"Y ou didn't say anything about meteaching the class!" Pea said.
"Of course you must teach the class. I can not bespell the entire college." Venus paused, considering for a moment. "Well, perhaps I could, but it would certainly be dreadfully complicated and who could say how it would affect the general populace?" She shook her head.
"No, it's simply easier if I tweak things here and there, as I did with the deputy chief, and we keep this as much to ourselves as possible."
"Venus, I've never taught a class before."
"Oh, you have nothing whatsoever to worry about. Just teach what you know."
"Cooking? For stress relief?"
"Actually, darling, I was thinking more of your dancing."
Pea's eyes got big and round. "Ballet for firemen?"
Venus shrugged. "Why not?"
Pea giggled. "You've got to be kidding."
"Not at all. Dance is an excellent stress reliever, and you're an experienced dancer. Besides that, it will provide a good opportunity for all those delicious men to see you at your best."
"I don't know...What if they're really there, Griffin and him. No way will I be able to teach with them...you know...looking at me. Not after what I did with him."
"Darling, please remember that the reason we've manipulated events so that the men come to you is because they will be on your territory - your place of power. You're in control this time. You do the choosing. Plus I'll be your behind-the-scenes assistant. If you get in trouble, I'll simply..." Venus waggled her fingers.
Pea looked only a tiny bit less worried. "Oh yeah."
"Then it's all decided. Let's have one more cup of this luscious coffee and then we'll be off to the college. We wouldn't want to be late for class."
Pea glanced at her watch and frowned.
"What is it, darling?"
"Well, if you'd told me yesterday that I was going to have to teach a ballet class I could have bought something a little nicer to wear than the sweats and T-shirts I usually wear to ballet."
Venus's smile was slow and knowing. "I've already taken care of that little detail. There's a lovely new Coach bag in your closet. Inside it you'll find what you need for your first day as a dance instructor."
"You think of everything, Venus!" Pea hugged her.
Venus patted her arm. "Not everything, darling. Just everything important." With an effort she pushed the thought out of her mind that if she really thought of everything and if she really was as together as Pea believed her to be she wouldn't have let that man dupe her, nor would she be hiding the fact from Pea.
No matter, she thought as she blew on her coffee and watched Pea hurry down the hall to her room to retrieve her new dance bag. Somehow I'll make him sorry he ever trifled with Love, and I'll figure out how to fix Pea's infatuation with the cad.
The goddess ignored the sick feeling in her stomach. It wasn't possible that Griffin had hurt her. He'd just surprised her when he'd left her sitting there and not returned. That's all it was. She'd help Pea connect with her mystery man, or if he wasn't suitable, she'd simply find her friend a man who had honesty and integrity, as well as sex appeal. Then she'd return to her normal life on Olympus. Perhaps she'd plan a lovely orgy with satyrs and forest nymphs. That's it. An orgy would fix her right up.
After all, it was completely, utterly impossible for the Goddess of Love to be lonely.
"You look beautiful, darling! Simply beautiful." Venus brushed a nonexistent piece of lint from Pea's shoulder. "I knew the blushing pink leotard and wispy skirt would complement your figure and your complexion perfectly. And don't worry. There's nothing at all for you to be nervous about."
"I may puke."
"No, you may not."
"Okay, tell me again. You're sure you...zapped everyone in my office so that they'll think this is normal?"
"What they see will appear normal to them today. Tomorrow they won't remember a thing. The firemen will all think of this little class as just something they were directed to do - nothing out of the ordinary at all. Except they will particularly remember the alluring beauty named Pea who conducted the class...." Venus paused, considering. "Do let me know if you're interested in any of them at all. I can have him 'remember' asking you for your phone number."
"Wow. You can do all that?"
"Darling, Love can do anything."
"Oh yeah. Sometimes I forget. I don't have much experience with real love."
"Well, we'll fix that very soon." Venus patted her arm. "So, if you're ready, let's go."
They walked down the hall a short way from Pea's office to a large classroom. Both women stopped and peered through the small glass rectangle in the closed door.
"I can't do this!" Pea leaned against the wall, looking scarily pale.
"Of course you can. I'll be right here and - "
"No! I can't walk in there without knowing what to expect."
Thinking fast, Venus said, "Fine. I'll go in first and...and..." The goddess hesitated. And she'd what?
"Take attendance?" Pea offered.
"Exactly," Venus said with relief. "I'll simply take attendance and check to see if everyone is there and ready. While I do that, you watch from out here. Then you'll know if Griffin and/or your mystery fireman are here, and then you'll know what to expect."
"O-okay," Pea stammered doubtfully.
"Okay," Venus said firmly. She straightened her exquisite violet suit, running her hand down the front of the black silk shell that was just low enough to expose the tops of her creamy breasts. She waggled her fingers. A pen and a professional looking clipboard appeared with a list of names on it.
"I really wish you wouldn't make things suddenly appear without warning me first."
"Sorry, darling. I keep forgetting how sensitive you are." She checked her lipstick in the semireflective glass of the door. "Ready for battle?"
"Well..."
"Of course you are. I'll be right back. Just think of what I'm doing as reconnoitering."
Venus ignored Pea's groan and put her hand on the doorknob of the classroom she'd "tweaked"
earlier, zapping away the desks and what she considered unneeded paraphernalia. She was glad Pea was nervous. It forced her to set a good example and seem confident and collected. Truth be known, the Goddess of Love's insides felt unusually jittery. She didn't allow herself to hesitate further, but swept into the room, putting on her most officious air. As was only right, the men gathered in the middle of the room fell silent, instantly giving her their appreciative attention. They were attentive but casual, dressed in jeans and Tulsa Fire Department T-shirts.
