Page 15 of Flowers Near Me
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE FIRST STROKE
PERSEPHONE
T he two of them had settled into a daily routine in the apartment. A small breakfast together before they’d take the elevator up to the offices. During the workday, Hades was sometimes playful but mostly professional towards her. It seemed that most of his employees gave him a wide berth.
The forward, flirtatious Hades she’d met that first night in Narcisi started to feel more like a friendly roommate. Sure, he still complimented her at every turn, but his praises felt tailored to her desires. Somehow, he knew exactly what she wanted to hear. Before living with him, she never would’ve described herself as attention-starved. But the way he’d gift her new notebooks and pens, surprise her with lunch, or leave her notes thanking her for her work, made her think that maybe she was lonelier than she realized.
It pained her to consider the possibility that maybe she actually liked being around him. Was it his godly allure and power that drew her in? It had to be that and not something real. Now as they sat close together in his car, she couldn’t help the flip of her stomach when his thigh brushed hers.
“Why am I dressed like a figure skater?” Persephone asked Hades, who was sitting next to her in the back of his car.
“You’ll see. And you look lovely, by the way.” His eyes drifted over the black athletic dress covering her arms, torso, and upper thighs. What looked like scrutiny at first turned to appreciation.
She brushed her fingers across her pleated skirt. “Thank you. So do you.”
The tailoring of his outfit put his lithe yet muscular figure on display, and the deep black made his hair and eyes more brilliant. A mock collar, half-zip top, and simple, fitted pants tapered slightly at the ankle. Persephone held out her forearm, comparing the color of her outfit to his. Both the same shade of midnight.
“Are we playing tennis?”
“Good guess, but no.”
She stroked the soft fabric of her skirt between a finger and thumb. Persephone guessed again. “Ice skating? It’s too warm for that unless we’re headed to a rink.”
Hades chuckled. “Not ice skating. You’re getting colder in more ways than one.”
“Ha.” Out the car window, the city disappeared as they wove through lush suburban gardens filled with vibrant cornflowers and azalea bushes the size of one-story homes. Ancient oaks and pines began to fill either side of the road with fewer homes peeking through the woods. A calm silence blanketed the back seat, and Persephone heard a sigh so soft escape from Hades that she was certain he didn’t know she noticed.
“Golfing?”
Hades beamed at Persephone. “How did you guess?”
“A bit on the nose, don’t you think?”
“What do you mean?”
Persephone gestured to him. “You’re an executive who likes to golf. It’s a cliché and not even an interesting one.”
He shrugged. “Lots of people like to golf.”
“Okay, but how does a golf date sell a flower app? Because I’ve never played so you’ll have a lot on your hands trying to teach me.”
“You know, I’m delighted to hear you’re thinking about yourself and my hands.”
Persephone’s cheeks heated and with a subtle eye roll, she turned her head away towards the window.
Hades said, “It’s a chance for us to get to know one another better. It’ll just be the two of us on a practice course.”
Being comfortable with one another would help their fake dates look more believable. And it wasn’t as if she had anything else to do but wait until the marketing team finalized the ads’ scripts. She tried to keep herself busy, but she also wasn’t trying to help out Hades too much either.
“Have you swung a club before?” Hades asked.
“Never.” She held her breath, nervous about trying a new sport. Artemis’ Estate crested through their view. She’d attended events there before, but she’d no clue it had a golf course.
Once they arrived, an attentive pro-shop employee helped fit Persephone with proper shoes and clubs. She then joined Hades, who patted the seat next to him as he sat halfway in the golf cart, one long leg stretched outside, touching the gravel path.
Cozied next to him in the cart—made smaller by Hades’ large form—they whirred down the bending road, weaving through a scattering of towering cypress trees. Metal clapped together as their golf bags jostled. Apple green lawns lay before them like pressed bed linens across the expanse of the course.
Unbelted, Persephone bumped in her seat, hitting the side of Hades’ leg with hers.
“Sorry,” she said as she braced herself.
“Don’t be. Hold onto me.”
One side of his mouth quirked up as he lifted his elbow. She placed her hand in the crook of his arm, mesmerized by its steadiness as the golf cart dipped, jostled, and turned.
Past more cypress trees a lazy, rolling field of sage green grass. They pulled up to a driving range. Hades parked their cart and gathered the golf bags. Meanwhile, Persephone took in the rolling field before them.
Hades grinned as he set down their clubs. It was no surprise that the weight of two hulking golf bags proved to be no problem for him. Gods had unimaginable strength, but this display of raw power and slight twist of broad shoulders made her head spin. Fates, she needed to get serious about dating after all this was over. Just watching him had her almost drooling and that was simply not okay. This was the last being she should be lusting after, no matter how incredible he looked.
