“No.” The one word was all he could say.
She shifted, sat up. Through the window came moonlight, soft and pale. Through it Nick could make out her confused features.
“No? I don’t understand.”
“No—I didn’t finish. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to.” He stammered out an answer for her. “I never wanted Nemesis in the first place. I only tried to give her what she wanted because it was the only way I could stay with you. But the price was too high. If I did what she wanted, I hurt you and lost you, and without you humanity wasn’t worth having. It wasn’t worth it,” he finished.
She was silent a long time. “You gave up your chance to stay human? Just to avoid hurting me?”
He angered at the disbelief in her voice. “I told you I love you. How could I do anything deliberately to cause you pain? If you believe nothing else about me, know that, Violet.”
“I do believe you.” Her voice had a catch in it. “Tomorrow…”
Nick sat on the bed. “Tomorrow morning I have to return to the park. Aphrodite will meet me there and make me into a statue again.”
She turned her face to him, her blue eyes large with sorrow and unshed tears. “You really need to go back? Because of me?”
How could he explain this to her? “It’s not your fault, Violet. I’m the one who upset the goddess, centuries ago. She gave me a chance to atone, but I wasn’t willing to pay the price. You were right, that I didn’t deserve you.”
“I never said that…I never believed that. I couldn’t believe you wanted me, and when I saw you with someone else, I couldn’t stand it. Now you have to go back and it’s all my fault!”
Nick moved closer, until she was just within his reach. “No, Violet, it was my choice. I did want you. I still do. But I was wrong to think I was the best man for you. You deserve better than me, Violet. You deserve someone you can be proud of, not a minor mythical character, someone whose very name means self-absorbed.” He took a deep breath. “You deserve a hero, Violet. Not me.”
Violet reached for him, taking his hand in hers. “I don’t want a hero, Nick. I want a friend, a lover. And that’s you.”
Nick raised her hand to his lips. “We can still be friends, Violet. I’ll wait by the pool, and you’ll come and talk to me. If you listen real hard, you’ll be able to hear me. I’ll try to speak to you.”
“No!” Her impassioned cry broke his heart. Nick pulled her into his arms and held her as she cried.
Stroking her hair, he murmured. “I will always love you, Violet.”
He held her until her tears were gone and, exhausted physically and mentally, she drifted off to sleep.
* * * * *
Nick was gone from the bed when she woke, the sky still dark on the horizon. Panicked, Violet threw off the covers and ran from the bedroom. In the living room and bathroom, there was no sign of him. His clothes still hung in the closet and only the garment he’d been wearing when she’d met him in the park was gone.
There couldn’t be more than a half-hour before dawn, when Nick would return to his old state—become a statue again. Quickly Violet threw her clothes on, a flowered sweatshirt and jeans from her closet. She pulled on her shoes and headed for the front door. Then she saw the ring he’d given her, sitting by a house key on the table. She snatched it up and the key, using it to lock the door on the way out.
He’d be in the park. She had to catch up to him, had to at least say goodbye. All the love they’d known during the past two nights…she couldn’t let him go without telling him. She hadn’t said it, not really. With all of the words spoken, all the passionate phrases of the last few hours…
She hadn’t said the simplest one, the one with the least words that meant the most.
She hadn’t said, “I love you.”
* * * * *
The park was deserted and for a moment Violet wondered if she was too late, but then she saw the empty fountain pedestal. Across from it was the park bench where she’d first met Nick, and there he was, sitting, waiting. As she came up, his despondent body jerked erect, and he smiled.
Breathing hard, Violet came to an abrupt stop in front of him. “You didn’t wake me up. You left without saying goodbye.”
The smile fled and pain filled his eyes at the hurt in her voice. “I know. I’m sorry. I thought it best…” His words stopped and started, and he looked everywhere but at her. “I didn’t want you to see me go. I thought it best you remember me as I am now, not…not as cold stone.”
Her hand grabbed his, pulled it to her lips. “I will remember you always, Nick, regardless of whether or not I saw you leave. But I want to be here to say goodbye.”
