By Chance: Fate Finds You

Seven --{-@

Ari arrived at the restaurant and looked around as she walked in. It was chic and neat, with crisp lines and tables lined up against the windows. Wine glasses sparkled everywhere, resting on empty tables or tipping as patrons sipped their drinks. The music was an upbeat jazz, and gave the place a nice ambiance. Ari clicked a mental note to bring Cady here for her birthday next month.

She smiled as the hostess greeted her, "Yes, I'm here for the Calen Foster reservation?" she was about 10 minutes early, but she was prepared to wait if need be.

To her surprise, the hostess replied, "Ah yes. He's been waiting a few minutes. Please follow me."

As they went through the restaurant toward the back, Ari began to feel her palms break out in a nervous sweat. She couldn't place why she was wound up so tight. She didn't actually care if this guy liked her, right? Was it her mother's potential disapproval? She took the moment to lick her dry lips and apply some gloss before putting it back in her purse, keeping the young woman she was following in her peripheral vision. They stopped in front of a small table, and Ari saw a pair of slick wingtip shoes standing next to it, so she looked up.

And up and up and up.

Whoosh, he was tall.

Long legs were covered in charcoal slacks, leading to a thin waist and torso, which wore a blazer that was dark grey that matched the pants. The shoulders were defined without being remarkably broad and there was a lean and long neck behind a light grey dress shirt and black tie knot. Ari finally got up to looking the man in the face, and saw a striking set of grey eyes staring back at her from under a high forehead and dark blonde hair that was artfully brushed into a slick not-quite-pompadour. Overall, he looked all business, with a polite smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. She remembered her manners, and reached out to shake the hand he was offering.

"Cal Foster," he said, pumping her hand exactly twice before releasing it and motioning for her to sit before taking the chair on the opposite side of the table. "You're Ariyana. I recognize you from the pictures my mother sent me."

Which means that Ari's mom had sent pics. She felt a ping of anger. What were these bitties doing, creating some sort of demigod Tinder? She stifled her irritation and smiled as she took her seat.

"Nice to meet you, Cal. Call me Ari."

"As you wish." He picked up a wine menu and spoke to the hostess, "Donnez-nous le Domaine Armand que j'ai apporté plus tôt, s'il vous plaît."

She bowed her head and went to do whatever the hell it was that he said. Ari's rough Latin left over from high school told her that the waitress would be bringing something, but that was about it. Cal turned back to Ari, resting his forearms against the table and steepling his fingers as he assessed her.

"You dressed well. I admit I had a question based on the pictures."

Wait, what?!

What f*****g pictures did her mother show him? Ari looked at him quizzically.

"I confirmed with my mother that I would agree to marry an attractive woman. I also requested a business owner, although a bar wasn't quite what I was imagining. It must be successful, for you to dress finely."

Was that a compliment? Ari didn't feel very complimented.

She tried to cool her tone before replying, "It's a nightclub, but yes I do okay for myself. What do you do for a living?"

Cal smiled with pride, showing off perfectly-placed dimples. "I am the top architect at the foremost firm here in Portland."

"Oh? Is your mother in the industry as well?"

Cal smirked before answering, "You could say that."

The wine arrived, and two large glasses were filled about a quarter full before the remainder of the bottle was placed at the center edge of the table. Cal took his glass and downed two decent gulps, before filling his glass with more. Ari took his lead, but sipped to see if she would like it. It was fruity but dry, with a heady robust flavor. She tipped the top toward Cal.

"Very nice, thank you."

He didn't seem to care one way or another whether or not she liked it. He sniffed deep in the glass and took another swig before putting it down. Pulling two thin menus from the center of the table, he offered one to Ari before opening his own.

Ari barely managed to stifle an eyeroll before opening the menu...and realizing that she didn't understand enough French to know what the dish names were, or what to order. She read as slowly as she could, attempting to decipher anything familiar. Something had strawberries and two things were made with wine, but that was all she could catch. She looked up, to see that Cal had folded his menu closed, and was studying her. He had a self-satisfied smile on his face.

"Having a hard time, with the menu?" he asked.

"Yes. Well no. I, uh, just don't want to eat snails," Ari stammered, flustered under his gaze.

Was he condescending her? She just couldn't get a read on this dude.

"It's fine. I can order. Do you eat beef?" he asked, taking another sip from his wine.

She nodded yes and followed suit.

They sat in silence while he continued to appraise her. She didn't like that, but couldn't muster the moxie to tell him to stop. She folded her hands in her lap and fiddled with her bracelet, while trying not to be too obvious as she assessed him as well.

His suit was well-made, obviously tailored to his rangy frame, with expensive material that looked both crisp and soft at the same time. His hands were large with fine, long fingers and well-kept nails. His lips were large and soft, but his eyes were sharp and defined as though he were wearing eyeliner. He was very handsome, but she wasn't sure she liked him or the way he was using them on her. He looked like he was checking off a mental list of pros and cons, or making a purchase. Finally, when she couldn't stand it any longer, the waitress appeared. Cal looked away from Ari to order.

