Chapter 5 Complete Stranger

"The CEO," Chester Throndsen hailed.

"My man," I shook hands. "What's up?"

We had met at a Café, where I had gone to think and hook up on a new girl. And as it seemed, I hadn't been alone, except for maybe the girl's part. Chester was not as spoilt.

"Nothing much, chief. Just here, really. Living my best bachelor life and watching my friend enjoy his married one."

I laughed. "C'mon man. You know how it is. You know how real it is."

"That I know," he grinned. "But you started enjoying what the real one's enjoy already, haven't you? With your libido and all that."

"You are crazy, my man. But uh, yeah. I mean, who wouldn't? She has great body and is beautiful. A bit stubborn."

"So how's it going with you and Alba. She still comes around?" His voice had gone down several notches. He did his best to hide his crush on Alba well, but he sucked at pretending. And really, I felt bad for him. He was a great guy. handsome, rich, a lot better in the head than me, but Alba never noticed. She had this thing where she found one guy and stuck to him like parasite, never letting go. Never seeing others. She still came around a lot, begging, trying to seduce me, but I would not just tell him that. It would break him.

"Nah. It's been a while. Think she's moved on."

"Oh," he said. There was an awkward silence. I pretended I had found something interesting on my phone, and tapped away aimlessly.

"So, uhm," he started. "How's it going with your dad? Has he shown any signs of a favorite then?"

I had been eager to change the topic, but this was a subject I did not enjoy discussing. It made my stress levels skyrocket.

"No," I said simply.

He got the hint and was quiet. A redhead in miniskirt walked past. I watched her. She went down two tables and sat, facing me. Damn, she was huge. Her cleavage had juggled as she sat. She caught me staring and winked. I looked away. She was a hooker. I did not do hookers. That was my brother, Travis's thing.

Soon, after Chester left, she came over. She drew up Chester's now occupied seat and sat. I did not say a thing. Rather, I got my phone out and texted Travis the address, telling him I had something for him. I wanted to have a bit of a laugh.

"You are not as thought you would be, mister Torsney," she said. She was a set up as I had suspected. I smirked. Clearly Alba's handiwork. Now she couldn't have me clean, she wanted to try for blackmailing. The little fool.

"How did you think I would be, uhm..."

"Paula," she offered.

"... Paula. How did you think I would be?"

"Well, more expressive. Bold, somewhat."

"Oh."

She waited for me to say more, but when I did not, she began to get uncomfortable. A waiter flirted by, and as she ordered some beverage I had never heard of before, I checked my text.

Travis had texted back, saying he was close. He wanted to know what it was.

I texted red head alert!

He breezed in just that moment, eyes flashing. He came over grinning. I knew about his fetish with redheads. He drew a chair from one of the other table's as he came. I watched the hooker girl intently. When she saw him, her brow creased in confusion. Clearly, she had not been told her guy would have another identical self. I chuckled inwardly. I wondered what she would do next.

"Hey Torsney, this one wanted to see you? You know her?" I said to Travis. We were both used to that kind of thing, switching our personalities or names and so, he did not break stride.

"Not yet, I don't."

Paula looked from Travis to me and back to Travis again.

"Howdy, love." Travis sat, grinning like crazy. "Got something for me? Wanna share it here or somewhere private? I can take us somewhere private. I could show you things too."

She pointed to Travis. "So, you are not Torsney?"

"Yep. And this is Travis, my twin," Travis gestured at me. "He's the baby. Too shy. Too slow."

I did my best mock exasperated expression. Travis laughed, enjoying himself. He sat close and now had an arm around her. It was as clear as rain that he would be having the redhead in his bed tonight. Now, he owed me one. I stood.

"Now, if you'll both excuse me, I have some shying away to do."

I went out the Café. Outside, I got in my car and thought of what to do with with Alba. She had begun a dangerous game. Blackmail was always a dangerous game. What would she do next? I composed a text to send to her, but on a second thought, cleared all of it. I would watch, then I would know what to do with her.

She was selfish, cruel, unhinged and would go any length to get what she wanted. She was beautiful, really and a goddess unclad, but that was all. If I had gone any further with her and we eventually had married, she would have made more than a dent in my net's worth.

I turned the key in the ignition, eased the car slowly out into the traffic. It was a good thirty minutes drive before I got to the part of town I had gotten Darcy a house. A man in his middle fifties patrolled the premises, and I pulled the car over near him. A glance at her locked gates told me she was not in.

I waved at the old guy, and he said hello. He looked like he lived around. It had been long since I had a decent meal and I had been hoping to get some of Darcy's cooking. An unfortunate bummer. I did not know my way around.

"My man," I hailed. "Know any restaurant around? Up for a meal with a complete stranger?"

He grinned and said he was.