A breeze picked up and the sky lightened a little. Nick startled and looked around him. “You should go—no telling what mood Aphrodite will be in this early in the morning. Goddesses aren’t good to be around when they’re cranky.”
“No, I want to stay. Please, Nick, I want to spend all the time I can with you.” She settled onto the bench next to him. “Please don’t make me go.”
Now he looked at her and she could see the love in his brown eyes. “I couldn’t make you leave me. Never.” He brushed a lock of hair from her face. “If I could, I’d be with you forever.”
She pulled the ring from her pocket and put it on her finger again. “I’d stay with you forever, too, Nick.”
They kissed and time disappeared in the swell of soft words and loving touches. They were still in each other’s arms when a whirlwind developed unnoticed by the empty pedestal. Once more leaves, dirt, and flower blossoms created the shape of a woman, and when the dust settled down, the goddess stood once more in the garden.
She gazed at the pair on the bench, oblivious to her presence, and tapped one golden sandal impatiently. “So, Narcissus, have you learned what you wanted to know?”
At her voice, Violet and Nick startled apart, both turning to face the impassive face of the goddess. Violet stared. Aphrodite was gloriously beautiful, but as Nick had warned her, she did seem out of sorts, as if she wasn’t used to being up so early in the morning.
“I learned what I could, Glorious One.” Nick said, his voice cautious.
“Did you?” One perfect eyebrow rose slightly as she turned to gaze at Violet. “Were you disappointed in your selection of a teacher?”
“No, not at all.” Nick spoke quickly, his eyes wide in concern. “Violet was wonderful…”
“Then what do you mean? Speak, I don’t have all day.”
Nick placed his arm around Violet’s shoulders and pulled her closer. “What I mean is that there is far more to love than attraction and sex, Magnificent Lady. I mean that true love is sharing more than a few hours…wonderful as those hours were. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.”
“Did you? You would give up immortality to live with a human?” She didn’t look like she believed Nick.
“I would have.”
“And yet, when given the opportunity to earn your freedom, you refused my nymph again.” The goddess shook her golden head. “You have no idea how provoked she was.”
“Mighty One…” Nick spoke hesitantly. “If I had done as she’d asked…passed Nemesis’s test and satisfied her, would I have stayed human?”
“Of course. You don’t think I make empty promises. But if you had, you would have lost your lady. Right Violet?”
At being addressed directly, Violet started. Then she noticed the glint of sympathy in the goddess’s eye. “I—I don’t know. I might have forgiven him.”
“No, you wouldn’t have. Not really,” Aphrodite said gently. “Some sins can never be absolved, unfaithfulness being the most common. Think about all the trouble Zeus has had with Hera, and all because he can’t keep his tunic on. I swear it’s enough to give me a complex.”
The goddess frowned. “They always blame me, you know. ‘Just couldn’t help themselves’, ‘lust blinded them’.” She shook her head in disgust. “You’d think I invented sex and not merely embodied it. Tr
ust me, sex has been around a lot longer than I have.”
“Sex is wonderful,” Nick assured her. “With the right person, it’s making love and making love is amazing. I will always treasure the memory of it. I only wish…”
Both perfect eyebrows rose in unison. “Another wish?”
Quickly Nick shook his head. “No, no further wishes, Great One. I must be satisfied with what I have.”
Aphrodite clapped her hands and gave them a brief smile. “Very well then. I’m glad you’re satisfied. Dawn is coming and we must put you back. Say goodbye to your mortal friend and get back on the pedestal.”
He faced Violet and gently stroked her face. The tears that had threatened finally flooded her eyes and she couldn’t help one brief sob. “Nick…”
Nick wiped her tears away, then gently kissed her lips, soft and sweet. “No tears, my love. What we’ve had cannot be taken from us, so long as we remember. Come visit me, Violet. Come and tell me your news as you used to.” He smiled. “We can still be friends, you and I.”
