They arrived at the bookstore uneventfully. With him at her side, she even consented to riding the subway again. Ever since they had met, she had been avoiding the subway with a passion. If conjured up horrific images that she found easier to repress and ignore. This ride proved very mundane, thankfully, and they arrived at the store right on time.

Conrad, the manager, introduced himself while Gloria hurried into the back to put her sandwich into the small fridge where it wouldn't spoil. The Devil and the manager had apparently become fast friends in the time she was gone, because when she returned, the manager was enthusiastically entertaining him with stories of his two children. He simply smiled and nodded and clapped the manager on the back occasionally. She was not quite sure what to make of this development, but decided it was all for the best, since now she wouldn't have to listen to all of the manager's stories by herself.

After a few minutes, the manager excused himself into the back to do paperwork and left her in charge of the register. She settled into the daily grind of the mercantile business while Lucifer procured a chair from the back room. He brought it over to the bookshelf across and after adjusting it a bit, settled into it with a copy of Paradise Lost. She was surprise to see him take out a small pair of gold wire framed glasses before he started reading.

"You need glasses?" she asked curiously.

He smiled as he looked up and answered, "They make me look more handsome. Don't you think so?" he asked winking at her.

She blushed and suddenly discovered that the desktop was incredibly interesting. She focused on it for several minutes, until she was sure that he was quite engrossed in the book, before daring to glance at him again.

He had positioned himself so that she couldn't help but look at him. He was sitting sideways in the manager's desk chair. She suddenly wondered what he was sitting in. As far as she knew, there was only one other chair in the back and it was an uncomfortable molded plastic one that was manufactured sometime in the seventies. In any case, it seemed that Lucifer had managed to get the comfortable chair and he had left her boss with only the terribly unpleasant one.

He shifted position slightly, and she realized that she had been openly staring at him for several minutes. Embarrassed, she tried her best to focus at something else, but no matter how much she tried, her eyes kept straying back to him. He showed no sign that he knew she was watching him, but she was sure that he had to know. She wished he would say something, but he remained silent, apparently engrossed in his book. She was beginning to feel very uncomfortable when a customer arrived and distracted her.

The lady that entered the shop was skinny and had sleek brown hair. She looked to be about thirty-five and was somewhat over weight. She was wearing a floral print skirt and a navy blue cardigan and was carrying a brown vinyl covered book in her left hand and a huge straw purse in the other. There was an unpleasant looking five-year-old girl attached to the corner of her large floral skirt, and a seven-year-old boy wearing a t-shirt that said "got jesus?" followed them at a somewhat more reserved pace.

The two children scattered to look at various chicken soup for the soul books, but the woman beelined straight for the counter and Gloria. Lucifer, who seemed somewhat amused by the entire spectacle, put down his book and approached the counter as well. The woman arrived first and launched into the same conversation she had with Gloria every time she visited.

"How are you today, Dear?" she asked, placing the brown book and the straw purse on the counter.

Gloria answered, the same as she always did, "I'm fine Ms. Pierce."

"That's good to hear. Listen, I just came in today to remind you that the church youth group has a meeting this evening. I know you're a little old, but there are some kids in it that aren't much younger than you are. It'll be lots of fun tonight, because it's video night. We're watching a documentary on the apocalypse called "Rider on a Black Horse." Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Gloria forced a smile, because she had no great desire to attend such a meeting, and had told the church lady this on several occasions. She was sure that the church lady could sense that she felt embarrassed and uncomfortable turning the offer down and hoped that one day she would just forgo the embarrassment, cave in, and go to the youth meeting and the church service afterward.

Fortunately, Lucifer arrived at the counter just as she was trying to figure out a way to gracefully decline such an invitation. Glad to have anything that would distract the church lady from her question, Gloria plunged into introductions without thinking.

"Oh, Ms. Pierce, I'd like you to meet my new friend. Ms. Pierce, this is . . . " she suddenly froze, unsure of what to say.

