Cupid Gets a Name Chapter 3, part 2 of 4

Cupid Gets a Name
Chapter 3, part 2 of 4

"Oh, fun!" Rissa nodded.

"Better now?" Dia asked and got three nods.

"He's not going to know what hit him. Come on, let me help with your makeup." Tabi pulled her to the bathroom.

"Sorry girls, time for some brown girl bonding!"

"That's fine. We should go check on our party anyway."

Tabi's expert hand working on her makeup looked spectacular, and Nat returned to help get Dia's hair perfect before Dia discovered one flaw in her plan. The backpack that she thought contained two pairs of heels to choose from for the evening was instead more Lego. Teach me to buy two identical black backpacks from Amazon. Dia fumed briefly. Tabi volunteered her shoes, but they did not fit. She had to wear her white tennis shoes and an elegant dress. It wasn't a bad look. However, Dia had wanted something more refined. "My shoes!"

"He's not going to care, Dia." Tabi smiled when they emerged from the bedroom.

Guests started showing up for the friends' New Year's Party. Only four months ago, Dia had felt isolated and alone, without time for anything but the restaurant and Fredo's treatments. Her son now had a best friend instead of spending too much time at the hospital. Dia had friends that felt more like family. Sara and Alison showed up with their newborn and two-year-old, while Derek and Samantha brought their little one. There was so much love and happiness in the house.

"You look pretty, mommy." Fredo grinned up from his Lego creation.

"I want to dress like that!" Clementine clapped. She was as obsessed with Lego as Fredo but was also a girly girl. She was fascinated with dresses and accessorizing with a matching purse.

"When you're older." Jake smiled. "Wade's going to love it, Dia."

"I hope so." Dia was nervous again. She wanted to impress the man who had taken her heart.

A knock emitted from the front door a few minutes later, before Wade's appointed time. Tabi made Dia answer the door.

"Whoa." Wade's jaw dropped as he stared, utterly stunned by her outfit. He looked stunning in his tailored suit.

He had to have had it made or adjusted since he'd lost weight due to his health struggles. It was a dark color with a vest underneath. The shirt was a gleaming white with a bit of shimmer and a purple, solid-colored tie. A blue square of fabric stuck out of a pocket, and he had a perfectly matching fedora. The hat wasn't a requirement anymore, as there was no harsh sunlight to guard against, and he had the beginnings of his hair returning.

"You clean up very well." Dia leaned in and collected a kiss.

"Not half as well as you, believe me, Dia. I keep thinking I've seen you at your most beautiful, but you keep surprising me." Wade's blue eyes gleamed as he smiled.

"But I don't have my heels." Dia pouted for a moment before smiling.

"Those shoes look perfect on you. Do we have a minute? I brought something for Clem, Fredo, and the hosts."

"Sure. Are you certain this is better than the apron the other day?" Dia smirked.

"We can call that a draw. These are for you." He handed her a small, elegant bouquet. They were an explosion of color on a cold winter evening. "Been a while since my last first date. This is good, right?"

"You're doing fine."

"Your present is still back at my apartment, Dia." Wade smiled. Even though she'd picked him up at the airport and spent Friday afternoon with him, their schedule had only allowed her time back at his apartment before Christmas.

"You didn't have to, Wade."

"I wanted to, babe. You know I'm smitten, right?" Wade leaned in to collect a kiss.

"I kind of get that impression." Dia grabbed his hand and led him through Jake and Tabi's house to see the hosts and children.

Wade - That same time

There was plenty of room for Wade to walk side by side with Dia, but he couldn't resist holding back just a bit so that he could sneak a look at her extraordinary ass in a tight merlot dress. I'm the luckiest man alive. It popped into his head even after the harsh year. His trials and tribulations seemed to be what required him to have a few more minutes with Dia.

A peek over Dia's shoulder caught Wade leering. "Like the dress?" she asked with a smile.

"It's incredible. Almost as intoxicating as the woman wearing it."

"Thanks. I wanted to wear something nice for you."

