Page 37 of Competing Against Thor

DAISY

Six months later.

The taxi pulledup outside the familiar building and a bout of nerves came over me. I'd been to Jinx HQ a couple of times for meetings with Aine about the commission, but this time felt different. Maybe it was because I was a guest and not a contractor at this particular event.

The door opened and Thor held out his hand to me. I took it gratefully and let him help me out of the car. I smoothed down my dress and tried not to fuss with it too much. I knew it looked good on me, but I was about to be standing next to a literal beauty goddess while unveiling my finished sculpture, and I wasn't sure I was up tothattask.

"You look beautiful," Thor said, clearly guessing the direction of my thoughts.

"I'm glad you think so." I went onto my toes and kissed his cheek.

He moved at the last second and kissed me deeply, leaving me no doubt how he felt about me in the dress. Though infairness, he kissed me like that when I was wearing my scruffy work clothes too.

"We should go inside before I suggest getting back in the cab and going back to your place," I half-joked.

He paused. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you about that."

"Oh?"

"I know it's early, but how would you feel about moving in with me?"

I blinked a couple of times. "You want me to move in?"

"Yes. You said that Danny and his boyfriend are getting serious, and that you feel like a third wheel. You stay with me most of the time anyway, so yeah. Live with me?"

I took a deep breath, realising as I did that it wasn't something I was nervous about. "Okay, yes. I'll move in with you." I found myself grinning without realising it.

"Did I tell you that I don't pay rent?"

I snorted. "It's come up." But considering he's had so many years to own his property, it made sense. "All right, let's go inside."

The man on the door nodded us through without even consulting his list. Either he recognised me from the meetings I'd had here, or he knew who Thor was. I wouldn't like to say which.

"Ah, Thor," a dark-haired man said.

"Hades," Thor responded. "It's been a long time, I wasn't aware you were coming tonight."

Hades. Actual Hades.

I tried to keep my cool. I'd met several gods over the past six months, not just because of the time I'd been spending at Jinx HQ, but also Thor's friends and family. And yet it was nothing compared to meeting someone whose stories were so wellknown. Then again, Thor was my boyfriend, so maybe I needed to get over that.

"Who is your guest?" Hades asked.

"Actually, I'm her guest," Thor responded. "This is Daisy Dixon, she's the artist behind the sculpture we're here to unveil."

"Ah, a pleasure to meet you," Hades said. "I'd love to stay and chat, but there's someone I must talk to."

"It was good to meet you," I said, though really I was confused, especially when he walked over to the bar and didn't talk to anyone.

Thor chuckled. "I thinktalking to someonemeans that he's trying to avoid Persephone."

"What happened between them?"

"I'm not really sure, you'll have to ask Hel next time you see her, she knows more about it."

I probably wasn't going to do that, I wasn't sure what to make of Thor's niece, she was a little intimidating, so asking her for gossip wasn't exactly at the top of my to-do list.

"Ah, Daisy, there you are," Aine said brightly, heading my way in a deep blue dress that made her normal beauty even more dazzling. "I don't know if you remember my partner, Min." She gestured to the man beside her.