Page 9 of Medusa

Maddie scooped up the toys that hadn’t quite made it to the toy box. The kids were pretty good about cleaning up after themselves, for the most part. It was one of the things that parents constantly thanked them for; teaching the children how to tidy up after themselves, even for children as young as Atlanta.

It was a lot of work, but so worth it.

Maddie scanned the playroom for more toys, only holding a handful. Toys deposited in their boxes, she turned her attention to mopping, only picking up some drool patches and a little bit of sand near the back door when they’d entered after playing outside that afternoon.

Hestia waved her off with a soapy hand, snagging the mop from her hands, so Maddie left her be and let herself relax next to Chloe, who was fending off Atlanta’s hand as it waved in her face.

“I think she missed you,” Maddie said mischievously.

“I missed her, too,” Chloe said fervently. “It’s only eight hours or so, but seeing her again at the end of the day is so great. I really appreciate every minute I get to spend with her, you know?”

Maddie nodded. “I know what you mean. At least your commute isn’t too bad, right?”

Chloe chuckled. “One of the benefits of having the Lord of the Underworld as your husband; he’s very well connected.” She cocked her head at Maddie. “Speaking of which, I heard you tried speed dating about a year ago, but then never went back.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me!” Maddie groaned. “What a disasterthatwas!”

“The men in Purgatory are idiots if they don’t want you,” Chloe said, eyebrows rising in surprise.

“Them wanting me wasn’t the problem,” Maddie confided with a shake of her head. “The problem was that they didn’t wantme.”

“Sorry, I don’t follow.”

“They wanted a sex doll.”

“Oh.” Chloe rolled her eyes. “Then they’re doubly idiots. You need a guy who will like you for you, not just your body.”

“And I’m not sure I’ll find that at speed dating.” Maddie wrinkled her nose.

“I did.” Chloe nodded, smiling at Maddie’s shocked expression. “Didn’t you know that? Demi and Hera both found their true loves there as well. Ouch, Atlanta, no teeth!”

Maddie thought about what Chloe had said while the mother fussed over her baby. “I don’t know…”

“Someone very smart told my daughter not long ago that ‘it’s okay to be scared of new things.’ Maybe you should take her advice.” Chloe smirked.

“You just aren’t playing fair,” Maddie said with a pout. “Throwing my own words back at me.”

“They were wise words. Wear something similar to what you’ve got on now.” Chloe gestured at Maddie. “You’re not showing off your body, but you still look cute.”

“This?” Maddie glanced down at her simple t-shirt and jeans. She nodded. “Yeah, that could work,” she said slowly.

“Be open to the unexpected. You never know what might happen,” Chloe said. She winked. “The next speed dating event is tonight. You got this, girl!”

“Tonight,” Maddie gasped. “Oh man.”

* * *

While getting dressedafter her shower, Maddie had second thoughts about dressing so casually. She remembered how the women had dressed to the nines at the last event she’d been to, making her feel dowdy even though she’d been wearing her best dress. “If I dress even more casually, will I stick out even more?” she worried aloud, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her gaze slid critically over her body, bare in preparation for whatever clothing she would decide to put on. Her breasts were on the small side, her ribs protruded too much to be attractive, and her belly was soft. Her hips were wide, but she felt like her ass was too flat. Her gaze snapped back up to her face, heart-shaped and surrounded by the riot of red curls that looked as if they moved on their own. Maddie sighed and picked up her brush, attempting to tame them.

Her mother had told her that she was descended from the original Medusa, the turn-to-stone-if-you-looked-at-her Medusa. Maddie, fortunately, was spared that curse. She could, if she needed to defend herself, sing a high note and use that to target her enemy and turn them to stone, albeit only temporarily. She’d only needed to use it twice in her life, both times when a man didn’t understand that no actually meant no.

Maddie gathered her hair up into a high ponytail and then pulled out a cute circle skirt that she hadn’t yet had a chance to wear. It was a light grey with green polka dots, so she grabbed a v-neck t-shirt that matched the green and pulled that on over a simple bra. She had to change her underwear, because the material of the skirt clung in all the wrong places and she could see panty lines. “Thong it is,” she muttered. “Whatever.”

The walk over to the DeLux Cafe was nice, the air was warm, but there was a breeze to keep her cool. Her feet didn’t hurt because she’d decided that her usual running shoes were probably the best choice. It’s not like the men would notice her feet; they’d be sitting down most of the time anyway.

“Welcome back, Maddie!” Eve, the blonde vampire, greeted her with a large grin. “We’ve missed you.”

“Uh, thank you?” Maddie wasn’t sure how to respond to the enthusiasm. “I’m hoping tonight will go better than last time.”

---