“I’m sorry, my pet. You’ll have to make yourself scarce for a bit. Animals aren’t allowed upstairs.” He cawed again as she stroked his feathers, and she smiled. “Okay, behind the counter, and you stay there until I tell you otherwise. Fly low.” She dropped her hand, and her crow glided along the floor before disappearing behind the counter.
Katie, the barista, gasped, pressing her hand to her chest. Lilith strode to the bar and lowered her voice. “Take care of Percival for me? I’m playing with the humans tonight.”
“Lilith, sure.” She scanned the ground, leaning to her left to see past the counter. “Should I be expecting a snake to slither in too?”
Lilith’s lips tightened at the mention of Esther. She needed to remember the real reason she was here. To find happiness. Or to have a good time for a few hours at the very least. Poor Esther’s health depended on it.
“It’s just Percival tonight. I love the color of your hair, by the way. The golden-brown compliments your eyes and skin tone perfectly.”
Katie ran a hand through her chin-length bob. “Really? It’s a box job. I can’t afford to have it professionally dyed.”
“You don’t need to. It’s gorgeous.”
A blush spread across her cheeks. “Thanks. Can Percival have a snack?”
“He would love one.”
“What should I feed him?”
“He’s a crow. He’ll eat anything.” Lilith turned and strode to the registration table, a six-foot foldable, draped in a deep red cloth. Pink heart confetti covered the surface, and behind the table sat none other than Venus herself.
The Goddess of Love and resident succubus tilted her head as Lilith approached. “You are the last person I’d expect to see up here tonight.”
“I’m on a mission, and this is the best place to accomplish it.” She closed her eyes for a long blink and inhaled deeply, focusing on the vibration of the room. The slight tingle of Venus’s magic ran across her skin, making her arm hairs stand on end. “Giving the hu…the people a boost in the love department tonight, I see.” She signed her name on the registration list.
Venus lifted a shoulder. “I feed off the matches made. It’s just a little magic to ensure some happen.”
“I don’t need any help.” Whatever happened tonight…whether she found a match or she simply spent some time talking to the living…she wanted it to be authentic. No help from the Goddess of Love required.
“I don’t doubt that.”
Lilith picked up a date card and a pencil. “What table am I at?”
“We’re doing things differently tonight. The women are rotating.” She tapped the phone lying on the table to check the time. “Let’s get this party started.”
Lilith joined the group of women standing at the front of the room while Venus grabbed a microphone and addressed the crowd. “Gentlemen, please take your assigned seats. Ladies, you’ll have five minutes with each man. At the sound of the buzzer, you’ll move on to the next one. Feel free to take notes, exchange numbers, hook up after we’re done…whatever you want to do. But most of all, have fun!”
The first buzzer sounded, and the women filed into the speed dating zone, with two rows of tables, a man at each one. Lilith stood in the aisle between them, scoping out her potential victims…er…dates.
Venus clutched her arm, steering her toward a table. “Grab a seat. We’re one lady short tonight.”
Two chairs stood vacant. Across from one sat a hefty human with a buzzcut and biceps the size of barrels. He raked his gaze down her body, lingering on her chest and making Lilith’s skin crawl. She took the chair at the table next to him, saving that unsavory experience for last. The poor guy might be in tears by the time she was done, and she didn’t want to ruin his chance with the rest of the women. Some ladies went for the strong, dumb type. Far be it from her to judge.
“Hi.” Potential victim number one forced a smile. He pushed his glasses up his nose and wiped a bead of sweat from his temple. “I’m Theo.”
She folded her arms on the table. “You seem nervous, Theo. Why?”
He let out a dry chuckle and lowered his gaze. “I, uh…didn’t expect all the women to be so beautiful.”
She tilted her head. “Do beautiful women scare you?”
“Not normally, but I was hoping to make a match tonight. Everyone here is out of my league.”
“Nonsense.” She waved off his statement. “Everyone here is on equal footing, also looking to find a match. What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a computer programmer.”
“And what do you do for fun?”
