Chapter 12: Annabeth and I Eat at a Fancy Restaurant

Glitter and streamers of light swirled around Annabeth and me, causing us to close our eyes.

"Oh, great," I heard Annabeth mutter.

"Ah, eh, ih, oh, uh," I said stupidly as the blinding light ceased.

When we opened our eyes, we saw the goddess Aphrodite smiling sweetly at us. She was still wearing the red satin dress, like she was ready for a prom night or something. As expected from the goddess of love to have had a grand entrance.

"Well, don't just sit there. Applaud!" she exclaimed. Annabeth and I didn't move. Lance was the only one who clapped. I didn't know if it was because of Aphrodite's entrance, like he could see the goddess, or just his mannerism. "Okay, never mind. Hello, Percy and Annabeth. How lovely to see you two dating in an expensive restaurant. Makes me want to cry."

I shook myself hard. When you're facing the goddess of love, it's really hard to concentrate. For guys, I guess, since Annabeth wasn't affected at all. "Er, you don't need to do that. Cry, I mean."

"You're still cute as always, Percy." Aphrodite got a white handkerchief from her pouch, then started wiping something at the corner of her eye. "I'm wearing the same dress when we first met. No limousine for tonight, though."

So that's why it looked familiar, I thought, remembering the moment when I'd been with the goddess at the junkyard of the gods. Good thing Ares wasn't around right now. "Were you spying on us?"

Aphrodite admired her red nails. "Not spying. Watching," she corrected. "And I finally stepped out of the stage because a certain someone mentioned my name." She turned her gaze to Annabeth. "What is it, dear?"

"You did something to Percy," Annabeth stated matter-of-factly.

"What?" I asked, surprised.

"Ah, yes. How could I forget?" Aphrodite snapped her fingers in the air, and I shivered. "Percy, please do read something on that horrible book again." She gazed at my girlfriend. "Annabeth, you should start reading romance novels for a change."

I saw Annabeth throwing poisonous glares at Aphrodite (the goddess didn't mind her, though), looked at the same page, and tried to read, but words were now floating inside my head, making it hard for me to read. "Hooray, my dyslexia's back," I cheered nonchalantly.

"Well, then," Aphrodite said. "My task here is done."

"Not so fast, goddess Aphrodite," Annabeth butted in. She looked deadly serious, and she was giving me the chills. "You owe us explanations."

Aphrodite just ignored the glare she was receiving as she held up a mirror in front of her face to dab at her lipstick. There was nothing wrong with her lips, though. "Question away, dears."

"Why did you do that to Percy-removing his dyslexia and making us to not notice 'bout it in the first place?" Annabeth asked.

Aphrodite put her mirror and lipstick into her pouch, then snapped again her fingers. A chair appeared out of nowhere, and she sat down beside Lance, who was busy rattling a baby toy with a dolphin on top. Where had he gotten that?

"Well, just to make the contest more fun for you two," she explained. "I wanted you to win in the first place. At least the other spell I put on Percy wavered after you won."

"And were you the one who removed the belt around Lance?"

"Yes. It would be pretty much boring if there were only romantic scenes. There should also be action and suspense! Don't you sweeties agree?"

"But aren't you the goddess of love?" I asked her. "Shouldn't romantic stuff already be enough for you?"

"Oh, but I really lovesome twists." Aphrodite smiled at me slyly. "I believe you forget my promise to you, Percy."

My brows furrowed. "What promise?"

"Well, it wasn't really a promise. But you get the idea, I hope," Aphrodite said.

Lance turned to Aphrodite and cried happily. She pinched his cheek.

"Lance can see you?" Annabeth and I asked at the same time.

Aphrodite shrugged. "I'm just a normal lady for this evening, and I'm going to give that toy to him. Isn't he cute? He looks like your child!"

Annabeth and I blushed for how many times this day.

"And I have a surprise for the two of you soon. I can't wait!" Aphrodite exclaimed. "Oh, and by the way, Annabeth, Percy told me before that she dreamed of you. You know, when you were, er, kidnapped."

My jaw dropped, and I could feel Annabeth staring at me. I hadn't told her about that. That would be totally embarrassing. But now...

"I did say that," I said while blushing, "but not in the way you think it was!"

