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Elliot found her way into a coffee shop downtown, determined to relax and get things sorted out in her head. She bought a fresh notebook at a drugstore on the way over and began to scribble everything down, from the banshee, to the woman (“Gimble??”), to the nerd who was following her, to Z. Just like, everything about Z. This was all very new, and she didn’t want to forget a thing about it.
The nerd was there, of course. He sat with a group of Lemuria brogrammers, sipping his coffee stoically. They laughed at some joke, and he cracked a smile, but it seemed practiced. Elliot wasn’t sure if he knew she was there, and she frankly didn’t want to find out. She ignored him — the coffee shop was full, and he couldn’t start shit if he wanted to.
Up in the loft of the coffee shop, she watched customers wander in, tapping her pen on the notebook page. She went unseen, enough that people ignored her and wouldn’t notice her. They would see someone sitting at a table and forget about her entirely the moment they looked away. It was peaceful, and she fiddled with her music player, scrolling up and down for songs.
A woman walked it. She was human, a little taller than Elliot, with brown hair that went down just past her chin, her face nicely freckled. She wore a tweed suit, complete with vest and bowtie, and carried an umbrella with her, which she closed neatly, shaking off the morning’s rain. And for a moment, she stood in the center of the store and looked around.
Elliot put her pen down. She couldn’t place it, but this woman demanded her attention. She watched as the woman looked around the shop, honing in on a table of tech bros in off to one side. She approached slowly. Elliot blinked, and it was as if the woman had taken a jump forward. She looked at the menu, doing her best to look inconspicuous, but there was something else too. Elliot focused.
The woman… well, changed wasn’t right. She never was the human with the brown hair. Two thick horns came out of her head, spiraling to the side like a ram’s horns would. She still had her brown hair and her freckles, but her eyes were dark black. And behind her, she had a tail, dark and pointy, almost like a cartoon. Elliot gasped. The woman looked up at her, making eye contact. She smiled and put her finger to her lips. And then she ordered coffee.
Elliot considered what to do next. She had been spotted, but she could hardly believe what she had seen. There was… well, demon felt rude, but it was down there, and it looked right at her, and it has cash, apparently. At least, from what Elliot could see, it tipped well. And before she could jump into action, the woman started up the steps to the loft, carrying a latte with her. Elliot froze.
The woman wasted no time getting to Elliot. She put her drink down on the table and sat, her real features becoming clear again. She looked over the trembling raccoon across from her, and propped her head up her hand.
“Well,” the demon said. “You are not from around here.”
She had an accent. Elliot couldn’t place it, and it wasn’t strong. She sounded like she was from elsewhere and had moved to the west coast well before Elliot was born. Though, if Elliot reckoned right, she only looked to be about 35 or so.
Elliot tried to speak, but couldn’t find the right words.
“Out of Town, I presume,” the demon said. She looked down at her ceramic cup and with the tiny spoon provided, she gently scooped some of the foam off her latte. She tried it. “They do a fantastic job here. It’s my favorite in the city.”
Elliot took a deep breath. She organized her thoughts. “I like the donuts,” she said, and then felt stupid. “Also, it’s a good place to hang out for a while.”
“It’s the books on the walls, I think,” the demon said. “Books have a way of doing that. It’s stuffy, but in the most inviting way.”
Elliot nodded. She pulled her jaw tight, her ears dropping on her head as the demon took a drink of her latte, watching the raccoon over the rim of her cup. The demon was content to let her squirm.
“You’re right,” Elliot finally said. “I am from Out of Town.”
The demon smiled at this. “I could see you, even though you’re trying not to be seen. You stood out. I bet that doesn’t happen to you a lot.”
“No, just too much lately,” Elliot said, a little sharper than she had wanted.
“I see your kind from time to time,” the demon said. “Here and there. Occasionally, I sell a book to them. Occasionally, they bring me books. It’s a tidy relationship.”
“You sell books?” Elliot asked.
The demon reached into her pocket and produced a business card. She handed it to Elliot.
“R.D. Booksellers, Pioneer Square.” Elliot read. “Rare and Antique Books. We Buy Your Rare Books, By Appointment Only. Normandy-6-5510.” She furrowed her brow. “Normandy-6? When did you get your number, 1948?”
“It has been the standard way since the 1970s, we recently changed it back for aesthetic purposes. The customers love it.”
“Oh.” Elliot said. “I’d guess, huh?”
The demon perched her hand on her coffee cup, her head in her hand again. “You’re not afraid of me.”
Elliot’s ears twitched. “No, I guess not. Should I be?”
“Most people like you have been when they’ve seen this. Their reactions have been… visceral.”
“Yeah, I guess we have ideas of what someone who looks like you should be but…”
“But…?”
“I guess I’m just not?” Elliot fidgeted, looking out over the lobby of the shop. “You’re interesting?” And her ears dropped. Stupid stupid stupid.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
The demon reached her hand across the table. “Right Determination,” she said.
“Elliot.” She shook Right Determination’s hand. “Is that a demon name?”
“Maybe I’ll tell you about it sometime,” she said. “Is that your grimoire?”
Elliot looked down at her notebook. “I guess?”
“I bet I could find you a better one,” Right Determination said.
“This one was cheap?”
The demon gave her another warm smile. “I’m sure we could work something out.” She finished her coffee and stood, taking the cup and saucer with her. She looked down at Elliot, and perhaps reading her expression, said, “I’m sorry but this was only meant to be a quick smash and grab. I got what I wanted and, turns out, I also got what I needed.”
Elliot felt herself blush. She sank down into her seat.
“You know where I am. If I’m not in the shop, my apprentice can summon me quickly.”
“Okay,” Elliot said softly.
“Okay?”
“Yeah,” she said.
Right Determination started to walk away, and had made it about halfway across the loft before she turned around and marched back to Elliot. “I’m being serious, that was an invitation. I know you’re from Out of Town, so don’t get all Seattle on me and not show up.”
“I’m… uhm.” Elliot didn’t know how to react to this.
“Seriously, come chat with me sometime.” And with that, the demon walked out of the store, looking every bit like a human on her way to work.
Elliot let out a deep breath. She shook her head and tried to process what had happened. She took her time finishing her coffee, making notes in her notebook about RD Booksellers. And then the realization hit her so hard she almost fell out of her chair.
Was that demon flirting with her?
[g]