“It’s true! That’s what happens when your brothers are constantly messing with you.”
“I didn’t know you had brothers,” I said, my curiosity stirring.
“Yeah, I have two brothers and three sisters. I don’t spend much time with the girls, but my brothers . . . Let’s just say that we’ve had some good brawls.”
“Tell me about them,” I encouraged him, smiling.
“I’m the middle brother, to start with. I always get caught in this type of turf war between the others.
“Hades is . . . well, Hades. He’s the oldest of us boys, which means he can be a bully sometimes, but he has his good times as well. He’s given us a lot to deal with, usually things that have nothing to do with us. He likes to complain, too. I think he knows how much it bothers us and that’s why he does it.
“And then there’s Zeus. He’s the youngest out of everyone and used to be a real jerk. Everything had to be how he thought it should be. But then he got knocked down a few pegs and met this girl named Karly. She changed him from the inside out, something I never thought would happen. He wasn’t the kind of guy who really cared about other people, you know? But when it comes to her . . . he would move Heaven and Earth for that woman.”
“He really loves her then,” I surmised, remembering how I felt for John.
“Without a doubt.” Sy smiled, looking down at his plate before meeting my eyes again. “They’ve been married for a little over a year now. I hope that someday I can find a love like that.”
“You will,” I said, reaching out and placing my hand on his arm. He grinned at me and I felt my cheeks warm again.
“Hades and Zeus, huh?” I said, pulling my hand away quickly. “Is Sy short for Poseidon then?”
“Yes.”
“I was just teasing, you don’t have to humor me,” I told him laughing.
“I’m serious, though.” He didn’t laugh anymore, and the longer I looked at him the more I realized he really was telling the truth.
“Wow! That’s seriously what the three of you are named?”
“Yeah. It’s some family thing. Our ancestors were Greek.” He took another sip of his drink and smiled wolfishly.
“That’s cool!”
“No it’s not,” he disagreed, putting his cup down.
“It really is. What a cool piece of history for your family to celebrate. Have you ever been to Greece?” He was so enthralling to me, this man that I barely knew. For whatever reason, I felt drawn to him. It must be pure luck that we’d managed to meet at all.
“I have been, it’s beautiful,” he said, his eyes sparkling.
Our food was delivered then and I slowly ate my greens, watching the expressions on his face as he recounted the land of his people between bites.
“And the oceans there are fantastic,” he said as he finished off his fries.
“I think you’re having a love affair with water,” I laughed. “It doesn’t sound like you need to find a relationship like your brother’s.”
“That’s what they say all the time,” he laughed. “They even named the water, so they could tell people I was out with someone.”
“What did they name it?” I asked, smiling as I wiped my mouth.
“Amphitrite, like the ancient Greeks did.”
“That’s awesome,” I chuckled in response.
“Everyone thought I had married this girl for the longest time,” he said, laughing harder. “When in reality, I was just out swimming or surfing, minding my own business.”
“What happened when they found out she wasn’t real?”
“I think some of them still don’t even know,” he replied, finally getting his mirth under control when the older woman at the table next to us gave him the stink eye.
“Ouch,” I said, snickering harder at the sight. “That look is usually reserved for the worst of troublemakers!”
“I’d better order my cheesecake and run then,” he whispered in mock seriousness.
“Probably,” I murmured back, laughing.
“Audrey?”
I turned to look behind me and saw Mary standing at another table. She appeared to be eyeing Sy with a look of contempt, but it was gone as soon as I realized what it was.
“Hi, Mary,” I greet her, blush creeping into my face again.
“Mary?” Sy asked.
“Yeah, Mary is my . . . doctor.”
Mary said a few words to her companions and then walked over to us.
“Hi, Doctor Mary Young,” she introduced, holding a hand out to him. Sy eyed for a moment before slowly offering his hand as well. “You must be Sy,” she continued as if nothing awkward happened.
“Yeah . . .” He looked confused, or even . . . angry?
“Doctor Young is my grief therapist,” I finally admitted. “I told her you’d moved in next door.” He looked at me blankly, so I added an after though. “I thought she would be interested since you were the one who saved me from drowning.”
“Yes, yes, that’s correct,” Mary mumbled, as if she’d forgotten that was the reason.
“It’s nice to meet you . . . Mary.” Sy said to her, pulling his hand away.
“You as well, Sy.” She smiled warmly and then turned to me. “I look forward to speaking with you at our next meeting, Audrey.” And then she was gone, sitting back at her own table and being immersed into the conversation there.
“I’m sorry,” I said, embarrassed. “I didn’t think . . . well, I hadn’t planned on telling you I went to therapy.”
“It’s fine,” he reassured me, still watching Mary. “It’s understandable actually. She is just . . . interesting, I guess. Did you contact her?”
“Yes. Isn’t that how it usually works?” I asked, confused at his train of thought.
“How did you hear about her?” His eyes never left her, narrowing.
“I don’t remember,” I confessed. “But she’s been wonderful. Is there a problem?”
“No.” His eyes finally came back to mine, and he smiled. “I’m just nosey.” He laughed then, shaking his head. “Just tell me to shut up, Audrey.”
