Page 5 of Flowers Near Me

Intending to refute his assertion of them beingcolleagues, she stopped as he slipped from the booth.

He buttoned his jacket and turned his head towards the stairs. “It looks like your original dinner companion has returned.”

She went to ask him how he knew who she’d been dining with but seeing the weight of his full attention back on her, she held her breath. A pleased smirk grew on his face.

“Next time you come here, it should be with me. But if it’s not,pleasedon’t let it be with a date. I’d hate to have to remove one of your admirers from the premises.” His satisfied grin proved herelishedthe idea of ruining any of her future dates.

Returning to the table, Eurydice’s eyes widened as she took in Hades. Poor woman was probably just as shocked to see him here as Persephone was.

“Hi, Eurydice. It’s good to see you again.” He patted her shoulder, and she bobbed her head with a tight smile.

“Hi, Hades. Hope you’re doing well.”

Eurydice’s gaze flicked to Persephone’s before it fell to the table as she took her seat. Persephone offered her a smile, but inside her heart pounded.

“You two know each other.” More statement than question, Persephone bristled at the realization.

“Our paths have crossed a few times,” Hades replied, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on Persephone.

Everyone in Olympus knew him. He was a staple in the tech community, so it was possible Eurydice had met him while she was still in school.

Persephone wasn’t about to question Eurydice in front of Hades but at some point, she needed to know what connection—no matter how insignificant—Eurydice had to this god.

Hades dipped his chin, winked, and strode off, leaving Persephone with her pulse speeding, her thoughts tangled. She’d expected his arrogance. She hadn’t expected… whatever this was. And she definitely hadn’t expected him to know Eurydice.

CHAPTER THREE

OLYMPUS’ SWEETHEART

PERSEPHONE

Persephone knocked twice on the painted door of her sister’s red brick townhouse. Twisting the handle, she stepped over the threshold with an eager, “Hello!” and hung her overnight bag on a burnished bronze wall hook.

“Aunt Sephy!” Helena squealed, racing from the kitchen to the foyer. Her small arms hugged Persephone’s waist. Persephone hugged her back, then reached past her niece’s shoulder to place a handful of pale pink peonies and a to-go box onto the lacquered credenza. Helena released Persephone with a giggle. A sparkle from the chandelier above reflected in the little girl’s brown eyes.

Stroking the silken strands of her niece’s straight black hair, Persephone said, “I brought your favorite flowers today. Look.” She gestured her head towards the bouquet.

Helena’s eyes widened as she hopped to retrieve her gift. “Thank you!” With her arms full, she sprinted down the hall.

Laura, Persephone’s half-sister, called, “We’re in the kitchen.”

“So glad it’s the weekend,” Persephone shouted back and lined her pumps next to her sister’s tennis shoes.

She wrapped her hair into a low bun, then grabbed her bag to drop it in the nearby guest bedroom before joining Laura and Helena in the kitchen. While both Persephone and Laura had their mother’s long, light brown hair, Persephone looked more like their mother with her green eyes, olive skin, and tall frame. Meanwhile Laura had her father’s dark brown eyes, ivory complexion, and the gentle curves of motherhood.

Tall windows overlooking the tree-lined street cast a golden glow on the white countertops and warm wood cabinets. Laura plucked a glass vase from a live edge shelf as Helena bounced on her heels, the pastel peonies bursting from her grasp. After filling the vase with water, Laura trimmed the ends of the flowers and handed them back to Helena. The little girl got to work arranging them on the table in the breakfast nook.

Turkish cloth in hand, Laura swiped fast circles over the countertop and blew a lock of hair from her forehead. “What’s in the box?”

“Chocolate cake. I had a dinner meeting.”

“A dinner meeting? Or a date?” Laura raised her brows.

The edges of Persephone’s mouth lifted. “Not a date. I bought an app from a developer named Eurydice.” It was nice to finally be able to talk about it with her sister after keeping it hush for so long.

“Another app?” Laura’s brows raised. “What’s this one do?”

Persephone pulled out her phone from her pocket, opened the app, and turned the screen towards Laura. “It’s a mobile flower market. Anyone can upload a photo of flowers they want to sell, and buyers can search for flowers in their area.”

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