Page 34

Chapter 33

Nobody’s Gonna Be Looking at Your Face …

Jemma

I could have sworn I was being watched.

“Right about now would be a great time … hypothetically speaking … for someone to pop in unannounced.” I waited.

Nothing.

I raised my voice. “Someone who might like to help me review this contract from the Ferretcon ladies …”

Still nothing.

I cleared my throat. “Someone who loves a good, airtight contract, and who got all overprotective of me when I tried to agree to something without seeing it in writing first. That someone might like to drop by …”

Silence.

I sighed and turned back to the contract. Maybe I was just paranoid. Maybe this feeling of something … other … being in my home, was just residual from all the previous occasions he’d opened a portal right under my nose.

I had two days until Friday the thirteenth. And only the bare bones of a plan for how to disguise myself to survive this dangerous task he had set out for me and hopefully get him to fall hard enough that he decided to make task four an easy one for me. A plan that involved the contract on my screen. But my brain went immediately fuzzy the second the first legalese word popped up.

“Oh well, if no one is coming to rescue me from the tedium of this contract … I suppose I’ll just sign my life away without perusing it thoroughly!” I shouted.

Radio silence.

I huffed and clicked the ‘sign now’ button, sending the thing zooming back via the interwebs to Esther and Jules. My new business partners. Who, in addition to founding Ferretcon, conveniently ran a cosplay business specialising in special-effects makeup.

“Who are you shouting at?” Ezra asked, poking his head around the bedroom door. I snapped my laptop shut guiltily, which was stupid because it wasn’t like I’d been doing anything nefarious, like, I don’t know … watching German Scheizer Porn or something.

“No one!” I shouted.

Ezra wrinkled his nose. “Well, why are you shouting at me?”

I sighed. “I don’t know, I’m so nervous. I … I just signed the contract with Luck Dragon—the cosplay ladies who are starting this Ferretcon event—and?—”

“Oooh! That’s exciting! Did you ask them about doing your costume for Friday?”

“Not yet …” I chewed on the inside of my cheek, shoving my laptop onto the bed and tipping upside down, scanning the dusty underbed area for my ferret. She glared at me beadily. She’d been acting super weird the last week or so.

Probably annoyed that her two boyfriends hadn’t been back for another snuggle-fest.

“I’m feeling you, Lulu. I only got the one chance to snuggle their daddy, too.”

The bed dipped as Ezra settled onto it, handing me my laptop. “Well, if you want another chance to snuggle with him, you need to get yourself to that ball! Which means you need to ask these people if they’ll help you out.”

“And how do I even do that?” I demanded, flopping back against my pillows. I opened the laptop and stared at the screen. “Like, how do I say that I want to cosplay as a red demon slut without them thinking I’m super weird?”

“They’re cosplayers. That’s not weird to them.” Ezra chuckled. “Just tell them your boyfriend has a kink you want to explore …”

I choked. “God, what if that’s his plan? Like, what if he wants me to be all dressed up because he can’t get off unless I look like the females he’s used to?”

“Almost positive that’s not the case at all. I saw him in his undies, remember? I know just how close to getting off he was with you just the way you are.”

I blushed, sliding my fingers over the keyboard.

An email notification pinged. Ezra leaned over.

“Ooh, it’s from them! That was fast!”

I shoved him gently, lifting my knees to balance the laptop on them and reading hurriedly. I scanned the text, my eyebrows shooting higher and higher with each sentence.

“Ez … they want to do a photoshoot with me and Luci, in full cosplay, on Friday, for the marketing materials! And they want me to choose a costume from my range for Luci and let them know what I want to be dressed in, so it’s like we’re a matching pair!”

I turned, wide-eyed, to him. “This is perfect!”

Ezra’s expression mirrored mine. “You put Luci in those angel wings and the little halo and tell them you want to be a slutty she-devil with red skin because that will contrast so well with Luci’s white fur!”

I chewed on my bottom lip. “This all seems to be too good to be true … why is this all coming together so smoothly for me? My life never runs smoothly!”

Ezra gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Jem, for once, don’t question it. Just let it happen. You’re due for something to go your way for once. And …” He tilted his head, eyeing me speculatively. “Is it really going smoothly? I mean, you are having to do all of this to get your soul back from the literal Devil.”

“Son of the Devil,” I corrected distractedly. “Okay, I’m just gonna jump in headfirst and hope for the best … you know, the usual Jemma Bliss way.”

I hit reply and began typing.

