“Is everything okay back there?” Alex called, shooting us a nervous glance from the front counter.
“Yeah, sorry,” I replied, giving them a thumbs up. “It’s all consensual.”
Alex nodded in relief. “Great! Maybe next time you can do that at home, with purchased merchandise instead?”
Sagitta grimaced in shame. He lowered the lime green dildo into the shopping basket.
“Now I feel like I have to buy this...”
I chuckled. “It’s a symbol of our friendship.”
Sagitta flashed a genuine smile that made something stir in my chest. He’d agreed we were friends, but... what if, deep down, I wanted to be more than that?
“He’s really not speaking to you?” Sagitta asked, arching a brow at me.
“Faust? No.”
“Interesting.” He scanned the wall of fancy silicone sculptures and murmured, “Do these function as a ward somehow? And why?”
“Beats me. All I know is he hasn’t said a word since we got here.”
Sagitta glanced curiously at the front door. “Is the entrance protected with holy magic I didn’t notice?”
I shrugged. “No clue. Unless the rainbow ‘everyone is welcome’ sign doesn’t apply to demons.”
After a moment of deep thought, Sagitta thrust the shopping basket at me. “Here. Fill this with anything that grabs your eye. If sex toys are all it takes to keep the demon at bay, I’m satisfied. I’m going to search the perimeter for any potential wards.”
“Okay,” I said. Then I picked up the nearest toy—a sea blue dildo in the shape of a tentacle—and blanched at the price tag. “Uh, hey, Sagitta? Who’s paying for all this?”
“I will.” He smirked over his shoulder. “It’s a business expense.”
I blushed as he strode confidently away. Sometimes I wondered if he knew how cool he was.
After adding the blue dildo to the growing pile, I walked around the shop looking for new additions. But was this actually going to work? Would a few hundred dollars’ worth of sex toys be enough to make Faust leave my body? I still couldn’t tell if he was holding his tongue, or if he had unceremoniously vacated my mind without even a goodbye.
I guess we’ll find out,I thought.
Eventually the rainbow of dildos all blended together and overwhelmed me. I could only put so many fake dicks in the basket before I got bored, so I moved on to a different section where they sold kinkier items. I was no prude, but I still blushed at the wall full of gags, flogs, and leather gear.
“Intrigued? Or not to your taste?” Sagitta asked.
I jumped at his sudden voice, then sighed. “Geez, you scared me.”
“I checked the shop for any sign of a ward or protective charm, but no luck.” His gaze settled on a simple leather collar low on the display. “That would look cute on you.”
His jarring switch from work-talk to dirty-talk made my face burn.
“Huh?”
“You know, because you’re kind of like a dog. Like a golden retriever.”
“I’m—what?”
Was he insulting me or flirting with me?
Sagitta suddenly turned away. “Sorry. Never mind.”
“No, no, wait. How do I remind you of a golden retriever? Is it because I’m blond?”
