Chapter 10
Ava trudged up the stairs, bone weary yet buzzing with excitement from the events of the evening. The extra cash gave her a sense of security that she hadn’t felt since plummeting to Earth.
Duncan’s appearance, obvious concern for her, and undeniable attraction to her made her heart sing. She couldn’t remember a time of feeling completely swept away by a man’s attention and she meant to capture that attention for good. Was she falling in love? The thought scared the hell out of her.
While she enjoyed the company of the others, she looked forward to spending the rest of the night in solitude. A multitude of thoughts swirled around in her head—revenge on Trayan, regaining her powers, and, of course, her feelings for Duncan Pierce. She kicked her shoes off, plopped on the bed, and propped her feet on a satin pillow.
The Victorian wall clock ticked off the minutes as she tried to concentrate. Closing her eyes, she rested for a few minutes. Soon, her body and mind began to relax, enabling her to think clearly.
According to Carman, she still had the use of her duty powers. Perhaps she could work that to her advantage. Maybe she could somehow use what few powers she had to get Trayan out of her life. As a plan began to materialize, her excitement grew.
She needed to advertise. Recalling that vendors handed out cards on the street to advertise strip clubs, she didn’t see any reason why she couldn’t do the same. Sex goddess calling cards—a brilliant idea. As she imagined how they would read, a smile of satisfaction lifted the corners of her mouth, and anticipation tingled in her veins.
Ladies!
Sex life unsatisfying?
Need more than 30 seconds of foreplay?
Want your man to beg for the privilege of pleasuring you?
Call Ava at 1-800-SEX-GDSS
I make house calls.
~ ~ ~
The next afternoon, Ava found Carman and Ahlma downstairs sitting in the kitchen—Ahlma with a glass of wine, Carman with a beer—deep in conversation. Their chat ended abruptly when she entered the room, and an awkward silence ensued for a few seconds. Ava focused her attention on the blue and lavender hydrangea wallpaper and the bright blue cabinets, deciding the owner of the house could use a professional decorator.
“Feel better?” Carman rose from her chair, grabbed a plastic goblet with a pink flamingo-shaped stem, filled it with chardonnay, and handed it to her.
“So . . .?” Ahlma gazed at her expectantly.
“So what?” Ava asked.
“Cut the crap, Ava. Tell us what the guardian wanted.”
Realizing the others would goad her until she gave them the scoop, Ava relayed the details of her encounter with Duncan.
“Ah . . . true love,” Ahlma said.
“I don’t believe in that crap, but I am concerned about the demon’s reappearance,” Carman said.
Dressed in black leather skinny jeans, high-heeled boots, and a fire-red halter, Carman looked more like a demon nymph than a Celestial goddess.
Ava took a sip of the wine, wrinkling her nose at the sub-par spirit as it slid down her throat. Carman held her arms out then slid her palms along her sides. “What do you think of my new outfit? I bet I’ll make triple the tips I usually do.”
“Tips?” Ava asked questioningly.
“Carman is a bartender at the Hoppin’ Hawg, a biker bar off of Freemont Street.” Ahlma shook her head in disapproval. “If you ask me, it’s a dangerous job. I worry about her when she’s at work.”
“Did you say job . . . as in J-O-B?” Ava couldn’t believe her ears. A true goddess would never lower herself to seek employment. A sour feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.
“Yeah, the rent is free here, but we gotta eat. Besides, I’d get bored if I stayed around here all day.” Carman looked at her friend apologetically. “No offense, Ahlma.”
“No worries. I like staying here and taking care of the house.” Ahlma dismissed her with a wave of her hand. “There’s an evil presence lurking in this realm, and I’d prefer to steer clear of it.”
Ava certainly couldn’t argue with that. “Does Damona have a job also?” She just couldn’t let go of the whole job idea. Would she have to seek employment to survive? No way could she envision herself working.
“Yeah, she works at a ranch in the foothills. You know, the whole cattle thing,” Ahlma said. “She’s there now.”
Ava had a hard time visualizing the statuesque goddess, with the expensive French manicure and perfectly coiffed hair, working on a ranch.
