His lips are ticklish across her skin. Powerful hands hold her squirming body down as she giggles, laughter filling up the small cabin room. She finally pulls her hands up to shove him away. His bright green eyes stare up at her and he grins.
“You’re the devil,” She’s breathless as she pets his head.
“No, that’s my brother,” he retorts, leaning into her fingers. “Are you hungry?”
Sally nods as she tugs his black hair. She can’t get enough of him. He’s the ocean, endless and unfathomably deep, but soft and gentle with her. His body is so big. Poseidon is six feet and 210 pounds with tanned – and heavily scarred – skin. He’s got black hair that’s darker than the night sky that covers his head, curly hair on the top of his head, and curly hair on his face. Yet for all the power he has, for all the strength he possesses, he is always gentle with her. Sometimes, its infuriating just how softly he touches her. Their first illicit night in the cabin he had given her bruises. She loved them, rubbing her fingers over where his had been. He had been horrified, promising to never mark her like that again. Since that night, he treated her like she was made of glass. He gets off of her and heads across the room to the kitchen. She makes a plan as he opens the fridge. She’s going to have rough sex with him tonight.
“Sal, there’s nothing in here.”
“I worked all day. Then a wayward god appeared in my bed and I was very busy after that,” She sighs, stretching on the bed.
“I’m a wayward god now?” He asks, feigning hurt.
“Mhmm.”
“I’m wounded. C’mon, puny mortal. We need to feed you. Let’s get dressed and head into town.” Poseidon turns, grinning at her.
“I wanted to spend the day in bed!” Sally complains. “Oh no, don’t you dare!”
Poseidon rushes her, yanking the blankets away from her and leaving her exposed on the bed. She yelps, trying to grab the warm blankets back. Poseidon is quicker than her and before she knows it, he has lifted her over his shoulder.
“I think you need a dip in the ocean to wake you up.
”
“I think the ocean already took a dip in me last night!” She growls, smacking his butt.
His rich, deep laughter carried through the cabin. Poseidon releases her, letting her slide down his body. Sally leans back a bit in his arms to look up at him.
“I’m going to shower and get ready. You go take care of the ocean – or whatever you do down there in the ocean blue.” She murmurs and leans up on her toes to kiss him. He kisses her back and she almost drags him into the shower with her.
She pulls away and steps into the small shower, turning the handles. She thought back to the first time she met Poseidon. He had approached her -blustering about some necklace he found next to a dead sea animal. It was quite honestly the most embarrassing and terribly constructed pick up line she had ever heard. But she had consented and they went out to the small diner. It had been an awkward dinner – with long silences and stolen glances – but she had fun. She pours the shampoo into her palm and lathers it into her long, curly brown hair. Each date after that had become less awkward and significantly more fun. Sally washed her hair out and reaches for the loofah, squirting the coconut soap she loves onto it. As she runs the white loofah over her skin, she takes in her bruises. Their first night together, he had gripped her so hard on her hips and arms that there were Poseidon sized finger marks on her pale skin. The bruises would make it hard to convince Poseidon to stop treating her like glass, but gods, she was tired of the gentleness. As she rinses herself off and steps out, wrapping herself in a white towel. As she walks back to the bedroom/kitchen/living room thunder rumbles outside.
Panic rushes through her. It’s Zeus – He knows and he’s coming to kill her and she has done nothing in her life and all because of a summer fling she is going to die – but no one appears in her cabin. She holds her breath. The thunder moves across the sky and leaves her and her cabin intact. As she dresses, Sally wonders if it’s really all worth it. If all this sneaking around and hiding and having an affair with a god who has sworn to never father demigods again is worth it. She pulls on blue tank top and brown shorts, and finds a pair of nude sandals. Just as she finishes with her makeup he breezes back into the cabin, looking refreshed.
“Are you ready?”
“Mhm, let’s go,” She smiles, letting go of her fears for the moment. He takes her hand and they venture out into the bright, hot summer day.
