Demons are identified by a small symbol that appears on the purlicue. That’s the little bit of skin between your thumb and first finger. At the onset of puberty, a symbol appears designating your class of demon. The gluttony symbol is a little circle with what looks like the figure for pi in it, two boobs on either end of the horizontal line. They are black when they first appear. You know you’ve met your mate after one touch of their skin, when the symbol changes color. For gluttony, it's orange. You also get a ring of your mate’s sin color around your symbol.
Entering the apartment I share with my sister, I throw my keys in the bowl on the little table in the hallway near the front door. Looking down at my hand, I notice my symbol is still black. Well, I guess it was just wishful thinking on my behalf. I couldn’t even see if he was a demon, plus he didn’t touch my skin. Damn, the man was smoking hot.
The sounds of music playing in the kitchen and the smell of food cooking drifts down the hallway, lighting my tummy on fire again. I head in that direction, of course, and find my sister dancing, singing into a wooden spoon as she works. Not noticing me yet, I lean against the door frame, smiling in amusement. Although we’re twins, we really are opposites. I’m tall to her short, both of us curvy in all the right places, though I have to work hard not to lean towards chunky. She has ice-blonde, curly hair, whereas mine is a dark, mahogany brown and dead straight. We both have plump, full lips and arched eyebrows, but my eyes are light blue and hers, a pretty pale green.
Her ass wiggles as she bops in time to some K-pop rubbish, stirring something in a frying pan on the stove. She puts in a Michael Jackson worthy screech and spins, noticing me standing there.
“Hey, bitch,” she says, waving her spoon at me. “Food’s almost done. Grab us some wine, will you?”
I push off the door frame and open the fridge to inspect the wine availability. Grabbing a bottle of white, I get two glasses from the cupboard above the counter and pour.
“You’re...energetic. Have a good day?” I ask after taking a sip of my wine. The sharp, fruity flavors burst across my tongue and the cool liquid slides down my throat. Sitting down at the kitchen bench, I feel the last of the tension leave my body.
Serena dishes the food onto plates and passes me one before sitting down next to me. “God, yes. My client today was so enthusiastic I feel like I’ll have energy for days. Four orgasms in the space of an hour. He really knew what he was doing.” She sighs. “Why can't I find one like that in real life?”
“Demon or human?” I ask, taking a bite of my food.
“Who? Oh, the client. Lust demon. Humans just don’t cut it in the energy stakes compared to demons. They’ll do in a pinch, but demons give off way more energy when fucking.” She blows out a breath. “Some lust demons prefer to pay for it, with the amount of sex they need to keep full. No point in leading on willing partners when you know you have a mate somewhere. Those ones are the keepers. Responsible, honest and trust-worthy.” She hunches her shoulders, and a tone of sadness colors her voice.
“Why can't I just find a mate or two? I’m not greedy. I just want a steady, consistent source of energy. And I want to cuddle, damn it!”
I laugh at that. “What am I, chopped liver?”
She frowns at me. “You don’t put out.”
We both crack up laughing at that. I shovel more food into my mouth. Faster than normal, but my energy is low after the drama at the restaurant. Serena eyes the way I shovel the food in. I can see the questions in her eyes.
“Why are you so hungry? I thought you were reviewing Tasty Treats today. All-you-can-eat desserts. You should be in foodie nirvana!”
“I’m not sure, actually. I did eat well, but then skinny bitches gave me a hard time. I gave it right back. The owner got involved. By the time I got home, all the good energy was gone” My heart rate picks up at the thought of the gorgeous French guy.
No, Glory! No point crying over spilt milk.
Milk. Maybe we have some ice cream. I get up from the bench and open the freezer. Pulling out a tub of Ben and Jerry's Bob Marley One Love ice cream, I grab a spoon and sit back down.
Serena continues to watch me with raised eyebrows. “Maybe I should set you up with my guy from today. Even if he's not your mate, he's at least got a big cock and knows how to use it.”
“You know I’m not completely hopeless,” I mumble around a mouthful of ice cream. “I bet the guy I met today had a big cock. And I bet he knows how to use it, too. Maybe I’ll go back next week and try the buffet again, see if I can catch the staff's attention.” I shrug and continue to eat my ice cream, not caring about much else.
