Page 46 of Paper Hearts & Plot Twists

“There are two panels I’m planning to attend, and I want to work to finish the scavenger hunt,” Emily replied. She leaned into his side. “I want to go to a poetry and a mythology panel.”

“Would you like some company?”

“I’d never turn down your company,” Emily responded.

“Lead the way, fair lady,” Miles teased.

Emily grasped Miles’s hand and tugged him along behind her. She weaved through the crowd, keeping his warm hand in hers. The two of them entered a conference room and found seats next to each other at the back. This was the Greek mythology romantic trope panel put on by Sav R. Miller and Katee Roberts.

The ladies shared what drew them to Greek mythology in the first place, and their first stories, focusing on Hades and Persephone. Emily was captivated, and stared forward in rapt attention. Miles leaned close, his lips a scant centimeter from her ear, his hot breath ghosted over her skin.

“You’re my underworld’s most radiant light, my Persephone, bringing warmth to the darkest corners of my soul,” he said.

“I’d willingly spend eternity with you, even if it meant ruling the underworld together,” Emily teased. She stuck her tongue out at Miles and turned her attention forward once more.

Throughout the talk, Miles kept leaning forward, whispering any pick-up line he could think of. The sad thing was she liked it, she liked it a hell of a lot. Each time his breath whispered against her ear, shivers wracked her entire body. She’d never been so turned on in her life.

“You must be Athena because your wisdom is as enchanting as your beauty.”

“You’re as alluring as Aphrodite herself.”

“I feel as if I’m under your love spell, just like Circe’s enchantments.”

“I’d search the depths of the ocean for you, just like Poseidon for Amphitrite.”

“You’ve ignited a spark in me, like Prometheus giving fire to humanity.”

Emily always smiled or bumped his shoulder, but it certainly wasn’t the response he’d been hoping for. He’d been hoping for a blush or more reciprocation. She acted like he was joking, and while the comment was teasing, how he felt about her wasn’t a joke. He was starting to think that his subtle direction wouldn’t work in his favor. He might need to ramp things up a little bit. Again.

“Poetry panel now, right?” Miles asked after the talk finished.

“Yes. This will be my second poetry event of the conference,” Emily said. She pulled out her scavenger hunt booklet as they made their way to the panel that was in the room next door. Emily stamped her booklet, and followed Miles to a seat off to the side of the room. “Have you ever been a fan of poetry?”

“Not really,” he admitted. “But I love your work, so that must mean I’m now a poetry fan.”

“Poetry can be an interesting genre to jump into.” Emily’s eyes sparkled as she discussed her favorite subject. “As a kid there were a few Shel Silverstein poems I enjoyed like Where the Sidewalk Ends, but overall I thought poetry was clunky and hard to understand.”

Miles laughed, “That’s exactly what I felt about it. My high school English teacher had us annotating poems and it was my worst nightmare.”

“I took a college class the summer before senior year that went into poetry by the ages, and my teacher completely changed my perspective on poetry. The poems I once thought were long-winded declarations of love were absolutely filthy, and equally hilarious.”

“And hilarious filth was enough to get you hooked?” Miles’s mouth twisted in amusement.

“You make me look bad when you phrase it that way.” Emily laughed. “I started looking into more and more poetry after that, and I guess I was able to better take in the beauty and flow, and even find the humor in it.”

“When did you start writing your own poetry?”

“I’ve been writing for two years now,” Emily said. “I started a few years after I graduated from high school, and I haven’t looked back since. How long have you been writing novels?”

“I’ve been writing since I was about sixteen. You don’t even want to see the drivel I was putting out at that point, but I didn’t publish until I was twenty-five.”

“And now you have five best-sellers out.”

“Eight all together, but I’ve been publishing for seven years so I’ve had a lot of time to get to this point,” Miles replied.

“I hope I can publish my poetry one day. Having my book in print, sharing it with the world, and going on tour would be my absolute dream,” Emily said.

Miles opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again as the lights flickered, bringing all conversation to a halt. He felt resolved to ensure that Emily’s dream would come true. Much sooner than she anticipated.

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