The Demon King of Lust

Chapter 6

I watch a few people walk by as I sit in my car in the Pike's parking lot, debating whether or not to go in. If these dreams are real, then this guy really did save me from Vic and I've really been talking to him in my sleep. If they're not, I'm about to completely embarrass myself in a bar in the middle of the afternoon.

Fuck it. Here goes nothing.

I step out, lock the car, and make my way through the front door. There's a decent crowd for midday, a lot more than we get at the club at this time. A few people are seated at the bar, but most are tucked away in booths.

I spot Kieran talking to a man with copper hair and a matching scruffy beard. He has a soft, friendly face that reminds me of a golden retriever. He's handsome, but maybe more cute than hot.

As I walk up, Kieran's eyes reach me and a smile stretches across his face. His friend turns to see me and looks back and forth between us for a moment. I've never asked, but I've always gotten the vibe that Kieran might swing both ways—or all the ways.

Maybe I'm interrupting some kind of flirtation between them.

The redhead looks at me and smirks.

"Hey!" Kieran says. "What brings you here, cutie?"

"Sorry, am I interrupting som-"

"Not at all," the redhead says, gesturing to the seat beside him. "Please sit. I'm Finn by the way."

He shakes my hand and I turn to Kieran, who's drying a glass with a white towel.

"We were just talking about Kieran's new look," he says. "What do you think? I say it's a quarter-life crisis."

"New look?" I furrow my brow. Kieran rubs the back of his neck and looks off to the side.

"The tattoos and the five-o-clock shadow?"

I ponder what he's saying. Has he not always looked like that?

"So what's up, red?" Kieran interjects.

I open my mouth to speak, but realize he could be talking to either of us in this case. If anything, Finn's hair is more a true red than mine.

"You mean me?" I ask.

"Ha! Good point," Kieran says, chuckling. "I didn't even realize you were both redheads. Sorry Finn, I'll have to find you a new pet name."

"You can always call me gorgeous," Finn teases.

"Come on, dude. We both know you're not the gorgeous one here." Kieran looks at me and winks. "So what brings you here, Sam?"

"Oh um..." I pause.

It's one thing to have this conversation with Kieran, it's another to have it in front of his friend. I don't know if it's even real, it could all be in my head. And even if it is real, how do I know who I can talk to about it?

Does this guy know Kieran is a demon? Is he a demon too?

"It's alright," Finn says with a tilt of his head. "I know."

My eyes go wide.

"I... Wha-..." I stutter. "How did you know I was going to ask...?"

"I don't mean to freak you out," he says. "I just have a bit of a sixth sense for some things."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I've always been pretty good at reading people too."

"You can talk freely around Finn," Kieran says.

Sure. Why not? At this point, I've already gone off the deep end—might as well keep swimming.

"I wanted to say thank you," I say. "For helping me with my dreams."