Soul Broker (2 page)

Drew sat in a booth next to the window and tugged at the collar burning his skin. He wasn’t going back, not yet anyway. He thought about the woman he’d just met and laughed.
I’d hardly call that meeting someone. I nearly flattened her
. Something about her tugged at his gut.
She was pretty, but not classically beautiful. Brown hair and brown eyes, nothing extraordinary, but her smile was amazing.
He wasn’t sure if she would show, she seemed kind of skittish.

His hand tapped impatiently on the table top, his expression darkening. She was taking a lot longer then he thought it would take her to get home and get back. He was wasting precious time on this plane.
If she didn’t want to come, all she had to do was say no.
Why had he asked her for coffee anyway? He bumped into her, helped her up and that should have been the end, so why did he invite her here? His immediate attraction confused him, and no one was more surprised by the interest in a woman then him. From past experience, love was nothing but the beginning to a lifetime of heartbreak. Yet here he sat. He continued grumbling to himself as she walked in. She searched the coffee shop until her eyes met his, and walked toward him.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show.” His annoyance threatened to shine through his words. He told himself the only reason he was annoyed to begin with was because he had limited time here, and it had nothing to do with feelings he desperately didn’t want to feel again.

She pulled off her scarf and jacket, and hung it on the hook attached to the booth before sitting down. “To tell you the truth, I wasn’t going to.”

“What made you change your mind?”
Are you a glutton for punishment too?

She folded her hands on the table and glanced down.

“I don’t know.” She tucked a few loose strands of hair behind ear. When she met his eyes, she smiled.

“I’m Drew.” He extended his hand across the table.

“Mackenzie.” She unfolded her hands, reached for his, and grasped it.

He felt a jolt of electricity at the moment of contact. Drew never felt anything like this before. His stomach dropped, perspiration beaded on his forehead. He pulled his hand away. “Nice to meet you. Again, I’m sorry for knocking you over.” What the hell was that? If he knew what was good for himself he’d run out of there. He gazed into her big brown eyes and he couldn’t leave.
What the fuck is wrong with me?

“To be fair, it was my fault too. I could barely see where I was going.” She shook her head and smiled. “You’re not the first person I bumped into today.”

They both laughed.

Her laugh sent shivers down his spine, and it took everything he had to stay seated. A battle of wills ensued inside him. On one hand a woman was the reason he was a slave, on the other he was ultimately responsible for his predicament. He could keep blaming his first love, but that was the lie he told himself to keep sane. It seemed he would have to face his past ghosts sooner then he liked.

The waitress came over and took their order, then left.

“I haven’t seen you around here before,” Mackenzie said.

“I’m here on business.” He shifted in his seat, trying to resist the urge to yank at the collar.

“What do you do?” she asked.

“I’m a broker,” he answered, and asked the next question before she could ask the dreaded,
‘What kind of broker are you?’
“What about you? Are you from around here? What do you do?”

She tapped her fingers on the table, waiting as the waitress placed coffee before them. “I’m an art student. I graduate next month. Hmm, let’s see. No, I’m not from this area, but I have lived here for the past four years while I attended college.”

He took a drink and her eyes widened.

“Isn’t yours hot?” she asked, steam drifting from her mug.

Not as hot as hell.

“Mine must not be as hot as yours.” He peered over his cup with a slight lilt to his lips. “What is your medium of preference?”

“You know how to use the word ‘medium’. I’m impressed.” She thought for a moment. “Photography first, then I guess it would be painting and sculpture.”

“That’s a large area, and all so different.”

Her fingers tapped rhythmically in time to her lyrical laugh. “Yeah, I guess it is.” Mackenzie glanced at her watch.

“Do you have some place you need to be?” Drew asked.

“No, and that was rude, I’m sorry. It’s just that I haven’t spent this much time with another man since my boyfriend and I broke up a year ago.” She grasped the mug between her fingers and rubbed them up and down the cup, before taking a sip. “I’m sorry, bad form to talk about ex’s. I don’t get out much,” she laughed.

“It’s fine. Neither do I.”

“It was really nice talking to you, Drew-“

Drew interrupted her. “This is where you insert the ‘but’.”

“No, I was going to say we should do it again soon. But I wasn’t sure how long you’d be in town.”

“That’s a good question. Hopefully a few days. I’d like to spend some more time with you.”
Where the hell did that come from?
He wanted it to be a lie, but no matter how much he wanted to deny it, he
wanted
to spend more time with her.

Mackenzie pulled a piece of paper and pen from her purse. She wrote down her number and gave it to him.

“Give me a call and we’ll do this again.”

