GODDESSES INC

10

Inna groaned and forced open heavy eyes. "Ugh." She rubbed her head, squinted at the sunshine pouring through the window.

Mnem was curled on the carpet, her back against the Chesterfield sofa, her head on a pillow, a blanket draped over her body. Naret sprawled on the sofa, one slim arm hanging over the edge. Axie was missing.

Inna sat up and clutched her head, a jackhammer battering her skull. "Mortality sucks." She looked around. "Where's Axie?"

Mnem opened one eye. "In her bedroom sleeping." She moaned and threw off the blanket. "I feel like shit. This must be a hangover. I don't like it."

"It's vile." Inna smacked her lips together and grimaced.

Naret yawned. "I had green tea after the fifth drink." She sat up and stretched her arms. "I'm hungry."

Axie staggered from her bedroom. "I hate you all. I swear this hangover feels worse than death."

"Mortals take two pain relievers." Inna hauled her body out of the chair.

"I don't have any." Axie went into the kitchen. "Never needed them."

"Hydrate." Naret swung her legs over the sofa.

"The goddess associated with water would say that," mumbled Mnem.

"Ex-goddess." Axie corrected as she stared at the espresso machine. Coffee good. Obnoxious noise of grinding beans, bad.

Inna staggered into the kitchen, quaffed down a bottle of over-priced water. She wiped her lips, looked at the label. "That was really tasty." She handed a bottle to Naret.

"I think it's the best brand out there." Naret cracked open the lid.

They toasted again, this time with bottled water.

"If it's one thing we all know, it's quality," said Mnem. "One of the perks of being around forever." She clicked the two-espresso shot button and slid a demitasse cup under the spout.

Inna's phone rang. "Where's my phone?" She found it wedged between a cushion. "It's Duncan. He's probably wondering what happened to me. I was supposed to meet him back at his place. Mortals are so needy." The phone pinged with a message. "All right, impatient man." Inna read the message and rubbed her temples. "My head feels like it was dropped from heaven. I'm not in the mood for this." She tapped the phone. "Hi Duncan...I'm at a friend's house. A girlfriend...Too drunk to drive...What....Hold on, let me look." Inna scrolled. "I see it...You what...That's wonderful...What? Me? I...okay, I'll do it...I'll come right over...Bye." Inna looked at the others, her eyes wide.

"What is it?" Mnem came forward, a steaming espresso in her hand.

"I have a job," she shouted and punched the air with a fist.

"What kind of job?" Axie stuck a demitasse cup under the espresso machine.

Inna waved them forward and they huddled around her phone. "A paparazzi took a photo of me and the center's wife last night. Look! It has four thousand likes and many of the comments are women asking where they can buy the ties."

"What ties?"

"I wore two of Duncan's sample ties. He has about a dozen."

"I'm confused." Naret wrinkled her nose. "How does wearing a tie give you a job?"

"Duncan has been looking for more investors and today several called him." Inna did a little happy dance. "Which means his new company is a go and he wants me to manage the company's new InstaPic account."

"That's a job?" Mnem's brow furrowed.

"Yes!" Inna jumped up and down. "I have a job! I have a job! I won't starve!"

"How much will he pay you?" Mnem sipped on her espresso, felt the caffeine ease the fog of her alcohol-muddled brain.

"I don't know." Inna spun around and snatched her Chanel purse from under the coffee table. "I'll check in with you all later." She hugged everyone and hurried out the door.

"It's the perfect job for her." Axie poured milk froth into her cup. "Inna's an extrovert."

"I'm happy for her." Naret took the tea kettle from the stovetop. "This is great news for all of us, because if Inna found a job, we can too."

"There's no correlation to Inna's finding a job—which found her by the way—and our job hunt." Axie dropped two sugar cubes into the latte. "I don't have a famous boyfriend and I don't have any marketable skills."

Mnem studied Axie's face, looked for signs of her slipping back into suicidal thoughts again. Axie was a deep thinker, a bottom of the ocean kind of deep. Sometimes, a mortal's problems dulled her divine light. As a goddess she always resurfaced, her sparkling clarity bringing illumination to a mortal's dilemma.

"Think positive," said Mnem. "We all must have some kind of skill." Goddess, I hope so. Mnem finished the espresso, considered having another. "I have an idea. Today, we will not wallow or cry or complain or mourn about our situation. We are going to go home and make a list of our skills. Things we know how to do. Things we're good at. We'll meet tomorrow and see what we've come up with. Sound like a plan?"

Naret nodded. Axie shrugged.

"Okay. My house. Tomorrow. Noon." Mnem tapped her gold Rolex. "We have marketable skills. You don't live thousands of years without acquiring skills. Right?"

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