Page 17 of Flowers Near Me

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

GAME WITH THE GODS

PERSEPHONE

A mountain of clothes covered the end of the bed. Persephone pushed the mound with her feet to free more of the comforter, but ended up knocking part of the pile onto the floor. Muttering a curse, she reached for her phone to check the time. A jolt of adrenaline shot through her at the 9:30 a.m. on her lock screen.

“Oh shit,” she said to herself, jumping out of bed with her phone. Scuffling to the bathroom, she checked her calendar and released a sigh of relief.

There were no meetings except for one twelve-hour block labeled, “Quality time with my future husband.”

Rolling her eyes with a breathy laugh, she brushed her hair then put on loose joggers and a sweatshirt. She massaged her face with moisturizer before applying lip balm and quick swipes of mascara. She couldn’t help herself. Laura would have turned the tables on him by now and here she was hoping he’d say she looked nice.

Damn the Fates. Damn my heart. And damn that god.

She gathered the clothes from the floor, placing them in hampers or back in the closet. The unacceptable mess was a clear indication of being overworked. Yanking and tucking the sheets into the bed, she stuffed a few hair bands into her jogger’s pocket, then shook out the comforter.

Her thoughts circled around this nagging desire to be wanted by him. Who didn’t enjoy a well-timed compliment, especially from a single and handsome god?

There were worse things.

The last time she’d spoken with him was in her dressing room on set the day before. When she returned to the apartment late last evening, she was too tired to check if he was home. Cerberus had greeted her and curled up on her bed, but had whined to be let out of the room before she fell asleep.

The dog scratched at her door now and she greeted him before heading towards the kitchen. Satisfied with a few pets behind his ear, Cerberus lay down on a rug by the couches.

“There she is. Good morning, Sephy. Ready for a well-deserved day off?” Hades beamed at her. The sleeves of his black dress shirt bunched at his elbows and strained against muscles as he wiped his hands on a rag. Was he flexing?

Tailored charcoal gray pants and a matte black belt finished his ensemble, and Persephone hid her perusal with a feigned cough.

“Good morning. According to my calendar, I’m spending the day with my future husband.” She pretended to scan the apartment, trying to hold in her grin. “When will I meet him?”

Hades smirked and poured her a cup of coffee. “I’ll introduce you to him at lunch. He’s quite the catch. You ought to embrace him with a passionate kiss when you meet.”

She took the mug gratefully. “Thank you and I will not be doing that,” she said before blowing steam and taking a tentative sip. “I hope he’s someone normal like a teacher… or a professor. And that he’s soft spoken.”

Hades’ brows shot up. “A common man? Sephy, in what world would that be an appropriate match for you?”

She shrugged and sat in one of the chairs at the kitchen counter. “Why wouldn’t it be an appropriate match? I’m quiet and reserved.” The richness of the coffee tasted like heaven on her tongue. Taking a long sip, she held Hades’ wide eyes.

He placed both palms on the countertop across from her and dropped his shoulders with a playful sigh. “You’re no wallflower. Whether you like it or not, you’re part of the elite now. There’s nothing plain about you.”

Her stomach grew wings. The dryness in her mouth alerted her to her parted lips which she closed immediately. It sounded so good coming from him and although she thought to argue, she was learning it was better to accept his compliments and move on. “That’s kind. Thank you.”

“Besides. You’re meant to be with me and I’m not a teacher or a professor and have no lack of words. And right now, I want to tell you all about our fake-for-you-but-real-for-me date.”

Persephone went to speak, drawing in an incredulous breath of air, but Hades continued on. “I’m stating facts. I still understand your reasoning for considering it fake but wanted to remind you of my interest.” One corner of his mouth quirked up in a half smile. “We’re going to a Teppanyaki restaurant.”

She was always down for a hibachi restaurant. “That sounds good. What time are we going?”

“We have reservations at two. There’ll be a few columnists there but otherwise we’ll still have some semblance of privacy.” He winked.

Before Persephone could reply, the elevator doors to the apartment chimed and Hermes stumbled in. The brim of his baseball cap stood up from his head, but he righted it as he approached. She stared at him, unsure if she was seeing a ghost or was seeing her former assistant for the first time since their fateful parting in Laura’s townhouse.

Lacking all warmth, Hades greeted, “How did you get in, Hermes?”

Hermes threw an apologetic look at Hades then said, “Zeus sent me.”

“Ah,” Hades replied and went to sit at the kitchen counter.

“Persephone,” Hermes drew close, “your mom’s taken down the grocery app and halted all food deliveries to stores.”

Persephone’s eye twitched. It’d felt so long ago since she’d spoken with Hermes. And now, after months of silence, her mom shut down the grocery app. It didn’t make any sense. “What? How do you mean? I—uh. Why? So there are no deliveries arriving? Distribution is completely stalled?”

Hermes glanced at Hades before returning to look at Persephone. “Your team was told to cease operations.”

