Forgive Me (complete)

17

I made the most obscene deals just to pass some time and to ease my tortured mind. I just wanted to be happy again. Was that really so much to ask? I had a taste of happiness in my few hours with Michael but I was going to ignore how he made me feel. I had to forget about him because there was no way I could forgive him for treating me the way he had. I went to him in a moment of need and he turned his back on me. That was something I refused to tolerate.

A man across the bar kept his eyes on me for a good twenty minutes before approaching me with his drink in hand. He was handsome, for a human. He looked more like Ivan that I would care to admit though.

"Hi," he said boldly.

I partially smiled, "Hello."

"What's your name, beautiful?"

"Katrina," I responded.

"I'm Cedric," he said confidently, "Can I buy you a drink?"

I looked down at my nearly empty glass, "Oh, sure. What's the worst that could happen," I asked rhetorically.

He got the attention of the bar tender and ordered my drink as well as another for himself.

"So what are you doing here alone?" He asked curiously.

I smirked to myself, "Bartering for souls."

"Interesting. What exactly does that entail?"

"I make the unattainable, attainable. For a price, of course."

"One's soul," he guessed.

"Correct."

"So in order to leave here with you, I would owe you my soul," he stated coyly.

My lips formed the most seductive smile manageable, "I'll take that deal."

We sat and chatted through a couple drinks before he offered his large hand to me which I took without hesitation. Hell, I might as well have some fun with this one. I was still expecting Michael to pop up and interrupt me the way he always did but he hadn't disturbed me all night. I was thankful and disappointed. He didn't care that he said things that would kill me all over again. In my opinion, he was worse than Ivan. Ivan may have lost his temper with me and beat me but at least he never told me I was incapable of loving someone. That was by far the worst thing anyone had ever said to me.

"So what do you really do for a living?" Cedric asked.

"I'm a deal maker," I said cooly.

"Ah. Corporate shark," he said in acceptance, "I should have guessed as much."

I laughed lightly, "Why is that?"

"You have that look about you. You're clearly a woman that knows what she wants and how to get it."

"You have no idea," I said with a smirk.

"I think I might," he responded with a nice smile.

"What do you do?" I asked curiously.

"I am in the oil industry."

"Sounds thrilling," I said slightly sarcastically.

"It can be. It's the family business so I didn't have much of a choice."

"What if you did have a choice. What would you choose?"

He thought for a moment, "Even though I didn't choose my path, I wouldn't change it for anything."

"There isn't anything at all?"

He shrugged, "No. I have everything I need."

"Interesting," I said more to myself than anything.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What would you want?"

"What I want is truly unattainable- even for me," I said.

He half smiled down at me, "Let me guess...love?"

I laughed, "What a pointless thing to want."

He laughed with me, "Then what?"

"Freedom," I said lightly.

"Now that is an interesting answer," he said.

I shrugged lightly as we walked in silence. Why couldn't it be this easy with Michael? Why was it so easy with a man I didn't know, that I wasn't meant to be with but the man I should be with is impossible.

"Freedom from what?"

I smiled lightly, "My boss is the current ruler of Hell and his son is next in line. Freedom from them would be fantastic."

He laughed, "You certainly use quite a few religious references."

"You would too in my line of work."

He nodded in acceptance. What else could he do? He wanted to have sex with me and I was clearly willing. What the hell did he care if he had to tolerate a few religious inferences?