Sloth

by L-J Baker

  Her phone buzzed from the bedside table and she ignored the sound. It was too far away to bother with. At least until it buzzed six more times, and she had to drag herself up to go get it, just to make the noise stop. It was her best friend, Sasha, so it least it wasn't a complete waste of energy. She scrolled through the messages, one by one, reading them aloud to the empty room.

  'What are you doing?'

  'We should go out!'

  'Did you see what Willa did to her hair?'

  'OMG it looks so ridiculous!'

  'Why can't you work here?'

  'It would be so much better with you in the next cubicle.'

  'For me, anyway.'

  The last place Talia wanted to work was with Sasha. She spent the day taking orders from old ladies, who were never happy with their options, and who always screwed up reading the order number, or color, or size. Who called in to order from a catalog anymore anyway? Who even had catalogs?

  Thank God for the Internet.

  She typed a quick text back to Sasha, letting her know she was busy, so maybe another night. If she didn't answer, the texts would keep coming, and she didn't give a shit what Willa did to her hair, or how bad it looked. What she really wanted was a nap. Or to get back to her nap, since her rude brother interrupted it.

  A small part of her brain registered that she should jump on the computer, and do some work, but that was probably just the seeds of guilt Ethan was trying to sow in her mind. It wasn't like she couldn't do it after a nap. The Internet was still going to be there.

  Talia shrugged and climbed back into her bed. The soft comfort of her pillows and blankets let her know she'd made the right decision. That was until the knocking began all over again.

  "Oh my God. What?" She flung the door back open, expecting to see Ethan's judgmental face once more. Instead, she found Sasha, holding up a pair of red heels, smiling.

  "Look what I found, whore." Sasha pushed past Talia and jumped onto her bed. "They were just sitting next to the back door at work, like take me. So I took them. They're your size, too."

  "That's called stealing." Talia sat cross-legged on the floor and stretched her arms up over her head. So much for that nap.

  "Oh please. There's no bitch in that place who would wear these beauties. Those sows all wear slip-ons and those rubber shoes nurses wear. They don't even deserve to stick one toe into something this amazing."

  "So, you decided to steal size six heels, knowing you're an eight?"

  "Well of course. My best friend is a six." She winked and tossed the shoes over to Talia, narrowly missing her thigh.

  "I don't know, Sash, they're not really my style."

  Sasha looked over to the corner where Talia kept her shoes in a heap. Sneakers and fuzzy boots, the kind of things worn for comfort, not style. Talia didn't deserve those heels any more than the sows Sasha worked with. There might have been a time where she could dress up and wear something like that once in a while, but those days were somewhere in a dusty, far off memory.

  "Well, tonight they will be. Get dressed. We're going out. I got a promotion." Sasha hopped off the bed and went to look through Talia's closet.

  "Promotion, huh?" Talia wanted to ask if it was because she was sleeping with the boss, but it seemed like a shitty thing to say. Even though it was probably true.

  "Yep. No more crotchety old ladies for me. Now I get to handle the returns."

  "Are you sure that's better?"

  "It pays two bucks more an hours, so, yes. Don't you own anything to go out in?" Sasha flipped through the clothes in Talia's closet, making faces that made her look constipated.

  "What's wrong with what I have on?"

  Sasha stared at her for a long moment with a straight face before speaking. "You're wearing pajama pants."

  Talia looked down and shrugged. "So I'll throw on some leggings. The shirt is fine."

  "Uh, no. It's not. You need a dress to go with the heels. We're celebrating, not doing yoga."

  "I'm not really in the mood for all that and you know dresses aren't my thing."

  "Too bad. I'm going to my apartment to grab some things for you to try on. Go brush your hair, or something. You look like black Raggedy Anne, that's been left out in the rain, for three years."

  "So glad I have you for a best friend."

  "You're lucky to have me, bitch." Sasha grabbed her purse off the bed where she'd tossed it and hurried out.

  Going out to celebrate was the last thing Talia wanted to do, followed closely by getting dressed, and brushing her hair. She wanted to take a nap, maybe play some games, and if she was feeling extra adventurous, pop a hot pocket in the microwave for dinner. Instead, she was stuck dressing up and going out, to celebrate the fact that her best friend was sleeping with her married boss, and was now reaping the benefits.

  Great.

  ***

  "Are you sure you're ready to be back at work? There's no rush if you need some more time to recover." Luc followed Harley behind the bar and tried to stop her from picking up a case of whiskey.

  "Lucifer, I'm fine. Stop hovering like an overprotective father. I'm a grown demon and can handle shit myself." She snatched up the box and pulled away from him. "Go do your own work and leave me to mine. The night rush will be starting soon and I need to get this place ready."

  Luc wanted to protest, to insist that she go back upstairs and get more rest, but he knew it was no use. Harley was as stubborn as they came, and as much as Luc had worried about her after what Michael did to her, he knew she was stronger than anyone else he knew. Now he just needed to step back and focus on the rest of the chaos that seemed to be surrounding him.

  "Hey boss. Oh, Harley's back. Glad she's feeling better. You got any more work for me tonight?" Toby appeared beside Luc and waved to Harley as she went about stocking the bottles for the night's crowd. Luc still thought of Amanda, every time he saw the little computer nerd, but he was grateful to have him around.

