Chapter 36

36

Aphrodite led Persephone to a shop around the corner.

Part coffee shop and part bookstore, the restaurant had nice private booths with high backs. Aphrodite slid into one. “This is my favorite place to get a Buddha bowl. And they do a nice vegan lasagna. Plus espresso to die for.”

“I’ll have what you’re having.” Persephone smiled at her, glad she was letting her guard down.

Aphrodite ordered without looking at the menu. After the waitress got them waters and a pot of green tea, Aphrodite settled in and studied Persephone’s face.

“I recognize you from somewhere.”

“I sometimes work as a model,” Persephone admitted. She was nervous about giving too much of her identity away but thought it was best. She wanted this beautiful woman to trust her, but revealing she was the wife of Hades Ubeli… Some things were better left unsaid. “You may have seen me in a magazine.”

“Maybe,” Aphrodite said softly. She poured the tea and cupped her hands around her mug, eyes still on Persephone.

“How long have you worked at The Orchid House?”

Aphrodite smiled absently. “Awhile.”

Persephone paused. “Should I not ask questions about it? Is that rude?”

Aphrodite laughed her delightful laugh. “It’s not rude, not unless you’re going to be rude.”

“Why would I be rude?”

“Most people like to judge.”

“Well, I don’t. I mean, I won’t. I don’t like looking down on people.” Persephone felt her cheeks heat. Why did she always get so tongue-tied around people she admired? “Anyway, your dance was amazing.”

A smile curved Aphrodite’s lips. “Well, thank you. I don’t mind talking about my dancing. I’ve been doing it about four years now.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah.” Aphrodite gazed into her mug, a fond look on her face. “I love it, actually.”

“I’d love to see your act.” It was the truth. Persephone had never seen anyone move with such sensuous grace. An image of Hades, naked and prowling toward her, popped into her head. Okay, she’d never seen a woman move with such sensuous grace.

“You should come back, then. Don’t come alone. Come with a man. And I’ll make sure to mark you two, so none of the other girls fight over you. Although not many of them approach couples; they don’t know how to market to them.”

Persephone could never go back to Ajax’s club, as nice as it would be to see Aphrodite’s act, and she certainly couldn’t imagine asking Hades to go with her. Still, she was curious. “Market to them?” she asked after the waitress had put down their meals and coffees and walked away.

Aphrodite pulled off her glasses and unzipped her hoodie to expose a fair bit of cleavage, then she grabbed her coffee and pulled out her phone. She smiled sinfully at the camera, the coffee at her lips and snapped a selfie.

Then she zipped the hoodie back up and shoved a forkful in her mouth before her fingers were dancing over the buttons on her phone. She spoke around a mouthful. “It’s all about marketing yourself these days. Online and in person. It’s a business. If I dance, I get tips. If I dance well, people want more. And then I upsell. Champagne room. VIP section. Private lap dances.”

Persephone digested this, picking at her food. The Buddha Bowl was a meal in a giant bowl. The turquoise ceramic dish held spinach, kale, chunks of avocado, and some brown grain Persephone couldn’t identify.

“Quinoa,” Aphrodite explained. “It’s good for you. Try it.”

Persephone did and found it was good. “So,” she continued after a few bites, “Eurydice worked with you?”

Aphrodite chewed for a bit before answering. “Eurydice was a dancer. She did parties, too, and another side business. That’s probably where she met Orpheus.”

“What side business?”

“She was an escort.”

Persephone thought back to some of the events she’d been on Hades’s arm, surrounded by other couples. Some of the men had women with them that looked out of place. Too young and gorgeous for their partners. “Like, going out and being a date at parties?”

“Sometimes. I’ve done the arm-candy-for-hire thing. But there’s also a side of it that happens in private, in a hotel room.”

“Oh.” Persephone blinked.

“It’s alright,” Aphrodite laughed, “It’s a pretty good gig. You can work for an agency or on your own.”

“So have you ever…?”

Aphrodite just smiled in answer. Persephone was torn between wanting to apologize for prying and wanting to ask a million more questions. She blurted out the most pressing one. “Why are you telling me all this? I mean, you just met me.”

“You’re honest. And you seem like someone who wants to help. Which is kinda rare. And you don’t seem like a creeper. I mean, you’re my age and you could easily be working alongside me. And, I guess, I don’t know, I like the idea of someone looking out for one of us.”

Persephone nodded. “So any ideas on how to find Eurydice?”

“Eurydice and I worked for the same agency. They aren’t the problem here. They were fine. They screened clients and I felt safer working with them than anyone else. But Eurydice was caught up in much deeper stuff. She hung out with a bad crowd.”

Persephone fell silent, trying to piece things together.

Aphrodite put her elbows on the table and leaned in. “A few months ago, Eurydice stopped dancing. But she was still caught up in the life—she came to the club a couple of times. I thought for a second that she was a sugar baby?—”

“What’s that?”

“A lady who gets an allowance from a man to regularly escort him, or be with him.”

“Her sugar daddy.”

“Exactly. So Eurydice was hanging around one of the guys who came to the club a lot. I thought she was getting an allowance, maybe good enough to keep her from dancing or being with any other men.”

