Page 16 of The Best Trick

“You think you can come in here flashing your money around, telling me what to do? No. You come back here with the sheriff and a court order, and then we’ll talk. Now get out.”

I exchanged glances with Odin, who shook his head darkly. He turned on his heel and walked back to our car. Thor and I followed. Odin swung into the driver’s seat and Thor got into the passenger side and I slipped into the back.

“I thought we were going to offer him more money,” I said.

Odin backed up the car and headed out to the main road. “He wouldn't accept more money,” Odin said. Odin tended to know these things. “We have to prevent Zeus another way.”

“How?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Odin said.

“Maybe I'll pretend like I'm coming down with something,” I said, turning to Thor. “But not enough for him to ask you to make me a health shake.”

“What’s wrong with my health shakes?” Thor said. “They’re good for you. And delicious.”

“Um…” I said.

“Fine. Go with vertigo,” Thor said. "Vertigo would ruin a balloon ride, and health shakes don’t do anything for it.”

I wrapped my arms around him. “You are brilliant!” I said, giving him a big kiss.

“What about me?” Odin complained.

“You'll get a kiss when you say something brilliant. Which I’m sure will be soon.” I was feeling good. Vertigo was the perfect excuse to get out of the balloon ride.

THREE

Odin bugged Zeus about the surprise that night, just because it would be weird not to bug him about it, and I started planting the vertigo seeds, complaining of dizziness when I stood up from the table.

Zeus looked concerned. “You're not coming down with something, are you?”

“Oh, no,” I assured him. “It's just a touch of vertigo. It’s nothing, really.”

“Maybe you need one of Thor’s health shakes,” Zeus said.

“Yeah, maybe that would be beneficial,” Thor said impishly.

“No, vertigo isn't the kind of thing that a health shake can help,” I said, glaring at Thor. “It's a low blood pressure thing. As long as I don't do anything weird like bungee jumping or a gymnastics routine on a trapeze, I'll be fine.”

“Do you think the hammock could be aggravating it?” Zeus asked Thor.

“Probably not. Unless she was trying to stand up in the hammock,” Thor said, redeeming himself somewhat. “Being off the ground standing like that would be very bad.”

Zeus looked at him like he was crazy. “Why the fuck would Isis stand up in the hammock?”

Thor shrugged.

“No standing up in the hammock. It’s decided!” I exclaimed, hopefully ending our weird conversation.

* * *

Thorand I were at the breakfast bar when Odin dragged himself out of the bedroom he’d claimed as his.

“Did you even sleep?” Thor asked.

Odin grumbled, grabbing a coffee cup. Anoif I ever heard one.

“Did you try the meditations I gave you?” Thor asked.

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