The Faustian Love Bargain (COMPLETED)

Chapter 10

Nick and Stella came out of the museum, too shaken to continue. What were these two different images that they had seen? Moreover, he had came here before and he had not seen anything like this. It was as if the presence of Stella had altered these pictures to appear differently to him. 

His chiselled nose quivered in ferment as he thought of the prospect of nearing the point of discovery. What a fine and wicked creature she was! A few dangers slipped his mind, as his mind buzzed with excitement.

They did not speak until Nick had driven out of the car park and they were on the road. 

“Do you want to go home now?” he asked, with a smile forming. 

“I guess so. I am sorry this has ended so early even though you had wanted to show me the rest of the paintings,” Stella sighed. She must have scared him from crying and saying ghastly things about the picture. His lips curled downwards in some distaste before he steadied himself into a more placable disposition.

“It’s not your fault,” he answered, before adding in a low and soothing voice, “You must be tired. Do you want to come to my house for a drink? It’s around the corner and I don’t feel like going out today. Of course, you could refuse me-” 

"Yeah, I don't mind," she interjected. She did not know why she consented to almost everything he asked for. Going to a boy's house was unbecoming of her. Many girls did that but she had never been to a house with the opposite sex alone. And, to think that she would agree so easily to such a request, she felt her cheeks redden with shame, while her bosom heaved with a flurry of artless excitement.

It was a tall and modern building near the bay. Many hotels and offices surrounded the building as it was part of the city area. Nick drove his car into the building and the car entered a glass elevator that shot up to the fortieth floor. Within seconds, she found that they had entered the apartment and in front of them, through the glass door, was a bedroom that extended to an outdoor pool.

They came out of the car and past the glass door that was opened when Nick scanned his fingerprint. 

A house with a private garage and elevator for the car? The sheer expanse of the bedroom and the pool that looked like it stretched to the air astonished the young girl, who pictured herself, in secret, as the partner of the owner of this beautiful and luxurious apartment. 

“Do you actually swim there?” she asked. Her eyes had brightened tremendously with wonder and she looked at the prince before her in a new light.

Nick replied with a clear but forced laugh, “Maybe I will, but I usually swim in the indoor pool.”

“The indoor pool?” she echoed, in girlish surprise. 

“Yes, I’ll show you.” They walked out of the bedroom with the king-sized bed and down the hallway with many other rooms before he turned into a room which opened up to a swimming pool. There was a sauna room at the side and the pool room was lit brightly with pots of palm trees by the side. The ceiling was painted with portraits of angels and pastel flowers. 

“This is a nice place to swim,” she gasped as her eyes took in the breathtaking scene before her.

“You can swim now if you like. I have something to do. Feel free to look around. I’ll be at the bar when you’re done,” he smiled before walking off.

She was absolutely enchanted by the size of the apartment before realising it probably was the span of the entire level of the building. Like a child in an amusement park, she capered and skipped in and out of rooms. She entered a guest room which was complete with a large LCD television, king-sized bed and a sophisticated dressing table. It was connected to a walk-in wardrobe and a vast toilet, with a bath tub, a jacuzzi and a shower room.