A Deal With The Devil

I cooked while they talked. Through their light laughter (most of which on my account) I drew inspiration to finish the dinner as quickly as possible before the pair had the time to finish a bottle of wine. And though they weren't fully drunk when the food was ready to be served, I was too late.

While I suffered quietly throughout my meal, the mirthy table babbled on. Not that they would leave me alone though: a new remark was directed at me by the minute, to either compliment the food or remember some awkward story from my childhood. When we were done, Sycamore let out a great yawn and glanced at the clock on the wall just as it struck nine. I stiffened in my seat, looking forward to his departure:

"So late!" he gasped.

"Yeah, isn't it?!" – I hinted.

Sycamore promptly ignored my comment with a short smile that said he knew what I was doing.

"How far is you journey back?" Mom asked dismally, like children when you tell them the time to play is over.

"Very far, madam!" he delicately wiped his lips with a napkin "And I should take leave right now if I wish to be there before dawn!"

"Very well!" I commented, this time being sensible enough to at least try to contain a relieved smile – the day was reaching its end already and nothing too dreadful had happened!

I couldn't help but almost unconsciously try to rush the departure though: in the form of rising from my seat, picking up the empty plates on the table and rushing them to the sink before anyone could think of going for seconds. Sycamore's eyes followed me, weighing a ton while measuring each movement I made. I sensed he was eager for me to look into his eyes, probably so he could transmit some sort of rebuke on my clear behavior of kicking him out. I purposely avoided them! I could almost feel his annoyance fill the air...

"Before dawn?! It's that far?!" Mom protested.

"Yes, it is quite far..." he assured her, and then sighed tragically "It will be strange going back alone, after promising the other children I would get your daughter to return to them. The youth value team work much more than adults do, wouldn't you agree? It is also so essential for their development..." And, again, he sighed heavily.

There it was, I could anticipate it like the roar after a thunder: Mom's eyes ready to scorch me because I was being mean to goody professor. I rolled my eyes.

"Maybe it would be best to travel in the morning?" She bargained. I laughed at my mother's desperate and silly attempt to keep Sycamore in our house. "Maybe even safer? And you certainly look tired..."

"I am quite tired, I must admit..."

"Then wouldn't you be sorry to go?!" mom held his arm on the table with both her hand's anxious fingers. He laid eyes on the gesture with what seemed like contained alarm, then smiled politely at her.

In my own right I held in a laugh: it was refreshing to see the professor being bothered by unwanted proximities for once.

"Definitely!" he smiled further, closing his eyes and taking another sip of the wine.

My mother apparently detected some hint of discomfort, for she quickly added to her plea something to make it sound less like desperate selfish passion:

"...I mean, you did come here to take Anne back, and you haven't managed to convince her yet, have you? Wait for the morning, that's when her mind is the clearest...

"Mom!!!" I yelled, discouraging her from going on...

...But Sycamore's snake eyes had already traced their way back to me, and now they shone savagely again with his lips curling up in a meaner, much smarter smile.

"To think that I would have your help, madam!" he lightened up again, making her feel esteemed after the short cold treatment his impatience unconsciously directed her "You see, some mothers hate the fact that I'm... snatching their children away.... that's how they put it!"

"Anne is old enough!" she laughed a little embarrassed.

"Ah yes... But I couldn't possibly be a burden on you, after such a spectacular dinner! Having the audacity to abuse your hospitality..."

"But it's no audacity at all!!" She insisted with renewed hopes.

I ignored them - mother was too desperate, Sycamore was audibly running out of patience with her – if he was a smart man, he would leave before losing his ability to play the charming one; and he was a very smart man.... It seemed nothing bad would come out of that absurd conversation, and her eagerness to keep him made it unnecessary for me to try harder to see him out.

Except it didn't

"Well, if you insist, then..." He raised his glass back to his lips facing the liquid and sighing, as if fighting a battle "This wine has put me rather drowsy..."

"What?!! No!!"

He interrupted his sip to look at me, faking a surprised and offended expression.

"Oh?! I am so sorry, I didn't realize it would be such an inconvenience..."

"Anne!!" Mom yelled at me.

"No! I mean... I'm sure Sycamore has a lot to do in the lab! He is a busy researcher mother, and you're forcing him to stay..."

She looked at him with pleading puppy eyes.

"Well... today is my day off... And since I'm already here, it wouldn't hurt to..."

"Yes, yes it would!!" I protested more emphatically "I know you have better things to do than to stay here, professor..."

"Perhaps I do!!" He smiled despondently, making me the more annoyed "Ah, if only I could get this one off my shoulders by taking you with me, dear!"

"I'm not going back!" I replied angrily.

"Yes you are, Anne – you are hereby kicked out of the house!" My mother intervened.

"Mooooooom!!"

"That is just... fantastic! Thank you!" Sycamore laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"But Anne still has to pack all her things again, and I don't want my daughter walking around in the middle of the night, so you two will have to leave in the morning!"

"That's a very sensible reasoning, madam!" he looked at me and raised an eyebrow "who knows what many dangers can lurk out there waiting for a little girl..."

"Exactly! Not that I don't trust you to take good care of her...!"

"Oh, not at all!!"