Aphrodite’s voice dropped to a whisper. “But I don’t think that’s what happened. I think Eurydice was in trouble, and this man was holding something over her. And then suddenly she was with Orpheus.” Aphrodite shrugged. “I saw her once. She seemed happy with him. She told me she was out of the life.”

The waitress took their bowls away, and Persephone realized how long they’d been sitting there.

“Thank you for telling me all this.”

“Happy to help,” Aphrodite said.

They stood up to go but had only walked a few steps when Aphrodite pulled out her phone again, this time aiming it not at herself, but at an artful bit of stained glass in one of the windows nearby. She frowned and moved the phone around to different positions before finally snapping the shot.

“But be careful,” she looked back Persephone’s way. “The guy Eurydice was with before Orpheus, he’s bad news. I’ve seen girls get caught up with him before and then disappear. I think he runs a ring or something.”

“A ring?”

“Trafficking. Really scary stuff. Maybe guns and drugs, too. His name’s Ajax.”

“Ajax?” Persephone said his name slowly. “Are you sure?”

Aphrodite paused as several people passed by, then leaned in. “Have you heard of him?”

Persephone thought of the concert, Hades’s tense standoff with Ajax, and the girl, Ashley, dead on the bathroom floor.

“I met him. At a concert.” She shivered. “He gave me the creeps.”

“He’s definitely creepy.”

“I heard he owns The Orchid House.”

Aphrodite nodded, grimacing. “He’s involved somehow. He hasn’t been around for a long time. I wish he’d stayed away. If he hangs around much more I’ll probably end up quitting.”

“You thought I was one of his girls.”

“You’re his type. Well, one of his types. I don’t know, I just try to avoid him.” Aphrodite re-donned her large sunglasses and put the hood up over her hair. “He wants me to star in a porno. I mean, I wouldn’t mind it, but not with him producing.”

Persephone followed her new friend out of the restaurant, wondering at Aphrodite’s incognito look. Right outside, Aphrodite pulled out her camera phone again. Before Persephone realized exactly what she was doing, Aphrodite had lifted her phone and snapped a picture of Persephone herself.

“Please don’t put that up on social media,” Persephone said. Hades might freak out.

But Aphrodite just dropped the phone with a smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t. That one’s just for me. I like taking pictures of beautiful things.”

Oh. Persephone felt her cheeks redden but Aphrodite was already walking, so Persephone hurried to catch up with her.

They rounded the corner and a man came out of an alley and fell into stride beside Aphrodite.

“Hey, Annie,” he said.

Persephone gripped her purse tighter and looked around. They were on the sidewalk of a wide thoroughfare but for once, there were no Shades to call for if this guy made trouble. She hadn’t realized until now how much she’d begun to rely on them. And take them for granted.

Aphrodite didn’t seem fussed or worried, though, but she did pick up her pace. Persephone kept up with her, ready to run if the situation called for it.

“Pete.” Her voice lost all of its sultry qualities. “Don’t call me that.”

The man grinned and rubbed his chin where a three-o-clock shadow was already appearing. His stubble was grey and matched his closely shaven head. “Call you what, Aphrodite Banana?”

Aphrodite growled and looked over at Persephone. “Don’t talk to him. Ignore him and he’ll go away.”

“I’m really a nice guy. Here to help. Protect the weak.” He flashed a badge. He was a cop? “Gather little orchids up and take them back to their house.”

“Well, we’re no shrinking violets, so get lost.”

“Huh,” he guffawed, shoving his hands back into his pockets. He looked around her towards Persephone. “Who are you? You look familiar.” The cop frowned, and Persephone wished she had large sunglasses and a hoodie to hide behind, too.

“She’s a friend, Pete. Back off. You’ll get the info.”

“Get it to me and I won’t crash your little party tonight. I know what goes on in the back rooms of that place.”

“Legal lap dances.” Aphrodite almost sounded bored. “You have nothing.”

“Oh, and the side business in the hotel room afterwards?”

“Time spent between consenting adults. Don’t be a dick, Peter. I know my rights.”

“Careful, tiny dancer. And lovely friend, if you ever need to call on the boys in blue…” He shoved a card towards Persephone and, for lack of knowing what else to do, she took it and dropped it in her purse.

The man stopped abruptly at the corner of the block facing The Orchid House. Aphrodite and Persephone continued walking briskly. He seemed like he wanted to say more but simply watched them go.

“Oh my gods,” Persephone breathed in relief once they were on the steps of The Orchid House.

“I know. He’s a dick but he’s harmless.”

“What was he talking about?”

Aphrodite shrugged. “Just something I’m helping him with.” She rolled her eyes towards the door as if to say, Anyone could be listening. “Hey, I’ll dig around and let you know. Come visit me again?”

Oh. Persephone glanced behind Aphrodite at The Orchid House. She’d gotten lucky today but did she really dare push it? If Aphrodite called with news about Eurydice, they could meet somewhere else again, like at the little restaurant. All she said though, was, “Sure.”

Persephone had actually really enjoyed spending time with Aphrodite and adding her to her fledgling group of friends would be kind of great.

