Page 10 of Flowers Near Me
CHAPTER TEN
SMOKE AND MIRRORS
PERSEPHONE
A fter the detail-intensive meeting with Charon, Persephone lay on the canopy bed in the guest bedroom that would be hers for the next six months. A backlit bubble glass wall stretched from the floor to the high ceiling behind her, casting a pale blue glow across the soft comforter.
Cut honey-hued Teddy Bear sunflowers stood in a white flute vase on the bedside table. Persephone stroked the fine petals with her fingertips and drew in a slow, deep breath. Her mom used the bittersweet flower to decorate culinary dishes back home.
Laura had laughed off her request to file a police report, but replied to every question and concern she’d texted in her several-paragraph-long messages. How Laura wasn’t unnerved, she didn’t know, but her sister’s acceptance helped her own. Albeit in a tiny way.
Rubbing her eyes, Persephone swore aloud when she looked at the black smudges on her fingers. She hopped off the bed and washed her face in the en-suite bathroom. Floral filigree lined the edges of the porcelain sink, tub, and shower. Plush cotton towels were folded neatly and placed around the space, and Persephone lingered on each one as she moved about. Duplicates of every bath and beauty product she owned were packed into a linen closet.
Slumped in a desk chair on the opposite wall to the bed, she searched her name online. When she saw that the only articles that mentioned her were the same ones she’d read, then reread last night, her shoulders relaxed. She went through texts from her former team with requests to meet for coffee or lunch soon. Each kindhearted message carved more from her chest. When would she work with them again?
Charon had packed her calendar with activities with Hades. Everything from formal events to picking up takeout together. There weren’t many free blocks over the next ninety days because Hades wanted people to believe that not only were they excited for their new business partnership, but they were also a real couple who spent every moment together. Not to mention the fact that they were launching a new product, but that seemed to be a secondary concern to Hades. Her throat tightened as she reviewed her calendar for the tenth time.
Hades had told her they’d have dinner together at a new steakhouse tonight. He’d showed her the dark slacks and black cashmere sweater Charon had laid out for him. The high-waisted loose slacks and silk blouse Charon had picked for her would match nicely. She may lose her mind during these next six months, but at least she’d look posh.
After a short nap, Persephone fixed her hair and makeup. The dark circles under her eyes this morning looked less purple. Dressed with shoes in hand, she padded out towards the kitchen.
She had twenty minutes until their reservation, and with Hades nowhere in sight, she set down her shoes near the elevator then headed towards a desk and some barrister bookshelves off in a corner of the main living room. Neat stacks of paper sat atop the shiny surface and a high-backed upholstered chair stood askew. Never once had Persephone wondered what the God of the Underworld’s apartment looked like. She’d been inside other gods’ homes—her mom’s, of course, and Hera’s, Athena’s, and Artemis’. But those were bright, opulent, and blessedly above ground.
Shelves packed with thick business and technology law books lined the outer edge of the open-floor plan in what looked to be Hades’ office space.
With a light touch, Persephone pressed her fingertips to the lock on the enclosed glass door of the bookshelf. A warmth emanated from the metal, but as she made contact, the heat subsided and the door opened. As a child, her mom discovered she could open enchanted doors and compartments. Shortly after, her mom’s protective spells became more elaborate… and painful.
Picking up a title boasting itself as a must read for every tech executive, Persephone flipped to a middle page and skimmed.
Picturing dinner tonight, knowing she and Hades would be photographed together, she imagined what her sister and mom would think when they saw the photos. Laura would get a notification on her phone and Persephone was certain someone on her mom’s team would alert her with a screenshot and a link to the post.
Did they know about the fake relationship part of the deal? Was that why Mom had been so cold?
She focused on what she thought her sister’s reaction would be and not her mom’s. Laura would see the photos and laugh. Probably send a teasing but good-natured congratulatory text to her. She’d torture herself later with her mom’s certain disappointment. If Persephone had a daughter who’d got stuck working with her rival, she’d be gutted too.