"Ah, young love," Aphrodite mused as she checked her golden watch. "Oh, dear, I should be back at Olympus by now. Annabeth, please don't forget to work on my statue. It would be a disaster if you will not make it. Make it lovely, all right? Au revoir!"

"Wait!" I shouted, but Aphrodite waggled her fingers at me, winked at Annabeth, and then vanished in a swirl of glitter, including the chair she'd seated on. I blinked and fought the urge to sneeze.

"Way to end a show," I said while looking around. Thankfully, the diners hadn't noticed anything weird and unbelievable.

"I hope she didn't tell you about tragic love stories," Annabeth whispered as she touched the streak of gray in her hair. "And you never told me about that dream of yours before."

Without thinking, I touched the streak of gray in my hair, too, blushing. "Um, well, you know half-bloods. About dreams, I mean. And I think she just said something like not going to be easy or something, as far as I can remember."

I saw concern in her eyes. I held her hand, leaned forward, and brushed her lips on mine. "Remember, nothing will tear us apart."

Annabeth smiled and squeezed my hand. She was about to say something when the waiter came back carrying the foods, and then placed them on the table.

"Enjoy you dinner," he said, then zipped away.

I sliced a small piece of my food and chewed it in my mouth. My eyes widened and tasted more of it. Gods, they made the prices worth it.

Annabeth was also enjoying her order and helped Lance to eat.

On the far side of the Lake, fireflies were dancing and whirled above the surface.

We were talking about Annabeth's designs on Olympus. "On the eastern side, I'll put a huge memento for my mom. I don't know if the other gods and goddesses will approve, though. And the foundation will be ten times stronger than before," she was saying.

Don't get me wrong, I was excited to see the final results, but I just couldn't understand most of it, so I nodded and replied something like "That's great!"

A moment later, a waitress appeared and gave Annabeth and I a glass of iced tea, while a glass of orange juice for Lance.

"It's bottomless, so if your glass is already empty, feel free to call one of us to refill it," she said. We nodded and thanked her.

After a few minutes I couldn't take it any longer. I burped. "Thank the gods!"

Annabeth wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Manners, Seaweed Brain."

I stuck my tongue out at her and looked at Lance. "Did you enjoy your food, Lance?"

Lance nodded. "Yum, yum!"

Annabeth and I chuckled at that, and then she checked her phone. "Uh-oh. We should go home now, Percy. Maybe Cynthia's already waiting for us."

I sighed. "Time flies so fast."

000

"Darlings!" Cynthia exclaimed as she gave Annabeth and I a hug. "How wonderful it is to see you two again."

"Er, Cynthia, we just saw each other this morning," I reminded her.

"Nevertheless, darling. Well, how was your day with my Lancie?"

"It was great, Cynthia," Annabeth said. "He's such a smart child."

"Like a child of Athena," I added with a grin.

"Why, thank you. Too bad Athena's not real," Cynthia said. Annabeth and I shared knowing looks. "Anyway, where is my Lancie?"

"Mama!" Lance cried as he went to his mother. He held up his arms, and Cynthia scooped him up.

"How was your day with Annabeth and Percy, darling? Did you have fun?" Cynthia asked Lance.

Lance cried happily. "Water whoosh! Boom!"

She nodded knowingly. "Ah, yes, darling. The fountain."

"Wait, you knew what happened to the Bethesda Fountain?" I asked, my eyes widening.

Cynthia paled for a second. "I, um, you know, news travels fast here in New York. Well, would you look at the time? Lance and I better get going. Thanks much, darlings. Ta-tah!"

Annabeth and I waved as Cynthia and Lance entered the elevator. They had waved back before the elevator closed.

"Is it just me, or something is weird with Cynthia?" I asked Annabeth.

She smiled. "If you look close enough, there's nothing weird with her at all. It's all been planned."

I gave her a questioning look. "What do you mean by planned?"

She just kept silent.

"Oh, c'mon, Annabeth, tell me!" I urged.

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh."

Annabeth was still smiling. "Why are you so slow, Seaweed Brain?"

And with that she went into my room, leaving me clueless at the front door.

After a few minutes I gave up and sit on the couch. Then I suddenly remembered something.

Oh, my gods, I mouthed and quickly fished something out from my pocket. I eyed the digital camera that I was holding.

I put my hands on my face and said some curses in Ancient Greek.

I'd forgotten to take pictures!