Unamused Muse (Mt. Olympus Employment Agency: Muse Book 2) by R.L. Naquin

place, but I didn’t belong there. And while I could walk out of Mt. Olympus and climb into my car whenever I liked, it was impossible to leave the Underworld without an escort with a key card to make the elevator move in the right direction.
    I tended to get a little panicky when the latch didn’t disengage right away in a public bathroom stall. Being stuck in the Underworld made me want to run up and down the halls banging on people’s doors with a soup ladle, screaming for freedom.
    But I’d squelched that feeling for most of the two weeks I’d been there. Now, with my release at hand, I was impatient to get out of there and back to my real life—even if it was only for the weekend.
    Hal showed up, right on time, with a big grin and a bear hug. “How’s my girl? You ready to go?”
    I grinned back. “Ready!”
    We stepped into the elevator, and Hal used his card in the slot to send us to the Mt. Olympus lobby.
    “You got plans for Sunday evening?”
    I shook my head. “I’ve got to call Mom and go see her tomorrow, but other than that, I haven’t made any plans.”
    He gave a quick nod. “Good. You’re coming to my house for dinner. Jilly and Elmore are coming, too. Carol wants to meet all of you.”
    I still had trouble getting my head around the idea that Hal had a wife. “Do you have kids, too?”
    He made a face. “We have Pomeranians. And that’s enough for anybody.”
    The elevator dinged and the doors opened, revealing the lobby of the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency. I never thought I’d be happy to see it, but my heart lightened when I stepped out into the fading sun coming through the domed skylight high above us.
    It was after hours, but only by thirty minutes, so a few late stragglers milled around or left through either the door to my world or the door to the Mt. Olympus districts.
    Patrice, the gorgon receptionist, still sat at her desk. She glanced up at me, her headsnakes undulating in peaceful waves. We nodded a greeting at each other and looked away. She was gruff and projected a grouchy facade, but she’d helped me out with a problem, once. I knew she was kinder than she let on.
    A couple of fawns reclined in waiting room chairs, their goat beards bobbing up and down while they conversed.
    It made me remember Stan from the night before, and I wondered if maybe he had been a fawn, rather than a goat, and the food and drink had made me hallucinate.
    For that matter, he might not have been there at all.
    Hal touched my sleeve. “You okay?”
    “Oh. Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry. Just really glad to be back.”
    ~*~
    My car had been safe and sound, right where I’d left it. Apparently, the fake homeless dude who kept an eye on things was doing his job. Despite having parked in what looked to be the worst part of Topeka, I wasn’t even missing a hubcap.
    When I pulled into my regular parking spot outside my small apartment building, everything looked the same. I had to stop myself from running to my door. I hadn’t realized how attached I was to my apartment until I had to be away from it for two weeks.
    At the door, I fumbled with my keys, and finally had to set down my bag and Phyllis. The sun had gone down behind the buildings, but the automatic lights hadn’t come on yet, leaving me squinting for the keyhole.
    A hand on my shoulder made me jump.
    “Hey, you’re home!”
    I turned and found the grinning face of my neighbor. “Mark!”
    He frowned at the duffel bag at my feet. “Is that all you’ve got? Do you want some help getting the rest out of your car?”
    I made an exaggerated sad face. “I’m only home for the weekend. That’s all I brought.”
    His sad face didn’t look so exaggerated. “Oh. Well. Still, let me help you.” He took the keys from my hand and unlocked the door, then grabbed my duffel and held the door open for me.
    It was nice to be home, but it was even nicer to come home to someone who was glad to have me there, even if he was just a friend.
    I took the