Page 43 of Finding Answers For Confused Succubi

"We're booked in tonight," Mandy responds."Under Amanda Forcett."

"Ah, yes.Do you have your IDs?"

I hand mine over after Mandy passes hers.

The receptionist checks them both before handing them back."You're going to be in separate changing rooms.Amanda, you need to go down the corridor and to the left, you want the door with the pink diamond on the front.Darius, you'll be to the right and the fourth door with the red heart.Once you pass through the opposite exits, you'll be able to meet at the bar."

"Thanks," Mandy says.

"Here are your wristbands.Red for cupids, purple for succubi.They'll open lockers fourteen and fifty-two respectively."She sets them on the desk.

Mandy picks up both and holds out the red one to me.

I take it from her and slip it onto my wrist.

"I guess I'll see you on the other side?"she says.

"I'll see you there," I promise.

She nods and heads down the left corridor.

Satisfied that she's okay, I head down the right corridor and to the door the receptionist described.I don't waste any time heading over to the locker and putting my stuff in, grateful that Mandy thought to tell me about this part in advance.I know she'll have spent days looking at the website and researching every part of the process, but I haven't had the time to do that, even if I somehow wish that I had the chance to so I could support her.

I head to the other door, not wanting to keep Mandy waiting, I know she'll worry that I've decided I don't want to stay and help her, but that's definitely not what's happening.

Her whole face lights up as she notices me approach the bar, and I smile, glad I can do this for her.

"Okay, so we're here," she says, looking around the room as if she's seeing it differently than before.I do think she seems a little more relaxed than she was outside.Maybe it's the fact that she's here now.The hard part is over.

In theory.

"We are."I look around myself, trying to take stock of the place around me.It looks like a normal bar, though it's nowhere near as busy as I thought it would be, though that could be because it's early and no one's had the chance to get started yet.

Instead of looking with my eyes, I pay attention to my magic instead.

"Are any of them couples?"Mandy asks."I mean proper couples?"

I nod."Over in the corner there."

She follows my gaze to see two people whispering to one another in the corner."How accurate is your cupid-sense?"

"Pretty accurate when it comes to emotions, but it can be off sometimes."

She nods."Okay, so now what do I do?"

"I think that's up to you.Do you want to grab a drink?Then we can head to a booth and go from there?"

"Yeah, but I don't think I want anything alcoholic.I don't want to risk a dizzy spellandalcohol."

"Smart.What do you want?Coke?Orange juice?A mocktail?"

"Do they do those here?"

I nod and gesture towards the menu behind the counter."Looks like it.A lot of people must have the same idea you do about them."

"Oh, great.Erm, I'll have a virgin mojito," she says to the bartender when he appears.

"I'll have a virgin sex on the beach," I say.