by C. Gockel
‘I won’t do it again,’ he said quietly. ‘And I’ll put things right with Apollo. I just need to get the two of you in a room together, that’s all.’
‘Oh, you’ll put things right with Apollo,’ Skye hissed. ‘But I’m still leaving.’
Coop thought quickly. There had to be a way out of this. At the very least, he could buy himself some time to make her stay longer. He liked having her around and wasn’t ready for her to go just yet.
‘It will take me a few days to get Apollo to where I need him to be. I already said I need the two of you together to make things right.’
‘So invite him here today and let’s be done with it. I assume he has the same godly powers that you do and can transport himself here straightaway.’
‘You remember the part I said yesterday about Zeus not letting anyone from Olympus come here? Apollo is Zeus’s son. And, yes, he’s a god with many godly powers. That means he’s not allowed to come here. We need to arrange somewhere neutral and that may take time.’
‘There is no “we” in this equation, Coop. There’s only you. Arrange a time and a place and arrange it now.’
‘Okay,’ he said. ‘There is just one thing though.’
‘What?’ she snapped.
‘The girl I saw at Nemesis, the one I chose Apollo to fall in love with?’
‘You mean me?’
‘Yes, I mean you. That girl – that you – would never have stood up for yourself like this. So maybe being here is a good thing, Skye. For you and for me.’
Skye stared at him, suddenly without any answer.
He sighed heavily. ‘I’ll sort it out. Just give me a day or two, okay?’
‘You’ve got forty-eight hours,’ she snapped.
‘Well, I’d better get a move on then, hadn’t I?’
Skye sniffed in agreement, stood up, picked up her suitcase handle and trundled it back through to her bedroom. As soon as she was out of earshot, Coop reached inside his pocket and pulled out his phone.
‘Herm?’ he said, when his friend finally answered. ‘I need some help.’
Hermes exhaled loudly. ‘Why am I not surprised?’
Having agreed with Hermes that his natural charm was the best way to win over Skye (at least, Coop had decided his natural charm would be the best way, Hermes had been less inclined to agree), he began with lunch. His head was still pounding from the wine he had drunk the night before but he managed to pull himself together enough to zip down to the nearest village and pick up a sumptuous lunch of olives, creamy soft cheese, crunchy bread and taramasalata. He laid everything out carefully on the kitchen table, adding a bunch of wild daisies and hyacinths as a centrepiece. Once he was satisfied with his efforts, he strode along the long corridor and knocked on Skye’s bedroom door.
‘What do you want?’ she called out from where she lay on her bed, bemoaning the fact that she’d moved countries to avoid one male idiot and had ended up with an even bigger one.
Coop cleared his throat. ‘I made lunch,’ he shouted back.
There was a moment of silence.
‘I’m not hungry,’ Skye replied eventually.
‘Come on, you need to eat.’ Coop crossed his fingers tightly. ‘I promise I’ll be good.’
For a moment, he thought she was going to ignore him but then he heard her padding in his direction. She flung open the door with a surprising amount of force and stared out at him. She still looked pretty pissed off.
‘How many times?’ she snapped.
Not quite sure what she was referring to, Coop did his best to smile charmingly, hoping his tone of voice would reflect his expression. ‘What do you mean?’
‘How many times have you sneaked into my room? Have you been watching me all the time?’
Her eyes were narrowed in his direction, although she had slightly misjudged where his face was and was looking at his chest, which Coop found oddly off-putting. Nonetheless, the suspicion making the green flecks in her eyes more vivid was abundantly clear.
Coop blinked. ‘I’ve not been watching you all the time, Skye. And I’ve not sneaked into your room.’
‘I don’t believe you.’
‘Okay,’ he demurred. ‘I came in when you first arrived. But only to make sure you had everything you needed. I stayed for no longer than a minute or two. And I came in once when you had a nightmare. I tried to wake you up because you were crying out in your sleep.’
Shifting uncomfortably at the thought of him watching her sleep, Skye focused on her verbal attack. ‘Those were the only times?’ she demanded.
