Heartstrings

Chapter 30

                    Another midnight
*Heaven's POV*

_ "I-..." I hesitate. Should I accept his offer? I mean, I need the money, and given the circumstances, working at a coffee shop is not enough nor practical. I'll be juggling university, the coffee shop, finding another job as well as trying not to get evicted from my apartment. Seems like a good offer to me. It's a three in one deal. This way I won't have to search for another job, I'll be getting payed in addition to having a roof over my head.

_ "let's make a deal" I say, mustering the most confident tone I can. I couldn't show him I was weak, nor give him the impression that he was forcing me to join.
A wicked smirk draws itself upon his lips. He looks at me intently.

_ "I'll think about it... if!" I continue, seeming to peek his interest, "if I won't feel comfortable, will change my mind, or will be bossed around and mistreated... you will let me leave without hunting me down or blackmailing me. Deal?"
He and his minion gawk at me with wide eyes. The mysterious man then starts lightly nodding his head, seemingly impressed.

_ "I really admire your confidence and courage Ms..., but that's not how it usually works." He chuckles, " You sure are something else..." he pauses. "I'll take you up on that offer. You got yourself a deal." He said.

_ "Can you repeat that last sentence for me. I gotta record it incase you change your mind and decide to hunt me down, I'll have proof to our agreement." I say. He and his helper laugh at first, but as I reach out my phone toward him, the amusement vanishes from their faces and is replaced by dubiety.

_ "I will not hunt you down or blackmail you incase you decide to leave. We have a deal" he repeats. Then he says: "i'll be waiting for your answer on-"

_ "meet me here tomorrow, 8:00 sharp, I'll give you my answer. Hope you won't regret your decision or change your mind... Have a great evening gentlemen" with that I turn on the heal of my shoes and head inside the bar, leaving behind two dumbstruck gangsters, confused by the events that just occurred.

^Landon's POV^
It's 11, and I have been waiting for Heaven for an hour now. I ordered myself a coke and scanned the crowded bar. Nothing. I examine my surrounding once more. Through the ocean of people, a tall hourglass figure was walking towards me, in tight black ripped jeans and a black top that revealed some cleavage. Her tanned face looked a-bit flustered, but she still managed to light up the room and grab every guys' attention as soon as she flashed her ravishing yet very rare smile. I had come to notice that Heaven usually covers her mouth whenever she smiles, she's insecure about it and I can't believe that she doesn't realize just how gorgeous, no.. breathtaking she is.

_ "hey honey" she jokes.

_ "hi darling" I tag along, and we both laugh.

_ "sorry it took me so long, I really am. As an apology, drinks are on me" she winks at me.

_ "oh hell no! You ain't paying for my drinks! What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you do that?" I say.
Heaven starts laughing hysterically and clutches her stomach almost falling off of the high stool she sat on.

_ "what?" I ask, puzzled.

_ "you?" She says in between laughs "a gentleman?" She continues laughing. "That's a great joke honey, but you're a man whore" she finally regains her composure.

_ "stop shaming me!" I say in an exaggerated tone. "And just so you know, was... I was a man whore. Now I only have one night stands once in two weeks..."

_ "you're still a manwhore" she replies, flagging the bartender.

_ "well I'm trying my best to change" I say changing my voice into a baby's one.

_ "awww, and what's making baby Landon wanna change?" She also returns in a childish voice.

_ "I guess you just make me want to change and be a better person" I continue our role play, shrugging. Her respond was a genuine, sweet, bewitching smile. I then notice her knuckles as she lays her hand on the bar counter.

_ "Heaven what happened to your hands!? I thought the Underground had burned down." I ask taking her hand and analyzing her bruises and wounds.

_ "it did burn. This is nothing, I just had to beat some creeps that tried to come on me on my way here. The guard made me go through the back door since the front one was locked due to the huge amount of people and slow service. So on my way to the back door, some creeps were in the alley, they tried to force themselves onto me, so I beat them up. End of story, nothing serious, don't worry." she casually brushes me off.

_ "why didn't you call me?" I shake my head, trying to get rid of the image of Heaven kicking someone's ass out of my head. Last time I witnessed that happen, Landon junior got excited.

_ "you know I can take care of myself. I'm a big girl" she flexes her arm muscles, making me chuckle.

_ "yeah, yeah. We all know you're a firecracker" I roll my eyes and earning giggle.

_ "beer?" She then asks

_ "sure"

After drinking our beer and chatting for a few, being the introverted party poopers we are, we decided to ditch this loud and sweaty place and head to our hangout spot.

Our hangout spot is the rooftop of a new building. We found it when we were invited to a party in this same establishment. It just seemed so quiet, and the view from up there was breathtaking, so we started hanging out there often. Soon enough, we made a bench out of the wooden boxes abandoned up there, and brought some pillows and a blanket to make it more comfortable.

There we sat, Heaven and I under the blanket almost huddled together. The sky was of a marvelous Persian hue entangled in some lavender strings. It offered a view on the luminescent stars twinkling softly and the iridescent full moon through the few clouds blotching the sky.

"The moon is a crime,
Oh yes she can shine,
You may not know it but you're her prey,
Be careful or she might take your breath away,
She sneaks through the clouds
And wraps you up in shrouds
That her mesmerizing rays,
Turned the streets blacks and greys"
(This is another one of my poems, please do not copy!!)

Heaven then exhales and softly lays her head on my shoulder. Her fawn hair tickles my neck and her sweet yet spicy scent fills my lungs. I stare down at her, analyzing ever detail. I notice her tattoos. Her many tattoos that peeked from under her clothes from time to time.

_ "ask away" she says

_ "huh?"

_ "I can feel you staring at me itching to know about something. So ask away" she repeats.

_ "your tattoos" I cautiously utter.

_ "what about them?"

_ "what do they mean?"

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Did Heaven really make a deal with the devil? Will she accept his offer? What do her tattoos mean? Find out in the next chapters of "Heartstrings!"