Dead Beat Dates & Deities - Goddess of Tornado Alley Series Book One

Chapter Ten

"I'm not convinced," Frank said as she and Ella sat in her Jeep fifteen minutes later. The engine was running and the heat was on, but the air coming through the vents was still cold.

"How is that possible?" Ella wanted to know. "Three times you've hooked people up in what, four days? You've been given a gift!"

"A gift?" Frank asked incredulously. "How? Why?"

Ella laughed. "Hell if I know, but I'll bet the goddess of love has something to do with it."

Frank was quiet as they sat there watching customers of the restaurant walk through the parking lot, coats wrapped tightly around them and heads obscured by thick hats.

"This is crazy."

"I've been hearing that a lot lately."

"I can't go and visit her right now."

Ella scrunched her forehead. "Why not?"

"She told me that bruises depress her."

"Oh," Ella said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Well she's quite the diva, isn't she?"

Frank tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. "Don't even get me started."

"You've got the rest of the day off?" Frank nodded in response. "Okay. I say we go back to Cupid's Closet. If she doesn't want to see you, I assume she won't."

"She is definitely the kind of girl who does only what she wants to do."

It was Monday afternoon and the traffic was relatively light. The sun had come out and hung in an azure sky, bright rays bouncing off the white world below it. Frank pulled out a pair of sunglasses and pushed them onto her face as her cell phone rang sending The Miami Sound Machine's dance tune floating exuberantly throughout the inside of the Jeep.

Ella huffed. "I hate that ringtone."

"Good thing it's not on your phone then, huh?"

"It's your mom."

"Grab it, will you?"

"Hi, Rosalie," Ella said in greeting. "Yeah, it's me. Hang on and I'll put you on speaker."

"Frances?" Frank heard her mother say.

"Hi, Mom."

"Why are you in the car and not at work?"

"I went in this morning. but Nick took one look at me and told me he'd free up some sick time."

"Do you look as awful now as you did Saturday?"

Frank eased into a left-hand turn lane and listened to the clicking of her blinker as she stared out of the windshield. "Actually, I look worse."

"She's wearing makeup, though," Ella offered. "The mascara helps."

"You're lucky to work for such a nice man," Rosalie said. "Is he available? Every time I come to see you for lunch I think the two of you would make a great couple."

"Yep, I've heard you say that once, twice, maybe thirty times."

"I'm pretty sure he's seeing someone," Ella said watching Frank's profile. "It looks like it might be serious."

"Missed opportunity then." Rosalie sounded disappointed. "You waited too long, Frances. Now he's off the market."

"He's my boss, Mom. You know my policy. I don't date people from work."

"That sounds good in theory, but you're twenty-nine years old. When was the last time you were in a serious relationship? I can't remember when. I think it's high time you changed your policy."