Page 9 of Cupid’s Flight

She took the dustpan when he held it out for her and knelt so he could push the dropped pills into the pan.

“Thanks, Hector,” she said suddenly, her voice soft and hesitant, the icy, swearing facade now absent.

“You are very welcome, May,” he replied.

The sense of distance between them had faded, replaced with a tentative connection so tangible that even one of their assistants hid a grin behind one hand as she watched them.

“That was amazing,” Leo said.

Hei grinned and blew on the end of his finger. “I know. Although, since I can’t use an arrow we’ll have to come back to double-check this progress actually holds. Why don’t we go get dinner and then return tonight at closing time to see how they’re doing. If it’s all going well, we can come back again in about a week to check one last time, and then everyone can be certain I’ve passed the test!”

“Sure, we can do that.” They started walking through the store, past the holiday section with the remaining Halloween items on heavy discount and the first Thanksgiving and Christmas things filling the rest of the space. “Is there anything particular you want to eat?”

“I want to try Italian food! I’ve had pizza before, but mostly we have rice in the celestial realm. Italian is completely different.”

Leo laughed. “True, although they do have their own rice dishes too. We can definitely have Italian tonight, and next time we come down to Earth we can try Greek or Moroccan. I like both of those too, and there’s dozens more to try. Have you ever had an American version of Chinese food or British-style Indian food?” he asked as they headed outside into the parking lot where the car they had needed to rent for this suburban mission was parked. The car unlocked when Leo touched the door handle and they climbed inside.

“I haven’t. Are they very different from the originals?”

Leo twisted his hand side to side before pushing the button to start the car. “Sort of. They’re based on the original but altered for the palate of the local customers as well as the availability of ingredients, which led to some unique innovations. It’s kind of like a kosher deli, which I’ll definitely take you to for lunch sometime. Recipes based on what was available in the old country, that they altered and enhanced with what was available when they moved here. It’s all good-tasting food, basically, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

“Then I’ll look forward to tasting all of it, but for tonight, Italian!” Hei said.

“I’m on it.” Leo tapped on his phone for a few minutes until he found a restaurant with a decent menu that didn’t look too expensive. He loaded the address into the GPS and then pulled out of the lot. Twenty minutes later, he pulled into another parking lot and after a bit of circling found a spot.

“Looks busy,” Hei said as they climbed out of the car.

“Means people want to eat here,” Leo replied. “It’s a good sign.” He led the way inside to the hostess podium. “Table for two, please,” he told the woman there.

She nodded. “You’re in luck. We just had a table open up. Let me just go double-check whether it’s been cleaned.” She trotted off, and when she returned, she gathered some menus, smiled at Hei and Leo, and said, “Follow me.” She seated them at a small table in the corner, handed over the menus and drinks list with another smile, and then left.

Hei picked up the drinks list first, skimmed it, and then shook his head. “I don’t even know what half of this is. Cranberry spritzer with a grapefruit mist?”

“No idea. I usually stick to wines. You want me to pick something for you?”

“Yes, please.” Hei passed the wine list to Leo and picked up his food menu instead. “And then I’ll need you to explain what the difference is between a pomodoro and a puttanesca.”

Leo laughed. “You’ve got it. Did you prefer sake or beer, back in the celestial realm?”

“Definitely sake. Why?”

“Then you’d probably prefer a fruitier-tasting wine.”

Before Leo could explain more, their server arrived. “Can I get you anything to drink?” he asked.

“I’ll have a chianti, and he’ll have a malbec, and...” Leo glanced quickly at the appetizer menu. “The arancini to share, please.”

“Of course. It’ll be right out.” The server left.

“Arancini?” Hei asked.

Leo grinned at him, aware he was flirting shamelessly, and then winked. “One of the fun things Italians do with rice. I think you’ll like it.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Hei replied in a dry tone that said he was done with rice, although his usual playful grin returned a moment later. “What makes it different?”

“About a pound of cheese and butter,” Leo replied.

Hei snorted out a laugh. “Okay, that sounds delicious. Now explain all these sauces to me.”