Finding Cupid Read online

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

  www.ellorascave.com

  Finding Cupid

  ISBN 9781419912528

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  Finding Cupid Copyright © 2007 Daisy Dexter Dobbs

  Edited by Briana St. James.

  Cover art by Syneca.

  Electronic book Publication August 2007

  This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

  FINDING CUPID

  Daisy Dexter Dobbs

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Jell-O: Kraft Foods, Inc

  Schlitz: Stroh Brewery Company

  The Twilight Zone: CBS Broadcasting Inc. Finding Cupid

  Chapter One

  At the sound of jangling, clanking, rapid footsteps and labored breathing, Cinnamus crossed his arms over his chest and sent up a silent prayer to Jupiter. “You’re late, Lula. Again.”

  “I know. I’m sorry, Cinnamus. I had trouble finding my quiver full of arrows and then it took me awhile to locate—”

  “The chariot has left without you.”

  “What? No!” Lula blanched as she gazed around the near empty chariot boarding area. There were only a few horses there, lazily munching on hay. “Oh no, Cinnamus. That can’t be. It’s my first trip to Earth with Cupid, I can’t miss it.”

  “Too late.” Cinnamus shrugged. “You already have.” He looked the disheveled blonde nymph up and down and tsked. “And look at your uniform. You’re a disgrace to the entire Cupid Academy, Lula.” Why in the name of Pluto she always looked so tousled was beyond him. The young woman was an addictive confection of bouncy golden curls, wide blue eyes, kissable features and a full lush body made for squeezing.

  Most of the female students were forever primping and fussing over themselves to make the best of their attributes and not a one of them was blessed with Lula’s allure. And yet Lula seemed oblivious to her considerable charms, even to the point of disregard.

  Lula glanced down at her semi-sheer, knee-length white garment, smoothing her hands over the wrinkled pleats and adjusting the knotted gold cord at her waist. “Oh, I try, Cinnamus, I really do. I don’t know why I’m so graceless.”

  A cluster of golden curls, almost the same shade as Cinnamus’ hair, sprang loose from its confines at one side of her head, tumbling to her shoulder. “Oh dear…” she mumbled, stuffing the locks back into place and reaffixing the gilt-edged combs. “Since I was running late, I didn’t take as much time as usual for my hair.”

  “Obviously.” Cinnamus struggled not to laugh. It wouldn’t do at all for Lula to think he was amused.

  “I lost track of time this morning because I was rereading the chapter on correct placement of arrows,” Lula explained. “I mean, I couldn’t possibly risk having one of my arrows strike the thymus gland when I was targeting the heart. Imagine the consequences, Cinnamus! The poor person might develop an unnatural affinity for domestic animals instead of their intended. Of course, it’s wonderful to love cats and dogs because they certainly need care and attention from humans, but not in that way.

  “And I know how careful I must be to avoid striking a male in his prostate when I’m aiming for his cock. The textbook devoted two entire pages to the possible disagreeable outcomes that could cause. Or what if I struck a female’s pancreas instead of an ovary? Oh dear Jupiter, instead of getting pregnant, any woman could conceivably—”

  “Lula.”

  Stopping short, Lula looked up at Cinnamus with that naïve, trusting expression he’d come to adore.

  “Yes?”

  “You’re babbling.”

  “Oh…sorry. I guess I have a habit of doing that, don’t I?”

  “Indubitably.” Arching an eyebrow, Cinnamus smiled.

  Lula pouted. It was a look few grown women could manage without looking foolish and contrived. On Lula’s cherubic features it was most endearing and he felt the cockles of his heart warm.

  “Isn’t there some way I can go down to join the others, Cinnamus? Today’s interactive love match exercise is part of our final exam. I can’t afford to miss it.”

  He hardened his features, striking a no-nonsense posture for Lula’s benefit. “You should have thought of that earlier, Lula. Everyone else in your class managed to get here on time this morning without any problem. Perhaps you’ll learn a valuable lesson from this experience and won’t be habitually late in the future.”