“Shut up and order your cheesecake,” I laughed as the older woman looked our way again.
“Yes ma’am,” he chortled back, waving the waiter over.
“Thank you,” I thank you once he’d ordered his dessert to go.
“For what?”
“This is the first time I’ve been out in a long time. I really enjoyed myself.”
Sy smiled at me and butterflies filled my stomach. I shooed them away, scolding myself.
Just friends.
Chapter Seven
Breath flowed in and out of me in a steady stream as my running shoes slapped against the pavement, sweat running down my face. Talley ran next to me, her tongue hanging out as she took in all the surroundings. Sunlight reflected off the water in the canal next to us, magnifying the heat and shining in my eyes every few steps. My headphones blasted my workout playlist into my ears.
“Hey, Audrey!” I jerked my head over to the right and saw Sy, drenched in sweat and clad in his own running gear.
“Sorry, my music was kinda loud,” I said, pulling an ear bud out and slowing to a jog.
“I noticed,” he laughed, matching my pace. “I didn’t know you were a runner.”
“Yeah. I ran cross-country in high school. I stopped for a while, but lately I’ve really been getting into it again. I think better when I’m running. It clears my mind.”
“This is my first time at this spot. I really like it. Do you mind if I join you and Talley when you’re out?”
“Uh . . . sure, I guess, that’s fine. I don’t make it out some mornings though.”
“That’s fine. I’ll give you my number and you can text me on those days.”
I glanced over at him, trying to maintain my speed as I did so. He was looking forward, concentration etched into his face. He was
obviously in good shape, as I had noticed on several occasions. Even at dinner the nig
ht before, a wall of muscle greeted my hand when I touched his arm.
I looked back to the front, last night’s meal playing through my mind. I enjoyed it very much—too much I’d realized when I got home. I’d cried to John’s picture about how sorry I was for going out and having so much fun. Mom had been right to warn me. If only I’d listened to her.
It’s only because I haven’t spent time with a man since John, I reasoned. I don’t have any feelings. I’m not ready.
“Are you sure we won’t slow you down?” I asked, hoping to somehow get out of what I’d agreed to.
“You were going pretty fast before,” he observed, breathless. “I had a hard time catching up with you.”
Dang.
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning then,” I said, slowing to a stop.
“You’re done already?” He jogged in place, waiting for my reply.
“Yeah, I’ve been out for a while,” I explained, bending over to stretch my warm muscles.
“In the morning then.” He smiled, gave Talley a pat, and set to running again.
Frustrated, I finished my stretches and walked a block more to where I had parked my car.
“Come on girl,” I called, opening the back door for Talley. She hopped right in and laid down, having received as good a workout as I did.
The morning traffic report played on the radio as we drove home. I was only half listening to it.
I wanted to spend time with Sy, but I didn’t want to feel I was dishonoring my late husband. And what would people think if I started hanging around another man? Obviously, Mom would think it was fine. Mary hadn’t seemed too upset last night when she came upon us. But my other friends? John’s family? What if they decided to hate me because I practically danced off of his grave with Sy?
You’re getting ahead of yourself. Sy himself said that he would never ask you out so soon.
I clicked my tongue, extra frustrated at that thought. Wasn’t I good enough to ask out? Why wouldn’t he want to spend time with me?
Talley barked behind me, pulling me out of my thoughts and back to the red light I was about to run. I slammed on the breaks, my seatbelt locking me in place, and we skidded to a stop just in time.
“Sorry,” I apologized when she whimpered softly from the seat where she was buckled.
I needed to get my head on straight. So what if I wanted to spend time with Sy? We were friends, nothing more—even with my crazy, mixed up emotions. I was positive I missed John and that was projecting onto Sy. There was nothing romantic between us.
I pulled into the lot at home and let Talley out to do her business before we went inside. Even more frustration piled on as I thought about how much further I would have liked to run. Having Sy there made my head foggy, confusing me with everything that was going on.
“Why is this so difficult?” I grumbled.
“It’s difficult because you don’t want to feel the way you do, Audrey.” Mary grasped my hand from across the desk.
Sy had gone running with me every morning for two weeks. I’d planned on backing out, but then couldn’t bring myself to be rude. We didn’t say much, but I was growing accustomed to being with him. I enjoyed it a lot. Guilt weighed down on me. How could I move on so easy?
“That’s not what’s happening,” Mary reasoned when I’d voiced my concern. “You obviously love your husband very much. He is no longer with us though. I do think you’re at a place where you can learn to feel something else for another person. It doesn’t mean you love John any less. It means that you’re moving on in a healthy way. It would be bad if you refused to see anyone else. It seems soon, but trust how you’re feeling. If you want to try it, then you should.”
“Are you sure?” I asked anxiously, tapping my ring. “I mean, Sy hasn’t ever asked me out again. I’m probably freaking out over nothing.”
“I’m sure. Give it time. Trust how you feel and go with that. If he does ask you out and you suddenly don’t want to do it, say no. It’s simple.”
Our session ended shortly after that and I made the drive home with no problems. Once there, I sat in the car, the air conditioning blowing my hair away from my face and leaving goose bumps on my arms.
