The Blue Room earned its name. The esoteric two-story building stood out even in the dimming light of day. Painted a bright royal blue, the exterior was a sea of blue-painted marble statues only broken up by Greco-Roman influenced mosaics and frescoes which provided much-needed highlights of white in the monochrome palette. A small fountain sat in front, painted blue to match the rest of the odd eatery. Though, thankfully, they had good enough taste not to dye the water blue. The ground lights highlighted the tactile features as if to make sure none of the weird details were lost at night. A pane of glass cut in between each sculpture on the first floor, revealing a busy dining room. The top floor didn’t have as much glass, though two long windowpanes connected in the front to the bottom windows.

Overall, it was a lot to take in, too much really as Michael turned away to look for Giselle.

He found her next to the blue fountain, her arm held by a slightly taller red-headed woman. This evening his hunting partner had abandoned her normal shorts, tank top, and combat boots, for a simple loose-fitting black jumpsuit that made her look approachable. It was something he wasn’t used to. He noticed that she had traded in her laurel detection pendant for a small crescent moon necklace. At the sight, Michael remembered that he had intended to return the borrowed pendant to her but had left it at home on his dresser after finding the magical detection didn’t work anymore. He didn’t know why it stopped, but if he had to bet, it probably had something to do with Hunter’s fluctuating anti-magic aura.

Waving, Michael watched as her eyes wondered between him and Alexander, who walked beside him. Eventually, she gave a nod.

“Why are you standing outside?” Michael asked. It wasn’t a dreadfully muggy night, but there was a nightly thunderstorm on the horizon, and it was also better inside with the A/c.

“Was waiting for you,” Giselle said before wrapping an arm around the woman’s waist. “This is my girlfriend, Alma.”

Alma was a gentle beauty, with a soft jawline and large spirited blue eyes. Her hair was a bright red, clearly dyed, but professionally done as it curled over her shoulders in loose waves and made her skin appear remarkably pale. A small crystal ornament held back part of her hair and matched a long silver cord necklace that wrapped several times around her neck and hung down into the v neck of her light pink blouse that tucked into a white knee-length midi skirt.

Michael didn’t want to say it, but next to the rough Giselle with her tight short braids and eyes sharp enough to draw blood, it was like night and day. He couldn’t say much though, Hunter and Neil were also a mismatched couple.

“Nice to meet you,” Alma held out her hand and Michael took it. Her handshake was firm.

“Sorry for the wait,” he smiled. “It’s nice to meet you too. I’m Hunter and this is my boyfriend Neil.” Pulling his hand back, he motioned to Alexander who also took her hand. A hint of competition sparked between them as they shook for an uncomfortable amount of time. It became a staring contest. Neither looking away until Michael made a slight cough to interrupt them.

Alma pulled back and held Giselle’s hand while she smiled. “Yes, Giselle’s told me a few things about you. Though they seemed a little embellished.”

“Oh, what did she say?” Michael looked over at the quiet woman, but she didn’t flinch.

“About how you killed an ogre with just a knife,” Alma partially whispered the words, but her excitement was clear.

“Ah, yes. That is true,” he laughed. “So, you’re a supernatural as well?”

Alma nodded, “I’m a witch.”

“Excellent, that makes everything so much easier. Neil is a werebeast. I’m probably the most normal out of all of us.”

Alexander made an agreeing noise, and the two chatted a little longer outside as their partners stood in silence. Michael found out that Alma worked for a side office of the Witches’ Council located close by, and she won the reservations at a work raffle.

“It’s about time we head in,” Giselle interrupted their discussion.

“Ah, sorry, we seemed to have gotten a little carried away,” Alma sighed as she leaned back into her partner. “Well, shall we go?”

Michael almost agreed but stopped as he thought of something. “Let’s take a quick group photo first.” This could double as an update photo for Trisha too, but mostly he had made a habit of taking selfies to record their recent adventures.

Giselle said nothing, but Alexander was reluctant. Still, he did it as both couples got in close. Alma took center with Michael as she held up a peace sign, and he positioned the camera to capture all of them in the frame. Alexander and Giselle stood stoically to the side, going along with their partners’ wishes. After capturing a few shots, they finally broke apart and Alma ushered them into the building.

The inside of the Blue Room was a chaotic reflection of the eccentricity of the outside as collections of murals and mosaics contrasted with the painted garden statues that half emerged from the walls. Really, it was a headache of blue and conflicting artistic styles that just barely merged into a semi-cohesive style because of their contrast. Just to add to the confusion, plants and vines also filled in spaces where there was no artistic piece. But even if the husbands found the place stylistically questionable, there was a front wall that had various photos of celebrities that had eaten at the restaurant. So, some people must have liked it.

The hostess greeted the group at the front podium. Her blue polo matched the rest of this hellish color scheme, almost making her disappear into the scenery. It was the oddest form of camouflage. Alma got everything settled and the hostess led them to their spot on the second floor.

Walking to the shell-encrusted staircase, Michael looked around at the first floor and noticed a large number of dogs. More than half the tables he saw had one or two dogs at them. Confused, he asked the hostess about it and she explained that a local dog rescue was having an annual appreciation dinner on the first floor. But the second floor was normal reservations and diners.

