by R. L. Naquin
I should have been used to people constantly changing jobs in the mythological community. Most people shuffled around on a regular basis. Sometimes because they requested it, but more often because they hadn’t met the requirements of their current job .
Phoebe had failed at being a Muse because I’d been her client. Three times she’d been assigned to me. Three times I’d failed to complete my project. As a result, Phoebe had lost her Muse job and was sent to the Underworld. When my coworkers in the Muse department had told me, I’d been crushed .
All I wanted to do was apologize to the poor woman. And at some point, I wanted to give her the quilt I’d finally finished. My not finishing it had been the final thing that got her fired. And it had been the final thing that caused me to hit rock bottom and trigger the welcome package from Mt. Olympus that, ultimately, gave me Phoebe’s job .
I owed Phoebe. And now I couldn’t find her .
“Can you tell me where she’s being transferred ?”
The woman shook her head. “Not a clue. I don’t think she even knew. She only knew today was her last show. Sorry.” She turned and walked away .
“Well, shit.” I stared at my shoes for a minute, trying to decide what to do. After a moment, one corner of my mouth drew up in a half smile .
What good was it to be the stepdaughter of Hades if I couldn’t check someone’s records? Finding Phoebe should be easy. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it sooner .
I dashed outside to meet Mom and Hades and found them huddled with their foreheads pressed together, silly smiles on their lips and a dreamy glaze in their eyes. They were up to something, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what it was .
My fake throat clearing alerted them, and their heads jerked away from each other like teenagers caught behind the bleachers at a pep rally .
“Wynter.” Mom blinked a few times until the dreamy look cleared and her eyes focused. “That was quick. Did you find her ?”
I shook my head. “No. But I will. Now that I’ve seen her, I feel like I need to make contact. Thank her. Apologize. Something .”
Mom put an arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. “You’ll figure it out.” She paused and glanced at Hades. “I’m glad you came tonight, sweetheart. I meant to tell you sooner, but Hades and I are going away for a few days .”
“Weeks.” Hades tipped his head forward, eyes twinkling. “Months, maybe .”
Mom gave a soft laugh and brushed her fingers against his hand. “Awhile .”
I frowned. “Where are you going ?”
She shrugged, and the green, diaphanous material hanging from her shoulders moved with her in a graceful wave. “Wherever the wind takes us .”
Hades leaned over and kissed her cheek. “We’re due for another honeymoon. The last one was at least a century ago .”
“Oh.” I gawked at them, waiting to think of something reasonable to say in response. “Uh, have fun.” I gave them a friendly customer service smile that felt as fake as it probably looked. For some reason, my heartbeat thumped in my chest, as if were on a high wire and my safety net had been folded up and put away .
Mom laughed. “You’ll be fine without us .”
Hades stepped forward and gave me a quick hug. “If you need anything, call the office or the mansion. Everybody is at your disposal .”
“You’re leaving now?” I couldn’t keep the dismay out of my voice .
Mom hugged me and kissed my cheek. “We’d have told you before the show, but you were late.” She squeezed my hand. “I’ll call you the minute we get back .”
We exchanged I-love-yous and goodbyes for as long as I could hold them there, then I watched as they walked off together down the street. I climbed into my golf cart, amused at my own reluctance to let them go .
T he next morning, I drove to work a little early. Patrice, the fierce-looking gorgon receptionist, was already at her station, scowling at the nervous people in her queue. She watched me march through the lobby, and we exchanged a quick nod as I strode past .
I hopped into the elevator and rode it all the way to the top, waiting patiently for the last person to disembark before it went back down for another load. I shoved my card in the slot before it could stop to take on new passengers .
“Sorry, folks. Elevator’s closed. Moose out front should have told you.” I snorted to myself in the empty elevator and pressed the button for the Underworld .
When the doors opened, I made my way down the hall to the main office and popped my head inside .
