A sly look passed over Branwen’s face as she settled back on the bench, the wind off the sea gently playing with her golden ringlets. “Oh, you can’t, can you?”
“Um, no?” Rayanne had a feeling she was treading on very thin ice.
Branwen’s eyes narrowed. “We women suffer from this...malady, for a full week every single month. One day and you can’t bear it?” The last was practically a hiss.
“Listen I’m sorry, I don’t know how you do this, but...”
“Begone!”
Branwen clapped her hands together and Rayanne found herself being flung backward through the air. As she tumbled to a stop in her living room, she finally realized the true power of the goddess. She was not just a cute, fluffy next-door-neighbor with a cupcake addiction. She was something to be feared.
Rayanne curled up into a fetal ball. How on earth could she survive a week of this?
BRANWEN CROSSED HER legs and fished another cupcake out of the pastry box. She let out a sigh as she bit into the moist, yummy goodness. Chocolate and raspberry. Did it get any better?
The sun slid out from behind a cloud, turning the sea before her into a sparkling jewel. Ah, Tenby, how she’d missed it.
Here, where people remembered her, she regained some vestiges of her old power. The tales they told of her were ridiculous, of course. Branwen marry an Irish king? As if. Die of a broken heart? What kind of pansy-ass loser died of a broken heart?
She was the freaking goddess of love and beauty. At least they’d gotten that one right.
She glanced down at her body. Humans were such idiots. Back in her day she would still be the goddess of love and beauty. Her large, curvy body would have been sought after, adored. Now?
She shrugged. Each to their own. She just never understood the obsession of humans for whatever latest fad they considered attractive. Why couldn’t the mortals just enjoy what they’d been given?
With a shake of her head she took another bite of cupcake. Nope, she’d never understand.
Branwen eyed a couple sitting on a bench further down the hill below her. Young, passionate, in love. For now. Once upon a time she’d been powerful enough to make sure people didn’t just fall in love, but stayed in love. But when the humans stopped believing in her, she’d lost that power. Like most of the gods and goddesses these days, all she could do now was watch the world go by.
And grant a few wishes.
Granting wishes was easy. It was undoing them that was the problem. That took a very special sort of power. The kind of power that only came when someone really, truly believed. Not only in her, but in themselves.
And Rayanne did not believe. Not yet.
“Oh, but she will,” the goddess whispered. “Oh, yes, she will.”
RAYANNE STARED AT HER paycheck in horror. “There has to be some mistake.”
Lily peered over her shoulder. “Nope, no mistake.”
“But Ryan got paid nearly twice as much for the exact same job.”
Lily gave her a look of disbelief. “Ryan has a penis.”
Rayanne blinked. “Um, what?”
“You’re a woman,” Lily explained patiently. “You should be used to this by now. I don’t care what they say, that whole equality thing is bullshit. It’s a well proven fact that men get paid more for doing the same job. Even if they’re less qualified.”
“That’s outrageous!” Rayanne had never heard of such a thing before. Never even thought such a thing was possible. It was the twenty-first century for crying out loud.
“You’re telling me.” Lily sashayed back to her own desk and began collecting her things. “But what can we do about it? The only people to complain to are men who like being paid more. And legal action is a joke.” She tucked a long lock of dark hair behind her ear. “Seriously, you never noticed this before?”
“I’ve never been in a job where I had anything to compare it to.” Which was true. This was the first time she’d worked as a woman. And been paid as a woman. Frankly, it pissed her off. As if the PMS wasn’t enough of an insult, she was being underpaid, too.
“Well, come on. I know a great place we can drown our sorrows. And fix those cramps.”
Rayanne blushed. “You can tell?”
Lily rolled her eyes as she tugged on her cute, hot-pink trench coat with big silver buttons. “Sweetie, you’ve been clutching your stomach all day. I think it’s time for something a little stronger than Midol, don’t you?”
With a nod, Rayanne pulled on her own peacock-blue trench coat which looked amazing over her plum-colored wrap dress. One thing that didn’t disappoint about being a woman was the wardrobe. Well, except maybe the jeans. They’d been awfully snug when she tried them on last night. It had made Rayanne feel like a fat cow, so she flung them to the back of her closet. Definitely not a sentiment she’d ever had about jeans before.
Rayanne followed Lily out of the office, mesmerized by the gentle sway of the other woman’s hips. Damn. Why hadn’t Ryan ever had the balls to say anything? To ask Lily out, or at least flirt with her a bit?
Because Ryan was a damn fool, that’s why. He’d been too afraid he’d be rejected for what he was. Who he was.
Rayanne had no such fears. Unfortunately, she also had the wrong sort of plumping. It was clear Lily liked men. Which in her present incarnation was too bad for Rayanne.
The Fir Tree Tavern was hopping by the time they got there. The jukebox was blaring Maroon 5 as the bartender served huge glasses of cold beer to locals and tourists alike. Rayanne would have preferred somewhere a little quieter where she and Lily could... Could what? Talk? Flirt?
Get real, girl, she told herself. She’s not into you.
At least, not as Rayanne.
Lily turned and caught Rayanne staring at her. A funny looked crossed her face. “You okay, girl?”
“Yeah, sure.” Rayanne
