Chapter 959

Chapter 959: Chapter 959

I stopped the car and parked.

I still... fuck. I acted like that. How? Why was I such a jerk before I... well, died? That wasn’t me. No. Power corrupted me? Come on. Something else had to be at play here. There was no way I’d act like that, especially not toward Esme, after knowing how hard she struggled with socializing and how their father had treated them.

A knock on the window pulled me out of my thoughts. Layla had left the sex shop and was tapping on the passenger-side glass.

"We have to... change the plans."

She wasn’t getting in the car. Guess I was getting out.

I opened the door, closed it behind me, and stepped onto the curb beside her. She was wearing a plain t-shirt and loose pants. From the look of her she was exhausted; shoulders slumped, the kind of tired that needed a full week off to recover from.

"Sure." I shrugged. "How are we changing the plans?"

"I have to open the shop again in an hour." She exhaled. "This couple called. They want to film themselves playing with the toys."

"What?"

"They’re going to act like they’re doing something naughty in the shop, but they already asked permission. It’s for their... something Fans or whatever. I don’t really know the details."

"Oh... right." I rubbed the back of my head. "At least make them pay for the toys they use."

"And two hundred bucks." She smirked. "Hey, I know business."

"That you do." I laughed. "Let’s go inside then. I’m ordering takeout. Pizza?"

"I thought you were craving a hamburger."

"Now it’s pizza."

She chuckled. When the laugh faded she rested a hand on her pregnant belly and met my eyes. I could tell she felt guilty about canceling the date twice already. Honestly, I was fine with it as long as I got to spend time with her.

"I’m really sorry," she said, voice more serious now. "I’m just... yeah. No excuse."

"It’s fine." I was already walking toward the entrance as I ordered the food. "It’ll be fun."

"I’ll keep the shop closed, actually. Can’t deal with another random customer right now. We’ll just wait for them here."

"Works for me." I nodded. "And wow, they’re going to trick their subscribers into thinking they’re doing public stuff. Kind of smart, actually."

"Yeah." She followed me in. "I didn’t know there was a demand for this type of thing."

"Same here."

"Mmh."

That last part was a lie. After seeing what Emma dealt with, I knew exactly what kind of demand was out there. Seriously, how could she sell her virginity like that? Fucking crazy.

We stepped inside the sex shop. Layla closed the door and locked it, then pulled the small curtain down over the glass so no one could see in.

"Not the best place to... spend your time," she said, spreading her arms to indicate the shelves around us.

Yeah. Sex toys everywhere. It was strange as hell, but I wasn’t complaining. At least I was with her. Though being with her only reminded me of Delilah. Fuck. Mana had ruined her pregnancy. And for what, more power? I really, really needed to get rid of her somehow. But I had no idea how. She was the strongest, after all.

"I think it’s... a change of air," I forced a smile. "A little strange air."

"Dildos and waterproof vibrators." She chuckled as she walked to her desk. "Welcome to my life."

"And butt plugs. And fluffy handcuffs. And..." I looked around. "A lot of stuff I don’t even know the name of, to be fair."

"Yep."

I followed her to the desk and let out a quiet breath. Alright, this was weird. I’d thought we’d be at her place by now, me watching her cook, maybe getting lucky afterward. This definitely hadn’t been in the plan.

"So," Layla said, settling into her chair, "how’s work?"

"It’s good."

"I keep hearing about this project of yours. And how Carrie Beldenwary is backing it now."

"Well, it’s not my project. And yes, she is backing it." I nodded.

She groaned as she sat down, one hand on her pregnant belly. "Ugh, listen to me, groaning like an old man just from sitting."

"You should see me," I quipped. "I practically lose consciousness every time I try to sit down."

She laughed, one hand covering her mouth. Seeing her like that felt good. Just as I was about to say something else, a UI window appeared in front of me, showing I’d earned a few more interest points with her. Nice. Guess I could keep cracking jokes all day.

══════════════════

WOMEN - INTERACTIONS

──────────────────

Jasmine: Interest: 45 / 60

Kayla: Interest: 46 / 60

Tessa: Interest: 50 / 60

Kim: Interest: 100 / 100

Delilah: Interest: 100 / 100

Cora: Interest: 100 / 100

Mendy: Interest: 20 / 40

Nala: Interest: 100 / 100

Penelope: Interest: 31 / 40

Minne: Interest: 38 / 40

Ivy: Interest: 25 / 80

Eleanor: Interest: 100 / 40

Amelia: Interest: 21 / 40

Esme: Interest: 72 / 80

Carrie: Interest: 4 / 20

Layla: Interest: 91 / 100

Emma: Interest: 20 / 40

Sophia: Interest: 6 / 20

Vessa: Interest: 5 / 20

══════════════════

The reward was a ×2 multiplier for the next time I had sex with a partner. Good. That would have come in handy if I still had Mana’s quest... fuck. How could I have let her ruin Delilah’s pregnancy?

"This is awkward," Layla smiled. "Didn’t think this far ahead, to be honest."

"Hey, I love a bit of awkwardness." I shrugged and wandered over to one of the shelves. "Sheesh."

Layla looked up from her chair and chuckled. "Yeah. Those are twenty inches."

I picked up one of the dildos and turned it over in my hands. No way this thing would fit in anyone, so why sell it? Still, I wasn’t about to kink-shame anyone. But twenty inches of solid silicone? Some people were just built different, huh?

"These sell?" I asked, still holding it.

"Like water." She nodded. "There are some extremists, I guess you’d call them, who buy the most..."

"Extreme stuff?" I finished for her.

She smiled. "Yep."

I walked back to the desk. While I’d been looking around, Layla had checked her phone. A few seconds later she turned the screen toward me. I squinted and read the message. Someone named EMX was saying they’d be late because of traffic.

"Who’s EMX?" I asked.

"The girl and her partner." She pulled the phone back. "The couple that’s coming to do the ’public’ stuff. They’re running late."

"Well, good." I shrugged. "Because the food hasn’t even arrived yet."

She sighed. "Yeah..."

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