18: Deal with the Devil

My arms tightened around my chest, waiting for him to make a move. With a wink, he turned and walked away back towards the chairs. Frowning at the empty cups, he pulled a new bottle of vodka from a shelf beside him. With a deliberately slow pour, the cups were refilled and the bottle placed on the table beside them. With a slight bow, he gestured to the second chair. “Let’s get comfortable,” he sat in his chair. “I imagine that you’ll prove to be a particularly tough negotiator.” His lips twitched up at the corner, as if he was trying to suppress a smirk.

Irritated by the smug look on his face, I stormed across the room, grabbed a glass, tossing the entire contents down my throat. I immediately regretted the action as the clear liquid burned like molten lava all the way down to my stomach. I slammed the glass back down a little harder than I’d planned, fighting the urge to gag as he chuckled. I flopped unceremoniously into the empty chair and folded my arms back over m