Personal Demon
Page 14
“Done.”
Jaz was a good dancer. Not fantastic, but decent enough that he didn’t make a fool of himself, which summed up my own skills.
“Poor Max,” he said during a lull in the pounding beat.
I followed his gaze to a corner where Max and Tony were chatting up the ladies Bianca had set them on.
Every now and then Max’s attention would wander.
“Not enjoying his assignment?” I asked.
“He’s got the looks, so Guy makes him play the floor, but he doesn’t care much for humans and has a hard time faking it. Like being gay and pretending you’re interested in girls.”
“He doesn’t date humans?”
A genuine look of surprise. “Do you?”
I took advantage of an upbeat in the tempo to formulate my answer. Where I came from, if I didn’t date humans, my social calendar would be very bare. Actually, it had been bare for about a year now, but that was another matter. Even calling nonsupernaturals “humans” seemed weird. The council sometimes used the word, but sparingly, as if it was borderline racist. To say, “I don’t date humans” seemed like saying, “I don’t date white guys.”
But if I had the choice, wouldn’t I prefer supernaturals? Not because I thought we were superior, but because they’d understand me better. Like if I moved to India, I’d probably date Americans.
I told the truth. “I don’t have much choice where I come from but, if I did, I suppose I’d rather stick to supernaturals.”
“It’s not just the ‘can’t reveal my secret powers’ thing. Not like my powers need much cover-up anyway.
It’s just more comfortable, you know? Like being in the gang. Hanging out with others like us. Helping each other.”
He glanced toward Max, then smiled and moved closer, lips to my ear. “Which gives me an idea. What do you say we preempt Guy’s testing?”
“Hmm?”
“Guy wants to test you. Let’s beat him to it. Help Max out and show Guy what you can do. The sooner he trusts you, the quicker he’ll bring you in on the big jobs. And there’s something in the pipe right now.” His lips brushed my ear. “Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.”
WE JOINED MAX, Tony and the three women. I’d been reluctant—I couldn’t see them welcoming a younger woman—but Jaz had insisted it’d be okay. He was right. I came with my own guy, so I wasn’t competition.
Having Max and Tony introduce them to friends seemed to waylay any suspicions that they were being played. And when I acted as if they were my age, it confirmed that the money they’d spent trying to look twenty again had worked.
We hung out with them for a couple of drinks. The guys had this down to a science. They took turns offering to buy a round, gathered orders, then returned with virgin versions for us and real drinks for the ladies, probably double strength.
The drunker the women got, the easier it was to pick up their negative thoughts. Once I had a few, I invited Jaz onto the dance floor. He took me to a corner partly obscured by a pillar, and where no one would notice we were doing more talking than dancing.
“So,” he said, eyes glittering. “Could you pick up all their dirty little secrets?”
I laughed. “It doesn’t quite work like that. I catch the chaotic thoughts—anything that might have negative connotations. Anger, sadness, jealousy…But it has to be an active thought. I can’t hunt through their brains looking for secrets.”
“Okay, okay. So’d you get something?”
He looked like a kid waiting for a present. I played it out, savoring his reaction.
“Two of the three are married,” I said.
“Can I guess? Definitely the brunette—”
“Bzzz. Sorry. Divorced, and having a rough time of it.”
“But she’s the only one with a wedding band line.”
“I suspect that’s because the other two are more aware of theirs, and used tanner. The blond in blue is nervous. She didn’t want to come along and she thinks she saw the daughter of a friend on the dance floor. The one in the red dress, Michelle, is definitely out to paint the town and get some revenge. Hubby is away for the week at a conference, and she knows he’s taken his mistress with him.”
When I finished, he was silent.
“If you don’t believe me—”
“No, shit, I believe you. I’m just…speechless.” He shook his head. “Holy shit. Now that’s a power. Guy is going to love this.”
“But there’s nothing there we can use, unless it’s blackmailing the husband over the mistress, but if the wife already knows…”
“Too complicated. Guy likes the short-term con and I think I know where he’ll want us to go with this.
Head back to Max and Tony. Tell them I’m in the john. I’ll talk to Bianca.”
WHILE JAZ WAS gone, Tony took a call. A simple “Yeah…yeah…okay…see you then.” I guessed it was Bianca or Guy, telling him what was going on. He swung over to the other side of the woman in the red dress and started joking with her, subtly steering her closer to me.
When Jaz returned, he snuck up behind me and put his hands on my waist, tickling me. I jumped. He ducked out of the way, as if expecting a smack, then bounced back, goofing around, grabbing me around the waist, tweaking my hair, grinning all the while. I played along, twisting from his grasp, smacking his hands away and laughing. Finally, he caught me from behind and pulled me against him. His hands went to my thighs and slid under my skirt.
“Did I mention how hot you look tonight?” he said.
“Oh, please,” Tony said. “Get a room, guys.”
Jaz wrapped his arms around me, his chin resting on my head. “Exactly what I was thinking. You guys don’t mind if we take off, then?”
“Go on.”
Jaz steered me through a group, his arm around my waist, hand planted on my ass. Once we were out of sight of the others, he removed it and whispered, “Sorry. And thanks for not smacking me for real back there. I needed to create a distraction.”
He opened his hand. In his palm lay a driver’s license and keys on a unicorn-head fob.
“From the lady in red? Ah-ha. That’s why Tony put her beside me…and why you put on that little show.