I watch as she puts our plates in the dishwasher, then grabs the laptop and brings it back to the bench. She opens it up and starts tapping at the keys, her long, pointy nails making it a slow process.
I’m too enthralled with the banana, caramelly goodness to ask what she’s doing.
“I know what will cheer you up. Look!” Serena says, pointing to the screen. “Kelly, the wedding coordinator at the Manor, has sent us a notice about a wedding tomorrow, full premium smorgasbord. Apparently, the wedding is huge, and two extra guests wouldn’t be noticed, and no seating plan. So we don't have to worry about finding a space left by no-shows.”
I just shrug again before digging for more ice cream, only to realize the tub’s empty. Tears start to form in my eyes.
Serena gets a worried look on her face and then goes into crisis mode. She runs to the pantry and pulls out a box of gourmet chocolates and flings them in my direction. They slide across the bench to land in front of me. I turn my nose up. Gaping at me in shock, she runs to the freezer and pulls out another tub of ice cream, this time B and J’s plain vanilla, flinging that, too, in my direction. She starts pulling out syrups, cream, nuts and sprinkles. She goes to the nearby fruit bowl and grabs a banana and peels it quickly before putting it in a sundae glass and placing it in front of me. By the time she's finished, there's a panicked glint in her eye.
“Eat, Glory, eat. The last time you were so emotional, you went on a five-week bender that emptied the city of its pancake supply. We're still banned from all the IHOPs in the state.” She cuts the banana in half, spoons ice cream on top, and adds all the available sundae trimmings. Once done, she moves the chocolate box out of the way and replaces it with a sundae almost as big as my head.
Overcome with thanks, I just nod in her direction and dig in.
She nudges me in the side and continues to ramble. “Come on. We’ll go to the wedding, eat lots of delicious food, and maybe pick up a couple of single men. You know a wedding is a sure-fire place to get laid, what with all the single people who are feeling desperate.”
I shoot her a crabby look and growl a little.
“Not that I’m saying we can only get laid if someone is desperate,” she back peddles. “We’re hot; they would be lucky.”
I nod and continue to eat. I hear a breath escape her mouth before she continues.
“By the end of the night, both our appetites will have been sated. We’ll be happy little demons, Glory.”
I contemplate the idea.
“And you know what?” She has a twinkle in her eye again, and a cheeky grin crosses her face. “We can plan revenge against Tasty Treats. They must pay for treating you like this, and I’m not talking about with bad reviews.”
By now I’m starting to feel better after all the calories I’ve consumed and revenge is starting to sound good. Sugar is running through my system, and my energy is increasing exponentially.
“You know what,” I say to her, waving around my spoon, “the best revenge I could get against those skinny bitches would be to get that gorgeous hunk of a man to bend me over one of the tables.” I jump out of my seat, her idea growing on me by the second. “I’m in. The Manor's premium smorgasbord is one of my favorites. Casual sex for dessert and then revenge to plan. What a well-rounded meal.”
Serena slumps in relief.
“What's your
problem?” I ask her.
“You’re not you when you’re hungry.” She clicks her fingers, and a Snickers bar appears in her hand. I blink before bursting out laughing and pull her against me in a one-armed hug.
“I’m sorry, Reni,” I tell her. “Today was a cluster fuck. I'm so lucky to have you look after me.” I give her a kiss on her head. “I think I’ll head upstairs. I need to post my scathing review of Tasty Treats.” I wrinkle my nose in disappointment. “Even though the desserts tasted like they were made by angels. Seriously, I want to find the chef and have his babies.” I head to my bedroom but pause, putting my hand on the doorframe. “Oi, do you think the beautiful man was the chef? Damn it, why didn’t I ask?” I kick the doorframe in frustration. “Fucking skinny bitches, messing with my game. They will pay.”
Serena is looking at me with horror again, and I look down. My body is on fire. The doorframe I’m clutching starts to smolder, although my clothes seem to be intact and my body only feels slightly warm.
