by Tina Folsom
“Upper-level god,” he answered dismissively. “There are twelve of us.”
“Am I one of them?”
Hermes chuckled. “You wish. But I am, so whatever one of the other Olympians did to you, I should be able to reverse it. Unless poor old father has his hands in this. Then we’re screwed.”
“Whose father are you talking about?”
“Ours.” Hermes gestured between him and Dio.
“We’re brothers?” Dio let his eyes sweep over Hermes once more. He was brother to a guy who wore winged sandals? Freaky!
“Half-brothers.” Then he winked. “And best friends.”
If he was honest with himself, Dio kind of liked the guy almost as much as he liked Triton. “How many best friends do I have?”
“Three: Triton, Eros and me.”
Curiosity made him ask. “And this Eros, what kind of god is he?”
Triton grinned. “The Romans call him Cupid. He’s the god of love and probably busy shooting his arrows at unsuspecting mortals.”
Dio shook his head. “Guys, I’m just totally stumped. I mean, I believe you. How could I not with Hermes just teleporting in here, but that doesn’t get me any closer to knowing who I am.”
Hermes nodded, his face serious now. “Okay, let’s look at the facts then. Triton, what are the facts?”
“He got beaten up in a bar fight—”
“What else is new?” Hermes interrupted.
Was he really constantly getting into bar fights? Dio wondered what kind of man he was if he constantly had to fight and beat people up, or get beaten up in the process. What did he have to prove?
“—and when he regained consciousness, he couldn’t remember anything. His so-called fiancée patched him up.”
“Fiancée?” Hermes shot him a stunned gawk.
Dio shrugged, having been through it with Triton already. “Don’t even start. Triton has already given me the third degree on that.”
“Okay. Later maybe. Back to the facts. I saw you last at the wedding and you were telling me about this chick you were gonna do that night.”
He was gonna do somebody? Was that really how he’d put it or was Hermes exaggerating? “But Ari and I … I mean I don’t think I would cheat on her.” The thought alone was revolting.
Hermes rolled his eyes, then pointed at Triton. “If you don’t tell me the whole story later, I’m going to wring his neck right now.”
Triton’s lips quirked into a suppressed smile. “Anything you want, just figure out how we can get him back to normal.”
“Normal?” Dio protested. “I am normal.”
“No, you’re not,” his friends said in unison.
Ignoring their jab, Dio asked, “Did I say anything else at the wedding?”
“Only that you were gonna dump her the moment you’ve had her.” Hermes put his fingers to his lips. “Hmm. This reminds me, Hera was loitering.” He looked up at Triton. “Do you think she could have overheard Dio and decided to interfere somehow?”
“She hates his guts as we all know. I wouldn’t put it past her.”
Hermes nodded in agreement. “And as one of the Olympians she would have sufficient power to wipe Dio’s memory without him being able to do anything about it.”
“How about any of the other Olympians? Zeus was there.”
“He was too busy trying to get into Francesca’s pants. Poseidon was at your wedding too.”
Triton’s protest was instant. “My father would never do that.”
“How about Apollo?”
“Too busy chasing one of the waitresses.”
“You’re right. I think our best bet is Hera. If anybody is truly vindictive, then it’s her.” Hermes gave Dio a sideways glance. “Our stepmother is a cold-hearted—”
“Better not say it,” Triton advised. “No need to make her come down here. So, can you reverse whatever she might have done?”
Dio took a step toward Hermes. “Can you?”
“Of course I can.” There was an air of confidence in his voice that made Dio take a relieved breath. Soon, he’d remember his past and his world would be righted. Then he’d just have to convince his friends that he’d fallen in love and introduce them to Ariadne. Everything would be perfect.
“Here we go.” Hermes walked toward Dio and stopped a foot away from him. Then he laid his hands on Dio’s head and closed his eyes.
A strange sense of warmth swept over him as tendrils of energy passed from Hermes’ fingertips to Dionysus’ skull and penetrated. At first, he fought the invasion, but his friend’s calming voice soothed him. “Easy, easy. Just let go.”
