Chapter Seventeen: Snow Lust Party:

December 5th, 2010.

8:00 p.m.

Tsuzuki didn’t want to do this. Still, the game master insisted. The shinigami pulled out his cell phone and dialed home.

“Hello?” Anna asked on the other line. Her husband put on a fake smile.

“Sweetie!” he said. “Want to go to a party tonight?”

“Why?” she asked.

“You’re always in the apartment. You need to get out more. Come out with me, please?”

“You’re up to something up, aren’t you?”

“What? Why would you think that?”

“You’re trying to get in my pants, aren’t you?”

Tsuzuki chuckled. “You caught me!”

“I knew it!”

“Please? I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Fine. I’ll come out tonight.”

“Thank you. I will really make it worth your while.”

“Right…”

“Meet me at the Golden Lotus at eight.”

“Okay.”

“Love you!”

“I love you too.”

Tsuzuki frowned as he hung up. He didn’t enjoy lying to her, but he had no choice for the time being. Maybe he could tip her off without breaking the rules. There had to be a way. There had to be.

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-Now-

Anna stood in the long line to Golden Lotus. She held her coat close to her body. It hadn’t started to snow yet. She didn’t like to party. Her friends in America had to kidnap her for her twenty-first birthday. While they partied in the club, Anna sat alone at the bar, waiting to go home. Today, she couldn’t understand why she was out here in the cold waiting to get inside. Tsuzuki knew she didn’t party. Still he insisted that she come out here tonight.

Anna looked ahead of the line. From what she could see, people were getting turned away with one look. Anna didn’t know if she would get in herself or not. Part of her hoped that she would get turned away. Maybe she could go home and go to bed…

Anna walked up to the muscled bouncer dressed in black. He stared her down with icy eyes.

“Uh…” the woman spoke up. “I’m only here to meet someone.” The bouncer didn’t budge. Anna nervously chuckled.

“May I go through?” she asked.

“No,” the bouncer said.

“Please? I have to meet somebody here.”

“No.”

Anna’s eyes shifted left and right. Okay… I could just leave. That’s fine, right?

“Sweetie!” a man spoke up. She and the bouncer turned to see Tsuzuki rushing towards them. He embraced Anna from behind.

“Sorry I’m late.” Tsuzuki kissed his wife on the cheek. “Some jerk parked in my spot again. The sign clearly says ‘employees only’.” The shinigami unzipped Anna’s coat to her chest. He began massaging her breasts while nibbling on her neck.

“Oh honey, you promised me a good night on the town for our honeymoon!” Tsuzuki smiled and winked.

“In you go,” the bouncer said. Tsuzuki led Anna into the club by the hand. The other people in line stood asking, “What?”

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Hisoka was already inside. He snuck in through the back. Tsuzuki and Anna were the decoy couple in the front. Hisoka already figured out the MO pattern. The last couple had just met for the first time. Neither one was into wild sex. In fact, the guy was a virgin. Hisoka went over the notes in his head.

I need to find someone awkward and nervous. His eyes scanned the club. The flow of euphoric emotions and pounding music distracted him. He closed his eyes and adjusted his focus.

A wispy ripple echoed through his brain. Hisoka opened his eyes.

“There!” he said. The younger shinigami pushed through the dancing crowd to the bar. He tried to force out the lust and stoned happiness flowing through him as he bumped into the people. The young man didn’t care to know what they got up to last night.

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A tiny woman with light blue hair alone at the bar in the club. Her friends set her up on a blind date. To be honest, she would’ve rather been back at home watching some silly romance comedy. She stared at her glass.

I’m not good at public gatherings, she thought. Why am I even here? It was then the woman realized that she wasn’t alone anymore. She froze and slowly turned her head.

“Oh,” she said. “I didn’t realize you were here. Are you my date?”