Persephone pushed hard into her shoe’s sole, adjusting to their hug on her feet, trying to distract herself from her traitorous thoughts.
“Here you go.” He handed her a glove.
She slid her hand into the glove with a strong tug to stretch out her fingers. “I hope you’re a patient god.”
This was not gardening which allowed for imprecision. Nature could always course correct when it needed to. Golf demanded control and focus—and adept hand-eye coordination. Things Persephone grappled with in the best of circumstances.
Hades chuckled, putting on his glove, then grabbed a club from each of their bags. He handed her the driver and gestured with his towards the driving range.
“We’ll take it slow. Just focus on making contact with the ball.”
She muttered, “That’s what I’m most worried about.”
“You’ll do great.” Hades positioned his feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, facing Persephone. “For a driver, you’ll use a wider stance than the other clubs. You’re trying to give the head as much range of motion as you can while powering your hit with the strength of your hips and core. But remember, no matter your size or athletic ability, anyone with training can still drive a ball far. Focus on proper form and strike quality and don’t try to swing the club as hard as possible.”
Half of those terms made sense. The other half sounded naughty. “So… don’t swing it like a baseball bat.”
He smirked. “Right. You could get lucky but more likely, you’ll miss the ball or smack your club off the ground. The club is designed to propel the ball forward with the range of the head’s path. Focus first on getting your form right and making contact.”
“Alright.”
“See how my feet are positioned with my lead foot turned just a bit. Grip the club with your dominant hand’s pinky interlocking with your other hand’s pointer finger. We can mark your gloves so you can line your grip correctly with the shaft.” Persephone’s eyes jumped from his hands to his face, expecting a smirk or wink, but he continued with a straight face and calm tone.
“I’ll bring back the club with my lead arm straight and my back one at an angle, like this.” Hades demonstrated the motion with his eyes fixed on the ball on a tee. Persephone couldn’t help noticing the way his shirt strained across his muscled torso, emphasizing his broad shoulders and the sleek taper of his waist. He truly looked like a god.
With impossible speed, Hades brought the club into a full swing and ended with his back foot twisted yet stable under him and his arms and club nearly wrapped around his back. There was a distinct thwap sound, then the ball sailed, disappearing against the bright sky then descending onto a trimmed green patch far down the course.
“I thought you said don’t swing it as hard as possible.”
Hades let out a small laugh. The rise of his cheeks softened his sharp features. He looks so much younger when he smiles. But he had never been young. Not in the same way that Persephone or her sister had been. What would he have looked like if he’d been a child? She’d never know. Unless you had his child. The unexpected thought scared her so much that she missed whatever he had said to her.
“Everything okay?”
She shook off those amorous notions, chiding herself for her lapse in judgement. What was she doing? “Yes, sorry. Go on.”
He smiled. “Let’s have you give it a go without a ball. This way you can get a feel for the club.”
Persephone mirrored Hades’ stance.
“Grip it like this.” Hades interlocked his pinky with his other hand’s pointer finger and wrapped his hands around the rubber grip.
“This feels weird.” She tried not to squirm from the strange pressure in between her interlocked fingers. “Really? This is how to grip it?”
“It’s one of several ways but it’s the best one. Now, slowly bring your arms back.” He twisted to demonstrate.
She did her best to turn her shoulders and twist her back while still keeping an eye on his form.
“Hit your peak, keep your grip, and bring your swing all the way through. Keep your eyes down where the ball would be. Don’t fight your feet. Let your back foot twist as it needs to.”
With a half-hearted effort, she swung the club and promptly smacked the head into the ground. A chunk of grass covered dirt flew a few feet away.
“Oh shit,” Persephone’s voice dropped with concern before she chuckled. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
Hades put his hands on the sides of her arms, his voice hurried and strained. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. Why’d I miss?”
“It’s not your fault. I should’ve had you check your distance from the tee to your club. I’m sorry about that.” His pain-etched face made her pause. If she didn’t get control of her racing feelings soon, she’d start believing that he truly cared for her.
“That’s alright. I’m sure you’ve trained others who were more capable.”
Had he trained others? The question tightened around her throat, and she tapped the divot with her shoe. It shouldn’t bother her because it wasn’t her business.
“I can assure you, I haven’t. Let’s try again but with the right positioning this time.”
Hades stood next to Persephone and held out his club angled to the ground. She did the same, and he asked, “May I?” before guiding her hands to a different spot.
