Angels at the Table

  “She can’t help herself.” Mercy felt obliged to defend her dearest friend.

  “Where’s Will?”

  Sure enough Will was now nowhere to be seen.

  “I’ll find him.” But first Mercy had to take care of Goodness.

  “I know, I know,” Shirley said, catching hold of Goodness a second time. “I’ll get her back to heaven. You find Will.”

  “Where were you?” Mercy demanded, unwilling to let Shirley off without an explanation.

  “Sorry, I saw a cranky toddler. Mom was doing her best to soothe her with little success, so I lent her a hand. The little boy is fast asleep now.”

  “Thanks to you.”

  “I’ve learned a fair number of lullabies in my time.”

  No doubt Shirley had.

  “I’ll join you as soon as I can.” Mercy caught a glimpse of Will out of the corner of her eye. As she suspected, he’d returned to the street. The crowd started to chant off the seconds and then a loud, joyous cry arose as the mass of people welcomed in the New Year.

  “Happy New Year,” Shirley cried out as she escorted Goodness home.

  “Happy New Year,” Mercy echoed. Now all she had to do was collect Will before he got into trouble.

  Oh dear … oh dear. It looked like she was too late.

  Humans surrounded her, hugging and kissing, and there was Will, standing beside two people all alone with their backs to each other.

  Mercy could see what was about to happen and felt powerless to stop it. With a single nudge of his wing, Will caused these two strangers to stumble into each other.

  Lucie Ferrara knew it would be a mistake to come to Times Square on New Year’s Eve. She’d so much rather be curled up in bed with a good book.

  What had she been thinking?

  Instead of indulging herself with a good read, Lucie had let Jazmine and Catherine talk her into going with them into the madhouse of this New Year’s Eve celebration. Lucie’s own mother had teamed up against her, insisting Lucie worked too hard. She needed to get out of the house and enjoy herself with her friends.

  Some fun this had turned out to be. Jazmine and Catherine were nowhere to be found and Lucie was trapped in this huge mass of humanity, unable to move in any direction. People pressed against her from all sides and all she wanted to do was escape. The subway station was within sight and if she could simply make her way …

  All at once the crowd started to shout. A cacophony of noise erupted all around her as a cheer rose and “Auld Lang Syne” was blasted through the cold night air.

  To make her feel even more alone, all the couples around her were either hugging or kissing. Everyone seemed to belong to someone. Everyone, that is, except her.

  Unable to watch and feeling detached, Lucie closed her eyes. Her mother had wanted her to enjoy herself with her friends. It’d been weeks since Lucie had been out. She needed a free night, Wendy had gently reminded her. All work and no play would cause her to lose her focus.

  Her mother, however, was right. Lucie did need a break, and she probably did work too hard. Putting a restaurant together wasn’t a simple thing. There were decisions to be made and compromises, too. They’d found a great location in Brooklyn, not far from their apartment. While the space was perfect for what they needed, renovations were necessary and permits took time, money, and effort.

  Furthermore, Lucie had a responsibility to her mother, who had invested the entire life insurance money they’d collected from her father’s death into making this restaurant a success. Her mother’s faith in her was both a blessing and a curse. If Lucie failed she’d never be able to forgive herself.

  Suddenly Lucie was jarred from behind. She stumbled forward. “Oh, sorry.”

  “Sorry.”

  Her eyes flashed open, the apology already spoken, when she stared into the face of the most amazingly good-looking man she’d seen outside of a movie. He was taller than she by a good six inches and had the warmest, gentlest brown eyes. A lock of dark brown hair fell across his wide forehead.

  “You okay?” he asked. “The crowd …”

  “I know; it’s crazy. No worries, I’m fine.”

  His hands braced her shoulders as if to catch her from stumbling. He didn’t drop them, and for the longest time they simply stared at each other. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem to be coupled with anyone. He was alone in the crowd, too.

  “Shall we?” he asked.

  Not fully understanding, she blinked.

  Then with barely a pause, he lowered his mouth to hers.

  Standing on the tips of her toes, Lucie wrapped her arms around his neck and welcomed his kiss. Why not? It was New Year’s Eve and this was tradition.

  The kiss lasted through what remained of the song, and Lucie enjoyed it immensely. The earth didn’t move, the sky didn’t fall, but the exchange was warm, soft, and above all pleasant. Very pleasant. She almost groaned in protest when they broke apart.

  He smiled at her.

  Lucie smiled back.

  “I’m Aren Fairchild.”

  “Lucie Ferrara.”

  The crowd started to break apart. The people that had been standing so close just seconds before were leaving. All at once it seemed everyone had somewhere else to go.

  Lucie and Aren remained motionless, standing in the same spot. He continued to cup her shoulders.

  “I got separated from my sister,” he explained.

  “I don’t have a clue what happened to Jazmine and Catherine.”

  “So you’re alone?”

  Lucie nodded.

  “I am, too. Perhaps we can find a place for a glass of wine?”

  “I’d like that.” Her heart fluttered with gentle excitement at his invitation. Maybe, just maybe, this entire evening wouldn’t be a disaster after all.

