Demons practiced polygamy quite frequently. The more powerful a demon was, the more mates they could have and the stronger their bond was with said mates. However, that didn't give anyone in the marriage a free pass to go full swinger and sleep around with other people. Oh no. When you're married, you're expected to be exclusive to your marriage partners. Even demons follow this rule, which was why Ricky was so uncertain on how to handle his current situation.
Yes, he was technically married to all of them, but did that mean he had a free pass to get away with what happened in the showers with Thomas? The man was definitely eyeing him, and Ricky returned the favor but...Was that okay when they were discussing divorce?
Ricky shook the thoughts out of his head and tried to focus on his upcoming meeting with Mr. Black. They were going to be negotiating a price point for Dalton Enterprises. If he talked the price down enough, he could even earn a bonus afterwards.
"Hey Ricky!" Hector's voice cut through his thoughts as he waited out front of the designated restaurant.
"Hector, what are you doing here?" He noticed Thomas was with him and waved.
The redhead smiled brightly. "Are you doing anything after your meeting?"
"Maybe go on a grand heist, hunt down some lost Aztec treasure, prove that Hitler never killed himself. The usual."
"Oh good. Then would you mind going on an outing with me?"
"A what?"
"Just for the evening. As friends." Hector emphasized. "I've told you how my husbands don't like Musicals."
Ricky noticed how he said 'my' husbands and not 'our' husbands despite the technicalities.
"They're boring." Thomas complained, earning an elbow to the gut from the redhead. He doubled over dramatically as Hector adjusted his glasses and continued.
"As I was saying, my husbands don't enjoy them and you're the only other person who does. I thought maybe we could go to one together? There's a show tonight that I think you'd like."
Ricky seriously considered the offer. He did love musicals but never made time to see one. Going alone was awkward, and going with someone else tends to send the wrong signals, but it sounded like Hector understood that there was an invisible boundary that Ricky was not ready to cross. So why not?
"Sure, I'd love to." He agreed.
It was at this point Mr. Black arrived and interrupted the conversation. "Mr. De'stat! What a pleasure!"
Showtime.
Switching gears, Ricky put on his signature smile and welcomed the business man. "Mr. Black! So good to see you! Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be. How about we grab our reservations first?" Mr. Black insisted as they entered the restaurant, giving a polite nod to the two men who bid farewell to Ricky for now.
This restaurant wasn't quite as fancy as the one Damon and the others took him to, so he felt much more at ease here. The business meeting itself seemed to fly by. Naturally he had to talk more about the stock exchange, easing his target into a false sense of security before suggesting a discounted price on the requested software. Mr. Black pushed back against the discount, but Ricky was insistent and reduced the request until the two came to an agreement. The final contract would be emailed by morning.
"You are quite the shrewd business man." Mr. Black pointed out. "So many people suck up to me, upping their offers hoping I'd agree to their ridiculous demands."
"Is that so?"
"Indeed. In fact, I recently had an offer from the Mendova family to merge businesses. They have quite a reputation but...I don't approve of their core values."
"Wait, really? I thought everyone would jump at an opportunity to work with them!" Ricky cocked his head, knowing the bare minimum about his in-law's business model.
"You probably already know that they come from an old prestigious bloodline" Mr. Black continued. "I don't. My family was low ranked until I built my business. We had to deal with old blood treating us like dirt until we found a way to make more money and hold more power than them. Would a merger with the Mendova's benefit me? Yes. Will I do it? No. And that's strictly because I refuse to have that old blood attitude associated with my business. Public opinion is important and I've worked far too hard climbing up the ranks just to let some high ranking family threaten my position by swallowing my company."
Everything the man said echoed in Ricky's very being. He himself wasn't aware that Mr. Black used to be low ranked. The air of importance that he carried about himself left him thinking the man had been from a similar heritage as Chris's, but that was clearly wrong. He saw the man in a new light, admiring the hard work he must have put in to get where was now.
"That's very honorable. I'm sure Mr. Dalton will be more than pleased to hear we'll be working with someone so respectable."
"It's nice to hear that you agree." Mr. Black stood, their dinner meeting over. "I swear most demons lose their minds once they make it into the upper ranks. I hope you remain as you are once you make it to the top."
Ricky smiled genuinely from the compliment. "Thank you for the confidence boost."
"Anytime. Well, it was fun but I have a plane to catch. Take care and I hope to see you again soon Mr. De'stat!"
Ricky waved him off, then checked the time on his phone and wondered if he should ask for Hector's number later. He had a lot in common with the man and was looking forward to the musical tonight, but was unsure when or where to meet him.
Then he noticed a white corvette drive up and honk at him. Inside sat Hector, looking expectant.
These people and their fancy cars....
"Have you seen the Count of Monte Cristo?" Hector asked as Ricky got in.