“Find a good book?” Hades’ husky voice trailed over her shoulders.
Slamming the pages shut, Persephone turned to see him a couple of paces away.
“ Blade of the titans … You’re silent as death.”
He gave her a wolfish grin. “You look lovely.”
“Charon has great taste.”
He looked past her to the bookshelf. “I’m glad I left this unlocked. I should’ve invited you to peruse the books sooner.”
She held her tongue, not wanting to correct him.
With a wave of his hand, several clicks followed by the creak of the bookshelves’ doors rang out. “Now you can peruse at will.”
“Ah, thank you.” She held up the book in her hands. “I’m putting this one back.”
Smiling, Hades held out his hand, and Persephone set the book in his palm. He set it on top of his desk and offered his arm.
“Are you hungry?”
She looped her hand through the crook of his elbow. “Always.”
The hooded-lid look he gave her as he said, “Me too,” ran a tickle down her spine.
Persephone cleared her throat and asked, “Does my mom or my sister know about the fake relationship part of the deal?”
“They do not. Only you, me, Charon, and Hecate.”
“Oh,” replied Persephone. Regardless of his rules, she’d tell Laura the truth.
The car ride to the restaurant passed too quickly for Persephone. “Tonight, we don’t need to act in love—yet,” Hades told her. “We just need to be seen together, enjoying ourselves, so people start to wonder.”
She bobbed her head. If Hades wasn’t a god, she’d be elated to be seen with a handsome, successful date like him. But this was the god of Underworld Unlimited. The company known for its ruthless takeover of Olympus’ e-commerce space. If you wanted to buy something online, you had to use his site.
Hades frowned at the gathered crowd packed onto the sidewalk, where their car stopped.
Persephone’s heart kicked up a notch. It’s just dinner. Smile. The words played on repeat in her mind as Hades opened up her door and offered his hand. She gave him a polite nod and released his hand the second she stood on the concrete. She loved tiny gestures like an offered hand, but why did it have to be him ?
Hades used one arm to part the small crowd of phone-wielding journalists and the other kept a featherlight pressure on her upper back. She donned a relaxed expression, and her head pointed down at the ground as she walked past the cameras.
They entered through imposing oak doors into a steakhouse lounge filled with dark wood floors, matte black tables and chairs, and sleek industrial lighting.
A suit-wearing host greeted, “Miss Ioulo and Hades, welcome.”
“Thank you,” answered Hades, who kept walking and applied gentle pressure on Persephone’s back, leading her down the line of identical tables.
Hades gestured to an open booth set with a bottle of ambrosia on ice. Before sliding into the booth, Persephone snuck a glance at the couples and groups nearby. A few eyes peered her way and smiled politely when they met her gaze. She nodded a silent greeting, then settled in her seat. By the time Hades sat across from her, she’d folded her cloth napkin into a neat triangle and laid it on her lap. Persephone’s back was to most of the room, but she could see the reflection of the busy dining area and bar in the framed mirror on the back wall.
It was only yesterday evening that she was sitting across from Eurydice, making—what she thought was—the biggest play in her career. Oh how quickly things had flipped on her. Instead of a quiet weekend, enjoying the company of Laura and her family, she was dining with the one god she never wanted to meet in real life.
She reached for her ambrosia-filled cup. “Do you get tired of crowds following you?” she asked.
“What makes you think I always have a crowd following me?”
Persephone focused on the landscape painting on the wall nearest them. “Well… the herd we walked through tipped me off.”
“Ah, yes. If you’re concerned that’s a constant thing, don’t be. Most days, I move freely without anyone noticing.”
“I doubt that.”
One of Hades’ brows quirked up. “Why?”
Glass in hand, Persephone swirled the golden liquid, watching it spin. “It feels like every week there’s another news story circulating about you.” She took a sip and watched him over the rim.
He laid an arm on the back of the bench. “Have you been following the stories about me?”
Persephone released an airy laugh. “You’re not one to be ignored. I think every time I’ve opened social media, your image is plastered like graffiti on my page. I’d say you enjoy the attention.”
