Teddy wouldn't stop squirming in his seat or twiddling his thumbs. He was sweating buckets. Ada stifled the urge to facepalm for the hundredth time. He was sucking hard at playing it cool. It was crazy obvious he had never done anything serious enough to warrant being called to the Helmets' conference room. Unlike Teddy, this was another day in the park for Ada.
The three Helmets sat across them and seemed to be waiting for whatever Tasha was searching for on her monitor.
Tasha was nursing a steaming cup of coffee, her red hair held with a pencil in a high messy bun. The glossy surface of the table in front of her glowed with a wide monitor screen. She had been swiping through content since Bo herded Ada and Teddy into the conference room. Bo furiously stabbed away at her Nintendo Switch all the while chewing gum and blowing bubbles.
Maya, on the other hand, simply sat, one finger tapping the table surface as she stared at Ada and Teddy. It made Teddy's squirming worse.
"Bo tells me she is certain you were at the garden," Maya said, expression serious. "How was it that we were unable to see or sense you?" She first sent Ada a pointed gaze before shifting her focus to Teddy.
"It was her wings," Teddy said in a rush before Ada could get a word out. "I saw Ada crutching behind a hedge, went to say hi and the next second her wings hid us and made us invisible. Cool, huh?" He released an awkward laugh and pulled at the loose collar of his shirt. "Please don't be mad at us."
Tasha stopped her swiping and looked up with wide shocked eyes. "Your wings did that?"
Ada massaged the back of her neck and shrugged.
"It was amazing," Teddy gushed, now abandoning whatever caution he previously displayed. "We could see you all. But you couldn't see us. Wild."
"Haha! I knew it." Bo laughed and grinned big. "Rollicks rule."
Ada chuckled and soaked in their warm response. For once she felt insanely proud of herself. Her wings were weird but in a good weird way. What a relief.
"It's already happening." Instead of reacting with excitement like the rest, Maya shoved her fingers into her curly white hair and groaned.
"Huh?" Whatever relief Ada felt fizzled to nothing.
"Uhhh... is there something we should know?" Bo asked with a raised brow.
"What did you learn from Nathaniel's file?" Maya asked instead. She began massaging her temple, eyes shut.
"He has a seeing gift," Teddy said in a careful tone. Ada was grateful for his presence. The dread she was feeling made it impossible to think. "There were two futures recorded. One was about the day a unique Rollick will be delivered to the Division. The date coincided with Ada's delivery day. The second date and details were blurred out."
Finally, Maya opened her eyes and looked straight at Ada. There was concern there. "Adarosa, do you know what being dropped means?"
Ada's heart did a slow sink to her belly.
"I..." The memory of Haruto's story rushed in. Becoming a rifter. Losing her wings. "Will you drop me? Is the blurred date when I will be dropped?" She didn't realise her fist was clenched until Teddy placed a gentle palm on it. Her heartbeat was throbbing in her ears and that choking sensation that brought tears pressed in her throat.
Maya repeated her question in a gentle voice. "I need you to give me a clear answer, Adarosa."
Ada gulped down the urge to cry and nodded. She was staring at Teddy's hand over hers.
"Who told you?"
Looking up, Ada finally answered. "Haruto."
The Helmets frowned.
"Who's Haruto?" Bo asked.
"He is a Rifter. He told me he was once a cupid and that he was dropped."
"Tasha, check our records," Maya said. "I do not believe we've dropped any cupid since I took over—"
"He is from the Northern Division. He was dropped fourteen years ago."
Tasha's fingers flew over the virtual keyboard and soon she tapped a file and swiped it across the table to show Maya.
"That sneaky..." Maya scowled down at whatever she was reading. Ada couldn't see anything even after craning her neck.
"What's up?" Bo stretched in to read the content of the file. Her expression grew thunderous. "I knew it! His records were too clean. Argh!"
Maya looked up, her smile appearing pinched. "Do not worry about being dropped, Adarosa. We promise to keep that from happening, vision of the future or not. Bo, please give Adarosa a run down on how to manage this business with her wings. Well done, Teddy. You did well."