"Nope. Only heard the playlist....Wait! Is that what we're going to see?"
The redhead just smiled and drove off. Sure enough, when they arrived and got their seats, it was indeed the Count of Monte Cristo. Two hours of musical bliss had Ricky totally enraptured. During the intermission, they sat and discussed their favorite songs and which ones they were looking forward to in the second half. Ricky was so caught up that he was going on a very long winded explanation of how the musical was much better than any old book or movie.
Then he noticed the way Hector was watching him. His gaze was soft, but he would turn away whenever Ricky noticed.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself." Hector commented. "I'm so glad you weren't lying when you told me you liked plays. I'll admit, I was slightly worried you only said that to stay on good terms."
"Why would I do that?" Ricky asked.
"Because I noticed that you'll say anything with a smile if it's business related."
At that, Ricky went silent. He folded his hands and sat back, staring forward blankly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." Hector was quick to apologize.
"No no....You're right. I do that on purpose." He admitted. "I don't mean any harm by it. It's just...." He glanced at the other man. "I'm not exactly high ranking, so it's sort of something that someone of my...Level...Has to do."
Hector nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry. You're right of course. Demon society is built on nepotism, with every wrung of the ladder comprised of interpersonal connections. It's not a bad thing that you're well adapted, I simply meant that I'm happy to have someone else who genuinely enjoys the same things as I do."
"Don't any of the others share some of your interests?"
"They share a few, but not a lot. Musicals are one of my newest fascinations that they unfortunately do not indulge in. Lately, after what's happened, I find myself more drawn to them as a distraction."
Ricky could relate, only instead of something innocent like musicals, he had indulged in more dangerous things when Chris first hurt him. Feeling sympathetic, he put a hand over Hector's, which was sitting on the armrest between them. The man looked startled at first, but did not pull away.
"Thank you..." Was all Hector said before the intermission was over and the last half the the musical began.
They watched the remainder of the show, staying for a little over two hours before bustling out with the crowd. As they approached the car, Hector gently reached for Ricky's arm. Ricky stopped to look at him. "What is it?"
"I...Don't know yet." He looked Ricky in the eye, scanning every detail of his face. He looked like he was trying to determine something when he came in slightly closer all of a sudden.
"Hector?"
"Ricky...You know...If things were different. If we had met under different circumstances...I feel like we could have tried getting to know each other better than this."
"You mean better than friends?"
Hector's eyes soften. "If possible...?"
Was he asking? Or suggesting? Since the man was already in a Polyamorous marriage, it wasn't too far fetched to think that he'd want to try courting an additional man with similar interests, but that wasn't what Ricky wanted for himself. "I don't date. Also, wouldn't that be like cheating on your other husbands?"
"You and I are technically already husbands." Hector murmured, almost too quietly for Ricky to hear. "But we haven't known each other long, so I'm getting ahead of myself. Regardless, I'm glad I got to meet you at least. Thank you for indulging me tonight."
"Hey, no problem." Ricky plastered on an awkward smile. "I know what it's like to go through this shit so...You know...I don't mind helping." That was a half truth, but it felt like the right thing to say in the moment.
Hector went serious. "I'm sorry, but when you say things like that...It makes this harder. You should try being ruder so that people don't get attached."
"Why would anyone get attached to me?" Ricky self deprecated. "The one person I wanted to get attached ran off like it was no big deal."
"I know."
"And after seven years, that bastard thinks he can come back and act like everything will be fine with some stupid declaration of love?"
"I'm sorry."
"And the selfish prick won't even sign a damn paper because he has some obsession with making everyone else miserable?!"
"Ricky." Hector called softly.
Ricky's anger had spiked and his face flushed with rage as he ranted. Quickly he took a deep breath and calmed himself, pretending everything was fine. That was when Hector gently grabbed him by the chin.
"It'll be alright." The red head cooed.
He wanted to argue, but didn't see the point. The determined look in Hector's eyes helped to shut him up, because the man genuinely looked like he wanted to help calm Ricky down. Retaliating against someone who was also a victim would be pointless, so he relented.
Hector was staring down at him with the kindest eyes, drawing Ricky in. He could imagine how this man handled his other husbands whenever they were in distress. He'd probably wipe their tears away, give them a kiss, and hold them close. But that wasn't the relationship he had with this man. While he could consider him a friend, they were still virtually strangers.
Sighing deeply, he pulled his head away. "Sorry."
"No worries. I completely understand. Chris can be...Stressful..."
Ricky was curious if there was some other indication behind those words, but decided to let it go as they returned to the car.
---
This story is Copyrighted ©Darksparx via Wattpad. Do not translate, post, or publish on any other platforms without the author's express permission.
Please consider tipping the author at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/DarkSparx if you enjoy this story! Coffee link is also on my profile.