Cupid's Contract

Barbara Gets Stood Up

The rest of the meeting passed in a blurred daze for Eve, the frown permanently etched on her forehead. If she had been asked to recall anything after the moment of defiance, she would be forced to admit that any note taking she had appeared to be doing was merely doodles of a stick figure with wings experiencing multiple different gruesome deaths. In one such scribble, the angel seemed to be run over by a very lopsided car that suspiciously resembled Eve's little old Mini.

By the time all was wrapped up, she had no less than twelve missed phone calls from her mother. Barbara loved nothing more than a pre-date phone call but this was extreme, even for her. Eve tucked her scrawls under her arm and rang her mother, her mind already dreaming up different carbs she could soak her lunch sorrows in.

"Hi, mum, how did the date go?" Maybe she could have a carbonara for lunch... all creamy and soothing.

"Sorry, love, did I bother you?" Barbara's voice was strained and hoarse.

"No, I was just in a meeting. Are you still on your date? I can ring you after." She could barely hear her soft mutters, and a bowl of pasta was sounding ludicrously tempting, overriding any interest in whether her date wore dorky corduroy pants or weird baggy jeans to the date.

"Oh, no, no, love, he's actually not here yet." Her mother's voice wavered, cracking ever so slightly.

"Oh... I thought you were meeting at one o'clock? It's past two now..."

Eve's heart skipped a beat as her mother's poor, sorrowful voice trembled down the phone. "Oh, well... I'm sure he's stuck in traffic..."

She had been stood up. Fragile, man-mad Barbara had been stood up.

Her poor, sweet mother. If Eve ever saw this Jack man, she would murder him. Provided Grandma Roxy didn't find him first.

"Oh, how annoying, mum! Listen, I was going to nip out for lunch, you must be half starved! Do you mind if I join you for a bite? I'll run off the minute he shows up!" Her tone was bright, forcibly jolly even to her own ears. "I know you're busy, but I've literally had The Worst Day ever. You won't believe what Hideous Harper has done now..."

"Oh, well, if you really need the company, love..." Barbara's voice was still delicate, and Eve fought the urge to tear up at her sad tone.

"Please. I'll go mad if I don't get a good rant off! I'm just getting an Uber now, okay? See you in a few!" She didn't wait for a response, hanging up before her mother could refuse.

Her feet were automatically marching towards her cubicle, her eyes glued to her phone's screen as she requested a car, and as such it was not unfathomable that she would accidentally body-tackle a workmate, distracted as she was.

However, it really did not need to be Andrew Harper, current bane of her existence, also known as Hideous Harper. Hideous Harper who had probably over heard her calling him as much.

Hideous Harper who had definitely heard her, judging by the tense expression on his face as he gently pushed her off of him.

"Oh, cripes, sorry, sorry, I wasn't paying attention, I uh — " Her face was red again. He probably would only recognise her in this shade, from now on. Considering her lack of luck in life, the odds of him being red-green colour blind were probably pretty low. Could red-green colour blind people see blushed cheeks? Or would she merely be puce? That wasn't much of an improvement.

"I've never been tested but no, I don't think I'm colour blind." He was looking at her as if she was mad, and it dawned on her that she had asked that bit out loud. Any questions to her sanity were frankly understandable.