Page 27 of Mixing Drinks For Tipsy Weasels

"No one," I say a little too quickly.

She raises an eyebrow. "You realise that's not going to work on us, right?"

"What?"

"Well, I'm a succubus," she reminds me. "Which means I can sense attraction. And Darius is a cupid, which means he can sense...well other kinds of attraction."

"Right, I totally forgot. That's super creepy, Mandy."

She laughs. "How do you think I feel? I'd much rathernotfeel the attraction of hundreds of people at once. Do you have any idea how bad that's going to get in a few hours when people have drunk more?" She visibly shivers.

Darius reaches out to take her hand. "It'll be okay," he promises.

She nods, seeming to relax at his reassurances. "Anyway, I can sense whatever it is going on between you and that guy, and if there are emotions involved..." She looks at her boyfriend and he nods. "...then Darius can sense that too."

"All right, but this goes no further than this conversation," I say.

"Have you ever heard me talk about anyone else's attraction?" Mandy asks.

"No."

"Well, there you go then."

"Rupert and I are old friends," I say. "We've known each other since we were like five or six, and we were close. Then we fell out, now we've been spending some time together while doing all the ball prep. It doesn't mean anything."

"Ah, that's what it is," Darius says.

I shoot him a questioning look.

He shrugs. "Oh, the affection between you was coming across as complicated, I was trying to untangle it, but now I get it."

"Okay..."

"There's nothing you don't know about," he says. "It's the childhood affection mixed with whatever new affection is growing between you."

"Right." I look over to where Rupert is talking to Robin still. "So, what do I do about it?"

"Depends what you want to do," Mandy responds. "You're the one in control. But if it helps, he's as attracted to you as you are to him."

"What?"

She cocks her head to the side. "Maybe even more so."

"Why do I feel like your horns should be out during this conversation?" I mutter.

"You don't want that, her tail has a mind of its own," Darius teases good-naturedly.

"Mmm, true, it would definitely be destroying the cupcake display. Which is actually why we came." She holds out two tokens.

I switch them for cupcakes and say my goodbyes just as Rupert comes back.

"Friends?" he asks.

I nod. "They're from my Supernatural Psychology study group."

"Cool. And wow, that is quite the tattoo she has," he says as he stares at Mandy's back.

"It's not a tattoo," I respond. "That's what her wings look like when they're retracted."

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