Seduce me? He's got to be kidding me.
I shook my head as he approached me, but I stood my ground. "No... No. Get away."
He didn't stop. I held out a hand to ward him off, but it was soon pressed against his chest as he got closer.
"No-ugh"
A surprised gasp escaped me as I felt a hand land on my waist and twist me to the side with incredible ease. "I saw the way you watched me when I walked in." He whispered, voice incredibly silky.
"So-so?" My hands were warm. My legs were warm. My face was warm. Was I blushing? I think I was blushing.
He placed his other hand beside my head as he lowered his head and slowly leaning in. "Don't tell me the thought didn't cross your mind... Don't lie to me..."
The roll of his tongue as he whispered those four words shot straight down my body. My toes clenched up, my hand tightened on his shirt in a way that it shouldn't have.
His lips brushed against my cheek as he moved in. "I know you want me." His breath tickled my ear. The sensations that ran down my body were intense. His scent was heady this close. I exhaled sharply as I realised I held my breath.
My breath hitched as his hand slid up my waist to remind me it was still there from the time he pushed me against the wall. Luckily, I had enough wits left to use my free hand to stop it from slipping under my shirt.
"Interesting." He whispered as I did that. He pulled back so I could meet his eyes. "You're still resisting."
"Stop." My voice was barely audible. My body was on the threshold of giving in to this creature. I couldn't do this, I couldn't sleep with him... yet I could.
Who was going to stop me? Lou? He wouldn't dare. There's nothing wrong with b-
"Contemplating it, are you?" My eyes flickered to the hand beside my head. It moved towards me. His warm thumb brushed off my lips, before heading towards his. Peanut butter. There was peanut b- "Mmm... sweet." He whispered. My thought cut off once again as his tongue darted out to taste it.
My legs had become jello. I felt like putty in his hands. But at the same time, there was a small amount of clarity in my desire-clouded brain. It somehow held out against him, reminded me what was at stake for me if I gave in to something like this.
I don't know what he is. I don't know what he wants to use me for. I don't know how, or if he'll hold something like this over my head.
"N... No..." I forced out.
My hesitant denial finally made him stop. His blue eyes searched my face with his lips inches from mine. I bit down harshly on the inside of my cheek to escape from this fog. He had me ensnared good for a while there. He was much better than Lou at this. But then again, Lou had never tried to seduce me in a serious manner. While the angel in front of me seemed willing to take me all the way downtown and around if I gave in.
"Tsk." He clicked his tongue in irritation, eyes and face back to normal. "Fine. Then I'll just ask my questions like this."
"What?" I croaked out, still not able to find my voice after that intense round.
His face hardened. Or actually, it went back to what he normally kept. "How long has it been seeing you?"
"'It'?"
"The demon."
"Oh, Lou." I went quiet for a moment. It was hard to regain my thoughts sharp blue eyes. They were making me uncomfortable again, in a different way. "It's... It's been a few weeks actually."
"Seems about right." He narrowed his eyes. "What relationship do you have with him?"
"A professional one." I shrugged slowly. "I serve him drinks. He pays me."
"Is that it?" I nodded. His lips twisted downwards in an unpleasant manner. "You humans are lazy by default, and your greed refuses to let you work without being compensated. There has to be something else."
I sighed tiredly. "There is. If I don't stay back to serve him drinks, he's threatened to kill me and everyone else who works there."
"Threat to your life." He turned his head sideways and friends to himself. "Why didn't I think of that?" He mumbled to himself. His head twisted back to face me with a sharp movement. "Has the demon hurt you in any manner?"
"Yes. He has." I reached up to tap my neck. "He almost strangled me to death last week."
Blue eyes darted over the skin around my neck. "You lie."
"No, I don't." I pushed myself away from the wall, only to stumble back into it as I walked into his chest. "Fucking hell. Move out of the way, Mike."
"Watch your language." He snapped back as he pulled away.
I turned to the side to head to my room, Mike followed after me. It had been a while since I'd had a guy in my room. Reaching for the towel thrown haphazardly on my bed, I headed to the bathroom to dampen it a bit before I wiped down my throat. The foundation peeled away, revealing fading yellow bruises still left over from last week. From what I'd read, they'd take about two weeks to fully vanish.
"Did the demon make those?"
"Who else?" I replied, sounding resigned as I turned away from the mirror. Mike stood in the doorway to watch me. I rubbed my neck as I spoke again. "Listen, Mike. I have nothing to do with Lou. So far, he's shown interest in only bedding me, but I don't sleep with customers. He's also shown interest in murdering me several times although that seems like a daily occurrence for him. Lou hasn't told me anything either. He changes the subject or deflects the question almost all of the time."
My hand rose in a frustrated manner before it fell back to my side. "What I'm trying to say is that there's nothing here. Nothing suspicious is going on. I'm just a bartender. I serve drinks, and he drinks."
"And the other demons?"
"They just showed up one day. I don't know why or how."
"I see." He looked down, lost in his thoughts for a few moments. "I... still don't get it."
Of course, he doesn't. I ran a hand over my face, and leaned against the sink. "And... what is it that you don't get?"
