Getting Her Attention

The midday sun streamed through the dorm’s half-shaded windows, spilling golden light across the cheap wooden table that served as both your dining space and your desk. You sat slouched on one side of it, poking at the remnants of your lunch: a limp sandwich and some reheated fries.

Your outfit was a mix of laziness and an attempt at comfort—black joggers with a slightly snug waistband (thanks, hips), a gray hoodie that hung awkwardly around your chest, and a navy-blue t-shirt underneath that stretched just a bit too much across the front. Underneath it all, the now-familiar combination of a bra and panties, soft and comfortable against your skin except for the cursed tightness of the bra’s band. Every now and then, you shifted uncomfortably, trying to subtly tug it into place without Liam noticing.

“Okay, so, we need to talk about clothes,” Liam said, sitting across from you and digging into a bowl of mac and cheese.

You groaned, leaning back in your chair and popping a cherry lollipop into your mouth to stave off that odd, restless itch. “Do we, though?”

“Yes,” he said firmly, pointing his fork at you. “We can’t just keep pretending this isn’t a thing. That soirée is, what, a week away? And we’re still sitting here in sweatpants and hoodies like we’re about to cram for finals.”

You twirled the lollipop between your teeth, scowling. “First of all, you’re wearing sweatpants, not me. Second, do you have any idea how much money it’s going to take to get me looking… like…” You gestured vaguely to your chest, your waist, everything that didn’t feel like you anymore. “Like that?”

Liam shrugged. “It’s not about you looking feminine, man. It’s about looking rich. And rich people, as far as I can tell, wear ridiculous, overpriced stuff that looks like it belongs in a museum, not on a person.”

“Great,” you muttered. “I’ll just raid the nearest ancient Greek statue for fashion tips.”

That earned you a smirk from Liam, but the conversation quickly turned more serious.

“I'm just saying, we need to dip into our savings,” he said, his tone cautious.

You bristled immediately. “You mean my savings. I already told you I don’t want you throwing more money into this mess. It’s bad enough you’ve—”

“Stop,” he interrupted, his voice firm. “We’ve been through this. I’m not letting you crash and burn here, dude. If it takes some cash to help you out, so be it.”

The tension between you grew thick enough to cut with a knife. You both lapsed into silence, the sound of forks scraping plates filling the room.

Finally, Liam leaned back and crossed his arms. “Okay, fine. Let’s say we figure out the clothes situation later. What about the invite? We’re not getting anywhere near Damian Kane without one.”

You sighed, pulling the lollipop out of your mouth with a soft pop. “I hate to say it, but… we might need to call Aphrodite for help.”

Liam’s face twisted into a grimace. “Oh, great. Because nothing screams ‘I’m doing fine’ like groveling to the goddess who cursed you in the first place.”

“Do you think I want to call her?” you shot back. “She’s the reason I’m sitting here in this too-tight bra trying to figure out how to make a billionaire fall for me!”

He snorted, but then his expression turned thoughtful. “Okay. So… how do we get her to show up? She always seems to pop in at the worst times. How do we make her come when we actually need her?”

“Maybe… I don’t know. Do something really vain?” you suggested.

“Define ‘vain.’”

You tapped the lollipop against your lips, thinking. “Like… what if I sat in front of a mirror and just complimented myself for an hour?”

Liam laughed. “Yeah, because she totally doesn’t already think you’re full of yourself.”

“Fine. What if we… I don’t know, staged some kind of love triangle? Like, made it look like you’re in love with me and I’m in love with someone else?”

“Pass,” Liam said immediately, raising his hands. “I’m not fake-flirting with you.”

You groaned. “Okay, what about something sexier? She’s all about that, right?”

Liam gave you a skeptical look. “What are you suggesting?”

You shrugged, already feeling ridiculous. “I don’t know, maybe I prance around in a toga or something? She’s Greek. Greeks like togas.”

He burst out laughing, nearly **** on his mac and cheese. “You’re seriously going to sit here, in your hoodie and joggers, and tell me you’d wear a toga to summon a goddess?”

“**** times,” you muttered.