“Oops. Fuck!” I shout. I take a few deep breaths to calm myself, and finally, the flames go out. Serena grabs a tea towel and starts smacking the door frame with it until it stops smoking.
“Well, that was something new,” Serena comments sarcastically, throwing the tea towel in the trash. “I’m going to ring Mom and ‘the dads’. See if they know what that was about. Try and stay calm until we figure it out. Go and roll a joint, and for goodness sake, don't burn our house down.”
I throw a one fingered salute in her direction and head for my bedroom, muttering, “Not like I did it on purpose, bitch.”
Chapter Three
I MANAGE TO TYPE OUT my review, without setting the room on fire or melting the laptop in the process. Once done, I head to bed, not bothering with any of my usual pre-bed routine. I just can’t bring myself to care. My energy has disappeared again. What is going on? In the past, a meal like I had today could sustain me for an entire day, sometimes two.
I spend the night tossing and turning in my bed, annoyed that those skinny bitches and their reactions are still bothering me. The scene plays over and over in my head like an endless loop, their faces appearing in my dreams, telling me I’m too fat to get a man like him. The man in question then shakes his head and tells me I'm beautiful, kissing me like I'm his world, but they tear us apart.
I’m lying on the buffet table surrounded by cakes and desserts and a bowl of juicy red apples. A little black and white snake slithers around them, its tongue flickering in and out. I look down and I’m naked. The beautiful man has his head between my legs, devouring me, like I did the buffet. Just as I’m about to orgasm, he is ripped away. I try to sit up, but my hands are trapped in bowls of jelly. I’m surrounded by donuts and macarons, cakes and cookies, and I can’t reach any of them. I look up and that uppity manager is leaning over me. I struggle but can’t escape as she grabs a cake knife and slams it into my chest. My mouth is wide open as if to scream in terror, when the snake slithers in. I start to choke, suddenly, bolting upright in bed.
My heart is beating as fast as a hummingbird's wings, my breath rasping out; tears stream down my face. I look around. Was that a shadow at my window? But nothing but the moonlight streams through. I must have forgotten to close the curtains before I went to bed. My breathing slows, as does my heart rate.
Getting up, I go to my attached bathroom to get myself a drink of water. On the way back I pull the curtains closed and quickly jump back into bed, pulling up my covers. That dream was really good. Until the end. Denied an orgasm and stabbed in the chest? Man, that was mean.
BEFORE GETTING READY for the wedding, I decide I need some extra pampering. I’m feeling rough and low on energy, which I can’t seem to maintain. Sleep never did come easily to me after that bad dream woke me.
The bathwater bubbles and fizzes with the bath bomb I throw in. The room fills with the scent of jasmine and orange, the water turning a slight yellow color. I put my hair up in a messy bun on top of my head and climb into the bath. The warm water cocoons my body and my muscles relax one by one. Closing my eyes, I clear my mind of any thoughts and just float.
Finally, the water cools off too much and I decide to get out. Wrapping myself in a fluffy pink towel, I survey my wardrobe options. I'm not fat but I do have curves in all the right places. Think Marilyn Monroe. Gorgeous and curvy, though overweight by today's standards—ridiculous, really.
I pull out a cute little cocktail dress. The bodice is made from deep, eggplant colored lace, with capped sleeves and a plunging neckline. Strategically placed lace flowers cover my nipples. The royal purple satin skirt flares out at my hips in a tutu style, with several layers of tulle. A bright, purple ribbon wraps around my waist. I pull on the dress and twirl around in front of the mirror. It sits beautifully, accentuating my breasts and waistline. I grab out a pair of black suede platform heels with satin ribbons that wrap up around my calves.
Moving on to hair and makeup, I opt for tousled, sexy bed-head with soft curls, a purple, smoky eye, and a deep maroon lipstick. After grabbing a black wrap and clutch, I head out to see if Serena is ready. When I get to the kitchen, I find her sipping a glass of wine, ready to go.
She, too, is wearing all lace. Hers is a pale green number that hugs her body in all the right places, finishing at mid-thigh. Her normally curly hair has been straightened and looks very sleek. She looks amazing.
