Disclaimer: Same old one.

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Chapter 2

A few weeks later…

James checked his image in the mirror and smiled at his own concern over his looks: he was now as vain as the most famous movie stars! But then, he had the most beautiful woman in the world to impress.

The morning was coming slowly over Los Angeles. He had a hard day ahead of him, but having coffee with Bess Shore was a lovely way to start it. He had done his workout, he had taken a shower and now he was anticipated what had become the most attractive part of his morning routine. He left his apartment, locked the door and crossed the few yards that separated him from Bess' front door. He rang the doorbell, hoping that she was already up. True, they were used to having an early breakfast together, but there was always the chance that she might be still sleeping.

To his relief, the door opened almost instantly and Bess smiled at him, fully awake. "Come on," she said, "I've been waiting for you."

The coffee was already served on the table, as well as the toast and the fruit. The eggs were cooking in the pan. The kitchen was filled with the nice aroma of breakfast and even nicer scent of Bess' perfume – a scent that James did not recognize, but it reminded him of the ocean. It was strange, because Bess absolutely detested the sea and wouldn't even go to a swimming pool. Pity, because James certainly wouldn't mind seeing her in swimming suit…

"Did you sleep well last night?" he asked politely.

She shrugged. "Yes, of course. What about you?"

"I don't think I got a wink of sleep," he answered honestly and reached for the coffee, hoping that it would help him stay awake. "There ocean has gone mad. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that it has a mind of its own and it is angry."

"Nonsense," Bess said sharply. "Anyway, I'm sorry you aren't rested. You have an important case today, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," he answered, glad that she had made the effort to remember this detail about him. "It will be hard, since the husband's lawyer is a luminary in this area, but even so, I cannot see how he can win. His client's sins are too numerous and well-proved."

"And your client is a little idiot who has put up with him too long," Bess finished for him. There was a slight contempt in her voice – a self-content, maybe? James had learned by now that she was indeed experiencing troubles with her own husband.

She took the eggs off the stove and served them in a big plate. James took a bite. The dish was excellent. "Mmm, delicious," he said. "Look, don't you want to come over to my flat tonight? Then, I can be the one to cook something for you."

She hesitated. It was true that they had gone out for dinner around ten times in the last few weeks, but dining with him in his flat would be something rather different. More intimate.

"Come on, Bess, say yes."

"Yes, Bess, say yes."

They both turned at the direction of the voice that had cut into their conversation. James saw a woman emerging from the hall. She was tall and impressive, her hair silver-blond, her facial features so finely chiseled that he could only stare. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. But he had already lost his heart to the other great beauty, Bess.

"Regina," Bess said and introduced the other two to one another. "This is Regina… Chandler. James Montgomery, my neighbour."

"Nice to meet you," James said and politely stood up, waiting for her to sit down. "Are you staying here?"

The two women shared a look and Regina Chandler answered noncommittally, "For a while, maybe."

"So, you're Bess' friend?"

"Yes," she said. "You could say that we know each other for millennia."

With her here, it was impossible to talk about a private dinner for two in his flat without offending her. James sighed and resigned to his bad luck. There would be other evenings, after all. Regina Chandler wouldn't stay here forever.

"I wonder," the woman in question said fifteen minutes later, after he had left the flat, "what he saw."

"I'm not sure," Bess answered, "but I'm positive it wasn't the Queen of Olympus materializing in the kitchen out of nothing."

"I agree."

The two women hugged. "Oh I've missed you!" Hera exclaimed. "You've been gone for so long."

"Not as long as you did when Zeus had gone after that nymph." Amphitrite's mouth twitched in contempt. Why did the gods need so many affairs with mortals and immortals alike? She could never understand that. Well, she had to admit that she quite liked James Montgomery, but that was not the same thing. For one thing, she hadn't jumped into bed with him right away. For another, she wouldn't change a form to cheat him if he decided that he didn't want her after all. She wouldn't turn herself into a cow or a filly, or a swan, or anything other than herself! Of course, that wasn't entirely true either, because if she took her real, godly form, James would fall dead right away and then he wouldn't be with her anyway. "Tell me, how are things on Olympus?"

"Same old, same old." Hera suspiciously sniffed at the buns. Normally she abstained from anything else than ambrosia and nectar, but these things did smell very good, so she bit at one. "Athena and Ares are at odds with one another, Artemis is still hunting, Aphrodite is being the harlot that she is… Indeed, nothing has changed."

"I see."

There was a brief silence, and then Hera asked softly, "Why don't you simply ask me how he is, Amphitrite? I think it will be easier for both of us."

"How is he?"

"He came to see me a few weeks ago."

By her sister in-law's tone the Queen of the Sea could say that it hadn't been a nice visit. "And?"

"He threatened me. He actually had the nerve to seize my arm and yell at my face to tell him where you were."

Amphitrite gasped. "He didn't!"

"He most definitely did," Hera assured her and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Never before had I seen him so enraged." She hesitated. "And never so hurt."