  Cinnamus turned away from Lula because she looked so forlorn, so miserable, he was tempted to scoop her into his arms and comfort her. Tempted to fly her down to the terra firma plane in his own chariot just to have her gift him with one of her dazzling smiles. But it would never do for the Perfect Love Matches 101 class instructor to act in such a biased manner, displaying distinct favoritism for one of his freshman students.

  Ah, if he were but a mere six hundred years younger, he might consider courting the delightful little nymph after graduation. But at only three hundred fifty years old, she was far too young for him. Of course, besides that, the fact that Cinnamus was gay might also come into play. But if ever there was a woman capable of turning the sexual tide, it would most definitely be the sweet, charismatic Lula.

  Cinnamus made the mistake of glancing back at Lula when he heard a sniffle, only to see her bottom lip tremble.

  “I-I’ve been practicing so hard all year,” she pleaded, “and I just know I would do a good job creating perfect love matches. Please, Cinnamus. Please!”

  Uttering a cantankerous growl, Cinnamus just stared at her for a moment. He had to be firm, couldn’t cave in simply because he favored the girl. After all, he was her teacher. It was his appointed duty, his responsibility to see she learned a lesson from her mistakes. “I’m sorry, Lula…” He paused, watching her sweet features twitch and contort with distress. Frowning, Cinnamus motioned toward her with his hand. “Stop it. Don’t do that.”

  “What?” Lula sniffed and blinked, sending a fat tear coursing down her cheek.

  “That! I hate to see a woman cry.” Especially you, Lula.

  “I’m sorry.” Lula’s chin quivered and a new set of tears escaped from her watery blue eyes. “I can’t help it. Oh Cinnamus, I’m such a hopeless failure. Every course of instruction I’ve taken at the academy has proved to be a disaster. No,” she corrected herself, “I’ve proven to be a disaster.” She broke into little hiccupping sobs. “I was so hoping Perfect Love Matches 101 would be different. I just want to help people find love, that’s all. I want to make their lives richer, happier. But all I can seem to do is wreak havoc.”

  Lula’s shoulders shook as she cried. Dropping all her Cupid Academy paraphernalia to the marble floor, she covered her face and wept so hard Cinnamus thought his heart would break watching her. “You…you may as well just go ahead and fail me, Cinnamus. I deserve it.”

  “There, there, Lula. Don’t cry.” He drew her into a loose hug, patting her back in a chaste, teacherly manner as she sobbed against his chest. Poor thing. She really did try hard. While she may be cursed with absentmindedness, a lack of organizational skills and an innate naiveté, Lula was always attentive in class, did all her homework and scored near perfect grades on every test.

  In Cinnamus’ long career as a Cupid Academy instructor, he’d know
n few students as earnest, hardworking and devoted as Lula. Blessed with a good heart, the nymph was bright, willing and highly intelligent. Book smart. But when it came to applying what she’d learned to real-life circumstances, she inevitably fell flat on her face, unintentionally yanking others down with her.

  “Gather your gear, Lula. I’ll take you down to Earth in my personal chariot,” Cinnamus heard himself say and then groaned in frustration at his apparent lack of restraint.

  Lula drew back, holding Cinnamus at arm’s length. He immediately missed her soft warmth snuggled close to his body.

  Wide-eyed, she gasped as she stared up at him. “Oh Cinnamus, really? You would do that for me?”

  He nodded with a sigh. “I’m making an exception to the rules. Just this one time, you understand.” He wagged a chastising finger. “And you mustn’t let any of the other students know either. I don’t want them thinking I’m showing favoritism. If they wonder how you arrived to join them, simply tell them one of the minor gods gave you a lift.”

  “Absolutely. I understand.” Lula’s head bobbed up and down with enthusiasm. “I promise to be careful and I’ll do my very best to make you proud of me. You’ll see, Cinnamus. I won’t let you down.”

