Part 1
In my old broom closet of an office, Jacob stood. Another individually wrapped chocolate at hand. The rising star of our marketing firm did not shy away from taking clients to dinners at lavish restaurants and bars downtown. He didn’t need to. He was so damn charming. Charming according to all but me. The assistant to the head of accounting. Basically, a bookkeeper in wait for Carl to switch companies in the midst of his mid-life crisis. He had been quite vocal about all the offers he had been receiving from particulars.
“You are aware I’m not the one who makes the budgets you keep blowing up? If you need somebody, need to see all your wild expenses. That would be Carl. I just keep track of the numbers. You should know that by now.”
“But he’s ruthless,” he handed me the chocolate. It was my favourite kind. Since he didn’t give those to others. He must have bought them to help bribe me with. He had a little smirk when I ate it. He continued, “and he won’t let me get away with anything unless I tell him you had a look before him. I’m sure he has a thing for you.”
There was a reason why Carl trusted me over Jacob. Our prince charming here stole all the attention away from Carl, the buff gym dude that everybody salivated over.
Not. Well, aside from Leonie in human resources. She had a thing for older men. Bonus points if they were in shape.
I never understood why everybody was so bewitched by Jacob. He looked perfectly average with questionable work morals and a wicked smile. Why, then, had I been dreaming about fucking him ever since he started working in the company?
I tried my best not to think about it too much. I wasn’t the kind of person who could lucid dream. And those were much better than my recurring nightmares. It was a relief to see his face in my dreams, especially when I was about to get chased off a cliff into shark-infested waters.
I let out a sharp exhale. I could make some space in my schedule, but I didn’t feel like doing that for him of all people. But…
“I want a strawberry milkshake from the usual diner with a small fry in my hand by the time I leave this office.” I rolled my eyes at how quickly I yielded.
I was more lenient while on my period. He timed his request for revisions with when I was most craving junk food. All it took was for me to accept once then he knew exactly how to buy me. He even used chocolates to test out the waters before asking.
“Anything for you Anne.”
I glanced at him up and down and wondered, “How long have we been doing this?”
“Two years on Saturday.”
Staring at his face for a moment, I waited for him to confirm this was a random answer.
He didn’t. So, I asked, “How do you know that?”
“I keep track.”
“Why?”
“Because I like you.”
I blinked, then remembered how he sweet-talked to everybody I witnessed him speaking with.
“How am I supposed to believe that?”
“You don’t need to. It’s still the truth, though.” He leaned on my desk as if it was a challenge.
The real challenge was not thinking about all those dreams I had about us fucking on that tiny desk. I opened his file on my computer.
“Are you saying that, so I do what you asked for?”
“I run errands for you to review my expanses. I flirt with you because it’s fun.”
“I wouldn’t call your one-way comments flirting.”
“Since when is this one way?” he grinned. “You’re still talking back to me, aren’t you?” He was witty enough to keep up with my cynicism. He hissed like a cat. “That glare is sharp enough to cut.”
I glanced at his excel sheet, one of the hundreds I was mindlessly compiling numbers in for this company. We also had the portal used to compile online receipts. The excel sheets were a backup. Because our bosses kept having us switch to different portals every two years to claim improvements. All that happened was a slow down while I learned then taught Carl how to use the new one.
Clicking on a random receipt, I blinked several times in exasperation and said, “Are you really trying to fit getting a suite over a room in your budget? I know you’ve sweet-talked your boss to have it sized up, and you’re over it already. It’s not the end of the month yet.”
“There weren’t any rooms left.” He stepped behind me and leaned in to point at the date. “It was thanksgiving, so many people visiting their families. Poor little me was stuck working.”
“Can you prove it?” I deadpanned at him over my shoulder.
“No.”
“You’re paying the difference. Now leave.”
