The TLK Speakeasy: Part One (special preview)

Vincente poses, leaning one arm on the sink while the other rests on their hip. “Outside this dress, I am very masculine.” His body is a dusty yellow, covered in intricate diamond shaped scales. The snakes on his head sway to and fro, watching me with their quick little eyes. He’s tall and lean with elegant limbs, long fingers, and delicate hands. His jaw is squared with rougher scales. But it’s around his eyes that is most alluring, jagged spikes come out, almost mimicking thick, lush eyelashes.

“Oh!” I gasp, cupping my hand over my mouth. “You fill out a dress better than I do.” I marvel at him, drinking in the way the dress moves over his body.

Vincente winks and his snakes move to the left of his head. “I bet you fill out nudity better than I do.” He gives me a seductive wink. “But you know how it goes, some clients just like certain things, and I am not one to shy away from fashion.”

I furrow my brow. “Clients?”

“Don’t act modest! I’ve seen your roster.” Vincente looks back into the mirror, smiling at our reflections. “An adorable sheep satyr like yourself, I’m not surprised. It takes someone with a particular set of interests to want me, but that’s why I work out of the TLK.”

My eyes trail down his side, wondering how he gets such a perfect shape. “TLK?”

“You know,” Vincente laughs as he turns back to me. “The True Love’s Kiss! Isn’t that where you get your clients?”

I shake my head silently. Part of me wants to run, duck and cover, but another part of me wants to linger around Vincente more. He has a seductive air about him that’s soothing. I rarely get to meet other people like me, or at least be aware of them. Vincente seems to hold the same desire I do, and for me, it’s a comfort to know I am not alone.

Vincente gives me a look as a smirk crosses his lips. “It’s a speakeasy run out of the old church on Borrowed Street. Surely you know about it.” He then smiles with a slight laugh. “Are you telling me you’re running around like this by accident?”

“I uh-” I shyly look away.

Vincente looks at me in disbelief. “Lucky lamb!” He then searches in his dress. “Imagine what you could do with someone looking out for you.” Vincente takes a business card from his breast and hands it to me. “Call me tomorrow, we’ll meet somewhere, have some laughs, share some stories, and I can tell you all about it.”

“Isn’t it illegal?” I squeak.

Vincente slips his fingers under my chin. “Don’t act so coy, pretty lamb. You know exactly what you’re doing.” He slips me a kiss, one that sucks the breath from my lungs and makes my knees so weak. He licks his lips with this long, forked tongue. “I love a rack of lamb,” he purrs.

I swoon, lashes fluttering and stomach churning as Vincente pulls away. “Oh. Well not a lamb but I, uh-”

“You best get to your bull out there.” Vincente swats my rear playfully. “He’s a good catch.” They saunter from the bathroom, their hips swaying as they go.

I wobble as I go back to the table, tucking Vincente’s card away. The food is already on the table as I sit down, Delly hasn’t touched it, but he is sipping his water. Vincente’s kiss has me wishing I was that glass of water, whatever that means. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself.