Chapter 12 Soraya
Ididn’t realize I missed the scent of sharp pine resin and old solvents until I sat over a painting. A church donated an old picture of the Virgin Mary and Jesus that was dated from the eighteenth century.
I am laser-focused, twirling the Q-tip against the yellowed aged varnish. Once it’s back to its glory, it will be sent to another museum for display.
I look at my gloved hand, and I chuckle at my ring and the way the diamond expands, almost tearing the glove. I remember that Hecate joked and said Ares got me a reminder to other men: I am out of their tax bracket.
I put my cleaning tools to the side and dig into my apron pocket. I find my phone and take a photo of my workstation.
Opening my messages, I send it to Ares.
Me: Currently working on this gorgeous pic.
Ares: Good.
I blink. ‘Good?’ Was that all he had to say? That’s all he ever has to say these days. One-word responses.
I take my gloves off and press my bare hands to my head.
“Coffee. I need coffee.” It doesn’t take me long to take off my apron and head down to the museum’s cafeteria.
I get my coffee and pour the creamer in.
“Oh, bollocks.” I look to the side only to see coffee spill onto a woman’s white skirt. She hops and dances around, most likely because it’s hot.
I grab some tissues and head her way.
“Here, use these.”
When she lifts her head, my jaw drops. She is ethereally gorgeous. I don’t think there is a word in the dictionary to describe her beauty.
“Thank you.” She takes the tissues from my hand and dabs her skirt. “I am such a clumsy one.”
She drops her bag softly on a metal chair and pulls out another chair and sits. Everything that she does looks elegant and graceful.
“Maybe you can get another coffee.” Before I can suggest having the barista replace it, a barista comes rushing over with coffee in his hand.
“Here you are,” he says, his eyes never leaving hers.
She smiles, and I swear you hear a small tinkle. What the hell is going on?
“Let me pay.” She reaches for her purse.
The barista instantly stretches his hands out. “No, it’s okay. Would you like anything else?”
She taps her cherry-colored lips. “Yes, I would like one of your sugar cookies and a new coffee for my savior.”
I blink, trying to refocus. “No, it’s okay.”
“Are you listening to me?” She tilts her head to the side, and the barista nods and hustles off.
Well, I guess that’s what happens when you’re a supermodel.
“Sit with me.”
I almost say no to the lady with the amethyst-colored eyes and blonde hair. There is something…unnatural about her. She’s statuesque, and her presence feels commanding.
“I’m Venus. I’m one of the new patrons of the museum.” Venus stretches her hand out to me. Even her fingers are elegant.
My palm touches hers, and we shake.
“I’m Soraya. You are absolutely stunning, Venus.” I take my hand away.
She smiles. “You are also nauseatingly pretty.”
I chuckle. Even her British accent sounds pretty. “Thank you. Your eyes, your style, hair…everything about you is a yes.”
Venus inhales and drops her hands on the table. “Oh God, you are a good person.”
What the hell did she mean by that? It sounds less like praise and more like a curse.
“I would hope so.” I pull out a chair and sit.
The barista walks briskly to the table, placing the order down. Venus doesn’t look back at him.
“Thank you,” I mouth to the barista before he moves away.
“So what do you do here?” Venus takes a sip of her coffee and sips it, looking at me over the rim.
“I restore art as close as possible to the original.”
Venus nods. “That is awesome. I have a painting for the museum. I would love you to restore it. I will be donating it to St. Bartholomew in Lakeshore.”
A painting?
“Well, I would love to. Turn it in to the department of—”
She raises her hand. “I don’t have to do all of that. Maybe next week I can bring it in?”
Wow, she is a bold one, isn’t she? I stay silent. I don’t work for her but for the museum.
Venus smiles tightly and nods. “Fine. I will go through the red tape. It will be on your desk next week. Or maybe this week.”
“I can’t wait. Now if you will excuse me, I have to get back to my desk.” I push back the chair to stand.
She looks me over from head to toe. I see a hint of disgust, but it’s well-disguised.
“Until we meet again, Soraya.” Venus smiles softly, her soft blonde locs of hair curling over her shoulders and down her back.
I nod and walk away, dumping my coffee in the bin. I look back, and she’s gone. Guess she had a meeting upstairs.
I take my phone out of my pocket, hoping for a text from Ares. Nothing. I sigh. Maybe we can have a movie night after dinner. Something short. I can do that, and maybe then he will loosen up. I just have to work some more hours, and then I’m home.
ARIC
All day I looked at the door, waiting for her to knock and come in. The house feels empty without her and Nisa. It’s amazing how a person can change the energy in a house. Months ago, I was comfortable with the silence, with isolation. Now? It’s seeping through the walls.
