Dionysus (Greek God Romance Book 1) (22 page)

Dionysus knew everyone to be right. It didn’t change anything. He was pouting. He was inconsolable. He wanted Rebecca, but could not see a way to get her. His charm had evaporated.

Persephone and Hades came through the brush.

Dionysus said, “I thought I’d have to come down there.”

Persephone said, “I’ll put a sign, ‘No Fool’s Allowed.’”

Hades snorted. “We would lose half the Underworld, maybe, ‘No Godly Fools Allowed.’”

Persephone agreed, “That’s the one. Ready?”

Dionysus said, “For?”

Bam!
She slapped him across the face. “That felt
really
good. You should try it, babe.”

Hades brushed it aside. “I’ve slapped enough godly fools.”

“Your loss.”

“Anything else?”

Persephone sat next to him. “Hades and I respected a wish you had many years ago. We did mainly to spare your feelings, to allow you to move on.”

Hades sighed. “I believe we were wrong. You’ve never moved on. I thought you hung around the bar because that was you and a phase you were going through. You know us, phases last thousands of years. I figured you were on a bar phase. It appears as though that wasn’t entirely true.”

Dionysus said, “Right. You’re going to—”

Persephone said, “No one likes someone who ruins the show.” Hades sat down across from her. She said, “Hands.”

They joined hands. Dionysus knew he could put an end to this by retreating, but it seemed long overdue. He wanted to see her again, always had. . . Ariadne.

The image came up of her and Theseus walking in one of the many paradises in the Underworld.

Hades said, “Oh, a beautiful day down there.”

“Picturesque.”

“Lovely job, my love.”

Persephone winked at him. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

“That it has. . . That it has.”

Dionysus asked, “Can we get back to this?”

“Right. Right. Let me zoom in.” Hades took his hands and broadened the image so that it was as if they were a fly buzzing by them, taking in every word.

“My love. . . will you ever grow tired of me? I grow afraid as the years wane.”

Ariadne’s blue eyes sparkled. “My love only burns more fiercely. I love everything we do together. I love everything about you, always have, always will.”

“I as well. . . I as well.”

The image drifted. Hades said, “Can’t hold it long, spying is not mine or Persephone’s forte.”

“I’ve seen enough.”

Persephone asked, “Have you?”

Those eyes of Ariadne’s never beheld Dionysus, not once, not ever like that. And upon thinking back, he had never seen him have those eyes for her, either. He had been an ignorant pup for far too long. Because in those eyes he just beheld, he remembered having them for
only
one person and that was Rebecca and hers burned just as bright for him.

“I have—I have to win back Rebecca.”

He walked away leaving Persephone and Hades.

“There’s, the old boy.”

“What do you think?”

Hades sighed, deep and heavy. “I don’t know.”

“He’s got a shot.”

“He does.”

“You saw her.”

“I did.”

“What’s on your mind, love?”

“It’s missing something. . . missing. . . danger.”

“Danger?”

He nodded absently. “And I’m afraid there may be too much.”

“Hera?”

His hand snapped towards her. “
She
follows too closely the ones she hates.”

“Don’t be cryptic. I’m not afraid of her.”

“We should all be afraid of her.”

“Hmmm?”

“One day an obsession of hers will destroy everything.”

“I thought the Norse had that covered.”

He looked at her and grinned. “You’re right. But have you ever thought about it?”

“Thought about it?”

“How we know so little about Hera.”

“Part of her charm.”

“Deliberate.”

Persephone nodded. “True. True. What can we do?”

He snorted. “Nothing. Let’s get back, I have to reinvent myself for your mother next year.”

“That’ll take all year?”

“Darling. . . It’ll take a lifetime.”

They laughed as Hades opened a portal to the Underworld and they walked in hand-in-hand. “Good luck, nephew and hopefully niece-in-law, I am rooting for you.”

“You know, they can’t hear you.”

“But
you
can.” 

APPRECIATIVE SEX, OF COURSE

Dionysus had never learned how to win a woman back. He submerged his pride in a pit and went to Eros.

It didn’t take long to arrive at Eros’ palace, nor does any place in Olympus. He stepped inside and saw long, plush white curtains on the windows. There were large floor pillows with “trippy” rainbow designs, a space design ashtray, next to a rotary telephone on top of a Moroccan tea table. The overall décor screamed, “
Far out!”

“Eros. . .?”

“Inside.”

Eros was sitting with Hermes smoking a lovely magical plant that made gods and goddesses high.

Marijuana never did it for them.

Dionysus gestured with his head towards their joint. “You going to be aware enough?”

Eros grinned. “I’m never not high, my friend.”

Hermes giggled. “It’s really,
really
good stuff.”

“I see you have a cheerleader.”

He looked over at Hermes. “He’s spectacularly high, runs and runs. He’s my pre-entertainment before I find a lady to enjoy.”

Dionysus snorted and shook his head. He sat down on the bed shaped like a heart. “I never got this.”

Eros passed the joint to Hermes. “It’s all for appearances. I don’t even like hearts.”

“How can this be for appearances?”

“I like mortals more than immortals.”

Dionysus cringed. “You take them. . . here?”

“Of course. . . I tell them who I am, too.”

“What happens then?”

“Then we have sex.”

“Really?”

