Hi!

This is a new traduction of one of my stories. Sorry for the possible mistakes. The idea came to mind few days after New Year's Eve, I hope you'll enjoy it!

ANGELS OR DEMONS

She hated that time of the year. The end of that period, instead.

New Year's Day...

Chloe hated this celebration. Some parts of it were very pleasant, of course. Fireworks, drunken kisses, the exchange of best wishes and the planning of the new year's resolutions that we never kept long...

That part was nice.

It was... something else that bothered her. Something that was always coming back to this time of year. Her worst nightmare. A misery.

The young woman leaned back to her desk and gave a stink eye to the silver envelope in front of her. The cursed envelope... The detective nervously patted the metal surface of her thin fingers, intensely staring at this envelope to the most hateful contents. The silvery reflections of the paper and the tiny stylized stars skilfully underlining her name had been taunting her for a few minutes already. She must have looked stupid as well, for any individual outside her internal dilemma. A woman giving hateful glances at an insignificant envelope – apparently – on her desk. A strange picture. Very disturbing, even. Chloe slightly moved away from her desk and sank into her seat, a deep sigh of frustration disrupting the morning silence of the precinct. How could a simple envelope so easily upset her? She was ridiculous. It wasn't by denying the thing that it would suddenly disappear into the air. That would be a release for her, though.

" What a chore..."

Chloe came closer to her desk and took the envelope in her hands, determined. She turned it and tore the top with a firm gesture. She pulled out the gilded invitation without succeeding in holding a new sigh. Of resignation this time.

The year 2016 comes to an end gives way to a brighter year than the previous one!

All employees of the precinct are cordially invited to the costume ball organized for this wonderful occasion. It is advisable to bring a partner to double the pleasures of this night with thousands promises!

The theme for this year is...

Chloe threw the invitation on the desk, not wishing to read the rest of this annual condemnation. The invitation fell to the ground, a few inches from her feet.

"Invited..."

If only. This word included a possibility of refusal. Impossible in her case. The average employee could refuse, certainly not the detectives of the precinct. This part of the staff obliged to attend. And to participate to the maximum. Disguise yourself with care and effort, then. And... most important... bring a partner.

It was this point which provoked the young woman's hatred towards this party.

Why was it so essential?!

We were in 2016, for God S...! Is celibacy meant anything to someone?! No? Nobody concerned except her? Was Chloe really the only one hardened single woman living in Los Angeles? Of course, it couldn't be any partner: it had to be someone special! All the detectives and other colleagues took advantage of this opportunity to display their private and love fulfilled life.

Great... Good for them. Did she – however – have to assume the role of the colleague to be pitied?

It was humiliating.

Not to mention that Dan would be there. Another reminder of her past failures. And another source of laments to her from her colleagues. Yes, she was divorced. Yes, Dan was starting over again. Did she have to follow the trend? Chloe was fed up with the main gossip, over and above that aspect of her life that didn't concern anyone except herself.

Anyway...Things remained the same. She had to go to this party. Who could she take with her? She refused to be alone this year. She would have a partner, even if she had to put her pride on the line for this! It couldn't be an average person. Another colleague? No, too complicated to deal with...a real source of misunderstandings and misplaced hopes for him. Someone...But who? It had to be a person close enough to her not to make her feel uncomfortable and to enjoy the party. A first for the young woman. Someone who knew how to have fun...

Chloe mechanically rubbed the bottom of her chin while scrolling in her mind the name of all her close or distant contacts. She stopped this movement after a few seconds, her eyes widening slightly at this hazardous combination that germinated in her mind.

Him?

Maybe it was a bad idea... or not. He almost met all of her selection criteria. Almost. His propensity to want to systematically have sex with her was nevertheless offensive to the detective. But he met most of the criteria... Mostly. She looked for a moment at the invitation on the ground, dithering on the choice in front of her.

Come alone...or with him.

And she refused to come alone.

Chloe rolled her eyes and instinctively pinched her lips by imagining his reaction. She had to temper his enthusiasm: an extremely difficult thing. Still, he had to agree to come with her. Did she hope he said yes? Or no? She sighed once more before taking her phone out of her brown jacket on her seat. The detective looked briefly at the bright screen with some apprehension before dialing the number and bringing the device to her ear.

He picked up the third dial tone.

" Detective! Why this call so early? A new gory murder to elucidate with your devoted Devil? Some unsustainable carnal desires to fill? I sincerely hope this is the second option! Well...Both are perfectly feasible..."

Chloe closed her eyes with vexation and pinched her lips strongly, holding back a sharp reply. She hadn't called Lucifer to insult him but to invite him.

" Inviiiiteeeeee him, Chloe! Focus on it! IN-VI-TE HIM! "

" Lucifer...I need a favor...", she said very quickly.

Her partner finally stopped making nonsense, a long silence settling down at the end of the line.

" Well, well, well! I literally burn to know the nature of this...tricky favor, obviously! ", he exclaimed after a time.

Chloe could almost see Lucifer with a huge grin on his face, leaning against the bar of his club with his usual glass of bourbon in hand. She already regretted having thought of him. It was her only viable and...least dishonorable option here. This last observation was rather frightening. Sacrifices must be made... and what sacrifice!

" You're busy for the 31st? " , the young woman asked him, partially hoping a negative answer to her question.

" Oh, you know...Usual lust! Alcohol, devilish dr...No, just alcohol actually! ", he rectified quickly. " But nothing that cannot be postponed, why? "

The detective looked briefly at the golden invitation before explaining awkwardly:

" I have to go to a costume ball organized by the precinct and...I have to come with...someone..."

" And my name came right away in your mind, didn't it? It couldn't be otherwise...", he taunted her with his smooth voice.

Chloe leaned back at her desk while stiffening her eyes with annoyance at his inappropriate allusions :

" Actually, you're rather the last on my very long list of possibilities! ", she replied in a sore tone, a thin smile still appearing on her lips. " Yes or no? "

God, this man was so annoying and adorable at the same time!

The young woman waited as patiently as possible for Lucifer to give any answer. And she wasn't patient. Quite the contrary.

" Mmmhhh...it depends, Detective...", he answered softly.

Chloe squinted once again, suspicious. She knew him well enough to know that he was preparing something. Something that usually tended to make her lose her temper. At best.

" All right, Lucifer! What do you want? ", she yielded, desperate to not come alone.

She could almost hear him thinking through the phone as she bent over to retrieve the invitation until then left on the ground. She rubbed it on her jeans to remove the dirt and read the text while listening the new eccentricities of her partner:

" I only accept if you agree to spent the rest of the night in my delightful company...Nothing carnal, Detective, I assure you! I'm the first disappointed here, believe me! I'll come with you and play the role of the most perfect gentleman the all evening, you have my word...On this single condition! ", proposed Lucifer.

Chloe was about to protest when she finally read the theme imposed for this nightmarish ball. An evil smile adorned her face before she answered in a confident voice:

" Deal...If I choose your costume! Take it or leave it, Lucifer! "

" 'Looks like we have a deal, Detective! It's always a pleasure to help you! Speaking of...Bed time is still on th...", he whispered in a grave and seductive voice.

" Bye, Lucifer! ", she interrupted him sharply.

And she hung up.

Well...That was easy! Not as easy as she had hoped but...the theme of outfit balanced fairly well the compromises of each part. He didn't know what he had accepted! The new year turned out to be quite surprising. Chloe read with some excitement the end of the invitation, the gilding weakly shining under the sunlight.

This year's theme...

Angels and Demons

To be followed with..."Detective"

You liked it? Let a review (French or English) to share your impression :)

Until next time!