Page 9 of Gratification in Gluttony

“You’re welcome,” Toni said.

Another beat of silence. More staring. Why was everyone staring? It made Toni nervous, which was super weird. He hardly ever got nervous.

“I’m just gonna be over here,” Toni said, pointing stupidly at his chair beside the booth.

Jude pressed his lips together like he was staving off a smile before he nodded and said, “Okay.”

“Okay,” Toni echoed before turning and collapsing into his seat, a foreign feeling taking root in his chest and traveling upward until his face and neck felt hot. Embarrassed. Toni was embarrassed. What the fuck?

He shifted in the chair specially designed for an Elas, ensuring his spinal fin slotted comfortably into the opening in the back. As the lights on stage started to flash, Gem met Toni’s gaze above Oliver’s head, and they proceeded to have one of theirsilent conversations that could only be born from the longest of friendships.

“What was that?”Gem’s expression seemed to say.

Toni splayed his hands.“I don’t fucking know! I choked!”

Gem grimaced in sympathy.“I think you choked.”

Toni scowled.“I know! I just said that.”

Gem’s eight eyes widened dangerously.“Do not yell at me!”

Toni held up his hands in surrender.“Sorry, sorry.”

As the announcer welcomed everyone and started Zef’s introduction, they paused their conversation, Gem shaking his head, lips pinched in annoyance. Toni ducked his head in submission, struggling to banish the warmth still baking his cheeks.

When Zef slunk onto the stage, looking hot as the lake of fire, Oliver and Jude—as well as the entire crowd in the club—went wild. Toni whistled as Gem cheered, and Zef sent a small smile their way before they opened their mouth and started to sing.

Toni didn’t know all the words like Gem and Willow did, but he cheered and clapped along anyway, drumming the beat on his thighs. At some point, Zef sang a human song—something about raining men—and Jude stood, hauling Oliver with him, so they could sing along. Unable to resist, Toni pulled out his phone and recorded the humans as they laughed and sang boisterously into the microphone Zef pointed at them from the edge of the stage.

“This is amazing,” Jude said as he and Oliver sat back down, his smile wide with excitement. It was, objectively, a nice smile. It made the corners of his eyes crinkle and two divots in his cheeks appear. Dimples, Toni thought they were called in English. They were almost as adorable as the human who wore them.

As Zef’s set came to a close, the club erupted in another raucous clamor of cheers and whistles. Oliver and Jude jumped to their feet again and whooped. Tad stood in the middle of thetable and stomped her webbed feet as she shrieked Zef’s name. Zef blew her kiss, making the Anura scream louder.

Struggling to catch their breath, Zef spoke into the microphone, introducing The Madame, and the audience roared with approval as the hulking Orc, with rippling muscles, long fiery hair, and tusks jutting out from her upper and lower jaws waltzed onto the stage. She’d somehow managed to squeeze herself into a corset bodysuit, and Toni winced as he imagined how tightly she must be tucked right now.

He’d never tucked himself, but he’d had the misfortune of walking in on Gem while he was trying to tuck. It had scarred Toni mentally. And emotionally. And honestly, a little bit spiritually. What with all the wriggling, barbed prehensiles, and Gem complaining that even his internal sperm sacks were getting squished. It was not a fond memory for either of them.

After greeting the crowd and telling them to give Zef another hand, The Madame started to sing in a deep, guttural voice. The back-up dancers began their new routine, allowing Zef to slip back behind the curtain without garnering attention. From the corner of his eye, Toni watched Oliver and Jude cheer, the stage lights reflecting in their eyes.

Now that Zef’s set was done, Toni stood to head back to the bar for another round of drinks. He motioned at Gem to come help—he had six fucking hands, after all—but the Araknis waved at the bodies boxing him in on either side, then splayed his hands, looking far too innocent.

Much to Toni’s annoyance, Rusty caught the exchange and rose to his feet. “Need a hand?” he asked in that husky tone, not raising his voice all that much, knowing Toni could hear him anyway, even with The Madame crooning into her microphone.

“Sure,” Toni said with a nod, since the Pyclon’s hearing wasn’t as keen as his.

They made their way to the bar and ordered more drinks. Rusty didn’t talk to him, which suited Toni just fine. A Rhopa passed behind them, and Rusty snarled, spinning around and yanking his tail out of their grasp. Their wings fluttered as they laughed, giving the Pyclon an appreciative onceover. Baring his canines, Rusty wordlessly made his position clear, and Toni couldn’tnotback him up. Just because Rusty was an asshole, didn’t mean Toni would stand by and watch people treat him bad.

So, Toni shoved the Rhopa away, nearly making them lose their balance, and flashed his sharp teeth in warning. Offended, but not courageous enough to face him down, they slunk off, and Toni returned his focus to the bar where their drinks were being placed.

“I had it handled,” Rusty muttered sullenly. “I didn’t need your help.”

“Well, you’re welcome for it anyway,” Toni said with a sharp grin, and Rusty scowled. “Grab the rest, won’tcha?”

Without awaiting whatever juvenile response Rusty would have given, Toni headed back to the table with several drinks in hand. Rusty followed with the rest, and Toni could feel the glare of those pale pink eyes on the back of his head. It made him want to laugh.

Rusty was nearly a head shorter than him and the color of a child’s dream princess castle. He was practically a plushie. Not exactly the picture of intimidation. And Toni could tell it bothered him. Which meant it brought Toni endless entertainment because Toni was a petty bitch.

It was nearly the halfway point in The Madame’s set by the time Toni and Rusty returned with the second round of drinks. To avoid any further embarrassment, Toni did not instigate conversation with Jude, though he did hand the human his new glass with a smirk and a wink.

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