Lesson in Love (Olympians, 2) Read Online Free PDF

had no
idea she had ever done that at all until Iris pointed it
out.”
    “ A fine lesson, then. At
least you’ll take one thing away from this incident. Three hundred
and fifty days until another Valentine’s day.”
    “ I haven’t forgotten, but
that’s not a major concern right now.”
    “ Come to make up? That’s
sweet.”
    “ Best not to have any
goddess mad at me. They have such long memories.”
    “ We do. I agree. And on
that note, why did you decide to talk to Hermes?”
    He hadn’t been expecting that. “He’s
Zeus’ messenger. I thought he could tell me something, and I knew
he wouldn’t run and tell anyone else I had asked.”
    Aphrodite raised her eyebrows. “You
thought so? He surprises everyone now and then.”
    His mother seemed to be going
somewhere, but she might just be teasing him. He took a long swig
of beer. “And?”
    She sighed. “Why didn’t you come to
me?”
    “ I can’t say I trust you
much right now. You’re plotting something, and you’ll do anything
to get your way.”
    “ I always get my way.” She
looked around the restaurant, but obviously no one present
interested her because she looked back to him quickly. “Maybe it
has nothing to do with me. I might be here for Iris. Isn’t it
possible I don’t want you doing to her what you’ve done to so many
others?”
    “ I have never deliberately
hurt anyone!”
    “ You have been careless
and thoughtless and self-absorbed. The pain of others is just as
strong, regardless of your motives.”
    “ I doubt I could hurt
Iris.”
    Aphrodite nodded. “If you say so.
Perhaps I’m here for you, then.”
    Eros thought about this, but he didn’t
buy it. “She’s not going to hurt me. She couldn’t.”
    “ Are you so sure? You’ve
never had to fight for a woman before. As I recall, Psyche did all
the work fighting for you.”
    He did not want to talk about his ex.
He had no idea why everyone brought her up so casually, as if they
thought he had no feelings at all.
    “ I don’t want to talk
about Psyche. I am not in love with Iris, and she is not in love
with me. This is very different.”
    The goddess leaned forward, very
serious. “How do you know that?”
    “ Know what?”
    “ That neither of you is in
love, that neither of you will fall in love? You can’t read her
mind. She’s a goddess. You’ve never been with a true goddess
before, so what makes you think you can so easily seduce one?
Especially one who isn’t looking for either love or
sex?”
    “ How do you know she’s
not?” He had no idea what Iris might or might not be looking for,
but he doubted his mother did either. “You know I want her, so
you’re determined to put a stop to it.”
    “ You’re wrong. I simply
want you to think. And feel. Pay attention to those feelings you
are supposed to know so much about.”
    He sat back. He’d expected his mother
to become furious. He didn’t know what to do with her when she was
both calm and serious.
    “ Okay. I will. Iris can
take care of herself, and so can I. Don’t worry about
it.”
    She smiled. “I’m not worried. Just
expressing my thoughts and hoping you will consider them.” She
looked at the clock. “Later, sweetheart.”
    She disappeared. He looked around, but
as usual no one had noticed her leaving. He looked back to Iris’
office door, which he could just see from where he sat. He wasn’t
so sure what to do. He hadn’t really come in with a plan, but now
he felt even more confused.
    * * * *
    Iris left her office and looked at
Eros. If he had something to say, she was going to make him say it.
She wasn’t sure what his mother had said, but she felt certain it
had pushed him in the direction she and Hera wanted him to
go.
    “ Anything else?” She
walked over and sat down.
    Eros looked up. “Well, I was hoping
you would let me prove to you I’m not such a bad guy.”
    She didn’t even try to stop herself
from laughing at him. “That is the dumbest, most unoriginal way