“Andy, it’s 3:55, let’s head to the party.” Greg pushes away from his desk and stands to look at his neighbor. “People here are nerds so they’ve probably been there for ten minutes already.” 

Andy stands up and puts his suit coat back on. “Really? Is there at least alcohol?” Andy smirks as the two head towards the conference room on the opposite side of the floor.

“Lots. Don’t worry.” Greg smirks and wraps an arm around his shoulder. “And trust me, you’ll need it.” Andy raises an eyebrow in concern at what he’s about to face.

As they step inside, it looks like a typical office party with cheap decorations, punch bowls, snacks, and suits wandering around the room chit chatting. The only exception is that the employees milling about were an assortment of demons. Fire elementals, ogres, kobolds, insectoids, a giant rat, and more.

The moment Andy set eyes on the room he turned immediately to the alcohol table and filled a cup before returning to Greg. “I’m gonna need this.” Greg makes an understanding click before heading off to get his own drink.

Andy shifts from foot to foot hoping that no one walks over to him. Unfortunately for him, there’s no way that he would get away with that. The party was for him, after all. It wasn’t even a minute later that a man with a lion for a leg walked up to him. However you’re picturing a man with a lion as a leg, I can guarantee you that you’re wrong. “So you’re the new blood? Welcome to the team Mr….”

Andy uses his free hand to shake the stranger’s. “Andy is fine. And you are?”

“Leo. Nice to meet you.”

Andy smiles and points down to the lion. “Is it Leo cause of the lion?” Andy was pretty proud of himself.

However, Leo’s face grew grim and annoyed. “No, my father’s name was Leo. My grandfather’s name was Leo. And his father’s name was Leo! That’s why my name is Leo.”

Andy drops the smile as a pit drops in his stomach. He swallows hard and points at the lion again. “Does your leg have a... name?” Andy could feel himself starting to sweat.

“Yes.” His response was terse. “It’s also Leo.”

“Is that… Cause…” Andy was having trouble pushing the words out.

“Yes! It’s cause he’s a lion!” Leo and Leo turn around and walk away in a huff as Greg returns to Andy’s side.

“I should’ve gone through the sensitivity training.” Andy takes a swig of his drink.

“Yes you should have.” Greg does the same.

“Hey, is that Lucifer?” Andy barely waits before he starts to walk over.

“I don’t know, there’s a lot of smoky black figures with bright glowing eyes around here.” Andy turns and sneers at the grinning fly man.

Andy taps Lucifer on the shoulder and then looks at his hand from the weird sensation it caused. Lucifer turned around and started to speak but Andy wouldn’t let him. “Lucifer, hey man, I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t know about the name thing and I feel really guilty about it. Are you alright?” It was apparent on Andy’s face that he did indeed feel terrible.

“Oh, Andy!” Lucifer clearly felt for him. “It’s alright. Really. There’s no way you could’ve known about it. It’s in the past now. Just enjoy your party!” He opens his arms out wide for Andy. “Bring it in. Water under the bridge, buddy.” Andy wasn’t going to accept the hug but Lucifer was already moving in and wrapping his arms around him. Lucifer was a really good hugger and the feeling Andy got from tapping him is now all over his body and it was a surreal experience.

Moments later, the hug was over and Andy was left with a puzzled expression and a loss for words. “Go have a good time, Andy!”

He nods and says “You too,” before turning around walking back to Greg.

“How’d the apology go?” Greg sounded only half interested as he spoke into his plastic cup.

“Fine, he understood…” Andy was still staring into space. Greg slapped him on the shoulder and he blinked himself back down to the ground. “Sorry, he hugged me and there was this weird… feeling when he touched me. I can’t even describe it.”

“Really? Maybe that’s just a human thing. He’s never in that form around humans so maybe he doesn’t know what it does to you. What did it feel like?” Greg takes a curious sip.

“I already said I couldn’t describe it! It tickled, prickled, tingled, and shocked all at the same time. And that’s not even half of the feelings.”

“Did it feel good?”

“I guess?” Andy took another big swig. “I need another drink.”

Greg whistles. “That was fast.” Andy shrugged and didn’t even look at him as he walked back to the drink table. “It’d be impressive if it wasn't so sad…”

Andy rejoins his only solace with a half full cup of a clear liquid. He can barely even open his mouth before a voice slithers its way into their ears. “Well hello there, cutie!” As the sultry sound whispers down their spines, a dangerous realization strikes them: Morgan.

Andy breathes in and steels himself for the ensuing endurance test. He forced on a fake smile and did a 180 with Greg. “Hello, Morgan.” He’d keep his eyes on her face if they weren’t immediately drawn to the generous amount of cleavage on display. She barely had half the shirt buttoned. 