Dio forced himself to relax and dropped his shoulders that he’d inadvertently hunched. Electrical charges infiltrated his head and took hold of his body and mind. When darkness threatened to encroach, white light suddenly emerged and fought against the dark, pushing it back.
Dio’s eyes flew open. “That fucking bitch!”
Chapter Twenty-One
Dio was seething with anger. “I’m going to take Hera’s head off and feed it to the Gorgons!”
“Guess it worked.” Hermes smirked. “And thanks very much, Hermes, for restoring my memory,” he said full of sarcasm. “Why, Dionysus, that’s mighty nice of you to say.”
Dio looked at his friend, forgetting his anger for an instant. He threw his arms around him and pulled him in for a bear hug. “Thanks! What would I do without you guys?” He looked over Hermes’ shoulder at Triton. “Both of you.”
“Good to have you back.” Triton smiled back at him.
He released Hermes and focused back on the issue at hand. “I’m going to take a bite out of Hera!” He remembered every single second of their exchange in the parking lot, how she’d admonished him because of how he’d treated Ariadne.
Ariadne!
“Ah, shit!” The truth slammed into him like an overweight freight train. “That devious … scheming … lying …”
“You said that already,” Hermes noted.
“Not Hera!” Dio made an impatient movement with his hand. “Ariadne. My fiancée.” Fiancée, his ass! “I’m not fucking engaged to anybody!”
“Just as I thought,” Triton agreed. “So, what’s the deal with her?”
“She was the one I … you know …” Did, he wanted to say but couldn’t. Dio took a breather and slumped down on the sofa. Ariadne had lied to him about everything. Not only were they not engaged, they’d also had sex—pretty mind-blowing sex from what he remembered clearly now—and they had certainly not practiced abstinence like she’d had him believe.
Why in Hades had she made all this up? He’d broken up with her that night, so why would she even bother him after that? He’d walked away from her, because she was better off without him. At least that’s what he’d thought then. But he’d gone about it the wrong way. He’d been about to go to her and make her understand his reasoning when …
“She sent those two goons after me to beat me up.” Why had she done that? Had she set it all up so she could nurse him back to health and make him fall for her in the process?
“Who? Hera?” Hermes asked.
“Keep up with me, will you? Ariadne, of course.”
Hermes chuckled. “Your fiancée had you beaten up?”
Dio glared at his friend and clenched his jaw shut. “She’s not my fucking fiancée!”
“She was ten minutes ago.”
Dio shot up from his seat and pounced, slamming Hermes against the wall as he held him by his throat. “Another stupid word out of your mouth, and I’ll wipe that idiotic grin off your face. Permanently.” It was bad enough to wrestle with the warring emotions inside him; he wasn’t in the mood to justify his actions to his friends.
“Dio, let him go,” Triton said calmly. “We all know who you’re angry with, and it’s not Hermes.”
Dio dropped his grip. “Sorry.”
Hermes gave him a shove and pushed away from the wall. “You seemed a lot nicer when you didn’t remembe
r who you were.”
Dio stopped in his tracks. Was it true that he’d been a more agreeable guy when he’d had amnesia? Or had Ariadne tried to turn him into some docile pet? “If she thinks she can turn me into some pussy-whipped doormat, she’s in for a surprise.”
“Who are we talking about now?” Hermes asked, pulling his t-shirt straight.
“The woman who made Dio think he’s engaged, and if I remember correctly, he also said he’s in love with her.” Triton leaned nonchalantly against the window frame.
“Bullshit!” Dio protested maybe a bit too loudly, trying to hide what lurked behind his outburst. “I’m not in love with that scheming, lying, annoying …” Darn sexy, hot temptress. “… woman.” He took another deep breath. “How dare she lie to me like that? What have I ever done to her to warrant such deviousness?” He was seething with anger. “Oh, I’ll give her a wedding! But there won’t be a groom!”
He caught Hermes and Triton exchanging a knowing look. “What?”
Hermes cleared his throat. “If she’s the woman you had sex with the night of Triton’s wedding, I believe you were planning on dumping her the next morning.”