This time when Persephone swung, the club whooshed through the swing and ended with her wide grin. After several practice swings, she tried hitting a ball off the tee with moderate success. A few times the tee flew and the ball rolled, but Hades lined up the next ball each time, occasionally sneaking a wink at her.
Golfing was proving to be much more enjoyable than she’d thought. “I might put in a driving range on the estate when I go home. I’d have to figure out a way to gather the balls from the field, though.” Persephone followed the ball as it landed near a few others from earlier shots. When she looked at Hades, he was staring off down the range with a fisted hand pressed his mouth.
“What if you didn’t have to gather them?” Hades asked. He turned his eyes to hers, the weight of his attention causing her legs to waver.
“What do you mean?” Persephone asked.
A hint of slyness peeked through his features. “What if the balls disintegrated in the rain? If they were made of dirt or fertilizer, then you’d never have to gather them.”
Envisioning little brown nuggets scattered across one of her mom’s gardens or fields. “What if you put seeds in them?”
Hades’ brows quirked. “Brilliant.”
“I’m certain they already exist. How could they not?”
Hades shrugged. “Doesn’t mean we couldn’t make our own.”
They emptied a bucket of balls but for every one Hades hit, Persephone hit at least five. There were a few moments where she caught him watching her. Once, when she flicked her head to knock flyaway strands of hair away. After she hit her longest shot, he’d complimented her effort. The shadow of a grin across his mouth made her blush. She needed to rein in her emotions. It didn’t matter how kind he was being or how much fun she was having, this was Hades . It was all a game to him. Her feelings meant nothing to a god who had everything.
When they left the range and opted to try a few holes, Hades pulled out whichever club was best for each shot.
“How do you keep track of which one to use?” Persephone asked.
“Lots of practice.” He swung as if the act was the plainest thing he’d done all day.
After a few missed swings, Persephone groaned. “What’s happening to me?”
His light laugh was still deeper than a voice should be, she reasoned. “You’re twisting from the wrong place. You’ll have better power and control if you focus on your hips and legs and not your back and arms.” He stashed his club in his bag, pulled off his glove, then stood within arm’s reach of her.
“I’ll show you, but I’ll need to move your center.” Gesturing with both hands on the sides of his hips, he twisted to one side then the other.
Persephone stared for a moment, unsure she heard him correctly.
“Go ahead,” she said, hoping it didn’t sound breathy.
Whenever they were alone in the apartment, he rarely touched her outside of offering his arm. Whenever he put a hand on her upper back, it was always with others around. She could admit to herself that the idea of his hands on her in this moment sounded exciting. Maybe she could allow herself to enjoy the moment just this once? Her mind knew it wasn’t real. Her body held still, anticipating his touch.
“Perfect. Get into your stance.”
She did, feet shoulder-width apart and her six-iron firm in her grasp. His fingertips pressed into her hips, his voice in her ear. “Bring your club back.” The effort it took for her not to shudder held her breath hostage.
She raised the club as Hades pulled and pushed her hips, giving her a longer reach. He brushed his fingers down the side of her skirt-covered thigh. A soothing warmth followed the trail of his touch. “Put your weight on this leg. As you swing through, shift your weight onto your other. Ready?”
“Mm-hmm,” was the only response she was willing to give through her pressed lips. Too enraptured by the heat on her back from his proximity, she figured there was no way she’d hit this ball. It wasn’t her fault. She’d have an easier time weeding acres upon acres of wildflowers than ignoring how her body reacted to him.
Hades released his hold on her, and she swung. Eyes on the ball, she watched it wait for its ride, then sail down the fairway. It was her longest shot of the day. Persephone coughed out an incredulous laugh, dropping her club. She spun around, closing the space between them, and squeezed a surprised, stiff Hades in her arms. When the god didn’t move, didn’t breathe, she immediately released him. Why did she do that?
“I can’t believe how different that feels. Er—the uh—stance.” Understatement. If he had any idea how much he’d captivated her with his touch, she’d have no chance of protecting her heart. To her dismay, it appeared this effect was one-sided. Good. She needed the reminder that his efforts to win her had nothing to do with genuine interest.
“Beautiful shot,” Hades said with high brows. One hand remained tucked into his pocket as he reached down to pick up her club.
She cleared her throat and wiped her palms down her skirt. “The weight shifting. It’s a good trick.”
“You move like you were made for this.” Hades held out his ungloved hand and helped her in the cart. The controlled gesture proved this was simply a business deal between them.
Still, the headiness of their golf excursion clouded her thoughts all through the rest of the day into the evening.
While lying in bed, the moment with Hades’ hands on her hips replayed on a loop until she fell asleep.