Montauk is an old town, built by old money. It’s a typical East Coast beach town – white sided estates that dot the seaside, a lighthouse that looms prominently in the low skyline and tourists, hundreds of tourists. She supposes that she is a tourist and Poseidon is, too. The thought makes her giggle.
“What’s so funny?” He asks as they find a small restaurant on a street corner. They enter the quietly noisy place filled with tourists and locals alike.
“I just realized we’re tourists. That you’re a tourist.”
He raises an eyebrow as they sit in a corner booth. “Montauk is in my domain.”
“So you’re not a tourist? I thought Manhattan was where you guys were located.”
“It is, but the ocean is my home. It’s like what the cabin is for you. You have an apartment-“
“Shoebox,” Sally interrupts.
“Okay, a shoebox,” He chuckles. “Manhattan is my Montauk Cabin.”
She made a face as the young waitress approached them. Quickly, she smiles at her.
“Welcome to Rosie’s. What can I start you off with?” She asks, letting her eyes linger on Poseidon far too long for Sally’s liking.
“Coffee, black for me, one cream and one sugar for her.” Poseidon answers. She nods, leaving them alone.
“She likes you,” Sally said.
“Most mortals do.”
She rolled her eyes, feeling his feet rubbing against hers. “You know what I mean.”
“I know. But I’m not dating her. I’m dating you,” He reaches across the table.
Sally places her hand in his and relaxes. It’s crazy, almost unimaginable how much love and adoration she has for this god in front of her, and it’s only been a few weeks since they first met. The Greek stories she knows all end in tragedy, but she will not allow herself to think of that now. She’s happy, she’s loved, and she feels like she matters.
“You’re awfully pensive today,” Poseidon interrupts her reverie.
“Just thinking about all this, you, me, and what comes when the summer ends. I’m supposed to go back to Manhattan for school in fall.”
“Yeah, creative writing?” He asks.
“I’d love to be published, to write stories as well as the Greeks, although maybe not quite as tragic. I’ve got a couple of ideas, but this summer has given me a lot more. You know, lying is a lot like creative writing. You have to invent a story, a plot, sometimes even people to tell a good lie. I was a good liar when I was little. It drove my parents crazy,” She grins. The waitress returns and they order.
“Should I be worried that you’re a good liar?”
She snorts. “No, you shouldn’t.”
“I’d hate to have to incur my wrath on you.”
“I think you should be afraid of mine,” Sally sips her coffee.
His laughter rumbles through the restaurant. “Truer words. But to answer your question about what happens after this summer – I’ve had a couple of ideas – and – it would mean a lot if you really listened.”
“Okay…”
“Instead of moving back into your shoebox, I thought you could move in with me. I have a Penthouse in uptown Manhattan. I could help pay for your schooling so you won’t have to work and take classes. Then- Then maybe, “ He swallows and she realizes that he’s nervous “maybe we could get married. Once you’ve gotten your MFA, of course.”
She’s speechless. His foot has stopped rubbing against hers, and his hand is gripping hers tight. A minute passes as she mulls his words over. A few weeks, and he was already offering to help her with – well, with everything.
“Poseidon,” she whispers, then clears her throat. “I appreciate all that, really, I do. But we’ve just started to get to know each other. I’m not saying no – just not yet.” Her hand tightens around his to reassure him.
The waitress places the food down in front of them and they pull their hands away. The awkwardness is back as Sally digs in. She’s starving.
“Not yet. I can do that.” He whispers as he brings a forkful of food to his mouth. Sally notices a slight grimace as he chews.
“Doesn’t taste good?”
“It’s not quite Nectar and Ambrosia.”
She laughs, and they fall into small talk. A marriage proposal and a request to move in? It was too soon, much too soon. She couldn’t imagine what her life would be like with him. Yes, there were a fair of amount of monsters that always seemed to follow them. But they always gave Poseidon a wide enough berth. Sally decided that she could survive this life – the life she had grown up with; Always seeing monsters and having no one believe her. However, now she had someone who did believe her; someone who was actually a part of the world she could see. It would be worth it, just to have him help her through it. As they left the restaurant, Sally realized she needed her friends.