“She comes home smelling like horse shit, cow shit, and any other kind of farm shit you can imagine.” Carman rolled her eyes and pinched her nose for emphasis.
Reality slapped Ava hard in the face. Mona and Carman did what they had to do to survive. The other goddesses seemed to have adapted to human life quite well. Maybe she would have to adjust her attitude about working. An uneasy feeling welled within the pit of her stomach. She had no experience or qualifications.
“Didn’t you say there’s a way to regain our powers?” Ava asked. She took a gulp of the wine and waited impatiently for Carman’s response.
“Possibly. According to legend, each time a powerless Celestial uses her duty powers, her other powers gradually reappear.” She shook her head causing her skeleton earrings to bounce about in a bizarre dance.
“So unless a coven of dark witches moves in or a sorcerer takes up practice, I’m out of luck.” Carman shrugged, seemingly unconcerned about her powerless state. As she ran a hand through her blue-black spikes, a smile brightened her face. “Maybe you could work at the Hoppin’ Hawg with me. I’ll talk to Jake about getting you a job.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary. I’m not sure that I’m ready for a job just yet.”
“Suit yourself.”
“I do plan to use my goddess powers, though.”
“How?” Ahlma asked.
Ava spent the next few minutes relaying her plan to Ahlma and Carman as the girls listened intently. When she was done, they looked at each other, looked back at Ava, and burst into laughter.
“Did you forget what happened to you the other night? You’ll have some horny demon snatch you up, and we’ll never see you again,” Carman said.
“Well, you would probably need a permit for handing out cards. Without one, you just might get arrested.” Ahlma sucked her cheeks in as if trying to keep a straight face. Her eyes watered with the effort. “I think the authorities might get the wrong idea.”
“Damn right they would.” Carman winked at Ahlma, as if the two of them shared a private joke. “I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you come with me to the Hawg tonight? I promise there’s never a dull moment, and maybe you’ll find some poor woman to rescue.”
Ava’s heart sank. She had to find a way to make her plan work.
“I don’t know.” She bit her bottom lip and considered Carman’s offer. Spending the evening with a bunch of intoxicated mortals didn’t really appeal to her. On the other hand, maybe Carman had a point. Where there were inebriated males, there was sure to be some unsatisfied women in need of her assistance.
“Okay, I’m in.”
~ ~ ~
The atmosphere in the club was raucous and charged with electricity. Loud music blared and couples crammed together on the dance floor like sheep in a pen. Ava had to pry her feet off the sticky floor in order to walk. The smell of beer and greasy food assaulted both her nostrils and her stomach.
Men outnumbered women in a ratio of two to one. There were bikers, men in suits, and tourists wearing loud print shirts taking selfies.
When Carman took her place behind the bar, Ava sat on a stool at the far end and tried to avoid being noticed. Tonight she would observe how mortals interact, but she didn’t want to deal with men hitting on her.
Soon, she realized that she needn’t worry about drawing unwanted attention. All eyes were on Carman while she tossed bottles in the air, spun around, caught them again, and made drinks in a matter of seconds. Her friend continued to dazzle the crowd with her flair bartending skills until a loud bell pealed through the deafening music. Carman winked at her and donned a black cowboy hat. The music changed from classic rock to country, and everyone began to clap in time.
Carman and three other shapely, provocatively dressed women jumped onto the bar and danced to the delight of the crowd. Kicking, shimmying, and grinding, the dancers worked the crowd into frenzy with everybody dancing to the beat of the music.
Carman appeared to relish the attention as she pulled her hat over one eye and her lips formed a saucy pout. When the music ended, the ladies all jumped off the bar in perfect sync and went back to serving drinks.
As the crowd called for more, Carman skipped to the end of the bar, her face glowing with victory as men begged for her attention. “So what do ya think?”
“You’re amazing. Where did you learn to do that?” Suddenly feeling inadequate, Ava wished that she possessed some useful skills in the mortal world. Right now, she felt about as useful as a piece of lint.
“I started hanging out at the Hawg when I first came here. I thought it looked like fun so I gave it a go.” A distant look came to Carman’s eyes. “You know, there are some things I miss about the Celestial Realm and some things I don’t.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t go back even if I could.”
