Ode to the Queen (6 page)

“Did you and him…” She didn’t have to finish the question for me to know exactly what she was getting at.

I shook my head furiously, “no. Not at all. Not even close.” I blushed more, mostly out of the fact that I was recalling what he had said to me the night before and how awful it had felt knowing he thought I needed him to ‘gift’ me with a one night stand.

We rounded the next corner and I hoped that would be enough to make him go away, allowing Dana to take the lead once more.

“Oh. I forgot…” She stopped short and turned back to the direction we had just come from. Please don’t turn back, he’ll still be there waiting to annoy me or flirt with me and I just want to put as much distance between us, I thought. Dana seemed to read my mind as she smiled and nodded to our previous direction.

“I meant to grab something out of my apartment before going but you go on now that you know how this place works and I’ll meet you there.”

She smiled kindly and I nodded in thanks, “alright, I’ll see you there.”

Turning back in the direction we had been heading I started forward and focused on the pool just as Dana had suggested. I hoped it wouldn’t be too far along because I didn’t want to risk running into Aidan accidentally again or vice versa. It was as though just when I thought I was in the clear that the fates had a different idea.

“You’re in a hurry.” He was leaning against the wall ahead of me, smirking with his arms crossed over his chest, causing anger to course through me. How he had managed to get ahead of me I’d never know but now I knew he was distinctly getting pleasure from my misery.

Setting my jaw I moved past him deliberately resisting the urge to reply and remained intent on heading to the pool party before he absolutely spoiled my mood.

“Are you ignoring me because of last night?” He pushed himself off the wall with his shoulders and moved after me, smart enough to keep a two second distance between us considering my inability to control whatever it was that had made him fly across the room last night.

“C’mon Queenie, don’t be like this. I was extending a hand of generosity.” He was still sticking to that philosophy; I couldn’t believe it.

Spinning on him I turned, raging slightly, “Generosity? What do you think I am... a charity case that needs your help to get laid? Do you really think I have problems with that?”

His eyes slipped down my physique and assessed me once more. It was an unnecessary gesture because we both knew he’d looked me over not once, not even twice but nearly every single time we were in the same space as each other.

This didn’t stop him from taking his sweet time in answering my otherwise rhetorical question.

“No. But you’re not my usual type and I could tell you want me, so I wanted to be fair.” He finally said slowly, taking his time to assess my reaction.

But his answer still took me off guard as much as Atlas’ had when he said the same thing.

I frowned, the disappointment no doubt visible on my face as I faced him, “what do you mean?”

He shrugged, “You’re not my usual type.”

My eyes narrowed in suspicion as I pressed for more details, “how then, am I not your type?” He cleared his throat and pretended to look thoughtful about the conversation before he leaned in close, his breath warm on my ear that sent a jerk of shivers down my spin.

For a moment I lost myself once more in the uninhibited fantasy but his words ripped me back to reality:

“I don’t typically go for the high-maintenance types.” As my eyes opened again his face was there, clouding my entire vision with his infuriating smirk. Reaching up I shoved him hard away from me.

I let out a small indignant huff, “I’m not high maintenance. Why would you even think that?” He smirked knowingly and I decided then that I didn’t want to know. Whatever it was he was about to say would only further sour my mood and that was the last thing I suspected I needed when I was going to be around Charlotte.

I still didn’t know if I could trust her and every time she smiled at me it always felt like she was the python and I was the mouse. I worried that one misstep and Charlotte might just ruin my entire social life for eternity – if it turned out Atlas was right and we were immortals. Already I needed to up my game because I was out of the loop as the last to arrive to Olympus. So I moved away from him quickly, heading down the hallway and concentrating on finding my way to the pool.

“Where you off to in such a hurry?” He was still right behind me, following me like a fly that couldn’t be lost or killed. Persistently annoying no matter how many times you swatted at it or threw it into bookshelves.

“Does it matter to you?”

“Everything in Olympus matters to me, it’s my castle. I’m the King.”

“Well, if that’s your logic then I don’t have to tell you because as the Queen it’s my castle too and I’m entitled to my secrets.” He grinned at me like the Cheshire cat and it only made me angrier, “what now?”

“You just admitted your Hera.”

“I didn’t-“ I had. I frowned to myself as I quickly tried to save myself, “it was a slip of the tongue and it won’t happen again because I’m not her.”

“Well, if you’re not Hera. Then once again,
I
’
m
entitled to knowing where you’re going.” He had me there, I realised he had cornered me and I scowled in frustration.

