CHAPTER 147: Feminine Wiles

 Jeremy Saint was currently living like a 20th Century Warrior Monk:  With precision he would wake up precisely at 6am and then put on his athletics clothes so he could join Geoffrey Landgraab on a 5 mile run in the mornings.  Then he would return promptly and deal with all the business of the household including paying the bills.  His girlfriend, Barbara, would wake up more leisurely at between 6:15 and 6:30am, have a shower, carefully put on her make up, clothes and style her hair.  Then she was ready for breakfast.  Jeremy was like a single minded dynamo.  She saw him dealing with the bill payments and went outside to greet him.

"Hello, darling" she said.  "Did you have a nice run?"

"Yes thank you.  I feel most invigorated." he replied.

"You know, one of these days I'd like to join you for your daily run"

"No need to put yourself out.  I go for pretty punishing runs these days.  The boss says that he wants his young executives to be in tip top physical condition.  He says that inactivity is the curse of modern American businessmen."

"Who said that, Geoffrey?"

"Yes, Geoffrey:  The kindest, bravest, warmest..."

"...most wonderful human being you've ever known in your whole life.  I know" said Barbara, finishing off the mantra Jeremy would say whenever Geoffrey Landgraab's name was mentione. 

"Do I say that a lot?" asked Jeremy.  Barbara nodded earnestly.  "Oh, well, I'm famished:  Let's have a power breakfast!" he continued, gleefully clapping his hands.

"Power....breakfast?" replied a confused Barbara.

They both went inside where Jeremy served up the breakfast and sat down to eat it enthusiastically.

"I tell you, these early morning calisthenics do build up an appetite!" he said.

"I can imagine" replied Barbara.  "It looks like the Landgraab Corporation sure keeps you busy.  You know, you talk quite a bit about what it's like to work there and your interviews but you've barely mentioned that day you went in for that 'assessment'.  What was that like?"

She wanted to draw some more information out of him so she adopted an attitude of gentle curiosity, as you would expect a close, intimate partner who is interested in their other half to be.  Jeremy put down his knife and fork and thought for a moment before speaking.

"Well, the assessment was....well...I went in, reported to one of the personnel department secretaries and...and..." his voice trailed off and he looked out the window as his eyes became dreamy and vacant.

"...and what?" asked Barbara, on the edge of her seat.  "What happened next?"

"...I...can't...remember" he replied, vaguely.  "Is that the time?  I must have a shower and get dressed for work" he said, all of a sudden and with that he stood up and left the room.  Barbara was dismayed:  Clearly there was some kind of mental block in Jeremy...but what was causing it?  His own reticence or the creeping fear he'd been brainwashed.

A little while later they had said their goodbyes for the day and headed off to their respective jobs.  Barbara couldn't dwell on what was going on with her boyfriend as there was always plenty to do at the shop.  At some point she'd have to hire some permanent staff but the budget didn't stretch to that right now.

Today it was menswear that was selling fast and why that was so was another mystery of retail Barbara still had to learn.  Fortunately Pack's Clothing was well stocked at the moment.  Her first two customers were two vastly different characters:  One was a man who wasn't just trendy and with it, he was well beyond all that...he might just have been the Look of '67 just a year earlier.  Barbara struggled to find him something that was beyond the truly mod black and white polka dot shirt he was wearing.  Fortunately he wanted something a bit more toned down for some event he was attending.

The contrasting customer was an old man who at first was worried that he'd entered the wrong shop.  

"Oh my" he said "I think this place might be a bit...what's the phrase?  'Way out' for me"

"Well, sir, let's see if I can find something for you" replied Barbara.

"I can already tell that you're a smart kind of man, but not overly conventional..." she continued.  "Are you looking for something casual, smart, everyday wear or a special occasion?"

"Well, between you and me..." said the man, softly so that no one else could hear them "...it's for a date!  First one I've been on in over 30 years since my beloved Sheila passed away two years ago now."

"Oh, sorry to hear that but I think I know what might be just right for your special date, Mr?"

"Jacobsen, Daniel Jacobsen and you are most kind..."

"Barbara Dubois.  Let's try this lounge suit...double breasted, velvet with the option of wearing a shirt or turtleneck sweater underneath"

"I like the look of this!  And I like the colour" he said.