I found several non-business expanses over my lunch break. By the time I left the building, I had tweaked the numbers in his spreadsheet. He would have to pay for stuff out of his pocket to be over just enough to not look like an idiot in the next expenses report. To do that, I had to decline some of the receipts he had sent through the portal. And it was also over just enough to argue his budget was too small for his “proven methods” to win over new clients.
He could afford it. I knew that because I knew about his side gig online. Years ago, before I had gotten into the same company, I was browsing on a porn site and stumbled upon a trailer for his subscription-based channel. I never noticed it was him, since he blurred his face. That was until I caught a glance of his sleeve tattoo during the Christmas party last year. I had to cancel my subreption as soon as I figured it out. I didn’t want things to get weird between us. Especially when I was already dreaming of him.
I walked out of the elevator and Jacob waited for me in the lobby holding my food.
“One day, I would love to actually take you out for dinner.”
“Why would I want to spend more than five minutes with you?”
“Insulting you think I would only last five minutes.”
I knew too well how long he could last in bed…his hour-long videos were edited down.
I acted offended to hide the truth and said, “Should I leave a voicemail to Leonie? And five minutes can be enough if you are better at giving rather than being a pump and dump.”
“Ouch, I guarantee you I am more of a giver than a receiver, maybe a taker.” That reminded of the dreams where he was a bit rougher. With time my nocturnal fantasies had gotten wilder than simply office sex. It got worse after I saw his sleeve tattoo. It looked like foreign writing from a fantasy book.
“That’s a useless piece of information.” I tried to shake away the thoughts. The lewd ones anyway.
“Yes or no for the dinner?”
“I cannot be seen with you outside of work.”
“You can’t or won’t?”
“Result’s the same.”
“What if it’s real discreet?”
“Like what?” I was tempted. He was supposed to be a capable lover. But I was also ready to turn him down. In the even he would pull out a camera. Even though…I could have used the extra money.
“Pizza on the couch?”
Fuck, that was my perfect date these days.
“Not at my place.” I hadn’t cleaned my apartment in a month. It wasn’t messy as much as it was dusty.
“You want my current address? I’ll give it to you.” He winked. I already knew what his bedroom looked like.
“I want a neutral zone with not strings attached, and you will never bring this up again or I’m telling Carl all the shit that doesn’t get sifted through by my preliminary reports.” I knew he never bothered to verify them before he based his work on mine.
“What were you thinking of?”
“Next Saturday, Best Western on the north side, I’ll text you the room number. Bring a meat lover with sliced pepperoncinis as extra toping. Pickled banana peppers if they don’t have that.”
I handed him my phone opened to contacts. He added a number. Under the name, he wrote, “Hottie from work.”
“Which pizza place?” He handed it back.
“Do you know a good one?”
“Yes.”
“That one.”
Just as planned, on Saturday I got an exclusive pizza delivery. All I had to do was text him my room number and wait for the knock. I tried to reason the choice of a hotel for a location with two things. One I didn’t want him to know where I lived in case this all turned awry. Two I did not want to be seen with him in case I was not the only one to know about his side gig. He could get in trouble with management for that. I would not be roped in the consequences.
So, a hotel on the other side of town from our work seemed like a good choice. I dressed casually for this casual meeting. Jacob appeared to treat this like an interview to become my boyfriend, or so I realized opening the door.
“May I come in?” he was in a charcoal suit, holding a fancy looking pizza box with a single red rose on top.
I was in a jersey and jeans for contrast. They were clothes I did not wear often, just in case. He also had a heavy-looking backpack.
“Are you a vampire?”
“No, I’m more of a demon. Not the evil kind, though.”
What other kinds were there? I pulled him in and closed the door behind us.
“That’s childish of you.” I whispered.
“I’m dead serious.”
“Sure. What else did you bring?” I pointed at his back.
“Wanna see?”
“Yes.”
There was a bottle of red wine with a wax seal. Two sandalwood scented candles. Dark and milk chocolate, red cherries, and two little cups of Haagen-Dazs, which he swiftly stuck in the freezer of the minifridge. Lastly, condoms and a bottle of water-based lube, unscented. No camera in sight.
