Free Cupid's Daughter by Libby Sparks Page B

rear view mirror. He wasn’t a god, just an immortal happy to serve them. I loved how his face shown signs of age in the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. Immortals never show signs of aging and I always wondered if Frank chose to appear that way. "You live in the house of love. That has to mean that everything is usually smooth sailing."
    "Yeah," I muttered. "It's just peachy."

Chapter 3
    I stepped out onto the curb and thanked Frank for the ride. Then I faced the huge and dark apartment building and sighed in relief before unlocking and walking through the main door. I took the steps two at a time until I reached the fourth floor. The building was one of the oldest ones in the city. It was falling apart, bricks chipping off the side, metal fire escapes rusted and frozen in place, faded and ripped carpets lining the halls. But I loved it. It made me feel more human,
    After rummaging through my pockets, I realized that I had forgotten my house key. I knocked on the door and in a matter of seconds someone opened it. A petite brunette looked up at me. She stared at me with her big and tired brown eyes shining in her heart shaped face.
    "Ari?"
    "Hey, Hayden." I walked past her into the apartment. "Nice to see you home for once."
    Hayden shut the door and rubbed her eyes. "Sorry, I just have such a busy schedule lately, especially with my new job."
    "Another one?" I set down the folder on the old chest we used as a coffee table. "How many is that now?"
    "Three, but they are all part-time. I can't find anything full-time that's stable in this freakin' city." Hayden plopped down on the couch where she was obviously sleeping before I showed up. The heap of blankets and pillows said as much.
    "You're going to work yourself to death," I teased as I walked over to raid her fridge. I loved this apartment. The appliances were olive green with a retro look, probably because they were actually from the seventies. It wasn’t a huge place, a two bedroom big enough for us and a small balcony just the perfect size for the two of us to lay down side by side and sun tan. Hayden had decorated the place with an array of eclectic things she finds, like antique vases and old movie posters.
    "Well, are there any openings in the match-maker department?” she kidded and then yawned. “How else am I going to pay for school?" Oh yeah, on top of three jobs, she also attended night classes at the local college. I had to give her credit; she was harder working than most people I knew.
    "I'd help if I actually got paid for what I did," I said, grabbing a can of Coke and sitting down to the kitchen table. I paid my half of the rent with some of the money I got from my mother each month, but that was it.
    "Thanks," she muttered appreciatively. "Did you find my soul mate yet?"
    "Still looking," I responded jokingly. "You'll be the first to know."
    "What job do you have now?"
    "Some guy," I answered and pointed over to where I set the file. Hayden reached over and grabbed it. She opened it and gasped.
    "Oh my, I want him," she proclaimed in awe and grabbed the photo.
    "Sorry." I joined her on the couch. "He's an immortal."
    "I don't care. That just means he'll be this gorgeous and juicy forever," Hayden squealed as she clutched the photo close to her face as though she might miss any details. I quickly took the photo from her grasp and set it back in the file.
    "No can do. Immortals are matched with other immortals."
    "Can't I become an immortal?" She glanced over at me with hopeful batting eyes.
    I shook my head sadly. No, that was definitely not her future. "It's not in the cards for you."
    "Damn," she muttered. "Well, you can have him then." Sighing dramatically she scratched at her pink thumbnail.
    I shook my head again. "No falling in love on the job. Rule number one. Plus, he's an immortal." My gaze wearily traced the stitched seams in the sofa we were sitting on.
    She shrugged. "But, so are you."
    "No, I mean yes. I'll live forever, but I'm half