* * *

“Christ, you look sexy! Give me that pouty face again!”

The camera clicked frantically as Esther captured me from a number of different angles. I did as I was told, feeling like the biggest idiot on the planet. But I had to admit, I looked every inch the ‘Slutty Demoness’.

My skin was slathered with red body paint … except for my face, which was seamlessly blended into stage makeup—still red, of course, but with some truly epic hot-pink eye makeup to match my hair.

Freckles, mimicking my natural ones, had been drawn on in dramatic maroon. My lips were such a dark plum they appeared almost black. Enormous fake eyelashes completed the look.

I’d been sprayed head to toe with glitter that was so fine it looked like a diaphanous sheen of glistening sweat on my skin.

“Lick your lips, and maybe … one hand tracing the cleavage?” Esther looked towards Jules, who nodded enthusiastically.

I did as I was told, sliding my fingers along the crevice between my boobs that was abundantly evident in the corset they’d stuffed me into. My boobs were busting out of the thing.

Definitely slutty , I thought, adjusting my stance—stiletto pumps were super uncomfortable, and the red pantyhose was itching me. But this was all for one end. To see SJ, I needed to be in this disguise.

And I desperately wanted to see him.

“Okay, I think we’re ready for Angel Luci-Fur to make her modelling debut!” Esther called, peering down at the camera screen to check the last few images. “Can you go grab her, Juju?”

I pinched surreptitiously at the fishnet fabric that tinted my legs just the right shade of red. SJ, you better appreciate the efforts I’m going to for you!

“Uh, we appear to have … multiplying ferrets.” Jules looked sheepish as she carried Luci out, adjusting her little wings. And trailing behind her, dooking like crazy, was the giant white boy, Falcor, and …

I gasped.

Two almost identical black ferrets, with a reddish tinge to their eyes, trotted behind. One had a little white spot on the side of his snout. Both of them were wearing twin expressions of utter self-congratulation.

“I … I have no idea what—how—uh …” I spluttered, staggering forward and almost breaking my ankle in the sky-high heels.

But Esther waved me off, approaching the two smug little terrors, one hand outstretched. She squatted down, letting them sniff her palm.

“She fancies herself a bit of an animal whisperer.”

I jumped, almost breaking my ankle again, to find Jules standing beside me. She held Luci out to me. Despite her angelic attire, my sweet little girl was looking mighty put out to be up in arms and not on the floor with her two black-furred beaus.

“Right?” I mumbled, a tinge of doubt in my tone. Although who was I to be sceptical? My soul was on layby, and I still had two repayments left to get it back. And a ball to attend, a slutty demoness to impersonate, and a devil prince to woo, in order to do so.

But as I watched, and those two Hell Hounds in disguise met her eyes with the sort of intense focus that I’d only ever seen ferrets manage when they wanted something from the garbage bin, I started to wonder. And when the one with the white spot on its nose nodded once—I couldn’t even deny it was a proper nod—and Esther nodded back, a prickle of cold slithered up my spine.

Was she really talking to them? I mean, I knew they could communicate with people, when they wanted to. And would she just assume it was her ‘animal whispering’ ability?

Esther tugged a ferret treat from her pocket, split it in two, and while they munched, she stood, dusting off her hands and reaching for her camera.

“They can stay,” she announced and shooed me back towards the backdrop. “Lift Luci up above your head and kiss her nose.” Apparently there was to be no further discussion of how two black ferrets with creepy eyes just suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

I silently did as I was told, my hands trembling enough that I squeezed a grumpy Luci too tightly. She nipped at my finger—a warning—and I eased my grip.

Why the Hell were they here? Had he sent them to check up on me? Was he watching? Could he see me right now?

Forget cold! My body was suddenly aflush with warmth at the thought of him, spying through a portal at me in this skimpy corset.

A pang of disappointment rocked me at the thought. I’d rather him get the first glimpse of me in this getup when I walked through that portal into Hell tonight. Like when the groom saw the bride for the first time when she appeared at the end of the aisle.

I rolled my eyes at my own stupidity.

“Ooh yes, that looks like she’s coming down from heaven to bestow her sweetness upon the misguided demoness! I love it!”

Click went the camera. Hiss went Luci, who just wanted to hang out with her besties.

“I think she’s had enough!” I cried when she finally decided not to take any more and bit me properly. The blood welled on my finger, blending with the body paint. I put her down, and she immediately galloped over to where the Hell Ferrets were lurking.

“Well, lucky you are both insanely photogenic—I’ve got more than enough to work with here!”