“Ok, come soon.”

Persephone waved and started to walk away when a thought struck her. “Aphrodite,” she called. “What’s your stage name?”

Aphrodite’s smile this time was mysterious, enticing. “Come to the show and find out.”

Persephone walked back to the shelter slowly. She’d seen Ajax’s club and met the charming Aphrodite. Talk about beauty and beast. She wondered if she should’ve warned Aphrodite, telling her to get away from Ajax.

He had to be behind Eurydice’s kidnapping. He was acting as Orpheus’s manager. He needed the singer so he could do his business in New Olympus.

Hecate took one look at her and sat her on the couch in the office with a mug of steaming tea.

“How did it go?”

The whole story came out. The older woman listened without moving a muscle.

“I don’t like this. I don’t like that you were there alone. Take someone next time.”

“I don’t intend on there being a next time. Aphrodite’s great but Ajax’s too dangerous.”

“And Aphrodite? Do you trust her?”

“What do you mean?” Persephone frowned.

“It’s possible she was throwing you off the scent.”

Persephone thought for a moment and conjured up Aphrodite’s sweet, honest face. “I don’t think she was lying.”

“She was very quick to open up to someone she’d just met.”

“I think she recognized that I didn’t have an agenda. She was friendly, sure…but she’s friendly as part of her profession. And maybe she does have an agenda of her own, but she’s still worried about her co-worker. She told me she was glad that someone cared about Eurydice.”

Hecate’s mouth moved into a small smile. “Well, you state your case for your new friend quite well. I think this excursion was good for you.”

“How do you mean?”

“You seem to have a lot of strength to tap into when you’re working on behalf of others. But what about for yourself?”

Persephone jerked her head in a quick little no. “I just?—”

“You have more energy now talking about helping these women than in the past few months combined. It’s like you’ve come alive.” Hecate frowned. “I’ve been worried about you.”

Persephone was about to start babbling about how she was fine, how everything was fine, when Hecate continued.

“And I want to ask something else, but I’m afraid you’ll get upset at me.”

Persephone shook her head. “I’d never get upset with you for asking a question. You’re my closest friend.” It was the truth, age difference be damned.

Still Hecate hesitated a moment, but then she finally asked, “Why are you coming to me with all of this instead of going to your husband?”

The question hit Persephone like a load of concrete, but Hecate didn’t notice. “Is it possibly because you think he might be involved? In the girl’s kidnapping?”

Persephone shot off the couch and paced away. An immediate denial was on her lips but she didn’t voice it. She couldn’t. Because…Hecate had just said out loud one of her deepest fears.

Nobody knew better than her just how ruthless Hades could be. Especially when he felt like he needed to be in control. Having Ajax, an obvious enemy, as Orpheus’s manager might have thrown him. So he could have sought out the upper hand to regain control over his investment by pinching Orpheus’s pressure point—Eurydice.

It didn’t fit with the Code he supposedly lived by… But then again, that had been his father’s Code. Hades had made it very clear that everything had changed the moment the Titans killed his sister, Chiara.

“I’ve upset you. I’m sorry,” Hecate said.

“No, no. It’s fine.” Persephone flashed a smile that both of them knew was fake. “It’s okay.” Her phone beeped with an incoming text and she pulled it from her purse.

It was from Hades and had all of two words: Home. Now.

What had crawled up his ass now? Then she bit her lip. Had he somehow found out about her excursion to The Orchid House? “I have to get going anyway.” She walked over and gave Hecate a long hug.

Hecate rose too, and started walking her out.

“Good, get some fresh air. The next hour of my life is going to be giving this puppy a bath. Meet Cerberus. I’ll need a few hours at the spa afterwards.” Hecate pointed to a large grey dog lying in a cage. Persephone stopped to stare.

“That’s a puppy?”

Hecate chuckled. “Few months old. His mother was a Great Dane and got out when she was in heat. Breeder dumped the pup on a family that couldn’t keep him when they realized how big he was going to get.”

“What did the mom breed with, a horse? Look at his paws—he’s going to be huge.” Persephone dropped to her knees and reached her hand through the bar to pet the puppy. He immediately raised his paw up as if to “shake.”

“Is he trained?” Persephone shook the gigantic paw.

“I’ve been working on it.” Hecate smiled as she watched the two. “He just seems to like you. Want to help?”

“I’d love to.” The mutt was rolling over now, ears flopping. Persephone laughed. Her phone buzzed again and she stood reluctantly. “I’ve gotta run.”

On the way out, she checked her texts. She had some older ones she hadn’t seen yet. One from Hermes, thanking her for doing the show and coming to the party. One was under a name she didn’t remember programming in: ‘Goldwringer’: Hey, bitch! It’s Athena. Let me know when you want to party again.

Persephone smiled and texted back polite replies. While she did, two more texts came in.

She scrolled down; they were from Hades.

Are you on your way yet?

Don’t ignore me unless you want the consequences.

It was wrong, so very wrong that she thought about not texting back just to see what these consequences might be.

But then she thought of Hecate’s words and her fingers were flying over her phone screen. Leaving now.

Charon was waiting outside with the car.