CHAPTER3
This was a terrible idea,Cate mused as she scanned the crowded bar.
Hades leaned on the bar next to her, his dark eyes casting her a look of amusement.
“I thought you’d sworn off dating.” His smooth voice all too cheerful for a god of the underworld.
Cate bristled next to him, waiting for her drink.
“Who says I’m looking for a date?” She crossed her arms as she looked at the sea of the people.
“Cate, it’s speed dating.It’s in the name. You don’t have to lie. We all get lonely.” He playfully knocked into her shoulder, and Cate rolled her eyes at him.
In the light of the bar, he looked positively menacing, like a true god of the underworld. Long, toned arms bore the hint of his definition through his fine, Italian silk suit, and his jet black hair was slicked back in quite a debonair fashion. He looked more like the actor from a terrible Netflix movie,365something.
“I’m perfectly fine on my own. I do not get lonely,” she retorted.
“Of course not,” he drawled sarcastically. “How is Spike, by the way?”
“Oh, he’s just the best!” Cate’s tone changed completely at the mention of her favorite hellhound, who she’d gotten from the lord of the underworld himself, as the god seemed to be one of the only people on the planet, besides Darcy, who could handle being friends with her. Knowing all about her penchant for rescues, he’d called Cate when one of his hellhounds had become gravely injured. She’d fostered Spike for only two weeks, while his leg healed, and had fallen for him: hook, line, and sinker. Hades never asked to have him back either, and she knew he never would.
The bartender served them both their drinks, and as Cate fished around in her clutch, a hand stopped her.
“I got this.” Hades smiled.
Cate huffed indignantly. “I can buy my own drink.”
“I know you can, but we are friends, are we not?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
Cate twisted her lips, debating how to respond, but Hades did not give her the opportunity.
“You deserve to have a little fun. So please, stow away your bitchcraft for one evening—”
“My what?” Her voice raised an octave, and Hades laughed as he threw the money on the bar.
“You are so much fun to rattle. And so easy.” Hades smirked at her. “Let loose, Cate. Forget about all your troubles, and just have some fucking fun, okay? It’s nice to actually see you again.” He raised his glass to her.
Cate’s eyes roved the room and settled on Darcy, who had apparently already become smitten with a rather nerdy looking vampire. The two were canoodling in the corner booth on the other side of the bar, completely oblivious to the rest of the world.
As much as she hated to admit it, Hades did have a point.
It wasn’t that shedespisedsocializing, or dating; she felt keen to be social with Darcy. She even found it somewhat easy to be friendly with some of the volunteers at New Haven, and she did rather miss hanging out with the god of the underworld like they used to before she’d moved into the woods. She’d harbored feelings once or twice toward mortals. Namely a few females, save for one very sinfully attractive male vet tech, though she didn’t dare voice those feelings aloud to Darcy. The girl would never let it go and would probably push her toward the object of her affections, like you push someone off a cliff. There was nothing she hated more than having to put on a show, to act happy and sweet.Friendly.
She was Hecate, Goddess of the Moon and witchcraft of all things. Resting bitch face came with the territory.
“Thanks for the drink,” she grumbled as she pushed herself away from the bar with her drink, some concoction Eve had dreamt up, no doubt. Eve always did have a flair for the dramatic, and the DeLux Cafe was surely dramatic in its appearance. The swirling red liquid tasted like some combination of pomegranate and apple, garnished dramatically with a lime wedge.
Hades nodded in response as he sipped his drink and turned to saunter off in the direction of an empty table. Tiny tea lights in the lanterns cast dramatic shadows on the red leather booths.
The saccharine voice resumed over the loudspeaker, telling the crowd to take their seats once more, as the next round would begin in a few minutes. Begrudgingly she obliged, plopping down in her seat, legs crossed, feigning indifference.
Just a bit longer, and this event will be over, and I can go home in peace.
The buzzer sounded, and Cate barely looked up from her glass as a rather large man lumbered into the seat, legs sprawled out as if he owned the place. He leaned his long, muscled arm on his knee, and Cate raised an eyebrow at his poor posture.
“What’s your problem?” The man looked at her, and for some reason she couldn’t deny the flash of fire that coursed through her.
What the hell?