He stares for a moment before taking a generous amount of blinks. “Eyes up here, Andy.” She places a finger under his chin and gently pushes his gaze up to her eyes where she gives him a sly wink. “Since you’re clearly looking, how about you and me get a drink sometime?”

Andy fights to keep his gaze up to hers. “Sorry, I don’t drink. I’m a uh… dry boy.”

She looks at him over her spectacles. “Is that so? What’re you drinking then?”

Andy looks down at his beverage and thanks his past self for getting something clear. “Water.”

“Oh! I’m quite parched. Do you mind if I take a sip?” She gives him a set of doe eyes and reaches her hand towards his cup.

He snaps it back and inadvertently yells “No! Uh, I’m a huge germaphobe so I don’t let people drink from my cups.” 

Thankfully for Andy, Greg cuts the conversation off for him. “Morgan, you know succubus and incubus dress code requires you to keep covered. Looks like you’re a few buttons short.” Morgan pouts at him angrily and starts to button her shirt. Greg chuckles.

“Morgan-'' she stops her buttoning the moment Andy speaks, “no, keep buttoning.” He pries his eyes up to the ceiling. “What department do you work in, anyways?”

Greg is quick to interject. “HR.” The two men start laughing and high five.

Morgan gives a disapproving look to the smiling bug. “Ha. Ha.” She returns her alluring gaze to the struggling human. “I’m a case manager as well. My clients love me.” She bites her lip.

Andy swallows and blinks some sweat out of his eye. “I’m sure they do. Hey, I should really go introduce myself to the other employees.”

Andy tries to turn around but Morgan’s hand snaps out and grabs his arm. If it weren’t for the suit and shirt, there’s no way he’d be able to withstand her touch. “Wait! I have some good news!” Andy sighs and turns back hoping that she’d let him go. Instead she only got closer, prompting him to roll his neck in frustrated agony. “I’m your new case worker!”

The shock was enough to let him regain his senses and pull himself away. “What?!”

“Becky asked me to take over for her because her caseload was becoming too much with several new arrivals.” Morgan winks at her new client.

“Well fantastic, I’ll see you later!” Andy rushes away from her as fast as he can and hides behind a group of centaurs. Greg soon joins him, barely keeping his composure and holding in his laughter.

“So you don’t drink now?” Greg pats Andy’s shoulder with a chuckle.

Andy looks at his drink with pursed lips. “Yeah, this is half a cup of the strongest water I’ve ever had.” The two smile at each other and start laughing all over again. Andy takes a large swig. “There may not be enough vodka in this room.” Greg nods. “Wait… Greg! I’ve got it! Becky gave Morgan my file! She has to be interested!”

Greg thinks for a second. “What?”

“That’s gotta be it! Think, you can’t date your case manager. So what does she do? Pass my file on! That means she can ask me out now!” Greg’s massive eyes somehow get wider. “She’s gotta be interested… Right?” Andy is shaking his hands like a madman.

“I mean, she could’ve actually had too much work. She showed us one of her new cases a couple hours ago and I already told you how much work those are. Plus, if she was interested in you, why pass your case on to the thirstiest succubus on this layer? She’s a predator.” Greg sipped his drink.

“I already said it, Greg! You can’t get involved with your case manager! No matter how thirsty, Morgan can’t make a move!” Andy grabbed Greg’s shoulders and shook him causing him to spill a bit.

Greg winced. “I don’t know, man. I don’t think that’d stop Morgan.”

“Well, probably not. But Becky seems too innocent to think about that.”

“Fair… Gosh, it’s still a toss up, man. It’s your call but I’m gonna warn you that it’s a risky one.”

Andy groans in frustration. “I wish Lucifer could just tell me.”

Speaking of the Devil: Lucifer speaks up to get everyone’s attention. “Hey everybody! Listen up!” The sound of the room slowly diminished into silence. “We’re here to welcome a new member to our big family! I’m happy to introduce you all to Andy Redfield!” The lights suddenly shut off and a spotlight shines down on Andy who looks like a deer caught in the headlights. All the sets of demon eyes, both glowing and normal, rest on him. “He is our first human manager to join us here so, everyone, be nice to him.” Andy smiles with a little too much teeth and does a small wave to everyone. “He’s a sweet guy who I think will do big things here, for both humans and demons.” The lights flash back on and Lucifer raises his cup. “To Andy!”

A half-hearted echo is returned by the other demons as everyone raises their cups and takes a drink. Greg is laughing again, this time at Andy rather than with him. “I wasn’t expecting a whole spotlight! You really got some special treatment.”

Andy groans and would consider dumping his drink on Greg if he didn’t need it so badly. “I want to die.”

“You already did.” Greg downs the rest of his drink.

“Don’t remind me.” Andy does the same.