  Cinnamus winced. He didn’t really want to think of what sort of mayhem she might cause on this trip. Once she found Cupid, he’d no doubt be able to guide her, to keep her from inflicting any serious disasters on the poor unsuspecting mortals. “I won’t be able to stay to help you, Lula. I need to get back right away for my next class. That means you’ll have to find Cupid’s headquarters on your own. Do you think you can manage that?”

  Hiking a shoulder in a nonchalant shrug, Lula huffed. “Well of course I can, Cinnamus. I may be a bit absentminded but I do know how to read a map.”

  Cinnamus gave her a patient smile as he glanced at the endless array of pouches, bags and books she’d brought along. “Yes, but did you remember to bring the map with you?”

  Smiling, Lula began retrieving her gear from the floor. “Yes.” She gave one suede satchel a firm pat. “Along with the forgetfulness serum, the invisibility powder, the—”

  Cinnamus groaned. “It’s the other way around. Forgetfulness powder and invisibility serum. The forgetfulness powder simply needs to be inhaled to work, remember?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” Lula nodded. “That’s what I meant. And don’t worry, Cinnamus, I brought along the full list of precautions you gave us in class—all the things we’re supposed to avoid. I even brought my textbook, just in case.” She beamed a bright smile.

  Cinnamus frowned. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, Lula. If you recall, the last time you went to Earth you left behind your class notes. Remember what happened when that unprincipled politician found your notebook?”

  Lula bit her bottom lip and her cheeks flushed pink. “Yes. But at least we found it before he was able to cause too much harm, right?” She looked up at him hopefully.

  “But if we hadn’t, he could have gained political control over the world because the public suddenly found him to be entirely irresistible.” Remembering some of Lula’s other past escapades, Cinnamus ground out a monumental sigh, wondering if he might be mad for loosing the well-meaning nymph on the unsuspecting world.

  “I was much younger and far more foolish back then,” Lula assured him.

  “It was only two years ago, Lula.”

  “Oh but I’ve learned so much since then,” she guaranteed, offering a most persuasive expression of assurance. “Because you’ve been such a wise and wonderful teacher,” she added with a smile.

  “Indeed…” Cinnamus watched her juggling her various belongings. “Perhaps it would be better if you had one large satchel so you could keep everything together in one place,” he suggested. “What happened to the schoolbag you were issued? It’s big enough to hold all that you’re carrying.”

  Lula’s gaze dropped to her toes. “Um…I couldn’t find it. That’s another one of the reasons I was running late this morning.” Cinnamus moaned and she raised her eyes to his again.

  “And you certainly can’t flit around the Earth wearing your academy uniform. You need to change your clothing into the traveling outfit you were issued.”

  “I didn’t have time to change but I did bring the garment with me.” Glancing down at her filmy tunic, Lula frowned. “I know wearing the travel outfit is part of the academy’s rules because it renders us invisible but I never understood why it was necessary, Cinnamus. After all, the invisibility serum already makes us invisible to humans on the Earth plane. Besides, I’m so much more comfortable wearing my light and airy uniform.”

  “The change of clothes is a necessary precaution,” Cinnamus stated simply.

  A frown line creased the area between Lula’s expressive eyebrows. “But why, exactly?”

  Cinnamus’ gaze flew to Lula’s large succulent breasts and then to the cluster of golden curls at her pussy, clearly evident beneath the voile-like material. He cleared his throat. “In case you forget to ingest the serum.”

  “But I wouldn’t—” Lula started again, only to be cut off by Cinnamus.

  “The dual protection of the traveling garment as well as the serum doubly guarantees that your power of invisibility will not fail for any reason,” Cinnamus explained, not wanting to think of the chaos Lula would cause if she were visibly prancing about Earth practically in the buff.

  “Maintaining invisibility while on Earth is crucial because it allows you to carry out your matchmaking tasks without any unneeded distractions. You see…it’s not your school uniform that’s the problem, Lula, it’s…what’s underneath.”

