Читать книгу Cinderella's Christmas Affair - Katherine Garbera - Страница 9

Dying had not been what I’d expected and after successfully matching together one couple I felt a little more confident about this afterlife gig. But this body disappearing thing still freaked me out. I was back in that in-between land that Father Dom had called purgatory.

I’d been a capo in the mob before being betrayed by one of my lieutenants. Five shots to the chest and a dying request for forgiveness had brought me here.

The deal I’d cut was essentially to unite in love as many couples as enemies I’d murdered in hate. So I knew I’d be dealing with this angel broad for a while. Matchmaker to the lovelorn wasn’t exactly something I’d been dying to do but life was full of surprises. Come to think of it so was death.

In front of me was a large mahogany desk with a library lamp and a jar of Baci chocolates. I’d been here before. The angel broad was there, still looking like she’d just attended a funeral but her dress this time was puke-green.

She was making notes in a file folder. She didn’t glance up and I knew she was playing a game with me. I’d done the same thing a time or two when I’d been a capo. It made me feel like a cugine instead of the boss of bosses, which I’d essentially been. I didn’t like it.

“What’s up next, babe?” I asked.

“Mr. Mandetti, unless you want me to stop this whole exercise now, you will refrain from calling me babe.”

I still wasn’t used to being called by my real name. I’d been Il Re when I was alive. The King. Yeah, I had an ego and the attitude to carry off that name. “I don’t know your name.”

“Didiero. I’m one of the seraphim.”

“The what?”

“One of the highest angels of God.”

“Oh.” She made me feel stupid which wasn’t a feeling I liked. But she held all the cards and if I’d learned one thing from my time back on earth it was that I didn’t want to go to hell.

And I’d never admit this to anyone but I liked the feeling that came with doing something good. It was the first time I’d ever experienced it.

“Didi?” I asked.

“Are you talking to me?” She didn’t look up from the papers in front of her.

“Didiero is a mouthful.”

She glanced at me from under her lashes. This one would drive me crazy if I let her.

“So who’s next?” I asked.

“You still want to go in order?” she asked.

“Nah, give me that green one halfway down.” Maybe the middle of the pile would be easier. I wasn’t trusting her to pull out a couple. I’m sure she’d fixed it so I’d had to work hard on my first assignment.

She handed me the folder. I opened it up and groaned. CJ Terrence and Tad Randolph. “Aren’t there any couples who can do this on their own?”

“Sure, there are Mandetti, but they don’t need your help. There is one thing I should warn you about,” Didi said.

“Yeah?” I was leery. Why was she suddenly being all helpful?

“You won’t take the same human form each time.”

It was like she knew how to push my buttons. “Babe, get to the point.”

“That is my point, Mandetti.”

She disappeared and I felt my body dissolve. I found myself on the streets of Chicago. My kind of town. This assignment was looking up by the moment. I was in front of the Michigan Building on Michigan Ave. In the mirrored glass I saw an old lady and two sharp-looking guys.

Not bad. I could definitely handle being a young hip guy. Both of them were taller than I’d been. I walked toward the glass and noticed only the old lady was moving.

Madon’ that couldn’t be me, could it? I gave the reflection the finger. Christ, I was an old broad with a frumpy dress on. Didi was probably up in Heaven laughing. Just wait until I saw her again.