The Hope Meter

"So," Leo said, pouring a generous glass of Franzia into a chipped mug. "Let me get this straight. You are stuck here."

"Temporarily displaced," Thalia corrected, taking a sip of the wine. Her eyes widened. "Oh. This tastes like grapes that gave up on their dreams. I like it."

They were sitting in his living room. Thalia was perched on top of his drafting stool, spinning in circles. Leo was sitting on his sofa, trying to process the fact that mythology was real and currently drinking his cheap Chardonnay.

"And to get back to Olympus," Leo continued, "you need to... what?"

"Recharge," Thalia tapped a golden bracelet on her wrist. It looked dead, the metal dull. "This is my Divinity Meter. It runs on Hope. Specifically, the hope of the Summoner. I need to perform enough serendipitous acts to make you believe that the universe is benevolent. Once the meter is full, the beam comes down, and *woosh*, I go home."

Leo laughed. It was a dry, rusty sound. "You picked the wrong guy, sweetheart."

Thalia stopped spinning. "Why?"

"I don't do hope," Leo said, gesturing to the room. "I do damage control. I’m an architect who specializes in retrofitting buildings that are about to fall down. My car has been hit while parked three times this year. I was born on a Friday the 13th during a power outage. The universe isn't benevolent, Thalia. It’s a chaotic mess that likes to trip me."

Thalia stared at him. She hopped off the stool and walked over to him, her combat boots thumping on the floor. She leaned in close. She smelled like rain and vanilla.

"That is exactly why you are perfect," she said. "If I can make *you* hope, I can do anything. It’s the ultimate challenge. Like... what is that human phrase? Herding cats?"

"Sure," Leo said, leaning back. "Herding cats."

"So, it is a deal!" Thalia clapped her hands. A shower of sparks fell from her palms, singing the rug. "I fix your life. You fill my meter. I leave. Simple."

Leo looked at the singed rug. He looked at the determination in her eyes. He knew he should kick her out. He knew this was going to be a disaster.

But Leo Caletti was a charming man, and he had a weakness for lost causes.

"Fine," Leo sighed. "But if you turn me into a flower or a cow, I'm suing."

"Deal!" Thalia beamed. "Now, show me this 'San Francisco.' I wish to see where the humans keep their fog."

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