Wednesday Morning
“Ring the damn bell!” Apollo shouted at Hercules as he ducked another blow that would have surely left a bruise. Fairy was very proud of Apollo for doing this, considering she knew how much he loved and worshiped his body. Oh, she knew he didn’t have the stamina for anything physical, well, except sex, yet from the look on Pisces’s face, she was sure the naked sheriff was bound and determined to make sure he couldn’t even do that.
“Hit him hard, baby,” Angelica Emerson shouted, standing right next to her. “Make sure he doesn’t walk for a week!”
“Sure thing, Sugar-Britches,” Pisces yelled back.
“I said I was sorry!” Apollo screamed as Pisces took another swing at him. “I won’t barge in on you guys anymore. Call off your guard dog.”
“If this weren’t so damn funny, I would be in there myself,” Ace whispered. “Thanks for coming up with this, Fairy. I’ve been trying to think of a way to get back at Apollo for days now. When you called and suggested this, I couldn’t pass it up.”
“It was my pleasure. Apollo needed to step out of his box. He was becoming highly agitated at everything. This way, he can vent and let off some steam before he encounters others. Being a public figure means he needs to commune with his constituents. This is really going to help his image.”
“He’s still an ass, Fairy,” Angelica replied.
“I know, but he’s my ass.”
“Son of a bitch!” Apollo shouted, holding his nose.
* * * *
Wednesday afternoon
“Just let the smoke enter your body. Feel how relaxed you become. Let the universe guide you on the path of harmony.”
Apollo rolled his eyes as Aquarius inhaled whatever concoction he was smoking. When Fairy informed him that he would be helping Aquarius at 5th Dimension, Apollo thought it would be the perfect place to take a nap. Of course, he should have known better. Fairy, along with Helios and the frickin’ universe, were conspiring to drive him bat shit crazy. It was bad enough that he was now sporting a bloodied nose, but when he walked into Aquarius’s store, the smell of incense and herbs stung his nose so bad, when he when to cover it, he inadvertently touched it too hard, and the thing started bleeding again. So there he was lounging in one of Aquarius’s moon chairs, smoking something out of a hookah. What he really wanted was a drink from Aquarius’s private stock, but the stoned bastard refused, saying, “My liquid delights would only hinder the effect of the herbs.”
Like Apollo gave a shit. His nose hurt, and his body ached. He needed a fucking drink, not smoke. Taking a long drag off the hookah, Apollo inhaled, held it for a few seconds, and then slowly blew out the smoke. Leaning back, he closed his eyes and tried to relax. How he was supposed to help Aquarius, he didn’t know, but if it meant he could just lounge around and do nothing, he was all for it. “What is this stuff, Aquarius? It tastes funny. The aroma is warm, yet it has a slight bitter taste.”
“Something new that came in yesterday,” he replied, taking a long drag off his hookah. “According to the package, Origanum Vulgare is a genus of the mint family. Native to western and southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean region, it’s a perennial herb also known as wild marjoram.”
Taking another drag off the hookah, Apollo started coughing. After clearing his throat, he asked, “Let me see the package.”
Aquarius shrugged his shoulders, picked up the package and handed it to him, then proceeded to take another hit off the hookah. Apollo looked at the small bag and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Carefully opening it, he smelled the contents. He knew that smell. It was very familiar to him. Flipping the bag over, Apollo read the label. After a few seconds, Apollo knew why the flavor was familiar. In a fit of anger, Apollo threw the bag at Aquarius and shouted, “You idiot, we’re smoking oregano!”
Aquarius grinned, taking another hit, and then simply replied, “Groovy.”
* * * *
Wednesday afternoon an hour later
“You want me to do what!” Apollo shouted as two hulking men stared at him, threatening to rip his body from limb to limb. Apollo slowly backed away from the table, shaking his head. “Uh, Pandora, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“But you have to!” the perky, yet flighty pink-haired goth chick complained. “I’m overbooked. I have to help Phoebe. She’s in a real bad way. Her aura is off the charts. She desperately needs a cleansing. It’s not that hard, Apollo. All you have to do is clean their chakras, that’s all.”
