Caught in the Fire

Chapter XXXI: To Right All Our Wrongs

Michael was heading for the restaurant with Mazikeen. They had landed in a dark alley and had walked to the restaurant to keep from drawing too much attention to themselves. He had no idea where he was going, but Mazikeen was on his arm leading the way, and he surprised himself by how much he didn't mind having her near him.

"So, this is what happens when you lose your home," Michael said, "You have to go to restaurants to find food. I wonder if this is what Amenadiel went through when he could not return home."

"Yeah, he had to learn to feed himself when he ran out of money for fancy restaurants," Mazikeen said with amusement, "But hey, you can cook, so you shouldn't have a problem." But Michael stared at her, wide-eyed, looking like a dear caught in headlights. "You can cook, right?"

"Uh... Oh! I believe we are here." They arrived at the restaurant, and he took in the sights in awe. The place was rustic with candlelight on the tables, giving everything a warm glow. He suddenly felt very under-dressed. "Is there some kind of... protocol?"

"Protocol?!" Mazikeen snorted. "You crack me up." They waited at the door to be seated, but Michael just kept going, mesmerized by the view, so she had to pull him back. "They have to find us a table first."

"I thought you said there was no protocol." She gave him such a nasty look that he couldn't help the teetering laugh that escaped him, and then she rolled her eyes and smacked him on the arm, and he just laughed harder.

"Good evening," a tall man with blonde hair and glasses said, wearing a black suit and white dress shirt with a red tie. "My name is Owen, and I'll be your server. Table for two, right? Come with me."

The waiter took them to one of the tables and she was about to pull her chair back when Michael pulled the chair for her. "Allow me, milady." She sat down, surprised at the gesture, and then he pushed her chair toward the table and went to sit across from her.

"Just bring us drinks while we decide," Mazikeen said to the waiter as he handed them their menus. "Whiskey for me and soda for the lightweight. And a shrimp cocktail to start." The waiter left them alone to decide. "What do you want, Michael? Whatever you want. My treat."

Michael picked up his own menu and didn't understand most of it. He wished it had pictures, but perhaps that wasn't fancy enough. "Whatever you are having will be fine." As he tried to make sense of the menu, he couldn't help lifting his gaze and seeing the families and couples having a nice meal. They seemed so happy. When was the last time he was truly happy, he wondered? His gaze drifted to Mazikeen, who was looking over her own menu, and he couldn't help feeling that he hadn't allowed himself to be happy for eons.

The waiter brought a tray with two glasses, a bottle of wine and a jar of Coca-Cola. He filled Mazikeen's glass with red wine, and Michael's with soda. "What are we celebrating tonight? An anniversary, or...?"

"We're celebrating barely getting out of Hell alive," Mazikeen said, "Also, he's not my boyfriend, no matter how much Dromos wants to think we are."

"Dromos thinks we are a couple?!" he said, outraged, "Wherever would he get such a ridiculous idea?"

Mazikeen glared at him, then she picked up her menu and looked it over. "I'll have two Risottos, two orders of scallops, and two Beef Wellingtons cooked medium rare. Oh, and a bottle of champagne to celebrate us getting out Hell so I can break it over his head later."

"That is a little extreme," Michael muttered.

"Yeah, well, you're a dick." Mazikeen handed back her menu. "Seriously? Ridiculous idea?"

"I did not mean it like that," he murmured, apologetic, "I simply cannot believe that that fiend would think that about us."

"Why not? Lucifer and I had our fling, way back in the day. I think Dromos saw us working together and just assumed." She took the glass of wine and swished it around a bit before taking a long drink. "Wait till he sees us with Amenadiel. His head is going to explode."