Page 21 of Perfectly Matching Again

Erato knew the man. Occasionally, she even liked the man. More often than not, she laughed at the man who was a walking cliché of the younger brother completely overshadowed by an egomaniac older one. Zeus did tend to take over every single room he ever entered. So Poseidon, for all his oceans and seas and currents, was neither hot nor cold. He was utterly forgettable. So were his tepid jokes. Him looking at her with too much curiosity wasn’t something Erato enjoyed.

“What?”

She might’ve feared Nemesis. Or Aphrodite, despite their enthusiastic bedroom activities once upon a time. Hera made her tremble and absolutely not in a good way. Poseidon did noneof those things. When he continued to stare at her, she asked again.

“What are you looking at? And if you expect me to call you whatever Daddy it was you mentioned earlier, you are about to wait till Hell freezes over and I somehow doubt Hades would approve.”

If she expected him to get huffy with her, she was wrong. Instead, he leaned closer, too close if you asked her, and whispered.

“Are you and Demeter together, Muse?”

Erato worked very hard to school her features. The question was not entirely outlandish. They were tied by a bond bestowed by the Goddess of Matrimony. Still, together? Well, yes, they were together day and night, every single second and Erato would’ve maybe, possibly, perhaps, if pressed, want this punishment bond of theirs to translate into a real one. Maybe. Perhaps. But together?

“Why do you ask?”

Poseidon’s wide face widened even more in what could’ve been a smile.

“Because a woman like Demeter should not be alone. And I think I’ve let her pass me by for far too long. She’s gorgeous and so smart and takes care of everything and everyone and I could use some of that loving…”

He kept droning on and on about Demeter, who, not six feet away, was deep in conversation with an uncharacteristically subdued Sabine. Erato was once again mesmerized by golden eyes, by their focus, their care, and attention. How expressive they were, how intelligent.

As she was staring, half-listening to the mumbling Poseidon, Demeter raised those very eyes and Erato was caught. More than caught, she was gone.

“We are. Yes, very much so. Together.” Dropping her last word like a stick of dynamite for Poseidon to either pick up or run away from, Erato took the few steps that separated her from Demeter and intertwined their fingers. The golden eyes kept watching her with warmth and curiosity.

“May I have this dance?” Erato barely recognized her own voice.

“Well, if you’re going to lie to only the second most powerful god on the mountain, you’ll need an exit strategy, Muse. I might as well save you, from him and from yourself.” Hands clasped, the golden bond between them sparkling twice as strongly, they stepped on the dance floor.

As she twirled Demeter into position, Erato could see Sabine watching them with a rather pleased smirk on her face.

9

WHERE THE SHEETS ARE SET ON FIRE (AFTER A DOOR ENCOUNTERS SIMILAR FATE BECAUSE APPARENTLY DOING IT STANDING UP IS A THING)

Was Erato comfortable being the center of attention of an entire ballroom? No. But was she happy having been taken to task by both Sabine and Aphrodite? Also no.

Still, she had one thing going for her and it was Demeter holding on to her shoulders tightly, her palms warm and soft on Erato’s linen covered skin.

And then there was, of course, the dancing part. Which meant their thighs brushed against each other, their breasts rubbed deliciously and Erato could say that perhaps all that above mentioned discomfort might be worth it?

If only this feeling of euphoria and invincibility would last.

Demeter leaned closer, her hot breath on Erato’s cheek, her lips tenderly brushing her earlobe. On the edges of the ballroom, Poseidon was joined by Hera to watch them dance, their expressions a study of jealousy from the former and irritability from the latter. But none of that mattered, none of them mattered. Erato was holding Demeter. They were swaying to some obscure snooty composer’s masterpiece, and everything was right in the world.

“I think you overestimate how much privacy the six feet that separate us gives you and underestimate how good my hearing is, Muse.”

Yeah, the said feeling of euphoria and invincibility did not last.

As Erato played back the conversations she had with Dite and Sabine, the scolding, the innuendos, she cringed. Inwardly at first. Then at seeing Demeter watching her closely, outwardly.

“Aphrodite is very fond of you, Erato.”

The way her name fell off Demeter’s lips made Erato bite her lip. The sound, the cadence… She’d give everything for this to become a regular occurrence. She’d also give everything for this line of conversation to stop.

“Aphrodite has always been fond of her minions. Sabine there is proof enough.”

She infused her voice with as much nonchalance as she could, but Demeter just kept looking at her, amber eyes inscrutable.

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