Bo stopped Ada when they got to the door. "Take this," Bo produced another round pendant, one similar to the logger hanging from the chain Ada wore. "I'll visit you in a bit to get this sorted. For now, you and Teddy should head back to your assignments."
"Y-yeah," Ada said as she stared down at the new logger.
"Hey." Bo placed a hand on Ada's shoulder.
Ada blinked at her.
"It's not your job to worry about these things. You are a Rollick, remember? Having fun and being chill about everything is what we are all about," Bo said, grin easy and bright. "Now go out there and make sure Genevieve and what's-his-name fall madly in love, and leave the rest to us, okay?"
Ada chuckled. Bo was so correct. All the while she had been sucking as a cupid, she had never truly been bothered about it... well, until Luke came along and made a massive deal out of it. "Sure. I can do this."
"Of course, you can." With a final pat on her shoulder, Bo slipped back into the conference room.
Ada joined Teddy where he was waiting further down the hall. "I am dying to know what they saw in that file," Ada said as they took a turn.
"No, you are not. No more shifty business, I beg you." Teddy released an old man sigh. "I nearly fainted when Bo caught us snooping."
"We were not snooping. Those files are accessible to all cupids," Ada said with a justified huff.
Slinging an arm over her shoulder, Teddy pulled her ahead. "You know what I mean. Besides, now that the Helmets have given you their word, you should relax. They know what they are doing."
"But..."
Teddy stopped walking and turned to face her fully. His blue eyes were pleading. "Do not go chasing this. You said you wanted to be good at cupiding, yeah? Take this piece of advice from an expert and concentrate on your assignment. Go to Genevieve and make this work."
"Fine," Ada said with an exasperated eye-roll. "You win."
"It wasn't a fight." He gave her a patient smile before turning to walk ahead. "Gotta bounce. Today was fun even though I nearly collapsed in there." Laughing, he gave her a final wave before taking to the air and flying past a bend.
A part of Ada, that curious part that threw caution to the wind, urged her to return to the Helmet's office and press her ears against their door to listen to whatever they had discovered.
"No." Clutching her loggers, Ada shook her head and resolutely headed for the drain portal. She would do as Bo said. Rollicks were meant to be carefree and brimming with mischief and joy. Also, Maya said that no cupid had been dropped since her tenure as a Helmet. Certainly, Ada wouldn't be the one to break that record.
***
"I am not getting into that vehicle."
"I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you," Genevieve said in a low aggravated voice. It was morning. They were at the underground parking lot of the hotel they had booked the night before and Raymond was making things royally difficult.
"That is an accident waiting to happen."
Ada looked at the car in question. Sure, the pickup truck was pretty run-down and standing next to it was a smiling old man. It was clear he didn't understand English from the way he glanced from Genevieve to Raymond with a look of innocent amusement in his eyes.
Genevieve huffed and rested her hands on her hips. "Don't say that. Every vehicle is potentially an accident waiting to happen."
Raymond paused his argument and looked at her as if she was crazy. "Where do you get these weird facts from? That logic doesn't even make sense."
"Come on. You are making our driver feel uncomfortable and Jamal will be offended if we get to the farm late."
"I do not care! We'll be no use to Jamal if we end up dead because of this... this tetanus on wheels."
The corner of Genevieve's lips twitched but she resisted to urge to laugh in the face of Raymond's worry. "Now, that's just disrespectful. Latheef is standing right there."
They both glanced at the driver. He waved, flashed his friendly smile and said, "Good morning and welcome." His English was heavily accented and stilted.
"You are being rude, you know that?" Genevieve folded her arms across her chest and eyed Raymond with open distaste. "You confidently talk crap about his car because you know his English isn't good."
Groaning, Raymond dragged a hand down his face. "Why are you so difficult? Why can't things be simple with you? Why are we even here? What's the point of all this... this bullshit!"
"I have a feeling this outburst has little to do with the vehicle and more to do with me. Go on, Raymond. Spit it out. Say what you've been itching to say."
"I am not doing this with you." Turning away, he massaged his shut eyes with his thumb and index finger.
