I'm Lying to the Handsome Devil

"Do I really have to go there?" Sophie Bloom asked while she massaged her left temple

"Of course! The boss is looking for you already. Hurry up before we finish up all the drinks!" Her very energetic friend, Jennie Quinn, her very energetic coworker said.

Sophie wished that they would just drink up everything so they wouldn't notice her absence.

"Argh. Fine. I'm just wrapping up here," Sophie said through gritted teeth.

"Okay. See you!"

Sophie sighed. Even in the darkness of the office floor and only the light coming from her laptop illuminated her face, it was evident that the young woman was very tired already. She had been working for thirteen hours everyday because of the inhumane workload her boss had assigned to her.

To make things worse, she still had to attend the team's dinner party even though she was dying of exhaustion already! Sophie's plan was to come in the office dressed for the party like the others but disappear after working hours. Unfortunately, Jennie Quinn kept calling her phone to insist Sophie's presence in the team party. Jennie Quinn was the newest and youngest addition to the team. She was also a full-on suck-up to the bosses. The bosses liked her so much, they gave 90% of her work to Sophie with the excuse that Jennie was busy with other things.

Right.

Jennie was busy in sucking up to them.

*

*

*

She couldn't find the restaurant. She wasn't sure if she was just lost or her sleep deprived brain was just telling her to go home already.

"THIEF! Somebody help!"

A man brushed past Sophie almost rendering her out of balance.

"Thief! Please! He stole my bag!" An old woman shouted as she hobbled with her cane.

Sophie immediately gave chase to the thief. Using the strap of her bag, she whirled it in the air like a cowboy and caught the thief.

"What the fu-"

THUD!

Sophie kicked his leg and he fell on his knees. She tightened the strap on his neck and bent his back. It was like the snake pose Sophie used to do when she still had enough energy to do yoga. The man was obviously not flexible because he began to shout in pain.

"Aaaaarrggh! That hurts! Let go of me!" He protested.

"Nope. Give back what you stole to the nice old woman first," Sophie said, stretching his back even more.

"Agghhh! My back! You're going to break it! Fine! You can take it!" The thief released his grip on the cloth bag.

"My bag!" The old woman exclaimed happily.

"Do you want to take him to the police?" Sophie asked.

The old woman's eyes narrowed.

"No. Our people will deal with him," the old woman said mysteriously.

Sophie wondered if the old woman was actually very wealthy.

"No, please. I've returned your stuff!" The thief said.

"Tut-tut-tut. You young ones think you can do anything. You shouldn't have tried to do this to your own people," the old woman said then she turned to Sophie. "You can release him now, dear."

Sophie loosened her grip and the thief scampered away.

"Thank you so much, dear. You are very kind. Not many would have done the same," the old woman said warmly.

"No, it wasn't much trouble at all," Sophie said a bit embarrassed.

"Here, a small token for your valiant effort," the old woman said placing something on Sophie's hand.

"Oh! It's okay. You really don't need to repay me!" Sophie said.

"It would make me happy if you accept it, dear. Truly," the old woman insisted.

Sophie couldn't help but accept it now. She opened her palm. It was a bracelet made from a red leather strap with three brown beads. The beads had some symbols engraved on them that she didn't understand. It was a very unique-looking bracelet.

"Thank you," Sophie said while wearing the bracelet.

"No, I'm the one who should be thanking you, dear. These are very valuable and it would cost me dearly if I lost them," the old woman said.

Sophie saw that the bag was filled with must have been hundreds of the same bracelet.

"Where are you going this evening? I can walk with you in case the thief would try to steal yohr bag again," Sophie offered.

"No need, dear. My companion will pick me up here. What about you? Where are you off to?" The old woman asked.

"I'm supposed to be going to this restaurant," Sophie a picture of the restaurant front that Jennie had sent to her phone. "I can't seem to find it though."

"I see. Are your friends there?" The old woman asked.

"Umm.. They're not really my friends. Just coworkers. Our team has a party tonight and they want me to join them," Sophie said.

