Lust Or Love

Chapter 7: A Taste Too Much

Arackniss watched the snake leave and simply stood there in the room alone for a moment. Well he was okay with having at least been paid for the session, he couldn't truly say that there had been a session to begin with, now could he? The most he'd done was rock and touch himself the tiniest bit, and the most the man had done was lightly touch his thigh with a finger. However, at the same time, the touch had been a kiss of lava against his skin; setting his body ablaze in a way that almost felt primal. Shaking it off, he left the room and headed back out onto the floor, almost running into Maypelle once he was there. "Oh, sorry." The coyote shook her head.

"No worries, hun." She looked him over for a moment skeptically. "What's wrong?" He started to shake his head, but she gave him a disapproving look.

"Nothing, really I just... I was just with a client in the VIP rooms, is all and... I haven't done that before." She nodded slowly before pausing, blinking, and then looking around.

"Wait a minute... who were you with?" He shrugged.

"You know the black and yellow snake that apparently comes in every once in a while? I was with him." He turned and started toward the bar, but she jogged after him and cut him off.

"Pentious?" He stopped and looked at her in confusion. "Sir Pentious; tall, lanky snake, black and yellow, always dressed nice, Victorian... that snake?" Arackniss nodded slowly.

"Yeah." He stepped around her to grab one of the trays from the counter, getting ready to take more orders from the remaining guests. They only had an hour left before they closed, so they were starting to filter everyone out. Once again, however, the coyote stopped him.

"Bella," Her tone was no longer as light hearted and bubbly as she always seemed to keep it on the floor. "He's never done that before. Ever. He's been coming here for months, and sure he's talked to us, and he's watched, he tips nicely, but... he's never asked for any sort of personal thing. So, I gotta know... how was he?" Arackniss shook his head.

"What?" The woman dropped her head back and looked around them quickly. She dragged him over to a corner with the least amount of people and leaned in close.

"How was he? I've done snakes before, but it can vary so much from one to the other. Usually if they're new to Hell, they don't know shit about their bodies so they fumble a lot, but he's been here for like... a hundred plus years. He's gotta have it down pat by now. And, I was told once that some Victorian men put their partners pleasure above everything else so... I wanna know if he's good. Just in case next time he's feeling a bit more... bisexual, you know?" She gave a little wiggle of her hips as she spoke and he could tell it was the result of an excited tail wag. There was a small moment where he debated on whether or not to tell her the truth, that they hadn't actually done anything more than talk, or to lie to her and say that the man was just "okay" in bed. Relief washed over him at not having to decide when Ricci leaned over the bar with the phone in hand.

"Bella Donna, it's for you." He nodded and gave the woman an apologetic smile. Maypelle huffed and walked off while he gladly grabbed the phone and covered the speaker. "Who?" He mouthed and Ricci grimaced. "The boss man." The man leaned back and returned to his work, leaving Arackniss alone with the phone that had Valentino himself on the other line. Cautiously, he put the device to his ear.

"Hello?" He prayed to Satan that the single word didn't sound as nervous as he was.

"Bella Donna, huh?" The deep, sultry voice chuckled on the other end. "I like it. It's dark, sexy... deadly. And I can definitely use it well for you." Leaning himself against the wall, he took a deep breath.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of getting a call from you right now?"

"Tomorrow," The moth started without any hesitation. "You won't be working at the Sugar Shack. I put you there just in case you failed in the first few weeks, but it's been plenty of time and I need you to actually replace your brother for more than just dancing. So, tomorrow you're not going there. I'm gonna send you an address and you need to be there by ten am, understood?" Arackniss quickly ran to the back to pull out his phone from his bag and take notes.