18 Chapter 18 - Wherever and However

It was the day of the concert, and I was telling Mephisto about how me, Nica and Angela were going together.

"So you, the fat-ass and the overly-optimistic girl are going on a group date?" When he put it that way, it sounded weird.

"We're attending as a group. It won't be just us you know." I was annoyed at him for being such a prick.

"Well, good luck with that. You ready for the meet and greet? Got any plan as to how to woe your sweet Caroline?" He asked.

I told him about the letter I wrote and the book I had planned on giving her.

"A book and a loveletter? What, you want her to read your loveletter first and then some weird-ass book that she probably won't even be able to comprehend? If all else fails, at least you'll succeed in giving her a headache". He commented while unwrapping a chocolate bar. "Anyhow, what book do you plan on giving her anyways?"

"This book." I waved the copy of Inferno that Lucifer gave me. "I stashed the letter inside the book."

"You think Luci placed some lovespell on it that'll aid you?" He asked in between bites.

"I don't think so. But just to make sure I think I'll ask him."

I bade him goodbye and went to the library where I found Lucifer sitting on the same chair only this time instead of a formal suit, he was wearing casual clothes. A black shirt with a strange sigil on it , a pair of jeans and slippers.

*He could model clothes if he wasn't busy ruling hell.*

"Came for another talk?" Lucifer looked up, his blue eyes seemed unreal in the light.

* I don't think I'll ever get used to those eyes.*

"Well, I'd just like to ask you something." I told him about my plan for the fanmeet.

"You plan to give her the copy of Dante's Inferno that I gave you and to make it interesting and less boring, you'll also insert a letter in it proclaiming your love for her." He looked amused.

I didn't know what it was with him, I just felt comfortable when I was with him or perhaps I've gotten used to him and Mephisto. "Sounds lame, I know, but it's the only thing I could think of."

"What do you know about her?" He asked me.

"I know that she's a celebrity, that she's talented, that she has thousands of followers, and that she likes stories." I answered.

"Tell me, what is it really that's bothering you?" He seemed searching for something with his eyes.

"It's just that I've talked to her and she seemed to be a humble artist and I think she really loves her fans, she's you know, a good person." Once I started, the words came easy. "Mephisto told me that my task is to make her fall in love with me. What if it's the other way around?"

"Then you'll have to face the consequences of your actions. If she comes to love you and you fall for her, you know that it'll make for a very complicated situation, but I can't very well tell you not to love her. Nothing can stop love, not even angles and demons." He grabbed a cup of coffee on the table beside him and offered a cup to me which I gladly took.

"I just hope that what I'm feeling for her is nothing more than infatuation." I told him. "Anyway, I don't wanna dwell on it right now when we aren't even friends yet. So you think my book and letter combination won't endear her to me?"

"Certainly your gift would stand out." He drank and brush his auburn hair which kept creeping on his eyes, it was distracting me. "Though it'll help if you pair it with other things, like adding a bouquet of flowers and chocolates so you won't look like a total weirdo."

"Umm, about the book, is it really okay if I give it to her?"

"It's up to you though I'm pretty sure you could give her a better book than Dante's Inferno." He replied.

Now that I think of it, it'd really look weird if I handed Caroline a book about a poet's journey through hell. "Why can't Mephisto be helpful?"

He laughed at that, his voice resounded in musical amusement. "We may be demons but we are still individuals with varying personality. I guess you could say that my age has something to do with it."

I thought about Lucifer's age and I couldn't wrap my mind around it. Centuries? Eternities? I was getting mindfucked.

"So I'll disguise the real gift with flowers and chocolates so it won't look creepy and I'll have to look for another book to give."

"It's really up to you. But as for books, you can take one from the shelves here." He gestured at the bookshelves.

"Are you sure? I could go to a bookstore, it's still pretty early you know."

He merely shook his head. "Except for you and a few people, no one bothers to come here anymore so no one will notice." I could hear a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Okay, any suggestions?" I asked, wanting to distract him from whatever it is that's making him sad.

