Mistress Therapy

Seven - Eros And Psyche

"He was a god, and she was a mortal," Nate began. "Did you know that Aphrodite, jealous of Psyche's beauty, ordered Cupid to make her fall for the ugliest creature on earth? Instead, Eros accidentally wounded himself with his own arrow and fell in love with her. But what happened in the end? Psyche's jealous sisters convinced her to betray her husband, leading Eros to abandon her. Passion, Disobedience, Love, and Lust—they should never have been together. The artist should have included Betrayal in the title," he said, surprising me with his insight.

"I never realised it was so deep," I murmured, studying the portrait intently. "But you can see their love was genuine, despite the obstacles."

"Yes," Nate agreed. "Eros loved her deeply, and she loved him too, though she was influenced by others. They had a happy ending, with Zeus making Psyche immortal so she could be with Eros forever."

"I envy them," he continued. "I wish I could experience such beautiful love, even just once."

"Is there more to this... Eros love?" I asked, intrigued.

"Yes, there is," he replied. "Eros represents love, lust, and desire. Eros love is the physical, sensual intimacy between partners—expressing romantic attraction. I lack that in my marriage. Seeing all these couples today made me realise how lonely I truly am.”

Nate's eyes were filled with longing as he asked, "I want to feel loved someday. I want someone like Eros and Psyche. Can it really happen, Heidi? Can I truly love Jacqueline?"

I was at a loss for words. His gaze felt like it was searching my soul, and my heartbeat quickened. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. His eyes drifted over my face and body, making my cheeks flush.

Suddenly, Calvin's voice snapped us out of our moment. "Heidi, thank goodness I found you," he said.

"Nate?" Calvin's presence elicited an annoyed tone from Nate.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my old best friend, Nathan Hendrix. Not so thrilled to see me after five years, are you?" Calvin remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"You two know each other?" I asked, noticing the tension between them.

"Oh, we go way back," Calvin replied. "My evening just got ruined." He then pulled me close, pressing my back against his chest.

"Are you two..." Nate began, pointing at us. Calvin put an arm around my shoulders.

"Yes, we are. Any issues?" Calvin's voice was firm. "I’m not looking to argue today, so if you’ll excuse us, we have a date to continue." He led me away, hand in hand.

I looked back at Nate, who clenched his fists before walking away from the painting. "Please let go of my hand," I whispered to Calvin.

"No," Calvin responded, his tone frustrated. "I really don’t want to walk anymore; I just want to go home."

"Are you upset?" Calvin asked, sensing my distress. "I’m sorry about what just happened. Please don’t be mad."

All I could think about was wanting to go home. "I'm sorry, but I'm leaving," I said, trying to pull away. "Thank you for inviting me."

Calvin grabbed my hand again. "Let me drive you home; it’s getting late."

"No, I’m fine, thank you," I replied, and walked away from him.

As I finally left the gallery, my feet were aching from the tight heels. I noticed a bruise on my left foot and muttered to myself, "Great, I shouldn’t have worn these shoes."

I hobbled to the road, hoping to catch a cab, but none were available, and I sighed in exhaustion. Just then, a Chevrolet pulled up, and I was surprised when the window rolled down to reveal Nate.

"Need a ride?" he asked with a grin. I stared at him in shock.

"Uh, I’m good, thanks," I said, attempting to limp away.

The car moved closer, and I gave in, closing my eyes in resignation. "Miss, you might want to get in. It's late, and your feet don’t look like they’re in good shape," he said.

"Fine," I conceded, and climbed into his car. It had a luxurious smell, and soothing music played from the speakers.

"Where to?" Nate asked.

I gave him my address, and he simply responded with, "Alright." We then drove off.