Page 84 of Faking It Right
“But also fiercely loyal,” I added. “Ares would burn down Olympus for the people he cared about. Just like you.”
Sawyer’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. “What about me?”
“Athena,” Ryker, Gia, and I replied in perfect unison, then cackled at the obvious answer.
“The goddess of wisdom?” She held her glass up in a silent toast. “I graciously accept this tribute.”
“More like the goddess of being a know-it-all,” Ryker teased.
“And strategy,” I interjected. “You’re always three steps ahead of everyone else. Remember when you orchestrated that elaborate prank on your TA in college?”
“That was art,” Sawyer declared.
“It was diabolical,” Ryker corrected. “You spent two months laying the groundwork.”
She shrugged. “How else was I supposed to get my crush to notice me? Being a pain in the ass was the fastest way to get attention.”
“That aside, Athena wasn’t just wise, though. She was quick-witted and loved outsmarting others,” Gia pointed out, wrapping her arm around Sawyer’s shoulders and giving them a squeeze. “The same way you enjoy teasing your brother mercilessly.”
“It’s one of my greatest joys in life,” Sawyer agreed, raising her glass to Ryker with a smirk.
“And what about you, Gia?” I asked, turning to her.
She shook her head. “I don’t know. Mythology was never my thing.”
“Artemis,” Sawyer said without hesitation. “Goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, and the moon.”
“And why is that?” Gia asked.
“Well, for starters, she’s the butch-coded goddess of the pantheon. Independent, fierce, and with zero interest in men’s bullshit.”
Gia snorted. “That tracks.”
“She’s also associated with the arts and nature, which is fitting since you’re an artist,” I said.
Ryker jumped in. “Plus, she’s protective. Remember when that guy was harassing Sawyer at the gallery opening and you stepped in?”
“He deserved it for being a dick,” Gia defended herself.
“And you shut him down with a single glare,” I reminded her. “Very goddess-like.”
Sawyer perked up. “Artemis is also tied to sapphic energy in modern interpretations.”
“Okay, I can work with that,” Gia decided, raising her glass for another toast. “To the Greek pantheon reborn in a hot tub in suburban America!”
We all clinked our glasses and took a sip. The whiskey sent a pleasant fire through me, but it paled in comparison to the heat of Ryker’s body pressed against mine.
“Speaking of Greek gods,” Gia said, leaning back in the water, “I can’t help but wonder who Baxter would be?”
I snapped my fingers. “Adonis, obviously. The whole ‘embodiment of male beauty’ thing fits his aesthetic.”
“Technically, Adonis wasn’t a god,” Sawyer corrected. “He was a mortal who caught Aphrodite’s eye. His name just became synonymous with male beauty.”
I held up my hands in surrender. “Fine, Miss Mythology Expert. Then I nominate Eros, the god of sexual desire and attraction. Mr. Tantric Sex Energy himself.”
Ryker groaned and splashed water at me. “Can we not discuss Baxter’s sexual energy while we’re all half-naked in a hot tub?”
“I think he radiates major Zeus energy,” Sawyer declared. “King of the gods, dramatic as hell, and always on the lookout for new sexual conquests.”
