Chapter 6 : Date night

Persephone dialed her mother's number in a pay phone she had spotted while her and Eris were waiting to catch a cab, it didn't take long for Demeter's voice to reach her ears, "mom it's me."

'Persephone?! Oh darling I'm so glad you called I've missed you so much!'

It's only been three days, Persephone thought to herself, but she had to admit, she did somewhat miss her mother, especially her cooking. The cafeteria food was disgusting so Persephone and Eris had been living on takeout for the past few days.

'How are you settling in my baby? Is everything alright? Do you need anything? Do you want me to come over?'

"No!" Persephone blurted out before clearing her throat and readjusting her tone of voice, "no mom every is alright. I'm eating healthy, taking care of myself and looking forward to classes on Monday."

'That's what I love to hear, don't forget why you're there.'

"Of course mom, you know I won't."

'So what do you have planned for the weekend sweetie?'

Persephone froze, what was she going to say?! She couldn't tell her mother she was going to a party on Atlantis with her roommate and a satyr she had met a few hours ago. "I umm, I am planning…" Persephone glanced around her terrain and saw a man jogging down the street. "… to go to the gym! Yes that's it, I'm planing on going to the gym."

'Well that's new, are you sure you'll be comfortable there? There might be a lot of sweaty men.'

For some reason Persephone's mind wondered to the man who had bumped into her. He had been wearing grey track pants and a tight fitting white tee at the time and looked like he was going to the gym. She wondered, did he also get all sweaty while lifting weights at the gym?

'Persephone are you there?'

"Oh no worries mom there's an all women's pilate class at a gym near the campus," Persephone lied, "I have to keep fit in addition to having a good diet don't I?"

'Well as long as you're safe then I'll allow it.'

"Alright mom I've gotta rush to the uuh.. to the library and study in advance for the classes I'm going to have." Persephone felt absolutely terrible for lying to her mother but what could she do? Demeter would fly here at the snap of a finger if she figured out what her daughter was really getting up to.

'Alright sweetie take care, I love you.'

"Yes I love you too bye!" Persephone rashly placed the phone back on the receiver and drew in a long breath. Even though her mother was all the way in the mortal realm, Persephone could still feel the hold Demeter had on her. Would she ever truly be free to live her life the way she wanted to?

"Hey Persie come on!" Eris called to her friend, "let's get something to eat before we head back to the dorms I'm starving!"

"Coming!"

*

Hades placed his keys on the kitchen counter and walked towards his bedroom.

"Good evening lord hades, I should point out that you have a date scheduled at nine PM. I have taken the liberty of sending a reminder to your date, you are to pick her up at eight forty five of you want to make it in time for your reservation at your favorite restaurant."

"Thank you pixie," Hades responded. He placed his gym bag on the floor and proceeded to peeling off his sweaty clothing and shoes. After discarding them in the laundry basket, he dragged his tired palatable body towards the shower.

As he reached for the bottle of shampoo he paused and retracted his hand towards his face. Earlier that afternoon he had bumped into a young lady and helped her up with this hand, when their hands had touched, there was a strange sensation Hades had felt that he couldn't explain and it had gone away the minute he had let go of her hand.

Hades brushed off the thought and proceeded to washing his jet black hair, it was probably just static electricity or something of that sort.

After the god had stepped out of the shower and dried himself, he picked out a pair of black slim fit pants, black leather shoes, and a black formal shirt whose sleeves he folded and as usual, he left the top two buttons loose. He walked up to the mirror and admired his reflection, he looked very good except for one thing, his eyes.

Unlike everyone else who was blessed with either blue, green or brown eyes, Hades had deep crimson eyes that he hated. Even while growing up people would point out at how his eyes looked like those of a devil or a demon. They looked even worse he was angry, whenever Hades was upset his eyes would actually glow, 'like the fires of hell' his brother would always tease.

So to keep people from staring at his devilish eyes, Hades would wear a pair of colormatic glasses… always.

He reached for the drawer beside his bed and pulled out his glasses that he put on his face before walking towards the kitchen and grabbing a set of car keys.

*

'You are completely insane Melia! Haven't you heard the rumors?!'

The siren grabbed her red lipstick and smeared it on her full lips before picking her phone back up. "That nonsense about him devouring the women he gets with? Oh please Arethusa all those are just rumors."

Melia inspected her image in the mirror and smiled proudly at herself, "besides it's not like I want to get myself hitched to him or anything, I'm just bored and he's rich. Plus word around town is he really puts in the work, both in the streets and in the sheets."

'You're disgusting sometimes you know that?'

"If you hadn't chosen that ridiculous life of chastity, you would understand what I'm talking about."

Melia pulled her phone away from her face and saw an incoming call from Hades, "oh girl that's him, I think his here so I've got to go," the siren blew a kiss through the phone, "I'll make sure to tell you all the sloppy details, I know you love them."

'Just be careful.'

"Okay toodles." Melia ended her friend's call and picked up Hades'. "Hey darling, you're fifteen minutes early, is someone excited about tonight?"

'I'm outside your apartment, we have to make the reservation at nine, I hope you're ready.'

Melia rolled her eyes, she had heard that Hades was the brooding type who didn't have a single romantic bone in his body, but no matter, she wasn't going on this date so she could ride his personality now was she?

"I'll be right out darling."

*

Outside Melia's apartment Hades sighed and put his phone away. He was getting too old for this lifestyle of dating a different woman every other week, he really needed to settle, or at the least find someone to take to his brother's party. He couldn't show up alone, it would be utterly embarrassing.

The king of the underworld glanced at the doors of the apartment building that flew open revealing a beautiful curvy woman in a white skimpy dress. Melia was what others would call beautiful was she not? Maybe he could ask her to accompany her to the party tomorrow, he would tell his brothers their relationship was new and try to convince her to stick around long enough to convince them that she wasn't just another one night stand.

The woman tapped on the window and arched her brows at Hades, "what? Aren't you going to open the door for me?"

Haded pressed a button near the steering wheel that opened his automated car doors.

"You know that's not what I meant right?" Melia chided the man.

"We're running late, get in."