Amphitrite was suddenly reminded that Hera was not only Poseidon's sister in-law. During all these millennia of their friendship, she usually had been thinking of her as her brother in-law's wife. Another wife whose husband constantly cheated on her, just like Amphitrite's own husband did. But now she was suddenly acutely aware that she was talking to Poseidon's sister.

"I never wanted to hurt him," she said defensively. That was the truth, after all. "But I thought… after the pact of the Big Three… and then he went off and sired yet another bastard! I can't stand that."

"Darling." Hera's voice was soothing. "I know."

Now Amphitrite was unable to stop herself. "Sometimes I hate him! I really, really do! All these years, hundreds, thousands of years he's been unfaithful to me and then I've been stupid enough to take him back! And he did it again. Well, this time I won't take him back! I won't!"

"Of course you won't," Hera agreed. Coming from the goddess of marriage, this statement was a bit curious. Amphitrite was so amazed that she forgot to be angry.

"I love him, Hera. Sometimes, I cannot believe I really ran and stayed away all this time. Especially when I think how much I love him."

Hera nodded. "I understand."

"He can be so kind and considerate, you know. He regards me as his Queen, but there's more to it than that. He loves me, I know he does."

Again, the Queen of the Sky nodded. There was no doubt that Poseidon loved Amphitrite, just like Zeus loved Hera. Why couldn't they remain faithful to the women they loved was a different matter. A question that Hera still had no answer to.

"About his treatment of me, I have no right to complain. He listens to my opinions. He showers me with gifts." A faint blush coloured Amphitrite's cheeks. "And he can be a fantastic lover…"

"So can Zeus."

"Why can't they just not look aside?" Amphitrite demanded.

"I have no idea – "

For a while, the two goddesses fell silent. Finally Hera said, "Father has started stirring again."

Amphitrite sighed. She was not worried, at least not too much – until the two children, Thalia Grace and Perseus Jackson, who should never have been born, became sixteen, there were many years to come – but she was not pleased to hear about Kronos creating new disruptions.

"Anything to worry about?"

"No." Hera looked out through the window. "At least, not yet."

Her expression did not change, but her fingers squeezed the cup so tightly that it broke and the coffee splashed the goddess' hand. She did not seem to notice.

Amphitrite had some idea what Hera must be thinking about. No matter how many millennia had passed, none of the five oldest Olympians would ever forget the period that they had spent as prisoners in their own father's stomach. She would never share it with anyone, even now, but she knew that Poseidon still relived the past sometimes, when he was feeling especially sad, or exhausted, or when they heard news about yet another stirring of Kronos. It was either a nightmare in the night, or just a deep sadness that she had learned to recognize over the years. In both cases, the cure was one and the same: taking him into her arms, holding him, stroking his hair, giving him time to compose himself, being with him. He had shared with her enough about his ordeal to give her some idea of what Hera must be thinking now. Was Poseidon experiencing the same fears, no matter how unreasonable, right now? The same flashes of painful memories? Was he alone and in need of comfort that he was too proud to seek from anyone else but her?

No, to Hades with him! She would not let herself be weakened by compassion towards the man who was unable to stay faithful to her for even ten years, let alone three millennia!

Hera shook her head. She was in control of herself again. "So," she said, "tell me about this handsome James Montgomery."

Amphitrite's response was drowned by the roar of the lightning that tore the otherwise clear blue sky.

"Why are you interested? Amphitrite demanded. "By the way you behave, one would say that you're the trying to play matchmaker. You're the goddess of marriage, Hera!"

"True." Hera smiled. "But you aren't."

Amphitrite burst out laughing. "It's true, I am not. So?"

Hera gave her an impish grin. "Well, I do believe in balance in a marriage. And since Poseidon is known to have had more affairs than other gods have handkerchiefs, I'd say – " She didn't finish.

Amphitrite goggled. It sounded all wise and logical, but still… "Don't say it," she warned. "Do you want to have a mortal's death at your conscience? Remember Ixion?" Thunder. "Endymion?" Another thunder. "You think my husband will be more forgiving than yours?"

There was a brief silence, during which Amphitrite thought about the last year that she had spent in hiding, about the rage of the ocean, about her own rage at Poseidon and her reluctant love for him, about James, who was so kind to her and to whom she felt attracted… But no, it was not only a physical thing. She respected him and she thought what she was doing was deplorable: hiding her true identity from him, hiding from the sea, for Poseidon would feel her presence if she came near the ocean, exposing him to a danger for just being with her… What was she going to do? One thing was clear: she was not going back to her husband. She was not.

"You know, he specializes in divorces," she told Hera. "Divorces of the rich and famous, I mean."

"Well, we certainly rank here," her friend remarked. "Practically the whole world knows who we are!"

Amphitrite rolled her eyes. "Anyway, today he's having a case in which he hopes to win for his client half of her husband's fortune."

Hera burst out laughing. "Sorry," she said. "Just imagined suing Zeus for half the sky and Mount Olympus."

"Or Poseidon for half the ocean," Amphitrite agreed, but Hera barely heard her above the angry roar of yet another thunder.

Their laughter filled the room.