He lightened up at the question, it seemed as if he was happy to be asked. "There are plenty of books that come to mind. I'd tell you to give her a copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales but we won't know how she'll react since the brothers wrote rather dark stories." He looked serious. "How about the book you were reading when you first came here?"

"Dickens?" It was actually a good choice, however I was worried about the language.

"A Tale Of Two Cities would certainly make for a good read even for someone such as her. And if she really likes stories, she'll get over the language for a true reader reads for the story, not for the language." He got up, went to the bookshelf and took a copy of the book and handed it to me. "This may sound contradicting but I wish you luck Dante."

When I left the library, I had enough caffeine in my system, I felt like running. I took Lucifer's advice and went to the nearest flower shop and ordered a bouquet for Caroline. The fan meet wasn't happening until tomorrow so I placed a reservation to pick it up tomorrow. Then I bought a box of chocolates from the sweet shop nearby. They offered a special heart-shaped container which I declined, I didn't want to look like a lovesick puppy in front of Caroline.

When I came back home, Mephisto was cooking chicken broth. When he saw the box of chocolates which I was about to put in the fridge, he asked me. "Hey, are those for me? You didn't have to."

"They're for Caroline, keep your hands off them and besides you have plenty of stock left." I opened the fridge wider and pointed at the stack of chocolate bars that was taking up almost half of the space.

"You could've at least bought a box for me." Now he was sulking.

"Fine, I'll buy you one next time."

"Really? You mean it? You better keep that promise or there'll be hell to pay." He laughed at his own joke and so did I. He sounded like a child, a devil child to be precise.

**

The bouquet arrived five minutes past four. When Mephisto saw me with it, he burst out laughing. "You look like you're going to a funeral."

"I've never given flowers to a girl before." I told him.

"There's always a first time for everything."

"It would've been easy if it was just someone that's a part of the local populace. Why'd it have to be her?" I asked him.

"You know the reason why. Now go on before you're late for your date." He indicated at the clock.

**

Angela texted me around 4:30pm that they were all going to meet up at the fan cafe. 'Me and Nica will be meeting a few other members who'll be joining us. Meet us here before five. We'll be inside the shop and don't worry about the 'CLOSE' sign, just knock on the door.'

The fan cafe was indeed closed when I arrived but when the door opened I could see that a lot of people were coming with us.

"And here's our lucky member." Angela announced to everyone when she saw me.

Nica came over and shook my hands. "Congratulations Dante, it seems that Lady Luck is smiling down on you."

"I guess, anyway what are you guys up to?" I asked. Everyone seemed to be busy working.

"Oh, we're building signs for Caroline and well, others are practicing their fanchants." I couldn't understand the last bit but I just nodded. "Anyway, why don't you sit down, grab a piece of Danish over there. We'll be done in a couple of minutes or so."

I sat down at the nearest table and helped myself to the Danish pastry and sipped coffee from a fresh pot. *I think if my luck holds out, I'll make it back home before I die of caffeine poisoning.*

By the time, the signs and the fanchants were done, I've went through 4 Danish bread and two cups of coffee which made me feel like I was floating up on cloud nine.

I was inside a bus they rented for the occasion, seated beside a guy named Jerry. I tried grabbing some shut-eye to no avail. Everyone seemed so excited, like they haven't done this a hundred times already.

Jerry told me that he had to beg his boss for a leave. "I swear, I've never haggled like that but it's very much worth it, you know?"

I didn't have a job anymore, no sense of responsibility so I just nodded.

"When I listen to her sing and watch her movies, all my problems go away. Some people might say that it's just temporary, but you know what, after you've watched Caroline perform a hundred times, you'll realize that each time is a new experience. I kinda think that I've grown and matured because of her music, as silly as that may sound." He sounded pitiful but the honesty and the way he adored Caroline showed me that there's really something about her. And I can finally see why Mephisto would be interested in her.