"Je prendrai le coq au vin. La dame prendra du bœuf Bourguignon. Je vous remercie," he said smoothly, bowing his head slightly to the woman.

The server bowed back and left, presumably to fill the order. To avoid another round of Silent Assessor, Ari tried to strike up conversation.

"So, Cal, who is your father, then?"

Cal picked up his glass of wine and swirled it around, "Jonathon Foster, a CPA in Lake Oswego," he replied before draining the last inch of liquid and refilling it again.

Ari was shocked. If his dad was mortal, and Hera had sworn off birthing children hundreds of years ago, then, "You mean your mother is-"

"Athena, yes."

Oh s**t.

Athena was not someone you wanted to disappoint. On top of being a goddess who was actually a doting parent, she was also quick to temper and super creative in the ways she got revenge. You didn't even have to do anything egregious; a simple annoyance could have your house overrun by snakes until she calmed the hell down...and she could hold a grudge for quite a while. Ari sputtered and grabbed her napkin to cover her shock. Cal simply took another sip of wine, unfazed.

"You have very little to worry about, Ariya...Ari. Mother is rarely a meddler in the affairs of her children in the modern age. She knows that women can be....disappointing, these days."

Well that just fixed it right up, then, yeah? Baby Boy says it's good and that's that. You know, because moms are so understanding. And what the hell was that supposed to mean, anyway?? Was he expecting that Ari would be a disappointment? Was he already disappointed? Other than staring at her like a grandma buying a roast for holiday dinner, he hadn't bothered to find out anything about her. Ari wanted to leave, but couldn't bring herself to stand up.

Luckily, the food arrived. Beef Burgundy, Ari recognized her dish. It was indeed something she would like. She took a testing bite, and was delightfully rewarded with the rich taste and perfect seasoning. She subconsciously did a little happy wiggle in her chair and took another healthy bite. A huff of suppressed laughter from across the table cut a hole through her food glee.

Mouth still full, Ari looked up to see Cal smiling and shaking his head as he cut into his braised chicken. Was he mocking her now? Why the f**k was he even here? Ari had had enough. Prissy Pants, time to exit, Ari is taking center stage. Goddess mommy be damned. She chewed and swallowed quickly.

"Time to cut the s**t, Cal," she said, nonchalantly cutting her food with her knife and fork. "If you're obviously burdened by coming out on this date, why did you agree to it?"

Cal was caught with his fork halfway to his mouth. He looked up at her with unhidden surprise. Ari got a swelling sense of pride for having shaken his cool demeanor. He recovered quickly.

"Well, I came because I'm in the market to marry and ascend, same as you." he said, putting his fork down and using his napkin to wipe his mouth. "You're assuming I'm not having fun, though. It's pretty rare I get to meet someone of your...disposition."

Another ambiguous dis/compliment/whatever. Ari took a long drink of wine before continuing.

"No more half-speak, please. Look, you're super hot and all, but Cal, you're not exactly a plate of warm cookies," Ari took another bite of food, noticing that Cal's eyebrow had raised at her mention of his looks.

A good sign? She didn't care anymore.

"Look, I'm a loud-mouthed, smartass, spaz who owns a nightclub and drives a Hyundai," she said bluntly,gaining another eyebrow raise. "Yes, I cuss like a trucker. That's another quality I quite enjoy about myself. If you're not down. We can cut and run here."

Cal picked up his fork again, never losing his cool. "And why did you come, Ariyana?" he questioned before before taking a bite and folding his hands to rest his chin on them, waiting for a reply.

Ari didn't have an answer, really. She took another bite of savory meat, chewing thoughtfully while trying to come up with a suitable retort. Cal waited patiently for her to finish.

"I...just wanted to see what it was like, I guess. Meeting another demigod. Someone like me," she finally said quietly.

"And, if it's such a disheartening experience, why haven't you left?"

Why hadn't she? She didn't really know. Reigning in her discomfort at he question, she coolly took another bite and spoke around it.

"Food's good. Don't wanna waste."

The answer seemed to both surprise and satisfy Cal. He let out a quick bark of laughter before digging into his plate again. Ari did the same, and they ate for a good 10 minutes in silence, barely looking each other in the eye for more than a second or so. As they finished, Cal wiped his mouth before placing his napkin next to his plate.

"Well, I think it's fair to conclude we can finish the date here," he remarked, standing. Ari stood as well, "I'll walk you to your car. I insist."

As they stepped outside and began walking, an unseasonably chill breeze floated around them, making Ari shiver. Without looking at her, Cal removed his blazer and placed it around her shoulders. It smelled nice...woodsy and masculine. They walked in silence to her car which was parked a block and a half away, pausing in front of it.

"Thanks," Ari said quietly, returning the jacket. "See you around, Cal."

"You know," Cal said confidently, "I think you will, Ari. Despite your assumptions, this was a pleasurable transaction. I do believe we should continue."

Wait, what? Ari looked up at him in disbelief.

"I'll tell our mothers that future interaction will be decided by us. I'll contact you soon," Cal smiled.

He leaned in casually and planted a quick peck on the top of Ari's head, turning to walk away and leaving her stunned.

"See you around, Ari," he called over his shoulder.