Chapter 38

38

The next morning after a restless night, Persephone met Athena for a shopping excursion.

Persephone had almost cancelled their plans, except her new friend had been so excited when she’d promised. And Hades wasn’t home when she woke up. He’d stayed out all night again. Doing his business, whatever that was. Or whomever. The thought was acid in Persephone’s brain.

And it wasn’t like she had any more leads on Eurydice. She thought about calling the police. “Excuse me, I’d like to report a missing person. I have a picture of her but we’ve never met. Oh, and please don’t tell my husband I’m asking; his men might have abducted her.”

Sure. That would go over well.

Persephone was waiting on the curb, deep in thought, when a latte appeared in front of her face. Athena stood grinning at her.

“Oh, you’re an angel.” Persephone took the proffered cup and sipped it. Perfect. “Thank you.”

“Least I could do, considering the Herculean task before us.”

“Shopping?”

Athena grimaced. “I hate clothes. If I ever move somewhere warm, I’m not going to wear them.”

Persephone sputtered a little. “That should go over well at work.”

“It’s my company.” Athena sipped a coffee of her own. “They’ll get over it.”

Persephone paused. “Wait, you own your own company?”

“Aurum? Yeah, it’s mine.”

“Aurum? Like the mobile apps and devices?”

“Yep.”

“Holy crap.” Persephone stared at the shorter woman drinking coffee in faded black jeans and a turtleneck.

“What?”

“I’ve read about you, in the papers. You’re like a super genius.” Aurum was one of the fastest growing companies in New Olympus.

“Told you,” Athena said smugly.

“You were at Hermes’s show, doing his website?”

“I like to get out among the commoners once and awhile.” Athena shrugged. “Besides, I love Fortune jeans. They’re pretty much all I wear.”

“Well, we’re going to change that.”

“Bring it on.”

As they started walking, Athena’s eyes immediately shot to Charon, large and hulking in a black suit, who’d started following them. Persephone’s shadow for the day.

“Ignore him,” Persephone whispered.

Athena just raised an eyebrow. “Not sure I want to. That man is one hunk of gorgeous beefsteak.”

Persephone laughed out loud at Charon being described that way, then shook her head.

Persephone started with the shop she used to always walk on by her first weeks in the city. Back then she could only gaze longingly but it had become one of her favorite haunts after marrying Hades. Athena followed her around obediently, only fussing when the shop manager approached. “Back off. I’m with her.”

Persephone’s head flew up to see the manager’s startled face. She always helped Persephone and she was actually really nice. “Sorry,” Persephone mouthed and hurried to get Athena into a dressing room.

In the next few hours, Persephone kept Athena busy trying on new outfits. Athena didn’t want anything but black, and the color suited her all right so Persephone went with it, picking out different fabrics to lend a little richness to Athena’s monochromatic look.

“This looks like crap,” Athena announced, pointing at a display of dresses. The shop manager’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline.

“Time for the dressing room,” Persephone sang, pushing her friend inside the room and shutting the door behind her. Persephone continued looking and flipped a few clothes over the door, ignoring Athena’s muffled curses from inside.

“She’s...prickly,” Persephone told the manager. “I’ll take care of her.”

As the clothes mounded up beside the register in a “To Buy” pile, the manager’s expression changed.

“She owns a really successful company,” Persephone told the manager and cashier. “The tech company working on the phone you can fold in half.”

“Oh wow,” the cashier breathed.

“Perhaps you’d like to open a personal shopper’s account? That way you can conduct in-office sessions for your client.”

“That’s a great idea,” Persephone said as Athena’s voice rang out in the back of the store—“This is crap!”—accompanied by gasps from the store personnel.

“Ring up everything,” Persephone instructed, and ran to rescue the poor saleswomen from Athena’s blunt barrage.

In the end Athena paid without comment, and the entire store’s staff sighed in relief when Persephone pushed her friend out the door.

They lunched at a popular curry house.

“Well, that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

Persephone smiled quietly into her mango lassi.

“Seriously, after the fashion show and party, I’m surprised I didn’t wind up getting fitted for bunny ears.”

Persephone nearly choked, remembering Hermes’s arm candy at the party. “Oh, that’s the next stop,” she teased. “I’m just giving you a break before more torture.”

“That’s what you think. All I have to do is call that giant you call a bodyguard over and he’ll be ready to carry you away if you push me.”

Persephone stilled. “You mean Charon?” He was sitting in the corner far enough away to give them their privacy but he was far too big to be unobtrusive in the busy restaurant.

Athena shrugged. “Is that his name? Who is he anyway?”

“Just one of my husband’s colleagues,” Persephone said, gnawing on her lip.

“He doesn’t look like a colleague, looks more like a… I don’t know. A wise guy or something.” Athena laughed and for once Persephone wished her new friend wasn’t so blunt.

Persephone honestly didn’t know what to say, and it seemed impossible to talk about her husband’s business here, in a restaurant, in broad daylight. This was why she didn’t have friends. She hadn’t realized it until now. They’d ask uncomfortable questions and she’d retreat into the safety of her husband’s penthouse.

Athena pushed around her rice, obviously noting Persephone’s silence. “So, what’s the deal—I can’t imagine you get into too much trouble.” Athena was studying her; Persephone could almost see her calculating how much to pry.

Time for a topic change. And, considering what Athena did for a living…

Persephone hesitated, then put her drink down. “Athena, if you suspected someone was missing, and you needed to look for them without anyone else knowing, how would you do it?”

“Ping their phone,” Athena answered immediately, her eyes lighting up. “There’s technology that allows you to pinpoint a device. Like a trace.”

“Is it legal?”

“Not really. But where’s the fun in that?”

The rest of the lunch turned into a technology lesson. Athena showed Persephone some of her hacks and some of her company’s apps. Persephone’s phone got an update and a few new downloads, with Athena’s promise to show Persephone how to use them.

“Thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it.” If Persephone could get a hold of Eurydice’s phone number, then maybe she could figure out this phone pinging thing and get another lead. Once she found out where Eurydice was being held, she could send the cops in. Hades never had to know she was involved and Eurydice would be safe.

“No problem.” The bill came by and Persephone reached for it, but Athena grabbed her hand. “Persephone, you’d tell me if you were in trouble?”

Persephone nodded.

“I know we just met but…I’d like to help.”

Persephone bit her lip but then took a chance. Like Aphrodite, Athena seemed genuine. “I may need to take you up on that.”

“Anytime, bitch,” Athena said affectionately. “Except for the shopping part.”

Persephone laughed. “I guess I can’t convince you to visit one more shop, then, for shoes?”

“Hell, no. I’m more interested in your other…project.”

“I’ll keep you posted,” Persephone promised. “And will hopefully have something to you soon.”

An idea was budding, but first Persephone needed to get home. Persephone hugged Athena goodbye and then signaled Charon she was ready to leave.