Az laughed, obviously catching the gist of Beel’s complaint. “Yes, well, some people are odd,” Az reassured them all. “But Jon, you said you liked the guy and shared a kiss. Did he hop back into your life?”
Gabe groaned, and Beel heard a distinctive smacking sound through the phone. Good. He hoped Gabe had given him a bop on the head, but he guessed it was probably just an arm smack.
Jon answered, blushing. “He did. And we had an absolutely amazing date. I had an old horror movie cued up, because I was gonna hang out with Beel, so we watched that, ordered pizza, had some popcorn, chatted, and, ah, well… things sort of progressed a bit. He’s really amazing, and I had a great time.”
His shopkeeper was so damn cute, and Beel couldn’t help the ribbit saying so.
“I’m sure he had a great time, too, from what you described,” Az answered, and he could hear Gabe making an “Awww,” sound in the background.
“But the thing is, he kind of knew stuff he shouldn’t have?” Jon added. He was looking a bit stressed out now. “He knew what kind of pizza I liked, and he knew when I went to bed, and he said he doesn’t have a phone and is between places right now for the next week. It just seems kind of suspicious, and he seems so sweet and kind and he was never pushy at all, but I guess after my ex I just kind of question my judgment, and I don’t want to end up in something with someone who is like a stalker or something,” Jon finished.
Az laughed. “Take a breath, Jon,” he reassured him. “Listen, you work at a shop. Maybe this guy came in. Or hell, maybe he works for the pizza place. You own a shop with early hours, so of course you go to bed early. Just because the guy knows a few innocent details does not mean he’s a stalker. It does mean that maybe he saw you before you saw him. Hell, maybe he walks home past your apartment from the pizza shop and was curious about the cute pet shop owner. Take it as a compliment,”Az added.
Beel loved Az in that moment. He sucked at cover stories, but Az really didn’t.
“I don’t know. I would have remembered seeing this guy. He is seriously hot. And I really don’t think he’d noticeme,” Jon said.
Gabe snorted in the background. “You are seriously hot, Jon, so of course he would notice you. Maybe you just need to ask this guy exactly what is going on. Maybe he just needs to lay everything out on the table,” Gabe added.
Beel croaked. Nope. He did not think that was a good idea.
Az apparently agreed. “Ah, my love, new romance deserves to have a little mystery, doesn’t it?” he said to Gabe, then he answered Jon. “And if you weren’t looking for him or he worked in the back at the pizza place, it is highly possible he’d see you and you wouldn’t see him. I’ll give it to you that you’d probably remember if he’d come in your shop, but maybe not if you were super busy.”
“Trust me, I woulddefinitelyremember this guy,” Jon argued. “He is… well, he’s seriously hot. He’s probably out of my league.”
Gabe grumbled something in the background, but Az apparently ignored him. “None of that now. You are sexy and established. You own your own shop, and you’re a caring and kind human being. Do not sell yourself short, Jonathan. You have plans to see your Damon again?” he asked.
“I do. He’s supposed to stop by tomorrow,” Jon replied.
“Well, my suggestion is to order in or make a lovely dinner, get to know him a bit better, and then see if the chemistry is there in the bedroom,” Az counseled.
“Az!” Gabe admonished him. “Not everything is about sex!”
“Yes, my love, but sex is such fun, and they’re obviously attracted to each other, and this will be their third date, so don’t those silly dating rules say full sex is on the table? Well, maybe not on the table—I’d suggest a bed. Much more comfortable, you know. A table, even when round, can sort of dig into you in not so fun ways…”
“Az!” Gabe groaned out. “Oversharing!”
Jon chuckled, Beel ribbitted, and Az just laughed at Gabe’s sputtering.
“Go have fun, Jon, and don’t worry. If things go sideways, we arealwayshere for you. You call us and we’ll be there. But I have every confidence things won’t go sideways. This sounds like a match made in hell, and I’m sure you two are meant for each other. Good luck, and call us after your date! Hopefully the morning after when your sexy Damon has left,” Az added, and then he unceremoniously hung up the phone. (Az still hadn’t quite figured out all the niceties that went along with phone calls. Like saying goodbye. Even Beel knew enough to do that, for demon’s sake.)
Jon chuckled a little. “Those two are a trip—a match made in hell?—Az says the weirdest stuff sometimes. I’ve had a lot of conversations with Gabe and consider him a friend, and I like Az—I’m glad we’re getting to be friends too.” Jon nodded his head. “And I’m glad I confided in them. They aren’t wrong; I guess I do overthink things a bit.”
Beel ribbitted his agreement, then hopped a bit closer to Jon’s hand. Jon took the hint and rubbed his back again. Beel really did love the contact.
“Well, I best get to work on those spreadsheets, and I’ll have to plan something fun for dinner. I can cook. Maybe Mexican? Or I could do Italian—something fancy? Or I don’t know, maybe that’s a little pretentious. Damon seems pretty down to Earth. I do make a great cheesy beef and noodle casserole, and I could fix a nice side salad with it. Maybe make some brownies?” Jon mused.
Beel ribbitted at the last one. He could use something home cooked and delicious.
Jon laughed. “Ok, homemade casserole it is. So a run to the grocery store tonight, and some time with paperwork. Back to work, Beel,” he sighed, and he lifted Beel back into his aquarium then sat back down, looking decidedly less worried and more focused.
Beel could hardly wait for tomorrow night. He hunkered down, thinking of all the things they might talk about. This time at leasthe thought through exactly what he was going to say. They were bound to talk about childhoods and backgrounds. Beel didn’t want to lie, of course, but he couldn’t come out with the full truth, so he figured he’d sort of spin the two together to explain how he grew up. He didn’t have parents, so foster homes fit—and wasn’t that kind of what it was like being shuttled around as a lesser demon from department to department, with no permanent home? Never having been a human, Beel didn’t know, but it sounded right from the movies he saw. Maybe it would help explain some of his quirks to Jon, too.
As for a job, well, he was in caretaking, wasn’t he? He was an emotional support animal. It wouldn't be a stretch to say he was an emotional support human. He knew from movies and shows that such a thing existed. And he could come up with something for the pizza place. He had been there with Gabe in his froggy form (Gabe did love sneaking him places), so it wouldn’t technically be lying to say he was a visitor (he had been) and that he’d overheard Jon’s order (he had, just from Jon’s apartment).
Yes, he would have it all figured out by tomorrow, and they’d have a perfect date, and then a day or two after that when Gabe and Az picked him up, he’d ask Az for a cell phone, and maybe while those two were off teaching he’d go human and visit Jon. It would be simple to keep his human life and froggy life separated, he was sure, because he wasn’t quite ready to show himself to Gabe. (He didn’t want to think too much about that—it made him nervous, although of course Gabe would accept him. But still.)
He dozed off daydreaming about dating Jon and still living his happy froggy life with Az and Gabe. Everything was going to work out perfectly. It just had to.
