by Tina Folsom
“Let me show you my best deals,” Kevin started.
“Lead the way,” Eros encouraged him.
When he saw which direction Kevin was taking, heading for his higher end models, Eros quickly assessed the surroundings, looking for anything he could use to create a diversion. He noticed a cart with cleaning materials, oil cans, and a bucket standing near a blue Cadillac.
“This one looks pretty nice,” Eros said, pointing to the Cadillac.
“Ah, a man with taste!” Kevin said and walked to it.
Just as he reached the car, Eros flicked his wrist. The oil can that was sitting on the cart tipped over. Oil spilled over Kevin’s pants and shoes.
“Shit!” the man cursed and jumped back. But it was too late. His pants were ruined. He whirled his head to the cart. “Who the fuck left this out here?” Then he tossed an apologetic look at Eros. “I’m sorry, Eric, but I’d better get cleaned up.”
“Of course, do what you need to. I’ll just come back another day, maybe.”
Panicked that he might lose a sale, Kevin suggested quickly, “No, stay. I’ll have Wayne help you. He knows the cars just as well as I do.” He turned and yelled toward the office, “Wayne!” He waved his arms and rushed toward it. The door to the office opened and Wayne emerged.
“What happened to you?” Wayne asked, a grin forming on his face.
“What does it look like?” Kevin grunted and charged past him. “Take care of this customer. And don’t mess it up.”
Wayne shrugged and sauntered into the lot. As he approached, Eros perused him.
He was tall and athletic, probably in his mid-thirties, and far too good-looking. Wayne looked like the quintessential rocker with attitude, even though nothing in his background suggested that he was a musician. His well-fitted jeans, white T-shirt, and leather jacket looked like he’d copied them straight from James Dean. Women probably flocked to him like groupies. Wayne spelled trouble with a capital T. If he was back in Psyche’s life, it was bad news.
“Hey, how you doing?” Wayne drawled and stopped a few feet away from Eros. “I’m Wayne.”
“Eric,” Eros said tightly without offering to shake his hand. Wayne didn’t seem to notice.
“So, any idea what kind of car you’re looking for?”
“Actually, it’s not for me.”
Wayne nodded. “Okay. For the missus then.” He pointed to one corner of the lot. “How about a minivan for the shopping and the kids?”
“Actually my wife already has a car she loves,” Eros said and took a step closer. “It’s for another woman, you know…” He let the suggestion hang there.
Wayne immediately caught on. He winked and grinned. “Sure thing. So something fancy then, huh? Maybe a little sports car for her?”
Eros forced a smile. “That sounds about right. She likes red.”
Wayne motioned him to follow, and walked through the rows of cars until he stopped at a small section with several sports cars. He slapped his hand on the hood of a red Mazda Miata. “This baby here is perfect. Runs smoothly, and it’s a steal.”
Eros pretended to inspect the car and walked around it.
“Even a woman can drive this one. Nice and compact, easy to park.” He laughed. “Even if she’s bad at parallel parking, this car fits into any spot.”
Eros suppressed a curse. Sexist prick! Was he suggesting that women were bad drivers and even worse at parking? How could any woman stand being around this guy once she peeked past the pretty facade?
“Is that price negotiable?” Eros asked, pointing to the windshield where the sign indicated the price.
“It’s already a great deal,” Wayne insisted, but added, “but we’re willing to negotiate if you’re paying cash.” He nudged closer and lowered his voice. “Probably better if you pay cash anyway.”
“Why’s that?” Eros asked, although he could guess where this was going.
“So your wife won’t find out. Tell you, I’ve learned the hard way. Once, I used my credit card to pay for a dinner with another woman while I was dating somebody else, and bam! She saw it on my statement and gave me the third degree. Tell you, I learned quickly never to do that again.”
“Never to cheat again, you mean?”
Wayne let out a belly laugh. “You’re funny! No, of course not. Why would I do that?”
Why indeed? Eros wondered. When cheating was apparently so easy.