“Fine, whatever. Charlotte is having a pool party with the girls.”

“Ooh! A party. I love parties… especially parties with half naked women frolicking around. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if I tagged along would you?” There was no use in arguing with him because I knew that whether I said yes or no he would come along anyways, if only to annoy me further. So I returned to ignoring him because that was the easiest thing to do. He had bested me in every other attempt at outsmarting him I’d made. I didn’t like the idea of having met my match.

Though, having Aidan at the party did offer one very valuable upside. If he was there I could flaunt and flirt with another guy in front of him, rub it in his face a little bit and see if he really did see me as his property, as his ‘Queenie’.

“You know, you never denied wanting me earlier.” He said from behind as he followed along like a lost puppy. I frowned to myself knowing he was right; I was too annoyed at the time to even think about saving face later.

“Did you say that?” I went for the ignorant route, pretending I hadn’t heard… but the moment the words left my mouth I could almost feel him smirking from behind me. He knew exactly what I was up to and I worried he might do or say something about it. Luckily for me Aidan kept it to himself and, thankfully, changed the subject.

“Do you even know where we’re going?”

“Of course.” I snapped, scowling once again. Truth was though; I’d forgotten a while ago to think about needing a pool. So, once more we were hopelessly lost.

After that, Aidan more or less took over, explaining that I was unreliable and bound to have us going in circles for hours. At the same time everyone else would be wonderfully buzzed on fruity cocktails and lounging on chaises.

He also told me that he didn’t want to disappoint the women of Olympus by not showing up at all, when it was almost expected of him to crash the party. He just simply couldn’t let their fragile young hearts get hurt.

The more he talked the more I found myself wondering if this was all an act. Perhaps he was projecting the persona of a complete ass merely because it was what was expected of him. He was good looking and arrogance had to come with it, so he just put on an extreme act of self-absorption to keep everyone happy and at an arm’s length. No one would question what was under such a seemingly vapid layer, if he peacocked around like he did.

It was clever, but then I wondered if maybe I was giving him too much credit. I just couldn’t shake the memory of the man that escorted me home last night, the one who was completely different from this character.

Something inside of me, some voice I didn’t recognise, said give it to him. Give him the credit because, like you, he needs someone to see under the routine for the lonely boy underneath. I scoffed aloud at this idea; unable to believe my own consciousness had offered that kind of solution.

Giving into Aidan like that was like standing in the bullring and wrapping the red cloth around your waist to wait. I wasn’t going to make myself a target for him and I certainly wasn’t going to get in the line of fire after how he was acting after last night.

Aidan could do without me and I without him. Neither of us needed the other and it was safer to keep it that way.

“Aha!” He’d opened one last door to reveal the swimming pool. I had to say; when Charlotte described it as ‘a hot water spring in the underbelly of the mountain’ I had imagined something akin to a dark, dank cavern with a small hot tub sized dime of a pool with naturally hot waters. I pictured being stuffed in, side by side with the other girls as we sat around gossiping when in reality… Well, Charlotte had to work on her descriptions.

By the entranceway, there was a small rectangular wading pool that merged into the massive oval shaped pool from there. The bottom of the pool had been laid with tiles in an artistic fashion giving a distinctly Greek feel to the whole place.

The water was crystalline blue, shimmering and inviting. I wasn’t much of a swimmer but the water’s appearance certainly made me want to just dive in and enjoy it.

Around the edge of the pool were statues, carefully carved to match, I assumed, Hunter’s face as Poseidon. The other statues I didn’t recognise but assumed that they belonged to the faces of lesser water Gods. Directly across from us was a small, half temple no doubt a re-creation of the former glory that would’ve been erected in Poseidon’s honour.

From there a marbled edge ran around the pool giving us floor space to lay out lounge chairs and tables should anyone need one. Girls were in their swim suits, laid out and sunbathing under a natural light I couldn’t find the source of, while other’s milled around like waiters holding trays filled with glasses of cocktails. I spotted Dana, one of the girls with a tray, and she smiled at me.

I realised then she wasn’t a Goddess herself but a servant of Charlotte’s. Maybe she preferred the term handmaiden, I didn’t know.

I also spotted a couple guys there I didn’t know, despite the idea of today initially being a girl’s day; and then there was Charlotte...

She wore an intricate bathing suit of bright red. The fabric almost appeared as though it were strips of crepe paper someone had wrapped around her bottom half before trailing up to the top half and wrapping around her breasts before tying it off with a bow on the back.

