Page 83 of Faking It Right
Sawyer and Gia cooed at us, making him huff.
After another lull of silence as we enjoyed our drinks, Ryker spoke up again. “What if we were all Greek gods in a past life? Who would we be?”
I grinned at his unexpected contribution. “Greek gods? Now, you’re getting into the spirit!”
“Oh, this is good.” Sawyer’s tone was downright gleeful. “I love this kind of stuff.”
“I call dibs on Apollo,” I announced, raising my glass. “God of the sun, music, and looking damn good. It’s as if the ancient Greeks created him with me in mind.”
Gia snorted into her drink. “That’s not Apollo, that’s Narcissus.”
“Ouch,” I clutched my chest in theatrical agony. “Wounded by the goddess herself!”
“Actually,” Sawyer interjected, swirling her whiskey thoughtfully, “I think you’re more Dionysus than Apollo.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “The wine guy?”
“The god of wine, yes, but also revelry, ritual madness, and partying,” Sawyer explained. “He was a trickster who thrived on chaos. Sound familiar?”
“I do enjoy a fun party,” I conceded. “And causing chaos is definitely on my résumé.”
Gia gave me a pointed look. “Plus, he was notorious for his sexual appeal and seducing everyone in his path.”
“Okay, you’ve convinced me. Dionysus it is. I accept this divine appointment vow to uphold my duties with all the debauchery they entail.”
Ryker studied me with curiosity. “Why are you so familiar with Greek mythology? I know a lot because Sawyer went through an obsession phase in high school, but this seems a bit out of character for you.”
“Do you want the actual answer or the joke one?” I asked, flashing a wicked grin.
“Real, please,” Ryker requested.
I gave in to my urge to tease him. “Are you sure? The joke answer is pretty damn funny.”
“Truth,” he insisted.
“I had a crush on a guy in high school who was obsessed with mythology. I learned about it to hit on him more effectively.”
Ryker facepalmed, while Sawyer and Gia snickered. “Of courseyou’d learn about it to seduce someone. I should have known. How did I not see that coming?”
“Did it work?” Gia asked.
I gave my most charming smile. “Naturally. We role-played as various gods from the pantheon. It was downright divine.”
Ryker got us back on track. “What about me?”
I studied him for a moment. It was cute how the steam from the hot tub made his dark hair curl at the edges. “Hmm, you’re definitely Ares.”
“The war god?” Ryker frowned. “But I’m not violent.”
“No, but you’re passionate and impulsive as hell,” I elaborated, tracing a finger along his shoulder. “You jump into things without thinking them through, like asking your best friend to be your fake boyfriend without considering the consequences.”
Sawyer nodded. “And Ares always got himself into trouble because he acted on emotion rather than strategy.”
“Let’s not forget the Great Road Rage Incident last year when that SUV cut you off and then brake-checked you. I’ve never heard such creative combinations of profanity. I think you single-handedly expanded the swearing dictionary that day. Ares would be proud.”
“And what about every time I start beating you in Monopoly and you flip from chill to competitive in 0.5 seconds to declare war, complete with a detailed revenge plan?” Sawyer snickered. “That’s peak Ares energy.”
“Okay, I get it,” Ryker grumbled, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. “I’m emotionally reactive.”
