Free Snowballs in Hell by Eve Langlais

master plan. “Why don’t you just show up to walk me to and from work? I won’t tell.”
    David regarded me implacably. I stomped my foot, piqued. “Dammit. I am not a child. I wish you and Auric would stop treating me like one.”
    “Keeping you safe isn’t treating you like a child. I’d say it shows foresight and care on his part.”
    I just stuck my tongue out at him. Fine, he’d won the first round, but I wasn’t done yet. I’d nag at him again later. Eventually I’d get my way, just ask my dad, I rocked at getting what I wanted.
    I ignored David as best as I could the rest of that afternoon–not easy when you’ve got a six foot something male prowling your apartment. At least sensing my mood, he stayed quiet. I got ready for work and wore something that matched my mood–a black tube skirt that hit mid-thigh with a mini slit on one side, a bright red silk blouse with matching lipstick and my hair coiled on top of my head. Oh, and to finish the ensemble, black panty hose that had the seam up the back with garters and strappy black sandals. It was an outfit to cause trouble–just like my mood.

    Our walk to work was quiet and uneventful. David, I guess, could sense me still simmering. I still couldn’t believe Auric had gone and what I suspected his leave taking meant, i.e. convincing me to fuck someone else. I bet he hadn’t counted on my stubbornness. I’d spite myself to win, something Auric and David would both soon learn.
    David hung around the bar area all evening. Helping Perry serve drinks. Taking care of the drunks and being generally useful. To my annoyance, I found myself glancing over at him more than once. It wasn’t like he had Auric’s magnetic aura, but he did have some appeal–the forbidden fruit variety. Or at least forbidden by my standards.
    When I closed up for the night, he silently handed me my jacket. I had an urge to get in his face and scream just to see if he’d react. I mean seriously, my fuming had to be driving him nuts. Auric would have thrown me over his shoulder by now and paddled my bottom had I tried it with him. Oh, how I missed him already.
    I sighed loudly and saw David slide a look sideways at me, but he kept walking hands shoved deep in to his pockets.
    I stopped walking. David went a few paces before he realized I wasn’t beside him and whirled around.
    “Doesn’t it bother you at all?” I asked him point blank.
    “What?”
    “I know what you guys are up to and it’s not going to work.”
    “Really, care to enlighten me as to what we’re up to?” He looked at me with an innocent face I didn’t believe for one minute.
    I stomped my foot. “Stop playing dumb.”
    “Look–,” David started to say then a shadow wrapped itself around his neck and choked him.
    Shit! Demons. I’d been so busy being annoyed, I hadn’t even heard or smelt them approaching. Cursing my stupidity, I pulled a long knife from the sheath that ran down my spine and whirled, ready to kick some demon ass.
    Two squat forms approached, the sheen of their red skin worrying. Only one type of demon bore that color and it meant my usual Hell fire blade trick would be useless. Never one to give up, I dropped into a partially crouched fighting stance. My short skirt rode up on my thighs showing off my black lace garters and the tops of my legs. I saw the demons glance down, distracted, and I struck first. Swirling my blade, I ducked in and scored a line across the chest of one of them. Dancing back I felt like shouting “Ha,” but my glee was short lived. The demon ignored the scratch and along with his friend, came at me from both sides. Unable to watch them both, I spun a foot out behind me, my stiletto heeling sinking into something soft and fleshy. Eew. However, now wasn’t the time to worry about demon blood on my shoes as I parried the swinging fist of the other demon with my long blade. I could hear snarling and spitting behind me and knew David had let his kitty out to play,