Jaz was a good dancer. Not fantastic, but decent enough that he didn’t make a fool of himself, which summed up my own skills.
“Poor Max,” he said during a lull in the pounding beat.
I followed his gaze to a corner where Max and Tony were chatting up the ladies Bianca had set them on.
Every now and then Max’s attention would wander.
“Not enjoying his assignment?” I asked.
“He’s got the looks, so Guy makes him play the floor, but he doesn’t care much for humans and has a hard time faking it. Like being gay and pretending you’re interested in girls.”
“He doesn’t date humans?”
A genuine look of surprise. “Do you?”
I took advantage of an upbeat in the tempo to formulate my answer. Where I came from, if I didn’t date humans, my social calendar would be very bare. Actually, it had been bare for about a year now, but that was another matter. Even calling nonsupernaturals “humans” seemed weird. The council sometimes used the word, but sparingly, as if it was borderline racist. To say, “I don’t date humans” seemed like saying, “I don’t date white guys.”
But if I had the choice, wouldn’t I prefer supernaturals? Not because I thought we were superior, but because they’d understand me better. Like if I moved to India, I’d probably date Americans.
I told the truth. “I don’t have much choice where I come from but, if I did, I suppose I’d rather stick to supernaturals.”
“It’s not just the ‘can’t reveal my secret powers’ thing. Not like my powers need much cover-up anyway.
It’s just more comfortable, you know? Like being in the gang. Hanging out with others like us. Helping each other.”
He glanced toward Max, then smiled and moved closer, lips to my ear. “Which gives me an idea. What do you say we preempt Guy’s testing?”
“Hmm?”
“Guy wants to test you. Let’s beat him to it. Help Max out and show Guy what you can do. The sooner he trusts you, the quicker he’ll bring you in on the big jobs. And there’s something in the pipe right now.” His lips brushed my ear. “Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.”
WE JOINED MAX, Tony and the three women. I’d been reluctant—I couldn’t see them welcoming a younger woman—but Jaz had insisted it’d be okay. He was right. I came with my own guy, so I wasn’t competition.
Having Max and Tony introduce them to friends seemed to waylay any suspicions that they were being played. And when I acted as if they were my age, it confirmed that the money they’d spent trying to look twenty again had worked.
We hung out with them for a couple of drinks. The guys had this down to a science. They took turns offering to buy a round, gathered orders, then returned with virgin versions for us and real drinks for the ladies, probably double strength.
The drunker the women got, the easier it was to pick up their negative thoughts. Once I had a few, I invited Jaz onto the dance floor. He took me to a corner partly obscured by a pillar, and where no one would notice we were doing more talking than dancing.
“So,” he said, eyes glittering. “Could you pick up all their dirty little secrets?”
I laughed. “It doesn’t quite work like that. I catch the chaotic thoughts—anything that might have negative connotations. Anger, sadness, jealousy…But it has to be an active thought. I can’t hunt through their brains looking for secrets.”
“Okay, okay. So’d you get something?”
He looked like a kid waiting for a present. I played it out, savoring his reaction.
“Two of the three are married,” I said.
“Can I guess? Definitely the brunette—”
“Bzzz. Sorry. Divorced, and having a rough time of it.”
“But she’s the only one with a wedding band line.”
“I suspect that’s because the other two are more aware of theirs, and used tanner. The blond in blue is nervous. She didn’t want to come along and she thinks she saw the daughter of a friend on the dance floor. The one in the red dress, Michelle, is definitely out to paint the town and get some revenge. Hubby is away for the week at a conference, and she knows he’s taken his mistress with him.”
When I finished, he was silent.
“If you don’t believe me—”
“No, shit, I believe you. I’m just…speechless.” He shook his head. “Holy shit. Now that’s a power. Guy is going to love this.”
“But there’s nothing there we can use, unless it’s blackmailing the husband over the mistress, but if the wife already knows…”
“Too complicated. Guy likes the short-term con and I think I know where he’ll want us to go with this.
Head back to Max and Tony. Tell them I’m in the john. I’ll talk to Bianca.”
WHILE JAZ WAS gone, Tony took a call. A simple “Yeah…yeah…okay…see you then.” I guessed it was Bianca or Guy, telling him what was going on. He swung over to the other side of the woman in the red dress and started joking with her, subtly steering her closer to me.
When Jaz returned, he snuck up behind me and put his hands on my waist, tickling me. I jumped. He ducked out of the way, as if expecting a smack, then bounced back, goofing around, grabbing me around the waist, tweaking my hair, grinning all the while. I played along, twisting from his grasp, smacking his hands away and laughing. Finally, he caught me from behind and pulled me against him. His hands went to my thighs and slid under my skirt.
“Did I mention how hot you look tonight?” he said.
“Oh, please,” Tony said. “Get a room, guys.”
Jaz wrapped his arms around me, his chin resting on my head. “Exactly what I was thinking. You guys don’t mind if we take off, then?”
“Go on.”
Jaz steered me through a group, his arm around my waist, hand planted on my ass. Once we were out of sight of the others, he removed it and whispered, “Sorry. And thanks for not smacking me for real back there. I needed to create a distraction.”
He opened his hand. In his palm lay a driver’s license and keys on a unicorn-head fob.
“From the lady in red? Ah-ha. That’s why Tony put her beside me…and why you put on that little show.
