Accidents Happen

Chapter 7 - Where Angels Fear to Tread

I woke up to my radio on  NPR classical. Good thing.  My head ached a little. I did my hangover check. Not bad. Water will fix it.

    I took a quick shower, unbraided my hair and finger-combed it into waves. I went into my bedroom and texted the church to request a ride, threw on a dress and walked into my living room.

    I groaned when I saw the mess. In the kitchen, I poured a big glass of water and downed it with two acetaminophen, then I grabbed a trash bag from under the sink and popped it open. Jason groaned from the couch and ran to the bathroom. I didn’t want to hear, so I very noisily picked up the trash and dumped the remaining drinks down the sink. Thank goodness I had corked and returned the Patron to the shelf last night.

    I went to the community trash chute and dumped the bag down, came back, refilled Jason’s water glass and put two acetaminophen next to the glass. Just then came the church van text that they were here. I left.

    *    *    *    *    *

    When I got back to the apartment, I saw Jason still passed out on the couch with an empty water glass and the pills gone.

    Since I had a paper to write, I left him alone and pulled out my research books and notes, and started up my laptop. Writing while cross referencing my resources was always fun, but I had neglected my outline since girls’ night out turned into a weekend of drama. My topic, “the symbolic use of Greek gods to justify human nature”, seemed especially important right now.  I had a good start with my focus on fidelity and how Zeus represented the stereotypical male (philanderer),and Hera as the stereotypical female (chaste). I wondered if there was a different side, and started looking into Aphrodite. Lo and behold, Hephaestus showed up.

    I started really looking into Hephaestus. He should be much more compassionate to Jason’s plight than he seems.  He had been rejected by his parents, he was forced to marry Aphrodite in an attempt to get her to stop messing around with mortals, he was raised by mortal craftsmen and so brought arts to humanity, he also trapped Aphrodite and Ares in bed and forced their infidelity to be on display before the gods. Yep. Arranged marriage is a BAD idea.

    Jason groaned. I looked over my laptop and said, “Good morning, Sunshine.”

    “What … Is it Monday?” he jumped up in a panic and looked around.

    “No.” I grinned. “ It is Sunday in the very late morning. After your “ta-kill-ya” binge, I’m surprised you are awake.”

    “Me, too.” He sat back down and looked at me. He swallowed and asked, “How big of an ass was I?”

    “Well, you get tequila tears, you can be a mean non-violent drunk, you have definite daddy issues and I want to meet your mom. She sounds pretty terrific.”

    “Oh.” He was watching his toes. He didn’t say of do anything else, so I went back to work on my paper

    As I read more of the myths, I felt more definitely that Haphaestus and Aphrodite needed to be included in the paper because of the reversal of the stereotypes. Just as I was fleshing out the introduction to their relationship and the counterpoint to Zeus and Hera, Jason cleared his throat very awkwardly.

    “Ahem, Carity?”

    I jumped because I had forgotten he was there. “Yes?” I answered testily, slightly annoyed that my progress was interrupted.

    “Sorry to bug you, but do you have Enrique’s phone number? I need to get back to campus. He was who I was supposed to stay with all weekend. I didn’t see him yesterday abd I didn’t intend to spend one night here, let alone two and I can’t find my phone …” His voice trailed off as he looked at his toes again.

    I sighed. “Sorry to be a bad hostess. I am making progress on my paper.  Just an FYI, Hephaestus is pretty decent as far as the gods go.”

Boy did he look at me then.  If looks could kill, I would have been decapitated.

    I unlocked the phone and brought up my contacts. “I don’t have Enrique’s number, but I do have Candi’s. They will still be together for the next several hours because every Sunday they do church All Day Long.

    I went back to my paper. Relationships are weird, especially among the gods. They had serious problems with fidelity. Once again I was astonished with the absurdities of the English language: infidel and infidelity had two totally different meanings, despite being from the same root. 

    “Charity?” Jason asked nervously.

    I jumped. “Yes?”

    “Enrique won’t take me back to campus.”

    “What?! He is such a jerk.”

    “Frank went back yesterday, so I’m stranded. I … Damn I hate doing this … Can you take me back?”

    “Yes. Can you wait until I’m done with my paper? My goal is to finish within the hour.”