I leaned my head back against the rest and closed my eyes. I was making a mess of things in my head. Mary—and Mom—were right. I should go with what I was feeling. I’d even told myself many times that John wouldn’t want me to be alone. I just hadn’t thought I would be ready so soon.
There was a tap at my window and I looked over to see Sy on the other side.
“Hey, Audrey,” he said as I rolled down the window. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just sorting through some stuff,” I answered honestly.
“Good deal. Hey, are you doing anything tonight?” He leaned down, folding his arms and resting them at the base of my open window.
“Uh . . .” I covered the ring on my finger with my other hand and took a deep breath. “No. Why?”
“Well, I guess a bunch of my co-workers decided it would be cool to have a big party before the school season starts back up in a few weeks or so, which is totally fine. I’d planned on taking my buddy who works at Rainforest Cafe, but he ended up getting called into work. The problem is, I told them I was bringing someone with me and they bought food accordingly. So I was wondering, if it’s not too much trouble, would you be my 'wingman’ tonight?”
“Wingman?” I asked blankly. He wanted me to help him hit on girls?
“Not exactly,” he conceded. “I just need a friend to come with me. Are you in?”
“Where is this party, again?”
“It’s at Jake’s house. He’s the assistant manager.”
I let my gaze linger on his smile for a moment, rubbing my wedding ring with my right pointer finger.
What harm could it do? I wondered. I had fun last time. And he still wants to be just friends.
“Yeah, I guess I could do that,” I finally said with a smile of my own.
“Awesome! I’ll pick you up around seven then?” He straightened up, taking a few steps back.
“Sure. What am I supposed to wear?”
“Clothes,” he laughed, as he turned and walked towards the stairs.
“Thanks, again, for coming. I never would have heard the end of it if I ended up coming alone.”
Sy parked in front of a small, but nice, house with a red door and grey walls. There was a grass lawn, unlike most of the houses down here. I could hear deep bass coming from a sound system inside.
“I haven’t been to a party in a while,” I admitted. “Thanks for inviting me.”
We got out of the car and walked up the sidewalk to the door. After three short knocks it flew open, and a wave of sound hit me in the face.
“Sy!” The man who had opened the door was yelling over the giant speakers behind him, can in hand. “Glad you could make it man!” He waved us inside as he turned and danced back into the room.
It became abundantly clear that this was more than a co-worker get together as we stepped through the doorway. It looked like the frat party of the century was taking place. Streamers hung haphazardly from the ceiling, balloons littered the floor, coolers full of drinks were never more than three feet from someone, and the music played so loud that it felt like my bones were rattling.
“What?” I yelled, noticing that Sy was trying to say something.
“It looks like someone needed a reason to throw a party,” he roared back, laughing.
“Hey, Sy!” a girl screamed from the kitchen on the other side of the room. “Are you in for a game of Pong?”
“No thanks, Ash,” he shouted back, waving.
“Awe, come on!” Her short black hair fell in her eyes, as she pouted at him.
“I’m driving,” he called back. “Not tonight.”
“Fine, party pooper!” she hollered back before disappearing from view.
“Are you thirsty?” he bellowed, turning back to me.
“I don’t
drink,” I answered.
“Soda?”
“Sure.”
We wove our way through the crush of bodies that were taking up most of the living room, trying to avoid being rubbed up on. My ears pounded, a headache starting to build. I couldn’t remember if I’d ever been to a party this rowdy. Unfortunately, there were just as many people in the kitchen, screaming over the stereo.
“Would you mind if I went outside for a minute?” I yelled, taking the can that Sy held out to me.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked, leaning in close and speaking into my ear so he wouldn’t have to shout.
“Sure,” I said, doing the same thing.
We wove back through the “dance floor” and out the front door, wonderful quiet greeting us as we shut it behind us.
“Wow,” Sy laughed. “I never would have pegged Jake as the type who would throw this kind of party.”
“We are just a few blocks from the university,” I mused. “I imagine that’s where all of those people came from.”
“I’m sorry I drug you out,” he apologized, taking a seat on the stoop. “If I’d known it was going to be like this and not just a few friends, I wouldn’t have worried about coming alone.”
“It’s not a big deal,” I assured him with a laugh, joining him. “It was just really loud. We can go back in, if you’d like.”
“There you are, Sy.” The girl from before, Ash, came walking around the corner of the house. “I was worried you’d left before I could get a dance.”
“Hey, I thought you were playing Pong,” he said, flashing a smile her way.
“It was boring,” she said nonchalantly. “Who’s this?” She eyed me up and down, distaste in her eyes.
“Oh, sorry! This is Audrey—Audrey, Ash.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said politely, despite the evil eye she was giving me.
“Audrey is my neighbor,” Sy said, not noticing the death glare I was being burned with. “I asked her to come when Ian backed out. I thought it was just a small party,” he laughed.
“Anything to help a friend,” I said, smiling.
“How about that dance then?” she asked after a short beat. Apparently, I had been dismissed, because she wasn’t even looking at me anymore.
Poseidon (The God Chronicles) Page 5