Chapter 12
THOR
I looked over at the station next to me, realising just how disappointed I felt not to see Daisy getting ready for the next round of the competition. And to make matters worse, I hadn't seen her on interview day to ask her for her number. I supposed I could find her workshop and see if there was a number listed there, but that felt a bit stalkerish.
The bell sounded to announce that filming was about to start, and I headed down to the staging area where the hosts had just appeared.
"Welcome back to The Great Sculpting Challenge !" Rosie smiled so wide that it had to be fake. "There's a wild card happening in the studio today."
Dread filled me. What were they going to make us do now? There hadn't been a challenge where they had us teamed up yet, which I was sure was coming. I didn't have anything against the challenge itself, but there was no one here that I knew well enough to trust in close proximity like that.
"After you went home last time, we held a surprise round of the competition," Duncan said. "And the winner of that round is coming back to compete with you all!"
My insides constricted. There was only one person who could be coming back. None of the other eliminated contestants had anywhere near the skills Daisy did.
"Please welcome back Daisy!" Rosie gestured to the left.
The woman I'd been thinking about constantly since we'd parted ways in the bar entered the room with a sheepish expression on her face, coming over to take her spot next to me.
"Welcome back," I said, flashing her what I hoped she saw as a friendly smile.
"Thanks." She smiled back, a little hesitantly, but I was sure that was just because of how strange the situation was.
"All right, so now we've got today's challenge," Duncan said. "We want you to create a bug of some kind. You need to use at least two different materials, and we want to be able to see them when we look at your sculpture."
"You'll have six hours, starting now!"
The timer flicked into existence and I tried my best to think about what I wanted to do, though in all honesty, I was mostly just thinking about the fact Daisy was back and that it gave me an opportunity to ask her for her number like I wanted to.
"Bet you thought you were rid of me?" Daisy said as we headed over to our stations.
"I hoped I wasn't," I responded. "I certainly don't want to be rid of you."
She laughed. "You should. I'm not going to get eliminated a second time, I'm going to win."
"I don't doubt it," I responded. "If anyone has the capability of doing that, it's you."
She glowed in response to my praise. "I'm glad you think so."
"Did you know you were going to get a chance to come back in when you left?" I asked.
"No, it took me completely by surprise when I arrived for my interviews and was shuffled in here instead. It's a good thing I didn't take Danny's advice and blow them off."
I chuckled. "Danny certainly seems to have some ideas."
Her cheeks flushed pink. "About that..."
"There's nothing to explain," I said quickly, not wanting her to be uncomfortable.
"I was going to say that I'd have gone through with it if you had, so I'm grateful that you didn't," she admitted. "Not that I don't think you're hot. I do. Because you are."
I raised an eyebrow and leaned against the pillar at the entrance to my station. "You think I'm hot?"
"Oh don't give me that. You know you're hot." She gave me a look that certainly revealed what she thought of that.
"I've been told something along those lines before," I admitted.
"It's just, that wouldn't have been a good way for us to have sex for the first time."
"For the first time?" I echoed. It seemed she'd been thinking about this more than I realised.
She cleared her throat. "Forget I said that."
"I'd rather not. Though I can if you really want me to."
"I don't know what I want," she admitted. "You confuse me."
We were closer together than we should be, especially with the cameras around, though I should be able to ask Mel to make sure that they didn't show any of this part.
"What can I do to make myself less confusing?" I asked, barely resisting the urge to close the small remaining distance between us and kiss her. She looked perfect with her messy bun and casual clothing ready for work.
The timer ticked down above us, but neither of us paid any attention.
"Why would a god like you even be interested in a mortal?"
I shrugged. "I was mortal once. You're not so different to me."
"But isn't it tragic? If you're interested in a mortal, then you could fall for them, and then they'll die?"
"Not if they become immortal," I responded.
"I hate to break it to you, but most people don't have the time to go tracking down the Fountain of Youth or whatever it is in Norse mythology that means you stay young and attractive forever."
"It's apples," I responded. "But that's also just a myth. Immortality is actually very easy to get, all you have to do is get a god to give it to you."
"A specific god?"
" Any god. I could make you immortal right here, right now."
"Would I feel any different?"
"Probably not, but I wouldn't take my word for it, a couple of thousand years is a long time to forget nuances."
Amusement danced over her face. "So what you're saying is that when you date a mortal, you're doing it with the idea that one day you might make them immortal?"
"I've never really thought about it," I admitted. "But I've also never had a reason to."
"Hmm."
There was a part of me that wanted to tell her whatever it was she wanted to hear, but I knew that wasn't right. She had to make up her own mind about what she wanted to happen between us. Though it was clear from the questions she was asking that she was thinking of something , and that gave me hope that we could be something outside the studio.
I just had to work out what that was, and how to make it a reality.