‘Well, there was one other occasion when I didn’t know where you’d gone so I came in to look for you. You weren’t here.’ He shrugged. ‘So I left.’
She put her hands on her hips. ‘When was this?’
Without thinking, Coop answered, ‘Tuesday.’
Skye’s face suffused with red. ‘Tuesday? When…’ she paused, ‘when I was swimming?’
Uh-oh. Coop watched her carefully, trying to judge what the best answer here would be. ‘Swimming?’ he asked cautiously.
‘Tell me the truth, Coop. You owe me that.’
He sighed. ‘Maybe I walked out to the balcony to see if I could find you and I spotted you in the pool.’
Her face went even redder.
‘Skye,’ Coop began, ‘I wasn’t spying on you. I tried to give you as much privacy as I could and respect your space…’
The door slammed in his face. Shit. He remained there for a moment staring at it then walked back to the kitchen, a muscle throbbing in his cheek. That hadn’t gone quite as well as he’d hoped.
Skye turned round and leaned with her back against the door. She couldn’t believe he’d seen her swimming naked. She put her hands up to her hot cheeks and closed her eyes. She’d not thought things could get any worse. Now she’d have to spend the next two days with a man who’d seen every inch of her skin – and then some. She should have demanded he arrange to meet Apollo straightaway. Come to think of it, why didn’t she just book into a hotel and get out of this place where she never knew whether she was being watched or not?
She sank down to the floor and hugged her knees. She didn’t have an answer for that one. Skye wondered whether living with a genuine Greek god was attacking her subconscious and telling her to stay.
‘A Greek god,’ she whispered to herself. It sounded bloody ridiculous when she said it out loud. Of course that kiss would have meant nothing to him. Given the muscles she’d felt when his body was next to hers, he probably looked just like a Greek god was supposed to and could have his pick of women. She bit her lip. Hell, he’d probably been the inspiration for all those perfectly sculpted marble statues. . .
Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she’d not eaten for several hours. Skye thought quickly. Perhaps it would be better to have lunch now when she knew where he was, rather than sneak into the kitchen later when she’d have no idea whether he was watching her or not. The thought of him hovering around, his eyes following her every move, was too creepy to think about. She wondered what else he might have seen her do, and the flush on her cheeks spread down to her neck and arms. Get a grip, Skye, she told herself. You can’t let this man intimidate you, whether he’s a god or not. Deciding that she wasn’t going to spend the next two days cowering in her room – after all, she hadn’t done anything wrong – she stood up, straightened her shoulders and went into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. Then she went out to the kitchen to face him.
Coop, who’d been picking forlornly at the flowers and wondering what his next move could be, didn’t hear her arrive. It wasn’t until she spoke from behind him that he realised she was there.
‘If I’m going to stay here for the next two days,’ she said, hoping that he was actually in the room, ‘we need to set some ground rules.’
He sprang up from his seat and turned to face her. There were a few tell-tale spots of red visible on her skin. It gave her a sexy, tousled look; Coop wond
ered what she looked like when she made love. He shook himself. Where had that thought come from? Trying to regain his composure, he answered her. ‘Okay,’ he said slowly, ‘like what?’
‘You need to wear a bell.’
He gaped at her. ‘A … what?’
‘A bell, Coop,’ Skye said impatiently. ‘You know, ding-a-ling-a-ling?’
‘You mean like a cat?’
She folded her arms. ‘Exactly like a cat. That way I’ll know where you are at all times.’
Good grief. If anyone ever heard about that, he’d be the laughing stock of Olympus.
‘Fine,’ he said stiffly. ‘I’ll wear a damn bell. Anything else?’
‘You have to promise not to come into my room. Not ever.’
‘Done.’
‘And no lying.’
‘The only reason I lied in the first place is because you weren’t in a position to accept the truth,’ he said.
‘Coop,’ she answered warningly.
‘Okay, okay, no lying.’
‘Fine, then. Now can I have some lunch?’