“He ain’t cleaning nothing on me, baby,” Zac Phelps replied, holding his ground.
“He steps one foot in my direction, I’ll shoot him,” Garret Riley added.
“Garret, stop,” Pandora chided. “You’re scaring Apollo.”
“Baby, he ain’t gonna be the only one scared if he touches us,” Zac added huskily, taking a step forward. Apollo shrieked liked a little girl, threw the basket of incense and maracas at Pandora, and yelled, “I’m outta here!” He was not ashamed. Nope, not one bit as he high-tailed it out of The Best Lay Hotel and headed for the Rainbow Room.
Sneaking in the backdoor, Apollo dodged the waitresses getting ready for their shift and the bartender sleeping off another bender, which reminded him that he needed to have a talk with Samuel. Sam was a good man, but lately he had been dipping into the club’s stock, and Apollo needed to find out why. Generally, he didn’t bother with the personal lives of his employees, but when his favorite bartender and longtime friend fell off the wagon, well, Apollo knew he was going to have to interfere. He hated being a busy body, but Sam was his friend and he was going to have to find the time after he won the election. Until then, Sam was on his own.
Heading for his office, he snuck in and quietly closed the door.
He had done it. He was alone. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head against the door and sighed. Blissful quiet surrounded him. He could actually hear himself think, and he was happy to know nothing was floating around in his head. So far this week was the biggest pain in his ass. How Fairy and Helios believed him helping around town was going to bolster his image, he had no clue. What he did know was that if he had to be subjected to another incredulous diatribe from one of the residents again, he was going to lose his shit.
Apollo had always known that the town of Celestial catered to the crazies, nut jobs, and on occasions, psychopaths, but actually to have it all verified by his own eyes was remarkable. He had concluded in the last few days that he was the only sane person in this freaky town and if he didn’t get away from them all, they were going to make him crazy, too.
Knowing exactly what he needed to do, and where he needed to go, Apollo flipped on his office lights to find what he was looking for.
“Hello, lazy ass.”
“Fuck!” Apollo jumped, his back slamming against his office door. This was his office. This place was sacred, his place of Zen, his retreat away from the chaos of the town. What the fuck was someone doing in here?
“You’re supposed to be working with Pandora.”
“What the hell? How did you…why are you…Oh, Goddess, please go away.” Apollo sighed, wondering how he found him, but then he already knew the answer, Fairy. He really needed to have a talk with that woman about his private life. “Aren’t you supposed to babysitting Hades and Poseidon?”
“Our brothers are busy doing something that doesn’t concern you.”
“What do you want, Zeus? I’m busy,” Apollo groaned as his oldest brother smiled and then leaned back in his favorite chair. That was his chair, not Zeus’s, and Apollo knew the overgrown ass was going to break the damn thing. His brothers always broke what he loved.
Apollo really didn’t know why Zeus was in his office. Since his brothers returned to Celestial, they tried to avoid him at all cost and the feeling was mutual. Of course, it also helped that they stayed away from town as much as possible. They were all staying at the family residence, doing Goddess knows what. However, there was nothing he cou
ld do about that. His brothers needed a place to stay and until they could find their own place or build one, Mom and Dad offered them the big house. Of course, Apollo tried pleading with his parents, but Arthur and Guinevere Humperdinck wouldn’t listen. According to them, since they were visiting England, his brothers were welcomed home.
“Fairy called me.”
“Why?”
“You’re not following her directions.”
“I’ve never listened before. Don’t know why she feels that’s an issue now.”
“You’re going to lose this reelection if you don’t.”
“What do you care?”
“Believe it or not, little brother, I do care. Actually, we all care. You are a good mayor, and we’d like to help you get back on track.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because the last time you three helped me, I ended up with a broken leg and poison ivy all over my body. I was left in Mom’s care, and had to endure two weeks of her babbling on and on about how XBS cancelled her soap opera.”