"I don't get why demonkind's leader has taken an interest in an all-too-human bartender. I mean..." He looked me over once. "You're nothing special."
I ignored the jab at my utter plainness. There was something more important to concentrate on. "'Demonkind's leader'?" I echoed his words. "Who?"
"The very demon you call 'Lou'."
My gut crumpled up into a ball. "Lou is the demon king?"
"'King' isn't the right word."
I scoffed, my irritation at being corrected dispelling some of my surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I should call him 'Mr. President Lou' now?!"
"Don't lose your temper." He gave me a look you'd give a pesky fly. "It's unseemly for a woman." Excuse me? "Besides, Lou is only considered the leader because he's the strongest. There are several other strong demons, but he's proved his mettle time and time again against those others."
It might just be me, but he sounded almost impressed. "He's fought them?"
"Something of that kind. I guess it's to be expected." He shrugged vaguely. "There are rumours that he was the first demon ever formed."
First demon ever? "Guess there's no Guinness World Record for that." A chuckle escaped me at my own joke.
"This is no time for humour, human. I-"
"Shut up." I cut him off. "I have a name. And I'd rather you use it."
"I don't see the point of giving you a title. You understand 'human' well enough, don't you?"
"Fine, you feathered freak." I retorted. "Have it your way."
"Human is a description, whereas 'feathered freak' is an insult. I'd prefer it if you refrain from using it to refer to me."
"Then I'd prefer you call me by my name." I pushed off from the sink. "You need to show me some damn respect if you want me to show you some. Now, get lost. It's late, I'm tired, and I want to sleep."
He sneered back at me, my displeasure mirrored. "Such pathetic beings." Was the last thing he said before he vanished in front of my eyes.
All I felt as a forewarning of his departure was a rise in heat followed by a sudden wind. I looked around me in confusion. Wind inside my closed apartment? Did Mike cause that? That never happened before with Lou... but then again, I'd never seen him vanish in front of me.
For a demon, Lou sure does like to act human around me. For a demon king, I guess... Leader? President? Prime Minister? Demon God?
I walked out of the bathroom, lost in the confusion Mike had created with his visit. I didn't know what to think anymore. Should I pay more respect to Lou now? Should I dress better? Is Mike a cop? Does Mike want to kill Lou?
What kind of shit am I stuck in? All I did was serve drinks. All I did was flirt with a new customer a bit.
A groan escaped me as I collapsed on my bed. I'm so glad tomorrow's my day off. This kind of information will take a while to process. I'll have to confront Lou about this eventually, and I'll definitely go after Mike. I never got a chance to get angry at him for breaking into my place.
I shoved off from the bed after a while, heading back to where I'd dropped my bag. My phone was in it, and I was starving. I needed food.
The pizza took half an hour to arrive. I ate about half of it before I passed into a troubled sleep.
Mike's sudden visit had left me paranoid when I passed out. I woke up several times in the middle of the night with the eerie feeling of eyes on me. Even my dreams were uncomfortable. Dreary, grey, random eyes scattered through it made my back crawl. I forced myself out of bed after I started awake for the fifth time before sunrise. I needed to get out, I needed to clear my head.
I decided to head to the seaside for a change. I had to take a cab to get there, but it was still fairly empty by the time I reached it. The sky was just turning light with the rising sun.
The cold sea breeze on my face woke me up. I started out with a slow stroll to build up some heat. Once I'd done that, I tugged my jacket off to speed up and begin my run. Other early morning runners glanced at me as I passed them. They were probably only used to seeing regulars at these times... and these temperatures. It was freezing beside the ocean.
The monotonous sound of my feet hitting the sidewalk and rhythmic breathing soon took over my mind. It pushed away any thoughts of the temperatures, the time or what had happened last night. I needed a break from them. I needed a break from their world.
I ran until the sun was up, until I couldn't anymore. My legs felt like I jelly when I stopped. Lungs burnt and my skin was slick with sweat. Tugging my sneakers off, I took me and my wobbly legs over to the side and sat down. My butt was on the cool cement sidewalk and my feet were buried in the warm sand as I tried to gather enough breath in my lungs. The cool wind from the sea fanned my body. Closing my eyes, I let my head fall forward. I took a few deep breath before clamping my lips down to focus on my breathing till the world fell away.
I was there for quite a while, trainers dangled from my hand, breaths slow, deep and steady as cooling sweat drippped down my nose. I hadn't run like this in a long time. I missed it. I used to go for night runs after I'd returned in the park near the bar but I'd started hearing about kidnappings, and women being harassed so I stopped. It was better to run in the morning anyway. I was free to listen to my music without the worry of someone sneaking up on m-
"Excuse me?"
I jumped slightly as I felt a hand land on my shoulder. My eyes snapped wide open, neck snapping to the side to stare up at the stranger. A woman. "Yes?" I asked slowly, pushing my headphones down with my free hand.
"Are you okay?" She asked with a small smile, her worry shown through the lines on her forehead. "You've been sitting here for quite a while."
"I'm... fine. I was just mediating a bit."
"Ah, sorry. You looked like you were in pain." She paused just long enough for it to start to become awkward before twisting to the side. She pulled out a bottle of water from her backpack, and held it out to me. "Here. Have some water."
