Meanwhile, Rosie had Vaggie bathed and cleaned up before she brought her to meet Alastor in one of his ballrooms wearing a traditional El Salvadoran blue and white dress, sandals, and a traditional braid tied with her pink ribbon.
Vaggie examined the room once Rosie left her side. It was a large room that looked like an old jazz club. The stage was surrounded by long red curtains. There was a dance floor. There were tables surrounding the stage. All of it was tinted in red and black.
Suddenly, Vaggie's nose caught a familiar smell. It smelled like the breakfast her mother used to make, but it couldn't be. Could it?
Vaggie followed her nose until she spotted the table next to the stage with plates of pupusas, tomato salsa, ensalada drinks, plantains, and a pitcher of horchata with glasses to serve the drinks in along with all the right silverware and napkins that matched the room's decor.
Vaggie couldn't believe her eyes. She almost wanted to cry.
"Come over and have some breakfast, Vaggie darling," Rosie said from her seat at the table.
"Oh, Rosie, you don't need to stay," Alastor said from his spot at the table. "I know how eager you've been to play with your new toy again…"
"Oh, thank you, Alastor," Rosie said before bolting out of her chair and dashing out of the room before Vaggie even had time to blink.
Vaggie took her seat and didn't waste any time.
"What the hell are you planning for Angel?!" Vaggie asked angrily.
"I only intend to give him to the highest bidder," Alastor said. "I don't want to keep him around."
"What?!" Vaggie asked incredulously.
"He'll only ruin the fun," Alastor said dismissively. "But no more talk of that now. Go on. Eat."
Vaggie glared at Alastor for a moment before reluctantly picking up her fork.
Alastor stared at Vaggie contentedly as she took her first bite of plaintains.
Vaggie swallowed her bite and paused in wonder.
The food tasted just the way her mother used to make it down to the spices and texture.
Vaggie eyed Alastor suspiciously and asked, "How did you do this?"
"I asked my chefs to look into El Salvadoran cooking," Alastor responded nonchalantly.
"I see," Vaggie replied.
"How do you like it?" Alastor asked.
"It's passable," Vaggie said coldly.
"Passable?!" Alastor exclaimed dramatically leaning backwards in his chair. "Oh, my love, why must you be so cold to me?!"
"Because I hate you," Vaggie replied before going back to eating her food.
Alastor shrank back in shock and picked up his staff. He stood up at his seat and suddenly had a spotlight shining on him out of nowhere.
"Oh, woe is me!" Alastor exclaimed. "Woe is me! What can a man do when the woman he loves holds him in such utter contempt?"
"Let her go?" Vaggie suggested.
"Alas," Alastor replied. "That is no option."
Vaggie rolled her eyes as the lights dimmed and Alastor hopped on stage.
"I'll just have to keep serenading you," Alastor said. "Want to come on stage and sing and dance with me?"
"No," Vaggie replied.
"Then let me perform for you," Alastor said as an old-fashioned microphone with its stand came up through the stage.
Alastor stomped his staff on the ground, and his familiars emerged with instruments to perform the overture of an old-timey jazz ballad.
When the overture was over, Alastor sang, "I've been running in circles while playing a game of pretending, I didn't realize I was wise, what love could do; Now I'm facing a future that hasn't that one happy ending, And I'm a fool, I guess, to confess it all to you. I never knew I could love anybody, Honey, like I'm lovin' you. I didn't realize What a pair of eyes and a baby smile could do. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I never knew a single soul could be so sweet, For I never knew I could love anybody, Honey, like I'm lovin' you!"
Vaggie rolled her eyes at Alastor's song as a group of tapdancing familiars came up behind Alastor. He began tap dancing with them to a loud jazz ensemble much to Vaggie's chagrin.
Alastor was completely absorbed in his dancing, so much so that Vaggie realized he wasn't paying any attention to her.
Vaggie took the opportunity to pile her plate high with food and silently make her way back to the basement where Angel was sitting on his bed alone in his cell.
"Vaggie?!" Angel asked as she sat down on the ground and laid the plate of food in front of her. "How'd you get back here? Where's Alastor?"
"Alastor is singing a musical number to try and win my affection," Vaggie said clearly showing her displeasure through her voice.
Angel cackled and said, "Oh, God. He's such a ham!"
Angel then winced in pain. That wasn't lost on Vaggie.
"What happened?" Vaggie asked. "What did Rosie do to you? Where is she?"
Angel got off the bed and sat down in front of the bars before responding, "Ah, she didn't do much to me. I'm fine."
"I brought you food," Vaggie said gesturing to the plate.
"Thanks, babe," Angel said before he began stuffing his face.
"Where did Rosie go?" Vaggie asked again. "I need to know how much time I have to bust you out."
"She went to powder her nose," Angel said before swallowing his food. "But you know that won't work. Alastor's too good at what he does."
"What choice do I have?" Vaggie asked while Angel continued eating. "I'm not going to be his wife. I don't know what else to do."
Angel paused from his eating and said, "You could just do what he says."
"What?" Vaggie asked incredulously.
"I mean pretend to go along with what he says," Angel replied.
Vaggie suddenly understood.
She smirked and said, "Oh, I get it. Then wait for an opportunity to escape."
"Exactly," Angel said taking another bite of food.
Vaggie's smile disappeared.
"But I have to pretend to like Alastor," Vaggie said sadly. "I don't know if I can suck up to him. He disgusts me."
"Of course, you can," Angel said. "You know how I know? You were a slut just like me. And if there's anything a slut knows, it's how to keep a man biting for more."
Vaggie snorted out loud in laughter.
Angel smiled and scarfed down the rest of the food.
"What about you?" Vaggie finally asked.
"Babe, I've survived much worse than this," Angel said. "I'll be fine. He ain't interested in me. The one he's after is you. Don't worry about me."
Vaggie smiled warmly and said, "So, you really did come just to save me. I never knew you cared that much."
"What can I say, Vaggie? I couldn't let you have all this fun by yourself," Angel said with a wink.
Vaggie crawled closer to the bars, reached her arms through them, and gave Angel a hug.
Angel hugged her back with his four arms.
"Go get him, moth," Angel said. "Try to get him to go out in public if you can. Okay?"
"Okay," Vaggie said slowly nodding as she let Angel go, picked up the plate, and stood up.
Then without another word, Vaggie turned around and headed back to the jazz club lounge.