The Faustian Love Bargain (COMPLETED)

Chapter 10

She went into the next room and found herself in a library. It was a large room and the shelves were filled with books. She took one out and it read, “Human Psychology.” She soon realised the entire row of books were about human psychology and she wondered why he was so interested in that subject. There were many books that ranged from music to cosmology. Impressed, she traced her fingers past the shelves in gay steps when a book caught her eye. It read, “Legends and Tales of our time.”

It was a very old book but the pages were not tearing. She opened the book and found that the chapter was about a king again. A chill went down her spine and she thought that the king’s ghost must be haunting her. However, she did not think that she should close the book and she continued reading when someone snatched the book from her hands. 

She wanted to scream until she realised that Nick Smith was standing in front of her. His face was flushed with anger and his eyes burned with intensity as he stared down at her, the book clasped tightly in his hand.

“What were you reading?” he demanded and put the book back to the shelf. 

“I was reading that book,” she replied, worried that she had touched something private.

“What exactly did you read?” he raised his voice slightly and she grew more afraid. 

“A story about a king,” she stuttered, her voice shaking. 

“How much did you read? What did you read about?” he grew livid and his eyes became dark.

“Something about a woman whom the king loved but she died,” she muttered.

“He did not love her,” was all he answered before he turned to walk out of the library.

She followed him down the corridor and it opened out to a large living room which was connected to the bar area he was referring to. There were about a hundred bottles of liquor and they were stacked on glass panels. 

On the bar table was two glasses of cocktails. She sat on the high chair with Nick. Raising her modest eyes, she apologised with a soft voice for touching his things without permission.

“I suppose you have questions after reading the story,” he answered with the same impassive tone and looked into her eyes. She looked away quickly and said she would take it as if she had never seen the book. The timidity of this young creature pulled a string in his grave heart, or perhaps stirred some  compunction from having intimidated her. He could not bear to be austere to her. 

“I am very serious. I believe that I must appear to be the strangest person to you. And the story must have stirred up your curiosity. If you say you are not in the least curious about me, you must be lying,” he said in a calmer tone.

Little did he know that he had thought of the young girl too highly. Like any other human, she had shallow thoughts. Her childlike mind consisted of few questions and she sought to ask them now.

“Do you know Jelena Evans personally? I’m a music fan of her,” she asked bashfully. 

There was something in her that calmed him. Perhaps it was her sweet demeanour or her eyes that were filled with adoration. He grinned, “I’ve met her at several parties.” He took out his phone and opened up a Whatsapp conversation with Jelena.

“Oh my gosh, you even have her number!” She could not believe her eyes. 

“I would think people will be more at a shock that you have my number,” he said jokingly before showing her other celebrities he knew. He knew many of them and there were a few incoming messages every minute, from various famous people.