Chaz led the way as I followed him into the bar, with Alec and Emily right behind me. As I headed to the false counter, Alec chuckled, “We need to hurry if we’re going to pull this date off.. but..”

“But what?” I asked as Emily joined him in laughter. Chaz just shook his head.

“There are people down there,” Alec explained, regaining some composure. Knowing his brand of humor, I took this opportunity to showcase some of my other arcane skills.

I am not what you would call a witch, or a mage, but I do tend to use ‘magic’ quite a bit. Dragons are magical creatures, so it kinda runs in the blood. I have found that if I use arcane energies to start to form-shift, that I can walk through walls without too much of an issue. It is draining, mainly because I’m not flowing into my dragon, but it is feasible, in a pinch. Here was said pinch.

Alec let out a loud, “HA!” as my body began to shimmer, fading into what looked like a ghostly apparition. I then floated down the stairs, and through the door, as if it was not there. I stood in a dark corner for a moment, to see what was going on.

Teresa was kneeling across someone’s lap, topless. I took in all her tattoos, admiring the tribal designs and the dragon that snaked across her spine. As I moved to the side of the couch, I saw she was on Raze’s lap, who was playing with her breasts as she threw her head back, moaning. As he moved his hands to her pants, I got a good look at the henna design that flowed from her cleavage and under her breasts like lace.

“Nice sternum ink,” I said, softly as I willed myself back into existence.

They both jumped, as Teresa let out a shriek. Her arms quickly crossed, hiding her nudity. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” she chanted.

“No need to hide good artwork, Teresa,” I said, as she looked at me, stunned.

“How long have you been there? I didn’t hear you come in.” Raze’s expression was downright fearful. He undoubtedly started this.

“Long enough to get you in deep shit,” I said, crossing my own arms. “Now both of you, out.” I pointed at the door, which was still locked and dead-bolted.

“But I can’t find my shirt,” Teresa said, as she slid backwards to her feet, panicking.

“I don’t care, out. Teresa, you’re cute. Love the ink, but you’re going to need to put in a lot more work than this for me to let you see my breasts.” It was then she found her clothes, as they both made a beeline for the door. Raze fumbled with the locks for a moment, but they did finally make it out. I stood there for a moment, laughing loudly. I knew they heard me, and I was glad they did. At least they knew I wasn’t that angry with them.

I don’t know why I prefer showers to baths. It might be because of the warm rains of the south that I fell in love with over a millennia ago. No telling. It wasn’t long before I heard the door to the bathroom open. Into the shower hopped Alec, undoubtedly wearing a pair of swim trunks and a shower cap.

“Your hair…” he said, and didn’t need to say anything else. Within moments My scalp was nice and sudsy, as he had one of his brushes working the jasmine-scented shampoo through my hair. If I had done this.. it would have taken me an hour or better. He was simply better at it. “Turn,” he soon commanded, and I did as instructed. He maneuvered behind me to rinse my hair. “I’ll use some spray conditioner once we get it dry. We have to get you looking hot for your lady friend.”

“You need to quit…” I joked as he then moved back in front of me. He grabbed a pair of tweezers, and started working on my brows. “Ow! What are you doing?” I asked.

“Jeriel sees you differently, Jac. I’m tidying you up a bit. Taking a blade to the usual places is also advisable.”

“Let me primp myself my way…” I blurted as he stepped out of the shower, slapping my butt with a wet hand. “Oh, you bitch!” I yelled as he grabbed a towel, laughing.

“Then hurry your fine ass up, then. Tito just pulled up.. and April will be here in less than three hours,” he said, closing the bathroom door.

“Can you keep him out of sight for a few hours?” I asked Tito, as I motioned to Raze, who was sitting on a stainless steel counter. The bar’s kitchen had a propane-over-charcoal grill in the middle, with a wide industrial hood to accommodate two grills. I had one removed, replacing it with a flat grill/two burner combo and an industrial oven. There was a steamer and a steam table, to the right, leading towards an emergency exit, and a giant mixer to the left, along with the sinks (a three compartment dish sink and a hand-sink, which was new) and a few counters scattered about. It appeared to have no organization at all, but Alec had been setting things up. He did things sometimes that made no sense to me, but there was no point in arguing with him. It wouldn’t change anything. I was sitting in a chair in the middle of the kitchen, in white bathrobe, while Alec worked through my hair with a blow dryer with a diffuser tip.

“Si’, that should not be a problem,” Tito replied, as he sprayed some oil on the heating grill, the flames flaring up just a bit.

“So who is this April?” Raze asked in a teasing manner.

“She’s that red headed cop from down at the precinct,” I replied, my hands drifting to my hips. “What of it?”

“Oh, nothing…” he shot back, his hands waving a surrender. “It’s just that I’ve only seen you with the lolita and well Emily… the other night.”

“Emily and I did nothing, you lech…” I said with a chuckle in my voice as I mockingly hit him on the arm. “You were on the couch and I needed sleep. Besides.. too clingy… I woke up feeling like Linus’ blanket.”

“Like what?” Raze said looking at me… lost.