“Wynter!” Kris was the junior personal assistant to Hades. Her partner, Parker, was the senior personal assistant. I’d worked with him for a month or so, covering for Kris while she was on maternity leave .
They were both great people. I was lucky to know them. Also, I needed their help .
I gave Kris a hug. “How’s the baby? And where’s Parker ?”
She tugged my hand to lead me to a chair. “Baby’s getting fat, and Parker’s making a delivery. We’re all doing great.” She shoved a plate of chocolate chip cookies toward me . “Eat .”
I’d skipped breakfast, so I snagged a cookie and took a bite. “I can only stay a minute. I have to get upstairs and go to work .”
She made a pouty face. “Oh, well. Maybe we can take a day off soon. Take the baby to the park or something .”
I nodded while I chewed. “I like this plan .”
“So, what can I do for you?” She placed her hands on her desk and drummed her fingers in expectation. “Something juicy ?”
I shook my head. “Not really juicy. I need to find the records for Phoebe Eldridge .”
Kris was up and at the filing cabinet before I’d finished my sentence. “The actress ?”
“Well, I don’t know. That’s the problem. I don’t think she’s an actress anymore. Not after last night. I think she’s been transferred to somewhere new .”
Kris ran her fingers through the files, mouthing the alphabet as she went. She frowned and shut the drawer. “Not in there. But you said last night was her last night?” She swiveled and grabbed a pile of files in her inbox, then shuffled through them. When she got through the stack, she tapped it against the desk to neaten it, then put it back in the inbox. “Not there either .”
“How can you not have her file?” I hadn’t worked in this office long, but I knew things were well organized. Files didn’t get lost in the Underworld main office .
She snagged a cookie of her own and nibbled it. “Well, it would be here if she’s working in the Underworld .”
“So…what are you saying? She’s not working down here anymore ?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Phoebe Eldridge must have been transferred upstairs .”
B y the time I made it back to the lobby, the line to talk to Patrice was a mile long. I had no intention of standing there for two hours to get the information I needed. Besides. I had a client waiting for me .
I tried not to look like I hated my job as I walked into the Muse office. I doubted that I fooled anybody .
Besides. I didn’t actually hate my job. I loved my job. I was just stuck. I had to figure out how to get through to Gordon Gordon so he could paint his masterpiece before he dropped dead of the gods only knew what .
Shaking off the morbid thoughts, I gathered up my bubbles, belt, and wand, checked my inbox and email, then bolted out of the office before I had to talk to anybody. I didn’t think I had it in me to hear if my old clients were losing ground when I wasn’t allowed to help them .
The frustration would be more than I could take. Better to focus on the one client I was allowed to help .
I needed to find out what sort of medication Gordon was on. If I knew what was killing him, maybe I could figure out how much time we had together .
Chapter 6
M ost Saturday mornings, Mark came over to watch cartoons and play video games. He usually brought donuts. I checked out the window repeatedly, but I didn’t
see him coming or going, and I couldn’t see any activity through his kitchen window, which faced mine .
“Looks like he’s not coming.” I touched Phyllis’s soil. “You need a drink?” I placed her in the sink to drain and poured water from a glass into her pot .
“He’ll come around, sweetheart. It’s just going to take a little time .”
I nodded, miserable. “I screwed up .”
She stroked the back of my hand with a leafy branch. “You reacted instinctually. It was neither planned nor cruelly meant .”
“Kind of proved my own point that I’m too much of a disaster for that kind of a relationship .”
She made a noise that might have been a chuckle. “That’s probably true .”
“I’m going to run some errands. Sitting here looking out the window and waiting for him isn’t healthy. I have to get out.” I grabbed my purse and coat and headed out the door. “Be back in a bit .”
I locked the door behind me and strode across the courtyard toward my car. I fumbled my keys and dropped them. Grumbling to myself, I hurried to pick them up. Of course, when I stood again, I slammed into Mark .
He was holding two cups of coffee and a bag of donuts .
