I decided as an after thought to tweak their memories so, while the guys would remember what happened, it wouldn't be directly attributed to me. I figured the less people who knew about what I could do the better. I had been a little too impulsive with telling them and now that I was having some trouble in the Devine department it was safer this way. And fewer things to worry about in the future as well.
From there I went and got my finances straightened out. I had a grand total of three accountants handling my funds (the real ones that had CPA attached to their names) and working in tandem with some investment bankers. I had a diversified portfolio, mutual funds, overseas investments, the works. If you had asked me I couldn't have told you what any of them meant or how they worked, I kept my hands off. I wasn't worried about any of it, that's what I paid them to do. I knew the money would keep coming in no matter what and my debit and credit cards would always work, so that's all I concerned myself with. They even paid the electric bill. I found it hilarious that I would shortly have more money then I could ever spend and I was still living in an apartment that cost a grand total of seven hundred a month, with a patio door that you had to fight to open.
It had also taken me few days to pull the strings I needed to get Katie's present. It was all still new back then and finding people with the right connections had taken a bit of time. I certainly didn't have to go through all the trouble I did, but flowers just seemed to ordinary. Besides, I felt bad. I wanted to get her something nice.
The door to Katie's house was locked, and there were no cars in the driveway but I knew she was home. I'd done a little scan of the place before heading over. It felt very Star Trek-y when I did stuff like that. I could almost hear Captain Picard (or Kirk if you're a classic ST fan) in my head ordering a sensor sweep.
"Mr. Data, send out a deep-space probe to sector alpha-gamma-Katie's house. Look for any signs of parental life. Make it so."
Yeah, so I'm a dork. Deal with it.
The door was locked, but if I can enslave minds, blow up pools and teleport around the world, I could handle a dead bolt. It slid back with a soft thunk and I was in.
I waited in the foyer for a few minutes, getting a feel for the place. Somewhere there was some cinnamon and clove potpourri sending off a very pleasing sent. Someone had eaten biscuits and gravy for breakfast and...they had dog. A little one by the smell of it. Big dogs have a heavier odor. I didn't sense the animal in the house so it was either outside or out with one of the parents. Katie was the only one I was concerned with, anyway. I could hear her upstairs in her room. She was lying on her bed studying, and I could hear her heartbeat thumping rhythmically in her chest, even over the Dave Mathews that was coming from her stereo. Her lavender presence ran all through the house and it was very arousing. I could also smell her mother, she liked Calvin Kline, and her dad apparently went with Polo. It was heavy and musky though. He smelled like a saddlebag.
I knew the layout of the house before I got there. The floor I was standing on, a smooth, lightly colored stone tile, extended out about fifteen feet until it met the back of the couch that was recessed in the floor in what was the formal living room. The stone made a graceful curve and at either end where three carpeted steps let you down in to that level. It faced a very nice entertainment center, all built in to the wall with shelves on either side filled with pictures, some plants and nick-knacks. The shelves ran up about fourteen feet to the bottom of some rectangular windows before you got to the vaulted ceiling. Large, exposed beams, about the size of railroad ties crossed the ceiling and disappeared into the wall over my head.
Just out of site of that and to my left was the kitchen. It was all open, with a large marble topped island in the center that had it's own sink and cooking range, it's larger twin occupying the counter top against the wall. It was very modern and elegant. Katie's father was a contractor, incase you were wondering. Apparently he was doing very well for himself. Which, considering that the housing market in the outlying areas was booming, was no big surprise.
If I stepped out of the foyer and went right I would have found myself walking down a small hallway that led to the master bedroom and an office. To my left, before the kitchen, was a stairway that went to the second floor where there were three bedrooms, the one at the very end and to the left was Katie's. My destination.
I walked quietly up the steps, the packet carrying my gift tucked under my arm, and thought about how I would approach her. I'd hurt her feelings and I resolved not to use any powers on her. If I couldn't win her back on my own then I didn't deserve her.
