Eros (13 page)

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 wondered 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.

‘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.’

‘Bad boy syndrome,’ Coop explained in frustration.
‘Every woman secretly wants a bad boy to reform.’

‘I don’t think this one does.’

Coop cursed.
Hermes eyed the apparently empty chair curiously. ‘Why does it matter so much?
Get another girl.
I’m sure there are plenty of human women around who’d be happy to keep you company.’

‘But Skye’s efficient.
She works hard and isn’t afraid to stand up to me.’

‘Is that the only reason?’

‘Of course it is,’ Coop answered, annoyed.
‘What other reason could there be?’

Hermes shrugged and grinned.
‘None that I can think of, mate,’ he answered with a wink.
‘Anyway, would you like a drink?
I can get the waiter to bring over a Scotch.’

‘Huh?’
Coop asked, momentarily lost in a reverie about what he could possibly do to encourage Skye to stay.
‘No, I’m fine.
It’s too early for alcohol.
I’ll have a coffee instead.’

Hermes’ grin widened.
‘Sure, Coop.
Whatever you want.’

***

Skye wandered along the pretty cypress-tree-lined boulevard, thinking about what Hermes had told her.
Of course Coop would have a string of women at his beck and call.
Why would she have presumed otherwise?
He was the God of Love, after all.
She wondered why it bothered her so much.

Her brow furrowed.
It was probably because she felt sorry for him.
All that time he’d spent making other people fall in love and he’d probably never experienced love first hand himself.
He never would with his cynical attitude.
Her frown deepened.
And yet she could sympathise with his position.
Perhaps it wasn’t fair to all those people he shot his love bolts towards.
But she remembered the look on the faces of the couple in Malaysia.
How could that possibly be a bad thing?

She straightened her shoulders.
No, she decided finally.
He was just a petulant child who wanted everything his own way.
Well, that wasn’t going to wash with her.
In less than thirty-six hours, when he’d solved the problem of Apollo, she would be free of him.
She could forget she’d ever had the weirdness of working for an invisible love god.
She pursed her lips.
Easy.