“Oh. Hi.” I smiled up at him, feeling like I was showing too many teeth .
“You’re going out.” It was a statement, not a question .
“I was…I thought I’d run some errands.” I honestly wasn’t sure if the donuts and coffee were meant for me or if he had a girl stashed in his room. “Should I not ?”
He shrugged. “If you’ve got errands, I guess you should do them .”
My cheeks burned. This was one of those awkward things that happened in romantic comedies, right? He was bringing her coffee, she assumed it was for someone else, and he thinks she doesn’t want to be around him ?
I could be a grownup about this and stop it from happening, right? Sure I could .
I pointed at the cups and bag. “Were you coming over ?”
He shifted from one foot to the other. “Well, yeah, but you’ve obviously got things to do. I should have checked with you first .”
“No, it’s just…you’re usually over earlier .”
“I’m ten minutes late .”
Was that all? I was more neurotic than I’d realized. “I’ll go back in .”
He shook his head. “No. It’s probably better this way. I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. Here.” He shoved a cup of coffee and the bag of donuts at me and hurried into his apartment .
I stood in the courtyard fighting the urge to cry. The friendship was ruined. I was ruined. Everything was ruined. I walked blindly to my car and went on a long drive while I tried to figure out what to do. The coffee went cold long before it occurred to me to take a drink .
After an hour and a half of driving around in circles, gesturing wildly and talking to myself while other drivers gave me a wide berth, I’d made a decision .
Phyllis was still draining in the sink when I came inside .
“What errands did you do? You don’t even have any groceries. Did you forget them in the car ?”
I shook my head. “We need a change of scenery .”
“You mean, like a vacation? Wynter, you know I dry out on long car trips .”
“Not a vacation. We’re moving into Mom’s house for awhile .”
I t was almost winter, so Mom was living in the mansion with Hades in the Underworld. Before she’d decided to go off on a honeymoon, anyway. Her house in Lawrence was only about a half hour outside of Topeka, give or take, and it would be empty until spring .
My old room hadn’t even been redecorated or turned into a home gym. Phyllis and I would be quite comfortable, and I wouldn’t have to be reminded every time I went out to get the mail that I’d managed in thirty seconds to ruin my friendship and any chance at a closer relationship with Mark .
Phyllis was oddly quiet on the matter. Not that I’d asked for her advice. I packed up some clothes and toiletries, tossed them into the car, and drove like my ass was on fire .
Years of moving at the drop of a hat when I was growing up had taught me to be quick at it and take only the necessities .
On the way, I explained my plan. “It’s just too weird, now. I should be allowed to feel comfortable in my own home, right ?”
Phyllis grunted in response .
“My lease isn’t up until February. Mom’s not due to come back until at least March twenty-first. By then, I should have a new place, and we’ll move all our stuff from the old apartment to the new one .”
Phyllis sighed .
“What? You think I should stay and keep running into him six times a day ?”
“I didn’t say a word.” Her grandmotherly voice was slow and measured .
“You think I’m overreacting. I can tell .”
“You know best , dear .”
I pulled into Mom’s driveway. “Yes. Yes, I do .”
I grabbed my purse and my silently judging houseplant and made my way up the sidewalk. I stopped at the yard gnome riding a flamingo. “Hey, Frank. Whatcha got for me today?” I lifted him up and snatched the house key out from under him. “Thanks buddy.” I let us in and put Phyllis in the kitchen near some potted herbs .
Despite her absence, Mom’s house smelled like bread and cookies, and her fridge was filled with all kinds of fruits and vegetables .
Now that I knew she was the goddess of spring, it didn’t surprise me that nothing in her fridge ever spoiled. I pulled out a bowl of grapes and took them into the living room to snack on while I made some calls .
Jilly answered on the second ring. “Well, hello, stranger. How’s my favorite Muse ?”
I swallowed the grape I’d been chewing. “In dire need of some shenanigans .”
