Goddess of Love (Goddess Summoning #5)(15)

But memorizing was difficult when the drop-dead gorgeous women were having such a fun, animated conversation. Pea couldn't exactly hear what they were saying, but she loved watching them. She chewed a piece of raw broccoli, wishing she hadn't eaten all of the imported cheese and prosciutto. Maybe she should go nuts and order another appetizer.... Male voices pulled her attention from the two women and she felt a little zap of shock as she recognized the first man in the door. It was Griffin! Actually it was all of the firemen who had answered the call about Chloe. They were still in their casual navy blue uniforms with Tulsa Fire Department printed in faded gold across their chests and backs. They filled up the long bar, joking and flirting with the chic lady Pea recognized as Lola, the owner of the restaurant. Reluctantly Pea turned her attention from the firemen - Griffin in particular - back to the beautiful women. Rocklike, her heart sank into her stomach. Of course the two of them had noticed the entrance of one entire shift of firemen. And it was only a matter of time before the firemen, in turn, noticed the gorgeous women. Then what would happen next was more than predictable. The women would join the men and flirt and talk and laugh and probably get dates. The blonde was the most stunning of the stunning, and Griffin was her equal in masculine beauty. Of course they'd notice each other. How could they not? Beautiful people like that were made to be together. They'd probably fall in love, get married and have a litter of totally beautiful children. How depressing.

In the meantime, no damn body would notice her.

"Pea, can I get you anything else?"

The waitress's question made her jump and Pea could feel her cheeks heating at being caught staring at the two women. It made her feel like she was a kid up past her bedtime stealing a peek at the adult world. Nervously she stood up and grabbed her purse. She'd cover her ridiculous embarrassment by going to the ladies' room. Pea opened her mouth to tell the waitress that no thanks, she was finished and she'd just take the check, when, to her eternal mortification, what came out instead of words was the biggest, loudest, stinkiest burp in the history of the known universe. It seemed to echo against the glass liquor-filled cabinets that covered the wall behind the bar and hang in an odoriferous broccoli cloud around her. For a change, instead of being invisible, the entire restaurant turned to stare at Pea.

"Damn, girl! That one sounded ripe," said a fireman who had graying hair and the beginnings of a pot belly. He slapped his thick thigh and chortled.

Pea wanted to die. She wanted to melt into the floor and slither under the door so that she could re-form outside in the parking lot far away from everyone who was still staring at her and then quietly and privately die. Naturally instead of doing something calm and cool and collected, like putting a couple of twenties on the table and sauntering out the door, Pea blurted, "Excuse me. Sorry. Raw veggies always give me gas." She heard the hysterical giggle and realized that it was coming from her mouth. Why couldn't she make it stop? Finally she was able to say with a gasp,

"I'll take my check after I go to the ladies' room."

Keeping her head down, she practically sprinted past the men at the bar and the two gorgeous women. She could feel their eyes on her and she knew her face was, ironically, bright, shining, fire truck red. Escaping to the ladies' room she darted into a stall and buried her hot face in her hands. It was going to take a lot more studying before she was ready to be undorked by Venus or anyone else.

As Hera silently watched Vulcan study the images in his sacred fire, she reminded herself that she should always follow her intuition. Her instincts had told her to check on her son. Quietly. And here he was, seeming to be enchanted by the scene being played out before him. Hera, too, felt herself becoming intrigued as she watched the vision in the fire. The magical thread Vulcan had sent after Venus and Persephone was functioning much as an oracle. It was an opening to another time or place - and in this case - another world. Persephone and Venus could clearly be seen sitting at a table in an opulent eating establishment. As was typical of the goddesses, they were laughing and generally making merry.

Then, unexpectedly, the focus of the magic thread shifted. Hera decided the girl's shy giggle must have been what first caught her son's attention. Then she had to cover her mouth with her hand and stifle her own surprised laughter, which would probably have not been heard over Vulcan's snort of amusement, as both mother and son noticed the title of the book the mortal was reading.

"Discover the Goddess Within - Unleash Venus and Open Your Life to Love. Indeed," Vulcan muttered, voice thick with sarcasm. "It's always Venus - always she who gets credit for creating love."

Hera stayed very still. She'd never heard her son speak of Venus except in terms of kindness and respect, even though all of Olympus knew that their marriage had been a sham from its inception. Rumor said, though she'd not heard the words directly from her son, that Venus and Vulcan had agreed upon a marriage of convenience because joining with the Goddess of Love should have made Vulcan appear more powerful - more Olympian - more accepted by the rest of the gods. And, in turn, joining with the God of Fire gave Venus the excuse she needed when she wanted to absent herself from the constant pursuits of those who longed to possess Love. Hera had always thought the arrangement served Venus much better than it did her son. The Goddess of Love did escape to her husband's realm in the bowels of Olympus when she was weary, and she reemerged refreshed and invigorated. But being married to Love had not made Vulcan more accepted. That it had been clear from the beginning that it was a marriage of convenience had actually worked against Vulcan. The general opinion of the immortals was haughty disbelief. How could one be married to Love, but remain untouched by her?