Fear is good, Vynessa

A kiss was supposed to be soft, meaningful, passionate and expressive. What Vynessa's ex was doing was swallowing the other girl whole.

She turned to look at the demon calmly sitting beside her like he had developed a hand in front of his head and then slapped her with it.

"I see why you did not want to change restaurants when I asked earlier. You wanted me to see this. Didn't you? Why?" Vynessa said, the hurt flashing in her eyes.

The server promptly left, sensing the seriousness of the conversation.

"You confuse my intentions, Vynessa"  Azaziel said and leaned forward, his nose almost touching hers.

"I want you to sit here, looking pretty, have a nice meal, and relax." he took his hand and lightly brushed her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ears.

"Look at me. You should smile more. Otherwise you like a junior demon back in my home. Trust me, they aren't pretty" Vynessa immediately bit back the smile that was already forming.

"I'll be back in a moment" and just like that, he slid from his chair and walked towards the back of the restaurant. Where was he going? Vynessa wondered but shook her head when she remembered who she was dealing with.

    "Well, this is new" Vynessa turned around to find her ex boyfriend, Wilson, smiling down at her.

"I'm sorry, what?" Was all she could bring herself to say as she looked up at him. She turned and noticed that his earlier companion was no where to be found. He must have sent her off to a hotel to wait for him the same way he used to do to her.

Was this what he did whenever she left him alone? Hit on other girls?

"You look so different, Nessa" The name sounded weird coming from him. In the past day, Azaziel had called her by her full name without the usual excuses Wilson gave; "The name is weird" he used to say. "The fuck does it mean anyway? I'll just call you Nessa, it's sexier" Those memories kept flashing in her head, making her red with anger.

"You look different, like in a good way" Vynessa just stared up at him since he was standing, leaning against the table. When she didn't respond he said; "Aren't you going to invite me to sit? Oh silly me, you never really had to invite me to do anything, did you?" And with that he drew out the chair Azaziel just vacated and sat.

"Sorry about the other day, I was just in my feelings so much, I could not keep my mouth shut. But I'm all better now"

Vynessa still stared at him blankly.

"Aren't you going to respond, Nessa? You know how I hate it when you get silent, right?" That was the tipping point. Vynessa had had enough.  Suddenly it made sense why Azaziel had been so touchy all the whole they had sat there. He knew Wilson was watching them. He had set the stage for her, and left her to handle it. And handle it she would.

"Why are you talking to yourself? And who invited you to sit?" She asked icily, looking him straight in the eye. A fit that had her anxiety roaring in a thousand languages, but she had to do it. She would not let him walk all over her again.

Wilson chuckled, he held up his hands. “ woah woah woah, tigress. I just want to talk.”

   “About the fact that you just had your head down someone's throat?”

   “It wasn’t like that.”

   “It totally was.”

   He sifted a hand through his brown hair, making it stick up everywhere. “So yell at me.”

   Vynessa blinked. “Huh?”

   He flapped his arms. “You can't, can you? Yell at me. Curse me to hell and back. Demand I fix the situation.”

   As understanding hit her, she gaped. “You're trying to tell me, you did it for a reaction? You must really think I'm a fool, don't you?”

   “It was all planned, Nessa. I wanted to know if you still care for me.” He said, but his eyes were stuck on her chest, roaming and roving. 

   Unreal. “Why would you think I would even care? You broke up with me over the phone, and cheated on me several times, but I still crawled back. And now that I'm done, you're not?"

   “oh don't be so dramatic, Nessa. What was I supposed to fucking do, when you had all your dark brooding episodes and never had time for sex with me” He inhaled deeply. “I miss you, all right.”

   “You should. I’m fucking awesome.”

   Exasperated, he insisted, “I know you still feel something for me, that's out of the question m I'm sure of it. It's you, Nessa. I'm just glad you finally built a backbone and you're out of your house too, wearing pretty dresses like I've always wanted. Come on, let's get out of here, so you'll show me how you really feel about this” he said and then pointed to his junk.

   “Sure. Or I could just spare you the trip and tell you here.” She tilted her head. “Irritation. Anger. Disgust. Oh, and pity.” She stilled as something odd happened: another mind slid against hers. It ‘felt’ familiar, felt like—

   She peered over Wilson's shoulder as the door to the back of the restaurant slowly swung open and her handsome demon, dressed in pure black head to toe, he looked insanely hot as strolled back to their table.

Azaziel’s eyes swept his surroundings before honing in on Vynessa like a laser. Her body melted instinctively, the woman in her, buried under years of depression and self hate instantly shot to alertness. What was happening?  She breathed through it all, doing her best to remain composed.

   Wilson turned and then stiffened in apprehension. Even humans recognized the danger in Azaziel though they couldn’t know that he was a paranormal being.

   “Vynessa,” Azaziel greeted simply, as if he hadn't just left the table a few minutes ago, though there was a wealth of intimacy in the one word. “ They are fresh out of what we ordered, love" Oh, he was playing! She could play along too.

   “Who are you?” demanded Wilson.

   Azaziel looked at the human male who had taken over his seat, a little too close to Vynessa.

Azaziel looked to Vynessa, raising his eyebrows in question. The perfect picture of a man aloof on what was going on. He was good, he was really good.

"Uhm, Zee, this is uhm...uh...Oh, right, Williams" Vynessa had to hold in her laugh when she saw Wilson's smug face change into rage and embarrassment at her purposeful forgetfulness of his name.

Azaziel stood in front of the table, with his hands tucked into his pocket, not even bothering to offer a handshake. He had looked through Vynessa's mind, and every time this human showed up, she was in ten times more pain. Even as a demon, he had more empathy than the fool. Azaziel loathed the human on principle. “I’m Azaziel. She just called me Zee”  he said pointing at Vynessa with his eyes.

   “Wilson Noah.” Wilson corrected and then he pointed one finger at Azaziel. “Another weird named person. I don't think Nessa has introduced a cousin to—”

   “Vynessa and I will just be leaving, Mr. Noah.” Azaziel moved aside to clear the way – an act that told Wilson to leave. Looking even more annoyed, and befuddled, the human stood to his feet.  "I'll keep in touch, Nessa. Keep your phone close to you." His last attempt at a cool exit as he stepped around Azaziel and walked out of the restaurant.

     Vynessa rolled her eyes. “Do they teach acting classes in the demon world?” she asked Azaziel as he settled into the now vacated chair.

"I'm a high demon, Vynessa, I know everything"

"Pride goeth before a fall, Azaziel" She responded, even though a smile was already playing on her lips.

"And where would I go? You forget I already live in hell. I am from there. Citizenship card and everything"

Vynessa realised she quite liked the playful Azaziel more.

"Ready to get back home?" He asked as he stood from the chair, obviosly ready to leave.

" But we didn't even get to eat yet, I got all dressed up and everything. It'll all be a waste to just go home" Vynessa murmured in protest.

"Who was it that didn't want to come out of her house again? Excuse me stranger, I'm looking for Vynessa?" Vynessa only glared at him in response. "I already ordered take out. It's being brought to the car as we speak. Let's go." With that, he held her chair for her as she stepped out of it, and walked out of the restaurant.

And apparently, the restaurants chef himself was standing with a large take out parcel beside the car.

"Thank you again for you patronage, Sir. We are always pleased to have you around" he said as he carefully dropped the parcel in the back seat and shut the door.

"You've been here before?" She asked the demon.

"Not recently. I've been away for a while. " Vague. He was being vague and intentionally unclear with his words.

Bewildered, Vynessa headed straight for the passenger seat of the Rolls-Royse, hearing his confident footsteps following her.