Chapter 12

BO

The room was packed with guests chattering away and sipping on fancy cocktails they'd gotten from the bar. It was surreal to think about how many of these people were gods, especially when they were here because of Mei. I'd worked hard to get her invites to play for gods in the hope that her career as Mimi could continue once she was no longer able to continue in the human realm, but this was beyond anything I'd even dreamed of.

And if it went well, then it meant that both of our careers were secure for a long time to come. So long as she decided to keep me on. Our contract was technically one from the human world. We should probably work on updating that when we had the chance to.

A spotlight filled the stage and a hush fell over the crowd as Mei walked onto the stage with her guitar slung over her shoulder and wearing a glittery dress that sparkled in the lights. Even looking at the thing gave me a headache after the absolute nightmare it had been to get the tailor to make it.

"Good evening, everyone," Mei called out, her bubbly personality coming through the words. It always amazed me how good she was at this kind of thing. "I'm Mimi, and it's a pleasure to be here tonight."

Shouts from the crowd filled the air, and she smiled in a way that probably made each of the people in the room think that it was meant for her.

The chords of the first song of her set filled the air, followed by her voice, mesmerising the audience. I watched from the back, keeping an eye on everything and making sure it all went right. I didn't see any reason why it wouldn't, the dress rehearsal earlier had gone perfectly, and Mei was potentially more of a perfectionist than me.

"Now she could probably become a god."

I jumped and turned to find Neptune standing beside me. "Don't do that," I chided him.

He chuckled. "Sorry. I thought you heard me."

"No, I was thinking about pyrotechnics."

"Interesting choice," he mused.

"There are sparklers during one of the songs, it's the part I'm most worried about going wrong," I admitted.

"Ah, that makes more sense."

It took me a moment to fully process what his initial words had meant. "You think Mei could become a god?"

"If she was immortal, maybe," he responded. "No one really knows how it works, and if they say they do, then they're lying to you. But part of it has to do with worshippers. And isn't that what they're doing?"

I cocked my head and listened as powerful gods from around the world, as well as many affluent paranormals who were also on the cruise, sang along with Mei's song, knowing every word.

"I guess I never thought about it that way," I admitted. "I thought of gods as these mystical beings who had power over us mere mortals."

"Definitely not. We're just mere mortals with a few extra powers and a theoretically longer lifespan. And I'd really rather you not think of me as someone who has power over you."

I turned to face him, meeting his gaze and finding a surprisingly intense expression there. "You do have power over me," I admitted almost too quietly to be heard over the music. "But not because you're a god."

He stepped closer and cupped my cheek in his hand. "I hope it's much the same kind of power you have over me."

My breathing hitched and I found myself hoping for something I never really thought about. Something I didn't really think was possible, and certainly not possible enough to actively want it.

"Are you working tomorrow?" Neptune asked.

"No."

"Perhaps we can properly revisit the date we were talking about."

My heart skipped a beat. "What did you have in mind?"

"We'll be docking to go into Rome, I thought you might want to join me."

I stared at him, ignoring the cheering crowd clapping after Mei's latest song came to an end. "Your idea of a date is going into Rome together?"

"I can give you a tour unlike any you'd get from a guide."

"You want to spend the whole day with me."

"If you want the same," he responded. "I promise I won't sink the ship if you say no."

I laughed. "I think you'd make more than a few enemies if you did that."

"True. But it might be worth it."

"We won't get to find out, that sounds like a great date." I was a little worried about leaving Mei to fend for herself, but then again, she had Chiguo to keep her company, and after tonight, we were done with work.

It was time for me to take some time for myself.

"What time do we leave?" I asked.

"Is eight too early?"

"No, eight is fine. So long as it doesn't interfere with your morning swim."

"Why am I not surprised you're an early riser?" he asked.

I checked around us to make sure no one was paying us any attention, but they were all too busy staring at Mei and Chiguo on stage singing their song.

I took a step closer. "You're not surprised because this morning I woke up in your bed," I reminded him.

He reached out and pulled me closer. "So you did. And I was hoping you'd do the same tomorrow morning too."

"I think that can be arranged." I smoothed my hand over his shirt. "You got more condoms, right?"

He raised an eyebrow. "And if I didn't?"

I shrugged. "We'd think of something else to do." As much as I wanted to pretend to myself that this was only a summer fling, I knew it was more than just sex.

"Then I might consider hiding the box I got hold of."

I laughed. "Or we could just see where the evening goes?" I suggested.

He nodded. "I like the sound of that." He leaned in and captured my lips with his, kissing me deeply, and out in the open where anyone could see. But I didn't care. The only thing I could think about was how good it felt to be in his arms, and how much I was looking forward to tomorrow.