What was with this girl? She seemed like she was in college, I'd never even seen her before. Forcing on a smile, I shook my head. "I don't need it. Thank you."
Her smile fell slightly, eyes turned away from mine as she took the bottle back and straightened up. "A... Alright. If y... you're okay, I..."
I smiled wider to reassure her. "I'm fine. Thanks for your concern. I was just resting."
"Umm... okay." She felt awkward. I could see it in her eyes as they flickered left and right unsure where to settle on. She took a step back, doing an awkward bow-nod before she turned and walked away as fast as she could.
I felt my smile lower down to a smaller, more genuine one. A nice kid. Flustered a bit easily, but she'll grow into it.
With that nice experience floating in my mind, I caught breakfast and coffee at a small cafe by the beach as I waited for the morning work rush hour to get over. The cab back home was cheaper when it wasn't peak hours.
I spent the entire day outside. Did a little shopping for myself, bought some new clothes, went for a movie. I even bumped into an old co-worker but didn't stick around to talk to her. It was awkward between the two of us. I never liked her... the feeling was probably mutual.
I had a peaceful day. Ended it with a movie and some home cooked food. I made extra to carry to work the next day. Sasha and Dotty had a great time making fun of my cooking before shutting up after tasting it themselves. I've been alone all my life, cooking was just one of the things I had to learn how to do on my own. Of course, I was good at it. I wouldn't eat my own food if I wasn't.
My overall good mood went down the drain the moment Lou walked in. He smiled at me, I didn't bother to return it. The burning questions I had for him after the angel's visit were stuck in my throat.
"Good evening, Ryleigh. How was your day off?'
"Ah... umm..." I had to look away to gather my thoughts. "Nothing... much. Spent it by the beach."
"Went skinny dipping?" He smirked. "Shame I wasn't there to see it."
I rolled my eyes, tumbler in my hand to fill up. "Like I said, nothing much. A run in the morning, breakfast at a cafe and then some shopping. I needed some new clothes."
"I noticed." His eyes moved over me as I walked over to him. "You look good."
"Thanks." I replied, completely unbothered by the compliment."Here you go."
"Ah, nothing like a good, strong drink."
"Oh, come on, you've only been sober for a day."
"A very long day. I can't live without you, Ryleigh."
"It's my drinks you can't live without." I replied dryly. He let me work in silence for a while, and I used the quiet to build up my courage. I wanted to ask him about whatever I'd just learned, but it worried me.
I was still scared of him. The still-fading bruises on my neck were a good enough reminder of what he could do without a single thought. There was no good way to broach a topic like this. He'd kept himself a mystery for a reason. He didn't want me to know too much, he didn't want me to know anything. Everything I'd tried to look up about demons and angels had been confusing. Every culture, every site, every single source had a different set of facts. And from what I'd learnt from that one demon and Mike the day before, none of them completely fit the bill. Each one had some truth to it, but otherwise it was mostly baseless and useless. I'd have to hear this straight from the horse's mouth.
A soft sigh escaped me as I wiped down some glasses. Maybe I should just let it go? He might tell me in his own time, or he might not bother. Besides, him being the leader of demons wouldn't really affect our relationship in any way. So what if he's the strongest? He's still someone who sits on the other side of the counter and requests a drink. And I'm obliged to give him one.
"What is it, Ryleigh?"
I looked up as I heard Lou's voice. He wasn't even looking at me. "What do you mean?"
"You've been wiping the same glass for five minutes now." He jerked his head to the side. "And the bar's already empty."
"What the..." I looked up, frowning as I glanced around the bar. "Hey... there are still people here."
He snickered. "So, you really aren't paying attention."
"Well, yeah. I have other things to worry about too, you know." I shrugged. "Despite what you think, you're not the only thing in my life."
"You know... I could be."
"If that's you offering oh-so-kindly to be my boyfriend after... everything you've done, it's a hard no."
"Oof." Lou pulled away from the table, a hand on his heart as he gave me a charming smile. "Why do you hurt me so, Ryleigh?"
"I don't date custom..." I looked up as the dinged, trailing off as I recognized the man walking in. Or more correctly, the angel walking in.
I felt some of my anger rise as I spotted Mike. He glanced around the place, eyes on my regulars with paranoia before he slid into his seat beside Lou.
Lou, sighed tiredly, his smile faded away as he glared at Mike. "You again? Destroying my night earlier wasn't enough for you?"
"Per your assumptions, I'm not here to disturb your night, but to keep an eye on you." Mike looked over his shoulder at me. "I've got to keep a watch over you when humans are involved."
"Regrettably enough, the only human involved is me." I mumbled to myself.
"Even that is one too many." Mike replied immediately.
I sneered at him. "Oh, go fu-"
"Do I need to remind you about your language?" Mike cut me off.
"Do I need to remind you what you..." I trailed off, realising that my heightened voice was attracted the other customer's attention. A mix of frustration and irritation crossed me as I bit my lip to force myself quiet.
The slightest hint of a smile crossed Mike's face. "Pathetic beings indeed."