Whispered Curses

Angie made a giggling snort noise. "Date? I thought people just hooked up these days."

I decided right then to never tell my sister how Eden and I met. "Honestly, sis, she's the one. I’d bet the company on it."

She froze and looked at me wide-eyed. We only ever used that expression when we were drop dead serious. "Shit. Okay." She stared into space for a moment. "You changed your name a little. Does that count?"

I shook my head. "Apparently not."

Angie uncrossed her legs and sat up straighter. It was her stance for thinking on the spot during meetings, and I appreciated that she was going into business mode for me.

"Do these prophecies wear off over time?" she asked. "If it was said over a year ago, does it still count?"

"Good thinking," I said, pulling out my phone and making a quick note.

"Is there a way to break the curse, or whatever?" she asked. "I don't know anything about those New Age rituals, but people wave burning sage around to get rid of bad vibes or something. Maybe you could wear a crystal, or dance naked under the full moon or whatever?"

I shook my head. "I don't think she's the New Age type. She seems quite logical. Sharp."

Angie nodded. "Okay. Logic."

She stared at a spot on the coffee table very intently. Then she inhaled sharply, snapping her fingers. "The words she used were, ‘don't get into bed with the devil’, right?"

"Yes."

Angie grinned. “So don't go to bed with her. Just date her until she falls completely in love with you. And you know," her eyes narrowed, "If you're going to get busy, do it in the back of a car, or on a couch or something. Not in a bed."

I nodded, laughing. "This is why I keep you around, sis." She had always been the best at finding loopholes in contracts, and missing clarification.

Angie shrugged. “This might sound completely strange, but there's another thing you could do."

"Anything."

"You could go ask the grandmother what the hell she was talking about. I mean, for all you know, she could have meant something completely different. She could have been specifically referencing men named Lucifer. Or people from hot places. Who knows? The key to a successful contract is excessive detail. Maybe the same works with a prophecy?"

“Well, damn. How could I not have thought of that?”

Angie grinned. “Men think of breaking down walls. Women think of building bridges to go over them.”

“Yeah, yeah. Creators and destroyers.” We’d had similar versions of this conversation over the years.

“Well, stop trying to break the curse. Find ways around it, through it. Work with her. If she’s so amazing, and you think she’s into you, be on her team.” Something in Angie’s usually controlled expression flickered. “Also, find out if she’s had her heart broken. That can change everything.”

“Shit. She did mention that.”

“Then be on her team, no matter what the outcome,” Angie said gently. “Even if you end up just a pleasant diversion to help her heal.”

I nodded. “Yeah. I want Eden to be happy, above all else.”

“Her name is Eden?”

“Yeah.”

Angie burst out laughing. “The devil in the garden. Damn, that’s hilarious.”

I didn’t find it as funny as she did, but it was pretty bizarre.

~ Chapter 11 ~ Eden ~

* Business Meeting *