“Hm…” Hades’ eyes narrowed, but his shoulders were still loose and leaning back. “I only want your attention, Sephy.”
These little flatteries kept pouring out of his mouth and she feared that he’d never stop. He was immortal, and she’d die long before she’d ever fall for him.
“Why, Hades? What’s the point?”
Hades straightened in his seat before leaning his elbows on the table and tilting his head to one side. The shadow of smugness on his handsome face made Persephone’s breath still. “Do you really think it’s a coincidence your feed is flooded with images of me?”
Yes, she thought, chewing on his implication, trying to make sense of the taste.
She scooted forward. “What are you implying?”
His smirk deepened, his voice was thick with amusement. “That maybe we were always going to meet.”
She bristled. Like fate? The thought unsettled her more than she cared to admit.
She resisted the urge to press her fingers to her temples, catching sight of her own exhausted reflection in the mirrored window beside them. Instead, she ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing it down. It wouldn’t do to look furious on their first public outing—but the god sitting across from her was making it a challenge.
Lowering her voice to a whisper, she said, “This is going to be excruciating if you keep laying it on this thick.”
Hades leaned in just enough to make his presence feel like a shadow pressing against her. “You don’t have to believe me for it to be true.”
She straightened, placing more distance between them.
A server arrived to take their orders. Hades’ suggestions sounded delicious and Persephone wasn’t one to fuss over a free meal. He made a few recommendations and whenever her face lit up with interest, he added it to the order.
“You’re happy to go toe-to-toe with me when I flirt, but you’re as docile as a lamb when I’m ordering food,” said Hades, though his tone carried the lilt of a question.
Persephone gave a carefree shrug. “I love food. You? I’m not so sure about.”
Chuckling, Hades quipped, “Give it time. You may even end up desiring me more than you desire food.”
“Oh, Fates. There’s no way.”
Hades raised one brow in a challenge, and Persephone took another sip of her drink. She asked, “So tell me. How do you plan on using the tech in Flowers Near Me ?”
His throat strained as he swallowed his drink and answered, “Same as you would have. Apply it to all e-commerce delivery, then use the location data for custom ads.”
She nodded, unsurprised by his answer but intrigued that he’d admit it so freely. “Must be nice to know you’ll regain your revenue lead in delivery sales.”
“Oh, love, this will definitely level the field between your mom’s company and mine. No… I take that back. Now that I have the app and you , I’ve gained an immeasurable advantage.” His eyes bore into hers like a predator cornering its prey. “If only you’d stop living in Demeter’s shadow and cast your own.”
“I enjoy working for her.” Persephone’s reply was quick, instinctual. But was it actually true? Was Hades onto something when he said she lived in her mom’s shadow?
“Maybe, after some time with me, you’ll change your mind.” Hades sank back in his seat.
“Not sure about that,” said Persephone. “You are the villain who snatched me away from my thriving career.”
“Or maybe I’m the hero who rescued you from perpetual mediocrity?”
She chuckled. “I know a few salespeople who would love the way you think.”
Their first course arrived and despite the flitting in her stomach, Persephone had no issue savoring the roasted vegetable tart and its accompanying arugula salad.
Hades pulled her back to their conversation. “Your niece, Helena. Where does she attend school?”
Persephone’s spine went rigid. Why would he ask about Helena? He could find that information on his own if he really wanted to, so there was no point in lying or avoiding the question. But that didn’t mean she needed to say more than the school’s name.
“Mount Olympus Academy.”
“Great school.” Hades relaxed in his seat, his expression nostalgic. “I remember when it opened.”
Built several centuries ago, most gods still considered it a newer establishment. Odd that someone who looked to be barely a decade older than her had lived many of her lifetimes already.
As a server cleared their plates, Persephone scanned the bar through the mirror’s reflection. There were a few gods and goddesses she recognized from events her mom had hosted over the years. Of course, most of them hadn’t known who she was until recently.
She went to ask him a question but stopped when his face hardened at a sight behind her.