Their table was located close to the balcony that overlooked the stage. Unlike the rest of this kitschy place, the stage had escaped the heavy decoration with only a white mosaic that framed the outside of it. Blue cherubs with trumpets played alongside pan flute wielding satyrs in the eclectic mosaic. Large navy curtains were closed, hiding whatever show preparations were going on behind the scenes.

Alexander leaned into Michael’s ear and whispered, “this place is giving me a headache.”

When mentioned, Michael couldn’t help but agree. It was too much, but he buried the twinge of visual pain by looking at the plain table setting. At least they showed restraint there.

“Don’t worry about the cost. The reservation covers it all,” Alma assured as she hung her purse onto the side of her chair along with Giselle's.

They looked over the menu. It was a barbecue place, almost everything was meat or meat adjacent. Alexander had long gotten over the soft comment as he picked out a few different dishes. Nowhere near as hungry, Michael found it more efficient to just pick off his partner’s plate after being told that the portions were massive.

As they settled in and they brought the first round of appetizers out, Michael asked how the women met.

“Oh, well, it’s kind of embarrassing,” Alma’s face glowed as red as her hair as she looked over at Giselle who said nothing.

“It can't be that bad. Probably better than how Neil and I met,” He teased.

“How did you meet?”

Alexander cut in with a smile as he held up his fork, “Ah, a trade for a trade. You first.”

Alma gave a quick nod, “all right, well I had a small fairy problem in a house I was renting, and Giselle took the bounty. The issue was I forgot to lock one of my…” She paused for a second to think of how to word it. “One of my private rooms. Well, of course, it was one of the first rooms she ran into. I nearly died from embarrassment. I couldn’t even look her in the eye afterward, but next thing you know, she sends me a text and asks me out for coffee. Then everything just fell into place.”

“Ha, I’m happy everything worked out,” Michael chuckled. “So how long have you been dating?”

“A little over two years. Isn’t that right, honey?” Alma looked at Giselle, but she was zoned out. Only returning when her girlfriend slightly nudged her.

“Yea, two years.”

“Giselle, you ok?” Michael asked. It was odd how out of it she was.

“Sorry, she’s probably tired because of me.” Alma rubbed the back of her head while offering an apologetic smile. “We ended up pulling an all-nighter because the last season of my favorite TV show was on. I got her to watch it with me from the beginning.”

“I see—”

“Anyway, it’s your turn. How did Neil and you meet? Actually, how long have you been together?” Alma excitedly cut him off.

“Five years,” Alexander responded with a smirk, putting down his fork as he held Michael’s hand on the table.

“Wow! That’s quite a while,” her eyes widened before she clapped her hands. “I’m imagining this started with some epic meet-cute.”

Michael laughed as he shared a look with Alexander and gave him the go-ahead to tell the story. Leaning forward, Alexander let a bit of his hair fall from its place behind his ear. It brushed against his freckled cheek and created a roguish air as his yellow eyes sparkled with mischief. “Well, it all happened when I was a freshman in college. I was out late at the library studying when I see a bright green man running like a fool down the main walkway before diving into the central fountain. The entire time he is yelling in a foreign language and waving his arms in the air like a madman. I thought he was insane. And I realized at that moment that I found insane extremely hot and immediately asked for his number.”

“No, you’re lying.” Alma covered her mouth to stifle a chuckle as she looked between them. “That can’t be.”

Michael dragged out his sigh and pitifully nodded. “It is. Though I told him to use the cooler story we agreed on in that car.” He playfully nudged his partner.

“It’s a hilarious story. Everyone loves it when they hear it.”

“Bully,” Michael looked away to hide his smile. It was a good tale this time, though not his best one. He then schooled his expression and turned back to the table. “I’d like to note that I was hunting after a pooka and it had gone invisible after throwing a bucket of paint on me. At least I caught it.”

Alexander laughed and pulled Michael in to plant a kiss on his head. “Of course, baby. You were very charming and handsome, covered head to toe in neon paint. The most attractive green screen there ever was.”

Michael rolled his eyes and their conversation carried on. Alexander was on his best behavior as he kept up with the two, though Giselle remained out of it, just offering the occasional comment when Alma pressed her for it. More food came out, but Michael found his appetite diminished even more as his headache grew worse. He didn’t know why, but a chill ran down his spine as he choked on his tongue and began to cough. It interrupted the discussion they were having about the best phone on the market.

“Sorry,” he offered between coughs as Alexander patted his back. “I’ll be back in a second.”

Standing, Alexander was about to follow, but Michael shook his head. “I just need the bathroom.” He walked off. Now, away from the conversation, he noticed a thin layer of sweat had formed on his back. Another chill ran down his spine and he felt the tingling pricks of goosebumps along his skin. Something felt off as he followed the signs into the second-floor restroom.

In the empty blue bathroom, he splashed water into his face as he tried to run off whatever anxiety had kicked up out of nowhere. It did little to quiet his escalated heartbeat as it pounded in his ears and added to this sense of sudden panic. He gripped the ceramic sink and stared into the running water. He hoped it would bash down this random anxiety. It was unlike him, there was no reason for it, yet it just was. That itch. That persistent need to scratch something right under the surface of his skin returned with vigor. He almost forgotten how annoying it was as he gritted his teeth and forced it out of his mind.