“Dude,” Tito said, now scrubbing the grill grates with a large wire bush. “You know Snoopy? Charlie Brown? That boy with them that has that blanket….?” He looked at Raze, waiting for him to connect the dots.

It took a moment. “Oh.. that dude’s name is Linus. Okay… I got you. Damn, Madrecita… I’m sorry. My girl gets like that after sex… That’s why I usually go home afterwards.”

“And that’s why she’s just ‘your girl’ and not your wife. You know your pops wants you to settle down, right?” Tito said before I had a chance to.

“Not as bad as Mama’,” he laughed, shaking his head. “Every Sunday she has this different chica at dinner, and spends the whole time talking about how good her family is, or how nice and smart she is… it gets old.”

I asked, looking up at the plain white clock hanging on the wall, “Why don’t you take Roanna with you to dinner, then, or maybe Teresa…?”

Tito busted out laughing as Raziel shook his head. “Mama’ hates Roanna more than she hates you, Madrecita. Went as far as to call her a whore and a devil to her face.”

“She never called me a whore,” I said, finding what he said amusing as well. “I was called the Queen of Babylon. So I guess that’s close enough.”

Tito wiped his hands on a gray apron that read, “Kiss the cook, bitch!” as he turned to face us. “Alright, I’m about set. The potatoes will be out of the oven soon, so I’m good whenever…” He was interrupted by a knock on the outside door. I looked to alec and froze. I wasn’t even dressed!

Alec is, as I said, fae… and is better with magic than some people are with breathing. I stood, as the bathrobe simply flew away. Before the guys could get a good peek, I was clothed and ready to rock. I nodded to him, then ran out into the bar, towards the door.

Teresa had set things up really nicely. She had taken a beer bucket, filled it with ice, and stuck a bottle of wine in it. There were two wine glasses, along with a candle, unlit, sitting in the middle of the table. It was nothing to flare a smidgen of arcane power to light the candle on my way to the door, which I had reached by then.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

I answered the door wearing a baby blue bustier top and a matching skirt that came down just past my knees. Alec had done my hair up in a double twist ponytail, secured with a light blue ribbon, though it still amazed me that he could pull all off this off that fast.. It didn’t quite match the clothes, but I doubt it’d be noticed, I had a white pair of sandals on my feet, which to be honest, over the ages.. It was something I ust felt comfortable in, if I wasn’t barefoot. The Sig was secured under the table, which was covered in a deep red tablecloth, so if I needed it, it was there. For some reason I found myself nervous opening the door.

April was standing on the other side of the door and she took my breath away. She is in a black power suit, with a deep, v-cut blazer that revealed a black push-up bra that had her c-cup breasts mounded up and ready for attention. Looking down showed her wearing a pair of black pumps, with a three inch wedge heel, as red polish teased through the semi-opened toe.

She stood there a moment, clutching a large leather purse behind her. “You… look amazing,” she whispered, as her eyes drifted over my body as mine did to hers.

“You too…” I purred, as I stood there beside myself for a moment. I quickly moved to the side. “Come in… I have our chef still here. I didn’t want to order for you.”

As we walked to the table, she stood behind my chair, helping me sit. I have been with women in the past that have been more assertive, more alpha, but April was acting like the perfect gentleman, something that I hadn’t experienced to this degree from a woman before.

She grabbed the corkscrew from the table and reached for the bottle, taking a moment to read the label. She glanced at it for a moment for she gasped in shock. “1863? We’re drinking something from 1863?” she asked, coughing. “It looks like a new bottle though.”

“Alec’s family got a few bottles of this for me. They painstakingly re-bottled them, mainly because they knew I would probably destroy the original bottles if I tried to open them. So this is from my private collection, and would never serve something like this here.”

She opened the bottle, pouring two glasses of a liquid that more resembled brandy than wine. She then took a glass of it to her nose, and inhaled, moaning towards the end. “That is insane. I feel like a queen drinking this. I hope the food is as good as this…” she said, jokingly.

Right on cue, Tito walked to the table, wearing a black, button down shirt and black slacks. He had his hands behind his back as he said, “You mentioned food?”

“Yes,” April said, jumping slightly at his sudden presence at the table. “What are my choices?”

“I brought some chicken with me, but found some beef in the cooler. It looks kinda…odd.. but I think I can trim it into a couple of steaks and they’ll be okay… if you would be interested, of course. I bought stuff to throw together a light salad, and just pulled some baked potatoes out of the oven, if you wish.”

“If you think the steak will be good, then that’s what I want. Medium, with the potato, butter and sour cream, and a salad, dry.” April then looked at me.

“The same, medium rare, with the potato, but no salad,” I said softly as I took a taste of the wine. My eyes rolled into the back of my head at its exquisite flavor... Alec truly outdid himself this time. I reminded myself to share it with the crew and with Jeriel, whenever she decided to come home.

Curious as to my expression, April tasted the wine as well, as Tito walked back to the kitchen. “Holy Merryweather! So this is what heaven tastes like. So rich, so intense, so… indescribable… I’ll never forget this night… that is for sure.”