On me, a bathing suit like that would’ve compressed my chest and made me look like I had no endowments to speak of, but on her it almost made hers look bigger than normal.

I would’ve never been able to pull of something like that. Whereas she glowed with all the expected pride of someone who knew they looked amazing. Even her hair was perfect, the ends seemed to curl perfectly despite the wetness and hang sweepingly along her back.

A surge of jealousy ached through me as she came toward us. I wish I could effortlessly appear flawless like her. Instead I was carelessly thrown together. An hour before, I had adored my beautiful white suit, now I felt frumpy in comparison to this Goddess. Heaving a sigh, I glanced away to look at my feet, embarrassed by my own appearance.

“For the record, I think you look much more beautiful.” Aidan’s voice came out of nowhere and wrapped around me like a bear hug. Why had he said that? Had he read my thoughts?

I felt him brush past me and move toward Charlotte who grinned and latched onto him with possession. I didn’t understand where his comment had come from, but still I was somewhat grateful for the vote of confidence.

“Oh, hey Savannah.” Charlotte smiled and pretended as though she hadn’t even noticed me next to Aidan when we walked in.

Biting back a sarcastic comment I smiled at her and moved forward, “hey, hope you don’t mind I brought the big guy along.” I patted Aidan’s elbow and he looked down at me with a cocked eyebrow and an expression that clearly read ‘excuse me?’

“Not at all. Aidan’s always welcome, whenever.” She let go of him but not completely. Charlotte deliberately moved to the side I was on, slipping herself between Aidan and I. Pushing her arm through his, guiding him away toward the deck everyone was lounging on. I shook my head to clear the disbelief before taking after them slowly.

While everyone greeted Aidan as he went past only a few people acknowledged my arrival, mostly the servers who I guessed had been paid to welcome everyone to the party.

I helped myself to a cocktail from Dana’s tray and smiled at her, “got a bit lost getting here.”

“I assumed. But I’m glad Aidan helped you.” She raised an eyebrow almost questioningly but I didn’t bother to acknowledge it, only walking away to see who else was there.

I was sure that she thought that I was sleeping with Aidan behind everyone’s back. Something about that made me uneasy, as though she was going to go and tell everyone. Then I’d have everyone looking at me like I was some easy girl.

Then again, that would be rather hypocritical considering my absolute certainty that any of the girls in this room would jump at the chance he had offered me last night. Nonetheless the idea that someone would spread the rumour that we were having a torrid love affair behind closed doors made me uncomfortable.

Charlotte certainly gave me the impression she thought something along those lines. She had cut me off from him and had yet to let go of his arm completely as she led him around to say hi to everyone. He didn’t seem bothered by it either; almost enjoying the attention the other girls were giving him.

But Charlotte’s clinginess set my stomach in knots of jealousy, a feeling I wasn’t entirely content with.

I wanted to do something rash like push her in the pool and grab him myself; the suddenness of this violent and vengeful thought surprised me. Even the urge to follow through was strong and surprising. No one had ever made me feel this possessive and desirous before.

I’d almost forgotten about my plan to make Aidan jealous, his “beautiful” comment having thrown me for somewhat of a loop. But when I saw a boy making his way over to me, a charming grin on his face and the features of an angel to match, it all came rushing back. I put on my brave face, preparing myself mentally for the work that needed to be done in order to initiate the plan. This would be exactly the sort of revenge I was fine with dishing out.

“Hey.” He said, coming to a standstill at my side. The once over he gave me wasn’t lost, due to his lack of subtly but I just smiled, comforting myself with the idea that this would be easier than ever.

“Hi… I’m Savannah.” I offered my hand and smiled. He quickly shook it before letting go, seemingly not the handshaking type.

“Hunter. I don’t think we’ve met before.”

“Nope.” I laughed flirtatiously, shaking my head doing a quick examination of him myself before settling back on his face. He was tall, more than a foot taller than me and athletically built.

Upon first glance I would’ve guessed that he was a surfer. His naturally dirty blonde hair was tinted with grown out blonde highlights and a couple days without showering had left his face sprinkled with stubble. His accent completed the image: he was a stereotypical Bondi Beach Aussie.

He lacked a shirt due to the nature of the party but his board shorts contributed to the whole beach bum vibe I got from him. When I thought about it, he probably was a surfer given the fact that he was Poseidon.

“I recognised you though from all your statues.” I teased, nodding in the direction of the marble bust closest to us. He laughed, though not in a way as to suggest he was embarrassed.

