Page 5 of Hercules

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I forgot that today was the day we’d agreed to go to Sam’s office—”

“You mean the day you promised you’d set up an actual meeting for me at Sam’s office?”

“I did call about it! But he wasn’t in, and they told me to call back, and then Biki and Kietsu got here. When I called Reks to thank him, he went on and on about how miserable he is in Japan. He says it’s raining everywhere. Even snowing!”

“Which he did know when they booked him for dates there in January?”

“You know he had little say about all that.”

Lois fumed. She had no whip to crack back at that. But as she expected, Nat was ready with a battle strategy of her own—starting with a charm-filled pout that the woman seriously needed to trademark for its effectiveness.

“I was just thinking, that if you covered for me, I could hop on a flight tonight and be there by the time he finishes the Budokan set. He has a day off after that, before the gig in Yokohama. Oh em gee, Lo, he’ll be so surprised and happy! Best of all, I’ll be going incognito, so the press won’t know anything. We can have some real time together without all that pressure. And…and…”

Lois directed her to silence by curling a hand upward. A shockingly steady, even graceful, hand.

“You know, it’s going to be hard to blend into the walls with makeup like that,” she finally groused. “Even in a Budokan crowd.”

Nat choked short and sniffled. “So…you’ll really do it?”

“On the sole condition that you’re not making me take care of the new…pets.” More grace she wasn’t anticipating, solely because she wasn’t sure what metaphors fit for the chinches. They were kind of cute, if one enjoyed mice that didn’t dance on theme park floats or scramble through the pantry with germs on their feet. Ermmm…their paws?

And there was the visceral motivation for moving back toward her car—until Nat’s high, forced laugh stopped her short.

“Oh my gawd. Well, of course not. The cute girl from the breeder’s said she’d be happy to come check on them, as well as Miles and Gwen.”

Lo pivoted. Not all the way back, but knowing her favorite pair of feisty doggos hadn’t been booted for the magic mice was an instant heart softener.

“Okay…that’s good.” She hitched half a smile. “How long will you be gone? And what can I do while you’re gone across the big blue? Catalogue the song journals? Lock down the recording sessions for next month? Start looking for some solid studio guys?” All long-term goals she’d been discussing with Natasha for a few weeks and could finish when Nat wasn’t craving last-minute smoothies from across or needing to day-trip in Santa Barbara for “inspiration”.

“Those all sound great!” the woman replied with a bright smile.

Too bright.

Lois caught herself half an inch short from a full side-eye. She channeled the vibe differently, instead muttering, “Buuut…?”

And, as soon as Nat set Kietsu down in order to tightly twine her fingers, knew the side-eye would’ve been the better choice. Or maybe just a direct glare.

“I…sort of need to ask…for a more short-term favor.”

Okay, not too late for the glare. She dug deep, wondering where the hell it was, while gritting back, “A favor…like what?”

And just like that, she lost it again—unless it was hiding beneath the fresh bricks in her throat and the boulder of despair in her belly. There was no use looking anymore, since Natasha already threw down the throttle on her own expression. That damn whimper of feeble femininity scored the woman everything from free shoes and sample gowns to concert tickets and comped smoothies at that awful place across town.

“Oh, mmmph. You’ll probably say no.”

“You’re right,” Lois bit out. “I probably will.”

“Lo. Ohhh, Lo, Lo, Lo. Please. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t truly important!”

“That’s what you said last time.”

“That’s also what I said when we first met.”

And there it was. The line that Lois could’ve—maybe should’ve—mouthed along with the woman, who now slid her hands out to brace at her waist. And why not? The stance perfectly matched the new hauteur in her

“Yet even though I said it was like looking in a mirror, even after realizing you were making tip money by looking exactly like me, I didn’t once mention dragging you into court for at least a dozen broken laws, right then and there—”

Lois huffed. “A dozen?”