“You’re in luck! I, too, could use a dose of the shenanigans. Do you have anything in particular in mind?” Jilly belched, then giggled. “Sorry. I guess I started without you .”
We talked for a few minutes, agreeing to meet the following night in the Mt. Olympus lobby .
Jilly’s voice sounded breathless, as if she were doing Pilates while we talked. Knowing Jilly, she probably was. “I ran into Elmore last week on the fourth floor. He looked like he could use a shenanigan or two. Too bad he’s out of town this weekend .”
I set the bowl of grapes on the coffee table and wandered back into the kitchen in search of a bottle of wine. “Is he okay ?”
“Girl trouble, I think .”
I made a sour face she couldn’t see. “That sort of thing is going around .”
She sighed. “Boy trouble again ?”
“Don’t want to talk about it. I just want the shenanigans so I can forget.” I snagged a nice pinot noir from Mom’s wine rack and tackled it with the corkscrew I found in a drawer. After a short struggle, the cork pulled out with a quiet pop .
“Was that a cork? Are you drinking alone?” Her tone was more teasing than scolding. “Boy trouble must be serious .”
I poured a glass and took a sip. “I moved to my mom’s house to hide .”
“That is serious. This will take extra shenanigans. I’ll call Trina. She’ll want in .”
Trina used to work in the Muse department but had transferred to the Fates department. She was the bounciest chatterbox I’d ever met. Nobody could be depressed around her .
I drained my glass, ignoring the tutting sounds of disapproval coming from Phyllis across the room. “Great idea. And I just figured out where we’re going .”
“I assumed we were hitting the Euphoria District .”
I poured a second glass. “Nope. Not this time. Tomorrow night, we’re taking the elevator down .”
J illy and I sat in the lobby in the Mt. Olympus building. She was gawking at me as if I’d eaten a large, juicy bug and had wiped my mouth on her sleeve. “You moved out of your apartment because he tried to kiss you? Are you insane ?”
I stared at my blue nail polish and contemplated picking at
it. “Probably. But I’m not going back .”
She shifted forward on the sofa across from me, trying to get me to look at her. “Wynter, maybe you should think about counseling. Mt. Olympus has a great therapist on the second floor, you know. I don’t think this is a healthy reaction to an attempted kiss .”
I glanced up at her wide blue eyes, then looked past her, praying for Trina to walk through the door and derail the conversation. The door remained closed .
“It’s not just the kiss. I’m not…” I paused, choosing my words carefully. I hated that she might not think well of me. She was one of the first real friends I’d ever had. “I’m not ready for that sort of thing, yet. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I’ve ruined a lot of relationships. I don’t want to do that with Mark. He’s too important to me to start something before I’m ready. I’ll ruin what we’ve got .”
She reached across the table and touched my hand. “By avoiding him, aren’t you doing that anyway ?”
Trina chose that moment to barge through the door, dark curls bouncing around her head in a shadowy halo. No one on Earth was as bouncy as Trina .
Had she been a moment earlier, I might have been spared the shrapnel from the truth bomb Jilly had dropped on me. But a diversion is a diversion, even if it’s a little late .
I sprang from my chair and darted to her side, my tiny blue purse flying behind me by its strap. “Trina! You look gorgeous !”
No lie. My perky little friend was dressed in black leather—boots, tight skirt, and corset. The corset laced up the front and the back, and the skirt continued the lacing all the way down. With her dark red lipstick, she should have looked like an intimidating dominatrix, but it was Trina. Somehow, she still appeared bubbly and full of cheer .
She spun around, showing off her outfit. “You said we were going downstairs. I wanted to be dressed for it .”
I smoothed my flared, blue-and-white-polka-dot skirt. “You know they dress the same down there .”
She shrugged. “Then I’ll fit in better than the locals.” She grinned at Jilly. “The green is pretty with your red hair. I always wanted red hair.” She ran a length of Jilly’s hair through her fingers. “I think it has more personality than my dull brown .”