Then he pulled away and strode quickly to the fountain, climbed up and crouched by the pool of water. On the horizon the light grew and any second now the edge of the sun would peek over and dawn would arrive. Nick stilled, taking the position the sculptor had given him so long ago, gazing into the pool at his own reflection. “I’m ready, Aphrodite.”
The edge of the sun appeared, and Nick’s feet turned pale. Violet watched the tan flesh of his ankles harden.
“NO, WAIT!” At her cry Nick’s head turned to her and she saw the pain, the want in his face.
“Violet.” It was the only word he said, the last one he would speak, but all of his love was in it.
She dashed to the pedestal and climbed up, just as the sun rose into the sky. On hands and knees she moved along the edge of the pool until her face was inches from his. “Nick, I love you.”
It was all she spoke. When the sunlight hit the fountain, she was still there, turned to white marble.
Chapter Fifteen
“Hey look, Edgar, the statue has a girlfriend now.”
Edgar leaned back, pushed his baseball cap further up his head, and stared at the altered fountain group. Sure enough, another figure had been added. A woman on hands and knees perched next to Narcissus, her face tilted toward his. The male statue’s face was inches from hers, his lips pursed as if to meet hers in a kiss, one marble hand poised to caress the back of her head. It looked like the pair had been close to a full-on lip-lock when interrupted.
“Well if that don’t beat all,” he said. “Must be those art types again, foolin’ around.” He got up to examine the woman more closely, and laughed. “Yeah, it’s got to be a joke. Look, she’s wearing jeans, you can see the label!”
Both men had a good laugh and went on to finish their work. As soon as they were gone, a little whirlwind formed and an amused voice spoke. “I knew I’d forgotten something.”
Immediately the marble clothing melted away, leaving only the naked form of a woman on her hands and knees next to the pool. The unseen voice chuckled. “My name, little Violet, is Aphrodite. You might want to practice it…there may be a test.
The new fountain group caught considerable attention all day. Several men and women from the city museum came by and admired the workmanship. Even the marble was as good as that of the original statue.
“I think she’s fat.” That was from a young girl with a thin frame, breasts barely pushing out the front of her top.
“Naw, that’s the way she’s supposed to look,” stated the young man with her. “All those old Greek nymphs were chubby.” He eyed the statue with a lecherous grin. “Her boobs sure are big.”
He was sorry when his girlfriend refused to talk to him for the rest of the day.
Mothers of young children made a point to keep their offspring away from the fountain. The half-naked young man had been bad enough, but this new figure left nothing to the imagination. Several commented that they were going to complain to the park authorities as soon as they got home.
Two young men took particular notice of the woman statue’s position, her rear being just the right height for a little doggie-style action. Too bad the male statue was on the wrong side, they sniggered.
Evening fell and the park became quiet and deserted, and once more an inaudible chant began, a male voice speaking in modern English:
“Oh mighty Aphrodite, Goddess of Beauty,
Get back here you infernal Bitch!”
In a whirl of breeze and leaves, Aphrodite appeared, a glass of white wine in hand, her face in an amused smirk. She laughed, clearly pleased with herself.
“Is something wrong, Narcissus?” she asked in her crystalline voice.
Nick’s voice seethed. “How could you do this, turn her to stone? Why? Violet did nothing wrong, she doesn’t deserve this.”
Aphrodite studied the statue that used to be Violet Smith. “I don’t see what you’re complaining about, Narcissus. I gave you what you wanted. You said you wanted her, and I gave her to you, even provided you with a view of her face, something you said you desired above all things. Remember I told you I’d be listening. I’ve gone well beyond our bargain to please you.”
There was a strain in Nick’s voice, as he wrestled with his temper. “I’m sure you understand that I would never have wanted Violet to become a statue, Mighty One.”
“Why not? You’ve enjoyed being one all these years. Maybe she does, too?” The goddess tapped Violet’s shoulder with one delicate finger. “Tell him, Violet. Isn’t this what you wanted, wasn’t this your secret wish?”
