I don't own PJO! (: I made up the restaurant…so, don't look for it. It doesn't exist.

Chapter Nine-

Athena finally descended the stairs after two hours of Aphrodite pampering. It was just her luck to run into Aphrodite when she had thrown on a random dress—and then, being a beauty fanatic she is, had to critique everything. And thus, the torture began. Right when he was thinking she blew him off, Athena met him in the living room.

Her hair was left down, black clashing with the bright pink, strapless dress she was wearing. She was holding a pair of matching pink heels, but wearing flats of a brighter color instead. A blush colored flower necklace hung around her neck, and she was gripping a small, hot pink clutch in the hand that was not holding shoes. "Wow," Poseidon said. "I feel underdressed."

Athena laughed. "Aphrodite got to me, is all. You look fine. Let's get out of here before she finds that makeup she wanted to." She glanced at him. "Nice shirt. Really brings out my eyes, as Aph would say."

He shrugged. "It is gray, isn't it?" He stuffed his hands in his jean pockets. "Let's go. Ready?"

"Yeah," Athena said, chucking the heels behind her. The two hopped in the truck, headed off to wherever. "Say, where are we going, exactly?"

"To a restaurant. You'll like it," Poseidon answered.

"Alright-y, then." And with that, Poseidon drove off.

After a half an hour had passed, Athena glanced worriedly at the truck clock. "It's eight thirty! I still have to read twenty stories and grade them!"

"Shush up. You'll forget all about work in a minute, anyway." Poseidon told her.

She crossed her arms. "Well, then."

He chuckled as he pulled into a large parking lot. Considering it was a Monday night, the place was crowded! Athena blinked when she saw the building. "Oh, my," she whispered. It was huge; about four stories tall, with a large, glass dome as the ceiling. Glass was, in fact, the front wall of the restaurant, too. She could see a large fountain taking up the entry space. She could see many people inside; women, men, and children of all ages, all dressed finely. Even the waiters were dressed up in tuxes! "What the heck?"

Poseidon put his hands in a position as if to tell that he didn't know. "The place is owned by Amphitrite's son. Yeah, she cheated on me, but I did her too, so…"

"Then I doubt she'd like us to be here!" Athena said.

Poseidon grinned. "I already made it clear that if I wanted to do something, I would do it."

She laughed as she followed him out of the car. "So, is this a seafood restaurant?"

"Indeed it is. The finest in New York, too."

"Wow. It must cost a fortune!"

"Eh," Poseidon said, grabbing her waist. He pulled her gently close to him and walked on. She smiled at the gesture and looked ahead.

When they entered the large building, she looked up and could see, through the glass ceiling, the stars starting to come out as the sun was almost set. She looked down and the carpet was a fiery red, a stone stepping way leading to the center of the main room, where the fountain was. The stone path spread into a big circle, encasing the fountain, and spread off in the forward direction, right direction, and left direction. "This is marvelous!" Athena exclaimed.

"I'm glad you think that, ma'am. Welcome to La Maison de la Mer. (The House of the Sea.) Table for two?" Poseidon let go of Athena and nodded. The waiter offered her his arm, which Athena took.

"Merci beaucoup, mon bon monsieur." Athena said. Poseidon looked at her in confusion. She just smiled.

The waiter, impressed that she knew French, proceeded to ask, "Souhaitez-vous vous asseoir dans la salle à manger élégante ou le salon de détente?"

Athena looked at Poseidon. "Dining room or lounge?"

"Hmm, dining room." He decided.

Athena smiled at the waiter. "Le premier, s'il vous plaît." She turned to Poseidon. "I asked for the former."

"Droit de cette façon, ma dame." The waiter, telling them which way to go, led them to the left. When they entered, a huge chandelier was on the ceiling. There were two levels of sitting areas; one on the floor, and then one up a large, spiraled stair case. A large aquarium of fish was placed on one wall on the top floor. "We have one table left for two up those stairs. Would you like to sit there?"

Poseidon nodded. "Yes, please."

