CHAPTER 74: [74] TRAPPED BETWEEN DESIGNER BAGS

"—and then Luka just grabs the entire watermelon, one-handed, and yells ’IS MAGNIFICENT DAY FOR FRUIT JUSTICE!’" Xavier flipped the omelet while mimicking Luka’s booming Russian accent. "Everyone in the cafeteria freezes. And Beppo, this kid who records literally everything, he’s scrambling to get his camera ready—"

Elaine’s laughter filled the kitchen, her shoulders shaking as she leaned against the counter. "He didn’t actually throw it, did he?"

"Oh, he absolutely did." Xavier sprinkled cheese over the eggs. "Straight up into the air. Must have hit the ceiling twenty feet up. And when it came down—"

A soft yawn interrupted his story. Xavier turned to see Calypso standing in the doorway. She wore a silky pink nightgown that fell to mid-thigh, rubbing her eyes like a child waking from a nap. Her nose twitched as she caught the scent of breakfast.

"Why didn’t anyone wake me up?" Calypso pouted, shuffling toward the stove. "I smell cheese omelets."

"Good morning to you too," Xavier said, sliding the finished omelet onto a plate. "And no, you couldn’t have helped cook."

"I’m getting better!"

"We are not having another pancake incident."

Elaine perked up, coffee cup paused halfway to her lips. "Pancake incident?"

Xavier opened his mouth to answer. "It was—"

"NOOOOO!" Calypso lunged across the kitchen, slapping her hand over Xavier’s mouth. "We don’t need to talk about that!"

Xavier’s eyes crinkled at the corners. Without breaking eye contact, he slowly ran his tongue across her palm.

"Ew!" Calypso yanked her hand away, her face scrunching. She wiped her palm deliberately across the front of Xavier’s t-shirt. "That’s so gross."

"You started it," Xavier said, turning back to the stove. "Mom, how do you like your eggs?"

"Over medium, please." Elaine watched the interaction with poorly concealed amusement. "So, about this pancake incident..."

"There was no incident," Calypso said firmly, accepting a mug of coffee from Xavier. "Just a small misunderstanding between me and the fire alarm."

"And the flour," Xavier added. "And the eggs. And somehow the toaster, which wasn’t even involved in the pancake-making process."

Calypso stuck her tongue out at him before taking a sip of coffee. Her phone buzzed on the counter, then buzzed again. And again. She frowned, picking it up to check the notifications.

"Oh no," she groaned, scrolling through messages. "I completely forgot."

"Forgot what?" Xavier asked, sliding another omelet onto a plate.

"The girls." Calypso looked up. "Naomi, Margaret, Selena, and Ashley. We’re supposed to go to Meridian Mall in..." She checked the time. "Three hours."

Xavier nearly dropped the spatula. "That’s today?"

"You forgot too?" Calypso accused.

"They aren’t my friends." Xavier ran a hand through his hair. He’d been looking forward to a lazy Saturday with no obligations. Plus, his mother was visiting. "Can’t you reschedule?"

"They’ve been planning this all week. Ashley’s driver is picking everyone up." Calypso bit her lip. "And I kind of want to go."

"Well, I can’t go," Xavier said, turning back to the stove. "Mom’s here, and I’m not leaving her alone on her first day visiting."

Elaine waved a dismissive hand. "Don’t use me as an excuse. I have errands to run anyway." She sipped her coffee. "I’ll be fine on my own for a few hours."

"See?" Calypso brightened. "Problem solved!"

Xavier shot her a look that clearly said: I don’t want to go shopping with your new girlfriends.

Calypso returned an equally clear expression: Too bad. Two hundred meter limit, remember?

Elaine watched this silent exchange with interest. "You two communicate like an old married couple."

"Distant cousins," Xavier corrected automatically.

"Right." Elaine didn’t sound convinced. "Well, these distant cousins should finish breakfast and get ready for their mall trip. I’ll clean up the kitchen."

"You don’t have to do that," Xavier protested.

"I insist." Elaine took the spatula from him. "Consider it payment for the omelet. Now eat."

Twenty minutes later, Xavier sat on the edge of his bed, watching Calypso rummage through the closet they shared. She’d already discarded three outfits onto the floor.

