Excerpt
Cynthia Nixon opened her eyes and screamed.
There was a man sitting on the edge of her bed. He was perhaps four feet tall, with broad muscular shoulders, curling red hair and skin that was dotted with freckles. He also had a quiver full of arrows strapped to his back and a large bow. Hence the scream.
“Easy lady, easy,” the man said. “What are you trying to do? Wake the dead?”
“What are you doing in my apartment?”
“You call this an apartment? More like a dive, ain’t it?”
Cynthia moved to a sitting position, causing the small man to readjust himself. “Easy, lady, easy. You want me to fall off this bed and hurt myself? I could charge you for workers comp, you know.”
It was then that she noticed the wings. “Who the hell are you?”
The man winked at her and ruffled his wings. “I’m anybody you want me to be, baby.”
Cynthia made a sound of disgust and pulled the blanket out from under him. “No, I mean what are you? What’s with the get up?” She held up a fist to the little man. “And you better start talking, cus I’m in the mood to scream.”
“Okay, okay.” The man huffed. He folded his wings around himself. “Jeez, lady, you really know how to mark up a guy’s manhood, you know? I never asked for this job, you know.”
“What is it exactly that you do?” Cynthia asked.
He puffed out his chest. “I’m Cupid.”
Cynthia snorted. “Yeah, and I’m Little Bo Peep.”
Cupid wiggled his eyebrows. “Did you want to be? I’ve got a great Sheppard’s outfit and I’m sure I could find you a Bo Peep dress.”
Cynthia’s mouth frowned in disgust. “In your dreams...”
Cupid leered at her. “It’s happened,” he said. “Most women find me very charming.”
“Why, because you shoot them with arrows?”
“Nope, the arrows are for the men. Most men are too stupid to know when a woman fancies them. The arrow just gives them a gentle nudge.”
Cynthia rubbed her eyes. She was not having this conversation. She was not talking to a four foot tall man with three day old stubble, wings and bad fashion sense. “I thought Cupid was all cute and cuddly,” she said in resignation. “Aren’t you supposed to be like, a cherub, or something?”
Cupid scowled at her. “Lady, don’t make me gag. That’s just an urban myth,” he narrowed his eyes at her. “I suppose you expect me to be wearing a diaper, or something too, right? Some sort of loin cloth?”
“Well, what about the hearts, the rosy cheeks, the floating on clouds?”
“Lady, what have you been reading? Do you really believe all the Hallmark crap? Look, I’m Cupid. I got the job from the last guy, who by the way was arrested for looking in at women while they were undressing.”
“The last Cupid was a peeping tom?” Cynthia could not believe she was having this conversation.
“Yep, got into real trouble too; a woman went to take a bath and found more than a bar of soap floating in her bathwater.”
Cynthia shuddered. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
“You’re taking this rather well,” Cupid said, nonchalantly. “Most woman who wake up and find a guy in their apartment need a little convincing.”
“This isn’t the first strange thing that’s happened to me,” Cynthia said. “I attract a lot of freaks.”
“Something weirder than a four foot guy with wings?”
Customer Reviews
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Fun with a grown-up Cupid Review by Karin
Overall This is a fun and fresh way to look at the Cupid myth. Jamieson Wolf's Cupid is like no other Cupid I've ever read. On the surface he appears to be brash and abrasive, but there is way more to him than that. Cynthia is the type of woman that it is easy to relate to and she won't take any crap from the mouthy little man. Their bickering in the beginning only sets the stage for the comparisons between Cupid and Cynthia's crush. Though he may say things just to get a rise out of Cynthia, he is never deliberately cruel.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and found myself chuckling through most of it. The comments about Cupid's arrows only being for men because they're too stupid to recognize a woman's interest really made me laugh. And the revelation about how deceptive looks can be is something everyone could benefit from at some point. I only feel bad for Cynthia that she learned it in such a devastating and public manner.
This is a very satisfying short story that shows that sometimes what we think we want isn't really what we need. (Posted on 3/17/10) -
Poignant, Witty, and Sexy Review by Alternative-Read.com
Overall I found this a good look at the adage " don't judge a book" while being poignant, witty, and sexy. (Posted on 9/23/09)
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Delightful and Humorous Review by Reviews by Rita
Overall This was a delightful and humorous story. A valentine's day treat without the usual saccharine. I enjoyed it throughly. The characters were well developed and portrayed. I would definitely give it 5 arrows out of 5.
(Posted on 9/23/09) -
Fall in Love With Cupid Review by Victoria from Two Lips Review
Overall Be prepared to fall in love with Cupid while reading Cupid’s Delight! Jamieson Wolf replaces the cute and cuddly Cupid most of us know and love with a worldly, savvy, wise-talking, humorous, winged being. The bantering between Cupid and Cyn is utterly delicious and had me barking with laugher throughout this whole short story. Cyn, at first, is appalled with Cupid’s candor, but grows to appreciate it as he works to fulfill her heart’s desire. Cupid dispels all the myths that society has thrust upon him, while giving her the benefits of his worldly wisdom. I loved the way Cupid defends Cyn’s honor at the bar and gleefully cheered him on towards an unexpected, yet totally satisfying ending. Mr. Wolf, could you please send Cupid over to my house? (Posted on 9/23/09)
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Prepare to Smile Review by BD Whitney of BookWenches
Overall When you pick Cupid’s Delight for a read, prepare to smile. A lot. This story is filled with outrageous and completely irresistible humor that is both clever and entertaining. It is well-written enough to grab a reader’s attention from the very first line, and the fun starts from that moment and hardly lets up until the end. One tongue-in-cheek moral to this story: don’t piss off Cupid. He doesn’t just get mad, he gets even, and the results are simply hilarious.
Mr. Wolf gives us two main characters that should delight even the most jaded of romance readers. I mean, who doesn’t love Cupid? Cute little cherub surrounded by hearts and all that, right? Wrong. This Cupid is about as original as they come. He’s impatient, belligerent, has a raunchy mouth, and puts on a really tough act. But somehow that makes him attractive, and readers will definitely be rooting for “the little guy.” Just don’t call him that to his face. Jennifer is a woman who may have had bad luck with men, but she can still give as good as she gets. And I have to say that I appreciated her taste in men when she suggests Johnny Depp or Harrison Ford for targets of Cupid’s arrows on her behalf.
The love scene in Cupid’s Delight is very provocative, and this just goes to prove that more isn’t necessarily better. I’ve read detailed love scenes that were dozens of pages long that didn’t have the sensual impact of these couple of pages. Readers will no doubt be breathless and fanning themselves by the end of the scene. Or, at least, I was.
This is the first work by Mr. Wolf that I’ve had the opportunity to read. Suffice to say, I’ve been missing out. If he can roll this much fun up into fifteen short pages, then I’m sold. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.
--Bobby (Posted on 9/22/09)
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