“It’s tiring trying to convince people I’m not who they think I am. It’s easier to just—give in.”
His eyes cast downward, and I studied his expression. He’d spent so long wearing this façade, it was hard to see himself as anything but darkness and gloom.
“Have you ever tried to—I don’t know, smile? Does wonders for the spirit.” I grinned.
The left side of his face grimaced, his lip twitching like he was sneering.
“What are you doing with your face?”
He blew out a breath like the act took a great deal of effort. “Smiling, I thought.”
“Know what? I’m making it my personal mission to put a real smile on your face.”
His eyes darted to mine. “I applaud your willingness to attempt, but you’re gonna be very disappointed. They don’t come as often as they used to. When you haven’t smiled as long as I have, you lose the knack.”
“We’ll see.” I took a sip of my wine, peering at him over the rim.
The waiter showed up, and I fumbled with my menu.
Hades waved his hand. “I got it. Don’t worry.” After exchanging more conversation in Greek, the waiter took our menus and left.
My jaw dropped. “Hey, I was looking at that. What if you ordered something I don’t like? What if I’m allergic to it? What if—”
“Are you?”
I snapped my mouth shut. “Am I what?
“Allergic to anything?” His eyes brightened.
“Yes.” I folded my arms. “Pollen.”
His dimple deepened, the left side of his lips quirking ever so slightly. “I promise there isn’t any pollen in what I picked for you.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Do you trust me?”
A tiny smile played over my mouth. “Hypothetically.”
He pressed his back to the seat, draping an arm over it. “Good.”
What was this man doing to me? I played with my necklace.
He picked up his wine glass, holding it out to me. I clanked mine against his.
“Yamas,” he said. After taking a sip, he lowered the glass to the table, keeping his fingers wrapped around the stem. “Tell me a little bit about yourself.”
“Me?” I chuckled. “My life is pretty boring compared to yours.”
“I’ve also been around for thousands of years. That’s hardly a fair comparison.”
“You think the unfair comparison is how long you’ve been around? Not the whole—god thing? With powers?”
He raised his eyebrows as he tapped his finger.
“Fine. I already told you about my mom. My dad is a retired cop and lives in Alaska. He didn’t take what happened to Mom very well and preferred to be away from everyone. Including me, his only kid.” My grip tightened on the glass. “I finished at the top of my class. I love knowing I help put bad guys behind bars even if it’s only from the digital perspective. And I love Disney movies, comic books, and girly romance books.” I shrugged, finishing the remainder of my wine.
“And Dirty Dancing.” He tipped his glass.
I smiled, curling my feet underneath my seat. “And Dirty Dancing. Oh! And eighties music. I can’t get enough of it.”
“Hades music?”
I blinked.
“I’m kiddin’.”
I grinned. “The god of the Underworld makes jokes. That’s the second one tonight.”
“You have to have more questions rumbling around in that head of yours. Ask away.” He took a sip of his wine, keeping my gaze.
I tapped a finger against my lips. What did you ask a Greek god? “If you’re Hades…and Jesus is your brother…that means he’s—” I raised my brow, rotating my head in a circle, begging him to finish my sentence for me.
He arched a brow, cocking his head to the side. “Judgin’ from that strange look on your face, I’d reckon you know exactly who he is, sweetheart.”
“But he—I mean, why is the King of the flipping Gods practicing law as a criminal defense lawyer?”
“We’ve already established he can be a dick. Every decade or so, he’ll come to Earth disguised as someone different. He thought it’d be amusin’ to help criminals avoid sentencing. I also think it may be a jab against me.”
“You? Why?”
“I think we both know the likelihood of a criminal changin’ their ways once they’ve gotten away with it. They normally end up doing something worse. When they arrive in the Underworld, it makes their punishment more extreme. Contrary to how the media and stories have depicted me, I don’t particularly enjoy torturin’ people. It’s simply a part of the job.” He took a sip from his glass.
My throat constricted. I tucked a finger underneath my necklace, working it back and forth over the chain.
He leaned forward. “I’m not scaring you with any of this, am I?”
“No. I mean maybe. I don’t know. I’ve barely wrapped my head around the idea of you being real, let alone Zeus. Have I met any other gods I don’t know about?”
“Not while I’ve been with you. I just resurfaced, so I couldn’t tell you where most of the others are.”
I gripped my head. “This is so crazy.”
“It’s no less crazy for me. I’ve never been around mortals this long. Somehow, I find it—comforting. Being amongst life. Hope.”
“You better stop talking like that, or I’m going to start falling for you.” Yup. I said that out loud. I instantly clammed up.
A fire lit behind his eyes. “I’d catch you.”
In any other circumstance, I may have found that line corny or cliché. The way he said it, though, was like a masculine Siren’s call. My heartbeat thumped harshly against my chest. I thought it’d snap a rib. The waiter showed up with our food, and I jolted back to reality.
The waiter set a bowl with overlapping sliced tomatoes and melted cheese in front of me. Hades had the same.
“What is this? Looks amazing.” I slid my napkin over my lap and held the fork up, ready to dig in.
“Moussaka. Minced lamb. Potato. One of my favorites.”
After dipping the fork into the cheesy deliciousness, I shoveled it in. I moaned from the flavors exploding in my mouth. Cheese, onion, and, cinnamon. “And here I thought you ate worms and eyeballs.”
He stopped his fork halfway to his mouth, frowning. “I am tryin’ to eat here.”
I’d stuffed another hunk in my mouth and shoved it into one cheek. “Sorry.”
“Is it strange I enjoy watchin’ you eat?” He watched me, absently holding his fork.
“If you were anyone else, I’d say it was a bit creepy. But I can’t imagine you don’t see many mortals eating in the Underworld. Or that you’d want to, considering they’d be damning themselves to eternity there.”
“Very intuitive.”
“Par for the course in my profession.”
His eyes flashed. “Mine too.”
“Why were you, in particular, charged with the Underworld? Did you draw the short straw or something?”
“No. He’d never say it, but Zeus knew I was the only one capable of handlin’ such a task. Poseidon is far too adventurous, and Zeus is too frivolous. Neither of them would’ve lasted a week down there, let alone eons.” He shook his head, glaring into his glass.