Sorrow's Muse (3 page)

CHAPTER
THREE

C
olette
groaned. She cracked open her eyes. Bright light assaulted her and she
grimaced. She lifted her hand up to shade her sensitive retinas and moaned. Her
whole body ached. Her stomach continued to do somersaults while she
concentrated on swallowing the saliva, gathering in her mouth, breathing in and
out. If this is the equivalent to what a hangover felt like, she didn’t know
why people drank.

On Olympus and Mount
Helicon, intoxication wasn’t possible. Still, she’d seen the aftereffects
enough to know the symptoms when she experienced them. The first thing she
noticed, other than the plush feel of the carpet beneath her, was the light
blue color of the high vaulted ceilings.
Pretty.
When the nausea
subsided, she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

The walls were done in
the same robin’s-egg blue of the ceiling, set off by white trim here and there.
She saw a couch and a love seat done in an off-white with blue flowers. The end
tables and cocktail table were also an off-white. The place had a vintage
shabby chic feel she adored.

Leave it to Dite to make
sure she was living in style. Curious about the rest of the home, as well as
her new
identity
, Colette got to her feet. She ran her hands over the
soft fabric of the couch as she explored. She’d never had a space of her own
before. It seemed ridiculously quiet. Yet, she welcomed the peace. No hustle
and bustle, gossiping, giggling, or moaning, in some cases. Being a Muse felt
like belonging to a sorority at times, albeit one full of highly intelligent
and talented women.

The more she discovered,
the faster she fell in love with her new home. It was everything she could’ve
wanted. She spotted a slender, rectangular black pocketbook on the counter in
the kitchen and rushed to it.

Now to find out who I am.

She opened the purse and
smiled at the envelope. Dite had thought of everything.

Hello love,

Here’s
a summary of who you are. Your name is Colette Starvos, and you come from a
wealthy family in Greece. You’ve been in California for the past ten years
because you love the weather, it’s easy to fly international and you needed
space from your overprotective, traditional, and stifling family to figure out
what you truly wanted to do. You love the arts, but you aren’t sure where your
niche lies.  Sometimes, it’s best to stick close to the truth. Everything you
need is in this purse: license, credit cards, back account information, a visa
and a copy of your birth certificate. Just in case, you find a job that tickles
your fancy. This is your first time on Earth, so if you have any questions,
feel free to contact me. I’ve rigged your smartphone to dial in to me directly.
You’ll find all of us programmed in.

Good
luck,

xoxo,

Dite

Colette looked over the
paperwork and memorized the important facts. Now, she needed to figure out
where she was. She glanced down at the white Grecian gown and smiled. This
wouldn’t do.

Fifteen minutes later,
she wore a pair of black tights, knee-high black lace-up boots and a white
shirt with a black heart in the center grazing the top of her thighs. She
walked out the front door in two steps, looked to the left, and froze. Less
than two doors down was Julian’s front door.

Oh, Dite, you are good.
Her
palms grew clammy, and her body tingled as anticipation built inside her.

Soon, she’d be able to
see him in person. It’d been thirty long years since she was on the same planet
as Julian Sorrow. Everything was riding on this. What if he didn’t fall in love
with her? Happiness turned to terror. The flutters in her stomach went from
tickling to disturbing. Her mouth dried out.

Soft footfalls fell
behind her, and she turned to see the man in question approaching. Short of
dashing into her place like a lunatic, she couldn’t avoid an introduction
without seeming rude or, God forbid, disgusted.

Her temples, throat, and
carotid artery pulsed. She licked her lips.

His eyes were trained on
the ground in front of him, as was his habit.

A twinge of regret ran
through her. She wanted to build up his self-esteem and open his eyes to the
beauty he possessed, not only on the inside, but on the outside. Every time
someone had shunned him for his looks over the years, she’d wished to be a
Harpy, so she could swoop down and attack them with her talons and her teeth.
Her body trembled.

Colette
opened her mouth to say hello. All that came out was a strangled gasp.
Mortified, heat set her face aflame. She ducked her head and walked back to her
door in a brisk clip.
Please don’t let him have noticed.
Had she ruined her chances? A swift glance back at him told her she hadn’t.

He continued on his walk,
undisturbed.

She pushed the door to her
condo open, slammed it shut and slid down to sit on the floor. What the hell
had she been thinking coming down here? How could she get him to love her when
she couldn’t manage a simple hello?
Aphrodite will know what to do!

Colette dashed to the
vanity in her room where Aphrodite placed the scrying mirror, sat on the bench
and leaned forward. “Dite!”

The mirror shimmered, the
images in it wavering, then Aphrodite’s face appeared. “Hello, love, glad to
see you made it okay. Sorry about the trip. It’s always a bit rough.”

