Chapter Fifteen: Daddy’s Playground:

8:00 p.m.

The boys had never seen so much gold before in their afterlives. Lounge Bee was in a spicy night in the early time of this cold December. Tsuzuki had to brush the gold glitter out of his hair. Through the showers, he couldn’t ignore the sea of camp they were drowning in.

Some of the “ladies” dressed up with a Latin flavor with short, tight dresses and skirts. It didn’t help that they could pass as female. One with a long black curvy wig winked at Tsuzuki at the door. The shinigami tried ignore “her” with a poker face. He didn’t judge. After all, Tsuzuki had relationships with men before. He even had a fling with a sailor who liked to dress up like these “ladies” in this bar.

The shinigami walked up the bar decorated in black and red lacy paper skulls. They tried to ignore the hungry looks they were getting. The bartender in dressed red broke into a charming smile.

“Good evening, boys,” “she” greeted them. “What can I get you tonight?” “Her” heavy red lipstick was distracting. Some ended up on “her” teeth. “Her” big gold earrings were just as bad “her” lipstick. Tsuzuki cleared his throat.

“Uh… we’re looking for someone,” he said. The bartender’s big brown eyes lit up.

“Ooo!” “she” cooed. “She” batted “her” long fake eyelashes.

“We’re supposed to meet with someone,” Hisoka spoke up.

“I’m married,” Tsuzuki added.

“So?” the bartender asked.

“To a woman.” The shinigami held up his wedding band. “Happily too.”

The bartender’s face dropped. “Oh.”

“Have you seen anyone named Asmodeus?” Hisoka asked. The bartender in red perked up.

“Why yes, daddy’s home!” “she” said. Tsuzuki’s right eye twitched. Daddy? Daddy?! The bartender flipped back her wig.

“Many we are where he is?” Hisoka asked.

“Sure,” the bartender said. “Go through those doors to our VIP room. Daddy told me he’s expecting you.” “She” winked and blew the shinigami a kiss. Hisoka had to drag a traumatized Tsuzuki away to the double doors on the other side of the club.

“Boys!” the bartender shouted. The younger shinigami turned his head. Their new “friend” leaned forward on the bar.

“When you’re done with Daddy, come and play with me after work, handsome,” “she” said. The bartender giggled and winked.

“Thank you,” Hisoka said with a poker face. He and Tsuzuki disappeared in the crowd of dancing “ladies” and their boyfriends.

-------

The Latin pop music wasn’t so loud in the VIP room. Moaning took its place.

“Better?” Hisoka asked.

“Not really,” Tsuzuki said. “Can we get this over with? Daddy.” He shuddered when “daddy” left his lips.

“Please stay focused here,” his partner said. They found the last door at the end of the hall. Hisoka knocked on the red steel.

“Enter!” a man’s voice said. The younger shinigami pushed open the door. Asmodeus sat on the black leather couch, waiting for them. He set down his empty glass on the matching table.

“Welcome,” the lust demon greeted them. “Take a seat.” The shinigami walked into the lavender-lit room, but didn’t sit down.

“Come on,” Asmodeus purred. “I won’t bite—yet.” Tsuzuki cut him a cold look as he and Hisoka sat down.

“Much better,” the demon of lust said. “And now, I will tell you the rest of the rules of my game.” The man in black snapped his fingers. Tsuzuki wasn’t impressed with the soft jazz filling the room.

“Music not to your taste?” Asmodeus asked. “Here, I’ll fix that.” He snapped his fingers and changed the music to a sexy trip hop song.

“Cut the crap,” Tsuzuki growled. “Why are you doing this?”

“Ah, yes,” Asmodeus said. “The reason will reveal itself in due time. Right now, you have a deadline.”

“Deadline?” the boys asked.

“Why yes.” The lust demon ran his finger across the top of his empty glass. “You have until Christmas to beat my game. Of course you are familiar with the prize.”

“You never said what I would get if I won,” Tsuzuki said. “What is our prize?”

The lust demon smirked. “You’ll just have to see for yourself.”

Hisoka rested his hand on Tsuzuki’s, shaking his head.

“So we have to find cards that have your marks on them?” Hisoka asked.

“And my targets.”

“Targets?” Tsuzuki asked.

“But of course. That’s what you were assigned to do. I’m not telling you who’s next. That wouldn’t be fun, now would it?” The more he talked, the more Tsuzuki wanted to pierce his eardrums. His mind fought over who was worse—Muraki or Asmodeus. In the end, Tsuzuki decided they were both just as bad.

“So, gentlemen,” the lust demon said. “Any questions for me?”

“Yes!” Tsuzuki shouted. “Lots!” He folded his arms across his chest. “But you won’t tell us anything, will you?”

“So, in other words, no?”

“What would be the point?”

Asmodeus clapped his hands. “Nice talking to you, gentlemen. You are free to go. Oh, I almost forgot one more thing.” The shinigami’s faces dropped.

“What?” Tsuzuki asked. The lust demon gave him a cat-like smile.

“There’s a party for couples across town tomorrow night at the Golden Lotus,” he said.

“Okay, so?” Hisoka asked.

“Who knows? You may find my next targets there. Happy hunting, gentlemen.”

Tsuzuki broke into an uncomfortable chuckle. Is he kidding us?

“No, I am not,” Asmodeus said.

“Please stop heating my thoughts,” Tsuzuki said.

“My apologizes.”

Sweat drops formed on the shinigami’s heads.