The chubby woman turned to the crowd, raising her cane in triumph. The large demon in the back chuckled and clapped. A few among the audience stood up to see if Jabber was okay. Fokso and Eridian were in stitches trying to control their laughter. Most, however, were still confused as to what they had just witnessed.

All at once, the woman exploded into a cloud of angry flies buzzing with hellish intensity. The frequency of the buzzing was so grating that even Charlesly, who was half-deaf, covered his ears. Slowly, the flies coalesced into the words: "The End!" and then flowed down to reform Vicky's body, standing gorgeous in her red mini-dress, her tail swishing back and forth in excitement. It took a moment but then everyone stood, clapping and cheering once they realized it had all been an act.

Vicky bent to help Jabber stand up. They held hands, beaming as they bowed several times, saying, "Thank you! Thank you! You've been great!"

Eridian rushed up to Vicky. "I've always loved that bit," she exclaimed as she gave her a hug. "Wonderful!"

Theodore patted Vicky on her shoulder. "You were very convincing," he said in his soft, slightly gritty voice. "Very impressive."

"Thank you!" Vicky replied.

"But now I've got to get to the Angelic Realms."

"Leaving so soon?" Eridian asked.

"Yes, the arch trainer is sick so I need to step in and teach some of the younger guardian angels."

"I'll miss you!" Vicky leaned in to kiss Theodore, but the angel pulled away.

"I . . . I better not. It would leave a mark on my essence. Don't want to have black lips in heaven."

"Oh, okay," Vicky said, stepping back again.

"But I'll bring a bouquet of heavenly roses for you when I get back. The perfume is absolutely divine," Theodore said, fluttering his hands in the air before him for emphasis.

Jabber, who had been listening to this exchange, jumped in. "No, no heavenly roses. That'll give her hives if she doesn't end up in the hospital."

Theodore gave an uncomfortable chuckle. "You're correct Master Jabber, how silly of me. I'll get you chocolates."

"Wonderful!" Vicky said, with a polite smile.

"Well good evening then! I'll see you soon." Theodore touched his forehead in farewell and wandered off into the crowd. Eridian also left to find Fokso.

Jabber turned to Vicky. "We were amazing! Did you see that? No one knew what was happening!"

Vicky's smile widened. "Yes, it's been a while but we've still got it."

"Life of the party, that's us!"

"Thanks for doing that, Jabber."

"Of course. Anytime."

Both went silent, watching the guests in the sitting room disperse towards other parts of the house in search of more victuals.

Vicky sighed and then said, "Well, it's been wonderful seeing you. Do you mind asking Fokso to call me a carriage?"

Jabber looked surprised. "You're leaving so soon?"

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Yes, I'm tired. It's been a long night."

"Let me drive you home in my carriage."

"Are you certain?" she asked. "It wouldn't be an inconvenience?"

"No, of course not. I'm at your service." Jabber gave a formal half-bow.

"That would be wonderful then."

At that moment, Jabber saw Roseman standing alone near the doorway. Their eyes locked and he cursed inwardly. He wouldn't be able to slip out without at least a small goodbye.

"Just give me a couple of minutes," he said to Vicky.

"Okay."

When Jabber reached Roseman, he opened his arms wide and said, "Roseman! Good to see you! I'm heading out but I wanted to at least say good evening to you."

Instead of smiling, Roseman frowned as he shook Jabber's hand. "Have you been avoiding me?"

"Avoiding you?" Jabber pursed his lips in artificial surprise. "Of course not! Just a bit busy, you know, with that possession show and stuff."

"You think I don't know when someone's avoiding me? Everytime I come into a room you disappear."

"Disappear?! What are you talking about? I've just been schmoozing, moving around the crowd. I'm a social butterfly. That's what I do."

"So you haven't been avoiding me?" Roseman looked directly into Jabber's eyes.

Jabber kept his face completely straight. He didn't even let himself blink. "Absolutely not. Why would I avoid you? That's ridiculous."

Roseman eyed him some more and then smiled. "Well, I'm glad we caught a moment. I wanted to invite you to come to the Nether Regions with me."

"The Nether Regions?"

"Yes! After I saw your little act tonight, I thought to myself, those she-demons down there would go crazy to possess you. Come on, it'll be fun! A bunch of gorgeous demonesses purring all over us! Say yes!"

"No, no," Jabber shook his head vigorously. "I . . . I don't like leaving this plane of existence. Disturbs my sleep."

"No?" Roseman asked.

"It's just not for me."

"Ok fine." Roseman shrugged. "Then have lunch with me Sunday."

"Lunch?" Jabber pursed his lips, trying to think of a way to wiggle out of the invite. It took an effort to keep from squirming.

"Yes, have lunch with me and you'll make up for tonight. Come on, say yes!"

Jabber shrugged his shoulders and mumbled, "Um, okay, fine."

"Yes?"

Jabber nodded. "Yes."

"Wonderful! I'll send your assistant the details. Sunday lunch! It'll be great!"

Groaning silently, Jabber shook Roseman's hand goodbye and returned to Vicky.

Thirty minutes later Jabber and Vicky were sitting across from one another in his carriage as it pulled up her curved driveway and stopped in front of her two-story, ivy-covered home. Outside, the velvety night air was cool with the evening, but Jabber was warm and happy. They had chatted and laughed the whole ride. Whenever the carriage had hit a bump or turned down a street, their legs had pressed together but Vicky hadn't once pulled away.

"The sad thing is, I really was avoiding him," Jabber was saying with a chuckle.

Vicky laughed. "You never were very good at subterfuge, you know."

"I still can't believe I was so obvious."

"You know what I can't believe?"

"What?"

"That you signed our possession contract without even reading it," Vicky said, beaming. Her horns seemed to shine brighter, like twin crescent moons.

Jabber gazed at her dark eyes as she smiled at him with comfortable familiarity. He breathed in her lovely scent, floral and rich like burnt honey. It set his chest aflame with a heat that spread down and churned inside his stomach like brimstone.

"I'd do it again," he said in a serious tone. "I'd do it a hundred times over."

Her smile half-froze as her eyes widened with pleasure at his response, her pupils dilating into iridescent pools of blackness that Jabber longed to drown himself within. After several burning heartbeats, Vicky leaned towards Jabber, curling her tail around his thigh as he combed his fingers into her soft hair and kissed her.

Some moments later, Vicky pulled away. "Would you like to come in?" she asked, her voice husky with desire.

Jabber had to swallow down a thick lump of lust in his throat before he could respond. "With all my soul."