3 Straight by the Rules Read Free Page A

to do with his incubus.  Because of his demon, William could play to every fantasy.  Over the time I’d known him, I’d seen him act strong and silent; dark and brooding; humble and helpless.  The man had literally seduced angels out of Heaven.
    Seeing my ashen complexion, William said, “It looks like someone was taken to the woodshed.”  His tone was jocular, but his eyes expressed concern.  “Are you alright?”
    “Helen and I had a little disagreement, that’s all.”  I forced myself to smile.
    William quirked his eyebrow at my use of Miss Spry’s first name, but said nothing.
    Deciding the drama was over, Delilah turned her attention back to William and said, “Don’t you have somewhere to be right now?”
    Over the past few weeks, William had been using all of his charms on Helen’s new assistant, hoping to melt her layer of ice.  Every day, he sent her bouquets of flowers along with boxes of candy and other treats.  He chatted with her, complimented her, and asked questions about her life before death.  Delilah, however, must have had an entire glacier surrounding her because she barely gave him a smile.
    “I’m free for lunch,” he told her.  “Care to join me?”
    She glowered.  “Get your damn butt off my desk.”
    William stood up.  “Most women love my damn butt.  Isn’t that right, Lil?”  He winked at me.
    “Don’t kid yourself, William.”
    He stopped smiling.  “You are a cold-hearted she-demon.”
    “It’s better than being an egotistical, condescending know it all,” I retorted.
    “Stop it!”  Delilah glared at both of us.  “If you two are going to start fussing at each other again, then get out of my office!”
    William, sulky, left without saying goodbye.  I waited exactly five seconds before following him.
    He was standing around the first bend in the hallway.  When I caught up to him, he said, “ ‘Egotistical know it all’?  That’s harsh, Lil.  Very harsh.”
    “What about ‘cold-hearted she-demon’?”
    We began walking.  “Technically, you are a she-demon,” he said.  “Whereas I am not a know it all.”
    “Says you.”
    We entered yet another, much longer, corridor.  This one was lined with dozens of doors.  In front of one lay a small backpack, the kind a day hiker might use on an outing.  William stopped and picked it up.  “Did you get my note?”
    “I did.”
    He was trying very hard not to smile.  “And are you wearing comfortable shoes this time?”
    The last time I’d ignored his advice, I’d ended up playing eighteen holes of golf in high-heeled wedges.  “Of course.”  I lifted the bottoms of my jeans to show off a pair hiking boots.  I’d bought them the previous year when I’d chaperoned my daughter and niece’s Girl Scout outing.
    “Good!”  He put the backpack over his shoulders and opened the door.  “Ordinarily, I’d say ladies first, but this one could be tricky.”  He stepped through, then took my hand and helped me cross from Hell into a very earthly spot.

Chapter Two
    The corridor had disappeared, and we now stood on a footpath in the middle of a woods.  The air was bracing and fresh, a welcome relief from the stale hallways of Hell.  The trees, mostly spruces, were randomly dotted with quarter-sized balls of brilliant colors – gold and tangerine, and even a few shimmering turquoises.  To my surprise, the balls were actually slugs.  The creature’s sliminess gave them a strange luminescence too beautiful to be disgusting.
    William took my hand.  “Are you sure Helen didn’t hurt you?  You seemed upset when you came out of her office.”
    I couldn’t discuss the terrible thing she wanted me to do; the pain of it was too fresh.  Instead, I said, “I’m fine.”
    “Good.”  He smiled.  “I’ve been looking forward to this.”
    I had too.  In fact, William’s invitation meant more to me than I cared to admit.  Since he’d come to my rescue a few weeks before, I’d been