Chapter 15
LAILA
It was a relief to have Poseidon by my side again, especially when I hadn't seen my friends arrive yet, but I couldn't stop thinking about what tonight might mean for the two of us.
But as much as it was on my mind, I knew I couldn't talk about it right now, not when he had to concentrate on his event, and I certainly didn't want to ruin it for him.
"It's busier than I expected," I said, leaning into him.
"A lot of events like this are. People buy tickets to them so that they can catch up with all of the other gods.
Not everyone has been spending a lot of time at Jinx events, so it's a chance to talk to them.
Like Chiguo." He nodded over to where a Chinese man was talking with a beautiful woman who looked vaguely familiar.
"I don't know him," I admitted.
"He's a music god," he responded.
"What about the woman next to him? She looks familiar, though."
"That's Mimi," he responded.
"The musician?"
"Yes. They've been dating a while, they might even be married now, I think I heard something about that. Though I don't know how she knows Neptune." He glared at the dark-blond man who seemed to be chatting with the couple.
I put a hand on his arm. "He's not doing you any harm."
Poseidon let out a deep breath. "I know. And it's ridiculous. It wasn't even his fault that people switched their allegiance, that's just how things worked back there. But something about his face just makes me want to punch him."
I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Stay away from Neptune, got it. Why don't you tell me who else is here? Oh, who is that with the blue hair?"
He looked over to where the woman was laughing with a couple of other guests.
"That's Hel," he said. "She's Loki's daughter, and next to her is her brother Fenrir, and her uncle."
"Thor," I said.
"You know the Norse pantheon?"
"I know Thor and Loki are brothers," she countered. "I should really make sure to study up more if I'm going to come to events like this." As I said it, I realised how much I wanted to hear his answer. If he agreed, it would mean that he fully intended for me to come to more events like this.
"I can help you," he promised. "And provide helpful insights into everyone."
"Helpful, or biased?"
"Both." He grinned. "Like now." He nodded towards an approaching couple.
"Poseidon," the woman said.
"Laila, this is Persephone, my sister-in-law-slash-frenemy," he said to me.
Persephone laughed. "Now come on, Don. I thought we were past you being angry at me for calling you unlikable."
"We were until you broke up with my brother," he responded.
"Hades has forgiven me."
"Hades is in love with you, I'm not. Give it another couple of hundred years."
"Hey, I'm standing right here," the other man said, making me realise that this was Hades.
Hades and Persephone. I was standing in front of the King and Queen of the underworld. I groaned.
"Are you okay?" Poseidon asked.
"I just got the name of the club."
Hades chuckled. "It took you less time than it did for Don. What was it? A decade?"
Poseidon cleared his throat. "It wasn't that long."
"It's a great club," I said to the couple. "You must be pleased with it."
"Very." Persephone looked at her husband and smiled affectionately. "So much so that Hades is opening a second one on Earth."
"Did you call that one The Earth?" I asked.
"The Pomegranate," he responded. "But The Earth might have been better."
Persephone rolled her eyes. "No, it wouldn't have been. Anyway, nice to meet you, Laila. I hope we see you again soon." She waved and moved her husband further into the room, presumably so that they could go talk to someone else.
"She seems nice," I said.
Poseidon laughed. "Persephone is Persephone. She's good for Hades, though, and that's all I really care about."
"It must be nice to have been with someone that long," I said, looking after the couple.
"Is that what you want?"
A seriousness fell over him as I looked back at him properly. "A long relationship?"
"Yes."
I took a deep breath. "Yes, that's what I want."
"With me?"
I laughed. "I wouldn't be telling you if you weren't the person I was considering it with," I pointed out.
"Good." He stepped closer and pulled me to him, leaning in. "Because I want a long relationship with you."
My heart skipped a beat as he leaned in and kissed me. It wasn't just the kiss that was thrilling, it was knowing that he was doing it in a room full of people he'd known for hundreds of years. People he was going to know for hundreds more years.
We broke apart, and I could feel the grin spread over my face. "So, out of interest, do I get to introduce you as my boyfriend, Poseidon, now?"
"I would like that," he said. "And I wish we'd had this conversation before I'd introduced you to a load of people so that I could try it for myself."
"I'm sure there are lots more introductions to come," I said.
"True." He looked past me and groaned.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Food service is about to start," he responded. "So I'm going to have to leave you."
"That's okay, I'll be here when you're done."
He leaned in and kissed me again before disappearing in the direction of the kitchen.
I let out a wistful sigh as I watched him leave. It had been a good night so far, but I was disappointed that he had to leave me, even if it was just for a moment.
"There you are!"
I turned to find Eloise hurrying towards me with Ivy in tow. I had no idea where Cupid or Nick were, but I imagined they were probably taking the opportunity to talk to their friends.
"We've been looking for you all night," she said as she reached me.
"I've been with Poseidon," I pointed out. "You knew that."
"Poseidon, who was kissing you in the middle of the room?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
I rolled my eyes. "You know I've been dating him. You're the one who has demanded blow-by-blows in the group chat."
"I'm a matchmaker, I love love. And Ivy wouldn't tell me anything."
"I don't know anything," Ivy responded. "She's been going to his house."
"You've been at Nick's plenty over the last few weeks," I pointed out.
"True."
"Well, he's got our seal of approval. You're glowing," Eloise said. "And if I ever needed confirmation of how much he liked you, I think we got it in the fact that he invited me, knowing that my plus-one was going to be Cupid."
"Neptune's here too. Cupid isn't the only Roman god on the guest list."
"I know, I recognised some of the others too. I thought I saw Bellona with Ares, but that couldn't be right."
I shrugged. "I don't even know who she is."
"A Roman war goddess, peculiar company for Ares." Eloise tapped her chin as if she were planning something. "Are you sure you don't know anything about them?"
"Nothing. But as soon as I find out any gossip, I'll let you know."
The kitchen doors swung open, and the first platters of food started to make their way around the room. Despite the fact that I knew that Poseidon was going to be standing by the pass making sure that every morsel was perfect, I was still disappointed that he hadn't reappeared.
But that was fine. I would get to spend plenty of time with him after the event, and this was just something I was going to have to get used to if I wanted a relationship with him. And like I'd told him, that's what I wanted, for a long time to come.