“That was a sad day. I really liked ‘As the Sun Sets.’ Did you ever see the episode where Carla went berserk and took out the hospital with a homemade cake bomb? Pure genius.”
“It was all fake, you moron!” Apollo shouted. “Make believe, not real, purely fictitious!”
“Yeah, but some real funny shit.” Zeus laughed.
“Please go away, Zeus,” Apollo pleaded, but refused to beg. He wasn’t going to give his brother the satisfaction of seeing that.
“Can’t do it. Therefore, we’ve come up with an idea to get you back on track.”
“We who?” Apollo asked, yet already knowing whom he was talking about.
Just then, Apollo’s office door opened, shoving him further into his office. He tripped on his own feet and stumbled onto the sofa, just as Hades and Poseidon walked in, smiling. “Everything set. Ready to go when you are.” Hades grinned.
“Go where?” Apollo asked, scared to death.
Zeus smiled as he stood, walked over, extending his hand to Apollo, and happily said, “We’re going fishing.”
Chapter Seven
“Stop being a little bitch and just throw it!” Hades yelled. Apollo stood on the bow of the boat looking at his hand, scared out of his ever-lovin’ mind. His brothers were hands down, certifiable, institutional-bound crazy! How they still got him on the boat was blurry, and if he had to think about it, his head did hurt a bit, but everything paled to the knowledge that he was holding a live grenade in his hands.
“Dude, throw the fucking thing!” Poseidon shouted.
“I’m going to die,” Apollo muttered, frozen where he stood.
“You’re not going to die,” Zeus replied, sighing. “We haven’t even pulled the pin out yet.”
“Why can’t we just use the fishing poles?” Apollo asked, pleading with them.
“Poles are for wimps. Besides, this is more interesting, and we get a bigger catch,” Poseidon responded.
“It’s also illegal,” Apollo added, more to himself. Laughter filled the lake around him as his brothers lost control, doubling over hysterically. “Maybe I should call Pisces and give him the heads up. I mean it’s not as if he has anything else to do, besides screwing Landon and Ace. He could use the break.”
“Or I could call Fairy and Helios and let them know that you’re out fishing instead of trying to fix your public image?” Zeus countered, one eyebrow rising in a challenge. Apollo hated that eyebrow. For as long as he could remember, Zeus always had to be right, the perfect son, the one everyone counted on and relied upon. It was annoying, and it grated his nerves. When his brothers left Celestial for the military, none was happier than Apollo. For the first time, he wasn’t living in the shadows of the great Titan Brothers. He could be his own man, do what he wanted, and not have to worry about his brothers interfering. Life was good too with them gone, and then they showed up last year. Since then, they’ve made it their personal mission to drive him fucking crazy.
“You’re an evil son of a bitch, you know that, Zeus?” Apollo muttered, knowing damn well Zeus wouldn’t think twice about tattling on him like a little girl.
“I know.” His older brother grinned. “You should be used to it by now. You honestly didn’t think I’d change just because I left and then came back, did you?”
“I was hoping.”
“Well you can hope in one hand and shit in the other. Let me know which one fills faster,” Zeus quipped, then stood and removed the pin from the grenade. “Now throw the fucking grenade!”
Apollo chucked the handheld explosive so fast he swore he could have hit the moon. Three seconds later, a large water balloon exploded out of the lake, sending water and debris everywhere. Apollo and his brothers were soaked through, but that didn’t seem to bother them, as they yelled, “Grab the fish!”
For the next hour, Apollo watched in horror as his idiot brothers lobbed one grenade after another. Yet, when they barely caught any fish, Apollo drew the line in the preverbal sand as Hades grabbed a stick of dynamite. “Hell no!” Apollo roared. “We are not throwing dynamite in the pond to catch fish.”
“Of course we’re not. We’re not idiots,” Hades replied, rustling around in the duffle bag he brought, extracting his bow. “We’re huntin’ dyno-ducks!”
