I raise my voice. “Heis right here, you know, and I’m capable of doing what I offered to do. The customer’s Saturnian, right? Vee, you led me through the coaching course, so I know what I’m doing. There’s no one better for the job than me.” Conviction flows through my words and Merc smiles.
“There’s our Saturn. First things first: getting the customer to agree.” My conviction falters a little. How am I supposed to do that?
Vee smirks, and I wonder if I’ll regret this. “Get ready for a field trip.”
6Niyi
WHEN VEE SAID “FIELD TRIP,” I DIDN’T IMAGINE REVERTINGto my primary school days. Why am I inside a hospital in aCupid’s Bowshirt as if I’m at risk of straying from the group? To make matters worse, this heavily starched shirt is the most uncomfortable thing I’ve worn since, coincidentally, my primary school field-trip days.
I fidget in the chilly reception area waiting for Dr. Moyo Adegbite, the complaining customer of the moment. The woman who could transform my career atCupid’s Bowif I can use her to fine-tune my algorithm. I pull up her file on my phone, looking over her astrological lines again.
I’m lost in the task of examining the relationship between Moyo Adegbite’s Leo sun and Gemini moon when a voice calls my name.
“Niyi, right?” A woman—Moyo, I presume—walks up to me and I do a double take.
For the first time in a long while, I’m stunned. I stand to address her properly, and respectfully, but my knees falter. Like an oaf, I stumble before the absolute beauty in front of me.
The white of her doctor’s coat provides a stark contrast to her rich brown skin. Loose spirals of hair frame her gorgeous face.
She clears her throat, startling me out of my trance. “Are you Niyi?” she asks, irritation audible in her voice.
“Yes, I am,” I say breathlessly. Being rendered speechless was not part of the agenda. Especially not if I’m going to convince her to join the program so I can keep pretending I’m a capable Saturn.
She plasters on a smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “How can I help you?”
Words escape me, so I point to the embroidered logo on my chest. Her eyes scan the tiny words. They widen in recognition before forming murderous slits.
“Not interested,” she says curtly.
“I’m here on behalf of Vinny Carr, Head of Operations atCupid’s Bow.” The words tumble out with the elegance of a newborn gazelle. She glares at me. “Mercury,” I deadpan, and her mouth falls into an ‘o.’
“Tell them thank you, but no thanks,” she says and turns away. Before she can walk out of range, I touch her elbow, which sends a jolt through me. It takes two shakes of my palm to eliminate the spark. Once it’s gone, I miss the feeling.
“Please,” I say. She pauses and shoots a cynical look at her arm as if the appendage offended her. I take advantage of her hesitation and vomit the monologue Merc and Vee forced me to memorize.
“AtCupid’s Bow, we pride ourselves on elite customer service. Therefore, we would like to offer you a monetary compensation package and a free dating consultant. The consultant will meet with you for up to three matches until you achieve a positive match.”
Moyo’s eyes could bore a hole directly into my face, so I stare at a patch of white wall beyond her to avoid forgetting my task or getting disintegrated by her venomous gaze.
The final stretch. “If your consultant is not up to standard, a new one will be assigned to you. All consultants are highly trained, as is theCupid’s Bowstandard. You will not be disappointed by putting your trust in our establishment,” I finish, and hold my breath in anticipation.
She cocks her hip and rests her pristine nails on her white coat. I can’t help but wonder, what does she think of me? It can’t be anything positive, thanks to this too-tight excuse for a Polo shirt, or the fact that I’m fromCupid’s Bow.
Before she can respond, a young woman wearing pink scrubs bursts into the waiting room.
“Dr. Adegbite, consult in room seven,” she calls.
Moyo lifts a shoulder in a half-shrug. “Again, thank you, but tell Mercury I’m done withCupid’s Bow’s services. Have a good day”—her eyes linger on mine—“Niyi.”
For the first time in over a year, my heart feels alive. I’m captivated, and I can’t explain it. I’ve seen beautiful women before, but somehow this meeting feels like a discovery. Fuck these powers. Aside from taking over my life, they now want to influence my attraction.
Without thinking, I touch her palm.
We both stare at theCupid’s Bowbusiness card sitting there.
When did I grab that? When did I move? When did I touch her? Are my emotions enhancing my godly powers?
“Take some time to think about it. Call us about any part of the package if you change your mind. Have a good day, Dr. Adegbite.”