"What would you like to be doing instead?" The old woman asked.

"Honestly, I just want to relax in my home. If I still have enough energy, I want to read a good book while drinking hot chocolate and listening to jazz music," Sophie said.

She wasn't sure why she was revealing these things to a complete stranger but there was something about this old woman that made her feel warm inside.

"Ah! I know the place you're looking for. Just cross the street over there, turn right from the third corner, go straight ahead and turn left when you see the black lamp post," the old woman said.

Sophie's mind quickly memorized the directions. She thanked the old woman and Sophie crossed the street.

*

*

*

The lamp post was strange. It was obviously a lamp post but it looked like it was made in the 1800s. The road was strange too. Gone was the concrete and only cobblestones laid ahead.

Maybe it was an aesthetic choice of the city developers, Sophie thought.

BLACK MOON CAFÉ

The restaurant that Sophie was supposed to go to was nowhere at sight but instead, the old woman had given her directions to a café she had never seen before.

The café had a rustic vibe with its signage written in Old English. Sophie's curiosity won over and she entered the café.

The jazz music was the first thing she noticed. It floated in the air and she felt like she had been wrapped in a soft blanket. There were wooden chairs and tables in dark brown wood. There were also couches. Most importantly, there were walls full of books!

Sophie quickly went to the bookshelf and she was surprised that she knew recognized none of the titles. She browsed one and it found that it was interesting fantasy book. She browsed another book and it was also a story about magic.

Sophie went to the counter to look for a drink to order before going in a magical journey with the unknown books around her.

Moonlake Water

Blood Wine

Cup of Dreams

Pint of Ambrosia

Did she just step in the world of Harry Potter? She couldn't understand what the drinks were. Was she just dumb or was everything strange in here?

"Dear customer, I see that you are new here. Would you like me to assist you with your choice?" An elderly man with long gray hair tied with a ponytail wearing a bartender suit asked.

"Um, yes. Sorry to bother you. Um, something non-alcoholic please. Oh! Do you have hot chocolate here?" Sophie asked.

"Yes, we have a myriad of those. Would you like something strong as blood? Dark and bitter like regrets? Or perhaps you would like it to be sweet and cloudy?" The bartender asked.

"I um... Sweet? Maybe with milk or marshmallows," Sophie said totally confused with all the strange choices.

"As you wish. That shall be one belal," the bartender said.

"I'm sorry. One what?" Sophie asked.

"That belal you have on you, dear customer. Here, let me help you," the bartender said and before Sophie could protest, he took off her bracelet, removed one bead, placed it inside the cash registrar, and put on the bracelet back on her wrist.

There were now two beads left.

The bartender began making something behind the counter.

"I haven't paid yet. How much is it? Why did you get my bead?" Sophie asked.

"I have received the payment of your one belal. We don't accept 'cash' here," he said with something like disgust in the word "cash."

Sophie wondered if it was like cryptocurrency. Maybe they don't like cash here and the old woman was selling these bracelets as something like currency.

"One Mug of Childhood Comfort. You may take your seat anywhere you wish. Thank you for ordering."

Inside the mug was a bear shaped marshmallow in a puddle of hot chocolate.

Wow!

Sophie sat on a couch and began reading as she sipped the very delicious hot chocolate drink.

*

*

*

It must have been an hour or so when a voice interrupted her reading.

"You must be a succubus."

Sophie looked up to find the most handsome man she had ever laid her eyes on. His hair was dark as a raven's feathers. His eyeglasses did not fail to conceal his vibrant ruby red eyes framed with dark long lashes. His cheekbones were sharp as glass. He was wearing a black vest, a black tie, a white long-sleeved white dress shirt and black trousers. His clothes couldn't conceal his devilish aura.

"I'm Helliot Edgewing. May I join you?" He asked in a velvety voice that made her think of other pleasures done in the night besides curling up with a good book.

"Sure. Sophie Bloom. Nice to meet you," Sophie replied trying to look unaffected by his devilish looks.

He grinned and Sophie's rational thoughts all went to Hell.