"Fine! Don't do whatever this is with me." Genevieve made a beeline for the truck. "Time's running out. I'm leaving."
"Let me order a taxi or something." He pulled his phone from his pocket, voice desperate. "I truly do not think that vehicle is safe."
"Jamal is the one who sent the ride; he would never deliberately put me in danger. You do not know him as I do. He will be mad offended if we send his granduncle back."
"Granduncle? What... how?" Raymond looked from smiling Latheef to Genevieve. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"You sound like I'm taking you to hell or something. And you are being ageist."
"Ageist? Ageist?" Raymond released a dead laugh. "Unbelievable."
"I know I have said this more times than I can count, but you really need to chill," Genevieve said in a patient voice. "That vehicle is not an accident waiting to happen. Jamal's granduncle is a competent driver and not half-blind. Yeah, he had a cataract operation a while back, but his sight is totally fine."
Raymond stared at her, aghast. There was worry there but something else. Genevieve could almost swear it was fear but it made no sense. Why would Raymond be scared?
"You said this farm is by the beach, yeah?"
"It's sea farming. It's a given that the farm will be within the vicinity of a beach. Work with me here, Ray-ray. The farm is at least 5 hours away. Latheef's an expert driver."
"How do you know that?"
"I trust Jamal's judgement enough. He would not send an irresponsible person to drive us. And just so you know, older people are more careful when driving. He has seven grandkids. He loves them too much to drive like a maniac and risk his life."
"It's the eye patch I am more concerned about," Raymond said, sounding drained. "And his truck."
They both looked at the vehicle. It looked like it hasn't been washed in decades. Some rusty parts as well. Apart from that, it looked sturdy.
"I help you..." Jamal's granduncle hobbled forward and made to take Genevieve's luggage.
"I'll do it," Raymond offered smoothly. He suddenly looked exhausted. There was a pinch in Genevieve's chest. Was she overdoing it? Nah. He'll recover.
Genevieve openly stared as he hefted their luggage, watching his biceps flex as he carefully placed the luggage in the cargo bed. Uptight and all, Raymond was still a ridiculously fine specimen of a man. When he caught her staring, she casually looked away and hurried into the car.
Where was Ada? It was morning and Genevieve was yet to spy a glimpse of the cupid. It was at times like this she began to question the entire experience. Maybe there was no Cupid, maybe... nah. She was certain of what she experienced these past weeks.
Soon, Raymond joined her in the back seat.
"Sorry about being... difficult back there." He relaxed into his seat with a big sigh. Why did he have to smell so nice? Gah!
"No need to apologise. I'm assuming your vacation experiences are always super smooth. From air-conditioned jets to sleek cars and resorts floating on clouds."
He released a dead laugh. "You are mocking me."
Shrugging, Genevieve pulled her phone out of her bag. "Yes and no."
"I admit I—this truck just threw me off." He swept a hand over his face and sighed again. "It's just that... I do not..."
Genevieve turned to face him. Again with that look on his face. He looked almost sick. "Do not what?"
"I do not like the beach."
Of all the things Genevieve expected to hear, hating the beach was definitely not one of them. "Huh? Why not? Is it because of the sand? You are the first person I'm hearing say this."
"Funny huh?" He smiled without mirth. "I just..." he clenched his fist on his thigh and shut his eyes.
"You should have said something when I mentioned coming here."
Opening his eyes, he glanced at her. The smile on his lips turned sad. "No, this is good. It is about time I face—I can do this."
Now, Genevieve was legit concerned and madly curious. "What—"
"Leave it. I don't think he would want to talk about it now."
Jerking, Genevieve noticed Ada for the first time. She was sitting in the front passenger's seat. "Where have you been?"
"Where have I been?" Raymond asked with a raised brow.
"Ah." Forcing a chuckle, Genevieve shook her head. "Sorry, um...I mean, where have you been all this while, you know, before you took over at Dominic and Dimes."
"Quick thinking," Ada said with gleeful laughter.
Genevieve groaned internally. She must have been nuts to think she missed Ada.
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Ahhh... forgive the late update.
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