A grin spread across Coop’s face. ‘Of course,’ he answered promptly. ‘Then we can go out and buy your bell and meet a friend of mine at the same time.’
‘A friend?’ she asked suspiciously.
‘Are you trying to insinuate that someone like me couldn’t possibly have any friends?’
She blushed again. ‘No. Just … no.’
‘Good. He’s looking forward to meeting you.’ Coop rubbed his hands in delight. He loved it when a plan came together.
Chapter Fifteen
‘Why do you have a car when you travel anywhere you want to in a blink of an eye?’ Skye asked, as she parked next to a seaside café.
‘I like driving,’ Coop answered. ‘There’s an element of power and freedom I don’t often get in the rest of my life.’
She scoffed, ‘You’re invisible. You can make people fall in love with each other. How can you say you don’t have power?’
‘First of all, I’m not invisible by choice, darling. Secondly, it’s only people I’m told to target who I send my love bolts towards.’
‘Love bolts? Really? Is that what you call them?’
‘What name would you give them?’
Skye paused for a moment. ‘I don’t know. Something more romantic, I suppose.’
‘Let me guess, you’d pick something like “heart flowers sent from heaven”?’
‘No, don’t be daft. I’d go for something catchier at least. Perhaps Byronesque,’ she mused, ‘“immortal…”’
‘Fire?’ Coop finished.
Skye jerked slightly in surprise.
‘What?’ he asked with a sardonic edge. ‘You think that just because I’m cynical about love, I don’t read about it? Believe me, I spent many years trying to convince myself that what I was doing was a good thing, even in the face of overwhelming opposition.’
‘What opposition?’ Skye asked appalled.
‘“Love goes by haps; some Cupid kills with arrows, some by traps”. I think Shakespeare pretty much summed up what I do there.’
‘Rubbish. “Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind”. Also Shakespeare.’
‘I’m not blind though,’ Coop pointed out.
‘But he’s saying love is deeper than just liking someone because of the way they look. Therefore, love is true and good.’
‘Yes, but “Cupid is a knavish lad, thus to make females mad.” I think even you would agree with that one.’
Skye opened her mouth to argue further but she was interrupted by another voice. At least this one belonged to an actual, physical person.
‘Really? Is this what you two do all day long? Argue about Shakespearean quotations?’ said Hermes, appearing from round the side of the café.
‘Hi Herm,’ Coop said lazily. ‘It’s about time you showed up. This is Skye. Skye, Hermes.’
Suddenly feeling shy, Skye smiled slightly then looked down. Frowning at her, Coop moved, causing the bell which now hung round his neck to jangle.
Hermes blinked. ‘What in Olympus’s name is that?’
Coop snorted. ‘A bell. She made me put it on.’
Hermes grinned at Skye. ‘I guess there’s no point asking who she is. Good work. It’s about time this one was collared properly.’
Skye looked up, registering the open friendliness on Hermes’ face and smiled back. ‘It’s kind of creepy,’ she admitted, ‘never knowing where he is.’
‘I can imagine,’ Hermes replied drily. ‘Still, it’s good to know you’ve taken him in hand.’
‘I am still here, you know,’ Coop interjected.
‘Yes, but you’re not staying. Your mother wants you to sort out some couples in Atlanta, doesn’t she?’
Skye started. ‘You’re going?’ As much as she had convinced herself she disliked the Love God, she had never met his friend until a minute ago. The last thing she wanted was to be babysat by some stranger.
Coop reached over and gave her arm a squeeze, bell ringing as he did so, although the unexpected action still made Skye jump.
‘I won’t be long. Don’t miss me too much.’
‘I’m not going to miss you,’ she began. ‘I could do with a break from your incessant complaining about your job.’ Skye noticed Hermes grinning at her and realised it felt as if there was a hole by her side. ‘He’s gone, hasn’t he?’ she said.
Hermes winked at her and nodded. ‘Never mind. Let’s grab a drink and we can gossip behind his back.’
