“Goddess, I’d offer you a place to sit and a cool drink, but I’m afraid I don’t have a bench yet. We were going to build one… A swing, actually.”
Mother Nature snapped her fingers, and a white bench swing appeared beside the flower bed. “Something like this?”
Dawn’s eyes rounded. “Exactly like that.”
Mother Nature smiled, sat on it, and patted the spot next to her. “Consider it a wedding gift.”
Dawn cautiously sat next to the powerful goddess. “Thank you. That’s very generous of you.”
Gaia nodded once. “My pleasure—and not just because you’re named after my favorite time of day. Now, let me get to the heart of the matter. You may have heard I hired a few modern muses. They’ve all been humans, or I should say former humans, since they must become minor goddesses to carry out their duties. Most are married to paranormals.”
“Oh? No, I hadn’t heard.”
Mother Nature smiled. “Good. That means your future sisters-in-law are keeping their mouths shut.”
“My future sisters-in-law? They’re working for you?”
“Some of them, yes. And I’ve hired a couple of women from other families you probably don’t know. There are only six in all. I can’t stress enough how useless my original nine muses are in this modern day and age. That’s why I need new ones.”
Dawn didn’t know if she should say something or just wait and hope Gaia explained what she was getting at. She opted for respectful silence.
“So, getting to the point, I’m here to offer you a job. I know about your psychic ability, and I hear you’re technically adept?”
Dawn considered her answer carefully, wanting to be as honest as possible. “I’d say I’m adept at some technical things but not others. No human being can be good at everything.”
Gaia tipped her head. “I was told you had a technical job back in Boston. Is that not true?”
Dawn sensed she was treading on shaky ground. “Well, yes, I worked on a help desk for ScholarTech. So I guess you could say I know a little about technology and a lot about teaching software.”
Mother Nature looked at the sky and smiled. “Finally. I’ve been looking for someone who can help unravel the mystery of modern technology and actually teach my original muses how they can be more useful to me.”
“And you think I’d be a good teacher?”
Gaia shrugged. “I have no idea, but beggars can’t be choosers. I need someone who’s already aware of the paranormal world, someone who would welcome a little goddess power while using it responsibly, and someone who’s trustworthy and won’t spill the beans about any of this.”
“I—I guess I fit the criteria, but I’m not sure that’s whatIwant. I’m already very busy.”
Gaia folded her arms and leaned away from her. “Busy gardening? That’s what you call busy?” She waved her arm, and the garden instantly came to life with vibrant color and sweet scents.
“Wow! Thanks. But no, not at all. I have a job, plus Luca and I are setting up a private detective agency, and then I’ll have two jobs. With my psychic powers and Luca’s criminal justice degree and former job as a cop, together we can solve any number of cases. We’re very excited about it, and I wouldn’t want to lose my focus. I’m not sure I could handle three jobs without doing one or more poorly.”
“My modern muses are given a very generous bonus.”
“But I’m already getting a generous bonus from Karma Cleaners.”
Gaia’s brow wrinkled. “Karma Cleaners? What’s that?”
Dawn straightened. “You don’t know? I thought with all the goddesses working there, you’d be well aware of the business.”
Gaia smiled, but Dawn sensed something simmering beneath her calm exterior.
“Tell me about this business.”
“Well, I guess I can. I’m not allowed to tell any human unless they want to have their karma cleaned.”
“Oh? Please continue.”
Dawn knew she had made a mistake but didn’t know how to get out of it.If Gaia doesn’t know about Karma Cleaners, then Karma must not have wanted her to. But now that she knows this much, how can I weasel out of telling her more?She worried her lip and thought about her words carefully.