Giving me the once over, she nods her head. “If that doesn’t get you laid, nothing will.” Finishing her wine, she goes to the cupboard, pulling out a box of donuts. “Here, this should keep you going until we get to the reception. Thank goodness we don’t have to sit through a long ceremony.”
I look at the donuts unenthusiastically, screwing up my nose.
Her mouth drops open. “What is wrong with you?” she asks, putting her hand up to my head to check my temperature.
I swat her away. “I don't know. I had all these weird dreams, and I caught on fire, and I can’t seem to maintain my energy. Not only that, I don’t want those doughnuts,” I wail, holding back the tears, not wanting to smudge my makeup. “Did you speak to Mom or the dads?”
She shakes her head in reply. “No. I tried but no one is answering. I’ll try again.” She pulls out her phone, but I hold up my hand.
“We don’t have time. We have to go or we'll be too late, and we won’t be able to blend in with the guests.”
She puts the phone back in her clutch. “Ok, but if something else weird happens, I’ll ring them straight away.”
When we get to the Manor, our friend, Kelly, meets us in the foyer and leads us to a large area outside. She's a pride demon, and as a wedding coordinator, she feeds off the pride of brides and grooms when their weddings go exactly like they planned.
“Girls, you all look gorgeous with a capital G, but, Glory, you’re looking a little peaky.” She frowns at me. “Are you okay?” she asks, her southern accent getting stronger with her concern.
“Just ready to get my eats on, Kelly.” I shoot for a brilliant smile, but I’m afraid it leaves a lot to be desired as both Kelly and Serena are watching me very carefully.
Kelly directs us around behind a large tree and peeks around it to make sure no one is looking. The area has a large wisteria arbor covering it. The sweet smell of the flower drifts on the gentle breeze. Tables and chairs are placed around what looks like a dance floor. A long buffet table is on the opposite side to where we are.
“Appetizers are being offered around, so have a few of those to start with. The buffet will start when the bride and groom arrive,” Kelly explains. “They didn’t want their guests to have to wait for speeches before they eat, so they’ll be done during the meal. They don’t care if people get up and move around while they’re talking. The singles selection today is out of this world,” she says, turning to Serena, “but for goodness sake, if you’re going to fuck them in the bathroom, lock the door!”
I laugh at that comment, and Serena turns a pretty shade of p
ink. She’s not normally easy to embarrass, but when you get caught giving oral sex to the bride because you forgot to lock the door? Yeah, the commotion that resulted was memorable. Especially being caught by the bride’s grandmother. Serena used her power to fade into invisibility, literally, that day.
“Have fun, ladies, and feed well,” Kelly says as she gives as both a kiss on the cheek. “If you get caught, I will deny knowing you.” With that, she disappears into the crowd of arriving guests.
Waiters are starting to circle by with trays of appetizers and glasses of champagne. Smoothing down my dress, I turn to Serena.
“Okay, what are we going with today?” I ask her, knowing she would have done the research last night.
“We are Great-Aunt Leigh’s granddaughters on the groom’s side. His family is huge, and a couple of extras won’t be noticed, unlike the bride who only has her brother and not many friends.”
With a nod, we leave our hiding place from behind the tree, and seamlessly blend in. I grab two glasses of champagne off a tray and hand one to Serena. I’m tracking an appetizer tray like I’m a heat-seeking missile and it’s a ball of flames. Indelicately, I take a couple of pieces of whatever it is, possibly crab cakes, but at this stage, I’m really not fussy. Serena has tracked another one down and is loading up a napkin to bring back to me. I move to the side and start shoveling food in my face.
Serena does a great job of bringing me more treats, and I just continue to eat. I move around a few times as not to attract attention. Feeling slightly more myself, I finish off my glass of champagne and start to pay attention to my surroundings. Serena has joined me, and we start to scope out the potentials for her to get a little action.
“What about that one?” I ask, pointing to a good-looking gentleman, but before she can look, he lifts his left hand, and I see the glint of a wedding ring. “Never mind,” I mutter.
Glorious Gluttony Page 2