Page 11 of The Seducer
I shrugged. “I just did.”
There was an awkward silence before I cleared my throat and said what I had come here to say. “Look, Athena, it wasn’t right of Magni to kidnap you. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
She waited for me to continue.
“I would like to apologize for my part in it.” I wasn’t used to apologizing, but thought I did a fabulous job when I gave her my most apologetic smile.
“Is that it?” Athena asked. “Is that your apology?”
“Yes, I’ve thought a lot about what happened, and I feel really awful about it.”
Athena’s direct stare bored right through me. Her thick dark lashes surrounded eyes that made me think of an art project Kya had made me help the students with last week. The children had collected leaves in the forest and used them as models to paint their own pictures of leaves.
Just like those leaves, Athena’s eyes were a display of matching colors: a vivid green with a bright gold starburst around the pupil and a darker green rim around the iris.
“Why did you really come here?” she asked and leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table.
So this woman wasn’t as easy to fool as Pearl had been, but then again Athena had seen sides of me that Pearl had never experienced. Not for one second would Athena think of me as a good person.
“I truly am sorry,” I assured her.
Athena studied me, and then she leaned back in her seat tucking her hands under her thighs. “All right, and do you feel better now that you have apologized?”
Folding my lower lip between my teeth, I summoned my most sincere tone. “It would help if you forgave me.”
“Ahh, I should have known that you’re not just here to apologize. You are here to ask for my forgiveness, is that it?”
“Yes, and of course the best way for me to know that you have truly forgiven me would be if you lifted thecurse.” My voice lowered as I spoke the last word.
“Ahhh, now I see.” Athena’s head fell forward and she thought about it while I cleared my throat and continued.
“It didn’t matter much when I had no prospects of being with a woman, but now…” I trailed off.
“Yes, I saw you on the news when that young man climbed the flagpole.”
“That was Marco, and it was a good thing he did, because the next day women treated us like superstars.”
“I heard,” she whispered. “It’s baffling to me, but I suppose not even modern people are immune to ancient programming.”
“Exactly. Now that the women have developed a taste for Nmen, I’m here to spread some joy.”
“I don’t see how the curse is stopping you from spreading joy,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Listen, Athena.” It was my turn to lean over the table. “Let me be honest with you, I slept with five women during my last visit here and it only confirmed that your fucking curse is working.”
Athena winced “Please don’t use that word in my house.”
“No problem. Just undo the curse and I’ll be on my way. You’ll never have to see me again.”
Athena’s eyes drifted to the side and her chest lifted in a heavy sigh.
“What?” I said. “Talk to me, can you do it or not?”
“It’s more complicated to undo a curse than it is to cast it.”
“But you can do it?” I asked with eagerness.
She nodded. “Yes, but it’s going to take time and I want something in return.”
