"You had no right. I didn't know..."

“How it worked?" I helpfully offered her some perspective. "You don't know anything. You still don't. Do you think I'm keeping your soul trapped in the basement in a cage? A little see-through version of you with wings and a halo, sat there strumming an empty cup along the iron bars of its cell?"

“That's not the point." She took a step toward me and stopped immediately when she saw I wasn't giving any ground.

"I beg to differ. You have no idea who I am or what I've bought from you. Believe me, you'll get a lot more out of the hundred pounds."

“Look, you little shit. Either you burn that damn piece of paper or I'm taking you down to the station." That fear was quickly receding to be replaced by anger.

“Oh you are, are you? Well, you know how a really good magician can slip out of any pair of cuffs? Just stop for a moment and imagine what

I'm capable of." I smirked at her. I decided I liked showing off. I definitely needed to do it more often.

“What do you want? Money? I'll give you the damn money back." Her voice raised and took on a slightly higher pitch of desperation

“You don't have anything I want and, well, no takie-backsies, Olivia" I placed my hands behind my back and chuckled as I watched her slowly unravel. Yeah, I can be a bit of a cruel bastard when I want to be.

That was all it took, she curled her lips into a vicious snarl and leapt across the few feet between us. Her hands were reaching out for my neck and they would have gotten hold of it too if I hadn't quickly suspended her in mid air. The experience must have been a very unsettling one as she looked down at the floor, not understanding why she wasn't moving until she Looked back to me and found my face very close to hers.

“Alright, I'll stop. You can have your soul back on one condition." I held up my index finger for emphasis.

“What?" Again, suspicion filled those lovely emerald-brown eyes.

"You go on a date with me." My other fingers along with the thumb joined the one that was already held up.

There was a pause as she processed this information.

“What!?" Apparently, the idea that a man who bartered with souls had difficulty finding good company was a difficult one for her to compute.

"A date. Tomorrow night."

“I'm already seeing someone." I found it almost sweet that she thought of that excuse first.

“Well you can un-see him or her for one night. Then, when we're done

I'll give you back your soul and we never have to see each other again." I released my hold on her and she quickly managed to get her feet underneath herself instead of crashing to the ground.

“Why in the hell do you want a date?" Apparently this wasn't an idea she could swing her head around.