I took a sip of wine, mostly so I didn't have to lie. It was just as good as I remembered it being, which was more than I could say for having to hear Sekhmet's uncomfortable truths. A small part of me wanted to go to speed dating just to prove her wrong.
"I'll go."
The victory in her smile said it all. That was exactly the response she'd been after.
And I'd walked straight into her trap.
Chapter 2
Bastet
The hotel was nothing special, but as soon as I walked through the door, I knew I was in the right place. Everything was pink. And not just a little pink, but very pink. I was already starting to question what I'd let Sekhmet talk me into, especially when I noticed the heart-shaped balloons and what looked like pink confetti on the individual tables.
I supposed it fit the theme.
I glanced back over to the door where Venus was standing in all her perfection, her deep copper hair cascading down her back as if it had all been carefully placed like that. Maybe it had. She was known for her beauty. Was it too late to go back over to her and ask for my name to be taken off the register? I wasn't sure I really had it in me to do this, even if I'd promised Sekhmet that I would. But I wasn't the kind of woman who was willing to go back on my word, even if I was uncomfortable. I was here, I'd see it through and then I could say that I'd done it. I never had to come again after that.
I swirled the wine around in my glass, more out of nerves than anything else. The way it moved against the sides was kind of mesmerising and successfully distracted me from the nerves fluttering in my stomach over what was to come.
"Bastet?" a semi-familiar voice said.
I turned around to find a dark-haired woman with stunning dark brown skin standing in front of me. There was something familiar about her, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. Then again, this event was for gods and paranormals, there was a good chance that I knew everyone here.
"You probably don't remember me. I'm Menhit," she said.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't." I put the pieces together and finally managed to recognise the Nubian warrior goddess. How I hadn't was beyond me, we'd spent a lot of time together several thousand years ago before falling out of touch.
"That's okay, I have a very forgettable face." She smiled at me in a way that suggested she meant it, even if it wasn't very accurate.
I arched an eyebrow. No one would forget her. Tall and gorgeous were the only words that could be used to describe her, and that was before getting into the fact she could shift into a lioness. It was certainly more impressive than being able to shift into a medium-sized house cat, and that was my claim to fame.
"Are you here for speed dating?" I asked, realising it was an obvious question. I doubted anyone in the room was just here to watch.
"Mmhmm. It's my third time. A friend dragged me along the first one, and I ended up having so much fun that I came back again."
"But you haven't found a match yet?" The question slipped out without me meaning it to.
Luckily, Menhit didn't take any offence and merely chuckled. "I'm not looking for a match, just for a good time. And I've found plenty of those." Her tone didn't leave much to the imagination.
"Oh."
"It's your first time, isn't it?" she asked as she leaned against the bar.
I nodded. "That obvious?"
She laughed. "A little. You're taking it a bit too seriously. This is supposed to be about fun, meeting some new people, and making a connection if you find one, but not forcing it. You should talk to Venus a bit if you're feeling nervous about it."
"Venus and I have never been particularly friendly."
Menhit laughed. "It's an interesting event to try for the first time if that's true. There are plenty of other Jinx events you could go to."
I shrugged. "My sister said that I should come to this one, so this is the one I'm at."
"Fair enough."
"So, how does it work?" I asked.
"Everyone moves around the room in a clockwise direction other than the person in the first seat," Menhit said.