  "You finished tweaking the second set of cameras and installing that program you told me about?" Luc watched Toby glance in the opposite direction at some guy that was trying to get his attention.

  "Uh, yeah. All good. I set things up just like you asked. The only person who knows the details are me and you. I also put a few neat toys around that should stop whatever interference we got on the other recordings. If those bastards come back, we should be able to see who they are."

  "Good. You better go see what he wants before he comes over here to drag you away."

  "What? Oh, Zach. Nah, he's just excited. I told him he had to wait until I was finished with work."

  "You're finished, so go enjoy your night."

  Luc waited for Toby to catch up and hurry in the direction of the overexcited boy, practically jumping in place for his attention. Toby was great and he deserved to have someone that excited to have his attention. Luc was almost a bit jealous.

  If he'd been alone, he would have asked how Amanda was doing. Luc knew that pumping her roommate for information wasn't exactly the right thing to do, but he liked to keep tabs on her and make sure she was okay. It was just sheer luck that he had Toby working in his club and could ask every now and then.

  Luc looked back over at Toby, embraced in an intimate moment with his boyfriend. The sparkle in his eyes, the way his lips moved when he smiled, everything about the moment gave Luc a weird feeling inside. He wanted to feel that same way, to know what love did to a person, to have that single focus when the right woman was around.

  He pushed the thoughts from his mind and shook his head. His focus needed to be on the club, the tablet, and finding Michael. The one thing he did have to look forward to was the fact that Cupid would likely stay in hiding and not come around bothering him. At least there was that.

  Of course, he still needed to worry that Michael would be back. He wasn't about to give up on the tablet, not after all he'd gone through. He couldn't know that it was still in the safe, though. If Luc were anyone else, he would
have moved the tablet, taken it to a place Michael had less access. But his safe was probably the most secure place for the thing. Michael couldn't get in without Luc's assistance, at least not without a team of witches, a couple archangels, and a great deal of time.

  The only way to easily get into that safe, without Luc, was by their father, and if he wanted the damn thing, he could have it. Luc had been keeping the tablet secure for millennia and there wasn't a lot in it for him. Sure, he wanted things to remain the way they were, with the demons who deserved to be in Hell, right where they were. But if that damn tablet was going to cause him this much grief, and put those he cared about at risk, then his father could take the retched thing back already.

  Luc glanced back over to Toby. Two women joined him and they were all chatting. It took him a moment to realize that one was the girl Harley picked for the month. Talia. She looked completely different from the way she had in the mirror. She was in a tight black dress, with red heels, and her hair done up. There was nothing lazy about the girl in her present state, and for the first time, Luc felt an interest in getting to know her.

  Moments earlier, he was sure the month would be a bust, only followed through on to appease Harley. She wanted him to continue on with the game, when he knew it was pointless. He couldn't put another girl at risk. Dealing with his responsibilities and looking for true love didn't go well together. Michael had proven that to him with Valerie. But as he stood there, watching Talia interact with Toby and his boyfriend, he wondered if maybe he was mistaken.

  "That's her, isn't it?" Az came up beside Luc and handed him a drink.

  "Mmhmm." Luc took the drink and nodded, keeping his eyes on the girl across the club.

  "Why are you all the way over here then? Go introduce yourself." Az nudged Luc in the side.

  "There's no rush. If she knows Toby, I suppose I can find a way to interact with her any time."

  Az turned to look at him and pressed his lips together for a long moment. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again.

  "If you have something to say, Azrael, just say it." Luc didn't wait for an answer. He walked toward his office, out of sight from the girl of the month. Not that she'd noticed him anyway.

  "I don't have anything to say. I understand." Az followed him, hurrying to keep up.

  Once inside the office, Luc slumped into his chair and took a deep breath.

  "Don't you have work to do? Souls to escort? Women to corrupt?"

  "Corrupt?" Az laughed. "Any women I spend time with are very willing partners. They aren't being corrupted. Now, you on the other hand…"

  Luc waved a hand in the air. "Maybe you should go look for Cupid."

  "Why the hell would I do that? I thought you'd be thrilled that he was in the wind."

  "Oh, I am. But you realize that he was the closest we had to Michael. We didn't really get the chance to question him thoroughly. He may have some information we can use to find the asshole."

  "He might, but I doubt we're going to find him. If we can, so can Michael, and Cupid knows that. We both know what happens if Michael gets there first."

  He wasn't wrong. Michael would kill cupid, or at the very least, make it so he could never talk to them about his plans. Either way, it wouldn't be in Cupid's best interest to be found. He might be an idiot, but he knew how to survive.

  "So what's our next move then?" Luc looked at the drink in his hand and put it down on the desk.

  "I don't know, brother. I don't know."

  ***

  "So you work here?" Talia swirled her drink in her hand, not really in the mood to get drunk like the majority of those around her. Even Sasha had enough alcohol to be flirting with Toby's boyfriend.

  Toby nodded. "Yeah. I'm still doing my mobile gaming business, but this helps pay the bills until things take off. Plus, it's kind of fun."

