Cupid Shot Me Read online

  Another knock on the door sounded with more force this time, followed by the chiming of the doorbell.

  “Who is it?” She stuttered, wringing her hands so tightly they started to ache.

  Receiving no response from the guest the front door, she inched over and peered through the peephole only to see the half empty parking lot in her complex and her car parked across the street, her neighbor had taken her assigned spot again.

  Sonia linked the chain on the door before cracking it slightly to peek around. No one was there, she heaved a sigh of relief thinking maybe someone just had the wrong apartment she was about to close the door until she looked down. She gasped when she realized the two grocery bags she had forgotten earlier lay on her welcome mat. Dread quickly replaced her glee at not having to replenish the lost items when the realization hit her how and who could have delivered the items to her door. She half wished it was the messenger coming to tag her instead. Then again, maybe it was.

  *****

  “Then at almost midnight I open the door to the bags I’d left in his hands earlier that evening.” Sonia said recounting the story later that morning to Venice in her bedroom as she dressed for the cookout.

  “Was he cute at least?” Venice asked biting into a fast food sausage and cheese biscuit as she laid across Sonia’s dark wood, four poster queen bed.

  “See, see, that there is the main reason we can’t have a serious conversation: your one tracked mind.”

  “One tracked, yes, but at least I’m on topic. Because, “she paused to take a bite of her sandwich, “because just for craps and chuckles let’s say he was a messenger. You’d be tagged and we’d be perusing through online dating sites to find you’re lonely behind a match. However, since you don’t have an arrow in your back, this Cain fellow could be just a kind citizen; a sexy do gooder who not only returned your fiddles but also returned the wallet you left in one the bags, which I have told you fifty eleven times to stop just dropping your wallet in your shopping bags because this very situation could occur, but I digress. So again,” Venice inched over to the end of the bed putting her hands beneath her chin, swaying her bent knees like a seesaw ah-la fifteen year old girl ready to get the details on her best friend’s first kiss, “ was he cute or not?”

  Rolling her eyes as she eased into her dark denim stretch skinny jeans, Sonia decided she may as well give Venice the breakdown or she’d never hear the end of it. Sonia sat on the end of the bed, breaking off a piece off the sandwich Venice held in her hand as she closed her eyes she get a better picture of the strange man’s countenance. Not that she needed to, Cain had visited her in her dreams last night and the sexy goings that vision conjured up had a small smile appear on her face.

  “Ohhhhh,” Venice said in a sing song voice, “Spill it!”

  Chuckling, Sonica conceded, “Ok, he was about 6’1, well groomed thin locks that reached his shoulders with a sprinkle of grey throughout, though he didn’t look to be over thirty. He had a nice smile and creamy chocolate skin and was muscular but not too bulky. He smelled great, like a citrusy dark musk and the tattoo on his right hand I told you about earlier. That’s about it. I didn’t get too far into it the greeting before I bolted.”

  “That’s about it? What the hell else is there, you seem to recall a lot for a woman who didn’t really notice ‘the stalker’ as you referred to him. Did he have a wedding band?” Venice inquired giddily.

  “No.” Sonia replied and snatched the last piece of her sandwich, popping it in her mouth.

  “Bingo!”

  “Bingo, what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “He’s your soulmate. Yes! I’ve been praying for this day. Do you what this means?” Venice asked, but Sonia’s blank expression caused her to press on and explain. She sighed. “This means my daft little friend that the reason you hadn’t been tagged and your knocking on thirties door with a sledgehammer is because you may dear have a soulmate, You…have…a…soulmate.” Venice stated slowly so her words would sink in.

  “But maybe he’s a loafer…” Sonia interjected trying to wrap her head around what her friend was saying. She had wondered why she hadn’t yet been tagged by one of cupid’s messengers. She would be thirty next month and it was rare to not have found a soul mate.

  Being tagged by cupid’s arrow meant you were on the clock to use the amount of days you were given a birth to find your true love or find a kind enough substitute to spend eternity with before your time ran out.

  The only other alternatives were death or a Loafer. Most would chose death over a Loafer. Look at Sister Boyd, even though Sonia had berated Venice she knew her church friend had chosen death over being shackled to a Loafer all her life, aka Brother Hamm.

  A loafer was a man or woman whose prime objective was to scout out those who haven’t found their soulmate and who had been tagged themselves to strike a deal.

  You agree to take the Loafers remaining days they have until they bite the dust thereby granting them with an additional two years to find their soulmate on their own, in exchange the person who agrees to the terms of taking the remaining days of life from the Loafer is granted an additional five years to search for their soulmate.

  However, should the Loafer fail to find or be found by their soulmate in the two years allotted the recipient of the days bestowed upon them only has those amount of days to find their true love, which is always shorter than the amount days cupid gifted to them at birth.

  If you fail at that task of finding love or someone willing to stand and risk missing out on their true love you have to spend eternity with the loafer who you had the bargain with. It’s cycle that could go on and on, a miserable life most would rather not be a part of.