  “Oh? Is there something wrong with my body?” she asked in all innocence, glancing down at her bountiful physical attributes. “I’ve always thought my shape was quite pleasing, Cinnamus. Are you saying that humans wouldn’t find me appealing?”

  “On the contrary…” Realizing the rest of that sentence was better left unsaid, Cinnamus averted his eyes from her ample curves and took in a fortifying breath. “It’s all in chapter eleven, Lula. Remember? Full or partial nudity isn’t the norm for Earth’s inhabitants. In fact, they have laws against it for the most part.”

  “How peculiar,” Lula mused. “Why would it be considered wrong to show off the beauty of the naked form?”

  Cinnamus slanted her a dubious look. “Are you sure you read chapter eleven?” he asked, feeling just a bit prickly discussing the subject with Lula one on one.

  “Yes.” Lula nodded. “Well…I think so. I’ll reread it in the chariot, just in case. It sounds like a fascinating topic.”

  “The important thing to remember, Lula, is that the people of Earth are not as advanced, sophisticated or mature as we are here on Olympus. As a rule, human females don’t dress in sheer garments exposing their naked forms, unless they’re…uh…unless they’re engaged in a profession wherein they seek financial compensation for providing sexual favors.”

  “Payment?” Lula laughed. “Don’t be silly, Cinnamus. I would never dream of asking for gold coins if I found a love match. I would give of myself freely. That’s what sexual pleasure is all about, isn’t it?”

  “Well, yes, but…” Letting his words trail off, Cinnamus just looked at her for a long moment, unsure of how to answer the too-trusting nymph’s question in such a short span of time. “On second thought, maybe you’re not ready for this trip after all, Lula.”

  Her eyes brimmed with tears again and Cinnamus cursed beneath his breath. “Oh very well, you can go. But please, Lula, make sure you study chapter eleven. It’s also probably a wise idea to study the following chapter regarding Earth vernacular, including the current slang, so you fully understand what’s being said. And whatever you do, just don’t leave any of your class materials behind this time.”

  “Check.” Lula nodded, smiling as she sniffed.

  “And be careful where you aim those arrows and at whom.”

  “Check.”

  And
if you somehow do become visible, make sure not to let your wings show. And if—”

  “That’s not a problem.” Lula grinned. “The only time my wings become visible is when I—”

  “Yes, yes, I remember now,” Cinnamus jumped in, purposely interrupting before she could remind him. “You told me about that particular peculiarity before. And don’t forget to find Cupid. I don’t want you doing anything until you find him, understand?”

  Lula gave a half-hearted nod. “Unless I come across some poor lonely, lovelorn mortals desperately in need of my matchmaking services on my way to finding Cupid, right?”

  Hands braced on hips, Cinnamus glared at her. “Lula,” he warned, drawing her name out slowly.

  “But if I can formulate a love match for them, then surely—” She stopped when she saw Cinnamus’ eyes narrow. “Okay, I’ll wait.” Cinnamus arched an eyebrow at her. “I promise,” she added quickly.

  “Don’t forget, Cupid will be incognito. You may not recognize him right away,” he reminded her, wiping the sweat from his brow and giving a tired chuckle. “Honestly, I’m getting too old to deal with the stress of fixing another Lula-initiated calamity.”

  Lula stood on her tiptoes and kissed his jaw. “You’ll never be old to me, Cinnamus. Ever. And when the time comes for me to find a love match, I hope I find a man half as good, kind and handsome as you.”

  The look of admiration in Lula’s eyes warmed his soul, just as her words puffed up his male pride. Shoulders back and chin elevated, Cinnamus escorted Lula to his chariot.

  ———

  No surprise to Lula, the chariot ride to Earth was magical. She never tired of soaring through the clouds, anticipating the exhilarating adventure she knew awaited her once she reached her destination.

  Interacting with humans was such great fun, especially because so many of them seemed as ungainly and capricious as she was, which was a nice change from the diligence and seeming faultlessness of her fellow students. While she still didn’t understand many of Earth’s strange customs, views and policies, Lula felt quite at home there.