Cleopatra was her name. She had long flowing black hair that resembled midnight and dark eyes that reminded him of the blackest sea. Her smile and laughter made any one who set eyes on her fight in and for her honor. But however much Anubis thought he was in love with her, Cleopatra’s heart did not belong to him but to two others who started wars in her name. It took Anubis quite some time to get over Cleopatra, which forced his parents, especially his father, to play matchmaker for him, sending beautiful men and women his way. There were too many to count.
It angered Osiris that Anubis wasn’t interested in any of them, so he arranged a marriage for him. Stupidly, out of loyalty to his father and his own loneliness, Anubis followed through; however, the marriage only lasted until he could provide a grandchild. Weirdly, his marriage to the goddess Anput was one of the many things none of his friends tried to talk him out of. After that, Anubis swore off finding a forever one and stuck to bed partners that required no attachments or feelings. Not long after making that vow, he entered the kinky lifestyle.
Finishing his breakfast, Anubis stood and kissed both ladies’ cheeks. Grabbing his jacket, Anubis shrugged it on, pulling up the collar, then placed his fedora on his head, cocking it to the side, and slowly ran his forefinger and thumb across the brim, smiling handsomely when the two women oohed and aahed.
“How dashing our son is,” Isis said.
“Yes, he is,” Bastet added. “Now go and find us an in-law.”
Anubis didn’t add anything to their banter and teleported to the garage, which was the fastest way to escape the two women. It had been a while since he sat behind the wheel of a car. He was usually in a rush and teleported from one location to another, masking his magical signature. But that day, he felt like slowing down and taking in the city. Anubis got behind the wheel of his favorite black sports car with custom-made leather seats and midnight-tinted windows. Revving up the engine, Anubis called Sobek on video to get an update while he waited for the garage door to open.
“If you’re calling me, it means you’re stopping by the office today,” Sobek said when the call connected.
Anubis smiled, seeing his cousin sitting behind his desk, already working. “I could just be calling to talk to you. It’s been a few days since I saw you.”
“We talk more than you realize.” Sobek chuckled. “Congrats on your nominations, by the way.”
Anubis scoffed. “Thanks,” he said, pulling out of the garage and through the magical barrier surrounding his home and property, keeping it hidden.
Anubis had a few properties and businesses in Valleywood. He usually stayed at the duplex penthouse because he was always in the city, but the times when he needed to get away, he stayed at his mansion, where he kept most of his valuable treasures. One was the sacred sarcophagus that was made for him by Sobek when he took Anubis’s place as pharaoh, signifying Anubis’s death. Many believed that Sobek was his son, so no one questioned the legitimacy of his actions. But that was in a different world and time.
“You don’t sound happy,” Sobek said.
“It’s not my first nomination, Bek.”
“I know,” his cousin sighed. “But you never know. You could win this time around. Think positive, cuz.”
Anubis smiled. “Because you say so, I will.”
“Good. Now, do you want a big welcome or to enter quietly?”
Anubis pulled smoothly into traffic, appreciating the mountains and lush greenery he never paid attention to because he was so busy. “I’d rather not have any fanfare, thank you.”
“Why not? You’re the boss.”
“Pfft…that’s only in name. You’re the real boss. Maybe I should sign the company over to you.”
“Let’s not go that far. My job is to make your vision come true. However, I want to talk to you about changing a few things when you get here.”
“Could it have anything to do with your mother, who quit by the way?” Anubis said, and he heard Sobek take a deep breath.
“Thank the almighty Ra,” Sobek said.
“Why didn’t you just talk to her?”
“Do you think I haven’t tried? You know how my mother is.”
“I do,” Anubis said. “But I think you hurt her by not stating why you want her to leave. Cooking up a scheme to have Set take her on a year-long vacation wasn’t the way to do it. Also, having Isis and Bastet convince her to quit was a low blow.”
“Fuck, I hate when you go into lecture mode,” Sobek whined, making Anubis smile. “You’re right, okay. I won’t deny that, and I know I was the one who brought her on because, at the time, I needed her strong wisdom. But now, I can handle things on my own. I plan to change the company structure. Of course, I’ll go over things with you first, but I know Mom won’t like it.”
“So you’re not planning on quitting on me?”
“Where the hell is all this coming from?” Sobek said, looking very confused and partly offended.
“Bek,” he said, using his nickname. “I started After Life Productions as a way to burrow my way into the entertainment industry in case this directing thing didn’t go as well as I planned. But you made the company what it is today while I went off to play. So, I can understand if you want to go off and do something else.”
“That’s not true, Anpu. Without all of your hard work, After Life wouldn’t exist. Don’t discount the work you do. And I’m not planning on quitting. I just want to make a few personnel changes.”