“Well, of course!” He didn’t do relationships. Everybody knew that. A small ball of guilt formed in his stomach and worked its way north. From Ariadne’s reaction the day after, he realized she hadn’t known. No, she’d assumed that they had something more permanent. “She should have known.” But there was no conviction in his words, because the memories of that night were gnawing at him. He’d felt something with her. A closeness he’d enjoyed, a warmth that he’d wanted more of. But instead of owning up to it, he’d shied away from those foreign emotions and dumped her. What a heartless bastard he was.
“Guess she figured she’d get back at you for that when she realized that you had amnesia.”
Dio nodded slowly, then let himself fall back on the sofa. It all made sense now. No wonder she didn’t want to sleep with him. “She told me we were abstinent.”
Both Triton and Hermes snapped their heads toward him and stared at him in disbelief. “Abstinent?” they both echoed.
Dio nodded grimly. “While I was without my memory, she was trying to convince me that we’d agreed not to have sex until we’re married.”
“Crafty!” Hermes slapped his thigh.
“If that’s not punishment then I don’t know what.” Triton couldn’t suppress his grin.
“I guess she’s had her fun.” Hermes sat down in the armchair opposite Dio and put his feet on the coffee table. “Can’t really blame her.”
“Can’t I?” Dio tilted his head. “And the fact that she told me that I work as a waiter in a restaurant? Do you know how hard that job is? My feet are killing me!”
“You, a waiter? I’ve gotta see that!” Then Hermes glanced at Triton. “I like that woman. I like her a lot!”
“Whose fucking side are you on?” Weren’t his so-called friends supposed to side with him? Ari had humiliated him, and Triton and Hermes were having a laugh at his expense.
“Listen, Dio,” Triton said calmly. “Let’s just put this behind us. I’ll call Eros and then we’ll have a nice boy’s night out and just laugh about the whole thing. Everything’s back to normal.”
Normal? Didn’t those two get it? Nothing was back to normal. The woman he thought himself in love with was a liar and a cheat. She’d made fun of him and had a good old laugh behind his back—probably with Natalie from the restaurant, because she had to be in on it to have pretended that Dio worked there. And they expected him to just let that go?
“I can’t go out tonight. I’ve got the evening shift at the restaurant.”
Hermes’ jaw dropped. “Didn’t you just say in not so many words that you hated that job? And besides, you’re a god. Why would you work?”
Dio lifted himself out of the couch and strode to the door. “If I don’t go back to work, Ariadne will think something is wrong.”
“What in Hades are you planning?” Triton asked.
Dio tossed a look over his shoulder. “If you think I’m just going to let her get away with this, you don’t know me at all.”
Yet he couldn’t tell his friends that he didn’t recognize himself either. Somehow he’d changed. And so far, he didn’t know how to handle that changed man that now inhabited his body.
Chapter Twenty-Two
A day later, Dionysus asked Natalie for a night off, telling her he wanted to surprise Ariadne with a home-cooked meal. Judging by the smile on his boss’ face, his suspicion that Natalie was in on the whole charade was confirmed. The two of them had to be good friends for Natalie to continue pretending he was a waiter at her restaurant. So he decided to lay it on thick.
“She’s been so sweet and supportive through all this,” he claimed, “I really want to show her my appreciation. She works too hard, you know. It’s about time she puts her feet up and lets somebody else take care of her.” Oh, and he’d take care of her! That devious woman would get a taste of her own medicine tonight.
“That’s so nice of you.” Natalie practically drooled all over him. “Why can’t all men be like you?”
Dio curled his lips upwards. “She deserves it. What would I do without her?” For sure, he wouldn’t be slaving as a waiter or have gone without sex for an entire week!
Not to speak of the humiliation. If any of the other gods ever found out what she’d done to him, he’d never hear the end of it. Everybody on Mount Olympus would be howling with laughter. They’d add a new word to their vocabulary: Schadenfreude.
As Dio slammed the door to his apartment shut after his lunch shift, he let himself fall onto the couch. There was much to do. He’d already called Ari on his way home to tell her he needed to talk to her tonight. She’d sounded concerned, but he hadn’t given anything away.