  "I bet." Talia scanned the room. It wasn't really her scene, but she could see the allure. She would rather hang out in her pajamas and play games in her room. There was a time when she'd been one of those people though. The ones who went out every night of the week, pretending to be more exciting than they were, going home half-drunk, and spending half the next day fighting a hangover.

  But things change.

  "You should come work with me." Toby leaned in to yell into her ear because the music got louder.

  "Here?"

  "Nah." Toby shook his head. "On the app stuff. It's right up your alley and we could use someone with your mad skills."

  Talia laughed. "Yeah right."

  "I'm serious." Toby grabbed her arm before she could turn away. "You have natural talent. You'd be a real asset to the company."

  And by company, Toby probably meant him and two other geeks, who lived in their grandmother's basement, and still had the crusts cut off their bread. Toby always had the ambition back in University. Even at her best, Talia was never the Toby-type. She was on the right path for a while, but things happen. She never saw her life turning out the way it did, but some things were out of her control.

  "Thanks, but I'm good." Talia took a sip off her drink and swallowed hard. She should have taken him up on the offer. What would it hurt? She certainly needed the money and it would get Ethan off her back for a bit.

  The music slowed and dropped down a few decibels.

  "Come on. I need you." Toby pushed his lip out into a pout the way he would in the old days. He'd always been like an adorable little brother, someone she could always trust. There was nothing to worry about with Toby, but that didn't mean she trusted whoever it was he was working with.

  "I'm not looking to meet new people."

  "We can work here, early in the day, when no one is here. You don't have to meet the other guys." Toby knew her history. He understood why she didn't want to relive the past by working with him and his friends in some dark, dank hideaway.

  "Just you and me?" The words came out before she could stop them. She'd meant to say, no thank you, but some part of her brain had other ideas.

  "Promise." Toby practically jumped in place waiting for her final agreement.

  She wanted to say no, to turn away before she could see his expectations crushed, but she couldn't. Instead, she nodded and he grabbed her into a bear hug, then spun her around.

  "This is gonna be awesome."

  Yeah, right. Awesome.

  Talia downed the rest of her drink and went to find another. She was probably going to need it.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  "Any news?" Harley poked her head in the office where Luc was waist deep in paperwork. Her wounds were mostly healed and the scarring minimal, but Luc still saw the battered, bloody mess of a woman that she'd been when he'd first got her back. He doubted Michael would return for her, but it still comforted him to see her, to know she was safe, at least at that moment.

  "No." Luc grunted. "I told Az he should hunt down Cupid so we can see if he knows anything more to help us, but—"

  "I meant with Ms. Sloth."

  "We're not calling her that."

  "Fine. How did it go with Talia last night. I saw her with Toby for a while. It looked like they were friends. Small world, huh?" Harley slipped all the way in, flipped the chair around, and sat backwards on it across from his desk. She had a bar towel over her shoulder and her short hair clipped back, ready for work, even though it was only ten in the morning and the bar wouldn't be open for two hours. Luc tried not to call attention to her hair, He knew Michael had done that to her.

  "It didn't."

  "What does that mean?" Her eyes narrowed.

  "It means that I didn't officially meet her yet."

  "And why the hell not?"

  "She was busy with her friends." Luc shrugged. It was a lame response and he knew it.

  "You promised me you were going to give this game your full effort." Harley stood and glared at him.

  "That was before. And just because I didn't introduce myself last night, doesn't mean I'm not putting in effort. I just wasn't fe
eling it, okay?"

  "No, it's not okay. You have to stop treating me like some helpless victim. Even if your bitch sister hadn't swooped in there and saved my ass, I would have found a way out. Michael can't break me."

  Luc was sure she didn't believe that.

  Michael would have killed her.

  "I don't think you're a victim. I just can't imagine my life without you." It was probably the most real thing he'd ever said to her, and she knew it, by the look on her face.

  After a long moment of uncomfortable silence between them, where neither acknowledged what he'd said, Harley spoke. "You have another chance. She's out there with Toby." She waved her arm in the direction of the door.

  "She's… why?" Luc stood, looked around, then sat back down.

  "They're doing some programming shit. I don't know. Geek stuff."

  "You do know that's more of a compliment these days, right?"

  "Whatever. Go introduce yourself, or I will drag her back here and stick her in front of you."

  She meant it, too.

  "Fine." Luc made no move to get up again, but he knew he'd have to do as she said. She wasn't wrong. He did agree to this game, and he agreed to continue on after her abduction, but he couldn't help feeling like his head wasn't in it.

  A few minutes after Harley left him alone with his thoughts, Luc stood and made his way into the bar where Talia was seated in a booth with Toby. They had their computers open and were typing madly, while arguing some point about the code. He wanted to turn back around, retreat into his office, avoid the whole thing, but he could feel Harley's eyes burning into his back.

  With a deep breath and a hard swallow, Luc made his way over to the table.

  "You're here early?" Luc directed his statement at Toby, but two sets of eyes were immediately on him.

  "Yeah, we're working on my game app. I hope that's okay?" Toby looked down quickly, then back up to see Luc nod.