The waiter led them up. "Here we are, and here are your menus. I will be back soon!"

The waiter was. He was back in just five minutes, but Poseidon already knew what he wanted. Athena, however, was still deciding. Poseidon ordered the salmon with a side of shrimp scampi for the two to share. "Oh, I don't know," Athena laughed nervously.

"Tis fine, milady."

Poseidon glared at the waiter. He turned to Athena and said, "The mahi mahi is amazing, try that."

She clucked her tongue. "Alright, that I shall have, thank you."

"Pas de problème, madame. Votre dîner sera dans quelques minutes."

"Wow," she said. "This is beautiful."

Poseidon just stared at you. "He was hitting on you. In French. The language of love! When he could clearly see, even through that dress, that you were pregnant!"

Athena rolled her eyes at him and smiled. "Calmez-vous, je suis sûr que ce n'était rien."

"What?"

"I said, 'calm down, I'm sure it was nothing.' Et n'êtes-vous pas encore dérouté, je m'adresse à vous dans cette langue romane?"

"Athena, you know French isn't my strongest language." Poseidon told her.

"Oh, you âme confuse. I was just saying that you were losing it because I was conversing with the waiter in a romance language, but you are not even fazed when I speak to you in such a tone." Athena laughed.

He blushed. "Oh, you know…"

Outside of the restaurant, Aphrodite walked in with Artemis. While Artemis was rolling her eyes, Aphrodite was squealing. They were officially date crashers. Aphrodite was dressed in a trench coat and black trousers. She claimed she looked like a spy, but really, she looked like a detective who was just begging to have her cover blown. Sadly, Artemis was dressed like this, too.

Aphrodite walked up to a waiter. "Have you seen a slightly pregnant woman in a hot pink dress? She'd have on some pink shoes, too, and a flower necklace. And her fiancé would be wearing a gray shirt. We're her sisters, we just wanted to stop by and congratulate her! You know, the whole element of surprise."

The waiter shook his head. "'Ey, Don, 'ave 'ou seen a woman in ze pink dress escorted by a young gentleman?"

Don nodded. "Yes, they are to the left, ladies."

"Thanks! Our sister will be so happy to see us!" Aphrodite giggled.

The two looked around the dining room. They spotted Athena and Poseidon on the second level next to the balcony, and immediately, Aphrodite dragged Artemis up the stairs. They crouched behind a large cabinet and peeked out on either side. "What are we even doing? We hitchhiked all the way here to stare at them while they eat?" Artemis whisper-yelled.

"Shhh!" Aphrodite scolded. "I can hear them,"

Three tables away, Athena smiled. "Of course, Poseidon."

"Well, I guess it's true."

"What? What's true?" Aphrodite whispered. Artemis could only shrug.

"Such a you thing to say," Athena laughed.

The waiter appeared to the two with their trays. "Just your luck, a whole meal for seven was made, but apparently their sister was in labor, so they had to leave. Luckily, they had your orders," He said.

"Oh, thank you so, very much." Athena thanked him.

"Yeah, thanks."

He nodded and walked off.

"Oh. This is rather large," Athena said, looking at the big piece of fish. "Are you sure it's good? It looks rather…bland."

"Trust me, it's amazing."

Aphrodite glanced at Artemis. "Did he just say that tonight will be amazing?"

Artemis' eyes widened. "What?"

"Did he?"

"I have no clue," Artemis said. "But he better not have. That just means one thing—trouble!"

Aphrodite cooed. "But that'd be so sweet! And plus, she's already pregnant. What other shenanigans could she get into?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Stop ripping off dumb mortal teenaged-hormone filled movies."

Athena went to the shrimp scampi, first. Immediately after putting it in her mouth, she smiled. "Not bad," she said, after.

"See? Now try the actual fish," Poseidon told her.

Athena grinned as she began on that.

"Well?"

"Sort of tastes like…chicken." Athena said.

"But better?"

"Yes, much better." She decided.

"What? What's better?" Aphrodite asked.