He grabbed the joint from Hermes who had been staring at it, twirling it hundreds of times with his godly nimble hands. “Oh, yeah, they really want to believe in love. Sometimes they ask me to shoot them with an arrow.”

“Seriously?”

He grabbed a bow and arrow. “Bam. One in the kisser.”

“You
actually
shoot them?”

“Low velocity, it’s like a shot at the doctor’s for them. Not a fan, myself, but I
am
a lady pleaser.”

“What happens after that?”

“Appreciative sex, of course.”

“Oh, brother. . .”

“What brings you here, Dionysus?”

“Yeah, what’s up? I remember bringing a mortal to Olympus. . . Rebecca. . . I should check on her, right?”

Eros turned to him. “Some other time.”

“Got it.”

“I need some help.”

Eros shot up. “Oh ho ho ho. . . Look at that. Do you see this, Hermes?”—pointing at him—“Dionysus needs some help.”

“I’ll get going.”

Eros ran to him and placed his hands on his chest. “No. No. No. My friend. No. Let’s get you a seat. What do you need?”

“I need to win a woman back.”

“A mortal?”

He nodded.

“Tricky. Tricky. Tricky. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some like this. Some like that. Variety, baby. What’s she passionate about?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“I think she likes adventure but acts like it’s a nuisance.”

“Okay. Okay. . .”—he nodded—“speech?”

“Come again?”

“Flirty. Sassy. Let’s you know. Submissive. What’s the deal?”

Dionysus sighed. “I guess. . . uh, assertive.”

Eros ran his hand through his hair. “I have to meet her.”

“Huh?”

“I can see this will go nowhere. Where can I find her?”

“The Old Watering Hole.” 

YOU DESERVE THE WORLD, BABY

A tall blond man came through the door, Rebecca noticed him because he was the most radiant man she had ever seen. His hair was effortlessly parted, he dressed like he had money and style, a polo, shorts and loafers. He walked in like he owned the place, like anybody would cater to his whim.

He sat down. “I’ll have what everyone is having.”

“You got it.”

Rebecca came back with the now infamous piña colada.

“A piña colada?” he said with an interesting blend of curiosity and pity.

Rebecca stumbled back. “You know?”

“Of course, I venture out of this place.”

“No one else seems to.”

He twirled the glass, round and round. It reminded him of the games everyone plays with a stranger of interest, always guarded.
Round and round, we go.
He was also
still
high having grown a particularly strong strand.
Round and round.
“They don’t. I am not an Olympian, though.”

“You’re not?”

“Oh, no, I am before them.”

“Why are you in Olympus then?”

“I’m a Greek god, no where else to hang. What should I do? Hang with the Egyptians?”

Rebecca raised her eyebrows. “What brings you here?”

“The atmosphere.”

“Oh?”

“Dionysus.”

“Dionysus. . .?”

“Yeah, he wants to win you back.”

She gawked at him. “Win me back. . .?”

“Yup.”

“Aren’t you suppose to gather information and not tell me what you’re up to?”

“Ah. . .” He waved his hand around and took a sip of the drink. “Good stuff. . . I don’t find that effective.”

“Then what’s your plan?”

“I never had a plan.”

“You never had a plan?”

“Do you love him?”

Rebecca taken aback, flinched, and her eyes betrayed her. “I—”

“That’s all I needed to know. The rest is fluff.”

“To know what? I didn’t say anything.”

“You’re look said it all. I am the god of love, after all.”

“Oh. . .”

“Ah”—he pointed at her—“now you’re getting it.”

“What is this? This won’t win me back.” She said with disgust, “You damn gods.”

“I know that. I had to make sure it wasn’t a fool’s errand. You never know with these gods and goddesses, I agree. They become love sick puppies. Don’t get me started on Zeus.”

Rebecca was shocked and startled, a combination that scrambled her brain. She wasn’t sure what to do or what to say. “What happens now?”

“I drink. We talk”—he shrugged—“we go from there.”

“He’s not going to win me back.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“Don’t you just shoot an arrow at my ass and call it a day.”

He laughed joyously. “That’s Cupid, different god. He’s a weird one too. A total joker. No. . . Contrary to the movies and stories and all that jazz where some magical potion or arrow or this or that”—he rose from his seat and touched her chest with his finger—“only inside there is love. Only then, can something be done.”

“And just because you stopped by and said these things, you think I’m going to take him back?”

“Of course not.”

“I don’t think he can do anything to get me back,” She lied. He was all she thought about, at times.

“Really?”

She emphatically said, “Yeah, really.”

He adjusted his head side-to-side. “Oh, really?”

“Yeah.”

Eros made a sudden movement reaching behind him. Rebecca ducked. He then laughed, banging on the counter. “Gotcha.”

Rebecca’s nostrils flared but otherwise she said nothing.

“That was fun. Yeah, I don’t believe you.”

“I can’t let him back in.”

“It’s the Ariadne thing, huh?”

Rebecca nodded in reply. She would give this god nothing. He wasn’t Hades and his wonderful wife.
But he does. . . he does have a way to him, a charm.

“That’s over.”

“How can it be over?”

“When something better comes along, people, all people like to sometimes flirt with the notion of a previous relationship, fantasize it, make it something more than it was. He’s realized what he has
truly
lost.”