Which brings us back to the beginning. You're probably wondering why I would bother to try and suck-up. I've got the powers of a god and I'm groveling? I'll explain. We've all heard of the paradigm that absolute power corrupts absolutely. I'm sure it's crossed your mind, dear reader, more then once as you follow my tale. You're waiting for the other shoe to drop, as it were. Here's how I feel it relates to me: It would be so easy to give in and do whatever I wanted. Everyday is a constant struggle between my id, ego and superego. Every time I think about it though, every time I feel like going nuts and taking over the world (something a lot easier to do then you might think) I hear Amber's tortured screams in the back of my head, reminding me of the dangers of going down that road. So I do my best to keep myself acting decent. Well okay, maybe not decent by the traditional sense of the word, but...decent enough. Which is why I wouldn't just go in and take Katie anyway I wanted her. And it's also why I didn't just take Kristel when I had the opportunity.
I approached her door and heard the soft sound of Dave Mathews drifting out. I knocked lightly and waited.
"Yeah, come on in," she said from the other side. I pushed the latch down and the door opened slowly. I could see Katie, she was lying on her stomach in bed, facing the other way, going over her homework. Her ass was covered in some little red cotton shorts with the word 'Sexy' in big yellow letters across the back and she was wearing a plain white t-shirt with little sleeves. The shorts themselves were particularly distracting, stretched over her butt as they were. Sexy indeed. She didn't look up as I came in.
"Hey."
She turned her head quickly at hearing a somewhat unfamiliar voice in her room and it sent her beautiful red hair spinning about in a wide arc. I stayed in the open doorway, waiting to be invited in further. You may have noticed that about Kritsel's room as well. I've always felt that a person's bedroom, and especially their bed, are very private spaces. I never go in without getting permission first.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, annoyed, but underneath it, still glad to see me. She turned around and sat up and I heard her telling herself that she was very pissed at me.
"I come to beg forgiveness," I said. "If you'll have me after I behaved so badly. I know I screwed up and I'm sorry I didn't call you, but I had a bit of an emergency and I had to go out of town for awhile."
"What kind of emergency?" Her clover green eyes narrowed as she sat cross-legged and folded her arms over her ample chest, waiting for me to explain myself. I actually took that as a positive sign. She wasn't ordering me out.
"It's a long story and I can't really go in to it, but I promise there was no way to get in touch with you while I was gone. I don't really pick up women casually, and never had any intention of skipping out like that. I was kind of hoping you would give me a second chance? I got you a present." I told her, and gave the folder a little wiggle.
Katie bit her lip and thought it over. She wanted to make me sweat it out, but she was also very glad that I was here. Our night together had taken on a very magical quality to her. She'd been swept off her feet and then I just disappeared. It left her feeling very hurt and confused and embarrassed.
"I think," Katie said slowly, "That it depends on what my present is. It better be good, that's all I'm saying."
"Oh, I think you'll like it," I said, stretching my arm out and handing her the folder. She reached out and took it and gave me a dubious look.
"What's this?"
"Open it and see." I couldn't help but smile. "Just my humble attempts to show how sorry I am."
One thing I had picked up from Katie in our time together was her hope to study at Oxford after she graduated. It'd been her dream ever since she was twelve years old and saw an old Rob Lowe movie called Oxford Blues. I've seen the movie, and while it's okay, I don't know why it inspired her so much, but it did. And this was no idle schoolgirl fantasy. She worked her ass off. Despite her best efforts however, she just couldn't crack the top five percent of her class. Corona Del Sol was a large school and very competitive. Without any possibility of a scholarship she'd never be able to go. Her parents did well, but not that well. A good school in the States they could swing, but not tuition for Oxford. She understood this and it broke her heart, but it didn't stop her from trying. So, like I said, I pulled some strings.
She settled in and opened the folder, pulling out the acceptance letter that was on top. I saw her lips moving as she read it, and about ten seconds in, her hand began to shake. She looked up at me after finishing it and she was angry.
"This isn't funny, Stephen. In fact," she said, with tears beginning to drip from her eyes, "this is the meanest thing anyone has ever done to me. I don't know how you knew about Oxford but to make this up...To act like I got in-"