“I’m not fine! I stepped
outside, saw Julian and my vocal cords decided to go on strike. I can’t even
talk to the man. How am I supposed to make him fall in love with me?”

“Slow down, little Muse.
Tell me what happened.”

Aphrodite listened
intently to her story and her face grew serious. “You’re overthinking it. Trust
your gut. Follow your instincts and the advice your
fabulous
love
goddess is about to impart. I wouldn’t send you to Earth and leave you to fend
for yourself. Father would kill me.”

The tension flowed from
Colette’s body. She wasn’t alone in this. She had help—no,
the best
help.

“Relax. Breathe. You have
an entire year. Show interest in him. Be honest—well, as honest as you can be
considering your situation…and try to have fun.”

“Fun? Are you serious?”
Colette asked. This was her grand wisdom?
Her temples throbbed.

“Start small. He’ll
resist at first. You’ll have to be persistent and wear him down. You know more
than most how much he’s been hurt. You have to gain his trust and form a
friendship. Would I steer you wrong?”

“No,” Colette mumbled.
The reassurances were not working. “I’m a Muse. It’s my job to inspire, so why
is this so hard?”

Dite smiled. “It’s always
different when it’s your own life. Remember, you may be on Earth, but beauty,
poise and grace are ingrained in your DNA. Even humanized, you haven’t lost
that. Men love confidence. I know you’re new to all this, but with Julian, you
have no choice but to be the aggressor. Subtle hints would be lost on him.
You’ll have to hit him over the head with the obvious.”

“How am I supposed to do
that?”

Dite sighed. “Okay, dear,
hold on to those delectable boots of yours. I’m coming down to give you a crash
course in
l’amour
.” She gave a wink, and the mirror returned to its
deceptive everyday appearance. A chime sounded in the hall, and the goddess of
love appeared in the doorframe. “I love the edgy vibe you’ve got going,” Dite
said.

“Thanks?”

“It’s a good thing. Men
love a little mystery, especially the artistic kind, which is what you have on
your hands. Now come on, my girl. This education cannot be learned indoors.”

Colette rose from the
bench, confused, skeptical, and a little afraid. She’d known Dite a long time.
There was no telling what she planned. She followed her out of the condo. “Where
are we going?”

“To a bar I know.”

Underneath the nervousness,
excitement was born.

They ended up in crowded
pirate-themed bar. “This is Polly’s. The drinks are cheap, but delicious. The
eye candy is plentiful and top quality.” A sly smile slid over Aphrodite’s full
lips as her gaze took in the men in the room. Her eyes flickered with something
a little wicked. It was easy to see why she drew men to her like bees to honey.
They’d just set foot in the place, and Dite was getting covert glances.

“One of the major perks
of living in San Diego, all the servicemen. Listen, look and learn.” Dite sashayed
her way across the crowded room. Each gentle sway of her hips drew a new set of
eyes to her plump derriere. Swathed in a pair of dark denim designer jeans and a
simple black tank top, she did look lovely. Yet, it was her personality
attracting the attention of men and women alike…an almost visible aura that
poured off her. She exuded confidence, power and sensuality.

Colette envied her
ability to navigate the waters of social interaction. It always seemed so
simple from Mount Helicon.

They reached the bar.
Dite leaned forward and raised her hand in the air to signal the bartender. “Two
cosmos for my friend and I. We’re quite parched.”

“Sure thing, sweetness.” The
burly bald man with the lip ring cracked a smile, and his whole countenance
changed. It was like magic.

Is she using her powers?

“No,” Dite answered
aloud. “I’m not using my
God
-given talent, just my womanly attributes.”
She chuckled at her joke.

Colette shook her head. “I’ll
never be able to do that.”

“Of course you can. The
blood of Zeus runs in your veins. That’s not average stock. Watch.” Dite’s gaze
swept over the bar and came to rest on a well-muscled tan man with closely
shaven dark hair and bright blue eyes. Her lips formed a coy smile and she
glanced away.

A flash of white
accompanied the man’s smile, as he made his way across the crowded room. “Hi,
ladies, how are you doing tonight?” His words included them both, but his gaze
was glued to Dite.

“We’re fine.”

Colette watched him while
feeling amazed

“Here you go, two
cosmos,” the bartender said.

“Even better now,” Dite
drawled.

“Can I take care of the
bill for you?”

“If you’d like.” Dite
tilted her head and smiled.

The banter went back and
forth until they exchanged numbers and he returned to his friends on the other
side of the room.

“See how easy that was?”
Dite said.

“For you, yes—me, not so
much.”

“All I did was show a bit
of interest, and he did the rest, not so hard.”

“True.”

“Unfortunately, that’s
not the kind of flirting that’ll land you Mr. Sorrow.”

“Dite.”

“Relax. We’ll work up to
it.”

