One Night Stand With Apollo

(Short story gay fiction)

We went to a Halloween party out of town. I dressed as the Greek god Hermes, patron of travelers, trade and peace. I'm the herald or messenger of the gods. I hold up my Caduceus as I deliver the message. Like holding up a single finger.

I like saying the word. CADUCEUS! It's a short staff entwined by two serpents copulating. Or having peaceful trade. 

My CADUCEUS is fancy. It's topped with wings and a shield and a disco ball. It's made of tin foil and paper mache wrapped onto a baseball bat. I might need a real club if this gay club gets too rowdy.

I was wearing a cloak of invisibility. A white flat twin sheet like a toga. On the dance floor I let it show my body. I worked out for weeks looking forward to tonight.

No I'm not naked under the invisibility cloak. I'm wearing shorts.

My husband was dressed in drag as Aphrodite, goddess of love. Wearing a lovely pink tunic bordered with red roses. A tunic is basically a toga or sheet held together with broach pins.

Beneath that, the beautiful Aphrodite wore sexy lingerie matching and also contrasting with the tunic.

As Hermes I am a jealous god. So I make it obvious that Aphrodite belongs to me. She is my date. We're married. I make sure we're wearing our rings. Lots of hand holding and kissing.

We were elated simply to be out in public. It was a warm evening. Luckily because we were scantily clothed.

HERMES: "Hey Aphrodite. Do you see that hot stud over there? He's wearing a tunic and sandals. He must be Adonis. Certainly a Greek god. We should take him to our hotel room."

APHRODITE: "Hell yeah!"

We get drinks and go out to the patio. Before long the Adonis comes out with a drink. He stands alone way over there.

HERMES: "I'm going to talk to him. And bring him over here."

I walk towards him. He sees me approaching. Suddenly butterflies in my tummy. Too late to turn back. We've made eye contact.

HERMES: "Hey. What's up? Are you Adonis?"

APOLLO: "No. I'm Apollo. You must be Hermes, the god of liars and thieves."

HERMES: "Yes. That's me. Over there is Aphrodite, my husband. You want to come over and talk with us for a little bit?"

APOLLO: "Do you know anything about Apollo?"

HERMES: "Yes. You are the god of one night stands. Your only job is to harness four irascible horses to a chariot before sunrise. But Helios drives the chariot that pulls the sun across the sky. The horses are tired in the evening and handled by others.

"So you never wake up with the person you go to bed with. You never get married.

"You were conceived at a party. Bastard son of Zeus. Nobody remembers your mother's name.

"You are bisexual. You had affairs with at least sixty women and a dozen men. You have a bunch of illegitimate children, like your dad. Your twin sister is Artemis, goddess of the lesbians, the hunt and the moon.

"I can't leave my husband alone for long. Look. He's being hit on now. If you feel like it, come tell us if you think Hermes and Aphrodite make a good couple. And who you think Apollo is."

APOLLO: "Okay. That's pretty good. Hermes. Herald of the gods. Zeus is my father. And you are his big mouth. 

"Just don't hit me with your caduceus if I don't pay attention. Caduceus with a disco ball. I've seen it all. It probably was the original disco ball sparkling above the crowd."

I hold the staff above my head. We look around. People start looking in our direction. We smile at each other. I start walking toward Aphrodite.

I sit on the bench beside my husband. I hold his hand and give him a kiss. The guy flirting with my husband gets the picture and leaves. Apollo sits next to me.

HERMES: (to Aphrodite) "It's Apollo. Not Adonis. Apollo, god of one night stands."

APHRODITE: "Nice to meet you. Mr. Apollo. I am Aphrodite, the goddess of love. A shape-shifter. I appear as the woman or man of your dreams."

APOLLO: "You certainly have a lovely shape tonight Miss Aphrodite."

HERMES: "This role play is turning me on. How long can we stay in character?"

APHRODITE: (to Apollo) "Do you play guitar? Modern-day lyre. Your hands and fingers look like you do."

Apollo looks at the palms of his hands. Aphrodite puts her palms on his. Gently she moves her hands back and forth against his. Her finger tips touch his finger tips. I forget sometimes how good my husband is at flirting. 

APOLLO: "Yes. I play guitar. Aphrodite. Goddess of love."

Apollo can barely speak. He's stuttering. The power of hand-play!

HERMES: "Hey guys. It's getting late. Apollo. We have some pot. You want to come to our hotel room and get high?"

APOLLO: "Only if we have sex too."

So it's agreed. Time to leave. Tonight my husband is Aphrodite. She cast a spell. Apollo seems more interested in her than me. She's the goddess of love. I'm not the god of love.  But I'm married to it.

Next thing you know, we're on the balcony of the hotel room. We smoke and drink. We fool around. We laugh. We have a great time.

We fall asleep together on the bed. I wake up at the crack of dawn. Apollo is gone. Of course. 

In the bathroom I see a note from Apollo.

"Hermes & Aphrodite. Thanks for the good time. Let's pretend again.." A phone number.

We're definitely going to call.