    I can. I need to find my phone.”

    “Wait. You picked me up in a car last night. Where is it?”

    “That’s part of the reason Enrique’s so mad. He and Paul GPS tracked it to the parking lot this morning. They needed it to get everyone to church. Enrique threw around some wild accusations and accused me of some pretty awful things. Anyway he won’t take me home because of it, and I think my phone is in their car. I am pretty sure the battery is dead. Jeeze, my head hurts.”

    “Have some more water and lay down. I’ll finish my paper and then we will go. It’s an hour and a half drive, right?”

    “An hour and twenty minutes from my dorm to Enrique’s house.

    “Okay. We need to leave in two hours. Do you need more Tylenol?”

    “Please.”

    I gave him two more acetaminophen and put him down for a nap in my bed.

    I finished everything in the paper, and submitted it, then woke Jason up. 

    ”You feeling better?” I asked as I gently shook his shoulder.

    “Mmph, more,” he mumbled as he rolled over without opening his eyes. He reached out and grabbed my waist, pulling me next to him.

    I laughed, “Five minutes,” I told him and set my phone alarm.

    “Mkay.” He snuggled in closer and buried his face in my hair. Just as I was feeling warm and comfy, my phone alarm went off. I sat up.

    “Come back,” he whined. It is cold out there.”

    “Up and at ‘em, mister. I have three hours of driving and just over an hour of daylight left. We need to leave.” 

    He sat up and rubbed his face. “I really want to stay in this bed. Most comfortable mattress ever. And the pillow smells really good.” He rubbed his face, and looked at me with a smile. “Can I see you again? I know this was a rough start, but you are amazing. You deserve better than I gave you this weekend. Can I take you on a decent date?”

    “Let’s discuss it in the car. I have a spare toothbrush in the top drawer of the bathroom vanity, toothpaste is in the mirrored cabinet. No time for a shower. And it is freezing outside. The cold front hit earlier than expected and the snow may start early, too. I don’t want to be on the Parkway in the snow.” 

    Okay. I’ll hurry.”

    I grabbed my purse and pulled the window scraper out of the closet, just in case. Winter coat, check; winter gloves, check; scarf, missing -  dang it! Hopefully it won’t dip below 15 degrees Fahrenheit tonight with the snow.

Jason came out of the bathroom wearing yesterday's clothes and a day old beard. He looked clean and fresh, yet had a scruffy, wild air to him. He grabbed his wallet and the keys he brought in last night. 

    “No phone?” I asked, hopefully.

    “ I double checked. No phone,” he responded, dispiritedly.

    “Let’s go.”

    We went to the parking lot and climbed into my VW wagon.  I plugged the phone into the car charger and headed out to Ft. Collins. Once I was on the Parkway, Jason broke the silence.

    “I can’t figure out why Frank left early without saying anything. He left right after he saw us in the pub and didn’t let Paul or Enrique know he was leaving.”

    “I guess that is weird. You know what is even weirder? All the trouble started right after he came in. I wonder if he made it happen.”

    “Frank wouldn’t deliberately hurt me or someone I care about.”

    “Mm-hmm. Just leave you stranded in a different city with no explanation.”

    “Well, that is totally out of the ordinary. He has always been a good friend.”

    “How did you two meet, anyway?”

    “We met at my mom’s site. Frank was there with his dad inspecting some of the site work. Mom was the foreman and led the tour. She asked me to meet them since Frank was starting at CSU in the fall.”

    “Hm. Interesting. Did you make friends right away?” I wass surprised that he could answer after last night’s block.

    “Sort of. He’s a little stuffy, so it took some time. 

    “What did your mom say when she asked you to meet them?”

    “I don’t remember, exactly. Something like a business associate had a son coming to CSU and would I meet him and help him out on campus as a favor to her.”

    “Does she often ask you to help children of business associates?”

    “No. That’s why I did it.”

    “So Frank’s dad was special. What do you know about his mom?”

    “She lives in Greece. She rarely gets involved with men, and sent Frank to be raised by his dad when Frank was six months old. Frank’s dad wanted to get married, but his mom refused. She told him love never lasts and marriage causes more problems than it solves. “

    “Harsh. What is his mom’s name?”

