Closing Time

9.

Surprise passed through me. I stood up automatically as he started fishing for cash. "Kind of early for you, isn't it?"

"Frivolous Mike over here ruined my mood." I could see the other demons get ready to leave as well behind him.

Another bar stool skittered back as I collected the tumbler and the bottle of scotch. Mike stood up and nodded to me. "Then I'm done here too."

"Alright." I picked up his tumbler and bottle too to keep them away. Placing the glasses in the sink, I walked back to the two to collect the cash placed on the table, but Mike's was missing.

"Hey." I called out to the angel. He turned away from Lou. "You need to pay for your drink."

He frowned slightly. "Nonsense."

"Excuse me?"

His frown deepened. "Money. Bits of paper you humans put value upon. It's nonsense. A construct of society that induces greed."

My reply was dry. "Yes to all of that. But also- I happen live in a society, which means I have to follow it's rules and constructs." His eyes flickered to my nail as I tapped the wood. "You need to pay up, or you're not getting another drink tomorrow." Not like he even finished the current one.

"I only took one to fit in with this place's clientele."

A laugh escaped my lips as he said that. I gestured to the place as I took a step back. "What clientele? You drove them away."

Lou groaned dramatically as he reached the door. "Just cut it from the cash I have you, Ryleigh. There's no point wasting your time arguing with holier-than-thou there."

I snickered at the nickname and glanced down at the cash in my hand. "Seems about enough. A demon bought you a drink tonight, that has to violate a statute somewhere."

The angel's face darkened. He turned to look at Lou's exiting form. "I don't need you to pay for me."

"He just did." I replied easily as I headed towards the register. "Maybe pay for yourself tomorrow so you don't have to owe a demon."

"It's gone, Ryleigh."

I looked up to meet the eyes of the demon who spoke and... Mike was indeed nowhere to be found. I raised an eyebrow. "You think he'd have to decency to walk out of here and pretend to be a human."

"They're all like that." The demon sneered. He fished out his wallet as I filled out a receipt. "They'd rather not be in human forms, but it's the only way they can keep us in check."

"Interesting." I slid the receipt over, curiosity stirred in my gut. "Does that mean the angels are stronger than you guys?"

"No." He replied without hesitation and counted out his cash. "Angels don't have the number we do. Their inability to take just any human form hinders them quite a lot. Their glory destroys the body from within. That human shell you just saw won't last."

"Is that so?" I blankly took the cash from him. "What about you guys?"

"Demons?" I nodded vigorously. He shrugged, turning away from me. "Depends on the strength. But most of us tend to inhabit dead bodies which gets rid of some of the stress in the body."

"What?"

"Yeah." He spoke in a hurry as he followed after his friends. They waited for him outside outside the door. "Something about the human soul fighting the demon essence." His hand wrapped around the handle, the bell dinged above the door and he vanished along with his companions.

I rocked back on my heels as I settled back down. I hadn't even realized that I'd been on my toes listening to him. Lou hadn't ever answered my questions about who or what he was. Everytime we conversed it would be about my life, my regulars, my day. He let out hints about his life now and then- I didn't know if that was intentional or just something to bait me. Something like that was usually followed by a witty euphemism or blunt reply, and nothing in between.