Page 7 of Waiting For Psamathe

"There were rumours, I just didn't believe them. Not many gods go by their real identities."

"You'd be surprised," she responded, watching Po-lo as he swam lopsidedly through the tank. "Most of us only have human names because we have to for paperwork, but in our day-to-day lives, we still go by our real names."

"What's your human name?" I didn't think she'd ever told me it.

"Samantha."

"It doesn't suit you," I blurted out.

She laughed. "No, it never felt right. But it's easy to explain why people call me Sama. But I don't need it very often. The enchantments placed on this island long ago mean that only paranormals and gods come here anyway."

"I don't understand how they really work." Though it was one of the things that had attracted me to the island in the first place. It meant that I didn't have to hide that part of myself, whereas in many other situations, I would have. Here, if I felt the need to shift and go for a swim, I could do just that.

"No one does. The spells are so old that there isn't a soul alive who remembers how they came to be. Gods included." She swished her hand through the top of the water, bringing the boisterous seal to her.

The seals always seemed to be their most playful when she was around.

"Anyway, I would like it if you came to the party," she said. "I'm sure Aphrodite has a guest list longer than her arm already, it would be nice if there was someone there that I like to talk to." She met my gaze, her dark blue eyes sparkling like the very depths of the sea.

"I'd like that," I said.

"Great." Her smile lit up her face, making her seem even more beautiful than normal. "And if you could get me the director's number so I can pass it on to Aphrodite, that would be great."

"I can do that for you now," I said, gesturing for us to hear back to the office, though part of me wanted to prolong her being here, even if it was just so that I could talk to her more.

But that was selfish. I was at work, which meant my focus should be on the seals, and she was clearly organising her event.

A party where there would be lots of eligible people who'd be vying for her attention.

An uneasy feeling settled within me. I wasn't sure what to make of that, or why it was making me so uneasy even if I knew there was no competing against gods she'd known for hundreds or even thousands of years.

And yet, there was a part of me that still wanted to try.

Chapter 4

PSAMATHE

I'd held events atThe Phokebefore, but none on this scale. And none that had meant so little of my involvement. My event space had been turned into what felt like a giant pink bubble, with plenty of glittering hearts and streamers hanging from the ceiling. Though it didn't escape my notice that most of the decorations were paper. I appreciated Aphrodite's attention to detail and not wanting to pollute the beach or ocean, probably because there was a part of her that remembered she was also a sea goddess, and didn't want to damage it.

I looked around the room, trying to work out what I should do with myself, only to breathe a sigh of relief when I saw Zale heading inside wearing a casual shirt and swim shorts. From the dampness in his hair, it seemed as if he'd just come from the sea itself.

Without meaning to, I raised my hand and waved him over, making his whole face light up when he saw me.

"I didn't realise you were coming this early," I said, regretting it as soon as it left my mouth. I wanted to spend time with him, why would I imply that I didn't?

"I wasn't going to, but the director needed someone to come across to set up the feeds of the seals, and so I volunteered."

My heart skipped a beat but I squashed any feelings down. He'd probably just come so he got to meet Aphrodite and not so he could see me.

"Come on, I'll introduce you," I said.

He nodded and followed me into the event space where the blonde goddess was talking with one of her crew members. She looked up when she sensed me approaching and smiled. "Is everything all right, Sama?"

"I wanted to introduce Zale to you," I said, gesturing to the dark-haired man beside me. "He's from the sanctuary."

"Ah, excellent, that will be for the feeds.”

"Zale, this is Aphrodite," I said, gesturing to her needlessly. He knew she was going to be here, and that I wasn't likely to be introducing him to anyone else.

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