A cool spring night should be soothing, a perfect slight breeze, soft rustling of trees and the air full of the scent of earth, pollen, and fresh life. Stuttgart was quiet and lovely and full of pleasing vistas. But strolling through the bright streets wasn't calming Glen's heart one bit. He was supposed to be enjoying his honeymoon with his wife, and yet here he had to leave her alone almost every night to keep his panic attacks under control.
He was panicking over the tiniest thoughts since the day after the wedding. His job was hanging by a thread and he was fairly sure he hadn't been laid off yet because of his marriage coming up (and he'd invited several of his supervisors). When he was laid off, what the hell were he and Hannah going to do? They wouldn't be able to afford the new house; even this honeymoon was more than they should have done. He wasn't even sure they'd be able to keep the car going. Glen really wished he'd pushed a little harder on postponing the wedding.
As he walked he quickened his pace and sunk into a haze, unaware of everything around him till he nearly barreled into another man. It scared the crap out of Glen and he did a little fluster dance before getting enough of a hold to stammer an apology.
"Careful there, nearly knocked us both over." The other man said before he could get a word out.
"I'm sorry sir, wasn't paying attention."
"I could tell, I saw you coming but I thought for sure you'd see me." Glen instinctively recoiled a bit from that overly smooth accent. The man sounded like a salesman, and now that he wasn't staring at the ground, he could see he kind of looked like one too.
This man's hair was slicked back, he was dressed in a very expensive looking black camel coat and foppish green and gold scarf, and he smiled like a crossroads demon.
"I'm sorry again, have a good night, please excuse me." Glen pushed past him but barely got two steps before he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Wait now, what's got you so tense? A tourist should be having a good time."
"I..how…" for moment he wondered how the guy knew that but then stopped to think, American in Stuttgart, duh.
"I…don't feel quite comfortable talking about it with a stranger, so just leave me be, alright?"
"What, and let you wallow in worry? How will you ever enjoy your sojourn then?"
Glen raised an eyebrow. Sojourn? Fucking brits.
"Well since you seem so good at guessing, what do you think is bothering me?" This guy was getting under Glen's skin fast, helped a great deal by his already agitated emotions. The guy stared at him with a grin on his lips, tapping a gold… a gold cane? He noticed not only was it gold, it had some kind of blue LED light in the handle. Who the hell did this guy think he was?
"Your new wife must be worried." He finally said.
Now Glen was starting to get scared.
"How the hell…did you figure that out?"
"The green on your skin, around your wedding band is quite tell-tale."
Glen growled and looked at his hand. The band was slipping up and down his finger and leaving a good mark on it, again. He muttered and rubbed his finger.
"I'm sorry?" the salesman leaned forward, staring at him in a way that made him squirm inside.
"I was saying, I didn't skimp on her ring, why'd I do it on mine?"
"Never hurts to save money."
Now he said something Glen could agree with.
"No, but embarrassment is not really worth what I saved."
"Having trouble with money?" the guy started taking leisurely steps around him.
"Who isn't these days?"
The man chuckled.
"Quite true. I've noticed that the real secret is security. If you can find security, stability and wealth will follow."
"And how does one find that?"
"Well for everyone its different, but I know just how you're going to get security."
"Oh?"
The man stopped in front of him and dropped his smile. Glen suddenly felt very exposed, the wind had died, there was no sound from any living thing except his and the man's breathing. This salesman stared him down with hungry, deadly serious eyes.
"You make a deal with me."
Glen cleared his throat, trying to force down the warble in his voice.
"What kind of deal?"
"I can guarantee you absolute stability. You will have security in whatever job you wish, money will never be wanting. Your table will always be full, for your entire life. You won't lose out on any benefit or opportunity. All in return for just one thing."
Glen smirked.
"My soul?"
The man burst out laughing, and actually doubled over for a moment.
"No, but I like that."
He quickly regained himself and stepped closer to Glen.
"No, all I want is a favor, nothing more."
Glen's eyebrow went up again, interest grew.
"That's all?"
