It takes hours for us to finish shopping. I strongly suspect that if Lukas had been shopping alone, he would’ve been done in under an hour. Mostly because, for every single item he decided to buy, I spent at least fifteen minutes trying to convince him to branch out and try a different colour. He resisted all my efforts. Arguing with him is like fighting a brick wall. Not to mention, I got completely sidetracked in the shoe store for a good half hour. The bright side? I walked out with a pair of really cute purple wedge heels. Totally worth it. Despite my best attempts, the only colourful item I managed to convince Lukas to get was a pair of soft navy blue pants for sleeping. I still think it barely counts as a colour, but I’ll take it. That said, I may have gone behind his back and snuck one additional item into my shopping bag. A pastel pink tie. I couldn’t resist. I have no idea how I’m going to convince him to wear it, but mark my words, I will find a way to get it around his neck. Even if I have to choke him with it.
Every thirty minutes or so, we darted out of the store to check on Roxy. She was sitting happily outside, wagging her tail and enjoying the attention of every friendly passerby. She might be the happiest dog in the world right now, but after hours of shopping, Lukas looks like he’s nearing his breaking point. By the time we sit down to eat in the food court, I’m thrilled to get some food and rest my feet. Lukas, on the other hand, looks like he’d rather be anywhere else. The noise, the crowds, his discomfort is practically radiating off him.
“We can go eat somewhere else.” I offer casually. He doesn’t even seem to hear me. His eyes are fixed somewhere in the distance, his jaw tight. I reach out and tap his hand to get his attention, and he jerks like I’ve just zapped him.
*Shall we get out of here?*
“You want to leave?” He asks, blinking at me like he’s only just suddenly remembered I’m even here.
“No, I was just saying we can leave. If you want to. You look like you’re ready to bolt.” I point out.
“Oh… I’ll be fine. Thank you.” He replies, his voice a little too stiff to be convincing. Yeah, no. That’s a total lie. He’s miserable, and for some reason, he’s pretending not to be.
“Okay, that’s it. I don’t need to read minds to know you’re lying to me. Up. Get up.” I order. Lukas just stares at me, baffled, as I stand and tug on his arm.
“Come on.” I say firmly.
“You booked your hotel, right? Let’s just go there and order room service or something. You look like you’re done with people for a while.” I suggest. He stares at me like I’ve just grown a second head, then glances down at where I’m holding his arm.
“You know, you can be very… Bossy.” He comments.
“I am not bossy. Now get your ass moving.” I order in my most bossy tone, intentionally proving his point.
“Nagging me, telling me what to wear… I’m pretty sure this makes you my work wife.” Lukas says in a completely serious tone. I gasp in outrage.
“Take that back!” I insist.
“Nope.” He says, his tone unrepentant.
“Fine. If you’re my work husband, then I want a divorce.” I declare, crossing my arms. Lukas just laughs, hooks the shopping bags, mine and his, over his arm, and then, to my complete shock, grabs my hand.
“Let’s go.” He says, smiling as he tugs me toward the exit.
We end up sitting in Lukas’s hotel room, eating overpriced food from the room service menu. And when I say overpriced, I mean criminally overpriced. The menu has prices listed, and all I can think is what kind of monster charges this much for pasta? It’s just noodles and sauce! It should be a crime. Meanwhile, Lukas seems perfectly content, like the ridiculous bill doesn’t even register. He’s been in a good mood since we left the food court, and honestly, I have no idea why. But hey, I’m not going to question it. A cheerful Lukas is slightly less annoying than his usual self. As we eat, we start planning out the evening.
“So, I’ll take you by the bar, and we can chat with Laura and her human friend.” I begin, stabbing a fork into my disgustingly overpriced pasta.
“What about the demon?” Lukas asks, as if this is a perfectly normal question.
“What about him?” I blink, confused.
“Are we going to try and question him too?” Lukas clarifies. I set my fork down and stare at him. “Are you insane? You don’t question a demon. That’s basically a death wish. And let me remind you, this is my cousin’s workplace. We’re going there to ask a few polite questions, not cause a scene. So no stirring up trouble. And definitely no mind reading. Not without permission.” I say firmly. Lukas frowns, clearly unimpressed with my rules.
“That’s my biggest advantage, and you don’t want me to use it? It’s the easiest and safest way to get information!” He argues.
“Nope.” I shake my head firmly.
“You are not invading my cousin’s privacy like that. Or her friend’s privacy, for that matter. If we need to know something, we’ll just ask. Laura will talk to us, and I’m sure she can convince her friend to help too. So no mind reading them.” Lukas sighs in frustration
“Fine. But if I get the chance, I am reading the demon’s mind. That could answer everything. I’m not giving that up.” He insists. I narrow my eyes at him.
“If you piss off the demon, we don’t know each other. I don’t even like you, so I am definitely not facing a demon’s wrath for you.” I say grumpily.
“Right.” Lukas smirks at me like this is some kind of game, but at least he doesn’t argue. I huff and get to my feet, brushing down my skirt.
“Well, in that case, I’m out of here. I’ll come back and pick you up after dinner. You should be fine here. I want to take a nap… And fix my hair.” I tug at a loose strand, frowning. My curls are drooping, and it’s driving me crazy. Curling irons really don’t do as well as proper set curls. If I set them as soon as I get home they might turn out okay by tonight. Lukas tilts his head, studying me for a moment.
“It does look like the curls have started to fall out or something.” He agrees. I freeze and slowly turn to glare at him. He’s not wrong, but he didn’t have to SAY it. Doesn’t he know the polite thing to do is to lie and assure me that I look great? I let out an annoyed breath, mutter a quick, ‘Whatever,’ and march out of the room before he decides to comment further.
Later that evening, I find myself standing with Lukas outside the bar where my cousin works. The large doors in the entrance way radiate a familiar feeling magic. Laura has definitely been practicing her wards on these doors. I wonder if Lukas can feel it. I was surprised when I picked him up earlier and found that he left his dog behind. Roxy, thankfully, is off enjoying the doggie daycare service at the hotel. Apparently, the place caters to guests who want to have dinner or go out without worrying about their pets, so we have a couple of hours at least. I didn’t get my nap, which I’m still a little bitter about, but I did manage to fix my hair. The curls are back, bouncy and perfect, and I feel a thousand times more confident. There’s something about having my hair done that makes me feel more like myself. Maybe that’s shallow, but I don’t think so. It’s just my version of self care. Lukas looks put together too, polished even. He’s wearing one of his new suits. He clearly showered, and his dark hair is combed back in that annoyingly perfect way. If it weren’t for the bruise on his cheek, he would look flawless. As it is… He looks odd. Not like the type of person who should have a bruise on their cheek.
“You’re wearing a suit to a bar?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. Lukas shrugs, completely unbothered.
“I’m comfortable this way. Shall we?” He gestures toward the door like he’s opening a formal business meeting instead of preparing to step into a demon owned establishment. I sigh heavily, more for dramatic effect than anything, and then straighten my shoulders. A little confidence won’t hurt. I adjust my glasses, smooth down my skirt, and take the lead, pushing the bar door open. The warm hum of conversation, clinking glasses, and faint music washes over me as we step inside. Whatever tonight holds, I’m ready. Probably.