She stood, grabbing her jacket and s
carf. He helped her put it on. His fingertips brushed against her hand. The electricity was back, only stronger this time. He had never felt this kind of connection. Not even with the woman for whom he sold his soul for. He wished he could ask someone, but the only one who might know wasn’t going to tell him. He could hear the conversation now.
‘Olesha, I found someone who sends sparks through me, making me feel more alive than I have in centuries. Do you know anything about this?’
Yeah, that conversation definitely wasn’t going to happen.

“I’m glad I met you.” Drew tucked his hand in his pocket. He wanted to do or say something, but all he could do was stare into those beautiful eyes.

“Me too.”

She gave him a final glance, before making her way over to the door. She yanked it open, letting in the cold wind from outside, then she was gone. Drew grabbed his cell and dialed her number, unable to wait. The realization shocked him more than the electricity that hummed through his body.

“Hello,” Mackenzie said.

“Would you like to have dinner tonight?” Drew asked.

She giggled. “Drew? Um, yeah, sure.”

“Would you like me to pick you up?” he watched her through the glass.

“How about if you come over to my place?” She peered at him through the glass, and pointed to the next block. “Do you see the second building?”

Drew nodded.

“It’s apartment 6B. Push the buzzer and I’ll let you in. Will six be okay?”

He nodded again.

Mackenzie waved, “I’ll see you then.”

The phone call ended and she walked away from the window.

His happiness was quickly replaced by the agony the collar caused him. He slid his fingers underneath to give his skin a moment of respite.
If she could see me collared like a dog, she would run away screaming. Maybe she should.
Drew stepped outside into the cool air.
You may own me, Olesha, but you will never control me.

Mackenzie placed the ivory linen over the table. She set two plates with silverware and wine glasses across from each other, then placed a white tapered candle sitting in a crystal dish in the center. She rushed into the kitchen and pulled the Chinese food from the cartons, dumping them into glass dishes.

She tapped her finger on her cheek.
I wonder if he’ll know it’s take out?
She grabbed the cardboard containers, threw them in the trash, tied the bag and stuffed it in the closet.
He won’t know.

The buzzer rang, and she went to the door and pressed the button. “Hello?”

“Mackenzie, it’s me, Drew.”

“Come on up.”

Mackenzie walked over to the mirror and gasped. Rollers covered her hair. “Shit!” She ran into the bathroom, and started plucking them out. Drew knocked on the door. “Hang on, I’ll be right there!” she yelled.

With all the rollers removed, she ran her fingers through her hair. She glanced at the mirror. “Guess this is as good as it’s gonna get.”

Mackenzie adjusted her camisole, ran her fingers through her hair one more time, and applied some last-minute lip gloss. She glanced down at her hands, trembling with anticipation.

She opened the door, catching her breath before it escaped. Drew wore light blue jeans, an open button-down flannel with a white t-shirt underneath, and a pair of black work boots. He smiled as he held a bottle of wine and waited while Mackenzie stared.

Drew cleared his throat. “May I come in?”

“Sorry, yes, please come in.” Mackenzie stepped to the side, closed the door, and followed Drew into the living room.

He handed her the bottle. “I wasn’t sure if you liked red or white wine. So I went with red.”

“Red is perfect, thank you.” She picked the wine glasses up from the table. Mackenzie went into the kitchen, opened the bottle, poured the wine and brought the full glasses back out. She handed one to Drew.

He took the glass with a smile. “Thank you.” He raised it and eyed her over the rim as he took a sip.

That look filled her insides with butterflies. As he held her gaze she almost sighed out loud, but the long gulp of wine silenced it.

“Let me give you the grand tour. This is the living room and dining area. The best part of this room is the view.” They walked over to the sliding glass doors and stepped onto the balcony overlooking the park.

“This is very nice.” Drew said, as he moved a little closer to her.

Mackenzie’s heart raced, she needed some fresh air. She was standing outside. She had all the air a girl could ever need. Her clothes felt tighter. She needed something, but it definitely wasn’t more air.

They stepped back through the door. Mackenzie pointed to the archway. “The kitchen’s through there.” Then pointed to the hallway. “Bathroom is first door on the left.”

Drew took a sip of his wine. “You sleep on the couch?”

Mackenzie’s pulse quickened at the question.

“No, my bedroom and the guest room are down the hall.” Mackenzie felt her cheeks warm. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes, I am.” Drew approached Mackenzie and guided her to the table. He took her glass, and set it on the table as he pulled out a chair.

“Thanks, but I need to get the food. Besides, you’re my guest. Please sit down and I’ll bring dinner out.”

Mackenzie watched Drew clean his plate, while she took a bite here and there in between talking. When her hand grazed his, she felt electricity course through her. Drew
didn’t seem to notice.
Maybe it’s the wine? Or maybe it’s the fact it’s been a year since I’ve made love to anyone.
Her thoughts drifted back to her ex briefly, before she cut them off.
I will not let that asshole ruin this evening.