Chapter 2 - Single & Unavailable

So Romeo searches and searches for this blonde girl everywhere he knows but he can't find her. They have searched the pubs, restaurants, clubs, hotels, and even airports. He feels that if he has known her name, the search would have been easier. He curses himself over and over again for not being able to achieve this target. He has never failed at anything but this time, he feels like a failure.

A month has gone by very fast and yet no sign of her. Gradually he seems to be losing all hope in finding her. He thinks to himself that perhaps she was a ghost or maybe, it was just a bad dream. He thinks of putting his life back into the way it was and pick up from where he stopped with his 'fans'.

The thing is, after the unfortunate incident between Romeo and this blonde, Romeo has never been in his right mind. His contacts have combed the entire city in search of the girl fitting his description. They had nowhere to search anymore. Convincing themselves that she might have left the country, they vowed to get the search to their contacts in other countries since they didn't want to disappoint Romeo. He was giving up, which only means he has lost trust in their ability to find her. Romeo was paying them better than anyone can so they don't want to lose the chance to impress him.

They didn't have a name so they have to fall on the security cameras which only gives them a back and side view of her. She was a first-time visitor to his club and hadn't signed up for membership so there was no information on her. No one in the club at that time knows her. He doesn't understand what he is feeling for this girl. Is it love or hate? And does he really want revenge?

Ever since that encounter, he hadn't taken any 'fan' home. He just couldn't understand his own emotions anymore. But he decided to move on and treat this whole thing as a bad dream.

During one of his meetings with a supplier, He gets down from his car and mistakenly drops his sunglass which gets a little scratch. 

"Acid",  he calls. Do you know of any good boutique around? He asked.

"Yes, boss". Acid replies with a confused look.

"Take me there", he orders

"But Sir, won't we be late for the meeting?" He asked with concern.

"Are you questioning me? came his usual arrogant tone. My damn sunglasses got scratched and you think it's okay to just wear them for the meeting? I need a new one." He says with conviction. Acid didn't have to argue because he knows Romeo will never go anywhere without his sunglasses.

"Okay boss, I will call to reschedule the meeting to an hour." He negotiated.

"Better do so". Romeo replied indefinitely.

So they drive to the biggest designer boutique Acid knows. When they arrive at the boutique, Romeo spot a collection of sunglasses a few meters away and quickly walks to it. They are in his favorite designer brands, making him settle for seven different shades. He thinks of keeping spare ones in each of his cars as he heads to the cashier and just when he was giving his credit card to the cashier, the lady in front of him turns around, and with the close distance, her forehead clashes with his jaw.

"I am very sorry' she murmurs, rubbing her forehead.

Romeo bends down to pick her items fallen on the floor. He picks up her lipstick, phone, and credit card.

"Thank God it isn't broken, he murmurs. Good screen protector." He adds as he turns the card around and sees the name, Maria Pores. He hands over the items to her and for the first time, their eyes meet. Those hazel eyes. He remembers he has seen them somewhere. He tries to remember exactly where he saw them but his mind is blank and before he knows it, she is gone without a trace.

"Hi Romeo", the cashier called to him flirtingly.

He quickly gives her his card and runs out of the door, totally ignoring her. Acid follows him in confusion. He gets to the door but can't find her. He returns to the cashier and picks up his card, feeling like a loser once again.

"Can I call you tonight Romeo", the cashier asks seductively.

"No". He replies harshly, leaving her with a disappointed look. The cashier is unhappy thinking that maybe the rumors she heard about him are false. She heard that Romeo has a different girl each night and paid them pretty well. She was hoping to be next tonight but something tells her that he isn't the same person she heard the girls talking about.

Romeo goes to the meeting with half concentration He has a look of confusion all over his face and does not hide it in the meeting. Thankfully, some of the goods hadn't arrived on time, buying him the pleasure of postponing the meeting. On his way home, he googles the name 'Maria Pores'.

"Shit..." he yells at the image that popped up on his phone.

"Did you forget something boss?" was Acid's worried voice. 

"Call Pluto now". Tell him to meet me at the basement he says hurriedly, not taking his eyes off the image on the phone.

The basement is his secret hideout. It's a place where he also keeps all his security tools and all his cash. It's five stories underground building just below his main garage. Over here, he keeps eighty percent of his money made from the clubs. That way, he doesn't pay tax on them. Smart move for a smart brain. He only sends twenty percent to the bank and even that amount makes him a billionaire. Only Pluto and Acid know about the basement and they have sworn to take this secret to their grave.

Pluto arrives as fast as he can."

"Rome, are you okay, you got me panicking". He only calls that name when they have a very serious conversation. so calling that name means he understands that whatever reason Romeo called him, must be an urgent one.

"I found her", Romeo said.

"Who?' He asks confused.

"Maria Pores"

"Who is Maria Pores?" pluto asks even more confused.

"The blondee bitch"..he yells with anger. But she wasn't a blonde. He says in a soft but painful tone. She is a brunette." He says looking at Pluto.

"Come on Man, girls change their hair color every day. Some even use wigs." Pluto says jokingly.

"That's it. All along, we have been looking for a blondie but she keeps changing her hair color." He says in a satisfied tone as if he has just unraveled a great mystery.

"But how did you find her?" Pluto asked, excited that their long search was over not knowing it was just the beginning.

"At the boutique where I bought new sunglasses". I googled her on my way back and checked her out on Facebook, he said showing him the picture.

That's her. He exclaimed excitedly. So what are you gonna do now? He asked again after a pause.

"Find out everything about her. I mean, I want to know everything about her. Her family, her siblings, her marital status, what she does, what she eats...I mean, I want to know everything about her, he ended thoughtfully.

"But she has limited information about herself on Facebook". Pluto remarked.

He begins browsing more information on her as Romeo requests and he sees something that catches his attention. Wait a minute, He says as if he has caught a big fish.

"Have you seen her status?" He asked with a questionable look.

"Single & Unavailable"?, I just did. Romeo replied as he gazed at what Pluto was looking at.

"That girl seems to be a badass. A mysterious whore." Pluto remarked.

"Don't you ever call her a whore again", Romeo yelled, gripping Pluto on the throat.

"Okay, Okay," Pluto says almost in a whisper as he raises his hand in surrender. He is trying to speak but the pain in his windpipe was unbearable. He can't breathe as Romeo's strong hands become tighter around his neck. Romeo slowly releases his grip on his throat as he catches his breath.

"What is that for? He asks breathlessly. Do you want to kill me over a girl you want to revenge on? He has seen enough anger in Romeo's eyes to not use the 'whore' word anymore. He is trying to be polite.

"You said you want to have revenge but now, I don't know. You seem to like her",  he said carefully.

"I don't like her, Romeo says with clenched teeth. I don't know what came over me okay? Am sorry". He said apologetically.

But Pluto knows that there is more to his search. They have been best buddies for years and Romeo has never dared to do what he just did. But he is still determined to help him anyway. He owed him that much for all the sacrifices Romeo made for him in the past.

"Then how come you don't allow your fans around you anymore? When was the last time you sent one home? he asked skeptically.

"You have a small brain Pluto, you don't know a thing about revenge, he smirked.

"Okay. So can you tell me? I can't help you if you don't". He said.

"I will pursue her, I will make her fall in love with me, and only then will I teach her what it means to embarrass the irresistible Romeo," he said with a devilish grin.