He smiled at her quite amused, then extended his hand to the woman, "Lucifer the Morning Star, at your service."

Gloria's laughed nervously and wished she was close enough to poke him into changing his answer.  She tried to do so with a significant look, but he just smiled at her and continued to look amused.  The church lady's eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her hips.

"Is that so?" she scowled at him.

He nodded and leaned against the counter to cover Gloria's hand with his own, "I'm afraid it is."

Gloria looked around frantically in an attempt to discover any solution that might avert the disaster that she was sure was brewing.  He noticed her distressed search and squeezed her hand playfully.

The church lady shot another venomous glance at him then she turned her attention to Gloria.

"Dear, whatever he's promised you, you can't do what he says.  That'd be a great sin and you salvation would be in danger."

Gloria blinked.

"I know that a lot of young lower class girls fall into this trap, but you have to be an honorable woman.  I'm sure your job pays enough so that you don't have to resort to this," she cast another disgusted look at the Devil, "This guy is the worse scum of the earth.  He may promise to marry you, but he doesn't mean it.  He probably already has a pretty socialite wife and children.  Do you even know his name?  Trsut me dear, there's a reason he's using a false name.  I know the type.  He'll use you until he gets bored with you.  There was a special on Oprah just last week about this very scenario.  Whatever happens, you can't believe what he says."

Gloria blinked again.

"And remember whatever happens, you always have the church.  You can always repent your sinful ways."

Gloria was terribly embarrassed by what she was implying, and she turned beet red.  Lucifer seemed to think it was terribly funny, and he patter her hand.

"I don't believe that will be necessary.  We're perfectly happy the way we are now, aren't we, darling?" he beamed at her and continued to pet her hand.

Gloria opened her mouth and tried to think of some response to stammer.  She was so confused that she could think of none, and so just squeezed her eyes shut.

He turned his attention back to the church lady and smiled, "See?  Now, if you have no further business, I believe the shop is closing for the day."

The church lady scowled so tightly it looked as if a vein would pop out of her forehead, but she instead stabbed an accusing finger at him, "I'll be back to talk to Gloria when she's not under your evil influence!"

She called her two children to her like obedient dogs and exited the bookstore in a huff.  As soon as she was out of sight, he let go of her hand and clasped his behind his back and looked quite proud of himself.  She slumped against the counter and kneaded her temples.

"What was that all about?" she asked in a distressed voice.

He smiled warmly, "I believe she's under the impression that you're my kept woman."

"And you're okay with this?" she asked, rubbing her forehead.

"I think it's delightfully amusing."

She sighed and laid her head down on the counter, "Now she's never going to leave me alone."

"It's all right," he soothed, petting the back of her neck, "I'll make sure she doesn't bother you."

Suddenly a rather mundane observation presented itself to her and she spoke haltingly, "Wait a minute, if she thinks I'm a kept woman, why does she think I'm still working here?"

He laughed, "Maybe she thinks I'm really cheap."

His laugh soothed her, as did his hand on the back of her neck.  After a moment, she propped herself up on her elbows and glanced over at the clock on the wall.

"Why did you tell her that the store was closing?  It's not even noon yet."

He drew his hand away from her face and then replied, "Because we're going out to lunch in the park now."

She blinked confusedly, "But I can't, I have to work until five."

He waved his hand dismissively, "Your manager has graciously given you the rest of the day off.  He's decided that he wants to go home early today to spend some more time with his kids."

She crossed her arms and looked at him suspiciously, "Did you do something to him?"

He looked very innocent and shook his head, "Of course not.  He's just a good family man.  I can't blame him for that.  His two kids are cute.  He showed me their picture three times when I was talking to him."

This digression sufficiently distracted her from pursuing the subject, but she refused to leave until she made sure that her manager was okay with giving her the rest of the day off.  When she discovered that this was the case and that Lucifer was indeed telling the truth, she consented to being led off to the park, but not before Lucifer made his purchase for the day, a nicely bound edition of the Inferno.