I smiled, sitting my glass down, placing my hand closer to the middle of the table. Her hand landed on top of me, quivering softly. Was she nervous? “Are you okay?” I whispered.

“Well, I never expected you to call me. I went out on a limb, and hoped I wasn’t barking up the wrong tree.” She paused for a moment. Her words and her body were telling different stories, that’s for sure.

She continued. “It’s just. I had an idea of this evening, and a part of me was hoping it would go a certain way… and this is completely different.”

“Different.. bad?” I asked, looking into her eyes. I was being careful here. Something was off but… I had a need that I had to fulfill. I didn’t want to rush or push too hard. This was her consent, not mine. I decided to relax a bit, and let things flow. “How about loosen up by telling me a little about yourself.”

“Well I have two siblings, my older adopted sister and my younger half sister. We left Ireland so we all could go to University here.”

“What did you major in?”

“I went into Criminal Justice, while Elaine and Cassie went into journalism.”

Wait… April and both green-eyed women I had recently met were sisters? Or were the two I met different people? I couldn’t pull any different scents from her. “Why the different path for you?” I asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

She sighed looking down. “Well When I was growing up, I had a father who decided that when Eve’s curse first affected me, that I was a woman and decided to treat me as such. If I could stop that from happening to someone else, I would. So I decided to become a cop.”

I found myself trembling in anger. I’ve devoured many a man who did that shit to children. “What happened to him?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“The constables wouldn’t do anything, but my neighbors found out what he had done. He was found one morning in the fields dismembered, but no one in the town heard nor saw anything,” She sighed, and the hints of a smile snuck into her expression. “Soon after, Cassandra came to live with us, and Mother got pregnant with Elane, Mother died birthing her, and Cassie raised us.”

I took her hand, “My apologies. I was hoping to give you a wonderful evening andI ruined it by having you re-live the pain of your past. I feel terrible,”

“Oh no, you haven’t. Being here with you, this is romantic. I’ve never had a date that started this beautifully. This is bordering on perfection. Only a couple of things could make it better…” she started as Tito walked back into the room, carrying 2 plates.

“Is this one of those things? I think Alec called it ‘dry-aged’, but I’m not sure. Never dealt with it before, but Alec spoke highly of it. It did turn out to be some beautiful ribeyes, almost as beautiful as the ones blessed enough to enjoy them.” he said, with a smirk on his face.

“You’re shitting me,” she said, watching the plates as he sat them down. He bowed and left the room. “You never said dry-aged…”

“I had never tried it, but two of my friends said I needed to… so I had them set it up for tonight. I wanted it to be a surprise…” I looked down and away, like I had done something wrong. It was a ruse, of course, but I needed to keep her in this.

“Jacqueline, you’ve done everything perfect. It’s me that has doubts about what is to happen tonight.”

“Doubts?” I asked, picking up a knife and fork, slicing into my steak.

“Let me explain. When I first saw you in cuffs, I had written you off as dangerous, but it was a splash of flavor I wanted to taste. When I slipped you my number. I was going to ask you out, but I lost my nerve. Then you called me and I got so worked up.”

She started to blush. “I’m not one who lets things get physical on a first date…” she said, slicing a piece of steak for herself. She then looked at me, with her fork held up. “I was hoping that it would. I even was prepared for it…” she said, blushing. She put the steak in her mouth and moaned loudly. “Amazing… this is by far the best steak I have ever had!”

I tried it as well… as a purr escaped my throat. Remember… I have a draconic sense of taste, so the flavors stacked upon themselves. The char of the charcoal.. the richness of the aged beef, the nutty funky sprinkle of the dry age… with the salt, pepper and garlic powder… made a party in my mouth. I savored the bite as long as I could… then took another one to savor as well.

After what seemed like forever, but was probably about five minutes, I looked to her and her half-eaten steak. “Did you say you were prepared for this evening?”

“I did,” she replied, blushing again.

“Well, how prepared are you?”

“You really want to know?” she said, slowly and hesitantly.

“Yes,” I answered, reaching for and taking her hand, which was trembling.

“Um… well… I have a strap-on in my purse,” she almost whispered.

“…And you were hoping to use that tonight?” I purred… letting my arcane energies mingle with my pheromones… just a taste for her first time. I finished with a seductive, “…On me?”

“I was… I am. Oh God, what I am I doing? I’m sorry. I haven’t had a date in almost a year.” She was almost to the point of tears when she asked, “Am I being too forward?”

“Not at all. Before this goes further, there is something you need to understand. I have a regular lover. She is away on business. We are open with each other, and have no secrets. She has urged me to find companionship in her absence. I wanted you to know beforehand, so that there was no misunderstanding.”

“I understand. My thoughts are going crazy… I have a need… would me using this on you be a problem? Well… would it?”

I flipped her hand over, lightly tracing the creases with my fingernail… “Shhhhhh… Not at all… If you remember one thing…”

“And what’s that?” Her nervousness melted away, replaced by the smell of her excitement. I let it mingle in my nose as I stared directly in her eyes and said, “Turnabout’s fair play.”