The feeling was all too familiar.
Adris' attention was pulled in like a tidal-wave, forcing him to stop and stare. Yes, the fair-haired woman was pretty and her doe-like eyes held a gentleness to them. However, the one next to her who called to him. The woman surrounded by the children with skin as rich as Helios, the sun god.
On her face, he found was no admiration for him.
His chest heated when she left with the children.

"Excuse us." A courageous woman stepped forward, offering him a rose from Eros's temple.
He looked from the offering to her face. That was the expression everyone had around him. So who was that girl who looked at him with sadness?
Had it been pity? A distinct emotion flared.

The woman pushed the flower in his chest, pleading with him some more.
The flower was to be given to a man you wished to pursue and the Eros would hopefully make their dreams come true.
"I can't accept this." He politely refused. But one's courage and subsequent rejection had spurred a few hopeful others into approaching him.

Adris strolled through the town, admiring the decorations the townspeople had put to honor Eros. It was a mystery as to how Eros had won the house of the Thespians so much so that they had an entire days dedicated solely to him.

"Take her's one more time and I'll smack you back into your mother's belly." He heard a woman threaten.

"You can't do that." The boy argued.

"I could try and you could try me."
The boy swiftly gave the sweet back.
"I thought so." She patted the boy on the head.
"Now each of you take a flower offering to Eros's statue."
The children took the flower she offered just as happy they got a rose as when they got the sweets.

"May I get one?" Adris asked still not knowing why he decided to walk up to her.
Eleni faltered upon seeing him.
Her composure returned just as quickly, and she handed him one.
Adris hadn't misread it, there wasn't adoration in her eyes. He could only remember one time...
His stomach painfully squeezed.
"Okay, children. You can follow this man to Eros' statue and pray for consistent love of your parents."

"I want the beautiful man to be my husband." A tiny girl latched on to Adris.

"You're too young to start asking for that. Listen to me and leave the poor man alone."

The poor man?

"But if she waits she'll be old and alone like you." Another said and she gasped.

Adris brows perked up.

"No one is ever too old to ask for love." Adris said.

"I'm not asking this time. I've had my fair share and it was enough." Eleni responded and the children nodded in agreement.
"What.." Eleni quickly lost her words.

"My mama said Eros gave you the Contas person but you threw him away."

"You can't throw people away." Another argued.

"My mama said you can. She did it."
Eleni looked up from the kids and then to Adris with horror in her eyes.

"My mother said Cot- cons- um... countingstars left her after he came back to his senses and it was for the best."

"Children should not be listening to grown people's conversations." said the woman who joined them.

"Thalia!" They joyfully greeted her.

"I'm sorry Eleni, they're only children." Thalia apologized.

"I'm not offended." Eleni shrugged.
"I don't care what people think about me. Costas" she stressed on the name. "wasn't good enough for me anyway."

"Is that why you kissed the other guy?" A child asked.

Eleni shifted her weight on her other leg and looked over their heads with a smile.
"You'll understand when you're older but it's not wrong to love more than one person at a time. Is it wrong to want more than one sweet at a time?"

Thalia gasped when Eleni got a few nods from the innocent ones.

"Don't listen to her."
Thalia scowled at her but she ignored it and placed her sac on the two wheeled wooden contraption taking a stalk from Thalia.
"You said I could borrow your cart. I'll see you around, Thalia. Goodbye."

"Bye theia Eleni."

Adris watched her with emotions rioting within him.
He heard her laugh but it was Agnes' voice that rang true in his head.
The realization crashed down on him like a ceramic pot filled with fermented goat milk. The bitter taste seeped into his tongue. The cause?
Eleni's eyes. He saw her there.

He moved outside of his volition.

"Sir, Is your name, Adris?"

Adris remembered the woman with him.

Her smile dimmed with her confidence when he didn't respond.
"I'm Thalia."

"Hello,"

"I apologize on behalf of my friend. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

Adris blinked, forcing a smile on his face.
"Why would you apologize?"

"You looked affected by her words."

Adris gritted his teeth.
"I wasn't affected." He said through the stiffened smile.
"But I still thank you for your concern." He nodded and went his way.
Unconsciously, his way crossed into Eleni's path.

In the alley of stalls she stood laughing with market women as she hoarded supplies on her cart.
She was shameless in her movements, swaying her hips in the sensual cloth that flattered every inch body.
She had to be aware of the eyes that stopped and gawked at her.

Adris laughed at the delusional woman.
He'd seen women who's beauty Eleni's average face could hold no comparison to. Many of them were docile in nature and modest about the beauty they possessed because they were aware the pitfalls of  uncontrolled hubris.
Adris dragged a hand over his face and chuckled lowly, his eyes never leaving Eleni.
Adris got closer and caught the conversation between Eleni and the fish monger.

"That must have cost you a pretty coin." The monger said.

"Not at all. Sometimes good things just come free."

The monger smiled.
"It must be nice having parents who spoil you."

"Or a grandmother who loves you." Eleni added.

"Fortune does smile on you."

Not if he had anything to say about it. People like her didn't deserve their luck.