Goddess of Love (Goddess Summoning #5)(32)

"I'll just take them back with me. I mean, it's not like I can't get Persephone to help me carry them," Venus told Chloe, who was curled contentedly by her feet. Then she began surfing using random words and phrases, like "romance" and "love" and "sex"

and "erotica," quickly discovering a fabulous site called Smart Bitches Trashy Books dot com that had her laughing and reading the archives for hours. She especially appreciated the women's intelligent insight into how men so often underestimate and discount things labeled as "for women only." Of course she also appreciated the Smart Bitches creative cursing, and promptly decided to add several of their favorites, like asshat, assburger, man-titty and "Bitch, please!" to her already formidable selection of genital curses.

And, finally, she settled down to the more serious task of figuring out a way to finish helping Pea. Googling "Tulsa Community College," she educated herself on Pea's employer before typing in her job title and reading exactly what it was she did for a living. Fully informed, as well as impressed by Pea's responsibilities, Venus Googled "Tulsa firemen,"

and settled in with her cup of coffee to go through the 113,000 entries. She almost choked on her sourdough cookie when she clicked into the firemen's calendar entry and beheld a half-naked Griffin on the cover of the latest edition.

"Bitch, please!" She breathed heavily as she tested out one of her new curses and fanned herself with the half-eaten cookie.

Griffin was, without a doubt, edible. She would like to eat him. Actually she would like him to eat her -

"No! Pea wants him. So Pea will get him."

She clicked out of the dangerous calendar site - after ordering a copy. For Pea, of course. Then three sites later she cheered aloud, waking Chloe abruptly and sending her into a barking frenzy. Venus grabbed the little Scottie and hugged her. "That's it, Chloe! That is exactly how I'm going to get Griffin and Pea together, and it's happening tonight!"

Then, realizing how much preparation there was to be done in the three hours she had left before Pea got home from work, Venus got busy.

Chapter Ten

"H oney, I'm home!" Pea joked as she hurried in the front door. Chloe rushed to her, harrumphing happily while Max rubbed around her legs.

"Finally! You simply must hurry. Being fashionably late is usually in good taste, but tonight I don't want you to miss one moment with Griffin." Venus spoke quickly, motioning for Pea to follow her back to her room. When she didn't move, the goddess turned back and placed her hands on her hips in annoyance. "Pea. Stop staring and start moving. I said we are going to be late."

"You're...you're..." Pea swallowed, eyes huge. "Wow! Look at you."

Venus's annoyance faded. "You like my regalia?" She turned slowly so Pea could get the full effect.

"It's incredible. I mean, you're beautiful anyway, but in that...uh...whatever it is, you're breathtaking."

"This" - Venus gestured grandly at the almost transparent mixture of fabrics that draped seductively around her body, clinging and molding perfectly to the goddess's exquisite body -

"is what a Roman goddess is expected to wear when seen in her full glory. Tunica." She pointed to the short cream-colored underdress that left much of her lovely legs bare. "Stola." She held out part of the draped fabric that crossed from one side of her body to the other and was a silverwhite color that complemented her hair. "And, finally, the palla." With a flourish Venus spun gracefully around causing the piece of violet silk (the exact shade of her eyes) that was attached to the back of her silver shoulder clasps to flutter in the goddess-made breeze like a diaphanous cape.

"Absolutely beautiful," Pea said. "Are you dressed like this because you're going back to Olympus? Is the portal open to you again?" She smiled, but it didn't stop her face from looking sad. "I didn't think you'd be leaving so soon. Can't you at least stay for dinner and maybe one more night?"

"Darling, are you filled with happiness and ecstasy?"

Pea's brow wrinkled as she thought about Venus's question. "Well, I'm happy, I mean work was great today - you should have seen the way everyone looked at me. Everyone looked at me. Like I'm not invisible anymore! And I can't tell you how many compliments I got on my hair."

Venus smiled at Pea's exuberance. "Yes, you're happy. But are you filled with delicious, seductive, passionate ecstasy?"

"I really don't think so."

"Neither do I, and until you are, I'm not leaving."

"Then why are you dressed like that?"

Venus rolled her eyes. "All this talk has made me forget. Follow me back here and I'll tell you while you get changed."

"Changed? What am I changing into?"

"Your own goddess regalia," Venus said.

"Me? Why?" she asked, but followed Venus eagerly.

"Pea, my darling, we are going to a masquerade party."

Pea stopped in the hall outside her room. "Venus, what are you talking about?"

"I found out about it while I was on the Internet today. Which, by the way, is a simply marvelous type of magic. Did you know there are ninety-one million sites about me? Ninety-one million!

And not even four million about Persephone - and she's always so smug about - oh, never mind. I'm getting completely off the subject. While I was looking up pertinent information about your fireman, I happened to find an advertisement for a masquerade gala event being hosted at that fabulous restaurant where you and I met."