I cleared my throat."I'd like to think I'm a decent boss."
"Mmhmm."She set her wine glass down and put her hand on her leg where the split of her skirt was.
"You're doing this on purpose," I murmured.
Her light laugh constricted my heart."I wasn't at first," she admitted."But then you seemed flustered.It's kind of fun to know that I have a powerful god under my thrall."She leaned across the table to get an olive, lifting it to her lips and eating it tantalisingly slowly.
I groaned."I amcompletelyunder your thrall," I murmured.
"Good to know.But I can behave."
"Please don't."
Her smile was enough to make me think that was the right answer.
"This wine is delicious, by the way," she said, picking up the glass again."Though I am a little confused."
"By?"
"We're not in Greece."
"Well noticed."
"But wearein Dionysus' vineyard, and he's serving Greek wine," she said.
"Ah, that.This vineyard does make wine, but notthiswine.Most of it comes from his vines in Greece, or those he keeps in the god realm.But he has vineyards like this in most countries in the world."
"I guess I was just wondering how you all decided where you were going to keep your homes."
I shrugged."Most gods have moved around a lot, especially once their power fades and they realise that they have to find something else to live for.Most live in a place for a few decades at a time, but it does depend on how many paranormals are in the area."
"So does your lack of ageing give you away?"
"Something like that."
Dionysus returned with a second wine, putting a pause to the conversation.He was gone within a few minutes, leaving the two of us alone again.
"Most of us are sociable enough by nature to want to seek out the other gods," I said."So you do tend to find us congregating together.Jinx is causing it at the moment, but in another decade, it'll be another reason.Unless Aine has become the most powerful goddess in the world."
Laila laughed."And to think I hadn't even heard of her until I learned of Jinx."
I shrugged."That's just how it works.If you'd lived in two thousand BC, you'd probably never have heard of me either."
She blinked a few times."You're four thousand years old?"
"Give or take.I haven't counted in a long time.Physically, I'm about forty-three, I think."I ate a couple of olives.
She raked her gaze over me."I can see that."
"And do you like what you see?"
"Definitely."
"Good."I grinned."I feel more like forty-three than four thousand."
"That makes sense," she said."My parents say the same thing.Well, not the four thousand part, they're around two-hundred-and-fifty, but they say they only feel like they're in their forties.If we measure by human standards anyway."
"So that makes you...younger than two-hundred?"
