[Spirit of Lust] Chapter 171: A new arrangement. (Patreon)

After the performance, Reina, Anna and Will waited for Ruth in the lobby. They saw her coming over to them from one of the hallways, now in blue jeans and a cream-colored jacket, but before they could even wave at her, she was surrounded by adoring fans, men and women alike.

“Talk about a successful debut,” Reina said, laughing.

“I bet her next performance will have even more people,” Anna agreed.

“Well, she killed it.” Reina continued. “I feel kinda bad for the girls dancing next to her.”

Anna nodded fervently. “Right? It was like watching a pro amongst newbies.”

Will smiled wryly at them.“Careful. Those same girls are still around here.”

Reina shrugged while Anna’s eyes went wide and she took her hands to her mouth in a panic.

While the trio talked about the show, Will kept his peripheral view on Ruth. She was all smiles, shaking hands and taking pictures with people. One guy got an arm around her shoulder firmly as they took a selfie, and Ruth posed with a peace sign. It was a full 10 minutes of waiting before she finally freed herself for her new fans and ran over to her friends.

“Sorry about that,” she said, laughing. “Look at that. I’ve got fans!”

“You were amazing!” Anna told her giddily. “And that costume was incredible, too.”

“I know, right? The costume team hit it out of the park.”

“You were clearly the star of the show, though.” Reina grinned. “Any backstage drama?”

Ruth groaned. “Ugh. Yes. Nobody said anything about it, but a couple of girls were glaring daggers at me after we were done.”

Will smiled at her. “How did it feel?”

Ruth smirked, knowing exactly what Will was asking about. “It was incredible. I felt in the zone. My moves felt perfect and I didn’t need to think about what part was next. It all just came to me. And all the eyes on me, unable to look away…” Ruth shivered. “I think I’m finally starting to get it. How did it look to you?”

“I want to say it was perfect, but perhaps a bit too noticeable. If that’s the way you want to continue, go ahead, but be aware that it’ll probably draw even more glares backstage.”

Ruth nodded earnestly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Anna pouted. “Come on, Will. Can’t you just say she did incredible?”

Will grimaced. “Sorry. You really looked amazing there, Ruth. It was impossible to look away.”

Ruth laughed. “It’s fine, Anna. I asked for his opinion. I know by now Will’s a bit of a perfectionist.”

“Am I?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Reina confirmed, smirking. “I’ve seen you take the same picture at least 10 times before you’re happy with it.”

“I only take like two or three with you, though.”

Reina puffed her chest proudly. “It’s because I’m just that good.”

Will crossed his arms and pondered. “You might be spending too much time with Ishtar.”

Reina flinched while Anna and Ruth laughed.

Reina sighed. “Let’s just go back home.”

And that was arguably the biggest change in the past two weeks since Will took care of the Jack Evans problem. Home had changed once again.

The four of them took a cab and headed to the building where the portal to that other world was. It was owned by Amelia, but after the incident and considering the danger right in the building’s basement, she was forced to find new apartments for the previous tenants to move to. That left her with an empty apartment she couldn’t rent to anyone, much less sell.

That was where William came in.

Ishtar had a duty to help her people in that other world, and if there was anyone suited to keep an eye on that portal from this side, it was Will. He and Ishtar would protect the entrance from the real world, while their loyal incubi and succubi watched over the other side. Not to mention… The price was a bit of a steal.

For the same price as that tiny, one-room apartment in the basement, Will now had a comfortable, larger place on the top floor of the building. It meant he had to take the bus to get to his university now, but all things considered, it was a good deal.

With Will there, Reina wasn’t scared of the portal right under her feet, so she moved back to her old place, also with a price cut because Amelia wasn’t about to screw over people close to her. Her words. It was too good an opportunity to pass up, and besides, she was already too deep in the supernatural stuff for it to bother her.

Amelia needed to make at least some money back from this disaster of a deal, so when Anna asked if she could also move in, the landlady was glad to give her a cheaper price for a better place than she used to live in. The secretary felt a bit of guilt in taking advantage of Amelia’s situation to get herself a cheap and good apartment, but Amelia assured her she was helping her and Will had to remind her there were ghost-like beings in their basement. Anna still took the deal, because university life is expensive.

That meant Reina, Anna and Will were now neighbors. Oh, and Amelia herself, too. Her divorce was complete and she let her ex-husband keep the building they used to live in in return for other assets that would let her recover from the damage. And since she couldn’t rent apartments in the haunted building to just anyone, she decided she’d move in herself as well, since Will was in charge of making sure the place was safe.

Last but not least was Ruth. She hadn’t moved into the building along with them. The reason? She shared her current apartment with a roommate, a friend of hers. She couldn’t leave her alone, but also wouldn’t try to convince her to move into a place that was potentially dangerous to normal people. Like Reina, Ruth wasn’t bothered much by the supernatural. It was real-world stuff that kept her where she was.

And that was where things stood at the moment. Will, Reina, Anna and Amelia living in the same building yet different apartments, both to use the space, help Amelia with her issue, and maintain some measure of privacy.

That said, everyone still hung out at Will’s place most of the time.