I heaved a silent sigh of relief and walked over to where Jules was standing, watching Luci cavort with the ring-ins.

Why were they here? Was it just to make sure I kept on-task?

“He’s very … selective … about who he associates with,” Jules explained wryly, pointing to Falcor, who was tucked into a little sling that Jules wore on her front. He glared at the interlopers from his perch.

I giggled nervously. “Clearly Luci has no such qualms.” Her little shadow boys were writhing all over her. “I keep telling her that she’s always living out my why choose fantasies whenever she gets together with these two.”

“Oh, do you know them?” Jules asked.

“Oh … uh …” I tried so hard not to wince and failed. My big mouth got the best of me—again.

“Oh, sorry! Her boyfriend left them with me earlier.”

Gratitude filled me as I glanced up, finding Ezra leaning against the door frame. His eyebrows lifted as he perused my costume.

“I didn’t want to interrupt the shoot, but they demanded to be put down the second I came through the door, and they scurried off before I could stop them.” He gave me a ‘play along’ look. “So I just browsed the shop downstairs for a bit. I figured they’d be in better hands up here with the ferret people, anyway.”

Jules looked questioningly from Ezra to me. I nodded mutely, a silent agreement with Ezra. I was saying nothing. Opening my trap right now would only get me into bigger trouble.

“Well, I guess we better get you all cleaned up and ready to take your little critters home.” Esther set down her camera, heading towards me. I backed away.

“Oh, uh, I …”

“Just tell ‘em your heading to a fancy dress party already, so we can get outta here!”

“Yeah, I’m ready to take pretty little Luci to a second location!”

My head twisted in the direction the voices came from. At the last second, I locked my jaw so my mouth wouldn’t fall open. But no one else seemed to have heard them.

“Oh, come on, Jemma Bliss, don’t act so shocked! You know we can talk!”

I quickly bent, tugging a chattering, disgruntled Luci away from the writhing ferret pile. While I was close enough that I could whisper so no one else would hear, I hissed, “Don’t speak about Luci that way, you dirty little?—”

“Aw, don’t be like that, I was just joking!” The spotty one tilted his head at me. “Besides, we’re on a mission tonight.”

“A drag-Jemma-Bliss-to-Hell-type mission.”

“Lucky you read those books, Jemma Bliss, because what you’re gonna see tonight … well, at least you might be a little bit prepared for it.”

I swallowed. What was I getting myself into?

And why had SJ decided that this … sex-ball … was a good venue for my third task?

“What’s he planning?” I whispered suspiciously, clutching Luci tighter to me.

“Planning? Boss ain’t planning nothing!”

“Yeah, promise! He has no plans. Zero. Zip. Nada.”

“Why do I not believe you?”

They both turned to me, standing on their hind legs, eyes wide. The ferret version of puppy-dog eyes.

“Are they talking back?”

I snapped upright, staggering once—damn these bloody stilettos! Jules and Esther were watching me with looks of interest on their faces. Ezra, behind them, was shaking his head at me like I was an idiot.

“Oh … sorry, I just, I always chat to them. They’re like my babies, so …” I really, really hoped they hadn’t heard me making strange accusations to a pair of ferrets.

But Jules’s face softened immediately, and Esther guffawed, clapping her partner on the back. “Juju here’s just the same! I’ve walked in on her reading bedtime stories to Falcor before!”

I tittered, then cleared my throat. “Um, anyway, I was wondering, do you mind if I borrow the costume for the night?” Hopefully just the night … who knew how long a ball-turned-bacchanalian-bumping-uglies-fest could last … “It’s just that my … my boyfriend’s having a fancy-dress party tonight—angels and demons themed, if you can believe it—and I figured, two birds, one stone?”

Esther’s face split into a grin so wide it almost disappeared into her ears. “That sounds fantastic! Of course you can wear it! And you’ll take some of our business cards, to hand out to everyone who compliments you—because everyone is going to be complimenting you, jeez, you look like … well, I think we nailed the slutty demoness brief, let’s just leave it at that!”

My laugh this time felt forced as Esther bustled away to grab some cards, and Jules started turning off all the photography lighting.

“You okay, Jem?” Ezra sidled up beside me. He reached out to squeeze my arm, then thought better of touching the red paint, instead giving me an awkward pat on the head between the horns. “We’ll have to take those off before you go … remember what the message said?”