By the time Apollo made it home, he was soaked to the skin in pond water, had duck parts in his hair, and a new lucky rabbit’s foot that Poseidon gave him after he snared and gutted a poor defenseless bunny rabbit. Apollo was horrified at his all of his brothers’ lackadaisical regard for all living things. He feared that someday, they would capture some poor unsuspecting woman, and trap her into being their personal sex slave. None of his brothers had any moral compass. They killed what they wanted for sport and enjoyed doing it. They were barbaric and shared half a brain. If he ever saw them again, it would be too soon.
Silently shutting his front door, Apollo dropped his fishing gear, never so happy to be home in his life. Walking on dead feet, he lumbered to the kitchen and grabbed himself a beer out of the refrigerator. Taking a long swig, he moved aimlessly toward his bedroom, only to find Fairy and Helios both naked and sleeping peacefully in his bed. Smiling, Apollo didn’t have the heart to wake them. They looked so beautiful together, Helios curled around Fairy in dreamland. He wanted to join them right away, but he needed a shower something fierce. So, without making a noise, he dragged his tired ass toward his bathroom and shut the door.
* * * *
Steam filled the room, but all she could see was Apollo’s naked body easily through the clear glass shower divider. His back was to her as he bent down and washed a leg, the spray of the water cascading down over him. He was beautiful, breathtaking, a magnificent piece of art. Fairy stood there transfixed. Never had she seen a more perfect example of the male form. His limbs were long and muscular, his body in perfect proportion. Muscles writhed under his lightly tanned skin as he moved. Her long, thick legs stood firm as he washed his leg. She had seen him before many times, but still, looking at him now, it was like seeing him for the first time. She knew she would never get tired of seeing him, or admiring his beauty.
Eyes closed, his head tilted back and the spray bounced off his chest as his hand worked down to his cock. A minute passed as she watched him pleasure himself, then he opened his eyes and half turned to look at her. A sexy smile crossed his face and the hand on his cock came up, his index finger crooked at her as he beckoned her toward him.
As if in a trance, Fairy moved forward, opening the glass door and into the shower recess. His cock was at full stiffness as she stepped in and faced him. Fairy smiled and slowly sank to her knees before his stiff hardness. Her hand reached up and grasped the base of his cock as her other held his balls in a light grip. Fairy looked up at him, into his beautiful eyes, as her tongue reached out and licked up the underside of his shaft all the way to the top. Where she then opened her mouth and plunged the bloated knob of his coc
k into her mouth.
“Oh! Fuck!” Apollo cried as his hands reached for her head to grip it.
Her head bobbed up and down over Apollo’s cock, forcing her mouth wider to take him fully to the back of her throat as her lips wrapped tightly around his shaft. She adjusted her position slightly and placed her hands on his firm ass cheeks to better stabilize her. She never took her eyes off Apollo as he looked down at the sight of her mouth engulfing his length. She wished she could smile, tease him a bit, but with her mouth stretched, all she could do was hum, making him shiver. Without warning, she suddenly plunged forward and slid his full length into her throat, again as her tongue slipped out and licked at his balls as her nose pressed against his pelvis.
“Oh my Goddess, Fairy!” Apollo grunted as she tightened her throat around his hard cock. She pulled back, a river of saliva running from her mouth as she gulped in air, his eyes wild with lust. Giving Apollo a good blow job was one of the things she knew that would relax him. When he came home, she knew he thought she was asleep. She saw him looking so dejected, tired, and lost. Her heart went out to him. As he closed the bathroom door, she wondered what she could do for him to make him feel better, and this was the only thing that came to mind. She loved Apollo, and worried that maybe she had pushed him too far by asking his brothers for help. She knew Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades could be a bit much at times. Regardless of what Apollo thought, his brothers did love him, and when she asked, they did want to help. They were just a bit outdoorsy at times and highly prone to excessive tendencies. Apollo typically stayed away from them when they were home, but like Apollo, his brothers were just misunderstood and wanted to be loved for who they were. Fairy wasn’t sure what kind of woman Apollo’s brothers needed, but she made it a point to help find them one, right after she took care of her man.
“Did you like that?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Fairy, you were incredible, you know that?”
Whole Lotta Apollo Goin' On [Celestial Nights 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 8