Luckily, after a few minutes, it finally subsided. The headache remained, but the other discomforts were gone and left him exhausted.

Absentmindedly, he washed his hands one last time when his phone rang and aggravated his headache.

The bathroom had a couch, quite the novelty, as he sat on it and checked the phone.

Ellen had sent him a text.

‘Have you seen Giselle?’

Michael stared at the message. It was weird, but he replied. ‘Yes, I’m at dinner with her, why?’

‘Where are you? My sister’s trying to find her.’

‘Why is she looking?’ The chill returned as Michael checked the time, but the clocks were working. At least his phone clock was.

‘They’re dating.’

Michael froze and quickly sent a selfie they took outside of the restaurant. ‘Is this your sister?’

‘No, why?’

‘She's Giselle’s girlfriend.’ He typed out and before Ellen could respond, he added. ‘Her name is Alma.’

The little typing bubble stopped as a call came in. Michael picked up and moved from the couch to the farthest stall from the door.

“That makes no sense,” Ellen spoke fast. “My sister’s name is Alma, and she’s been dating Giselle for almost four years. I don’t know who that woman is, but she’s not Alma.”

“Could Giselle be cheating with another woman named Alma?” Michael kept his voice low.

“No way. They had a rough patch, but they made up. At least that’s what my sister said. Also, Giselle doesn’t have the capacity to two time.”

Michael agreed, “Then I don’t know.”

“What do you know about this ‘Alma’?”

Michael repeated the few facts he had gotten about her, such as working for the Witches’ Council and how the two supposedly met. They hadn’t talked a lot about their personal lives, a fact that didn’t seem odd at first as the husbands had remained quiet themselves on the topic.

“Where are you?”

“The Blue Room. Giselle, wait, no, ‘Alma’ had won a work raffle and got reservations here.” He paused, then added, “Giselle’s been acting off, like barely talking, zoning out. You know her.”

“She couldn’t keep quiet even if she was dead. Even if she was meeting the reaper, she would probably fight them for bothering her.” Ellen knew quite well. “Damn, I don’t know what she got into. When the meeting ended, she returned to her vacation. But she lives with my sister, and Alma said she left three days ago and didn’t come home. She didn’t even pick up her calls. This might sound rude, but I suggest you get out of there.”

“No, this place is giving me weird vibes.” He was already thinking about it, even after the little anxiety attack ended. None of it sat well with him. There was a creeping familiarity. “It reminds me of—”

A bang filled the bathroom, cutting him off as he looked up at his stall door. It was still closed, but he could hear footsteps enter and go into one of the other stalls. He lowered his voice, “I’ll call you later.”

He hung up before Ellen could respond. Giving a fake flush, he stepped out and washed his hands while using the mirror to look around. Only one guy had entered, and he remained in the stall. No one followed Michael out.

As he returned to the table, he studied the dining room. Everything looked “normal” as people ate, chatted, and went about their private dinners. He memorized the floor layout along with the number of people and found that the second floor was barren compared to the first floor. There were only a handful of occupied tables with fewer servers. Still, there were people, he doubted ‘Alma’ would cause trouble if they tried to leave.

Alexander led the conversation, easily charming the redhead while he waited for Michael to return. It was a boring sport as she only seemed interested in talking magic and paperwork while occasionally probing for personal information. He always danced around the question and found out more about Alma instead. Such as the fact her current career trajectory was abysmal and that, according to her, her boss was stuck in the old ways. She also wasn’t that powerful of a spell caster, finding her talents were in enchantments. Unfortunately, the art of runes and item making were old school compared to the newer forms of magical modification. Most of her enchantments she sold at small monthly swap meets.

Politely, he nodded along as she began a diatribe about the inefficiency of a twinning spell popularized in current enchantments when he saw Michael. However, his partner didn’t look much better. His flickering gaze and the dark bags that had formed under his eyes along with the unconscious chewing of his bottom lip were all Alexander needed to know something was up. But before he reached the table, he straightened himself up and erased the few markers of worry.

Michael leaned over his husband's shoulder and whispered into his ear. “We’re leaving.”

That was no argument from Alexander, as he made a worried expression, “Ah, let me see.” He held Michael’s face before frowning.

‘Alma’ looked at them concerned.

“The lighting here isn’t the best. Let me see it in the bathroom.” Standing up, Alexander looked to the women. “I’m sorry ladies, but you must excuse us for a second.”

‘Alma’ was about to say something, but they cut her off as they moved around the table. That was when the husbands noticed the change in the atmosphere.

The entire building had fallen silent. The music, the conversation, the ting of silverware, and the scrapping of chairs. It was all gone as the collective eyes of the second-floor dining room focused on them.

A waiter rushed up behind ‘Alma’ and whispered into her ear as her expression turned from concern to impish frustration and she looked at the men. “My apologies, but I’m afraid you can’t leave.”

A/N

Boy howdy, here we go.