“No, I’m just totally careful these days. I always pay cash when I’ve got a little something on the side.” He jabbed his elbow at Eros. “And there’s something else I’ve learned, too.”
Fuming inside about Wayne’s attitude toward women, Eros forced himself to ask, “Care to share?”
“Hey, anything to help a fellow out.” He leaned in a little. “Whenever I’m getting it on with somebody on the side these days, I make sure to do it where my girlfriend won’t come across us. Last time, I lost a free apartment because I wasn’t careful enough. My girlfriend tossed me out on my ass when she found me with the other chick. But I’m smarter now.”
“You are?” Somehow Eros doubted that.
“Yeah,” Wayne boasted. “I know what women like and what you have to keep from them. No harm in a few secrets. And I tell you, man, occasionally groveling helps. You don’t have to mean it, but hey, if she buys it, I’m all for it.” He grinned like a Cheshire cat. “And bam, I’m back in her good graces.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Eros said, getting more and more disgusted with the guy. What on earth had Psyche ever seen in him? But more importantly, had she taken him back? He had to find out. Eros motioned to the car. “I’m thinking the car will put me back into the good graces of my little lady on the side. Sounds like you managed to do that with some groveling. I’m assuming it worked? You’re back with your old girlfriend?”
Wayne pulled his shoulders back and thrust his chest out. “Course it worked! She’s totally digging the new me.”
Eros looked at the car so he wouldn’t glare at the guy who’d basically admitted that he was seeing Psyche again. “Good for you.”
“Yeah! So, what do you think about the Miata?”
Eros cleared his throat. “To be honest, your words have given me an idea.”
“What idea?”
“Maybe I’ll just start with groveling. To see if she comes back to me without me spending ten grand on a car for her.” Eros turned around to leave.
“Hold on, Eric,” Wayne said quickly, realizing that his loose mouth was losing him a sale. “I still think you’re better off getting the car for her. Women dig those kinds of apology gifts. Not all women like it when men grovel. You could make a huge mistake.”
Eros didn’t even look over his shoulder, but simply lifted his hand as a sign of goodbye. “Thanks, Wayne, I’ll try it anyway.”
Let the jerk stew over the lost sale and explain it to his boss, not that Eros had ever had any intention of buying a car from him. He had better things to do. He had to keep an eye on Psyche and find out when she was next meeting up with Wayne, then catch them in the act.
On the other hand, there was another solution to his problem. One that only the god of love could bring about.
23
Practically all day, Eros paced in his living room, contemplating his next move. He’d brought his bow and quiver down from his bedroom, and it now lay on the coffee table. Mrs. Clayton had called earlier and informed him that Justin had a dentist appointment and couldn’t practice archery after school. Though teaching Justin would have helped him get his mind off Psyche and Wayne, Eros was nevertheless glad for the extra time this gave him to think about what to do next.
Again and again he looked at his bow, knowing how easy of a solution it could provide, if only he could bring himself to use it. With one arrow he could direct Psyche’s feelings towards himself and away from Wayne. Just one little arrow, and he wouldn’t have to worry about whether Psyche would develop feelings for her ex-boyfriend again. It was simple and effective, but was it the ri
ght thing to do? Did he actually want Psyche to fall in love with him? Did that mean he wanted this… this relationship? Was he ready to move on and put everything that had happened between him and Gloria behind him?
He had no ready answer to his questions, and instead took the bow in his hands. He took his shooting stance, pulled the string back and closed his left eye. He sensed the vibration of the wood beneath his hands and listened to its melody.
Shoot! the melody seemed to sing to him. So familiar, yet so foreign. It had been so long.
“Eros,” an ethereal female voice murmured behind him.
He spun around und quickly lowered his bow when he saw his mother, Aphrodite, teleport into the room. She was dressed in mortal clothes, not the long flowing tunic she loved to wear on Mount Olympus. She’d accentuated her white shorts and azure blue nearly see-through blouse with silver high-heeled sandals. Her long tanned legs looked like an advertisement for a waxing salon, and her long, blond hair put any professional hair model to shame. His mother truly was the most beautiful goddess this world had ever seen.
