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Chapter 21
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Fire and Water Chapter 22
Eliza gathered her thoughts. Finally, she said, “After you collapsed and we saw how bad your injuries had gotten, and so quickly . . . I kinda took off and wound up at the temple of Zeus. I may have yelled at him some . . . just a little bit.” She held her thumb and forefinger fractionally apart. His brows raised in question. “Really?” She nodded. “Yup.” Eliza blew out a breath, then continued. “Well, after some crying and spilling my heart out to Zeus, he sent Apollo to speak with me. Apollo gave me some Ambrosia and told me to . . . put it all over your body,” she finished in a whisper, glancing away as a blush rose up her neck and filled her cheeks. “As in . . . everywhere.” James blinked blankly at her for a second. Then it hit him like a mallet to the head. “Oh,” he said slowly. “Like all over. And this was what again?” “Ambrosia,” she said in exasperation. “The food of the gods, you know. Only it’s closer to olive oil, really. Apollo told me I could put it all over your skin
Fire and Water Chapter 23
Thankfully, after only a few days the side effects of the Ambrosia started to wear off. That first day though, had been ridiculous. Being stuck in a room with limited air movement is not the best place to be when your skin is glowing a dull gold and you smell like the most tantalizing scents in the world. In each class it had seemed every girl—and a few boys—had jockeyed for the position of being closest to him. It had been completely embarrassing to James and he was sure none of his affected classmates were getting any actual work accomplished while he had been around. Even Ms. Allie, his English teach from last year, had stopped him in the hallway and had asked him how he was doing. From the way the incredibly beautiful woman had kept gazing into his eyes and flirting indiscriminately with him, James had feared she would ask him out on a date or something. Gratefully, Tres had shown up acting like a blubbering, love-sick fool. Ms. Allie had laughed at his antics, but the distrac
Fire and Water Chapter 24
He glanced between the two of them and saw the barely contained laughter beneath the surface. James narrowed his eyes petulantly. “Very funny, you two. You know how much I hate this.” Eliza laid a hand on his cheek. “And that’s what makes it so damn funny.” She playfully slapped his face. Blakeney laughed loudly with great mirth. “The two of you keep me feeling young.” “Glad we could be of service,” James mumbled. “Alright. Let’s order some lunch and then Eliza can tell us the big secret.” The older man pulled out his phone. “I think Chef Mariana had some Philly cheese-steaks on the menu today, James you game?” “You don’t even have to ask,” he replied swiftly. Blakeney touched his thumbs to the screen of his phone. “And you Eliza?” he asked her. She pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Can you ask her if she’ll just bring me one of those large chicken Caesar salads?” “I’m sure Mariana won’t mind in the least,” observed Blakeney. He sent the text, then pocketed his phone. “Now, what d
Fire and Water Chapter 25
“You sure you’re good with this?” James asked Tres as he finished packing some hygiene items in a small suitcase. Already a couple pairs of extra clothes had been thrown in, one of which was a nice version of the school’s uniform to wear to meet Christian and his mother. Blakeney had asked he and Eliza to have something nice to represent the Academy properly. His cymbal bag was already waiting by the door and now James was about ready to go meet Eliza so they could be on their way. “What!?” Tres was incredulous. “And miss a perfectly good opportunity to wreak havoc?” His face was filled with indignant disbelief. “Are you crazy? I’m afraid you don’t know me at all.” He turned away and placed a hand to his forehead like a distressed damsel in a Romance novel. “It’s over between us.” James laughed deeply at the antics. “Oh, shut up.” Tres grinned toothily. “Just make sure you and Matt don’t tell anyone,” said James. “And how long do you need again?”
Fire and Water Chapter 26
The clacking of heels could be heard coming from the general direction of the kitchen. Sure enough, Eliza’s mother emerged around the magnificent, sweeping marble staircases and headed in their direction. She was as beautiful as ever. Liz Masters was dressed in a kneelength ivory dress with an ivy-green belt looped around her waist. Her flame-red hair cascaded straight down her back and a single strand of pearls adorned her neckline. Simple elegance. She smiled at the sight of the two of them. “Hello, baby girl.” “Hey, mom,” Eliza said as she and her mother hugged affectionately. He could tell their love had deepened since last year and that they were much closer. Seeing their relationship brought a smile to his own face. Liz stepped back from her daughter. “James,” she smiled warmly at him. “How are you?” He kissed her offered cheek, then said, “Good. Thank you for having me for dinner.” “Nonsense,” Liz waved him off. “You’re always welcome. I just wish you two could stay longer
Fire and Water Chapter 27
The sky was jewel-like, crystalline blue as James pulled the sleek navyblue Mercedes onto the causeway. Driving towards Melbourne beach, he grinned like a kid playing with a shiny new toy for the first time. He looked out over at the water and saw the blazing sun dancing across the waves, the palm trees waving lazily in the cool ocean breeze. Being in this environment brought the book he had read last night to surreal life. To him, the novel was more than just a representation of a man struggling against nature and age. It was a kind of metaphor for life. Sometimes, thought James, we go after our dreams based on preconceived notions and ideals of success and life doesn’t always work out the way we intended. But like the old man, he figured you had to keep going no matter what. Because as is the case with real life, just as in the book, there is always someone watching and learning from your example. James sighed softly as he studied the beauty all around him, the book’s characters r
Fire and Water Chapter 28
The beach was officially crowded. Up and down the strip of white sand by the water, beachgoers were walking to and fro, and loungers laid about soaking up the life-giving rays of sunshine. Out of respect for Eliza, he averted his eyes from the scantily clad girls in every direction. Lucky for them, the hotel had its own strip of beach, so they needn’t have to fight for any place to lay their things. As Eliza laid down their towels, he shucked his flip-flops and slipped his shirt off. “Hey, Mr. Six-pack, don’t give any girls a heart attack,” she taunted him. “Whatever,” he muttered. He was about to add another retort, but his eyes were riveted. Eliza had just come out of her own clothing and the bikini she had on—white with blue horizontal stripes, kind of sailor-ish—accented all of her curves perfectly. It took him a second to realize his mouth was hanging open and he was pretty sure he was drooling. With effort, he closed his mouth as she laid back on the towel. “What? You’re not
Fire and Water Chapter 29
“God,” complained James. “I look like a door-to-door insurance salesman,” he said, remarking on what he was wearing. A pair of pressed khaki chinos, white oxford button-down shirt, and navy-blue tie with diagonal sky-blue stripes were paired up with his nice Doc Martin leather boots. He wished he could have just worn his Chuck’s but Blakeney had said no. To him, he looked like a prep school snob. “I think you look handsome,” Eliza countered. During continued grumblings, she asked, “How long do you think Tres will keep the network down?” Blakeney chuckled jovially as they pulled to a stop in front of the Somers’ house. “I don’t see a problem there. I told Anita to ask him for help when she called late last night.” He laughed deviously. “She has no clue that he’s the one who crashed it in the first place. And apparently the students almost rioted when the satellite and internet shut down, so I’m sure she has her hands full.” Blakeney shook his head. “Well, let’s go.” They ste
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