PEER PRESSURE

"Tell me that wasn't Poseidon," Maera demanded, immediately fawning at her side the second Amphitrite left the safety of the banquet table.

"Oh great..." Amphitrite mumbled under her breath.

"Was that Poseidon?" followed her other sister, Eunice, who practically shoved her way out from the crowded dance floor, Thetis trailing behind her.

Amphitrite frowned at Thetis to signal for help, but her sister remained passive. 'There's something a bit odd about Thetis today...' she thought.

"Tell me it wasn't Poseidon," repeated the youthful Maera.

"Ok, it wasn't Poseidon," Amphitrite curtly adhered.

"Oh my god!" squealed Maera in hushed tones, "It WAS Poseidon! It was Poseidon!"

"Haven't I just said he wasn't?" mused Amphitrite.

"What did he say?" asked Eunice, "Did he ask you out? And you can't deny this one, Red. You two were speaking so close, you were practically whispering to each other."

"How…" Amphitrite shook her head, "HOW could you possibly have noticed that, you just came out from the dance floor!"

"I observe," Eunice declared proudly, "But, I thought you hated him?"

"I never said I hated him!" she denied.

"Oh you surely act like you do," nodded Maera.

"I don't agree much with how he handles the council," Amphitrite clarified, "But I don't hate the guy."

"So," Eunice bit off, her eyes almost winking at her, "Did HE ask you out?"

Amphitrite made an involuntary scrunch in her face.

And Eunice took the cue, "Oh he DID!" spoken with incredulity.

"The swine!" Amphitrite thought Thetis remark in a low voice, which was easily drowned out by the arrival of the dynamic duo of Dynamene and Pherusa.

"Did what?" chimed in Pherusa, actually looking immaculate in a pink flowing gown, her brunette hair elegantly gathered over her left shoulder.

"And WHO did WHAT?" followed Dynamene, her short hair curled to fashion, as she showed off her graceful shoulders in a yellow frock.

"Poseidon had just asked Amphitrite out," Maera delightedly announced.

"Ahh!" venerated Pherusa with a sweeping glance down Amphitrite's gown, "Miracles DO happen."

"That will definitely bring you back to mother's good graces," Dynamene asserted, but with a secretive little chuckle.

"And what did you say to him?" Pherusa directed the question to Amphitrite.

"I said, NO," answered Amphitrite coolly.

This time, Dynamene broke out into a full laughter, "I KNEW IT!"

"YOU DID WHAT?" returned Maera, Eunice and Thetis in unison. All looking shocked except the latter.

"And THAT brings you back OUT from mother's good graces!" exclaimed Pherusa.

Amphitrite spun away from the center of her sister's uncomfortable circle and faced them all squarely, "I don't trust him," she declared.

"Ofcourse, no woman should trust him, silly," Pherusa surprisingly agreed.

"That's the beauty of it all!" supported Dynamene, "Poseidon doesn't spell commitment or long term relationships. He spells the thrill. Good time. He's the mistake you'd like to make before you find yourself a commitment!"

"Excuse me?" Thetis cut off, looking aghast.

"Oh c'mon, Thetis, surely you can attest to that," Dynamene backed up, "He'd been your suitor!"

"That is not what I meant, but just in case you're wondering, he was rather a perfectly behaved gentleman during the short period that he was my suitor!" testified Thetis.

"Oh just as well," shrugged Pherusa, who never was one who lacks answers, "He'd be in some serious trouble if he wasn't because mother was always there with the two of you during the courtship."

"But that's NOT the point!" Thetis shook her head, "I am quite shocked with both of you," she said in reprimand, "You are clearly aware that Poseidon brings bad news to any woman within a meter of his radius and yet you are actually promoting him to Amphitrite? What kind of sisters are you?"

"Easy now," teased Dynamene, "We're only just looking after Amphitrite's best interest."

"Best interest?" repeated Thetis, both brows rising.

"When was the last time Amphitrite ever entertained any man?" returned Pherusa.

Thetis pursed her mouth, silent.

