Derrick."
    "Was?"
    Emily took the picture back and looked at it
thoughtfully. "I'm sorry. That must've looked bad." She smiled
apologetically. "Derrick died a couple of years ago. Cancer."
Marcus felt his stomach flip.
    "I'm sorry."
    "Thank you. It was a few years ago so the sting
has worn off but I still miss him."
    Marcus remembered his Dad. "You always miss the
ones you love, no matter how long it's been," he said
thoughtfully.
    As they disembarked, Marcus searched over every
face but didn't see Yo, Dude man again.
    "Hey, you wanna share a taxi?" Emily
asked.
    He wasn't sure what had just happened but he
knew it was something very special. Marcus smiled at her. "Sure."
And he followed her out the front entrance of the
terminal.
    ###
     
    About the Author:
     
    Pamela Caves is a full time content and fiction
writer. Her latest credits include winning a short story and poetry
inclusion in two Twin Trinity Media's "Expressions" themed
anthologies to be published in the next year. She currently resides
in northeast Alabama.
     
    Find out more about this author on
www.PamelaCaves.com