I pulled out my tote bag. I had an old laptop with a DVD player, an HDMI cable and a box set of X-Men movies from the early two thousands. Although I doubted we would watch much of it. I plugged my set up to the TV while he arranged our spread on the desk, after pushing it in front of the bed.
As soon as I got the first movie going, I turned to him lighting up the candles, “I didn’t take you for a romantic.”
The videos he produced didn’t have candles when no wax play was involved. Even if they were catered towards women. Point was they had good lighting.
“That’s probably because we are not close yet.” Strange of him to say after knowing each other for the two years he dearly remembered.
“Would you be insulted if I told you I set this up for shits and giggles?”
“You are still here, aren’t you?” he lit up the bedside light before moving towards the ceiling light switch.
I flipped it before him. The room became much warmer.
“What can demons like you do?” I played along.
“Magic.”
“I am intrigued.” I didn’t believe him.
“I’ll show you as much magic as you’ll allow me to.” He sat on the bed and patted beside him.
“I wasn’t talking about your dick.”
“I was only partially.” He opened the pizza box in front of us.
“Fuck, it looks like it was cooked in a stone oven.” I glided towards its scent.
“That’s because it was.” He guided a slice to my watering mouth.
I couldn’t help but moan as I chewed on it. I usually went for cheap pizza places. This had fresh, freaking mozzarella and slices of Italian sausages. Not the salty nuggets of mystery meat I was used to.
“I’m glad you like it.”
I took the slice from his hand, sitting crossed legged close to him. That desk was tiny. Jacob poured wine in one of the room’s little plastic cups. I swallowed a mouthful of meaty, cheesy goodness with homemade style pickled hot peppers.
“I didn’t know demons drank wine.”
“This ain’t church wine. And it’s sinfully good.” He put the cup in front of me and grabbed another to pour more red wine into.
“Are you doing this so I will make your expense report all pretty for free?”
“I’m doing this because I have fallen for you the moment I laid my eyes on you.” He batted his eyes.
“That’s the whole corn cob covered in cheese.”
“I just like how you bump heads with me.” He leaned in as if about to tell me a secret. “It turns me on,” he whispered.
“So, you had in mind to bump other things?”
“I did have that in mind.” He sat with it back straight. “I also want to spend quality time with you.” He finally picked up a slice for himself. “What about you?”
The whole week, I had wondered why I had set up this date. In the end, I just really wanted to get laid. All these wet dreams had left me seriously wondering about the real deal. He was interested, and he looked okay. So, why not? I didn’t trust dating apps, too many creeps on there. Especially if you are just looking to have some fun. And he knew how to only have some fun no strings attached. But the candles said otherwise.
I took a sip of wine. Damn, it was good. “It’s a sin to drink this in a plastic cup.” I said changing the topic.
“According to this standard, we’re already pretty bad sinners,” he chuckled with a knowing look. “What did you have in mind for tonight?”
I gulped realizing I was acting a little suspicious. “Pizza, movies, then the bumping of other things.” I tried to distract him. “I’m talking about sex.”
“Glad we’re on the same page.” Why did he sigh in relief? “Are you attached to this order of things?”
“Yes, I’m starving, actually. And I prefer pizza when it’s warm so…” I took another bite, closing my eyes to savour it.
“Good to know,” he said, watching me eat.
It didn’t stop him from keeping a hand on my thigh as I stuffed my face. I didn’t mind it. It didn’t crawl up anywhere. It was just a warm, tempting presence lying in wait for the moment to strike. A moment he had given me control of.
Once satiated and slightly tipsy, I spoke up.
“This is going to sound a little awkward but…” I stared at the leftover two slices. It was a large pizza and he did not eat much.
“Take it home if you want, I bought it for you to enjoy.”
“Are you in my head?”
“You’re easy to read.”
He rubbed the outside of my thigh with his thumb. I glanced down to his. He shifted closer to push my overgrown bangs out of my face. I closed the pizza box, prompting him to offer me desert approaching the bag of dark cherries.
