Page 58 of Flowers Near Me

Soon, a chef pushed her cart up to their table and began prepping. The precise flips of the chef’s knives held her attention captive. Bowls of rice, seasoned meat, chopped vegetables, and cooking oils paraded through her presentation.

The almost-kiss had her out of sorts. As they enjoyed their meals, Persephone’s shoulders relaxed.

“So Sephy,” said Hades. “What was it really like working for Demeter’s Bounty?”

Her eyes lifted in thought. “Fulfilling. I know the company’s priorities and that made it easier to have agency no matter which level of the company I worked in. I’ve been remote for almost my entire career and that’s allowed me to pursue things I love without wasting away in an office.”

“You’ve done well for yourself.” Hades took a small bite of food and stared at his plate.

“I’ve learned a lot from my mistakes.”

Hades huffed. “Same.”

“Success is a terrible teacher,” she said. “What is it that you like about Underworld Unlimited?”

“Other than it made it possible to work with you?” Smirking, he motioned his fork towards her.

“No, really. Why work at all? It’s not like you have to.” She was very curious.

As a teenager, Persephone couldn’t understand her mom’s desire to work. Their estate was self-sustaining and with her mom’s powers, they wanted for nothing. But after a few years of working for Demeter’s Bounty, she understood the appeal of power and the satisfaction of a job well done. It was exhilarating to see a project through, especially one that earned a sizable bonus at the end.

He inclined his head. “Well, I indulged in leisure for a while, but then mortals and their never-ending demands filled my time. But as I rose to power, people grew more and more reluctant to ask me for things. I studied law and figured out how to use the system to my benefit and found I rather enjoyed it.”

Persephone said, “You like bargaining with people?”

“I relish being a god, love. You should embrace your own godhood and see how sweet it tastes.” He tapped her arm with the back of his hand.

“It’s hard when you don’t have the ability to conjure things. Unlike you, I have to work for my meals,” Persephone said with a challenge in her voice.

He cocked a brow. “That so?”

“Yes.”

“Let me do the work for you, Sephy. I don’t mind getting my hands dirty.” Hades resumed eating. His words hung in the air as Persephone toyed with their meaning.

The nervous sips of water she consumed pooled in her bladder. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.” She tapped Hades on the shoulder then headed towards the restroom.

Inside the quiet restroom, she checked her phone for messages and emails then tucked it away before entering a stall. Hades’ persistent compliments continued to mess with her determination to never trust him. Everyone in her professional and social circles either feared or resented him. Fates, he’d managed to get her on his payroll with his underhanded law bending. Yet there was a warmth blooming as she spent more time with him. Her skin prickled when he touched her, no matter how insignificant the touch was. And his compliments were addictive like sweets. He kept her coming back for her next fix.

She finished washing her hands and checked her makeup. It dawned on her that she was not in one of Hades’ buildings and thus not on his network. If she texted Laura then deleted the thread, there was a good chance he’d never be able to read her message. She hadn’t worried too much about him monitoring her communications since there wasn’t much she was sending these days beyond brief check ins with her sister, appeals to her mom to talk, and business related matters to be sorted with Charon.

Persephone

Any advice for how to protect your heart from a god trying to claim it?

She hit send before rereading it, knowing how embarrassed she’d be and how pathetic she’d feel if she acknowledged her predicament further.

Hopefully Laura would respond quickly as she typically did when she wasn’t in the hospital or on call. Persephone had lost touch with Laura’s ever-changing schedule so there was a chance her sister was elbow deep in a medical emergency and unable to answer her younger sister’s text about god problems. It was trivial compared to the work that Laura did. How silly had she become?

Her phone buzzed and Laura’s name appeared along with her message, bringing a wave of relief.

Laura

Maybe you can’t and that’s okay? Try not be so hard on yourself.

She wanted to cry and squeeze her sister. Using her shoulder, she pushed open the door smiling to herself as she made her way down the small hallway.

Perhaps if she allowed these feelings to flow freely, they’d pass and she’d been fine regardless of what came next. She deleted her own message but left her sister’s there as a future consolation. That must’ve been her problem. Instead of letting her feelings be what they may, she had been tamping them down, creating a pressure that only increased their intensity.

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