"You went above and beyond nice, Dia." Wade halted them in a secluded spot before they emerged into the kitchen. He needed to collect a kiss before anything else.

"Save it for the hotel room," Tabi said as she walked by. Her smile shouted that she was having fun with them, not angry.

"Do you have a vase?" Dia switched subjects as she broke the kiss. "These are beautiful, but I don't want them to wither while we're at the party."

"Of course." Tabi took the offered bouquet and led the couple to the kitchen.

"Oh, and for you and Jake. Thanks for watching Fredo." Wade reached into a bag in his opposite hand and pulled out a nice bottle of wine.

"You didn't have to, but thank you, Wade. Don't worry. When Jake and I celebrate our anniversary, you and Dia will make up for it with a little free babysitting in a few weeks." Tabi grinned.

"Gladly," Dia replied for them as they turned a corner into the open kitchen.

"Fair is fair." Jake shrugged with a grin.

"Bald brother!" Fredo dropped the pieces to the tower he was constructing with Clem and rushed over to hug Wade's legs.

"Hey, buddy. I don't think either of us is bald any longer."

"I know. I like the name." Fredo looked sad.

"What's wrong?"

"I was going to stay up to midnight this year with momma. Can I come to the party? Momma says there's going to be fireworks."

"Aww, sorry, Fredo," Wade said. Unsurprisingly, the kid who had blessed the date a few days ago had changed his mind. "The party is for adults only. What if your mom and I call you at midnight?"

"Can ya show the fireworks?" Fredo looked down.

"We'll call you on video, Mijo, but only if you're still awake." Dia ruffled Fredo's hair.

"'Kay."

"Before we go, I got yours and Clem's Christmas presents."

"Why'd you get one for her?" Fredo looked puzzled.

"You don't want me to give your friend a gift?" Wade questioned.

Fredo motioned for Wade to lean down. "I didn't get her anything, and she's my best friend." Fredo's lower lip stuck out a little as he pouted. "You're making me look bad."

"You want to go in on this together? Your mom can kick me a little of your allowance to go in on this together." It was a fee that Wade never planned to collect.

"Please, momma?" Fredo looked at Dia as he pleaded.

"Of course, dear." Dia produced a pen from her purse. "Write your name on the tag, and you can give it to her."

"Thank you!" Fredo hugged his mom.

Fredo disappeared around the corner to write his name out of the sight of Clem before he bounced back to her.

"Merry Christmas, Clem!" the boy yelled as he set the box in front of the adorable carrot-topped little girl.

"For me?" Clem looked puzzled.

"Yeah, from me and momma's boyfriend," Fredo said proudly.

"Thank you. Mom, Papa Jake, can I open this?" The redhead turned toward Tabi.

"Of course, better do it now since Wade and Dia are leaving for a party."

"Okay!" Clem yelled as she tore into the candy-cane-printed pattern with slow precision. Wade had to get her and Fredo Legos, the pair's favorite activity. This set would make a futuristic-looking jet. "Thank you!" Clem hugged Wade's leg and then hugged Fredo, who got a big smile.

"Your turn, Mijo." Dia encouraged her boy to open his gift.

Fredo's style of unwrapping was more haphazard than Clem's as pieces of red candy cane paper went flying.

His Lego set was a darker version of Clem's. Wade suspected they would have something to play with once their building escapades were complete.

"Thank you, Wade." Fredo rushed over to hug him.

"You're very welcome, Fredo."

"Now you can take momma!" Fredo stepped back and opened his new toy. What they had been building before was temporarily forgotten by the need to create the jets first. "Race you, Clem."

"Be good for Tabi and Jake, Mijo." Dia hugged her son.

"Okay."

"I love you, and we'll be back tomorrow morning."

"Okay. Love you too, momma."

"Or afternoon, no rush." Tabi beamed.

"Have fun, you two!" Rissa waved as they exited.

After procuring Dia's overnight bag and change of clothes, Wade opened the door for her before he walked around to his side. He had to do a double take when he sat in the driver's seat and glanced at his girlfriend. She had swept the long slit on her heavenly dress to the side and pushed up her rump so the hint of flesh underneath her wasn't just a leg but a peek at her glorious, waxed pussy.

