An hour and a half later, I arrive at my new house. A two-story manor located deep within the English countryside in a small town whose name I shan't pronounce under absolute secrecy. The engine dies with a push of a button and I step out onto a gravel driveway as I walk around the hood of my car and walk up to the front door. The lock disengages with a key as I turn the doorknob and push open the door with a little help from hip bone. I make a mental note to get that fixed as I move from room to room, turning on lights one by one before making my way upstairs to the master bedroom where no kind magic happens whatsoever.
As I make my way to the bathroom, I leave behind a trail of clothes in my wake and open the shower glass door to turn on the water. Steam rises almost instantly fogging up the glass, the large mirror above the skin and of course the room itself. Taking a step inside, my body welcomes the heat with open arms, chasing away the last chill that hung in the air. Lifting the loofah sponge from its plastic hook on the wall, I squeeze out a few drops of body wash, the blue liquid smelling like Cardamom and cedarwood. Then I run it under the hot spray, rubbing both ends together until a nice soapy foam covers on my hands.
From the moment the sponge touched my skin, I could already feel the suds tickle my senses or was that the smell of the soap. Either way, I took my time washing my body which allowed my mind to wander through time and space. And taking a shower did that for me. For you see, the combination of an enclosed space, some hot water and the never ending silence, was ten times better than seeing an actual human therapist. I took a breath, bracing my arm against the wall as I thought about what happened earlier today. How Zeus arrived just in time to save me from the Titan who was hell bent on destroying me forever.
And then seeing that dagger in his hand, and how it glowed brightly and how my own body reacted against it like it was afraid of the harm it would do to me should the blade have grazed my skin, killing me instantly. "Hera," I muttered, her name falling from my lips as an icy chill snakes down my spine forcing me to jump slightly. I gasp softly, shaking my head as I urgently return the sponge to the hook and rinse my body off. The valve squeaks shut as the last of the water lands on the tile before circling the drain never to be seen again. Stepping out of the shower, I dried myself off with a towel I took from the nearby rack and wrapped it around my waist.
When I emerged from the bathroom, I picked my jeans up off the floor and stuck my hand inside the right pocket, pulling out the card that Zeus had given me as an invitation for dinner at his penthouse. The number was listed as a fake. Changing itself every sixty minutes to avoid detection from prying eyes. I glanced at the clock on my night stand. 8:30 PM. Which meant I had less than half an hour to confirm my reservation and since I was not the kind to sit around and wait I decided to take action. I reached for my phone that I tossed on my bed and unlocked the screen. The apps popped up instantly as I dialed the number that was given to me.
Two rings. That's all it took before I heard his voice appear on the other end of the line. A voice that made me feel special. And when he said my name, my heart swelled up to nearly twice it's size, practically cutting off the circulation in my lungs as I sat down on the edge of the bed to steady myself. I closed my eyes and pictured him walking around his penthouse with his shirt off and his pants unbuttoned. Too long I have fantasized about seeing that gorgeous body of his again. Too long I have replayed the last kiss that we shared before we said our goodbyes under the Eiffel Tower. And now here we are a hundred years later.
"I was starting to wonder when you might be calling me," he teased, with a little smile in his voice. "So, shall I set another plate setting at the other end of the table or will I be dining alone tonight?"
"That won't be necessary. Honestly, I'm coming."
"Don't tempt me, baby boy. Otherwise, I might just have you for dinner as well as dessert."
YOU ARE READING
FALLEN (A GODS OF OLYMPUS NOVELLA)
Short StoryLong ago in ancient times, I was a young man tending to the animals out in the fields when I was kidnapped by a winged creature and taken to the city high in the sky. It was a city I'd only read about in scrolls and in school so imagine my surprise...
