The God and the Siren (Loki Romance)

Chapter Seventeen

Taking a nap in the middle of the day always feels so strange. Some part of me wakes up feeling like it's the next day, especially if it's a long, deep nap—like the one I just took. It was December 23rd when I fell asleep, and December 23rd when I woke up amidst the cornucopia of pillows and blankets on this ginormous bed.

It's already getting dark outside, and with the onset of darkness has come an announcement—we ladies are going out. Sif, Pepper, and myself. Just for drinks mostly, to check out the surrounding neighborhood—no one really has the energy for much else. The men, especially, are firmly rooted on the couches out in the living area, in front of a massive fire that they must've started while I was still asleep.

This of course, has prompted me to take a shower and bring myself back to a semi-presentable state.

"What's the point?" Pepper asks, standing next to me in the bathroom—looking at her reflection from over the counter, as 'Radioactive' by Imagine Dragons plays from her phone. Sif is leaning against the frame behind us, looking a little uncertain as her gaze passes between us from behind.

"Well you never know who you might meet," I say. "And I'm freshly single, so... I might mingle, if the occasion calls for it."

"Yeah but, you're not planning on going home with anyone, are you?" Pepper asks.

"Oh no—no, not at all," I say earnestly, shaking my head. "But do you remember that friend of mine, Sarah? She met her boyfriend while she was in Barcelona, and they're getting married soon—I mean, assuming all the stuff with his crazy ex-girlfriend goes away."

"Ahhh," Pepper nods. "You're talking about the one that tried to rope him into moving back in with her, huh?"

"Thaaat's the one," I say absently as I brush my curls out and let them drape over my shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Sif interjects behind us. "I'm not quite sure I understand this custom—at least, I'm not quite understanding why you two are treating this outing so ritualistically."

"It practically is a ritual. We're not even getting into the full scope of it tonight," I say laughingly, turning toward her as I lean against the counter with my arms crossed over my shapely trench coat. "Usually we'd be getting so dolled up. Looking our absolute best, assigning designated drivers..." my voice trails off.

"And you anticipate... meeting people, in such outings?"

I bob my head to the side, wondering whether the culture on Asgard is really so different from Midgard that they don't have 'girls' nights.'

"In a way," I say with a nod. "If you're single, you can mingle and talk to people, see if you meet anyone that catches your interest."

"And if you're not single," Pepper remarks sarcastically. "You can get smacked upside the head by your friends."

I smile, and raise a finger in the air. "Yup—the good ones'll set you straight," I say.

Pepper turns to me—eyes widened with amusement. "And the best ones," she croons emphatically. "Will shove your butt toward the cutest guy in the room."

I nod in agreement and look back at Sif. "This is also known as being a wingman!" I say to her.

Her lips are parted in an entertained expression, but all in all, she continues staring at me bemusedly. "Right," she murmurs. "I'm not sure how I'll fare in all this, but we'll see."

"You'll fare just fine—we're not going crazy tonight," says Pepper, picking up her phone with a glimmer of mischief as she scrolls through it. "But next time, we're kicking up the background music a notch..."