“Yes.”
“But what about my greeting card career?”
“You can still do that. In fact, she wants you to use your expertise in that area.”
“Huh?”
He reached across the table and took her hand. “You’re talented. You’re modern. You understand contemporary communication. She wants you to be the muse of social media.”
“You’re kidding. Like Twitter? What would I be? The head twit?”
“No, sweetheart. You’d be what you are—a goddess.”
“Awww…” Her eyes softened and she gave his hand a squeeze. “But no. I really don’t want a job outside of my card business. It’s about to take off, and it’ll be all I can do to keep up with that.”
Drake reared back. “You don’t want to be a goddess? Why not?”
“Well, for one thing, you know how I feel about the Internet. If I didn’t trust it for my cards, how can I trust social media? I’ll bet the pay and benefits suck too.”
He laughed but couldn’t help being a little disappointed.
“Way to go, Dragon Breath.”
Bliss whirled around to see a woman standing behind her. She wore a flowing white gown and had long, white hair, crowned by a ring of blue cornflowers that matched her eyes.
It can’t be…
The woman jammed her hands on her hips. “I wanted to be the one to tell her, blabbermouth. Now you’ve gone and ruined the surprise.”
Drake cringed. “Sorry, Gaia, I thought I ought to prepare her for your arrival.”
“Why? Because she might faint at the sight of me?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Well, you never know… She’s been incredibly understanding up to now, but everyone has their limits.”
“Hey, people.” Bliss waved. “I’m right here.”
Mother Nature grinned. “She’s feisty. I like that. Vulcan vouched for her, so I was pretty sure she could handle my glorious presence.”
Drake smiled at Bliss and let go of her hand as he rose. “Gaia, I’d like to formally introduce you to Bliss Russo.”
Bliss rose and offered Mother Nature her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Gaia.”
“Odd little custom,” Gaia muttered, but she shook hands with Bliss.
“Please… have a seat,” Drake said and offered her his chair.
Mother Nature glanced around the room and finally pointed to a spot by the table where an extra chair appeared. “Sure. But first, I’d like a glass of water. Do you have any on tap?”
Drake moved quickly to the refrigerator. “I can do better than that. I have bottled water.”
“Ack!” Gaia turned her head and shielded her eyes as if just seeing the item might offend her delicate sensibilities. “Don’t tell me you buy water in those damn plastic bottles. It’ll take centuries for them to decompose.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t… never mind. I can get you a glass of tap water.”
Still frowning, Gaia sat in the chair, then popped back up. She pointed to the seat and a cushion appeared. When she sat again, she wiggled a bit as if getting comfortable. “There. That’s better. I don’t mind a few modern conveniences as long as they don’t muck up my world.”
She tapped the chair next to her, inviting Bliss to sit down.
“Can you make one of those cushions for me too?” Bliss asked.
Gaia leaned back and studied her for a moment. “If you took the muse position, you could make it yourself.” She sighed. “Let me give you a taste of what it would be like to be a goddess—even a minor one. Just point to the seat and think ‘cushion.’”
Bliss could hardly believe this was happening. Did she have the power to make things appear and disappear at will now? She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and thought, “Cushion.”
Something soft landed on her head. Opening her eyes, she noticed a matching cushion to the one Mother Nature had conjured tumbling onto the floor.
Gaia reared back and laughed.
Bliss glanced at Drake, who appeared to be trying hard not to smile. He set the glass of water in front of Gaia.
“See? I’m not cut out for this,” Bliss said.
“I’ve heard you’re a quick study,” Gaia said. “I won’t have the time or patience to train you.”
Bliss’s eyes rounded. “Then how would I know what to do? I might transport myself into the middle of a tree or accidentally blow up the Internet.”
Gaia smirked. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t let you loose on the world without supervision.” She snapped her fingers and another young woman appeared. She looked exotic and was wearing colorful silks in the style of a belly-dancing costume. “Where were you, Thalia?”
“Just having a bit of fun,” the young woman said and chuckled. “Some kid found a beer can on the beach and rubbed it, wishing for a genie.”
Mother Nature rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes… you’d get along just fine. Bliss, this is Thalia, the muse of comedy. If you take the offer, she’d show you how to be a muse. And, Thalia…” Gaia pointed to Bliss. “This one doesn’t need you putting crazy ideas in her head. She has enough of those already. I’d just need you to teach her to be a well-behaved minor goddess.”
“Of course.” Thalia bowed to Mother Nature and rested a hand on Bliss’s shoulder. “You can count on me. What will she be the muse of?”
Mother Nature pointed to the middle of the room where a desk and computer appeared. “Keeping electronic communication healthy. Not poetry readings like the rest of you ninnies. She’ll be in charge of the Internet.”
“Whoa.” Bliss held up one hand. “Don’t I get a vote? Because if I still have a shred of free will, I don’t want the job.”
Thalia muttered, “Damn! Me and my sisters would love to be rid of that responsibility.”
Bliss shrugged. “Sorry.”
Mother Nature folded her arms. “Are you sure?”
Thalia draped an arm around her shoulder. “We could have so much fun! Think of the video bloopers. You should at least try it.” Thalia pointed directly at her. “Don’t touch the politically incorrect jokes, though. The jokes are mine.”
Bliss was tempted to back away. “Watch where you point that thing.”
Thalia leaned back and laughed.
“Look, you make it sound like fun,” Bliss said. “But I’ll bet there’s a whole lot of unfun stuff you’re not telling me about.”
Gaia straightened to her full height. Actually higher than her full height. She appeared to be hovering a few inches off the ground. Thunderclouds appeared in her eyes.
Oh, shit. Now I’m in for it.
Just as unexpectedly, Gaia floated to the floor and her whole demeanor changed. “How about a bribe? If you live in this little hovel, you can’t be making that much. Here’s a money tree.” Gaia pointed to the spot where she’d put the desk, and it disappeared. A second later a tree with rectangular leaves replaced it.
Are you kidding me? Bliss strolled over to the tree and plucked a crisp hundred-dollar bill from a low branch. With her mouth hanging open, she swiveled toward Gaia. “You can do that?”
“Of course I can. I’m Mother-freakin’-Nature. If I want a tree to grow puppies, I can make one.”
Bliss was too blown away to speak. Drake ambled over to her and put his arm around her waist. “I have some money saved up to buy us a bigger place. We don’t need to rely on Mother Nature to provide for us.”
Her gaze swept over the tree. It was firmly rooted in the floor. The ceiling was high enough to accommodate several branches, and there must have been thousands of dollars on it.
“I reward my muses. The last one wanted her own gallery on Newbury Street. That wasn’t cheap, either. Believe me.”
Thalia chuckled. “Actually, I think the tree is kind of brilliant. Unless there’s something else you want…”