Heartstone

Something Fishy

She appeared at the door of the lower solar in mid-afternoon.

Arwin looked up. "You came."

The Dark Enchantress wore a white blouse with lace cuffs that looked like they could be rolled up and buttoned back. The shirt was nearly skin-tight, and she wore the front partially unbuttoned, exposing her cleavage, the buttons heroically straining to contain it.

Arwin wasn't sure that the garment would actually be able to do so for long. It looked like, any second, a button might pop off. He looked forward to the event and promised himself that he would keep a firm eye on the jiggly situation.

She also wore a tight, black pencil skirt that only reached mid-thigh and black stockings with lace tops. And, of course, she was in heels, though these were simple, black pumps. Her long hair was in a loose ponytail tied high up on the back of her head, and she released it, shaking the hair free, as she came closer.

When she saw Arwin surrounded by a pile of books on the table, she beamed. "You're reading!"

"Wow, you're so surprised. You didn't think I could read?" He gave her a mock sad face.

"What? No, of course not." She looked flustered.

"I'm appalled that you think so little of me. Is it my face or my voice? Do I look stupid, or do I sound stupid?"

She caught on to the teasing and gave him an apologetic look. "It's...a little of both, actually. I'm so sorry." She consolingly patted his shoulder.

The fact that she'd joked back caught him off guard. It tripped him up for a half-second. He hadn't been expecting her to be so quick and witty. He recovered, though. "So, I guess I'm not valued for my brains. That's sad. What do you like about me then?"

"Hmm." She pretended to think, tapping her chin with her finger, then decided, "You have a cute butt."

"Oh. Ok." His face fell.

She added, "And I like your shoulders."

"That's nice, I suppose." He sighed and shrugged those shoulders, the height of melodrama.

"You seem pretty insecure. Maybe I should lose interest."

He hurriedly countered, "No, no."

"It's no trouble. I wouldn't want you to feel bad."

Ouch! "No! I'm good. Please, stay interested."

Her eyes narrowed, and then she shrugged. "Maybe. We'll see."

Arwin couldn't help the silly smile on his face. He also couldn't help but think that she'd just had the better of him in this back-and-forth. And that was highly unusual; not many people teased him back like that. It was intriguing to find someone willing to verbally play like this. He loved bantering.

He closed the book he'd been reading:

A Visual Guide to Succubi

and

How to Make Contracts with Them

She leaned over and caught the title. "Oh, good. I'm glad you found the picture books."

He coughed a laugh, unsure if he was supposed to be embarrassed. It was honestly a really fascinating read. "Hey, now. I read the articles too."

"So you're trying to figure out how to summon a succubus?" She looked at him with a mock pout. "Are you so bored of me already?"

"Never!"

"Last night was so dull?"

"It was perfect."