Things must be very bad. Whipping her phone from her pocket, she opened the Demeter’s Bounty app and clicked on grocery delivery.

“For how long?” she asked.

“Indefinitely. Most of the DB staff are worried they’re going to be laid off and now customers are buying up everything they can in the stores before the supply is gone.”

The app displayed an error message even after restarting her phone. Pressing her fingers to her mouth, Persephone debated whether to call Laura so she could settle her nerves or her mom so she could try to get the app back online. Would her mom even pick up the phone? This needed to be fixed immediately. Thousands of employees depended on that app’s existence.

Demeter was calculating and purposeful, so why shut down the app now? She tried to put herself in her mom’s shoes but struggled to make sense of the timing. She suspected the reason had something to do with the extremely annoyed god currently leaning on the counter.

“Did she say why?” She hoped his answer would remove the sting of her mom’s silence during the past two months. Maybe her mom hadn’t been ignoring her out of spite, but instead had been plotting how to get her out of the contract with Hades.

Hermes bobbed his head. “No, but she’s demanded a meeting with Zeus and Hades.”

With a tight-lipped sneer, Hades said, “Ah, yes. Let’s not keep them waiting.”

Persephone cleared her throat. “I’m coming too.”

Hades turned towards her, placing his hand on the side of her arm. “Are you sure? Zeus isn’t one to treat uninvited guests well.”

“My mom will be there. It’ll be fine.” She’d visited the capitol decades before as a student. The domed center, stretching pillars, and marble sculptures were a staple of class field trips. One time, her class got to go inside Zeus’ office.

The pity on Hades’ face caused her heart to drop. He didn’t trust Demeter to defend her.

“Ready?” Hades asked.

Persephone nodded. Hades touched her arm and an electrical shock bolted through her system. Body tensing and jerking, Persephone flailed as her feet scrambled for solid ground. After a painful moment, a warm touch blossomed on her back, and she opened her eyes to a blinding light. As she found her footing, a dark figure moved into her vision. Whoever it was smelled like Hades.

Persephone blinked until Hades’ face sharpened before her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Um, yes. I’m fine,” she whispered and brushed her hands down the front of her sweatshirt and joggers. In the hurry to appease Zeus’ summons, she’d forgotten to change her clothes. “It’s been a while since I’ve portaled like that. Normally I vomit, so I’d say it was one of the better trips.”

“Sorry, love. Next time, I’ll go slower,” said Hades.

“Persephone?” Demeter’s voice cut through Persephone like a knife, and she whipped round to see her mom standing next to a white marble desk, gaping at her. Zeus was beside her. His white hair was brighter than the white of his jacket and shirt. He was statuesque like Hades but with rounder features and a weathered face.

Up close, they didn’t look like brothers. Hades appeared much younger with strong vulpine features—cunning and lethal.

Her mom’s heliotrope colored silk blouse and cream linen pants looked pressed, as if she were headed into a board meeting. A meeting with Zeus warranted fine clothes, even from a goddess. Yet Persephone stood frozen on the spot, caught in her mom’s stare and Zeus’ frown, wearing athleisure wear.

Zeus shook the floors, saying, “Brother, why have you stolen Persephone?”

Persephone turned to look at Hades and realized that his hand was still on her upper back. He shot her a wink and playful smile then whispered, “Don’t worry, Sephy. Your future husband’s got this.”

Hades strode towards Zeus and Demeter. “I believe you meant to ask why did I abduct Persephone. You don’t steal a goddess. You abduct them.” Hades snapped his fingers and a stack of paper fell with a loud thud onto Zeus’ desk. “Even so, this accusation is off base. Persephone is my contracted employee.”

Hermes surprised Persephone at her side as he sidled up to her and bumped her shoulder. He spoke softly out of the side of his mouth, “Has he hurt you?”

“No. He’s just a shameless flirt, but that’s how they all are.” Persephone pointed her chin at the trio of her mom, Hades, and Zeus, who all stood cross-armed and brooding around Zeus’ massive desk.

Hermes gave a quiet laugh. “That they are.”

Now that her eyes adjusted to the room’s light, she took in the wall of windows behind Zeus’ desk that looked out onto fluffy cloud tops. Gilded columns and golden streaks in the marble tile floor reflected a warm light. The large, circular room dimmed slightly as her eyes adjusted. More white marble covered walls and floors.

Zeus spoke with his thunderous voice again, filling the office with a building storm. High above them, stone gray wisps fattened into bulbous clouds ready to burst. “Demeter,” Zeus said as he flipped through the contract. “Your daughter’s signature is all over this. Only Hades has the power to dissolve a contract like this one anyway.”

Heels clacked on the shiny marble floor as Demeter stepped closer to Hades. She stabbed a finger in Hades’ direction but kept her focus on Zeus. “You don’t understand. Persephone purchased the app first and then Hades took it. He’s claiming his contracts are retroactive because he bought the patent.”

Still and smirking, Hades shrugged at Demeter. “It’s true.”

“Persephone.” Zeus’ voice had her spine ramrod straight.