“I don’t like the sound
of that,” Colette whispered.

Three hours later, she
escaped Dite’s grasp and returned to her condo. Flirting seemed tedious,
pointless, and she was absolute rubbish at it. At this rate, she would be lucky
if she ever held a conversation with Julian.

She unlaced her boots,
took them off and set them at the door before she headed to her room. She
stripped down to her skivvies, tossed them into the hamper in the corner of her
bedroom and collapsed onto the bed face-first. Best thing about sleep was
tomorrow would be a new day.

CHAPTER
FOR

T
he
mystery woman stood out on her lawn again, painting. No matter how many times
Julian tried not to look, he was always drawn back to her tall, graceful form.
Jet-black hair tumbled down to her mid-back and set off her dark brown skin.
He’d never seen her face or the canvas she worked on, and his curiosity about
both was driving him mad.

While he peered through
the half-drawn blinds, he licked his lips. Her airy white sundress was paired
with a brown pair of boots that showed off toned legs a mile long. Even from
behind, he could tell the woman was beautiful. Paired with her passion for
painting, the combination woke parts of him that hadn’t been used in longer
than he cared to remember. Music being his chosen venue to express himself, yet
he loved all forms of art.

His jeans grew tighter as
a bulge formed and pressed at the zipper.
Jesus, I’m turning into a Peeping
Tom.

He’d noticed her a few
weeks back when she first appeared on the lawn two houses down from him. He’d
missed the move-in process, but he’d be the first to admit  to being oblivious
to the world around him when he was in the middle of a project.

She raised her toned arms
bared by her white spaghetti straps.

His mind wandered. Would
the front view show off a set of perky breasts? Desire surged. Julian adjusted
his hardened cock for comfort. This needed to stop.

She tilted her head to
the side, bringing attention to her long neck. Had this woman been sculpted
from marble? He moved closer. His eyes strained to pick up something new he
hadn’t seen before. Her head popped up, and he froze. Could she sense his gaze?

She turned unexpectedly
and he jerked away from the window.
Shit!
Julian’s pulse skyrocketed and
his muscles tensed as his back hugged the wall. His breaths came in shallow
bursts.
Did she see me?
A giddy excitement washed away his worry an
instant later. He’d seen her face. It was more exquisite than he’d imagined
it’d be. A broad forehead, full lips, wide-set eyes and a long, narrow nose. He
felt like a teenage boy with a crush on the popular cheerleader. It felt good
to
feel
.

Really? Remember how you
felt when you found out you lost your virginity to a girl because of a dare?

His spirits plummeted and
he tamped down the butterflies. It’s enough that she inspired him. It would
have to be.

He turned away from the
window and went back to the desk he positioned up against the wall. She’d
become his muse. Pen was set to paper and words flowed like water from a
fountain. He broke only to eat, when a sharp pain in his stomach told him lunch
was way past due.

Julian padded to the
kitchen and composed a quick lunch, consisting of a turkey sandwich and an
apple. Unable to resist temptation, he took a seat on the couch facing the
window on the side of house and peered out over his neighbor’s yard. He watched
her as he ate, admiring her smooth strokes over the canvas.

How strange I feel a
kinship with this stranger.
Most people who lived in this area
bought art. They didn’t create it. Once he was finished, he disposed of the
apple core, put the plate in the dishwasher, and allowed himself one last look
at the painter.

His stomach dropped into
his gray Converse when he saw her looking back. A brilliant smile lined her
lips and she waved. He returned the gesture, forced the corner of his mouth up
into a facsimile of a smile and removed himself from the window. He needed to
be more careful. Next time, she might see his face clearly.

*
* * *

Colette fought the urge
to stomp her foot in frustration when Julian slipped away after a weak wave of
his hand. She’d been trying to run into him for days and every attempt was
thwarted. It was time to face the facts. He is avoiding her. A weight fell on
her shoulders. He hadn’t even met her and he was on the run. It didn’t bode
well for the future.

I need to come at this
from a different angle. How, short of stalking him? Use your resources.

She gathered up her
painting equipment and headed inside her condo. She left the easel by the door to
dry, walked over to the sink and cleaned off her palette, rinsed off her
paintbrushes, and set them to dry. Done with her menial tasks, she walked
upstairs into her bedroom and sat at her vanity. She contacted Dite.

“How’s it going, little
Muse?”

“Terrible. I can’t even
get the man to say hi to me, let alone, become my friend. I’ve been here almost
three weeks and all I’ve gotten from him was a halfhearted wave from his window
a few minutes ago.”

“Ohh, honey, let the
goddess of love work her magic. I can’t tamper with emotions, but I can
manipulate circumstances. Tonight, you’re going to head to the Albertsons
around eleven.”