“What’s next? You light candles and do a strip tease?”

“…Would that work?”

“No!”

You both dissolved into laughter, the tension from earlier easing slightly. But as the giggles subsided, the reality of the situation settled back over you.

“Okay,” Liam said finally. “Let’s try this: we set up something Aphrodite can’t resist. Like… some kind of love confession. That’s her thing, right?”

You raised an eyebrow. “You want me to confess my undying love to… who? You?”

Liam smirked. “Hey, I’m just saying it might work. I’m a catch.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help a small smile. “Fine. Let’s try it. She's dying to set us up together anyway.”

As absurd as it sounded, it was a plan.

The dorm felt suffocating as you paced back and forth, the reality of what you were about to do pressing down on you like a physical weight. You could see Liam leaning against his desk, his face an odd mix of amusement and discomfort as he watched you spiral.

“This is so weird,” you muttered, tugging at the too-tight neckline of your hoodie. The fabric strained slightly as your chest rose with a deep, unsteady breath.

“It’s only weird if we make it weird,” Liam said, smirking.

“It’s already weird,” you shot back, pointing at him with the cherry lollipop you’d been nervously sucking on for the past ten minutes. “You’re my best friend. I’ve known you since we were, like, twelve. Asking you to be my boyfriend is—”

“Relax,” he interrupted, straightening up. “It’s not real. It’s just to get her to show up. You can survive five minutes of fake flirting, okay?”

You exhaled heavily, shaking your head but relenting. “Fine. Let’s do this.”

The two of you moved to the center of the room, standing awkwardly a few feet apart. You rubbed the back of your neck, glancing anywhere but at him.

“Okay,” you said. “Here goes.”

You took a deep breath and let the lollipop fall from your lips, trying to steady yourself.

“Liam, I…” you started, your voice faltering. “I need to tell you something.”

Liam raised an eyebrow, his expression somewhere between serious and teasing. “Go on.”

You **** yourself to look him in the eye, and the words tumbled out in a rush. “I think I have feelings for you. Like, more-than-friends feelings.”

Liam blinked, clearly holding back laughter. “Oh, wow. Uh… really?”

You glared at him. “Play along!” you hissed.

“Right, right,” he said, clearing his throat and schooling his features. “I mean… wow, that’s… I don’t know what to say.”

You pressed on, stumbling over your words. “I know this is weird, and I know I’m not exactly, uh, myself right now, but… I can’t help it. You’ve been there for me through everything, and I… I think I’m falling for you.”

The silence that followed was unbearable. Liam scratched the back of his head, looking everywhere but at you, before finally answering. “Well, I guess… I feel the same way.”

As the words left his mouth, you cringed internally, praying to every god in the pantheon that this would work.

And then, as if on cue, a soft golden glow filled the room.

“Oh, how precious!” a voice cooed, dripping with amusement.

You turned to find her standing there, leaning casually against the doorframe as if she’d always been part of the room. Aphrodite, in all her radiant glory.

Her form was breathtaking, of course. She’d chosen to appear as a tall, statuesque woman, her golden-blonde hair cascading in loose, voluminous waves over her shoulders. Her skin glowed with a soft, sun-kissed hue, and her full lips curved into a knowing smirk. She wore a fitted, cropped white tank top that clung to her generous chest, leaving her toned midriff on full display, paired with snug, high-waisted jeans that accentuated her hourglass figure. A delicate gold chain rested just above the swell of her cleavage, catching the light every time she moved.

Her eyes—an unnatural, mesmerizing shade of shimmering turquoise—flicked between you and Liam with barely contained laughter.

“Well, isn’t this adorable,” she said, folding her arms under her chest, which only served to emphasize her ample curves. “My cursed little mortal finally confessing her love. I never thought I’d see the day.”

You could feel your face heating, a mixture of embarrassment and laughter boiling under your skin. “It’s not—”

“Don’t even try to deny it,” she interrupted, sauntering into the room. Her bare feet made no sound against the floor, but her presence was impossible to ignore. “I felt the passion from Olympus. And let me tell you, the gods are losing their minds over this.”

