Demeter paced back and forth in front of the bar.
"So she hired a demon," said Sally. "So what?"
"So what!" hissed Demeter. "She doesn't know what she's doing."
"Then maybe you should have stayed home and taught her everything she needed to know."
Demeter snarled and Sally was lifted into the air. Diana sighed and said, "Put her down, please. We don't need all this drama."
Demeter shook with rage, but dropped Sally to the ground.
"I know you did what you thought you had to do," said Sally, from the floor, "but she needed you to be there, you know."
"She hired a demon," said Demeter, grabbing a bottle from behind the bar. "What are we going to do?"
"Nothing," said Isis. "We aren't going to do anything at all. She's made it perfectly clear she wants to do this on her own and I think we should let her try. It's the right thing to do and she knows where we are, if she needs us."
"I don't like it," said Demeter, throwing herself onto a chair. "Not at all."
"None of us do," said Isis. "But it's what has to be done."
***
"What do you want me to fix?" asked Dirk, standing in front of Persephone's desk. "I checked everything on this floor and the floor below us. I fixed what I saw needed to be fixed. How do I smell?"
Kitty Kitty, brushed up against Dirk's leg. "He smells better. Looks better too."
Persephone smiled at Dirk and told him to sit down.
"I have a few questions," she said.
"Sure. Anything," he replied.
"Who was your boss? I mean I kind of need to know, so I can be ready for...any repercussions."
"He has a lot of names. Hades, Devil, Satan, and..."
"Got it. Is he as bad as the suits and liars make him out to be?"
"Of course not. The thing is, I believe he has a thing for you."
"What makes you say that?" she asked, as calmly as she could.
"He has a picture of you in his chambers. He talks about you all the time. He seems...I don't know...to be kind of infatuated with you. He had been waiting for you for a long time."
"Not too creepy," said Kitty Kitty.
"He said he can't find Mercury and the story can't become real until he does. And I don't think he's crazy about your mom, by the way. Also, he's more beautiful that words can say. All those who are like him are."
"Like him?" she asked.
"You know, angels."
"Great," said Persephone. "Those who are like him. Right. Okay, so this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to be like the rest of the people in the world and ignore what's happening. We can all pretend we never heard any of that and just get on with our lives."
"You think that will work?" asked Kitty Kitty.
"No. But I'm going to do it anyway," she said. "As for you Dirk, just walk around and ask everyone if they need any help. If they do, help them. If no one needs anything, do something creative, write a new program, see how we can make a better product, things like that. Do whatever you feel you want to do."
"I can do that," he said brightly. "And, if I'm not too out of line, I can see why he likes you. You're smart enough to keep up with him, you have a mind of your own and..."
"Yes, well, thank you. Now you should get busy, I have a lot to do and hopefully, so do you."
Dirk stood, bowed toward her, and said, "Thank you for having faith in me."
"Not a problem," she said. "Have a nice day."
"Did you really say, Have a nice day to a demon?" snickered Kitty Kitty, once Dirk was gone.
"Is he alive or dead?"
"Seems alive to me," said the cat.
"He's nice enough," muttered Persephone. "I have a feeling that he's truly grateful for the chance to have a different life and I think he's going to be important to what happens next."
"If you say so."
"There's someone here to see you," said Amy. "And he's gorgeous," she whispered.
"Send him in," said Persephone. To Kitty Kitty, she said, "And so it begins."
Amy was telling the truth, the man walking into her office was gorgeous.
"Sorry to drop in like this, but I'm bad at making appointments," he said, smiling at her.
His clothes are impeccable, she thought, looking him up and down. He's pretty much perfect. The cut of the....
"May I sit down?"
"Sure," she said. "How can I help you?"
Kitty Kitty jumped onto the desk and stared at him.
"No worries cat. Nothing is going to happen here that will need your special talents," he said, smiling.
"That remains to be seen," said Kitty Kitty. And, in any event, one always needs to be prepared."
"Okay, enough of that," said Persephone. "What do you want?"
"I believe you have one of my employees among your people. Aside from that, I would like to take you to dinner."
"I do have a new hire and I decline the dinner invitation."
He laughed softly and grinned. "I see."
"Do you?" she asked.
"May I have my man back?"
"I think that's up to him and he seems to be very happy here."
"While I'm sure that's true, I do have a contract, signed by his father and..."
"As I said, it's entirely up to him," said Persephone.
"Then shall we ask him?"
"Amy, please ask Dirk to come into my office."
"Sure," she said.
Dirk walked in and all the color drained from his face, probably the rest of him too.
"Yes?" he whispered.
"This man claims to have been your boss and he seems to want you back," said Persephone. "I have explained to him, that whether you stay with me, or go with him, is up to you. So, what's it going to be?"
Dirk closed his eyes and stood there shaking. "You. I'm staying with you. I love this job. I like it here and I'm staying with you."
"Thank you Dirk, you can go back to whatever you were doing."
Dirk could barely walk, but managed to make it out of the office. Kitty Kitty watched him go, then looked back at the man.
"Well, now that that's settled," said Persephone, "thanks for stopping by."
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