Chapter 2
I’d noticed right awaythat the poor guy was lost on what to buy. I was going to offer to help him anyway when those jerks started harassing him. It worked out alright, but I felt an almost incessant need to help him, even though he didn’t look pleased about it. His face was stoic, and he didn’t say much, following me around as I riddled him with questions. I was worried I was bothering him, but I didn’t force him to accept my help. If he was tired of me, he could go. It’d make me sad, he was interesting, but I wasn’t the type to cry over people not liking me. I was a lot to handle sometimes, and I wasn’t sorry about it.
Abby’s parent’s shop was filled with sappy quotes written on crystal tumblers, ceramic figures, and candles. It wasn’t a bad shop, but it lacked personality in my opinion. I never shopped here. I only stopped by to visit Abby when she had to help, since she was uncomfortable assisting customers. It made her day easier if I popped in between clients.
The demon studied a little figurine with some cliche quote on it and I tried not to make a face. Unless his friends were into this kind of thing, it’d probably end up tucked away somewhere and sold at a garage sale a few years down the line. I wasn’t going to say that though, because it wasn’t about me or my opinions. Instead, I studied the demon, taking in his appearance.
He was bulky, with broad shoulders and absolutely massive arms. He wasn’t the tallest paranormal I’d seen, though he was way taller than me. His skin was a deep crimson, like rosewood, and absolutely flawless. He had a square jaw, deep burgundy lips, and…
“Are your eyes purple?”
Whoops. I was supposed to be looking at the products, not at him, but I just kind of blurted that out. His eyes flicked to mine, and I shot him a sheepish look.
“Sorry. Not important.”
His eyes were purple, though. A kind of dark purple where the color only stood out if there was a light on them. I didn”t notice before and I thought they were black, but when he stepped closer to the storefront windows, I finally got a good look at them. It was really cool, I’d never seen that color eyes before, and I had to roll my lips between my teeth to stop myself from commenting on them again.
He put the figurine back down, his thick eyebrows drawing together tightly. I recognized that look. He had it when I first showed up. He was getting frustrated, and it was easy to figure out why. This really wasn’t the best place for presents for your friends. It was more for your snooty mother-in-law who wanted to feel special but didn”t really deserve the effort of a good gift.
“If this place isn’t really giving you what you’re looking for, we can try somewhere else. I’m not busy right now, so I’ve got the time to browse a few places.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched, almost like he was fighting back a grimace, and he sighed. “I was supposed to be there ten minutes ago. I thought I’d have more time, but my shift ran late.”
Ah. Well that’s no good. And a little disappointing. I was interested in getting to know him a little better. I pursed my lips, considering our options.
“Is there a price limit to your present?”
The corners of his mouth tipped down a little as he studied me. “That’s not an issue. Why?”
“Well, if you want to do something a little more out of the ordinary, you could pay for a couple’s massage. The place I work at is actually really affordable, and it’d be something that they can enjoy together.”
Yes, I was shamelessly plugging my workplace. Sue me. I had bills to pay, just like everyone else.
He didn’t shoot down my idea instantly, but it was hard to get a read on what he was thinking with that stoic expression.
“And humans like that?”
I shrugged. “I mean, who doesn’t like getting all the tension rubbed out? Most people don’t realize they need it until they go for the first time, then they keep coming back for more. What do your friends do for a living?”
“Construction worker and bartender,” he replied.
I nodded sagely. “Then I think they could definitely use a massage. On their feet all day and carting around heavy stuff? Their muscles are probably begging for it.”
The demon looked around the quiet shop again, the only sign that he was even thinking about it being the tension around his eyes. I held my breath, probably a little overly invested in helping a stranger, and beamed when he finally bobbed his head.
“That sounds fine. How do I do it?”
“It’s easy. My work is just down the street. We can pop in and get you a gift certificate, and you can give it to them at the party. We even have fancy envelopes, so it’ll look nice.”
Letting out a slow sigh, he finally showed a little emotion and I couldn’t help but giggle. He looked relieved and some of the tension in his face disappeared.
“Come on. I’ll show you the way,” I said around a snicker, waving at Abby as we headed outside. I wasn’t lying, the shop was only a block away, but it was a more eventful walk than I’d expected. People seemed to give the guy a wide berth, some gasping and jumping out of his way. If he was bothered by it, he didn’t let it show, his expression a mask of stoic silence, but I was seriously annoyed by the time we got to my work. He wasn’t that different. Sure, he had a tail and wings, and seriously sharp looking horns that curved slightly in the middle before pointing upwards. But that wasn’t a good enough reason to act terrified of him.
Eager to get him off the streets and somewhere relaxing, I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the spa I worked at. It was pretty quiet right now. The last few appointments were probably just wrapping up. It meant there was no line at the front desk and when Winnie saw me come in, she tipped her head curiously.
“Weren’t you done for the day?”
“Yup. My friend here wants to get a gift certificate for a couple’s massage. Can you grab it?”
Her gaze shifted to the demon partially behind me and she paused a minute before nodding her head. “Okay. We’ve never catered to demons, though, so–”
I made a face. “That doesn’t matter. Besides, his friends are human. Right?”
When I looked over my shoulder at him, he nodded once. I still couldn’t get a read on him, and I was usually really good at that, so it was driving me nuts that this guy was such a closed book. While Winnie got to work on the certificate, I went fishing for more information. I couldn’t help myself. He was interesting.
“So, have you ever gotten a massage before?”
He shook his head.
“Well, if you ever want to, you should let me know. I’m here pretty much every day. I’d be happy to help you work out some of that tension.” Which sounded a lot dirtier than I’d intended, and I had to purse my lips to hide my laugh. I couldn’t say I wouldn’t be interested in going out with the guy, he was definitely my type, but given the blank look on his face, he probably wasn’t interested in me. I pouted on the inside. He was big enough that I could climb him like a tree and if he was proportional, then I’d definitely be interested in a little naked fun time. Alas, he didn’t even give off a hint of interest, so I let it go, leaning back against the counter as he paid for his certificate.
With his simple jeans and t-shirt outfit going on, he didn’t have anywhere to put the envelope without crumpling it. He held on to it instead, giving Winnie a polite nod as he followed me back outside. He was already late, so I knew he wouldn’t stick around, but I wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet, so I spun around with a smile.
“Do they live close by, or do you have to drive there?”
“I’ll fly,” he replied quietly.
Jealousy swirled in my belly, and I scrunched up my nose to keep it off my face. “Lucky duck. Alright, well, if you ever need any more help or you just have human questions or something, you know where to find me.” I waved at the spa behind him. I wanted him to ask for my number, but he hadn’t even offered me his name yet and I couldn’t get enough of a read on him to feel comfortable asking. I took a few steps back, watching avidly as his wings stretched out and flapped a few times. Some of the stoic mask slipped and his lips ticked up on one side as he took in my wide-eyed expression.
“Thank you for helping me.”
He was already flying away when I realized I didn’t answer him back. I sighed dreamily, watching him swoop out of sight.
“Anytime…” I murmured.