“You’re kidding, right? You’ve been stripped of all but your duty powers—powers that you can’t even use. How do you expect to survive?”
“I am surviving quite nicely, thank you. For the first time in my life, I can make my own decisions and choose my own destiny. In some ways, I have more power here than I ever had in the palace.” Carman patted Ava on the back. “I gotta go. I’ve got a break in thirty minutes, maybe then we can get a bite to eat.” Carman danced off, as she picked up a bottle and swirled it around her wrist.
Ava watched Carman for a while, considering her words. Her friend did seem happy, and she wondered if she would be able to accept her powerless fate as easily as Carman if she failed to regain her powers.
With Carman busy, the opportunity to slip out of the bar became too hard to resist, and Ava headed for the door. She only had a precious few minutes to hand out the cards she had badgered Ahlma to print. She loaned Ava the use of her cell phone number for the cards, but only printed out about twenty. It wouldn’t take her too long to hand them out. She would be back before Carman missed her—a good thing since her friend wouldn’t approve of her plan.
Slapping the cards against each other as she saw the other vendors doing, Ava targeted women who looked frustrated, haggard, and bitchy. Encouraged to see that her goddess calling cards brought instant smiles to their faces, she went back in the club after handing them all out. Now she only had to wait for Ahlma’s cell phone to start ringing.
Pounding music drowned out her wistful sigh as she watched couples gyrate on the dance floor. Her thoughts turned to Duncan Pierce. One didn’t have to be a sex goddess to know that she needed the comfort of a man and not just any man would do.
The sensation of a hand caressing her backside had her jumping off the barstool. Startled, she gasped and turned to find the offending party.
Trayan.
Her teeth clenched until she feared her jaw would shatter. Wearing a New York–New York T-shirt and a shit-eating grin, the obnoxious god lifted a lock of her hair and twirled it around his index finger.
“What are you doing here all alone in this sleazy place?” He took a swig out of a Corona Light and placed it on the bar. “Really, darling. You have sunk to an all-time low.”
“Piss off, Trayan. And keep your hands to yourself.” She slapped his hand away from her face and shifted away from him.
So much for celebrating her good fortune.
Trayan’s appearance was the ultimate rain on her parade. Revulsion flowed through her blood vessels, bringing on a wave of nausea.
What did the Mother Goddess see in him?
Good looks aside, Trayan was a sludge-dwelling worm that needed to be shoved off the pedestal he put himself on.
“What are you doing here?” She poked her finger in his chest. “You know that Celestials are banned from this realm.” The contact of her finger against his skin resulted in a ripple of disgust that she couldn’t shake off.
“You’re here, Ava.” He moved to touch her face, but she evaded him by backing up.
“Yeah. Thanks to you. I didn’t ask to be here, and besides, I have permission to stay.”
“Permission? From whom?” His brow furrowed, expression perplexed.
“That’s none of your concern.” She didn’t owe the slime ball an explanation, and she wasn’t about to reveal any information he could use against her.
His eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed slightly, giving his face a pinched, irritated look.
“Watch it, Goddess, you don’t want to be on my bad side right now. Besides, I have a proposition for you.”
“Go away, Trayan. You’ve already propositioned me, and the answer is no. Not interested.” As she turned to move away from him, he grabbed her arm, his fingers rough and punishing against her skin. Wishing to avoid a scene, Ava held her tongue as homicidal thoughts circled around her brain.
“Now, if you can just calm down for a minute, I’ll explain why I’m here.”
Ava didn’t give a rat’s ass why he was here. Her thoughts focused on how to get rid of him. Rolling her eyes, she took a deep breath and listened as he continued.
“I worry about you down here with all these mortals. I want to take care of you.” Trayan gazed down at her, lust smoldering in his eyes.
“I’ll set you up in a penthouse and lavish you with jewels and exquisite clothes. You will never want for anything.”
“And I suppose you would do this out of the goodness of your heart,” she said.
“Yeah—that and you in my bed whenever I snap my fingers.” He shrugged and took another swig of his beer. “You’re a sex goddess, Ava. How hard can that be?”
