“Then would you mind letting go? You’re hurting me.”
He frees my wrist but when I go to drink, he again grabs me.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I snap at him
“I warned you already.” He peels the glass from my fingers and places it on the table, looking at it like it’s a bomb that could go off any second. “This coked up accountant has spiked your drink.”
I look down at the glass of wine as if expecting see green steam rising from it. “He did what?” I ask.
“I didn’t do nothing,” Tim says, eyes darting from me to the devil next to me. “You’re bullshitting, man.” He sounds scared.
“If you did nothing, take a sip.” The devil holds the glass toward him. “Go ahead. Drain it and I’ll say no more. Pay you five hundred as well. Easy money, Mr. Accountant.”
Tim spins around and disappears into the crowd. The devil clicks his fingers and nods to his left before turning his attention to me. “That finger clicking,” I say to him. “What’s that all about?”
“Your friend won’t get far. I despise those who take advantage of vulnerable women.”
“I’m vulnerable, am I?”
“You accepted a drink from a stranger without seeing it poured. That was the mark of a fool.” He leans down, examining my face.
From this close I can see him better. Strong jaw. Dark stubble. Short brown hair clearly well looked after. A scent of sandalwood and musk coming off his neck. I get a sudden urge to kiss him. I’ve no idea where that came from.
“Why are you here?” he asks, standing upright again. “You clearly don’t belong here.”
“Neither do you.”
“I am here for business. You are here because…?”
“No more questions, all right. Can’t I just sit here and drink?”
“You can drink at home. You came here for a reason and I know what that reason is.”
“Oh, really, pray do tell me.”
“You are looking for something that you will not find in a place like this.”
“And what am I looking for?”
“Someone like me.”
“Like you?”
“I am taking you out of here before you get in any more trouble.”
Another man appears, almost as tall as him but not quite as broad, whispering in my man’s ear. My man? Why would I think of him like that? I don’t even know his name.
The devil nods and mutters to his companion, “Good,” before turning back to me. “The accountant has been dealt with. He will not trouble you or anyone else in here this evening.”
The way he says it reminds me of my father. The cold edge to his voice. I get the feeling if Tim gets to go home at all tonight, it’ll be on broken legs.
“Come with me,” the devil says, motioning for me to follow him.
“I don’t even know your name,” I tell him. “What makes you think I’ll go with you?”
“Because, if you do, I will give you what you came here for.”
“And what is that?”