  “I doubt that he’s a loafer, Sonia. No loafer has ever been as sexy as you described Cain to be.” Venice continued, “Besides, worst case scenario: say he is, how many days were you gifted?” Sonia asked trying to seem optimistic but her eyes maligned her causal tone.

  “Eighty-nine days.” She whispered, having never spoken the number aloud. Just voicing the digits to her friend she envisioned the dirt being thrown on her grave and the doves being released at her funeral. Tears sprang in her eyes, her wayward imagination brining back to memory her brother Matthew’s home going service last month.

  “Look, I’m sorry I even brought up this conversation about number. You will find your hearts true love Sonia. I believe that more than my next breathe.” Venice said hugging a now sobbing Sonia.

  Venice handed her a tissue and squeezed a large squirt of hand sanitizer and rubbed vigorously, “Look honey I love you, I do, but all that snotting you’re doing can’t be sanitary. Hugs….” Venice said from across the room as she walked out the door.

  “Vinny, I think you’re my soulmate, you wanna dump that zero Jason and get yourself a hero?” Sonia said at Venice’s back.

  “Love even if I did swing that way I wouldn’t marry your behind. I’d need a manly broad that has chest hair on her chest, a goatee, a tapered fade and breeds pit bull dogs in her backyard. Oh and her name has to be Smitty or Big Bertha. You know, something thuggish, reminiscent of cell block D.” Venice shouted from the dining area.

  Laughing almost to tears again Sonia walked to the front of the apartment and helped her crazy friend pack the groceries for the cookout.

  “You know I love you?” Sonia said with a smile kissing her friends cheek.

  “Psssh, I mean, how could you not?” Venice shrugged at the absurdity as she grabbed the bags and headed out the door.

  Sonia just chuckled and followed her out.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “Sister Hicks as usual these here ribs are delicious. Almost melt in your mouth.” Pastor Watkins told Sonia as he reached for his fifth beef rib.

  “Thanks pastor glad you’re enjoying them. Did you get any of the potato salad? Venice put her foot in that, was just a small bit left last I looked.” Sonia stated with a head nod over to the table that housed all the side dishe
s.

  “What? I didn’t know Sister Coleman made her famous tatar salad. Let me go get some before it’s all gone. Thanks for the heads up Sister Hicks,” he said before snatching another rib and doing a walk run to the table four feet away.

  “That man knows he can eat.” Venice chuckled as she fanned herself with a napkin.

  Sonia just nodded as she removed the loose fitting white t-shirt that read in big letter’s ‘fifth annual cookout’ with the churches name and the picture the church had taken earlier that year under the letter head.

  Luckily her short hair allowed the breeze to hit her scalp, keeping her from sweating too much, but removing the t-shirt did help the air cool her back and arms in the spaghetti strapped halter she wore beneath. Vinny on the other hand was in agony.

  Her honey blonde sown in weave was heavy and sticking to her exposed back in the wife beater she wore. She had rolled her denim pants up to her knee two hours ago hoping to wind hitting her calves would cool her down.

  “Jesus is NOT pleased. Which one of you sinners done caused the lord to release fire and brimstone on us all? It’s hotter than the inside of Satan’s tighty whiteys out here.” Venice questioned aloud looking around the crowd with a look of distain as a few drops of sweat rolled into her hazel eyes.

  Sonia laughed silently at her poor friend, she looked like she’d been thrown in the dunk tank pastor had ordered over by the gaming section of the cookout.

  “Oh my god!” Sonia said with horror as she spied the man walking toward them with a sexy, gaped tooth smile.

  “What?” Venice said in a tired voice.

  “That’s him. Its Cain and he’s coming this way.”

  Jumping to her feet with new found energy, Venice scanned the crowd of people looking for someone who looked like the man Sonia had described earlier.

  ‘Where?”

  “The man with the army fatigue shorts on and the black fitted muscle tee, showing off those chiseled arms. Goodness.” Sonia spoke out the side of her mouth.

  “Oh my. Well if you don’t want him I see at least twenty chicks that would take him off of your hands by all the rubber necking and salivating that’s going on.” Venice replied in a whisper out of the left side of her mouth to disguise they were taking about the man who was now three feet away.

  “Good Afternoon ladies.” Cain said to them both but his eyes never left Sonia’s.

  “Why hello there handsome.” Venice said in the best southern belle accent Sonia had ever heard, with her arm extended for Cain to place a kiss on her hand. Sonia was waiting for Rhett Butler to come from the tree and sweep her mentally challenged friend off her feet.

  Cain chuckled but indulged Venice with a quick peck on the back of her hand yet again his eyes never left Sonia’s.

  “Please excuse Sister Coleman Cain, seems the heat fried her last remaining brain cells.” Sonia said as her friend growled and winked before sitting back down at the folding chair to give them some privacy.

  Cain was ecstatic she had remembered his name and wasn’t fleeing as she had on their first encounter. Good sign, Cain thought to himself.