I sucked in a shaky breath. “This isn’t going to work!” I moaned softly, panic rising like bile in my throat. I passed Luci to him, shaking the nervous energy from my fingers. “Someone will guess I’m just a cosplaying human, or … what if everything we’re assuming about him is just us projecting, and he’s not that into me, and nothing I do will make a difference?”

Ezra’s eyes softened. “I honestly don’t think that’s going to happen. Just go down there, be your usual, vivacious self, and flash him that killer cleavage …” He pointedly glared at my popping boobs. “I guarantee he won’t stand a chance.”

“But … what if he does—stand a chance, I mean? What if he’s gotten some perspective over these last two weeks, and he’s determined to stay on track with his little FiendPay scheme? Or …” I wiped my clammy palm on his T-shirt, “… what if no matter how strong our feelings become for one another, he’s got no choice but to go through with this? If I make him feel so strongly … or make him admit he feels strongly … and then he finishes his plan anyway, and we both end up heartbroken and hating each other, and my soul still goes to Hell when I die?”

“Jemma, look at me,” Ezra said sternly. Blowing out breaths through a tiny hole in my lips, trying to calm myself, I turned to him.

“You have two choices. Give this plan a go, or just not try at all. Either way, worst-case scenario is that your soul becomes the property of Hell. But at least if you try, there’s a chance it ends differently.”

I closed my eyes. “You’re right. I know you are.”

“So go down there, make that sexy red devil fall so deep he can’t imagine ever hurting you, and save your soul in the process!”

I nodded firmly, but my stomach still churned.

* * *

I stood in front of the whirling portal, nervously fluffing up the sexy waves Jules had put in my hair. I smoothed down the front of the black leather corset. It was so unlike anything he’d ever seen me in before.

As soon as we returned to the apartment, the Hound-ferrets had trotted into my bedroom and returned in their regular, doggy form.

“I think I’m going to need a stiff drink after this,” Ezra mumbled, watching as Luci clambered up onto the back of the white-snouted one. It seemed she could recognise them in any form. She nuzzled her cheek up against his floppy ear.

“Do I look okay?” I asked, adjusting the pantyhose self-consciously.

“Don’t worry, Jemma Bliss. Boss is gonna love that outfit!” the Hound with the all-black snout yipped.

“Did that … did it just … talk?” Ezra gasped.

“Yeah, they do that. I think it means they like you … if they decide to let you understand them.” I turned to the Hounds, who were nodding in agreement at my words. “I think it’s high time I was able to tell you two apart.” I pointed at the one that Luci was riding like a horse. “White spot, what’s your name?”

He showed his teeth in what I hoped was a smile and not him thinking about biting me. “Bub, at your service!”

“And I’m Beezle!” the one who had reassured me about my outfit added.

“Well, nice to finally meet you properly. Next time, remember that it’s polite to exchange names before you start French kissing my ferret … Now, I had to remove the fake tail because a limp tail looks way more suss than no tail at all, I think … don’t you think? And do demons wear glasses?” I looked down, wondering if there was anywhere in this outfit I could stash my glasses. My contacts would start to annoy me as the night wore on, and I didn’t know how long SJ would drag this task on for.

“Quit worrying—nobody’s gonna be looking at your face, Bliss …” Beezle remarked.

“Yeah, they’re all gonna be placing bets on when your tits escape!” Luci nipped Bub on the ear, and he yelped.

“Thank you, I’m glad us girls are sticking together, Lulu!”

“I’ll be betting on how long it takes for Boss to whisk you away so none of the other demons get to witness the boobs making their break for freedom,” Beezle tilted his head, regarding my chest so intently that I probably didn’t need any stage makeup to be demoness red. “I’m gonna say less than five minutes.”

“He’s a real boob man, our Boss,” Bub agreed sagely.

I rolled my eyes, but the body part in question tingled, my nipples budding against the leather. “Oh, I’m aware.”

“Maybe Boss should have made a boob glory portal!” Bub grinned at Beezle. “Could’ve just reached through and fondled them every time he was feeling a bit lonely.”

My heart panged. Had he been feeling lonely?

“Hang on!” I snapped suddenly, rounding on them. “Did you say a glory portal? Has he got one of those?”

The Hounds regarded one another silently.

“Noooo …” they howled in unison.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Oh well, it’s lucky then …” Beezle yipped.

I scrunched up my nose. “What’s lucky?”

“That you’ve run out of time to interrogate us!”

The pair of them shoved me through the portal.

“Oh! And by the way … Boss doesn’t—” their voices drifted away as I was whisked into the maelstrom of the portal.