Honey and Pepper (When in Pheme Book 1) by A.J. Demas

Author:A.J. Demas [Demas, A.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781988086217
Publisher: Sexton's Cottage
Published: 2022-03-26T18:30:00+00:00

The races went on all morning. None of them was quite as gripping as the first, but to Nikias, sitting next to Kallion, exchanging smiles, picking favourites among the teams, and occasionally holding hands as the chariots neared the finish line, it was all thrilling. Satteia sent Nikias to buy more snacks, so he and Kallion shared a shrimp pastry, which was disappointingly soggy, and Nikias critiqued the cook’s technique.

Polydoros’s children began to get restless during the third race, and their father took them out after it was over. The philosopher in the archon’s section quarrelled with his boyfriend at around the same time and tried to leave in a huff, came back, quarrelled some more, and finally left with the boyfriend trailing glumly behind him. Epaphras stopped trying to talk to Kallion and just enjoyed his wife’s company.

Nikias tried not to hear the familiar voice in his mind, calling the races “the worst excess of the decadent city,” deploring the way they encouraged idleness and gambling among the common people. Well, he was common, and here and now he was free to be common and enjoy common things if he wanted to. And, it turned out, he did.

So did Kallion, for that matter. Kallion had even jumped up and cheered with him at the end of that first race. Nikias had been unreasonably pleased about that.

After the last race, the crowd poured out of the Hippodrome to enjoy the rest of the day off, or to go back to work if they were so unlucky. Nikias and Kallion were next to each other in the press of people leaving, but separated from the rest of their party. Holding hands now was simply a practical necessity.

“Do you want—” Nikias started.

“I’m afraid—oh, sorry. What were you going to say?”

“No, you first.”

“Well, I’m afraid I’ve got to go somewhere for lunch. Otherwise … ”

“Right. With Epaphras and Satteia?” Nikias asked, thinking he could probably invite himself along.

“No, sadly. Or I’d invite you. We’ve sort of got the same patrons now, don’t we? Or, at least, a matched set.” Kallion smiled.

Nikias smiled back. “Well, I was going to invite you for lunch, just so you know.”

“I know. But I have to see a client.”

The crowd had thinned, and they let go of each other’s hands.

“I understand,” said Nikias, because of course he did.

“Look, I think that’s Widow Pyke waving to you,” said Kallion, pointing. “Well—I’ll see you.”

“Yes. Soon—I’ll see you soon.”

“I had a good time!”

“Me too.”

“I know.”

Pyke overtook Nikias as he stood watching Kallion walking away.

“Was that Hesteus Photionis’s secretary you were talking to?” she asked in surprise.

“No, that handsome young man?” said Pyke’s sister in astonishment. “How chilling!”

Nikias gave her a more annoyed look than he intended and immediately felt bad for it.

“I just meant, you know,” she said, “you expect to be able to see it in people’s faces, don’t you? The evil things they’ve done.”

“He hasn’t done any evil things,” said Nikias automatically.

“Oh, he has,” said Pyke, but with a quelling look at her sister.

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