"My God, Dia..." Wade only stared momentarily before meeting her eyes and leaning over the armrest.

"Just giving you something to look forward to." Dia grinned as she came in for a kiss. She leaned up after the kiss and pulled her dress back into place. "Also, if I'm a little reserved on the dance floor, you know why. Are you sure you don't want me to get my heels?"

"Why? You look perfect in those shoes, Dia. You always have." The white canvas tennis shoes were as much a part of Dia as her gleaming smile or tight curls.

The New Year's Eve party was the biggest shindig in the city to celebrate the changing of the calendar. Wade got an invitation because his boss was in Hawaii over the holidays and would return on the second of January.

His company was one of the primary sponsors of the charity ball that went with the celebration. The hotel was one of the tallest buildings in the city, and their room was on the top floor, overlooking the impending fireworks and drone show to welcome the New Year.

They checked in and ran their luggage to the top floor into an opulent suite.

"This is too much, Wade." Dia lodged her complaint with an awed grin.

"You can thank my boss; the room comes with their ball sponsorship. I got my name drawn at the Christmas party."

"I want to thank you first." Dia squeezed him tightly as she kissed Wade with a burning passion. "More thinking will have to come after the party." She winked at him as her hand passed over his hard cock. "Plenty of additional thinking." She wandered across the room as her booty swayed hypnotically. "Check this out!" Dia squealed with excitement as she found a door out to a balcony.

"Uh... Neat," Wade said as he got close to the door. His fear of heights had an odd relationship with rails well over waist high. A safety measure made him unnaturally anxious. The small walkout was safe enough, but his heart was pounding.

"Are you afraid of heights, sweetie?" Dia smirked as if she had discovered his kryptonite.

"A little," Wade confessed but stepped out beside her.

"I have some ideas about how to get you over that," Dia whispered, then giggled.

"Oh?"

"After the dance." Dia pushed away from the rail back toward the interior, and Wade's heart rate finally settled.

We can call Fredo from the balcony and show him the fireworks from here.

"Sounds perfect, as long as that plan includes kissing you at midnight."

"I have better plans for after the ball drops." Dia's eyebrows dance suggestively. "But first, we see if you can dance as well as you can fuck."

Cupid 542 - That same time

"How is your project, my dear?" Angela questioned as she glided into the kitchen. She'd had a late night as the muses assisted people in creating resolutions.

"Well, for tonight. I don't need to keep an eye on them. I'd rather devote my attention to a certain angel as we celebrate another year."

"They won't need a guiding hand?" Angela grinned as she pulled down her favorite tea from the shelf. Height was a trivial matter to overcome when one had wings and could hover effortlessly.

"Not tonight. I'm not a voyeur." 542 closed his notebook. Some mythic creatures in the Lust Division liked to observe any of their hookups closely. They remained in that division; instead of accepting a promotion to the True Love Division, they lingered in the lower division to keep their observations going. 542 did not share that compunction. He would monitor pivotal events, but only some things.

"Does this mean you win?"

"Not yet. Not by a long shot. I still need them to verbally confess their love for each other by Valentine's Day to route around potential heartache, but they'll end up together eventually." 542 nodded. "I'd much rather it be now than in a decade."

"They seem so happy right now."

"They do, but the probability of three potential dissolutions is increasing. This next year is pivotal to their relationship. If I can strengthen their bond before things get rough, they can help steady each other through the trials."

"We haven't averted the bad outcomes?"

"No, there's no way to prevent what's coming. However, they can be each other's strong foundation in the coming months."

Dia - Near midnight.

Clutching Wade's hand as they ascended the elevator shaft, Dia couldn't help but smile broadly. Wade had acquitted himself well as both a dance partner and as Dia chatted up some of her fellow restaurateurs attending the party. She'd been surprised to hear that the chefs and owners highly regarded her taqueria. I'm going to need to give the chef a raise. She's earned it. As much fun as dancing was, she preferred to be somewhere private to celebrate the clock hitting midnight.



To be continued