"Just pick something," he grumbled.

"It’s not that simple." Calypso held up two blouses, both nearly identical shades of blue to Xavier’s eyes. "This is my first real girls’ day out. Ever."

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "You never hung out with other goddesses?"

"That’s different. Athena wants to discuss battle strategy. Aphrodite wants to talk about her latest lover. Artemis just complains about men." Calypso tossed both blouses aside and pulled out a pink sundress. "This is normal girl stuff. Shopping. Gossip. Maybe those fruity drinks with the little umbrellas."

Xavier leaned back on his hands. "The blue one, it brings out the pink in your eyes."

Calypso smiled. "Thanks."

"Don’t mention it." Xavier stood up. "I’ll get dressed in the bathroom."

In the bathroom, Xavier found his mother applying mascara. She wore casual clothes—jeans and a simple blouse—but still managed to look elegant.

"Sorry about the mall thing," Xavier said, reaching around her for his toothbrush. "I didn’t know we had plans today."

"It’s fine." Elaine capped her mascara. "I didn’t exactly call ahead."

"Still. I wanted to spend time with you."

Elaine studied him in the mirror. "You seem different, Xavier."

He froze, toothbrush halfway to his mouth. "Different how?"

"I’m not sure." She tilted her head. "More... present, maybe? Less distracted than you’ve been the past few years."

Xavier relaxed slightly. She was comparing him to the Xavier from her implanted memories, not noticing he was an entirely different person.

"The academy’s good for me," he said, which wasn’t entirely a lie. "Gives me focus."

"Hmm." Elaine didn’t seem convinced. "And Calypso? Is she good for you too?"

Xavier squeezed toothpaste onto his brush. "She’s... complicated."

"That’s not an answer."

"It’s the only one I’ve got right now."

Elaine sighed, gathering her makeup into a small bag. "Just be careful, Xavier. I’ve seen how you look at her. And how she looks at you when she thinks no one’s watching."

"It’s not like that," Xavier protested.

"If you say so." Elaine patted his cheek.

She left him alone with his thoughts, which had suddenly become much more complicated.

Forty minutes later, Xavier found himself in the back of a sleek black luxury car with tinted windows, squeezed between Calypso and Naomi Phillips. The vehicle belonged to Ashley Martin’s family, and the seating arrangement was clearly not accidental. Naomi had claimed the middle seat, her thigh pressed against Xavier’s despite the ample space.

"So glad you could join us, Xavier," Ashley said from the front passenger seat. She wore designer sunglasses and a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Though this was supposed to be a girls’ day."

"Blame Calypso," Xavier said. "She insisted I come."

"We’re cousins," Calypso added quickly. "We do everything together."

Margaret raised an eyebrow. "Everything?"

"Not everything," Xavier clarified, catching the implication.

"Too bad," Naomi murmured, just loud enough for him to hear. Her tanned skin contrasted with her white outfit, and she smelled of some exotic perfume that smelled really good.

Selena Miller, seated in the third row with Margaret, leaned forward. "The Meridian Mall has a decent men’s section too. Maybe we can help Xavier update his wardrobe."

"My wardrobe is amazing," Xavier protested.

"It’s adequate," Ashley corrected. "But with your bone structure and coloring, you could do so much better."

Oh no... I’ve been trapped.

"I’m just the bag carrier," he said firmly. "I’ll find a coffee shop and wait while you all shop."

"Absolutely not," Naomi declared, patting his knee. "We need a male opinion."

"On what?"

"Everything," all five women said in unison, then burst into laughter.

Xavier sank lower in his seat, already regretting this decision. But as the car pulled into the Meridian Mall’s VIP parking section, he noticed Calypso’s genuine excitement. Her eyes sparkled as she pointed out the mall’s crystal-embedded architecture to Margaret, who nodded enthusiastically.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. At the very least, he could learn more about these women who might become potential Soul Bond candidates. And seeing Calypso happy... that was almost worth the impending shopping torture.

Almost.

"Cheer up, Xavier," Ashley said as they exited the car. "The day has just begun."

That was exactly what Xavier was afraid of.