“Mother,” he greeted her and kissed her on the cheek. “It’s nice of you to visit, though a little advance warning would have been even nicer. I could have been busy.”
She smiled and ran her hand through his hair as if he were still a little boy. “Darling, I knew you weren’t busy.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Spying on me, are you?”
“I wouldn’t call it that. More like looking out for you. I don’t want you to do something you might regret.” She glanced at the bow he was still holding in his hand.
Eros laid it back on the coffee table. “I would’ve thought you’d be pleased to see me with my bow again. You’ve always been on Zeus’s side when it comes to my godly duties.”
Aphrodite tilted her head to the side and gave him a chiding look. “I’ve always been on your side. Just as I am now. That’s why I’m here. You’re my son, and it would hurt me to see you do something out of desperation.”
Eros lifted his arms. “Who’s desperate? Certainly not I.” He motioned to the wet bar. “Would you like a drink?”
“Why not?”
Glad to be able to busy himself, he poured two glasses of wine and handed her one. “How’s my father? Have you seen him lately?”
Aphrodite took a sip from her glass. “I’m not here to talk about Ares, and you know it, so don’t try to change the subject.”
“I’m not.”
“I’m your mother. When have you ever been able to fool me?”
He sighed. “Apparently never.”
“Bingo.” She motioned to the bow. “I have a feeling I know what you’re thinking about doing.”
Eros turned to the French doors and stared out in the garden. “You know nothing, Mother.”
“Mmm-hmm, I was watching you earlier. With that James Dean wannabe.”
He pivoted to look at her. “So? I was looking for a second car.”
She feigned interest in her immaculate nails. “Funny that you would go to a dealership where your girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend works. I found that a little odd.”
“Did you? Maybe I like their selection and prices. They do offer great bargains.”
She shook her head gently. “We’ve all done it, you know. Checking out our competition to see if we can gain some advantage over them. But what you’re considering doing now isn’t a good idea.”
“I wasn’t considering anything!” Eros protested.
Aphrodite glanced back at the bow on the coffee table. “Yes, you were. And it’s a foolish idea. I’d advise against it.”
“And why’s that, Mother?” Eros asked curtly.
“If you shoot her, how will you ever know for certain if she was meant to love you? What if the Fates put her in your path? Don’t you understand? If the Fates put you two together, then the love you feel for each other will be stronger and more powerful than any love that could ever result from your arrows.”
Eros grunted to himself.
“You know it’s true. It doesn’t happen often that the Fates grant such an opportunity. Are you willing to throw it away by shooting her with your arrow?”
Eros expelled an angry breath. “And what if it’s not the Fates? What if she has feelings for the other guy? That sexist, juvenile jerk!”
“What if she doesn’t?” Aphrodite countered. “Don’t use your godly powers on Psyche. Let her make her own decisions. If you have any feelings for her, trust her.”
Eros emptied his glass and put it down on the wet bar. “It’s hard trusting somebody when you’ve been hurt like I have.”
Aphrodite set her glass on the table. Moments later she wrapped her arms around him. “Like any mother, I wish I could have spared you that pain. But don’t make your situation worse now by making a decision that’s foolish and that you’ll surely regret one day. Because if you shoot her, all it will do is make her fall in love with you. But what if you don’t fall in love with her? Then you’ll hurt her just like you were hurt before. It’s not fair to her. She deserves better.”
Eros sighed. He had to admit that his mother was right. Shooting Psyche with one of his arrows wasn’t a solution. He had to allow their relationship to play out by itself. It was a risk he had to take, or he would hate himself for it later.
Nodding, he eased out of her embrace. “I really needed to hear this. Thank you.”
Aphrodite squeezed both his hands. “It’s so good to see you. We should do this more often.”
At the sound of the front door closing, Eros’s gaze shot to the doorway where he had a clear view of the person who was entering the foyer.