“Did you rinse them?” Fuck, I didn’t want to break the tension. But who knew what kinds of pesticides were on those?
“Yes, isn’t that why there are holes in the bags?”
“No, but I like that you thought about that.”
“Don’t tell anybody. But I’m very sensitive to pesticides.”
“Are you allergic?”
“It gives me stomach flu.” He fed me a cherry. It was sweet, bursting with juices.
Then I was stuck with the pit. He tilted an empty plastic cup under my bottom lip and watched me spit it out.
“Thanks…”
“Anne?” he said, putting the cup on the desk and grabbed the two chocolate bars.
“Yes.”
“Dark or milk?”
“Dark.”
He opened the packaging and broke off a square. I thought he was going to feed it to me but then he put it in his mouth. He held the square between his teeth and leaned towards me, slipping his hand behind my neck. There he paused near my mouth, waiting for me to come to him in the last step. My eyes gazed up from his lips into his now awfully purple iris. It must have been the lighting. Had his eyes been blue before, though?
I leaned in to steal the chocolate, and he surrendered it willfully, pushing it into my mouth with his tongue. He backed away to see my reaction. One pull of the tie got in close again. For a proper kiss this time. He teased me with a light peck, but we both knew that wasn’t enough. I dragged him tighter by the hair. This time he offered his tongue and ended it by biting my bottom lip.
We took a little break to push the desk a foot away from the bed. Soon he proceeded to chase me be up the bed.
“As much as you look dapper with all this—” I played with his collar.
“You’d prefer me without it?” he asked that with a sheepish grin.
“Exactly,” I replied, baring a similar smile.
He took off his jacket while I undid his tie. I watched him unbutton his forest green shirt. Slowly but he stopped midway.
“Isn’t this a bit unfair?” He gestured to my oversize jersey.
“Should I take it off myself?”
“May I take it off you?”
“First you got to finish taking yours off.”
He pulled on his shirt, ripping the last buttons, pausing when he realized what he had just done.
“Eager?” I chuckled.
“Very.” He threw the chunk of fabric on the floor.
Yet he was much slower with my garments. Sliding a warm hand under the jersey, hitching it up bit by bit, rubbing his palm on my exposed skin. When it came time to slide it off, he gave me another tease of a kiss before baring my cheap, medical beige bra to the world. Didn’t matter. It soon followed my jersey to be thrown into the empty peeping chair.
He got stuck staring for a bit. I crossed my arms, incidentally pushing my tits together.
“What’s got you so zoned out?” I tried not to laugh.
“Everything,” He leaned in close and hugged me, pressing his chest against mine. It was sweet, and a little too long for something casual.
He crept down to kiss my neck.
I unbuttoned my jeans, and he pushed my hands to the side to do the rest. First shimming off the jeans, then he played with my panties while gazing into my eyes.
“What are you waiting for?” I asked a little annoyed but the touchy, feely stuff.
“I’m just lost in thought.”
“Which better be—”
“About how I’m planning to fuck you tonight?” He was in my head, wasn’t he? Maybe I was too predictable. “You’re predictable.” I thought of the colour red as strongly as I could. “And now you’re thinking about a specific number or something.”
“Or something. What did you have in mind?”
“Thank you thoroughly for saving me money over the last two years, with as many orgasms as possible before you collapse and lose consciousness out of sheer exhaustion.”
I paused, a shiver crawling up my spine. He had filmed himself doing that before. He even had to interview that woman after to show she was fine after passing out.
“That’s a big promise with the amounts I had you get away with.” It did not come out as smoothly as I intended it to.
“Not for my kind.”
One blink, and he had grown horns, and his skin also had a grey tinge. He loosened his pants and a slim tail snuck out of his waist band. I was dumbstruck.
“Oh…” he had a beautiful frown. “You didn’t believe me when I said I was a demon, didn’t you?”
