Cupid's Contract

The Splash Zone

"No no no, I can see your face, settle down Guinevere." Edwin was shining the beam straight into her face, but it was the full name that stopped her.

"Explain, please. That's my mum's stuff, which went missing last year at the talent show. She was gutted, you know!"

"I know, I know! I didn't want to upset her! But I also didn't want her to burn herself! Or half the bloody community!" Edwin looked desolate.

Eve couldn't really fault him for that. "Does she know?"

"No, and I feel rotten. I really like your mother, but I'm nervous if I tell her she'll hate me. I don't want her to stop working for me... but I also don't want her breathing fire..."

"Literally or figuratively," Eve muttered, and Edwin snorted.

Eve could kick off, but she really didn't want to. Obligation to her mother meant she ought to protect the woman at all costs, and she wasn't sure if that meant telling her the truth about her fire theft, or preventing her from playing with fire in the first place.

Ultimately, she loved her mother, and it was easier to love Barb when she was alive, and not an arsonist.

"Is this it?!" Edwin wrenched a tin box from the floor, and Eve heard the sweet sound of coins clanking around inside it.

She was jubilant. "Oh, Eddie, you genius!" She definitely slurred that one, just a smidgeon.

"Shall we get this back to its proper place?" His face was hopeful, and Eve suspected he was asking about more than just the money.

"Yes, please," she reached for the box, and let Edwin guide her from the dusty hallway.

She needed to get the money back before Drew opened his lovely, stupid mouth and ruined everything.

***

The talent show was about to start, and Edwin ducked off to find her mother, but Eve was a woman on a mission.

She had never moved through a crowd with such efficiency. For someone so small, she was rather forceful, elbowing people left and right. At a concert, Eve would happily be trampled rather than push another person, but today she was a bulldozer, knocking people from her path.

The Harper booths were in sight now, and she tried to pick up her speed, but even from twenty feet away she could see she was too late.

Drew was still there, but Richard had returned. They were sending much closer than they had been when Eve was working the booths with them, and it filled her with dread. Before their faces had been professional, but now there were more emotions than a visitors day at the local prison.

Drew, despite being slightly taller than his father, was cowed. His whole posture was slumped, and he had an air of dejection about him. Dick, on the other hand, was livid.

His spine was erect, and he had that kind of potent ire that put an icy chill to the air. There was no avoiding the parental disappointment that came off of him like a heavy fog.

"I just don't understand how this happened. It was a fairly simple responsibility, Andrew." His voice was so sharp that Eve felt her own knees shake.

"I'm sorry. It's entirely my fault. I will donate the full some from my own pocket, rest assured, sir." Andrew sounded so much younger, like a belittled teen.

"I should think so, though I don't think you can just buy your way out of this. I mean, really - "

Eve couldn't stay quiet any longer. Hot stepping the last few feet, she thrust the tin box between the pair. "Sorry, what have I missed? Are either of you in the talent show?" She was panting, out of breath, and straight up terrified.

"Miss Higgins, now is really not the time. I'm having a private conversation with my son."

Eve was tempted to check herself for frostbite.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realise. Andrew, can I leave the money box with you, then? I've been minding it, but I really feel it would be safer with you." She couldn't be sweeter if she was covered in honey.

"You have the money box?" Richard was no less sharp in his surprise.

"Yes, sir. Johnny asked me to keep it with me, he didn't trust himself with it. He can be very forgetful, absent minded really."

"Johnny asked you to mind it?"

Was there an echo? Richard needed to stop repeating her.

"Yes, he did. I'm very good with money. He was supposed to tell Andrew but, like I said, he really is very absent minded. Sometimes he hasn't got all his lights turned on, if you know what I mean?" She smiled brightly and turned to Andrew, but he looked shell shocked. He didn't seem to fully realise what was going on. "He's not known for having all of the buttons, is he, Andrew? Bats in the belfries, eh?"

For a second, Eve thought Andrew's dimples made an appearance, but it was brief.

"Eve, fantastic. No, it must have slipped silly Johnny's mind. Thanks for taking care of it."

"Not a worry. I won't interrupt you any longer though, I need to get a good seat for the talent show."

Richard was looking at her intently but he nodded and Eve took that as permission to dash off. She'd done what she could to help Andrew, but she wasn't keen on staying in the splash zone, be it from the water pistols or Richard's waves of anger.

********************

Ok, so who do we trust now?

Is Edwin one of the good guys?

ALSO where are all of you guys from?! I'm in Ireland, but I have NO IDEA where my favourite people are from! (That's you readers, by the way. Y'all be my favourite.)

Hope you're having a CRACKING weekend! I just hit #50, so I'm personally on cloud nine!

Much love.