Extraordinary Love – The Speakeasy

Extraordinary Love

When I was fifteen, a gypsy brushed against me as I wandered through a carnival. She gasped and spun around. “Christos Constantinides!” She pointed a ring-covered finger at me. “You will one day be blessed with Extraordinary Love!” She stared at me with bulging eyes. “Visit my tent later. I charge you nothing. I tell you more then.”

Yeah, right. I knew a setup when I saw it. I don’t know how she knew my name, but it gave me the creeps. I never did visit her tent. Nine years later, I wished I had.

It was early morning as I walked along Shoreline Boulevard. I saw a figure approaching in the distance. Finally, she stopped in front of me. She was a goddess.

I’m not kidding.

She was a real, goddess. You may have heard of her. Does Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love sound familiar? Well, there she was right there, and she was “in” to me. She couldn’t keep her hands off. Guess what Aphrodite likes to do…a LOT. Yeah, lucky me. Even luckier that she knows CPR. Can a guy have heart attack at 24? Yeah, if he’s a mere mortal and THE Venus is screwing his brains out over and over. I wasn’t complaining. Her beauty is indescribable, superhuman. I’m just an average-looking guy, I swear. My folks used to claim we’re related to the Gods, but then every Greek family I know claims that. Maybe they were right?

At the young age of 24, with a superhuman beauty fawning all over me, I wasn’t asking too many questions, you know? Maybe that gypsy wasn’t just playing me after all. This had to be Extraordinary Love

Three weeks, and six more heart attacks later, things got even more interesting. When you’re dating a goddess, you attract even more goddesses. I had dalliances with Hestia and Hebe. Whenever Aphrodite was busy, they kept me busy.

One day, I thought I was dead. Aphrodite confronted me about Hestia and Hebe. The clouds shifted, casting an ominous shadow on the ground. I sighed with relief, waiting for the killing blow. At last I could rest, but she took pity for my mortal weaknesses. Instead, she gave me an amulet, saying, “Rub this whenever any goddess beguiles you. This way, you will remain true to me.”

To be honest, I was kinda disappointed. I thought we were breaking up. Is that crazy? I had long since figured that gypsy from years ago was right. This was indeed an Extraordinary Love. Still…somehow…I wasn’t feeling it. I mean when your date forces otherwise devoted couples to have “affairs” right in the middle of a restaurant just for kicks, well, it isn’t so endearing. Her backhanded compliments like, “Oh you pitiful mortal, you’re so cute,” got old as the months wore on. Almost dying twice a week from cardiac arrest was no charmer either. Aphrodite may have been the Goddess of Love, but not the Goddess of In-Love. Maybe the gypsy was wrong?

That’s when I met Esme. She worked in a pet shop when I saw her playing with the puppies in the display. We locked eyes, and my knees turned to mush. She wasn’t a goddess. She had a little trouble with acne, and one eye was bigger than the other. She was knock-kneed, and had a couple scars on her legs. The way she adored those puppies, I could tell her heart was bigger and warmer than the sun.

She was perfect.

I fell in love with her right then and there. Luckily, she felt the same about me. While Aphrodite was off doing whatever, we spent every second together. Our love grew and grew until I couldn’t imagine life without Esme.

And then Aphrodite found out about her.

“Give up this mortal toy of yours. Come to me,” she said. Her eyes flashed with that love spell she cast so often, but this time I was ready for her. I rubbed the amulet she gave me. She no longer had an effect on me. I figured she’d kill me in a rage, but if I couldn’t be with Esme, I didn’t want to live anyway.

Aphrodite didn’t kill me after all. She just faded out with a tear.

With a smile, I began my future with with the woman I truly loved. I don’t want to seem ungrateful to Aphrodite, but I wanted an Extraordinary Love, and that’s what I found with Esme. Seems that old gypsy was right after all.
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Okies, I just got minutes to get this one in on time. I wrote this for the Speakeasy writing prompt where a whole batch of great writers join to compete each week. This week’s sentence prompt is, “The clouds shifted, casting an ominous shadow on the ground,” and it can be located anywhere in the story. I hope you enjoyed. Here’s this week’s prompt for viewing: http://www.yeahwrite.me/speakeasy/fiction-challenge-161-open/