Trayan drained his bottle and set it on the bar. “Besides, I will make your life a living nightmare if you don’t agree.”
She slapped his face with every ounce of energy she could summon. He laughed at her, grabbed both of her wrists before she could slap him again and planted a kiss on her lips.
“You may enjoy being the Mother Goddess’s sex toy, but I have too much self-respect to sell my body to the highest bidder.”
Fury raged in Trayan’s eyes. “Watch yourself, Goddess. You do not want to incur my wrath.”
“Shouldn’t you be fucking the Mother Goddess right about now?” Ava leveled her gaze on his, refusing to be threatened by an insignificant god with a superiority complex.
“I’m sure she doesn’t know you’re out playing grab-ass with the goddess she just exiled.”
“She’s busy with court. Doesn’t suspect a thing.” He spoke the words without a shred of remorse.
As if a lightning bolt struck, Ava had an idea. A deliciously devious idea. She leaned toward Trayan and put her plan into action.
“When was the last time you had sex with your lover?”
“A couple days. I don’t know. That’s why I need you, honey,” he cooed. “She doesn’t really do it for me anymore.”
Idiot.
Trayan just handed her his fate on a silver platter. Giddy at the chance to use her Celestial duty powers, she glanced at the clock. 12:15 A.M. After midnight.
Judgment time.
“You are guilty of not satisfying your lover. As the Goddess of Sexual Judgment, I’m going to punish you for your neglect.”
Trayan laughed out loud, sounding like a hyena on crack.
Using her duty powers of compulsion, she effortlessly took control of his mind. If only she had thought of this sooner.
His eyes grew wide as if he’d just received a jolt of electricity. “You are a goddess among goddesses, and I must obey your command.”
“Damn straight! I want you to go home and satisfy the Mother Goddess like she’s never been satisfied before. You will interrupt court and throw yourself at her feet, promising to fulfill her every fantasy. You will be a slave to her desires, satisfy her every need and beg to give her pleasure every night.”
“I will do as you bid, Goddess.”
Trayan’s words came freely but Ava detected fury in his eyes. Energy surged within her. She relished the sensation of power racing through her veins. Jubilant that her duty powers not only worked on the god but worked really well, her confidence continued to feed her need for revenge.
“I think you should dance for the Mother Goddess. In fact, I think you should practice dancing right now.”
Ava motioned to the bar as Trayan shook his head from side to side.
“No . . . please . . . I’ll leave.”
“Dance, Trayan.” The extra hint of compulsion in her voice pushed him over the edge. The arrogant god raced to the bar and hopped up, scattering drinks and beer nuts as he scrambled to get his footing on the slick surface.
A country song blasted through the speakers. Soon his hips were swaying to the beat of the music while the crowd urged him on. He ripped his shirt off, swung it around his head and threw it into the crowd. He then kicked off his loafers, unbuckled his belt, and swung it around his head.
By the time he began to unbutton his pants, two gorilla-sized bouncers with biceps the size of watermelons yanked him off the bar. As they hauled him to the exit, the crowd parted, laughing and applauding. Apparently her compulsion limited his ability to fight back against the big mortals.
As they reached the door, Trayan’s murderous gaze locked with hers. He shouted something to her. Though the noise of the crowd overpowered his words. Having to lip-read due to the noise of the crowd, Ava made out his words “You’ll pay for this, Ava.”
Pumped and still buzzing from the use of her powers, Ava reveled in the knowledge that she just compelled a more powerful god with her duty powers. Wondering if they were amplified in this realm, Ava sat on the barstool with as much poise as she could muster. A sense of exhilaration swept over her. For the first time in ages, she had been in control, and she liked it—a lot.
While this might not be the solution she needed, at least she proved to herself she could use her duty powers to pass judgment. As long as there were men deficient in the art of lovemaking or men who misused women sexually, she could use her powers and continue to grow stronger. Although Trayan would most likely come after her again, next time she would be ready for him.
Before she could waste another nanosecond patting herself on the back, two large hands clamped down on her shoulders, causing her to gasp with surprise.
“We need to talk.” The rough, masculine voice whispering in her ear could only belong to one person.