"Good morning, gentlemen." Venus was all business. "When I call your name please acknowledge that you are present." She began going through the alphabetical list, looking carefully at each man as he responded.
"Allen, James."
"Yes, ma'am"
"Barber, Joshua."
"Present, ma'am."
"Bennett, Kevin."
"Here, ma'am."
"Carter, Corey."
She was pleased that she said the next name without so much as a hint of hesitation. "DeAngelo, Griffin." The group of men stirred to allow him to move forward from near the rear of the room.
"Good to see you again, ma'am." His unmistakable blue eyes met her steely violet gaze, and he tipped an imaginary hat and gave the confident, sexy smile she recognized all too well. Venus blushed. The Goddess of Love actually flushed a sweet, soft pink that lifted up her long neck into her high cheeks. Then she realized she was blushing and she stopped it instantly. She was here for battle, not for love.
"Griffin?" Venus made her tone purposefully clueless.
"Yes, ma'am, Griffin DeAngelo." He stepped forward and held out his hand like a perfect gentleman - the expression in his knowing eyes the only evidence that there was anything more between them than passing acquaintances. "I don't think we had a chance to be formally introduced the other night."
Venus looked from his hand to his eyes. For the first time in her existence, she didn't know what to say. By all the hairy scrotal sacs of the gods he was arrogant! He'd ravished her and left her, and now here he was smiling and playing the gentleman?
"I can't tell you how glad I am to see you again, my goddess," he said under his breath for her ears alone.
She realized she was still staring at him and his hand was still stuck out in front of him. Drawing herself up, the goddess put her hand in his.
"Well met, Griffin DeAngelo," she said.
Still holding her hand he smiled slowly. "And your name is?"
"Venus," she said. "Venus Pontia."
His smile widened. "So you really are a goddess."
"Of course I am, darling," she said automatically, and pulled her hand from his. Then she went back to methodically calling off names from her list.
But her mind was in tumult. Venus ignored the fact that she could feel those brilliant blue eyes staring at her with that possessive, predatory gaze that had entrapped her so easily before. He was clearly acting as if he'd done nothing wrong, but he'd left her, the Goddess of Love, sitting out there in front of the restaurant waiting for him - and he hadn't returned. One does not stand up the Goddess of Love.
She finished the list and, without another look at Griffin DeAngelo, left the room. Venus leaned her back against the closed door.
"Griffin's in there! I saw him." Pea peered up at Venus. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, of course I am." Venus took a deep breath and tried to pull herself together. Why did she allow that mortal man to affect her so much? And that, she feared, was the point. She didn't allow Griffin anything. For the first time in her experience, a man didn't wait on her permission to touch and taste and possess her.
"Venus?"
The goddess mentally shook herself. "Griffin is in there, but is your mystery man there, too?"
"No." Pea sighed.
"Are you quite sure?"
"Yeah. I mean, I'd definitely recognize him after what we did." Pea's blush perfectly matched her leotard.
"Oh." Venus drew another deep breath. "Well, at least that's settled. He's not here, but Griffin is. So you just go on in there and teach the class. You'll be the center of attention for a full hour. If Griffin doesn't show interest in you after that, then I can promise you he's not worthy of your attention."
"I really can't."
Venus sighed. "We've been all through this. Of course you can. You're good at dancing. Just go in there and do what you're good at."
Pea grabbed Venus's hand. "Please don't make me!"
"Darling, I'm not going to make you. This is something you should be confident enough to do."
"I'll make a fool out of myself." Her eyes filled with tears. "It's not about confidence. It's about being comfortable in front of groups of people. I know you zapped me and let me see myself as others see me." With her free hand Pea gestured down at her body. "So I know I'm actually pretty and not the gawky dork I was in high school. But that doesn't mean that I'm good in front of crowds - that I'll ever be good in front of crowds."
"But, Pea, you - - "
Pea didn't let her continue. "Is changing who I am the only way I can be good enough?"
"Of course it's not! I never meant for you to feel like that." She hugged Pea hard. "You're good enough exactly as you are. I just wanted this for you."
"I know, but..." Pea hesitated.
Venus pulled back and looked into the mortal's eyes. "But you didn't want it for yourself. Not this part of it?"
"Seeing myself clearly and being confident in my beauty is one thing. Getting a man by pretending to be something I'm not is another. I've been standing out here thinking about that, and I've decided that I don't even want Griffin if I have to do that."
"You know, Dorreth Pea Chamberlain, you are very wise for a mortal."
Pea grinned. "So you'll teach the class for me?"
"Well, I'm not dressed for ballet."
"Please. Like you couldn't zap yourself a leotard?"
"I don't really know ballet."
"Then teach what you know."
"Hmm...teach what I know. Now that might be interesting," Venus said thoughtfully. "Pea, I believe you may be right about this, and I will take your advice." The goddess raised her hand and then glanced at Pea. "Prepare yourself. I'm going to zap."
Pea closed her eyes. Venus waggled her fingers and a very large, very full tote bag appeared. She hefted it over her arm.
"You can open your eyes now."
"What are you going to teach?"
Venus's smile was dazzling. "What I know, of course, darling." And, she added silently to herself, I'm also going to teach that mortal man a lesson.