She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. “Yes?”

“Have you been mistreated in any way by my brother?”

Her gaze darted from Hades to her mother. The two of them glared at each other, their expressions locked in a battle of wills, both poised to strike. Someone was about to be very unhappy.

Directing her reply to Zeus, she said, “He’s gone to great efforts to ensure my comfort. While I don’t like how things started, working for him has been… surprisingly positive. I do miss my DB colleagues, though.”

Hades hid the flex of his brow before Zeus looked at him. Her mom, on the other hand, stared blankly back at her. Fates, how she wished her mom would’ve communicated with her before this meeting. If she wasn’t angry with Persephone before, then she sure as Tartarus was now.

Zeus dropped into his chair, rubbing his temples. “Demeter, Hades is in the clear. His contracts are ironclad and retroactive. As God of the Underworld, he governs all legalities tied to our laws. My hands are bound.” He turned to Hades. “What are the terms?”

Hades smiled but there was no warmth in it. “Six months, of which Persephone has completed two already. Then she’s free to return to Demeter’s Bounty if she wishes.” His voice softened as he looked at Persephone. There was a tenderness in his eyes that made her stomach flip. “I hope I can convince her to stay indefinitely, but she hasn’t warmed to the idea… yet.”

Persephone’s face flushed. Every smooth word he uttered chipped at her defenses. How much longer could she resist feeling wanted, even by someone as dangerous as Hades?

“Don’t look at her like that,” Demeter snapped, and the scent of jasmine hit Persephone like a wave.

Soon, cedar and leather overpowered the floral fog.

“Why Demeter?” Hades’ friendly tone belied the jab underneath like a blade hidden in silk. “How do I look at her?”

Demeter stepped within arm’s reach of Hades, not quite as tall but just as imposing. “Like she belongs to you. Like you’d rather shatter her into pieces than let her slip away.” Hands fisted, Demeter squared her shoulders and wisps of sage smoke rose from her like steam.

Is that how he looks at me?

The churning pulse of blood grew louder in her head. Could anyone survive a game with the gods?

Hades’ eyes narrowed, his voice a low, lethal whisper. “And yet,” he said, leaning in ever so slightly, “we both know she’s never been safer than she is with me. Or would you prefer I take a different approach—one that doesn’t involve her willing cooperation?”

Demeter went rigid, her jaw clenching so tightly that Persephone expected to hear bones cracking. “My answer is still no,” Demeter warned, her voice taut with fury.

A muscle in Hades’ jaw twitched, but his expression remained coldly amused. “Very well.” His tone was deceptively calm, like a predator conceding a small loss before a greater hunt. “Shall we proceed with the arrangement everyone here has begrudgingly agreed to, or do you wish to waste more of our time?”

Zeus grunted. “Not yet. Demeter, you have to reopen distribution. If you refuse, I’ll be forced to remove you from power.”

Demeter threw a conflicted glance at Persephone then faced Zeus. “Fine.” A nauseating wave of rancid, rotting foliage filled the air as Demeter disappeared in an emerald cloud, unwilling to spare even one parting glance at Persephone. Yes, Mom was furious.

“Hermes,” Zeus bellowed.

The lithe man approached the desk faster than any mortal could. “Yes, Zeus?” Meanwhile, Hades beckoned Persephone to his side. She held her breath for the few steps it took to reach him.

“I understand you’ve served as an assistant to Demeter and Persephone,” said Zeus.

Hermes looked at Persephone with a toothy smile, and Persephone kept a brave face. Why Zeus was interested in Hermes’ employment history at that moment, she had no clue. “That’s right. Persephone and I have worked together for almost ten years.”

Zeus turned to Persephone. “How did he perform as your assistant?”

Persephone threw a smile at Hermes before meeting Zeus’ eyes. “Exceptionally well. He’s the fastest at every task.”

Zeus hummed an approval and held his chin. “Hermes, would you like to serve as messenger of the gods?”

“I-uh… yes. But what about Demeter?” Hermes readjusted the baseball cap on his head.

With a sheepish grin, Zeus pinned his eyes on Hades.

Groaning, Hades replied, “Fine. I’ll get a contract drafted.”

One load clap of his hands and Zeus boomed, “Excellent. I’ll summon you later.”

Hermes bowed and his hat slid off. Quick as a whip, he snatched it before it hit the floor. “Thank you.” Turning on his heel, he gave Persephone a hug and whispered, “Talk soon?”

As they released each other, she nodded and he sped out the open archway at their backs.

Hades offered his hand to her. “I think we’re done here.”

“Persephone,” Zeus called, rattling the columns circling the room. She turned.

“Welcome to the family.”

The family of the gods or his family?

Quick as a wink, Hades scooped up Persephone in his arms, dislodging the question from her mind. Too stunned to yelp, she clutched his muscled shoulders as he portaled her to their apartment. Heat from Hades had her body relaxing. The trip back took longer this time but at least the room didn’t spin when they landed.