Next Lifetime

Chapter 3, Part 1

Draped in a loose fitting oversized threadbare sweater with some barely visible shorts underneath and roughed up motorcycle boots with a burlap backpack hanging off her left shoulder, Abhimani leaned against the technicolor glass bar peering at the sights around her.
Another time. Another life. Another chance to get out of this hellhole of a curse her Goddess had bestowed upon her.
It's not that she wasn't thankful for Bast's favor or even that she thought she was better than the Goddess herself. Mani simply didn't believe she had to continue to do what her own Mistress does not if she is supposed to be a holy extension. What was the point of this punishment? What lesson was she supposed to learn from failing to find this man over and over?
As the deep skinned beauty's eyes scanned the room, she watched the mentally enslaved people play in their virtual reality, hands waving around. They were really into this Big Brother shit huh? Two figures emerge right in her line of sight and though she moves to a more secluded area, she can still hear their voices approaching.
"Don't worry I'll talk to her this time," the slightly shorter of the the two men blurts out his eyes focused ahead but not close enough for her to see what he looks like.
"Keep your dick in your pants and stand guard," Captain Beatty says in the usual gruff tone he thinks is intimidating or seductive. She wasn't sure but it sounded like his throat needed some moisture.
He always seemed to bring the second man with him. Presumably for back up since he always skulked in the distance and was never in her eyes' reach. He stood off behind a pillar while Beatty walked up to her a little too much in her personal space as per usual with these meetings.
"Well, well, well Mani. You better not be wasting my time tonight. Your last tip led me to boy scouts with pornos." Rolling her eyes, Mani replies.
"Reactivate my fingers like you said you would."
"Feed me scraps and I'll delete your travel permit."
Oh you caucus dick munch. I swear if I wasn't on a totally different mission...
"That's bullshit. You need me."
Grabbing ahold of the hand that was clutching the thin leather strap of her bag, Beatty seemed to caress the slightly weathered skin in his fingers, holding it preciously in his palm.
Here he go again touching shit he don't need to be. Somebody get this dude some proper sexual harassment parameters.
"How many years did we restrict you? 6?"
"With all the tips I gave you, I should be free."
"A beautiful free rat."
I know he did not just... Ok Bastet, you really trying me now.
Jerking her hand away, Mani switches her position from against the wall Beatty had her up against and grabs a small folded piece of parchment from her pocket holding it up for him to see.
"Take a year off my sentence and I'll give you something you like."
The increasingly annoying white beady eyed white man grabs hold of her hand yet again, snatching away the piece of paper.
Abhimani lets out a heavy sigh before adjusting the strap on her shoulder and turning to the left to see the bodyguard spying from a distance.
What is this dude's deal always staring? Hopefully I can get past him without trying some silly shit.
She proceeds to make her way to leave the moody lit place but was stopped by a pair of glowing brown eyes and a slightly hukling body in her way.
"I didn't hear the captain say you could leave."
And once again the might roar of her Goddess rang in her head and judging by the perplexed look that flashed on his face, he heard it too.
FUCK YES FINALLY!
"Oh? Then why does he always make you wait outside like a little dog, huh?"
However fine this "soulmate" was, she had things to do, places to go and she knew that now that they had officially seen each other, they would keep crossing paths. If only she'd known this was him the whole time the damn lesson would have been learned a while ago.
As she continues her exit, the man with the pretty eyes and beautifully plump lips grips her arm, but it didn't send the same shiver through her body like when Beatty touched her.
This was actually the first time her mate had touched her in all of the lifetimes they shared. It was.... Nice.
Of course she couldn't let him know he affected her so. She's met him now she can make him want her so she pretends to be almost disgusted by his forward advance.
"You're just like Beatty," Abhimani says with a condescending smile on her face.
That seemed to do the trick because he gently let go of her and his chest deflated a fraction.
"I'm not like Beatty."
"Everyone has a master."
"Not me."
Oh we got an independent over here.
"You spy on me but you never do anything. You stand close enough to hear but far enough that I didn't even know what you looked like till now. Can't say I'm disappointed."
Another gleam flashed in his eyes at her slight admission.
And not one word of it was a lie. He was absolutely gorgeous. She didn't ever get to look at her man the way she was now cause he was either too attached to someone else or shot to death for her to focus but my oh my.
Oh thank you my Lady for this wonderous blessing.
"You're welcome, my child."
"Why? Do I make you nervous?"
He looked down as he replied, "You don't."
"When I see you burning up eels' lives you don't look nervous."
"That's because I'm very good at my job."
He was so close she could feel the heat from his body, the slight smell of kerosene and his cologne creating a dangerous aphrodisiac.
I got a couple jobs you would be good at with your fine ass.
"Mmm. You ever stop to think for one second why you do what you do?"
His brow furrowed.
"You should try reading before burning. See you around Montag."
Flashing him a seductive smile, Mani turns her back and saunters out of the bar with a flip of her perfectly mussed curls leaving Guy all kinds of in his feelings and a hint of confusion as to where that roar came from. Unbeknownst to him, Beatty ,who had been watching the tail end of their interaction, comes up behind him and clasps a hand on his leather jacket clad shoulder.
"Hey. Off limits. Let's go she recommended a spot."
With that, the two firemen left and proceeded to do their jobs off the clock.