“Maybe if I just talk to her, explain it all,” I speak out to an empty room. The windowpane vibrates, and I exhale.
“I am really the smart one in this symbiotic relationship, aren’t I?”
“Ares, this is a dumb decision.” I walk up to the side table and take the chalice in my hand. It wasn’t as warm as it had been before.
“Does that mean Talia is dying, Ares?” My fingers run over the corded rim of the cup.
“Yes…Talia’s life force is waning.”
There is a twinge of sadness in my chest. “We can’t win, can we?”
My skin burns and stretches, and my muscles unfold. These exchanges between Ares and me have been smoother over these past few months.
“No, we can’t.” I place the chalice back on the side table.
I hear a scream and dash out of the office, pulling a sword out of my wrist. Instead of a pack of Furies at my door, it was my 12-year-old ward screaming into the camera of her phone, talking to her friends. Phobos walks through the door after her, looking tired and defeated.
“What?” I ask, pushing the sword back into my wrist.
Phobos drags a hand down his face. “Forget torturing a man with knives. All we need are six preteens gushing over a cute boy named Kyle and Spotify with more teenagers singing.”
“Who the hell is Kyle?”
I laugh because I can see how tired Phobos looks. I wonder who else he’s protecting.
“Anyway, I've gotta go. I’ll ask about the sleepover. Bye,” Nisa says as she makes half of a heart with her hand on her cheek. After a series of goodbyes, she hangs up the phone.
I wait for her to finally see me standing here.
“Hi, Einstein.”
I grunt at the name that she gave me. “How was your day?”
“Great.” She adjusts her bookbag strap over her shoulder.
“Who is Kyle?” I ask.
Nisa’s face went from smiling to serious. “No one.” I can hear the tremor in her voice.
“Let’s try this again. If you don’t tell me, I will come to your school and ask for Kyle.”
Nisa blinks up at me like she was waiting for me to say ‘sike.’
Phobos comes out of the kitchen eating a donut. “Tell him, because he will only make it worse.”
Nisa bites her bottom lip. I can tell the wheels in her head are turning. Her shoulders drop in defeat. “He’s a boy from school. I like him, and I think he likes me too.”
“What does she mean ‘like him’?” Aric asks.
I remain silent, watching as her little hands twitch over the bag strap.
I have to remain silent because what does she really mean by ‘like him’?
The door opens, and I smell the jasmine before I see her. Nisa takes advantage and runs to meet Soraya. “Oh, it looks like it’s about to storm out there.”
As Nisa’s arms wrap around Soraya’s waist, she bends and kisses her head.
“What’s going on here? Hi, Phobos.” Soraya’s eyes don’t meet mine. She doesn’t acknowledge me. My wife is acting as if I don’t exist.
“You mean the way you want it to be?”
If I were by myself, I would have punched my own throat.
“You want to punch me, Ares?”
When her eyes finally meet mine, I wait for her smile and for her to say something about her day.
With Nisa wrapped around her waist, Soraya walks toward the dining room, murmuring to her. I follow a few steps behind, close enough to hear their laughter.
Nisa nods and smiles with Soraya.
“Tell me more about Kyle?” I ask.
Both Soraya and I look down at Nisa.
She laughs nervously as she backs away slowly. “I am so hungry. I’m going to wash up.”
As she is about to turn, Soraya stops her. “Hey, I’m ordering pizza. I’m thinking of a short movie since it’s about to rain.”
Nisa claps. “Yes.”
“You can use the theater to watch movies,” I say without hesitation.
“I thought we were ignoring and being mean?”
I want to scream at Aric and tell him to shut the hell up.
Nisa hops in one spot. “I already have a movie in mind. The new Lilo and Stitch.”
Soraya places her bag on the dining room chair. “Okay, go.”
Nisa skips off to her room.
“How was your day?” Soraya asks.
“Good.”
“Are you watching the movie with us?” I can see the pleading in her eyes.
“No.” I don’t bother to linger around and talk. I simply walk back to my office and shut the door behind me.
SORAYA
Everything was ‘no.’ Do you want to watch TV with me? No. Would you like to talk? No. Do you want to have amazing, mind-blowing, oops-my-pussy-is-squirting sex? Hell no. I can’t keep up with Ares/Aric. One minute he wants me, and then he acts like I’m mold.
As I watch the credits roll on the screen for Lilo and Stitch, I realize that maybe it’s time for me to move on. I came here for a job, and I got married. Elias is dead, and now I’m here alone. Again.
When my parents died, they left me because they wanted time to themselves. And then they died. When my uncle and aunt got me, they wanted me for money.
I just want a family or community that wants me to be a part of it without paying a price.