*
* * *

She pushed her cart
around the store, pausing every now and then to add a box of cereal here, a few
cans of soup there. Time seemed to creep by.

When is Julian going to
get here?
What will I say when he arrives?

Her nerves drew taut like
a bow. She licked her dry lips and turned the corner and her heart skipped a
beat. There he was.
What should I say?
Her mouth felt as if it was full
of peanut butter. Panic hit and her heels click-clacked over the hard floor as
she rushed off toward the dairy aisle. She winced.

So much for I am woman,
hear me roar.
This seemed so much easier when she was
watching it from above on Mount Helicon. It seemed amazing  how humans had the
capacity to feel so much all the time. Back home, they were all removed and
detached. Eons of life would do that to anyone. It’s why every now and then,
they snuck down to Earth to be carefree and a tad naughty.

In her head, she heard
Dite telling her she needed to take the reins and be the aggressor. She did a
U-turn with her shopping cart. With him so skittish, she couldn’t afford to be
held back by fear. When she rounded the corner, she spotted him with his back
turned toward her. She moved her cart up beside his and cleared her throat.

He peered up at her.

“Hi.” She smiled at him.

“Hi.” His voice sounded
gruff, like sandpaper over wood. He looked toward her. His gaze focused on an
unknown point over her shoulder.

It made her heart bleed a
little. “My name’s Colette. I live a few condos away from you.” She held her
hand out.

“Julian.” He shook her
hand quickly, released it and stepped back.

“It’s nice to finally
meet. You’re the only neighbor I’ve seen.”

“The other two condos are
empty right now.”

“Well, that explains it.”
She laughed.

His face remained stoic.

She shifted her weight.
“You’re a late-night shopper too?”

“I prefer the solitude
that comes with late-night shopping.”

His words held an edge
that made her want to turn and walk away.
You know the reason behind it.
Ignore his rudeness, and forge ahead.
“Me too, waiting in lines always
sucks.”

His head lifted, and he
stared at her with wide eyes.

Yes, Julian, I caught the
coldness in your voice. I refuse to let it keep me at arm’s length.
She
smiled as she met his gaze and an awkward silence fell.

“We should finish our
shopping. They close at twelve. It was nice meeting you, Colette.” He gave her
a curt nod and pushed his cart away.

Her jaw dropped. She
watched him disappear around the corner. This is going to be even harder than
she thought.
“You too,” she whispered to no one.

Colette shook her head to
clear it and pushed her cart toward the checkout line. The only thing she
wanted to do was get home to lick her wounds and go back to the drawing board.

*
* * *

Calliope groaned as she
watched her sister strike out. The man wasn’t open to friendship, let alone
love. How much abuse would she take before she cut her losses, and then what?
Come home and mope around Mount Helicon and watch while Julian continued to put
everything he had into his work, until eventually that too dried up, leaving
behind a bitter, burned-out shell?

People needed love,
affection, human contact and a list of other things he was missing out on by
shutting out everything. Paul couldn’t be his everything, and soon he’d be
getting married. It changed a person’s priorities.

There’s got to be
something I can do.
The other Muses popped in every now and
then to check on Colette’s progress, but Calliope had always been closest to
her baby sister. A part of Calliope wanted to sabotage her. Eris was a quick
summons away and always down to make mischief.
No, the goddess of discord is
a last resort.
For now, she’d lend support.

“Just a little whisper in
your ear, to melt that icebox you call a heart,” Calliope whispered. She had
friends in the right places. A quick visit to the dream gods would have Julian
singing a different tune.

She smirked and
transported herself to the home of Morpheus. She knocked on the door.

A tall, lithe,
dark-haired man with deep purple eyes answered a moment later. “Calliope, what
brings you to my neck of the woods?”

“I need a favor, Sleep
King.”

“Come in.” He waved her
in and stepped back, allowing her to follow suit. They ended up in his living
room.

She sank down onto the
comfortable black couch across from his chair.

“Tell me about this favor
of yours.”

“I’m sure by now you’ve
heard about Colette.”

“Yes, the little Muse
spread her wings and took her first trip down to Earth, in search of
love
.”
He said the word as if it was toxic.

“Well, the man in
question is stubborn, and he could use a little push.”

Morpheus raised an
eyebrow. “Why not ask Cupid?”

“Because I want him to
see what being in love could be like, not alter his emotions.”

“Against the rules?”

“Yes. Please, Mo. I don’t
want her to end up a broken version of herself, or worse, like Aella.”

Morpheus nodded.
“Consider it done. But keep in mind, you’ll owe me a favor when I need it.”

“I figured as much.” She
stood. “I have to get back before I’m missed.” She walked over and placed a
hand on his arm. “Thank you, Morpheus.” As she made her way out of the space,
she hoped things worked out the way Colette wished.