"I don't know! Why don't you go out there and ask them?" Artemis whispered, annoyed. "Waiter! Hide!" The two ducked behind the giant cabinet and held their breaths. Once he walked away, the two peered out again.

"Aphrodite, these outfits make us look rather dull. And these shoes kill!" Artemis complained.

Aphrodite shrugged. "Beauty is painful, dear."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Waiter!"

At the table, Athena and Poseidon had been talking for a good while. When they finished their dinner, Athena called the waiter. "Can we have our check, please?"

"Oh, leaving so soon? May I recommend the soufflé? Or the chocolate-covered strawberries? A daiquiri, perhaps?" The waiter asked.

Athena smiled. She put a hand on her stomach. "I can't eat anymore, I'm afraid. The two of us may burst!"

The waiter looked at her belly and saw indeed, she was carrying a small baby. He smiled at her and nodded. "Of course. It will be right out."

"Thank you," Athena called after him.

Poseidon was smiling at her. "So, does baby like the food?"

"I guess so,"

Peeking out again, Aphrodite had to have her mouth covered by Artemis. The two girls leaned back in so that they couldn't be seen. "Did he just call her 'baby'? Did he?"

"No, Aphrodite. I think he meant the baby."

She saddened. "Aww,"

In a few minutes, the waiter came back. Once he handed them their check, Aphrodite and Artemis sprinted from behind the cabinet. Not seeing another waiter, they ran smack into him and knocked over his trays. The food splattered every direction. It hit Athena square in the back of the head, and Poseidon on the front of his shirt. Aphrodite, however, was drenched soup, shrimp, and martinis. She dramatically wiped the food out of her eyes. Artemis just sighed and picked a piece of shrimp out of her hair.

"Oh, please forgive me, ladies!" The waiter said.

"Ugh. Just go," Aphrodite pointed at the stairs.

"Aphrodi—Adara?" Athena asked, picking fish bits out of her hair. "What are you doing here? Ademia? You too?"

"Eh…" Aphrodite laughed nervously.

Setting the check on the table, Poseidon grabbed Athena's hand. "I think we should leave…"

Athena nodded. She sighed. "C'mon, girls."

Once they were in the car driving, Athena lost it. She turned from the passenger seat to face the two girls in back. "Have you lost your minds? What made you think you could just come spy on me? And look what happened! I smell like a bar was dumped on me, mixed with some strange fishy smell, and I can't stand it! I look like an elephant herd trampled over me!" She turned and began to cry. "I'm so sorry!"

Aphrodite sighed. "And that would be the first small mood swing." She mumbled.

After they all had gotten home and showered, it was nearly midnight. "I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed." Athena said to the rest of them. She walked up the stairs to the top floor.

Poseidon, who was in the top floor's mini living room, saw Athena head in the door. "Going to bed?" He asked.

"Yeah. I have to get up in three and a half hours, anyway. Night,"

"Wait, Athena. I'm sorry about tonight. I didn't expect them to—"

Athena shrugged. "It's just Aphrodite's curiosity, is all. It was fun. Sorry I lost it,"

He smiled at her. "Hey, I'll have to get used to it." Athena smiled back when she suddenly turned pale. She ran to the bathroom and a terrible sound was heard, followed by a weak, 'I don't think the kid like's sea food!' Poseidon chuckled and walked in. "I guess we'll have to get used to that, too."

"Why?" Athena asked, very tiredly.

"I'm taking you out again soon. Different food, of course. We have to see what this kid does like,"

"Fun for me," Athena said sarcastically.

A/N: Well…there you have their first date! Didn't go very smooth, did it? Oh, well…I used Google Translate. I know…I suck at languages.

Much drama will ensue from here. Any guesses who and/or what will cause some? Any idea of what it to come?

Well…you probably couldn't guess half of what this twisted mind has in store. Muahaha!

I love feedback (suddenly after typing that last part, feedback doesn't sound very lovely) almost as much as Aphrodite loves love and spying on Poseidon and Athena!

~Suzie