Page 56 of Demon Dating Service
“Okay, but hurry,” Matteo admonished. He leaned in close. “I’m starting to think this place is haunted.”
Luke forced a smile. “Don’t worry. You’re perfectly safe. I’ll be right back.”
He wove his way through the tables to a pair of doors near the rear of the restaurant. He slipped into the men’s room and peeked in all the stalls to make sure he was alone. With the restaurant so empty, he’d guessed this was the one area he could go that would be at least temporarily private.
“Azroth?” he hissed in a harsh whisper, pacing from one end of the bathroom to the other. “Ogos? Bath’tuk? Come on, guys! I know one of you is here. Come out right this instant!”
It was a small room with red brick walls and black tile floors. There were three stalls and three sinks with elegant silver faucets. Everything appeared neat and tidy, as if he were the only person to visit the restroom all evening.
“Come on! This isn’t funny.”
The door to the farthest stall opened, which was odd because Luke could have sworn the door had been left open when he walked in. Ogos in his human form sauntered out with a devilish smirk on his lips.
“Having fun?”
“No! Well, almost. Unfortunately, my date is scared the restaurant is haunted.” Luke frantically waved his hand toward the main dining room. “What are you doing here?”
“Making sure you have a perfect night.” There was no mistaking the look of pride on his face.
Luke covered his eyes and massaged his temples with his fingertips and thumbs. “You’re the reason there was no one in the restaurant earlier.”
“Yep. Made sure you’d have your choice of tables. You and Matteo deserve the best.”
Luke dropped his hand to his side and opened his mouth, but there were no words. He appreciated the effort to make sure he and Matteo had a “magical” night; he could just do without therealmagic. His mouth closed, and he made a second attempt after a deep breath. “Thank you. Really. But why the candle trick and the cold wind? You’re scaring everyone away.”
“Exactly!”
Oh, God…
“If I scare them all away, you and Matteo will have the perfect dinner. All the servers and cooks will be at your beck and call. None of the other customers will disturb you with their noise.”
“It’s okay. We don’t mind a little ambient noise, and we don’t need the attention of everyone. The service is perfect. Please let everyone eat in peace. Go home. When the date is over, I’ll be happy to tell you and the others all the details.”
Ogos frowned, his face wrinkling in strange ways, making it look as if it were made of clay rather than skin. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Please. Go home. I’ve got this. I promise.”
“Well…okay. If you’re sure…”
“Yes, I’m sure. Very sure.”
Ogos sighed and vanished in a puff of black smoke. The relief was immediate and complete. Luke’s knees almost buckled. He grasped the sink and took a second to steady himself before hurrying to Matteo’s side. As he crossed the room, he could feel the difference. The candles were all lit and flickering in the hurricane glass. The last of the cold air had disappeared, and the room was cozy and warm. More customers had filed in, filling more than half of the tables.
Yeah, their demonic visitor was gone.
Matteo looked relieved as Luke slipped into his chair.
“Did you conduct an exorcism in the bathroom?” Matteo whispered.
Luke choked on a breath and changed it into a laugh, all while panic attempted to strangle him. “What?” he croaked.
“A minute after you stepped into the bathroom, the restaurant seemed to return to normal. All the candles magically lit, and the other patrons relaxed. It’s like you exorcised whatever demon or poltergeist was hanging out.”
Luke shook his head, clinging to his smile. “Nope. Just washed my hands. Must have been some weird fluke.”
Or an overeager demon who wanted to make this date something to remember.
The rest of their dinner passed without a problem. The food was amazing, and it was a struggle not to stuff himself to his gills, but they still had a movie to catch.