Violet’s voice was weak and unsure, as if she didn’t quite know how to speak. “I…I…”
“That’s fine, dear.” Aphrodite coaxed. “I know it’s difficult at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. Just think the answer, really hard.”
“I…” Violet tried again. “I…wanted…to be with…Narcissus!” she finished triumphantly.
“No!” Nick answered, horrified. “This was your secret wish, to become a statue?”
“Well, no.” Violet admitted. “I didn’t want to be like this, cold and stiff, unable to feel, taste, or smell.” Her voice turned pleading. “I just wanted to be with you, any way I could.”
“And I want to be with you, but we can’t do it this way. Take back the wish, Violet. Ask to be human again.”
Her voice turned stubborn, and he realized that Violet was no longer the meek, mild-mannered woman he’d met. “No, Nick. It was my decision and I made it. I don’t want to live without you. I love you too much.”
“I love you, too. But I can’t let you throw your life away for me. How selfish would that make me, to have you here with me, but at the cost of your freedom?” His voice broke. “I love you, Violet, but imagine what torture this is for me. Your hair close to my hand, your lips raised to mine. So close to me, but just beyond reach. If we could move, we’d touch, but we can’t move. I can’t stand this, Violet.”
“I know it’s a torture for me, too, but…”
“Is that all that’s wrong?” Aphrodite’s voice chirped up, brightly. “You wish to touch and that will make this better?” She clapped her hands. “That’s easy enough to fix.”
She placed her hands on their necks, and the stone softened. Nick and Violet’s heads moved together into a completion of their kiss, the marble making a grinding sound as their stone lips met.
The grinding sound stopped when the marble lost it pallor and became the color and texture of flesh. First the lips, then the cheeks and noses, then it continued down their necks and to the rest of their bodies. Nick’s hand descended onto the back of Violet’s head, hitting soft hair and not sculpted curls. Swiftly the change continued until Violet and Nick both were returned to the shape of mortal man and woman.
Nick broke off their kiss and leaned back, staring into Violet’s smiling blue eyes. He turned to Aphrodite, watching with a bemused expression. “What is this?” He held up his hand, flex
ed his fingers. “I’m alive again.”
“Indeed, you are. It seems you have passed the final test, Narcissus, the real one. Even when given your heart’s desire, to be with your lady at her own request, you could not be selfish. You are free now, to remain a mortal human being if that’s what you desire.”
His face lit with astonishment and he stared at Violet, leaning back on her heels. “Violet. We can be together.”
Joy filled her and she leapt into his arms and kissed him. “We can be together, Nick, for all time. I love you.”
He clutched her closer. “I love you, too.”
A cool breeze came up and Violet shivered. “I don’t suppose you could return my clothes now,” she asked the goddess. “Please, Aphrodite?”
Aphrodite smiled. “You finally got my name correct.” She pursed her lips and nodded briefly. “I think the pair of you look lovely as you are, but I suppose it is a bit cold.” She waved one delicate hand and Nick and Violet were once more dressed in jeans and sweatshirts, jogging shoes on their feet. When she checked, Violet found her house key in her pocket.
“Now run along home, you two, and live happily ever after.”
They climbed off the fountain and headed past the bench. Aphrodite listened to their excited chatter.
“Nick, about what those guys said.”
“About you being chubby.” He hugged her close. “You’re just the way a woman should look.”
She blushed prettily. “Thanks, but I meant about my position when I was on the pedestal…remember how much fun we had doing it that way?”
Nick grinned. “Oh, that. Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Let’s run home and see if it’s as good.”
The pair sped down the garden path.
The goddess smiled. Turning to the now empty fountain, she thought for a moment. “Hmm…we need a replacement.” With a wave of her hand, a new statue stood in place posed as Narcissus had been, and fearlessly naked. Remembering what the park mothers had complained about, she sketched one hand and a simple shepherd’s garment now decorated the waist, covering the man’s privates.
Violet Among The Roses Page 14