“Servants,” he called out. A split-second later, three pint-sized fairies in colorful tunics appeared in his living room, bowing instantly.
“We are at your service, oh mighty god Dionysus,” the three fairies said in unison.
Dio grinned. That was more like it. “I have a special guest tonight. Tidy up the apartment. I want everything spotless.”
The servants bowed once more, and like whirling dervishes, they set to work. Their movements were so swift that Dio barely saw what they were doing. As if by magical hands, clothes and shoes disappeared into closets, dust cloths swiped over surfaces, magazines and newspapers were being stacked neatly, cushions were straightened, and garbage was collected.
The fairies were a mere blur to the human eye, but Dio’s superior senses were able to pick up their shapes, and even though he was used to them, he marveled at their efficiency. No wonder the creatures had been chosen to become the servants of the gods. Now that they were swirling around him, he realized how much he’d missed their presence.
Dio closed his eyes for a few minutes, trying to collect his thoughts. He’d been seething with anger the day before when he’d been with Triton and Hermes. He’d been too angry to even thank them properly for helping him get his memory back.
“Oh mighty god Dionysus, what other duties do you have for us?” the fairies asked.
Dio opened his eyes. “Set the table for a romantic dinner. I want flowers and candles, the usual frou-frou that women like.”
“It shall be done.”
“Red roses,” Dio added as an afterthought.
“As you wish.”
Before his eyes, the servants transformed the plain dining table into a feast for the eyes. A white cloth covered the surface. Silver-rimmed plates were framed by shining cutlery and crystal glasses. Rose petals were strewn on the table cloth and two silver candlesticks held red tapers. Dio smiled. He couldn’t have done it any better himself.
As the servants bowed before him once more, Dio nodded. “Very well done. Now, as for the menu: what can you suggest? Aphrodisiac foods mostly.”
“Aphrodisiac foods,” one fairy responded. “Asparagus, almonds, avocados,
bananas, basil, chocolate, figs—”
“Prepare a starter with avocados, then an almond-crusted filet mignon with asparagus and a fig sauce, and as a dessert a chocolate mousse on banana cream.” His own mouth watered already at the delectable menu.
The servants stretched out their arms and an instant later, the dishes appeared on platters balanced on their palms. Dio stood and looked at the selection. There was a bowl with guacamole, and next to it a plate with perfectly sliced avocados, drizzled with a dark dressing. He pointed at it. “Add some basil, and lose the guacamole.”
Out of nowhere, chopped basil appeared on top of the avocado slices while the guacamole dish disappeared.
Then he moved onto the next platter. The filet looked perfect. “Good.” The asparagus next to it was shaved and grilled. “Very nice.”
The scent of the chocolate mousse wafted into his nose. “Delicious.”
Then he waved at the platters with his hand. “Deliver it at seven tonight. Invisibly please.” Then he remembered something. “Oh, and when you do that, make sure the kitchen looks like I’ve actually cooked this food here. That will be all.”
The servants bowed and were gone a moment later.
Dio stretched his arms over his head and yawned. Preparing for a romantic evening was exhausting. He needed a nap now.
***
When Ari entered Dio’s apartment, it looked like the Blitzkrieg had taken place right in his kitchen. As her gaze fell onto the beautifully decorated dining table, she realized why he’d wanted to see her: he was surprising her with a romantic dinner. And he’d even cooked it himself. She choked down her guilt. She’d been lying to him ever since he’d been beaten up, and what was Dio doing in return? He was lavishing her with luxuries like a home-cooked dinner. She should be ashamed of herself. If she confessed everything now, would he be very mad?
“You look beautiful.” Dio’s lips pressed a sweet kiss on her cheek. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.” His arm came around her and pulled her close to his chest.
She felt her own heart thunder at the contact. He was so male, so virile, and everything about him reminded her of their night together when their naked bodies had joined as one. She quickly pulled herself out of his arms not wanting to dissolve into a puddle of need. “This is beautiful.”
