Chapter 6
DAISY
I smoothed down my dress, not really used to wearing one. It wasn't that I didn't like dressing up this way, it was more that I never really got a chance to and it was alien to have a nice dress on. But I wanted to make a good impression, especially if there were going to be cameras there. I had no idea if there would be or not, but considering that all of the contestants of The Great Sculpting Challenge had been invited, I wanted to be prepared in case there was.
The bar was decked out in an alarming amount of pink, and it took me a moment to realise that it was probably because the whole thing was sponsored by the Jinx Dating Agency.
"Good evening," a hostess said brightly as I approached. "Could I take your name?"
"Oh, erm, Daisy Dixon, this is my plus one." I gestured to Danny, who was looking around the room like he'd never been to a fancy event like this.
The hostess nodded and ticked something on her list. "Welcome. It's an open bar, and there will be nibbles brought out for you in about half an hour."
"Thanks." I gave her what I hoped was a friendly smile.
"You didn't mention that it was an open bar," Danny said, heading straight over to it.
I shrugged. "I didn't know. The assistant producer just asked if we'd come and said that it was a chance to mix with everyone."
"You're already three weeks into the competition."
"I'm not sure what to tell you," I responded. "Maybe they didn't want everyone to get too chummy before the first elimination, or maybe this is just when the party was planned and they're taking advantage of it."
"Ah, maybe. Now you're going to have to tell me who everyone is," he said.
"At least let us get a drink first," I responded. "And you're going to be disappointed, there isn't much in the way of proper gossip yet."
"I'll be the judge of that," he said. "And maybe that's what tonight is supposed to be about. Trying to create some drama and tension between the contestants."
"I hope not." The last thing I wanted was to become embroiled in anything like that. It was going to be difficult enough to prove my worth without complicating things.
I smiled at the bartender and ordered us a couple of drinks. There weren't a huge number of people here yet, but the night was still young. Not that I planned on staying out very late. I had to be up early tomorrow to work on the commission I'd gotten, and with my weekends now taken up with filming the competition, I had less time to work with than normal.
I picked up my glass of wine and studied the room just as the doors opened and Thor stepped inside. Where he was normally dressed casually, his demeanour in a suit was something else. It fit him perfectly, and the dark red close-cropped beard made him look even better.
I swallowed hard. At least my attraction to him shouldn't be too much of an issue considering he was a god. He was so far out of my league that we weren't even competing.
A woman appeared beside him and touched his arm. Her light blue hair was swept up into an elegant twist and her dress looked like it had been made for her. Now that was someone who was in the same league as Thor.
"Why do you look like that time Jenna Forbes kissed Jason Cooper right in front of you?" Danny asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.
"What?"
"At that party when we were seventeen. Jenna kissed Jason and you'd been crushing on him forever," Danny said.
"I don't know what point you're trying to make, but I'm definitely not getting it."
"You look jealous."
"No, I don't." I tore my gaze away from Thor and the woman he was with. "Why would I look jealous?"
He looked over in the direction I was previously looking and a knowing expression crossed his face. " That's Thor."
"Yes, that's Thor," I responded, picking up my drink and taking a sip. "What of it?"
"Ah, you like him."
"I think he's hot," I countered. "And no one is going to argue with me. You should see his arms."
"Mmm, you do have a thing for them," he agreed.
"But it doesn't matter, he's clearly here with someone."
"So are you," Danny pointed out. "Maybe he's looking over at you and wondering how he thought he had a chance now you're standing next to the hottest guy in the room."
I snorted.
"Hey! No need to dent my pride."
"There are literal gods in the room, Danny, you're not the hottest one here."
"Hmmm, true. Now the real question is if you think I stand a chance with any of them?" He scanned the room.
"Are you seriously looking for someone to hook up with right now?"
"Absolutely. What about him in the corner?" He nodded to the back.
"That's Brandon Furst."
"What?" My best friend stared at me as if I'd grown a second head. "Brandon Furst? The Brandon Furst? As in three-time world forging champion?"
"Is that a thing?" I responded.
"You're part of a competition for metal sculpting, you absolutely know it's a thing," he countered. "So, is it him?"
"Yes. He's one of my competitors," I responded.
"I'm sorry, Dais, but you're going to lose."
"Thanks," I muttered.
"And you're losing me right now."