  Lucie’s phone chirped, indicating she had a text message. Digging in her purse she retrieved it and saw that the text was from Jazmine. Where are you?

  Lucie quickly texted her back. Still in Times Square.

  C and I R heading to the subway.

  Talk tomorrow.

  OK

  When Lucie finished she noticed Aren was busy tapping away on his phone, too. He glanced up when he’d set his phone inside his coat pocket. “I let my sister know I’d find my own way home.”

  “I told my friends the same thing.”

  He reached for her hand and off they went. After a number of attempts to find available space at a wine bar, they gave up and settled for a booth in an all-night diner.

  It felt good to sit down. Lucie shrugged off her coat. Aren unbuttoned his overcoat.

  “I’m sorry. I’m unfamiliar with the area or I’d know of a place.”

  “I doubt it would have mattered,” Lucie assured him. “On a night like this every seat is taken. We were lucky to get a table here.” After she spoke she realized he must be new to the city. “You’re not from New York?”

  “Seattle,” he explained.

  In other words he was a tourist. Well, that was probably for the best, seeing that she didn’t really have time to invest in a relationship, if indeed this turned into one. Oh dear, she was getting way ahead of herself.

  “I recently moved to the city.”

  “Oh.” Instantly her spirits lifted, even though her circumstances weren’t going to change for a long while.

  “What about you?”

  “I live in Brooklyn.”

  “I haven’t been there yet, but my sister tells me it’s fast becoming the place to be. I’ll need to find an apartment soon and she suggested I look there.”

  “You’ll like it.” Lucie had lived in Brooklyn her entire life and was part of the community. Their apartment was just off Jamison Street. Their restaurant, once they opened, would be relatively close. They’d decided to name it Heavenly Delights.

  “What brings you to New York?” she asked.

  “A job. I’m a writer and a good friend recommended me for a position with the New York Gazette.”
br />   “The Gazette. Wow, you must be very good.”

  “I’d like to think so, but time will tell. What about you?”

  Lucie hardly knew where to start. “Well, I recently graduated from culinary school, and my mother and I are working toward opening a restaurant.”

  It looked as if Aren was about to say something but changed his mind. “That takes a lot of work.”

  “Tell me about it.” She stopped herself from elaborating on the trials and difficulties, the expense and the fears. This wasn’t the time for that.

  “You’re looking thoughtful,” Aren commented.

  Lucie smiled. “Just before we bumped into each other I was thinking that I’d much rather be home than standing alone in the cold.”

  Aren chuckled. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing. The only reason I agreed to go was because I didn’t want my sister to be alone. She had a recent breakup and is taking it pretty hard. Actually, I was wondering if I’d find my way back to my sister’s apartment.”

  “You’re lost?”

  “Not exactly,” he said and looked a bit embarrassed. “Understanding these street directions is driving me nuts and testing my intelligence. What do you mean when you say on Fifty-third between Sixth and Seventh when the address is something completely different, like twelve Madison Avenue? I used to think I had a good sense of direction. No longer.”

  Now it was Lucie’s turn to laugh. “Don’t worry, you’ll catch on soon enough.”

  “I hope so.”

  The harried waitress approached their table and handed them menus. “Coffee?”

  “Please,” Lucie answered. She was going to need it if she intended to stay awake much longer, and she sincerely hoped that she was. Her day had started at four that morning, meeting with contractors and dealing with what seemed like a dozen problems that all had to be resolved that day.

  Aren righted his coffee mug and glanced at the menu. “I don’t generally eat this late, but Josie insisted we’d find something on the street.”

  Josie must be his sister. “And you ended up not eating.”

  “The truth is I spent half the evening in a frantic search for my sister. We were continually separated.”

  That had happened to Lucie as well with her two friends. The cops had directed them into a fenced-off area, but the crowd still seemed to move her away from her friends. She probably should have been a bit more aggressive, but that simply wasn’t her nature. And she was nervous to leave her spot because she knew the cops wouldn’t let her back in.

  “What do you hope for the new year?” Aren asked, after sipping his coffee.

  “Oh my, so much.” Lucie sat up straighter and talked nonstop for a good ten minutes, until she realized she’d completely dominated the conversation. More than a little embarrassed, she shook her head. “Enough about me. What do you hope for the new year?”

  “No, no, continue,” he insisted, and then added, “Actually, there’s something important I’m waiting to hear.”

  “And what would that be?”

  His smile was warm. “What about the men in your life?”

  Lucie shrugged. “At the moment there’s only one.”

  “So, there’s someone important in your life?”

  “He’s a bit possessive, too.”

  Aren’s smile faded. “Really? Tell me about him.”

  “His name is Sammy, and we’ve been together five years. Actually, he lets me sleep with him.”

  “I beg your pardon?” Aren laid the menu aside and frowned.

  “Sammy’s a fifteen-pound mixed-breed dog my mother and I adopted. He does allow me to sleep with him and makes sure I know I am there only by his generosity.”

  Aren laughed. “In other words you’re currently not involved with anyone … human.”

  “Correct.” Lucie was thrilled he’d asked. “What about you? Any women in your life?”

  He sighed heavily. “I’m two years out of a divorce.” He looked down at his coffee.