    “Hecate.”

    “No freaking way! He’s a demigod, too!?”

    “Yes.” He sighed. “I think mom could tell, that’s why she had me help him.

    “His mother is the witch of the crossroads.”

    “I thought she was the origin of necromancy.”

    “That, too!” I was getting more and more excited. “It’s Frank. He’s the connection. Hecate threw that knife at me and she used Fank to make the connection.l Her connection to you has weakened enough to drop the block. It hasn’t even been 24 hours and you can tell everything.”

    Jason gasped and grabbed the dashboard. “CAR!!!!” he yelled.

    I pulled back into my own lane. “Sorry. I just got overexcited. She is the one out to get me.”

    “Wow. That’s kinda obvious. Why couldn’t we see it last night?”

    “Are you seriously asking that? You we3re clearly enchanted. No memory means more questions than answers. Now you remember and have more answers than questions. Do you remember talking to Frank last night?”

    “Yeah. He never interrupts someone else’s date. He passed on a threat from his mom. He left without saying his plans had changed. He was just generally being weird.”

    “He said he had a call from his mom. Does she call him often?”

    “No. He met her in Europe, but she is pretty hands-off, too. Just like my so-called father.”

    “So your dad never calls you?”

    “Nope. Only met him with my attorney at the table. He is a self-righteous prick.”

    I shrugged. “He’s a god. They all have pretty serious ego problems.”

    Jason stared at me.

    “Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked him.

    “How do you know that?”

    “Know what?”

    He snorted in frustration. “That the gods have ego problems.”

    “Haven’t you read the myths? Tose guys think of nothing but their own squabbles. Every petty whim and *BOOM* human lives are destroyed, governments fall, wars are waged.”

    “No way.”

    “Way. Ever heard of the Trojan War?”

    “Ancient Greece, right?”

    “Yep. That all started because Paris decided that a human, Hele of Troy, was more beautiful than Athena or Aphrodite. Thousands died over vanity.”

    “Huh. But why would Hecate try to kill you? It can’t just be me baking out of an arranged marriage. There were clear loopholes.”

    “That’s what we need to find out.”

    Jason’s eyes got big. “Dang. Look at the size of those snowflakes.”

    I nodded, “Starting early.”

    “Wasn’t it supposed to be powder?”

    “You know how snow works here. We get what we get, not what is predicted.”

    “Yeah.”

    I turned the radio up after a few minutes of silence. We went about thirty more minutes with just music.

    “Charity?”

    “Jason.”

    “Can we get dinner next Friday?”

    “No. I can’t on Friday. We are starting work on the “Taming of the Shrew” and we have set building on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Day before yesterday was my last free Friday until finals are done.”

    “Even Fall Break?” Jason looked pitiful.

    “I am booked for study sessions and writing every day of break.”

    “Oh. That’s disappointing. I was hoping to see more of you.  How about Saturday?”

    I smiled a little. He was persistent. “I am free this Saturday, but booked after that.  We build on Saturday until six.”

    “Okay. I can pick you up from where you build, then.” He leaned his head against the window, and his face glassed over.

    After a few minutes of silence, he said, “Make time for me, please.”

    “Oh … I … What? … I … um … Why?” I fumbled out. I didn’t expect a direct plea.

    “I really want you to know me, and I really want to know you better. Please make time for me.”

    Well, I keep Saturday morning open for me time, and that is sacred.  I need to remain sane, and it’s the only time I have to take care of myself. Saturday mornings are out. Saturday afternoons are for studying. Saturday evenings are study groups and rehearsals. You can have Saturday afternoons when I am not in the Library. 

    “I’ll take them. So, lunch on Saturdays, then.

    I suddenly felt warm and fuzzy. “Okay.” I felt a smile spreading across my face. He really liked me. 

    “You are beautiful,” he almost sighed when he said it. “I am very lucky that you are giving me a chance.”

    “Thanks.” I could feel the blush starting in my cheeks. I hated that I was feeling more and more attracted to Jason. Especially since everything has gone wrong so far.

    I felt the car skid. “OH NO!” I said, louder than necessary. I started emergency procedures, turned into the direction of the spin, slowly took my foot off the accelerator. Nothing made a difference. The car spun off the road.