"What? I don't even know if he's into guys..."
"Doesn't matter, I want forging tips," Danny said, downing his drink and heading over towards the man.
I shook my head and set down my drink, leaning against the bar and watching Danny approach my competitor. I genuinely had no idea how this was going to go, but even so, I was surprised when I saw Brandon nodding.
Danny slid into the booth opposite and they seemed to get into an animated conversation, though from what I could tell, it didn't appear very flirty. Maybe Danny really did just want forging tips.
At least that would mean one of us got something out of this party. I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to get out of it. In theory, I was supposed to get to know my other competitors, but as everyone had brought someone with them, that didn't really seem possible.
Someone cleared their throat and I looked to see Thor standing beside me. "Mind if I join you?"
"Erm sure."
"Do you want another drink?" He gestured to my empty glass.
"Does your girlfriend not mind?" I asked.
"Girlfriend?" he echoed, flagging down the bartender, presumably so he could order a drink of his own.
"You came with her," I pointed out.
"Oh, that's Hel."
"And that doesn't clear anything up," I responded.
"Ah, so you don't know your Norse mythology," he said.
"I know the basics. You're supposed to be really strong and wield a hammer with skill." I ordered a new glass of wine. If he doesn't have a girlfriend, and wants to spend time with me, then who am I to say no? Especially when I can enjoy the view while we do.
"That's not all I wield with skill," he joked.
Without meaning to, I snorted. "That was terrible."
"It was, but I couldn't resist." He grinned. "And Hel is my niece."
I frowned. "Loki's daughter?"
"That's the one."
"And is she actually your niece? How does that work for gods?" My curiosity had gotten the better of me even if I'd meant not to let it.
"She's really my niece," Thor responded. "But it doesn't always work like that. Sometimes the family bonds are just what they say they are, like Loki being my brother. But other times, it's about who made who immortal."
"You weren't born this way?"
"Definitely not. Mortal, immortal, god. It's the standard path," he responded.
"Huh, I had no idea."
"I guess it's not as relevant to the world any more," he said.
Our drinks appeared in front of us, and I picked mine up with a grateful smile to the bartender.
"So to answer your question, no, Hel doesn't care that I'm here. What about your boyfriend?"
"Danny isn't my boyfriend," I responded. "He's just a friend."
"Just a friend or just a friend ?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Does it matter?"
He shrugged. "I suppose not."
"He's really just a friend. You'd be more his type than me."
He looked over to where Danny was still talking to Brandon. From the animated way my best friend was talking, I had to guess that they really were talking about forging.
"We'd make a good couple," Thor mused.
"You might need to worry about him outpacing you in the forge though," I warned him. "He also knows what he's doing with a hammer."
Thor shot me an amused look and without meaning to, I burst into laughter.
"I didn't mean that like it sounded," I said.
Thor merely smiled in response and took a sip of his drink. "So, not your boyfriend. Does that mean you're single?"
"I haven't had much luck dating," I admitted. "When I was younger, I was spending as much time as possible in the studio so I could work on my art, and then after that, guys started being a bit intimidated by the fact I have more muscles than they do."
"More fool them," Thor said.
"Indeed." I took a sip of my drink, grateful that it wasn't laced with whatever my competitor had put in it. I didn't know whether he was just trying to make it more difficult for me to compete, or if he had a worse motive in mind, but it was best not to dwell on it too much.
"Oh, there's Mel," Thor said, nodding to a woman with dark brown hair and olive skin. I recognised her vaguely from around the studio.
"The Muse?"
He nodded. "I actually need to talk to her. Would you give me a minute?"
"Erm, sure." I didn't really know what to do with myself, especially as his wording implied that he wanted to come back and talk to me more, but that didn't really make sense. Not when he had a guest here himself, and I was sure there were lots of other people who would want to spend time with him.
He smiled and headed over to talk to the Muse, leaving me to stand by the bar and wonder how I'd gotten myself into this position. I knew gods existed, but I certainly never expected to find myself at a party with a load of them. It never even crossed my mind that entering The Great Sculpting Competition could mean rubbing shoulders with them. Even with the prize being a sculpture in Jinx's lobby. I thought they'd get a mortal worker to come and judge or something like that.
But apparently, that wasn't how things had been arranged, and now I was in what had to be one of the strangest situations of my life.