Page 21 of Flowers Near Me

Although Charon introduced herself as Persephone’s new assistant, she looked more like her superior with her graceful movements and impeccable style. Perhaps she could help Persephone get out of the contract? And someone with eyes as sweet as her niece’s had to be kind as well, right? This could be a good ally if Persephone ended up having to serve the full six-month term.

She dipped her head. “Nice to meet you. You can call me Persephone.”

Charon scootedher chair next to Persephone at a long table in the center of a formal dining room in Hades’ home. Connected by a simple stone hallway with golden sconces lining it, the dining room ceiling boasted a vaulted stonework that was the smaller sibling of the one in the main living space. Papers fanned across the obsidian table as Charon reviewed each agreement.

“Wow, Charon, you already look happier now that you’re Sephy’s assistant,” Hades teased as he entered the room.

“Nice to have someone new on the team.” Her focused gaze never left the documents as she replied. This woman hadn’t slouched one bit since she’d entered the apartment.

“I’ll let you two get on.” Hades threw a wink at Persephone as he left.

She took a deep breath. It was a relief not to have him lurking nearby as they went through the contract’s finer details. Unlike the gods, goddesses didn’t perceive her as a thing to be conquered or a threat to be eliminated.

“Charon,” Persephone said slowly. “Please excuse my ignorance, but what are you the goddess of?”

Utterly still, Charon’s eyes flew from the page to Persephone’s face. “Oh no, I’m not a goddess. I’m a psychopomp. A spiritual guide for souls but mostly Hades’ personal assistant these days now that Underworld Unlimited basically runs itself.”

So, a glorified grim reaper turned corporate executive?Psychopomps didn’t have the same power as a god, but they were no mere mortal either. Persephone often wondered if her own assistant, Hermes, was one as well. He was faster than some of the gods.

Former assistant,she reminded herself. According to everyone else, she worked for Underworld Unlimited now.

“Will you need to attend to Hades as well during my time here?” Persephone asked. Was she loyal to Hades? Or could Persephone win her over?

Charon leaned back in her chair with a grin. “Not at all. He was very clear that I see to all your needs and I’m more than happy to oblige.”

Persephone waited several breaths before asking. “Is this agreement legally enforceable given that I didn’t have prior knowledge of who the patent owner was when I signed the contract with Eurydice?”

Charon clicked her tongue. “I’m not the law. Hades is. You’d be hard pressed to get out of this agreement without losing your ability to work in Olympus again.”

“There’s no way out?” It came out like a sigh.

“Best thing for you is to complete the required six-month term. I can appreciate your frustration, but I genuinely believe you’ll do well here and might come to enjoy it.”

I doubt it.Charon might be all-in, but she wasn’t the one who’d been tricked into working for Underworld Unlimited. Yet, there was wisdom in what Charon had said and as much as it pained Persephone to admit it, her only option was to play along. If she tried to continue to fight this, it’d be her career that suffered.

“What other reps have worked for Hades under a contract like this?”

Charon’s fingers rubbed the charm dangling on her long necklace. “Zero before you. We’ve only ever had one face of the company.”

“Hades,” muttered Persephone.

“Right. Yes. And now we’ve partnered with you—a former competitor—we want to do this right.”

Hades had used that same word,partner,when referring to Persephone’s contract. Didn’t seem like much of a partnership if one person’s life changed completely while the other simply gained a new employee/girlfriend. Again, what was she to do but go with the current than rage against it.

Gathering the papers together on the table, Charon grabbed a folder and tucked the signed copies inside.

Persephone nodded, then accepted the newest stack of papers from Charon’s hand. She read from the paper in front of her. “‘Required to dine together for at least one meal a day?’Why?” Throwing a hand in the air, Persephone continued, “Surely he doesn’t intend to enforce this. I understand the need for a rep to maintain a certain public image, but now I’m concerned you’re about to tell me which toothpaste brand I can use and how many circles I need to make as I brush my teeth.”

Charon gave a light chuckle. “Oh no, your toothpaste choices are yours alone. Same with all food and drink. There are no stipulations regarding those things. Think of this more aboutwhereyou’ll be seen and withwhom.”

It continued like this for the next hour as they went through the contract. Charon politely reframed each one of Persephone’s complaints. There was no getting past any of it. Truth be told, if the living arrangements were removed from the contract, it wasn’t that different from the brand rep agreements Demeter’s Bounty used.

Skimming through another clause, Persephone joked, “You’d think I was marrying the god. This is absurd.”

Next to her, Charon stiffened. Persephone snuck a side-eyed glance at the straight-backed assistant. “Charon.” Persephone’s fingers curled around the edges of the contract. “This isn’t amarriage contract,is it?”

With her hands folded on the table, Charon turned to look directly at Persephone. “Would you like it to be?”

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