“Brother!” a deep rumble of a voice called before a tall, well-dressed god Persephone knew as Poseidon slid into the booth next to Hades.
“Poseidon,” Hades said in a flat tone. Any exuberance he had a second ago drained from his chiseled face.
Poseidon showed off his pearl white teeth that contrasted with his tanned complexion. “You must be Demeter’s daughter, Persephone.” He extended his hand across the table. Persephone went to return the handshake, but he tugged her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it.
“That’s enough.” Hades swatted at Poseidon.
“So Persephone,” Poseidon continued, “how’d you end up stuck working with him?” He thumbed towards Hades while keeping his attention on her.
There was a moment where Persephone wondered if Poseidon suspected she’d been unknowingly tricked into the contract. Even if he did, she doubted he’d be any help. So she gave a lighthearted smile and answered, “Olympus is only so big. It was only a matter of time before I ended up working for someone other than my mom.”
With a sly tilt of his head, Poseidon said, “If I had known you were on the market for a business partner, I would’ve snatched you up.”
Hades tugged on his sleeves. “Well, you didn’t and now you’re interrupting our pleasant evening. It looks like your date has returned and is looking for you.” He flicked his nose towards the bar.
Poseidon wrapped one arm around a frowning Hades. “I only just got here.” Poseidon beckoned the woman sitting at the bar. “Why don’t we join you two?”
Hades’ jaw flexed. Clearly outrageous flirting was a family trait of theirs, and she had no interest in chatting up two of Olympus’ major gods. The handsome one she now lived with was bad enough.
Persephone chimed in, “That’s sweet, Poseidon, but we’ll have to take a rain check. With the impending launch, all social outings for the next few months have to serve the dual function of a business meeting as well. I’m afraid we’ll make for poor company tonight.”
Poseidon’s eyebrows lifted. “Is that right?”
Nodding, Persephone added, “Afraid so. But we’ll schedule something with your team. In fact, we’ll host dinner in his apartment.” Hades had invited her sister and family to join them tomorrow night. Why not extend an invitation of her own? At least it would buy some time for her to ask Hades in private why he looked like he wanted to jump out of his own skin at the prospect of speaking to his brother for a minute longer.
Poseidon grinned. “I look forward to it. Lovely to meet you, Persephone.” He dipped his head at Hades and said, “Have a good evening,” but snuck a wink at Persephone as he left their table to sit at the bar. Typical god behavior. Persephone smirked and shook her head.
Exhaling, Hades leaned back and dropped his shoulders. “I’d tease you for inviting someone over to our place, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth . Thank you, love.”
“You looked ill sitting next to him.”
His nostrils flared. “Poseidon is an acquired taste I have yet to acquire.”
She wondered if she should’ve made Hades sweat it out with Poseidon and his date. But had she let the conversation continue, there was a possibility she’d slip up and say something that would complicate their arrangement. Don’t make a fuss and don’t involve my team. Her mom’s words played in her mind and confirmed she’d made the right call to placate Hades and not entertain her own curiosity.
“Speaking of siblings, tell me more about Laura.”
Persephone pressed her lips tight then answered, “She’s one of the smartest people I know. Which is why I’m going to tell her the truth about us.”
He inclined his head. “You’re certain that she won’t tell others?”
No one except Peter, but he’d never tell another soul. “I’m sure.”
A beat of silence stretched between them. Then, with an easy nod, Hades leaned back. “Then it’s fine by me.” His next words, however, carried a quiet sincerity. “If it helps you settle in, then I have no objections.”
No smirk, no game, just an unexpected willingness to meet her halfway.
For the rest of the meal, Hades asked her about how she got into distribution as a career, what it was like growing up on her mom’s estate, and the reasons she had remained there instead of moving into the city. He seemed genuinely interested in her answers. It was either that or he really was the best actor in Olympus. Most likely it was the latter, but for a moment, she allowed herself to enjoy his company. By the time dinner ended and they entered his car, she’d almost forgotten he’d tricked her into living with him.