"Thank you."I smiled, feeling a little nervous about the fact that I was having a casual conversation with Aphrodite, even if I'd been casually spending time with gods for a while.
"Oh, just one thing."She reached out and removed a piece of lint from my dress."There you go.Picture perfect.I need to make sure the photographer gets pictures of you with Poseidon."
I nodded, realising that this was the event that was changing us from just dating to an actual relationship, even if neither of us had actually talked about that.
Chapter15
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 itrightnow, 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."
