[Spirit of Lust] Chapter 218: William The Negotiator.  (Patreon)

“Oh boy…” Amelia muttered under her breath. She knew just as well as Will what was coming.

“We knew this would happen,” Cynthia said. “We didn’t pick these dresses willy-nilly. Still…”

“They could try to hide their intentions a bit better,” Aoi said.

The two middle-aged men walked up to their group, all smiles and poorly hidden glances at Amelia’s and Cynthia’s chests.

“Well, hello there,” said one of the men. He was tall, lanky, with a few graying locks on his short brown hair. “Are you ladies new here? We’d be happy to make some introductions.”

“I’m Paul,” said the other man. Shorter, but not by much. Younger, too, apparently. His auburn hair, tied in a very short ponytail, smelled of too many hair products mixed at once. “This is my good friend John. How about the four of us share a drink?”

The way they casually ignored Will ticked him off, but the simple fact they even dared to hit on his women right in front of him crossed a very personal line.

“Looking at tits before you even know what we have to offer?” Will asked them. “Are you sure you clowns have your priorities straight?”

Will could tell that the three girls with him flinched at his words. He wasn’t dumb enough to not know that calling them clowns was a bad move, and they had already said to leave the talking to them. Will knew he should’ve kept his mouth shut, but asking the host of the Spirit of Lust to stay quiet while others ogled his girls was wasted effort.

The two men glared at Will. Both taller than him, and with the reassurance that violence was forbidden in the event, they put on a flimsy bravado.

“Stay quiet, kid. The adults are talking,” John said, waving dismissively and turning his attention back to Amelia’s beautiful face.

Will sighed and wrapped his arms around Cynthia’s and Amelia’s waists, pulling them closer to him. He turned to look at Cynthia, who had a resigned smile on her face.

“Do you think these guys are worth our time?” he asked her.

“Hmm, I agree that they seem to have very little foresight,” Cynthia said, moving closer to push her chest against Will and seductively running a finger along his jaw. “But they must at least have some pocket change.”

He turned his head to Amelia. He saw her frowning at him with a disapproving but playful look. “Will, don’t tease these poor men. Not everyone is as lucky as you.” She went in and kissed Will, licking his lips in clear view of the two men.

They looked shocked, taken aback and furious at being made fun of.

“H-Hey! Do you have any idea…!?”

Will smirked. “They could be lucky, though.” He let go of the two women and fixed his collar. “Gentlemen, I think we started on the wrong foot.” He stepped forward and offered his hand to the outraged men, swallowing the bile in his mouth and smiling politely. “William Sawyer, one of the founding members of the newly formed Second Circle Consultation Office, purveyors of supernatural goods and sole manufacturers of the X-Lust Elixir.”

They… had yet to officially choose a commercial name for the thing. The ‘X-Lust Elixir’ was one of many in a list, but the first to pop up in his head.

“Hah? What are you…!?”

“Wait, John.” Paul, the one with the small ponytail, put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I heard about it. A last minute invitation at the recommendation of Jack.” Paul’s eyes shone with a smile. He stepped forward and shook Will’s hand firmly. “You’re the ones who made the aphrodisiac potion?”

“We sell it, at least. That’s as much as I’ll say,” Will said with a cocky smirk. “To whom we will sell it to, however… Well, we’re in a position where we can afford to be selective.”

The lip of the man with gray hairs quivered. He swallowed and put a hand on his chest. “My apologies, Mr. Sawyer. We did start off on the wrong foot. I should’ve known better than to judge a person’s competence based on age. A bad habit from the real world, you see.”

Will wanted to laugh. Oh how quickly they changed their tune once they knew he had something they wanted. It was telling, however, that they were willing to flirt with and look down on newcomers. Maybe not everyone who came to these meetings had something worth offering?

“We’d be honored if you allowed us to share a drink with you,” Paul followed up. “We’ve been attending these parties for the last two years. We know the majority of the people who attend and what they do. Would you consider that a fair apology?”

“Hmm.” Will walked back to Cynthia and Amelia, wrapping his arms around them again. “I don’t know. What do you say?” he asked them.

“Well, they might lose face if we walk away from them,” Amelia said, smirking. “I think we can at least hear them out.”

“I’d be helpful, yes,” Cynthia said, chuckling. “So long as they can show some restraint and keep their eyes up, at least.”

A small grunt escaped the two men, their faces heating up. Amelia and Cynthia weren’t keeping their voices particularly down, so a few people walking by overheard.

“Please, let us head over to the bar,” Paul said smoothly. “I recommend a sweet esmot. You’ve never had a cocktail like it, I promise you.”

“Bah! An ogre’s blood is what you want. Believe me, you’ll never want another drink.”

The men began to lead the group to the bar, and as they followed behind, Will kept Amelia and Cynthia in his arms. Neither woman even tried to pull away. In fact, Cynthia leaned in and began to kiss Will’s jaw.

“We said to leave the talking to us, but I’ll let you off the hook this time. What was amazing, dear,” she whispered. “I got worried there for a second, but you turned it around like you’d done this all your life. I’m falling for you all over again.”

“Not gonna lie, I got turned on,” Amelia said, sucking in a breath and kissing his neck. “Putting your arms around us was such a power move. I don’t mind if you want to continue like this.”

Will looked back towards Aoi, who followed them silently from a close distance. “What do you think?”

Aoi smiled confidently. “Normally I’d advise against it, but considering the product we’re trying to sell, it can only work in our favor. I’d say turn it up a notch, even.”

Will, Cynthia and Amelia looked at each other, wordlessly asked the question and answered it with a smirk. This could end up being a really fun night.