Intrigue (8 page)

“If a guy put something into my drink, what would you do?”

It didn’t take me a second before I announced, “I would make him cry.”

Clio laughed, “
Exactly!
Why don’t you deserve the same type of respect? Why do you have a backbone with all your friends except him.”

“You mean all
four
of them? Clio don’t you remember all the times Thrace stopped people from tormenting me in elementary and middle school?”

She sighed, “I do, Calli. He helped me as well because I was with you, but that does
not
mean that you have to put up with all the shite he has thrown your way. He was
lucky
to get you, not the other way around. When are you going to realize that?”

It was my turn to laugh, “When I live in bizzaro world, not the real world. And when I don’t see girls constantly throwing themselves at Thrace whenever I turn my back.”

She thought about it for a second and fired back, “Thrace slipping something in your drink is Kreepy with a capital K. It’s stalker, Kreepy. It’s peeping tom, Kreepy. It’s stranger with candy, Kreepy. This might be the best time to break it off if he is pressuring you about sex and booze. I find that guys always need to push you about something, but two things is one too many. I want you to think long and hard about why you love him if he treats you this way before you let this slide.”

I promised her I would think about all her sound advice before I did any forgiving and forgetting. Luckily, she then got me up to speed on her life and her summer romance. Just as I was about to grill her for more details, I heard my parents come in the door. It was after eleven, so I was a little surprised. I alerted her to their presence and started heading downstairs as I heard my dad bellow my name. Clio ended with, “Tell em I said I miss em and call me soon, sweetie.” I replied I would do just that and got off the phone as I walked in the kitchen.

My parents looked suspiciously at my pjs, wet head, and phone in my hand. My best guess was that they just busted Thrace and thought I ran away to avoid detection.

“Clio says hi and that she misses you,” I remarked. Then I asked innocently, “How was dinner?”

My dad got his suspicious face back on and said, “It was fine til we came home and found Thrace throwing a rager.”

I put on a confused face. “Seriously? Jazz, Key, and I were over at his house til about 7 hangin at the pool and grilling out. There were some people around when we left, but it was definitely not a ragin party. How much trouble is Thrace in?” I asked in a concerned manner.

“At least 30 kids, Thrace drunk off his ass. We had to grab everyone’s keys and call their parents to come and get them. Every room was occupied, but the house wasn’t too bad. Someone managed to keep the trash under control, the furniture covered with sheets, and the table had an outdoor tablecloth on it.”

“Well, the tablecloth and the trash bags were definitely me from this afternoon’s grill out. I didn’t want to get anything on Honey’s kitchen table, so I bought an outdoor tablecloth when I went to the grocery store this afternoon. But Thrace and I got in a tif, and it had been a long day and I didn’t feel like dealing with it so I bailed with Jazz and Key. I’m sorry guys, if we had stuck around it probably wouldn’t have gotten out of hand.”

My dad was satisfied, but of course, my mom seemed curious. Dad finally replied in a gruff manner, “Well, I’m glad one of you is capable of using the common sense that God bestowed on you. And you won’t have to worry about making up with Thrace anytime soon, cause that boy is not leaving the house for any reason other than school for a while.”

Mom came over and put her arm around me as she said, “What was the fight about, sweetie?”

I laughed and replied, “Mom, when have I shared those kind of details? It’s bad enough you and Honey trade notes without me giving you gossip for free. You’re just gonna have to find my diary for those kind of secrets.”

She just shook her head and said, “You know you can share those details whenever you want, dear. We will always be on your side no matter what!”

I smiled at her sweetly and replied, “I know, mom, and thanks for the support, but if you don’t mind I am ready to crash.”

I went off to write in my journal and sleep my problems away.

Hermes Field Log: August 2007

I have definitely established a presence in the life of my Aegis. Same gym. Same karate class. And soon exact same class schedule. I also need to figure out what after school activities she’s involved in other than karate. Apollo will be pleased that I have entered her life with little to no suspicion of my true intent. Apollo’s interest does not seem to be romantic in nature, but that might be wishful thinking on my part. I’m afraid she could cast a spell over me—luckily I am Olympian—not your typical male. I planned on becoming her suitor, so I could have complete access to her time—but my feelings keep growing stronger with every day, not more distant. I practically had to stop myself from drowning her boyfriend in the pool at least 3 times tonight. He does not truly value what he has in Calli, but their lives are so intertwined: friendship, family, romance. One thing is for sure after tonight Thrace will self-destruct without any help from me. It seems that human males want immediate gratification in everything. No patience or control. Maybe it is because their lives are so fleeting and short, especially here in Detroit with Ares ruling.

Chapter 6: Understandments

Luckily, I turned off my cell phone before I went to bed last night. When I woke up after sleeping until 10am, I had 20 texts and messages on my phone. Instead of listening to them, I checked my missed call log and saw that many of them were from Thrace. I headed to the shower to clear the cobwebs from my head and got ready for my karate class. I drove myself to class and left a little early to avoid a scene if Thrace decided to come pick me up. Because I was early, I headed to the track and actually found Rafe doing warm-up laps. I fell in step with him when he came around.

I shook my head and increased my pace, “I didn’t bring my phone with me today, and I turned it off last night after I talked to Clio.”

We finished up a mile before we headed to class. No surprise, Thrace was not in class. He also would not have been happy that Rafe took his regular place next to me in the front row. Both Key and Jazz were amused by this turn of events and shot me questioning looks that indicated we would be having further discussions later. Class was the perfect antidote for the previous night. Although my concentration was slightly disrupted when Rafe asked me if I wanted to go check out the Urban Archeologist place. I answered in the affirmative because it sounded interesting, and it allowed me to avoid Thrace—not because I got to hang out with Rafe. After class, it was Key’s turn to spar Rafe, which gave me time to go home, shower again, and change because Rafe said he would pick me up at 2pm.

I heard a knock on the door at exactly 2:00 and was hoping that it was Rafe and not Thrace. My luck today apparently held, and we left in his Explorer. First off, Rafe was one of those guys that opened car doors as well as any other doors for a girl. Although I could in fact open my own door, I found it very chivalrous. I asked how his sparring match with Key went and he replied, “Well, she doesn’t have a career in military interrogation like Jazmine does. She seems like a lovely person. You are lucky to have two such good plane friends. I would like to meet Clio someday as well if she ever comes to Detroit.”

I smiled fondly at his observation and replied, “I have definitely been blessed in my friends, that is for sure.”

Rafe tentatively inquired, “Do they have the same level of drama that seems to follow you around?”

I raised my eyebrow at him and commented, “Half that drama could be laid at your door, I think. The other half is typical once a month drama that definitely had a twist on it this time around. But no, Key tends to be a serial monogamist, and she generally chooses guys that are pretty stable—hence her checklist. Jazz goes through guys like fast food, but she never gets real attached to one in particular.”

We arrived at our destination, and I became utterly fascinated by the building. It was
The Grand Army of the Republic Building
, which was one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in all of Detroit. It was five stories high and looked like an ancient fortress. I think my mouth must have been hanging open as I said, “Nice Digs.”

“Wait until you see the inside. It’s like going to another era as soon as you walk in the door.”

I jumped out of Rafe’s SUV and headed for the GAR front door. Rafe opened the front door for me while guiding me through with his hand on the small of my back. As we walked in, I felt like I was stepping back in time to the 1800’s. They had kept true to the castle like feel with their large antique furniture in dark wood. There were framed civil war memorabilia as well as weaponry hanging from the walls. However, the turret spaces were decorated with pieces that looked like they were perfect for kicking back and relaxing with a book. Rafe let me gawk for several minutes before he started to introduce me to the Director of Detroit Urban Archeologists (DUA).
Dr. Admetus
was a retired professor from University of Michigan’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning.

When I went to shake his hand after our introduction, I remarked, “I knew I should have worn my Spartans shirt.”

He laughed like I hoped he would and commented, “Well, this just means I got my work cut out for me to lure you over to the dark side. If what Rafe tells me is true about your love of architecture and restoration, there is no finer program in this area of the country than UM.”

I smirked and teased back, “Your first mistake is assuming what Rafe tells you is true, and your second is that I am staying in this area of the country, Dr. Admetus.”

Dr. Admetus laughed and replied, “Touché, Calli. There is nothing I love more than a challenge, unless it’s a volunteer.”

“Well Dr. A, this is your lucky day, because I am a definitely a challenge, and I would like to be a volunteer.”

“It was wonderful to meet you. I’m off to an appointment, so I will let Rafe show you around. We look forward to working with you as well as the other students from DAI.”

Rafe led me to one of the empty turret spaces, so we could check out the view. He had his hand at my back again. As I looked back at him, I saw him shaking his head at me, “Is it your goal to charm every male you come in contact with or am I just imagining it?”

I stopped and turned to face him. “I try to save my charms for the unattainable, unavailable, or uncomplicated. It’s less messy that way.”

Rafe leaned against the turret wall as he gazed down at me, “Hmm….which do you think I am—unattainable, unavailable, or uncomplicated?”

“None, which means I truly haven’t tried to charm you.”

Rafe’s eyes sparkled as he asked, “Will you warn me before you do try to charm me? I don’t think I’m equipped to withstand that type of assault.”

“As soon as you prove to me that you are unattainable, unavailable, or uncomplicated, I will take a shot at it.”

He stepped in front of me and held my eyes in his thoughtful hazel gaze, “When I met you, I was both unattainable and unavailable. I just don’t know what my status is anymore. Dr. Admetus was wrong. You are not a challenge. You are a Siren.”

“Whereas you are a charmer who could probably tempt a nun to sin.”

Rafe’s husky voice ran over my skin as he took one of my hands in his, “What if I only want to tempt you?”

My voice and eyes turned serious as I gently removed his hand from mine and stated the obvious; “I have a previous commitment that far outweighs my five day friendship with you. And until I manage to figure out what to do about Thrace, I can’t afford to fall under your spell. So keep your thoughts in the friendship realm for now. We clear?”

Rafe took a step back and stated, “If by clear you mean that I am absolutely on board with the mixed messages we keep sending each other, then by all means, we are crystal clear.”

My gaze traveled upward to admire the beautiful ornate ceiling. Rafe talked me through the history of the building, the architecture, and the renovation that had taken place to return it to its former glory. The beautiful stone castle was designed by Julian Hess and was completed in 1890. The building was created for Civil War Veterans of the Union Army.

Once I absorbed as much history as I could, Rafe introduced me to various volunteers and a few employees that worked in the GAR building. DUA was a non-profit corporation, so they had several events and fundraisers a year to help continue their work. I asked Rafe if he thought Dr. A would consider teaching a class at our high school and incorporate working at DUA as part of the curriculum. We could even research the historic buildings as part of the class. Rafe seemed supportive of the idea, but didn’t know whether Dr. A would have enough time on his hands. We wandered around all five floors as I continually stopped to admire this breathtaking space. We ended up sitting in the top turret as I kicked back and grilled Rafe about everything and anything DUA. Several volunteers passed by and joined in the conversation or showed me what they were currently working on. I was like a kid in a candy store.