"Thought so!" hummed Pherusa, "Now, we're thinking, if Red would ever want to start getting to know a new guy or maybe…" she purposely met Amphitrite's gaze, "Maybe… want to forget somebody else," she stated with heavy meaning, "We're saying that Poseidon's the perfect guy for that."

Dynamene suddenly questioned Amphitrite, "You're not looking for any long-term relationship, are you?"

Amphitrite scoffed, "No."

Dynamene then faced Thetis, "And you don't wish to see her alone and a miserable spinster, do you?"

"Ofcourse not," immediately replied Thetis.

"Well then there you go!" Pherusa remarked, "We're all in agreement. We all wish to see Amphitrite with Poseidon!"

"Ah! I've spotted who we're looking for," rudely interrupted Dynamene, pointing at someone from a distance.

Pherusa angled her head and exclaimed, "Oh! The Phorcian brothers!" then gave her bewildered sisters a sweet smile, "Excuse us, we're just going to say hi to our friends, the crowned princes of Phorcis," the last words were spoken with a direct gaze at Amphitrite.

'Do Pherusa and Dynamene know what they ought NOT know?' Amphitrite's mind stormed.

"Toodles!" Dynamene said over her shoulder as the duo left the same way that they arrived, in a flash.

"They DO know how to destroy a moment, don't they? " Eunice noted, staring at Dynamene and Pherusa as they made their way among the crowd.

"Don't listen to them, Amphitrite," advised Thetis, "You can entertain whoever you wish to entertain. If you don't like someone, then don't. Just trust your instincts."

Amphitrite was barely paying attention.

Her eyes were glued to where her other sisters were going. At first she was only able to see Salmoneus, greeting Pherusa and Dynamene, and then, there he was. Deioneus, towering over the three of them, his engaging smile just as brilliant afar as they were up close. He absentmindedly ran a hand over his golden blond hair as he angled his head at whatever compliment Dynamene was shamelessly throwing at him.

Amphitrite felt herself come to a stop when Pherusa suddenly began pointing at their direction. It was as if Pherusa was trying to invite the Phorcian brothers to come and greet them.

'That Pherusa always meant trouble!' Amphitrite seethed, feeling her hand running cold.

She eyed Thetis in panic. Thetis must've read the horror in Amphitrite's face for she immediately turned her head to Pherusa and Dynamene's direction.

Amphitrite took a step back even before Thetis could register any reaction.

"Uh... you know what?" she said, surprisingly sounding calm, breaking into Maera and Eunice's conversation, "I think I'll grab myself something to eat," she gave a flustered smile, gesturing, "This talk is making me so hungry!"

"What?" instantly remarked a confused Eunice, "You just came from the banquet table!"

Maera was more kind, "Sure, go help yourself."

Amphitrite didn't wait for Thetis' comment. She might just change her mind if she'd hear Thetis' voice of reason. Amphitrite swiftly turned on her heels, made a resolute retreat back to the banquet table, her focus centered on one particular purpose... or rather, one particular person.

She found Poseidon talking to another man whose back was facing her.

'Thank god he didn't move from where she left him earlier!' she remarked to herself.

Poseidon, on his part, obviously wasn't paying attention to his companion because he immediately spotted her even before she was near them, his eyes not once leaving her face.

"Thalassanax, was it?" she announced, "Your ship?" speaking directly to Poseidon as soon as she reached him, not at all caring if she'd interrupted his discussion with his friend.

He nodded without a sound, his unreadable gaze unwaveringly fixed at her.

"Do you still want take me there with you?" she asked bluntly.

She saw one side of Poseidon's lips curve into a victorious smile, "Yes," he confirmed in that deep, reverberating voice of his.

"It's just down by the harbour, right?" she followed.

"Yes."

"Are you going to ask why I changed my mind?" she inquired.

"No," was Poseidon's immediate answer.

"Great!" Amphitrite nodded, then exclaimed, "Let's go."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him away from his slack-jawed companion, as she led their way across the crowded Open Theater and out into the airy, welcoming arms of downtown Naxos.