5

He flicked yet another paper ball into the trashcan positioned behind the door. Seated at his mahogany desk with the latest digital devices the world had ever heard of, Matt felt in need of another free fresh air-filled hour. He had been feeling kind of stifled lately and couldn’t grasp why he felt that way. It was like he was in an air-tight container on the verge of exploding along with him .It was just a matter of time before he lost control or went crazy. Picking up the receiver of his telephone, he made to fix an appointment with his psychologist but changed his mind slamming the receiver back so hard it shattered and his secretary, Miss Grey had to knock to see if everything was alright with him. She became apprehensive when she saw the state of the telephone and made a quick call to see to its immediate repair.

          Matt finally picked up his coat and practically ran down the stairs. He had had enough of this and wasn’t going to stay on there till he suffocated in agony.

          He had no idea how it happened but he found himself saving a rather lost and startled lady from slipping on the stairs. When he beheld her face, he got a dreadful shock; this was the girl at the phone booth and the waitress!!, they were both one person.

          ‘Um, thank you very much for doing that. I get clumsy sometimes’ she managed with an embarrassed smile silently cursing herself. She tried hurrying past but he obstructed her saying, ‘I actually wanted to use the elevator but if I did I won’t meet you’ he gave her his usual killer smile that had earned many titles and offered her a quick lunch since she was on her way home.

          He took her by the hand and together they entered the elevator, got out of it and into his car to the nearest incospicious restaurant he could find.They got themselves seated;

          ‘You know we are strangers’, he started ‘I’m Matt, you?’

          ‘Ira’ she answered’ ‘Ira Mill’, smiling nervously wishing the ground would open up and swallow her like in the movies-but this was no movie and she had to get her act together. He was talking now and she listened.

          An hour later, over some drinks , he had gathered that she had just gotten employed the previous day after receiving her appointment`mail`. She was 26 and in need of a steady job which was why she had taken up the job- though she was just a minor member of the staff. S he made no mention of her personal life or the fact that they had met before; that didn’t bother him, she was to be just a casual lay.

          Ira felt like snatching her bag from her chair and running out of the place. This guy’s manners were too smooth and sleek to be believed. Wait!, Matt Drew; that name set an alarm off in her head. He seemed great to converse with but she really needed to get home. But he wasn’t worried about her getting………….O.M.G!!!, Matt Drew, billionaire heir and her boss at Serene!! OH NO!!, NOT THIS. She abruptly stood, made fevered and incoherent excuses to Matt and scurried out like a mouse.

          Matt just stared on in puzzlement at her retreating figure. Why was she acting like a high-schooler on her first date ? , she should at least beem  civil and have a normal conversation with him. Women and their weird ways!! He certainly had a long way to go in understanding them. He paid their bill and left smiling ruefully.

***************************************************************        ‘Harry !!, two beers over ‘ere’, shouted a burly man , snapping his fingers.

          Another stupid order had come in. the time was 15:30; thirty more minutes to go before he’ll be as free as air. He obeyed promptly and got the man his drinks thinking, ‘Wonder if these guys don’t stop drinking, they’re gonna get ulcers’. Well that wasn’t any of his business, as long as they came in and bought the booze, business flowed like a stream.

          At night, the hookers would take their place; overly made-up face, fake tits-mostly silicone enhanced- , painted nails and long lashes flashing them all over the place for potential clients.Never forget their dress code which of course had a lot of promises attached. Funny efforts these hookers took. He preferred a hooker to a straight broad anytime, ‘cos they were always honest. A hooker would set her price but a straight one wouldn’t. A girl, she’ll tell you she wants this after the first roll in the hay and some jewelry for her birthday, earrings on Valentine’s day, maybe even a Porsche on Mother’s day. These ones could pull the wool over your eyes if you weren’t smart one and if you were…….

          ‘Hello, Harry’, said a low, feminine voice with a drawl which he would have missed if not for his overt sense of alertness. He stopped in his tracks with the tray he was carrying and his eyes moved to the direction of the owner of the voice-Redhead- She had refused to leave since her feet found themselves in there. And now, she was giving him a look that sent turgidity down to where it wasn’t supposed to-at least at the moment. ‘Take it easy ol’ man, you ain’t some horny dog’, he cautioned adjusting his jeans.

          ‘Anything for the lady’, he asked waking to rest on the bar, switching on the charm and giving her the smile that kept his bed warmed every night of his choice.

‘Ow, nothing’, red well-manicured and polished nails discretely slipped him a neatly cut piece of paper. ‘I’ll be waiting’, and in a flourish, she left the bar and walked out of the place into the sunshine; still generating heated stares and cat-whistles.

          Well, well, well, what was that about bread falling from heaven?. This was sure luck for him. Fifteen minutes to go and he’ll go find out if he could get an in with the broad. The fleshy rock in his midsection rose yet again and nodded. ‘Easy, ol’ boy, you’re gonna have yourself some fun’, he cautioned and turned to go get the latest order-two hamburgers. A fter that, he checked to read what was written on the paper:

          ‘LOVE YOUR SHIRT  CREAM AND BLUE CADILLAC  WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH WORK, DON’T KEEP ME WAITING’

          She signed off her name; Lu-Lu, with a lipstick mark of her lips- blood-red actually. This dame really knew how to push his buttons; but he’ll show her. Putting the paper in his pocket, he entered the cellar for some more drinks.

          At exactly 15;45 hours, Harry threw in the towel for the day. Whistling merrily, he set out for home on Dale avenue. Wait!, the redhead had asked him over to her car. Putting his hands into his pocket, he strolled over to the parking lot to see if she was just pulling his legs.

          As written in the note; he noted a cream and blue cadillac parked between two BMW convertibles. Without a word, he climbed in; for the door was open and Lu-Lu set the wheels rolling.

          ‘You Harry Boyd, right?’ she asked, puffing away at the cigarette in her left fingers while handling the steering wheel with the other;with as much caution as one in a race for life. He answered surveying her,’You know my name , why asking?’

          Giggling, she answered, ‘Just wanted to know I got the right guy’

          His look-over continued; this was the kind of broad that turned heads without even trying to. He’d met many likeher, all rich, stank of dough and loads of it. Then there they were, sick of their rich life panting to have a taste of the life they’d missed. Funny to think but he would bet his left ball-he didn’t bet that lightly- half of the rich and wealthy folks of higher Kory city had roots deeply embedded in Whelp. Whelp?, that sounded like name of them rich niggers’ dog. It could have been the pissing ground for the goddamn city’s founder. Anyway, in Whelp.; you got away with anything at all.

          ‘So, Harry’, she started swerving recklessly to the right to avoid an oncoming Rolls Royce and overtake another; leading to a cacophony of angry horns and cursing voices.

           ‘You on somethin’ there ?!! ‘, a particularly incensed fat jowled man stuck his head out of his Packard to ask. She ignored him and turned to Harry, continuing; ‘Where’s your apartment?’, she still had the cigarette- a fresh one-. ‘This one sure had a habit’, thought Harry ;He’d never seen a dame smoke that hard before.

          ‘Dale Avenue, first turning on your left, keep going till you get to the end of the street’, he answered with a hint of excitement in his voice. His day seemed to be looking up.She stopped right in front of his apartment at his bidding and was out of the car and on the stairs before he could adjust his suddenly uncomfortable pants.

          As he unlocked his apartment door and led her in; his only thoughts were of what was to follow.