He nodded, “yeah, I think Atlas went overboard in designing this place. Everywhere I turn I see myself. Not that bad. I don’t think, at least.” He flashed a bright smile before offering me his arm, the charm of the action seeming false with his otherwise jock type personality.

“Let me get you a sausage or something.” There was a smirk lingering on his face as he turned toward the barbecue I had missed on my first glance around the area.

“Oh, sure. I’m starved.” I grinned again before looping my arm through his as Charlotte had done to Aidan, taking a chance to look over at Aidan to see if he was looking. To my disappointment Charlotte had him engaged in some conversation with two of the servers and a frown momentarily crossed my features. Not wanting to dwell though I quickly painted on another grin and followed Hunter.

“Gees, how much do you work out?” I teased again, my hand squeezing his forearm and craning my neck to look up at him. He seemed to like that I had pointed it out and launched into a detailed explanation of his regime. I laughed appropriately, kept a firm grip on him and smiled so much my face began to hurt but I was certain I was sending the right signals.

At the grill I was introduced to Royce, who as it turned out was Hephaestus, the God of fire. I supposed it made sense then that he had been put on barbecue duty.

The conversation that followed between the three of us was small and typical; my attention split the entire time between being flirtatious with the two boys and glancing at Aidan waiting for a reaction. The only one I was managing to get was a lot of whispers and sharp glances from the other girls. They didn’t seem to like the fact that I was engaging two of three eligible bachelors at the party. But then again, I wasn’t really interested in them even if I seemed to be.

Hunter, in stereotypical jock-surfer boy fashion, didn’t appear to have much going on besides an overwhelming love for himself and the ocean. Royce on the other hand was sweet and unassuming but definitely more someone I could see having a brotherly relationship with and not sexual.

It was hard to admit but I was somewhat disappointed that Aidan hadn’t even noticed or reacted to the attention I had received from the other two boys.

Something in the back of my mind told me that I shouldn’t be so putout, considering Aidan had told me his self that I wasn’t his type. But I supposed that a part of me had hoped he was exaggerating. Further still, if I really were his Godly wife surely Zeus wouldn’t like the affections of other men directed toward me. At least, this was the impression I got from all the stories I knew about the God of the Gods.

“Don’t tell me you took the time to put that outfit on without any intention of actually getting in the pool.” Royce had swum over to me, leaning against the wall and sizing me up as I took everyone else in.

“C’mon… it’s not going to make you melt. I promise.” He jokingly crossed an x across his chest and smiled at me.

I returned the gesture but shook my head, “nah, it’s fine. Marco Polo hasn’t been my thing since I was like 6.” I teased back but Royce wasn’t buying it.

He just shook his head at me, “your loss…” He turned as though he was going to swim away, when he turned suddenly and reached out, hauling me over his shoulder and swimming out into the middle of the water. I shrieked in surprise, laughter bubbling out of me as I flailed.

“Put me down. Royce, I mean it. I don’t want-“ Before I could finish what I was saying he complied and dropped me right down into the water. Although he was well meaning and just playing around, when I resurfaced I found everyone laughing at my expense. I felt my cheeks grow hot with embarrassment.

The feeling didn’t last long before someone swam under my legs and tugged on them as they surfaced. Hunter stood, having managed to settle me somehow on his shoulders and towered over everyone.

“Who wants to play rooster?” He grinned as I gripped his head, teetering a good foot over everyone else who joined in. The game didn’t last long since there were only three participating males and none of the girls wanted to put another girl on their shoulders.

Charlotte, unsurprisingly, climbed on top of Aidan while Royce shouldered a redhead I didn’t know yet.

Before the game had even ended Charlotte and Aidan had given up, secluding their selves in the corner of the small rectangular wadding pool and, to my dismay, were making out.

My stomach knotted in discomfort and I kicked my legs slightly, nudging Hunter with them as I bent over to see his eyes.

“You think you could come back to my apartment afterwards? I need some help moving furniture and you seem like just the guy I need.” I smiled as he nodded in agreement before slipping me back into the water. Once we were all sufficiently pruned and cooler than before, we made our way out of the water once more. The girls took to the lounge chairs, while Royce and Hunter sorted out more food.

Everyone settled in, enjoying drinks, food and company. We had nothing to want for and it was nice. I wasn’t used to this sort of life.

My own had been filled with years of hard work, school and stress. I had needed this kind of vacation without even really realising it. But then again, if I was to accept that I was a Goddess this was the type of life I was destined to have from here on out.