Just like it gave the person entering a clear view of him and Aphrodite. He hadn’t expected Psyche back this early. It was too late for Aphrodite to teleport away—Psyche had already seen her. And considering that Aphrodite looked no older than Eros, he couldn’t very well introduce her as his mother. He had to come up with something else that sounded believable, and do it rather quickly.
~ ~ ~
Stunned at seeing Eros entertaining a woman who could compete with any supermodel and win, Psyche froze in the doorway. Paralyzed, she stared at the two. The way they were holding hands gave every indication that they knew each other intimately. And the guilty look on Eros’s face suggested that Psyche had interrupted something she wasn’t supposed to see.
“Hey, Psyche, back from work already?” Eros asked cheerfully.
She nodded, her throat too dry to speak, and unsure about how to react.
There was an awkward pause, until Eros continued, “My friend stopped by unexpectedly. We had a glass of wine. Would you like one, too, Psyche?”
She shook her head. “Not right now, thanks.”
“Where are your manners, Eros?” the woman chided him, then took a few steps toward Psyche, her hand extended in greeting. “I’m Aphrodite. I’m Eros’s—”
“—childhood friend,” Eros interrupted, stepping closer.
The beauty tossed him a sideways glance, but Eros ignored her. Instead, he added, “From when I lived in Greece as a kid.”
Psyche nodded to herself, remembering what Sophia had said about Eros and his male friends and now applied the knowledge to his female friend. Most likely the name Aphrodite, the name of a Greek goddess, was just as common in Greece as Sarah or Jane were in the US. Psyche took Aphrodite’s hand and finally found her voice again. “I guess that explains the Greek name. Nice to meet you. I’m Psyche.”
She didn’t add that she was Eros’s girlfriend. After all, that label was barely twenty-four hours old, and if Eros didn’t see it as important to tell his childhood friend who she was, maybe he didn’t want her to know.
“Very nice to make your acquaintance.” Aphrodite ran her eyes over Psyche and smiled. “You work with flowers?”
Psyche nodded. “How did you know?”
Aphrodite reached out and pulled a flower petal from Psyche’s hair.
“Oh.” Embarrassed that she m
ust look badly groomed, when everything about Aphrodite was immaculate, Psyche felt heat suffuse her cheeks. She was no match for this timeless beauty. Memories of Wayne cheating on her rushed back in an instant. She hadn’t been enough for Wayne; how could she be enough for Eros, who was so much better looking, better educated, and more charming than Wayne could ever be? Wouldn’t a woman like Aphrodite be a better match for Eros? Maybe Eros recognized that too, particularly now that he was able to compare them both side by side.
“Well,” Aphrodite said, breaking the awkward silence, “I’d better get going. It was great seeing you.” She gave Eros a peck on the cheek. The gesture looked confident, as if she’d done it a thousand times before.
A pang of jealousy shot through Psyche, but she tried not to show it.
“It was nice meeting you, Psyche.”
“I’ll see you out,” Eros offered, but Aphrodite waved him off.
“Not necessary. I’ll call you soon.” She swept out of the room like a graceful dancer.
When the front door closed behind her, there was silence for a moment. Suspicion was already building inside Psyche. Did Eros have an intimate relationship with this woman he called a childhood friend?
“How was your day?” Eros asked, as he approached, reaching to pull her into an embrace.
Psyche sidestepped him, before he could do so. “It was exhausting. I was working on a garden for a client.”
“How about I take you out for dinner and then we can relax here later?”
She knew what he meant by relaxing. Did he really think that by offering dinner and sex she would forget all about his beautiful visitor?
“I don’t think I’m up for that tonight.”
Eros smiled and touched her arm. “How about dinner at home then?”
“I think I’ll just take a bath and then read in my room, if you don’t mind. I should go to bed early and get some sleep. I’m working at the Olympus Inn tomorrow morning and then I have to meet a customer at the cemetery. I should get some rest.”
Disappointment spread over Eros’s face. “But you need to eat.”
“I’m not hungry. I had a late lunch.” She turned away. “Have a good night.”