  Lucie watched as the sadness and disappointment sank Aren’s shoulders.

  “Katie and I were married for five years. She fell in love with someone else.” He said it as if the pain lingered still.

  “Children?”

  “No, thankfully we avoided that complication. I wanted a family but Katie kept coming up with excuses. In retrospect, I’m grateful.”

  “Have you dated much since?”

  “Very little. But getting back to you, because I want this to be clear between us. You’re not involved with a man, or currently married, right?” He posed the question as if he feared a repeat of the mistakes in his past. “You see, the man Katie left me for was someone she was once involved with.”

  “Oh, no worries there.”

  He frowned now. “Why not? You’re wonderful.”

  She blushed with his praise. “No time. First, it was because I was in culinary school and working part-time to pay tuition. And now, well, now Mom and I are struggling to get our restaurant up and running. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to do all that needs to be done, let alone have much of a social life.”

  The waitress returned to the table for their orders and they each chose a light breakfast. The conversation didn’t lag once.

  Their plates had long since been removed and they’d each drank two or three additional cups of coffee before Lucie happened to glance at her watch and notice the time.

  “My goodness, it’s almost four,” she gasped as her hand flew to her heart. The hours had simply evaporated. She found it shocking to realize they’d been sitting in the all-night diner for the better part of three and a half hours.

  With a sense of panic Lucie reached for her purse, and slid out of the booth. “I have to work today.” She couldn’t believe she’d let the time get away from her like this. She’d be fortunate to get three hours’ sleep before working a twelve-hour shift. Her mother had urged her to take New Year’s Day off, but Lucie didn’t feel she could refuse the extra hours. Not when the restaurant paid time and a half for working the holiday. They could use the money.

  Right now every penny counted. Their goal was to open Heavenly Delights on March first, but seeing how much time everything took, Lucie had come to realize that that was an optimistic estimate.

  Aren reached for her hand. “Let me walk you to the subway.”

  “Okay.” She didn’t want to leave, but she really didn’t have a choice. As it was, Lucie had already been up for the last twenty-four hours. “I don’t mean to rush away but …”

  “It’s all right, I understand.”

  “Oh, Aren, I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed myself more. You’re so easy to talk to.” For a good portion of their evening she’d found herself sharing with him things she hadn’t told her coworkers and friends. Her eyes had filled with tears as she spoke of her father, who had passed away eighteen months earlier of complications from what should have been a routine surgery.

  Her brother lived and worked in Texas and had a young family, so it was just Lucie and her mother. And Wendy had health issues of her own. As a type 1 diabetic, Lucie’s mother had to carefully watch her diet and insulin levels.

  Aren reached for his overcoat. “I was just thinking how interesting and fun you are.”

  He’d already taken care of their tab, so they were free to leave.

  “I’d like to see you again,” he said as they walked down the sidewalk toward the subway station.

  “I’d like that, too, but …”

  “But,” he said, finishing the thought for her, “you don’t know if a relationship is possible just now.”

  “Yes.” She was grateful he’d put it into words for her.

  “I understand, but we both just said what a good time we’ve had. I don’t think we should be so willing to simply walk away from each other. The least we could do is get to know each other a little better. I can’t speak for you, but this is the first time in two years that I’ve felt like myself. I’m starting over a
nd I’ve met someone wonderful and I don’t want it to end after one night.” His steps slowed to match hers as they continued walking. “According to my sister I’m a great guy and—”

  “You are a great guy.”

  “And I happen to think you’re pretty wonderful yourself, so what do you say?”

  They arrived outside the subway station and Lucie hesitated.

  “Can I kiss you again?” he asked. “Maybe that will persuade you.”

  “Yes, please.” She leaned toward him and automatically slipped her arms around his neck.

  Their first exchange had been pleasant. The second, after coming to know each other a bit more, was several multiples better. This time she did hear music, but it was the sound of a happy heart.

  As soon as they broke apart she realized how badly she didn’t want to abandon this fledgling relationship.

  Aren held her gaze, awaiting her response. Bracing his forehead against hers he offered a suggestion. “Tell you what.”

  “What?”

  “Rather than walk away, give this some thought, okay?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I think I know what you’re thinking. We’re high on emotion and caffeine, and more than a little exhausted.”

  That had been exactly her thought process.

  “Take a week.”

  “A week,” she repeated.

  “If you decide this feeling is something you’re interested in exploring then we’ll meet again on January seventh at four o’clock.”

  “January seventh at four o’clock,” she repeated.

  “Seven days,” he repeated, “to think this through properly.”

  At the moment seven days seemed entirely too long to wait. Lucie was ready to make her decision right then and there, feeling as she did now. Still, a heavy responsibility had fallen onto her shoulders in regard to this restaurant. Now wasn’t the time to get involved with someone, even if that someone was as wonderful as Aren.

  “Where should we meet?” Lucie asked. “At the diner again?”

  “No,” he said, and ran his finger down the side of her face. “I’ll admit I’m a bit of a romantic. Let’s meet at the top of the Empire State Building.”

  “Why there?” she asked, smiling at his suggestion.