Free A Demon in the Dark by Joshua Ingle

to press his point further. “I think you can let some people treat sex as most important thing in life. Let the only reason they friends with opposite sex is to get in their pants. Have them compete for it, live for it, obsess. Not because it evil, but because it pointless. When you can attach com—compulsion to sex, you’ve won. That’s what I think about sex.” Thorn tried to formulate a response. He imagined that sex was important, that it could be used as a perfect connection between two people, and could be an invaluable emotion moderator and mood booster. Amy had taught him that. If Chaz had been a better man and his affection for her genuine, the sex would have brought her great joy. Why is the Enemy so prudish about something that brings people joy and harms no one? Wasn’t joy a “fruit of the spirit”? Mysteries upon mysteries…
    Afraid he might let his new views slip in any response he gave Shenzuul, Thorn let Shenzuul win the argument. When the ex-couple was done, Angela tried to cuddle with Joel, but he got out of bed and walked away, so she picked up a book and started reading, possibly for escapism’s sake. The two demons and the followers around them trailed Joel to his study, where Shenzuul started whispering to him. “Go whack to porn. After crappy sex, you deserve.” Joel switched on his laptop, eager to oblige.
    Poor guy , Thorn thought. Joel was so sure that good sex would make him happy—the lack of it was part of the reason for his divorce. He was in for a disappointment now that he was able to sleep with whomever he wanted.
    Joel locked the doors, pulled off his pants, sat down, and opened some of his favorite sites. “Every woman should look like this,” Shenzuul whispered. “Why your wife never look like this? Glad you have more variety now.”
    Unacknowledged by Shenzuul, Thorn stood at the door behind them. Joel got busy, and Shenzuul prattled on. “You deserve. You deserve. You deserve.”
    •
    “We have an award-winning homebrew if you folks would like to try that tonight, or there’s Long Island Iced Teas at half price. What can I start you out with?” The young waiter glanced at the men around the table, who ceased their conversation to stare at his pants, where he had mistakenly tucked in his shirt underneath his boxer shorts, the top of which were now showing prodigiously. Thorn felt sorry for him.
    “Well, uh, I’d like a Hot Irish Nut,” Joel said, and smirked at his friends, who laughed.
    “Is that a real drink?” Dean asked him.
    “Real drink, buddy. I’m not gay or anything, but I think our ginger friend here is an expert on the Irish Nut.” The men laughed again, and the waiter finally checked himself. He hastily shoved his underwear back into his pants, and the group chortled.
    “I—uh, crap. I’m sorry.”
    “I want a free drink for that.” Joel was joking, but the waiter apparently couldn’t tell, so he stammered for a few seconds. “Relax,” Joel said harshly.
    “Sorry, sir. I should have checked that before I came here.”
    “Yeah, well, that’s why you work in a restaurant and I have a real job. We’ll take the homebrew, please. Two for each of us. It’s on me, guys.”
    “Sure thing. I’ll be right back with those.”
    “And wash your hands before you touch our food!” The waiter turned back, tripped, then scampered away. Joel’s companions guffawed again.
    The demons had followed Joel to an upscale club called “D” right across from the restaurant he had recently bought (and right down the street from the club where Amy had once seen Thorn). Joel was entertaining three of his new “friends”—younger men drawn to Joel because of his wealth and charisma. Under the purple lights, he regaled them with a jet skiing story from his vacation in Florida. A scantily clad woman Thorn had never seen before rested under Joel’s arm, laughing at every joke he told.
    Shenzuul seemed at home in this environment full of alcohol and sexual