RELEASE DATE: 01 July 2020
Meet Venus, Goddess of Love and Romance.
Not the goddess of self-restraint. And certainly not the goddess of patience.
That causes a problem when the desk clerk loses her hotel booking and Venus considers changing her title to Goddess of War. It would look pretty bad if the Goddess of Love failed at her own relationships, after all.
A sassy, light-hearted story about the real meaning of love and romance.
Venus + Seven Reasons
Venus walked through the main door as thunder rolled overhead and the rain began to fall. She glared over her shoulder at the rain then flounced to the front desk of the most expensive hotel in New York City. “Reservation for Vanessa Rome, please.” She gave the concierge her best smile. He didn’t look dazzled.
He tilted his balding head forward to peer at the computer screen. “I’m sorry, ma’am, we don’t have a reservation for anyone by that name.”
Venus sighed. “My Daddy made the reservation for me, can you check for Dios Rome, please?” Again she smiled dazzlingly at him.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but the only reservation we have for that name was last month. My computer shows that no one claimed the room and the card used to reserve it was charged for the full three days. Are you certain you didn’t get your travel dates wrong?”
She did a quick mental count. “Blast, what’s his name changed the calendars, didn’t he?”
“Ma’am?”
“The one with the green shorts,” Venus raged, godly powers overflowing. She wiped away a tear of frustration from her eye. “Daddy never remembers the date changes. The two extra months and the New Year starting in the middle of winter rather than when Persephone returns from Hades. It’s really too much!”
“Of course.” The concierge cleared his throat. “Would you like me to call you a cab, ma’am?”
“A cab?”
“Yes, a cab, we’re fully booked this evening. I can’t offer you a new reservation.”
“You can’t?”
“No, ma’am. We’re full. You will need to go somewhere else.”
Venus’s immortal power surged, her eyes narrowed, and she balled her fists, ready to attack her victim.
“Gregory?” A blonde woman pushed past her, rushing to the concierge.
“Marian?” He stared at her in shock. “I haven’t seen you… I meant to… I can explain…”
“Oh, Gregory, there’s nothing to explain! I understand perfectly and my answer is”—she blushed and looked down—“yes. Yes, I will marry you!”
As the happily reunited couple burst into a frenzy of sweet coos, whispered promises, and lusty kisses, Venus altered the guest book. A few minor changes and the penthouse-with-a-view was hers.
She cleared her throat. “My reservation,” she reminded the lipstick-covered man. “I’d like my room key, thank you. Now.”
“Yes, of course, right away.” He didn’t even question how his full hotel suddenly had a penthouse free.
Venus took the room key with a final look of disgust.
“The room will be ready in an hour.” The woman trying to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation swallowed up the man’s line of patter.
“Jupiter almighty!” Venus swung her multi-colored Fendi handbag and stalked back out into the night. The thunder grumbled overhead as the rain subsided. Her gold Gucci heels clicked on the cement as she tried to breathe the fetid city air.