There was a small restaurant, really small, open kitchen, with just one cook working in it, and one waitress. The casual atmosphere and not private table surprised me. I had expected to be taken into some back room, or kicked out.
“Do you want anything to eat? Drink?” I shook my head. “Sorry, I’ve never had to do this before. I’m Jargath, one of the owners of this place. If it was up to me, I would assume you have only honest reasons for being here, but considering who we have to rent from, and the nature of the work many of us have to do, some caution is necessary. With your connection to the government we need to be sure that you are not here on their behalf.”
“Fuck off,” Anne was pissed, “what, you think anyone here would turn down the pay we are getting? It’s easy money, and we don’t have to rat on anyone, they don’t care what we do most of the time, and won’t care at all after a year.”
“You have to understand, the military ban is still recent enough that tempers haven’t cooled, and,” he turned to me, “no offence, but that succubi are allowed when devils aren’t, you can understand how that is frustrating for us.”
I did my best to seem confident but non-threatening, “I can’t imagine, but we didn’t have other options, work sise, and we did what we had to in regards to the shields.”
“So you really fought?”
“Of fucking course we did.”
“Anne it’s okay,” I turned to him, “we really served, we come by the shields honestly, as I’m sure you can tell, we are new to the city, and a friend’s girlfriend recommended some places for us, including here, no other demons back home, so I’m just trying to,” I gestured around me, “I am, I have a contract with the army. I can’t say anything about it, but we’re out, no more fighting or whatever you think we’re, or might be, doing. I wouldn’t betray my own people, or anyone.”
“That’s not the most helpful.”
I put my hand on Anne’s thigh to try to keep her quiet, this didn’t seem like the time or place for her temper.
“I think about quitting all the time but,” I took a moment to think, “there’s nothing I can do. Even if I did I can’t prove I’m not still, I can’t prove it. Probably best if we leave.”
He waved to the waitress and when she looked he mimed writing.
“No, not yet, no need to think, to give people a chance to think there is an issue. If you stay for a bit and never come back, that’s not uncommon, even if someone else knows who you are, but if we talk and you leave immediately it will imply we had a disagreement, and we haven’t right?”
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
I gripped onto Anne tighter, silently praying she wouldn’t say anything. This was for me, being here, I needed her to respect that. There was an awkward bit of waiting before the waitress brought a piece of paper and a pencil.
“This place,” he said while writing, “is good. Demon focused, but not the way we are. They try to make money off humans. They would be happy to have you.” I nodded, taking the paper from him. “Now, have some food, enjoy yourself best you can under the circumstances, and let’s part on good terms.” He stood up and left with a smile that was almost sincere.
It wasn’t that I disagreed with Anne’s anger, everyone knew the army was almost entirely made up of desperate people with no options, why he found it so unbelievable for us was frustrating. I’d thought that, or assumed, that other demons would understand why I couldn’t, that I couldn’t do sex work, that I wouldn’t have to explain it, but I think that he must’ve assumed I could and I choose the army over it, or, I don’t know. I didn’t expect things to go badly in such a boring way. I thought it would be because I would panic or everyone would hate us or something. This was worse, and I didn’t like that Anne hadn’t said anything after he left.
“You good?” I asked, putting my arm around her.
“Not exactly, but I know you don’t want any extra attention.”
“Thank you.”
She hummed in agreement and leaned against me. Another moment of silence.
“When he said who he rants from he meant gangs right?”
Anne shrugged, “probably, someone not entirely above board at least.”
“Legal reasons?”
Anne shrugged again, “I really don’t know, but I’m curious now. How is this any different than a brothel. It’s pretty tame, no blood, and the same need, why would it be different legally, if it is?”
I looked over the fights and it was surprisingly restrained, mostly wrestling and stick fighting of some kind, or kinds, I couldn’t tell. I was from too far north, never seen it before. I guess I thought it would be more intense, the way sex was normally for succubi, or, fuck, I guess I didn’t know shit, that was, I hadn’t, or even talked about it. I could ask Lily about what normal was but that would be a nightmare of a conversation. Probably not worth it.
“Is this a good stuck in your thoughts?” Anne asked.
“Maybe, just realizing how little I know.”
“That’s good.”
“Ow.”
“You know what I mean.”
“We should eat.” I didn’t want to talk about it and thankfully Anne let me clumsy redirect our conversation, “and then, I was going to try to have the courage to talk to some people but, is there even a point now?”
“Less of a point for sure, but coming here was the hard part, and you did that, so?” Anne sighed, “we can wander around a bit, talk to people if they talk to us, and leave quickly. I like being places where I’m not welcome.”
I laughed, though mostly at how frustrating this was, “makes sense.”
The food was alright. I should’ve had more but tonight was enough as is. Anne was, I don’t know, I hated, I couldn’t read her the way she could me. I tried to ask or figure out what was wrong, but she either didn’t notice, or didn’t want to talk about it, but it was Anne, so she would talk when the time was right. We didn’t stay long, half an hour or so after we finished eating, and the ride back to the hotel was quiet, neither of us saying anything.