Liam coughed, clearly struggling to keep a straight face. “Uh, yeah. Totally passionate. That’s us.”

The golden light dimmed slightly as Aphrodite’s laughter echoed through the room, her turquoise eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Oh, you two,” she cooed, brushing a strand of golden hair off her shoulder. “I almost want to bless this union myself. It’s just so—”

Liam suddenly snorted, the sound breaking through her words like a needle scratching a record.

“What’s so funny?” Aphrodite asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

You couldn’t help it. A chuckle bubbled up from your throat, and before you knew it, you and Liam were both doubled over, laughing uncontrollably.

“Oh my gods,” Liam wheezed, clutching his stomach. “I can’t believe that actually worked!”

“She really thought—” you tried to speak but dissolved into another fit of giggles, the absurdity of the moment hitting you all at once.

Aphrodite’s expression darkened in an instant. The playful smirk vanished, replaced by a glare that could’ve scorched the earth. “What?”

“It was just a prank!” Liam said, barely able to catch his breath. “We only pretended to be in love to get you here!”

Your sides hurt from laughing, and you leaned against Liam for support. “I can’t believe you fell for it!” you managed, tears streaming from your eyes.

Aphrodite’s face turned an alarming shade of crimson. The air around her grew heavy, crackling with a faint golden energy.

“You dare mock me?” Her voice was low and dangerous, each word dripping with barely restrained fury.

The laughter died in your throat. Liam’s grin faltered as he straightened up, suddenly looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.

“Uh… it was all in good fun?” he tried, his voice weak.

Aphrodite took a step forward, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. “Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with?” she hissed, her voice as sharp as a blade. “I am Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. I have ended _wars _with a glance and shattered kingdoms with a whisper. You think you can just toy with me like some mortal fool?”

You swallowed hard, every ounce of bravado evaporating under her glare. “W-we didn’t mean any disrespect,” you stammered.

Her piercing gaze shifted to you, pinning you in place like a butterfly under glass. “Disrespect?” she repeated, her tone mocking. “You humiliate me and dare to laugh in my presence, and you call it disrespect?”

Liam stepped forward, his hands raised in a placating gesture. “Okay, okay, we messed up. Big time. We’re sorry. Really sorry.”

Aphrodite’s eyes narrowed, but the golden energy surrounding her began to dissipate. She let out a slow, measured breath, visibly reigning in her temper.

“Lucky for you,” she said, her voice still icy, “I’m feeling merciful... well, kind of. But don’t think for a second that I’ve forgotten this. You owe me more than you already did.”

You nodded quickly, your mouth dry. “Understood. Completely understood.”

Aphrodite straightened, her radiant beauty as intimidating as ever. “Now, tell me why you called me here before I decide you’re not worth my time.”

It took you a moment to find your voice, and you glanced at Liam for support. He gave you a small nod, silently urging you to continue.

“We need your help with Damian Kane,” you said finally. “We’ve done some research, but getting access to him—real access—is going to be impossible without… divine intervention.”

Aphrodite raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. “And you think I’m just going to hand you a golden ticket because you asked nicely?”

“No,” Liam said, stepping in. “We’re asking because this trial is your game. You’re the one who cursed him. If you want him to succeed, you need to give him a fair shot.”

Her lips curved into a small, dangerous smile. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, mortal. But fine. I’ll consider it. What exactly do you need?”

You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding. “We need an invite to the Vanguard Gala. And we need something that’ll get us in without raising suspicion.”

Aphrodite tapped a perfectly manicured nail against her bottom lip, pretending to think. “An invite, hmm? That’s simple enough. I’ll take care of it.”

Both you and Liam blinked in surprise. “Really?”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t look so shocked. I may be furious with you, but I’m not about to let my entertainment flop because you can’t get past a bouncer. I’ll have the invitation delivered tomorrow.”

You exchanged a relieved glance with Liam, and for the first time in what felt like forever, you felt a glimmer of hope.

“Thank you,” you said, your voice earnest.

Aphrodite smirked, her turquoise eyes glinting. “Oh, don’t thank me yet. You’ll regret it soon enough.”