  “Jason, come get your wife please. She needs her meds.”

  “C’mon baby let daddy take care of you.” Jason said as he gave his wife a loving kiss on the cheek, picking her up and carrying her over to the shade of the trees.

  Sonia stared after them with a smile on her face. True soulmates. Jason and Venice had met four years ago at r&b reunion tour that had various artist from the 90’s performing and the two had been inseparable ever since.

  “Soulmates huh, can’t miss the glow they have surrounding them.” Cain said in an awed baritone voice brining Sonia’s attention back to him.

  The two just stared at each for a few minutes until the silence became awkward. Cain cleared his throat and rubbed the back of neck with a sweaty hand, not from the ninety degree weather but due to his nerves.

  “Why did you…”

  “Sorry about last…” they both began to talk at once. “No, you go ahead, didn’t mean to interrupt.” Cain said relived that he wasn’t the first to break the ice.

  “Why did you approach me the other night? Wasn’t just to be a Good Samaritan was it?” Sonia asked as she crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing him suspiciously.

  Cain paused for a split second, deciding how much of the truth to divulge or would telling a flat out lie be more beneficial in the long run. Not a man to scurry around the truth, he chose to jump in head first. With three weeks left to live what did he have to lose at this point he thought to himself.

  “I’ve been tagged. A little over seventy-nine days ago. Took me almost fifty-seven days to find you however,’ he paused to give her a chance to speak, when her silence greeted him along with a look of ‘that’s none of my business’ he continued. “I knew the first moment I saw you, you would be my soul mate but that revelation wasn’t reciprocated I can see.”

  “Wait, go back. Where do I know you from that you’ve been pining for me with my being unaware? Are you a Loafer?” Sonia asked angrily reaching for the bbq stained spatula in case she had to smack him one and run for the hills.

  “What…a loafer? Most definitely not, no way. I’d rather perish than stoop to trading the life of someone else for mine. They’re nothing but leaches.” Cain said sounding offended.

  “Then how do you know me? Why did you seek me out?”

  Sighing, Cain gestured to the seat Venice has vacated. At Sonia’s nod he sat and began to tell her the odd way he’d come to know her and declared her his soul mate.

  The sun had dipped behind the clouds and a cool breeze wafted through the tall green trees. It shuffled the paper plates, plastic cups and balloons on the green grass. The children giggled as they chased the items to place them back on the picnic tables.

  An odd feeling came over Sonia. She felt as if she was floating. Her pulse quickened a few beats and her eyes widened when the felt the prick land on her damp neck. A small pinch intensified as it vibrated down her spine, a sting so sharp it caused her voice to catch.

  Sonia heard a distant voice that sounded like Vinny shouting “Noooo!” and hurried footsteps headed in her direction. The crunch of the twigs being crushed under making her eardrums throb it was so loud.

  Coming out of the trace, Sonia saw a tiny man with long flowing golden hair, ethereal smile and a bow and arrow so large it was almost comical to see the man weld it with such poise. Sonia felt a whispered kiss against her left cheek.

  “Eighty-nine days, your true love must find you. Search with all you heart, Cupid has shot you.” Tears rolled down Sonia’s face, racking sobs engulfed her body.

  Warm strong arms wrapped around her waist with the tears blurring her vision only the smell of Cain’s musky cologne alerted her it was he gently pulled her in his lap. He stroked her back gently, placing a soft comforting kiss on her forehead.

  “So, you wouldn’t wanna get married in the next eighty nine days would you?” Sonia said jokingly through sniffles.

  Cain just laughed and pulled her closer.

  “Beautiful. I’ve been waiting three years to hear you say those words.” Cain said with tears in his eyes.

  “Wait…I thought you said you only had seventy-nine days when you were tagged?” Sonia said fanning a concerned looking Venice and half of those in attendance away with her arm.

  “No, I said I knew you were my soul mate the first time I saw you. That was three years ago.” Cain stood and sat Sonia on her Mary Jane covered feet.

  “So tell me about that.”

  “Baby we have eternity to talk about that right now can we eat? Those ribs have been calling my name since I walked over here.”

  Sonia just laughed shook her head and gave Venice the thumbs up behind his back as Cain loaded his plate. Second thoughts mingled with fear found a way back into her heart. She was on the verge of a panic attack Sonia plopped into the folding chair and placed her head I head in her hands.

&nbs
p; “Don’t even think about it. I’m already picking out your wedding colors. Don’t ruin this for us woman.” Venice sent in a text with an angry face emoji, a lady in a wedding gown and five hearts in varying colors.

  Sonia released a full belly laugh as the tension left her body. Cain turned from the table where he was loaded down with ribs and a sprinkling of every side dish that two plates could hold. He gave her a sheepish grin and shrugged.

  Just her luck Sonia mused, her soul mate was there when she was tagged and there to pick her up. If that ain’t true love she certainly had eight-nine more days to find it.