At Your Service

Chapter 39- Invitation

Morning began as it always did. Carlisle woke up long before it was time for Ansel to wake up, so he got showered and dressed, reluctantly leaving Ansel alone in bed to do so. When he returned, he'd rest in bed with his master for as long as they had left before it was time for Ansel to start his day. Carlisle would then gently pull them out of sleep before taking him to get a shower. While Ansel was doing that, Carlisle would get the mail, make sure the servants were doing their jobs, and help prepare breakfast. Carlisle was comfortable with leaving Ansel alone and giving them space because they could summon one another at the drop of a hat.

What was unusual, as he carried the mail on the same platter as breakfast to the dining room table, was that the letter on top of the rest of the mail was addressed to both Ansel and himself in Ashley Waldren's hand. Ansel could see the worry on the demon's face as he set the tray down. "Perhaps it would be wiser, my Lord, if I opened it," Carlisle murmured quietly before Ansel could even reach for it. The witch nodded approvingly and watched as Carlisle carefully picked up the envelope as if a bomb could have been inside; however, Carlisle pulled out a small card. He read it carefully.

"What is it?" Ansel whispered, watching Carlisle's eyes scan the card behind reading glasses.

"It is an invitation to the club that Ashley and his wife own," he muttered before slipping the invitation into his pocket, "for the both of us."

The witch scowled. "What does that mean?"

The demon sighed, "Well, I'd assume it's Ashley's last attempt at saving himself from me. I used to work there, you see. I was a favourite."

"At the club..."

Carlisle locked Ansel in a stare. "Yes. I was a dancer." He took a pause to take his glasses off and slip them into the breast pocket of his jacket. "At the club." He spoke as if daring his master to make any comments about it.

Ansel couldn't tear their eyes away from Carlisle's. "Yes. Of course." He chewed on his bottom lip. "But... why am I invited?"

"To make peace as well, perhaps."

"Why do you seem okay with this?"

"I am more okay with this than refusing to go; if we did that, he'd come after us and not be as gracious about it."

    "At what time have we been summoned?"

    "Tonight, 20:00."

    Ansel's eyes went wide. "What do we have to do before then?"

    "Quite a lot, actually." He sat down at the table while Ansel started eating. "The club is strictly for angels... the workers are demons. Witches and humans are not allowed, so I need to disguise you as a demon so you don't cause a scene. We need to make a plan. I need to teach you how to dance... like that...  and we need to get you something to wear."

    The witch stopped chewing on their strawberry pastry and stared at their butler. "Absolutely not." Carlisle's eyes narrowed. "You mean that I have to... and I have to wear..."

The demon nodded. "I'll be expected to perform as a returning worker, and you will be forced to as a 'new worker,' as they'll know you. If you refuse or don't do well, you will most likely be attacked."

Ansel glared daggers at the demon. "Why is it necessary?"

Carlisle shrugged. "Well, it would be a lot easier to disguise you as a demon than it would be to disguise you as an angel." He grinned. "It could be fun."

"Which part? The lingerie shopping or the pole-dancing?" Ansel snapped.

"Both," Carlisle replied with a blunt, amused tone and a mischievous, lustful gaze.

"Well," Ansel blushed, "what are you going to wear?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I've got that taken care of."

Ansel let out a long sigh. "This is not what I wanted to do today."

Carlisle chuckled. "If it didn't have Ashley involved, this is exactly how I wanted this day to go."

"When should we go?"

"Whenever you're ready." Ansel glared, frowning. Carlisle chuckled and brushed his hand across the witch's cheek. "Silly of me to say that. How about in ten minutes?"

There Carlisle was in a lingerie shop, sitting patiently outside of the dressing rooms while Ansel tried on what he'd picked out for them to try on. They were all fairly similar: lacy or velvet, two pieces, coming with knee high socks to hide the amputations, harnessed. He tried to pick sets that would fit in at the club and that Ansel would like.

"Why is every single one of these see through in the most important places?" Ansel hissed, sticking their head out of the curtain. "And why all the strappy leather things?"

"Just go with it," Carlisle reassured them. "Carry on." Ansel rolled their eyes before ducking back behind the curtain. "Are you going to let me see any of these on you before you choose?"

"No!" Carlisle chuckled. "I'm just gonna choose one and that is the one I will wear! I will not step out of this dressing room wearing any of this."

"So be it," the demon sighed as he stood up and simply walked into the dressing room. In return, he got a prosthetic leg chucked at him; luckily, it missed him and smacked against the wall. "Hey!" He caught the next leg.

Ansel was on a leather seat in the corner, one leg crossed over the other and arms folded as they glared at the demon. They were currently wearing a midnight blue velvet lingerie set with black lace. The socks it came with were midnight blue velvet with a black trim on top. "Now, give them back," they ordered with a pout, but there was amusement in their eyes.

Carlisle smiled. "Yes, master." He walked over with both prosthetics before getting down on his knees and putting them back on for his master. "Is this the set you have chosen?" Ansel nodded. "I was hoping you would. It suits your eyes," he sighed. Once the prosthetics were back on, he slipped the socks on over the fake feet and legs.

"It was the most conservative set, I thought." Ansel stood up once their butler was finished and walked over to the mirror. Carlisle joined them after a few seconds, resting his hands on their shoulders. "I look... kinda normal."

"That is probably the worst thing you have ever said about yourself," Carlisle sighed sadly as he ran his hands down Ansel's arms to their wrists, his fingers brushing over the burn scars before he stepped back. "All right, if this is the one, let's buy it and head home."

    Ansel nodded. "Okay." They stared at Carlisle, who hadn't moved. "You can... step outside now."

    Carlisle's eyes widened in shock. "Yes. Sorry." He left the shop and waited outside in the cold for his master to exit with the lingerie set they were keeping in a little bag. Ansel was wearing a dark blue dress shirt tucked into black high waisted skinny jeans, a black vest, and black heeled ankle boots, all with a black trench coat.

    Once in the truck and heading home, Carlisle began explaining his idea for a plan. "I say, we try to kill them both tonight," he said quietly as he drove. "I take Ashley, and you take his wife." Ansel looked at the demon, surprised. "She has never seen you before, so she may not even know who you are, and she is easily seduced, as Ashley has implied. It would be an instant bloodbath if I approached her. She would never fall for me... she hates me. With Ashley, I have a chance to bring his guard down enough that I can kill him, and you have the element of surprise with his wife. Even if you can hold her off until I kill Ashley and return to you... we have a high chance of succeeding."

    Ansel nodded slowly, drinking in this plan as he watched the beginnings of flurries fall onto the windshield. "I support this plan... So... we perform, then we go to them?"

    Carlisle nodded. "Ashley will most likely call me out, which is ideal. We just have to get his wife's attention on you so you can get to her with ease. The less effort we have to put into this, the better." His shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry. I feel like I'm dragging you into this."

    Ansel shook his head and put a soothing hand on the demon's shoulder. "We've both been dragged into this, to Hell and back... numerous times."

    Carlisle chuckled. "For me, literally."