Page 24 of Oh No! There's an Incubus in my Hot Spring
“When I got here the water was so inviting I had to go for a dip, and then I sort of lost track of time and then passed out.”
Nailed it.
She tsks. “Were you drinking?”
“Yeah, I had like half a bottle of red.”
“Don’t you know that alcohol in high temperatures thins your blood so much you can lose consciousness? You’re a hot spring owner now. You need to know these things!”
Yep. Awesome.
“Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking,” I say, running my hand through my hair as I pace.
“It’s a miracle you didn’t drown.”
No, it was a demon.
“I didn’t pass out in the water,” I say, hoping to assuage some of her fear.
“So, the place is nice, then?” she asks.
“I didn’t saythat. It needs a lot of work, but there’s so much potential here. I’m really happy.”
“What if it’s too much work for you? What if you call Jason to come help?”
I grit my teeth. “That’s not going to happen.”
“But, sweetheart, you’ve never done this before. It’s a big thing, and I just don’t want to see you fail.”
Crazy-girl is screaming from her prison, jumping on the bars and hooting like a mad monkey ready to fling fiery poops.
“Well, then you better let me go so I can get back to it,” I say, hoping she can’t hear just how angry I am.
“Hija,” she whines, then pauses for a good few seconds, waiting for me to placate her.
My silence speaks volumes.
“All right. Okay. I hope you have a productive day.”
“Thanks, Mom, I hope you have a good one, too. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
She hangs up and I turn to the counter, setting my phone down with much less force than I want to. I lean on the dark granite and fight down the nasty emotions building in me.
Apollo’s hands fall on my shoulders. “May I?”
“Sure,” I whisper, and he begins to massage. The muscles are tight, bunched up next to my ears.
“Ihavedone this before,” I whisper, wishing I’d said it to her.
“Tell me,” Apollo says, not pausing the massage.
I shake my head at the audacity. “I’ve been consulting businesses for years. I built my own business from the ground up. I’ve networked with contractors and overseen renovations and gotten my hands plenty filthy helping some of my less well-off clients out. I’vedone this. I cando this.”
Apollo’s chest is warm against my back. “I knew the moment you stepped through the door that you would save this place from antiquity.”
I glance over my shoulder, trying to gauge the expression on his face. He’s calm, with a hint of amusement, and all sparkle in his icy eyes. “How did you know?”