Before she could protest, Hermes took her hand and placed it on his arm, walking her towards one of the tables outside the café. He summoned a waiter and ordered two coffees, then fixed her with a serious gaze.
‘So Coop tells me you’re planning to leave.’
Squirming under his directness, Skye felt her cheeks warm up annoyingly. ‘Yes. As soon as he’s taken off this silly love compulsion from Apollo. And he’s promised to do that by tomorrow.’
‘Silly love compulsion?’ he mused softly. ‘You sound almost like him.’
‘I’m nothing like him!’ Skye protested. ‘I would never manipulate people the way he does.’
Hermes watched her carefully. ‘It’s not entirely his fault, you know. His mother has him manipulating people all the time. It’s hardly surprising that he’s started doing it on his own.’
‘But Fate…’
‘Fate shmate. Do you really believe your destiny is written in the stars and you can’t escape it?’
Skye looked away. ‘No.’
‘Why not?’ Hermes prodded gently.
‘Because I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my own future. What’s the point in doing anything if it’s already going to happen no matter what I do?’
‘Then perhaps you can understand a little of what he feels.’
‘That still doesn’t make what he’s done to me any better.’
Hermes was silent for a second. ‘No,’ he said finally, ‘it doesn’t.’
The waiter arrived at their table and put down a pretty silver coffee pot and two cups. Skye smiled her thanks at him and he grinned back before walking back off to the kitchen.
‘I’m sorry,’ Hermes said, once the waiter had gone. ‘I ordered for you. Perhaps you’d have preferred something stronger than coffee?’
Skye wrinkled her nose. ‘Unlike your friend, I don’t feel the need to down bottle upon bottle of alcohol to make myself feel better.’
Hermes sighed. ‘He’s in a bad place. He’s been in a bad place for a long time. The drink, the women…’ His voice tailed off.
‘Women?’ Skye felt a ripple of discomfort.
‘He’s a pretty boy,’ Hermes answered. ‘And if there’s anything he knows about, it’s the art of love. He has whoever he wants eating out of his hand.’ He sent her an arch look. ‘Apart from you, of course.’
She shook her head in disgust. Hermes reached over and took her
hand. ‘He’s not a bad person, Skye. He’s just been hurting for a very long time. There’s almost no-one he trusts and can open up to. He needs someone to take him in hand and show him the right path.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘And you’re trying to suggest that person should be me?’
‘You don’t have an ulterior motive,’ Hermes pointed out. ‘You’re not trying to get into his mother’s good books. You’re not dazzled by his ridiculously handsome appearance and you’re not trying to use him for anything.’
‘No, I’m not. Because he’s the one doing all the using.’ She raised her eyes. ‘You and he may have cooked up this little tête-a-tête to encourage me to stay, but it’s not going to work. He needs to sort out Apollo so I can go home and get back to my life.’
‘We didn’t…’
‘Don’t insult my intelligence, Hermes,’ she said quietly. ‘I don’t like playing games. And I’m not going to play the role of doormat for anyone.’
Skye stood up and pushed her chair back.
‘Where are you going?’
‘For a walk,’ she answered. ‘I need to clear my head. It’ll be nice to know I don’t have some invisible being trailing around with me at the same time.’
Hermes watched her departure then leaned over and poured himself a coffee. She certainly wasn’t the kind of girl Coop normally hung around with, he thought, although he was starting to understand why his friend was so desperate to keep her around. The pair of them were probably better for each other than either of them realised.
There was a scrape as the chair to the left of him suddenly moved, groaned and shifted under an invisible weight.
‘Where is she?’ Coop’s voice asked.
Hermes took a sip and carefully placed his cup back down. ‘She’s gone for a walk.’
‘And? How did it go?’
He shrugged. ‘As you’d expect. She’s not about to suddenly change her mind about you based on a quick chat with someone she hardly knows.’
‘Did you mention the drinking?’
Hermes sighed. ‘Yes. And the women.’
‘And she didn’t bite?’ The surprise in his friend’s voice was palpable.
‘No, funnily enough. I can’t believe you really thought she would.’