"Burgundy, a great choice.  It shows you're with it, but not overly so.  Reflecting both a traditional look with a nod to the future"

"Well, I hope my future is rosy when I go on this date!"

"I'm sure she will be impressed" replied Barbara.  She liked being helpful and engaging with the customers.  And when you had a nice one like the gentlemanly Mr Jacobsen it made running the shop just that little bit nicer.

Other customers, on the other hand, were a bit more difficult...

"You smell AND you're ugly!" came the voice from a little boy, who was around 9-10 years old.  He was pointing to and snarling at a little blonde girl who was around the same age.

Barbara walked over and intervened in the dispute.  "Now, now, you two...this is a shop, not a playground.  What's the matter?"

"He's mean and nasty!" said the girl.

"Well you're dumb, smelly and ugly!" said the boy...."and she borrowed my soccer ball and then lost it!"

"I said sorry!"

"Well if you weren't so dumb you wouldn't have lost it!"

"Are either of you here to buy any clothes?" Barbara interrupted.  "I mean, this is a clothes boutique"

"I'm here with my mom when I saw her!" said the boy.

"Well, let's find your mom and end this dispute" said Barbara, looking around for a mother who looked like she'd lost her son.  Once mother and son were reunited calm soon returned, but there was still another sad little girl to attend to.

"Now where's your parents?" asked Barbara.

"Oh they're not here; I was on my way home from school and I just wanted to have a look around...and then I saw him!" she said, pointing at the boy, accusatorially.  

"I see..." said Barbara. "Well, it's best to ignore him; you certainly don't smell and you're very pretty but be careful about who you borrow a soccer ball from in the future"

Daniel Jacobsen came over to Barbara and noticed the little girl.  "I do declare that it's young Stefanie Griffith.  What have you got into now?" he said, smiling benevolently at her.  

"Mr Jacobsen!  Oh it's just a boy from my school who's being mean.  It's sorted now"

Jacobsen laughed and turned to Barbara.  "Children, eh?  You're probably too young to have any, Miss Dubois."

She chuckled.  "I don't have any...well, yet.  I've got to get around to getting married first but my boyfriend and I aren't quite ready for that."

Jacobsen shook his head.  "If you keep putting things off, they'll never happen.  I was like that with my late Sheila:  I'd be saying 'not this year, next year' or finding other excuses.  Sheila used all her feminine wiles to get me to where I should have been.  Maybe you should try that with your beau?"

Hmmm, maybe thought Barbara.  That's a good idea but not for the purposes of getting married, but getting to the truth!  Maybe also marriage as well but first things first...

At the close of business, Barbara went home and considered her plan of action...

By the time she got home she found Jeremy there and changed into his sports kit.

"Don't tell me you went to work like that?" she said.

"No...I've changed so I can go for my evening run" he replied.

"Another one?  Aren't you going too far with this fitness kick?"

"Inactivity is..."

"I know, inactivity is the curse of the modern American businessman but let me get you something nice to eat and we can spend a bit of time...together...I want to know how your day went" she said, caressing his cheek.  Jeremy went weak at the knees when she did that.

"OK, I'll put off my constitutional until after dinner then" he said.

"So we've decided to use the money from the sale of the old goods yard and will invest it in a new housing complex near Newcrest..." he was saying over dinner.  Barbara looked at him with keen interest, batting her eyelashes at him every so often.

"That sounds...fascinating" she said in a sultry voice.  

"Wow, do you think so?  You've never sounded so interested in my work before" he replied.

"That's because I now see you're really going places...I want to know...EVERYTHING" she said, her voice a purr in his ears.

"Well, I work on the third floor...that's where most of the junior managers have their offices.  I get an office all to my own, which is nice because I'm spared Fanshawe's long winded stories about what he got up to the night before, I'm currently assigned to looking at commercial property acquisitions..."

"Anything involving our neighbourhood?" said Barbara, leaning in with keen interest and fixing her gaze at Jeremy.

"No, nothing for around here" he replied.

"And do you have a key to the executive bathroom yet?" she teased.

"No, I'm not that important!" he laughed.  "I mean, I can't even get into half the rooms in the building!"

Barbara took her cue.  "Now that sounds intriguing!  What do you think goes on in those?"

"Well, some are senior executive boardrooms, some are purely for maintenance and then....there's....downstairs..." his voice suddenly trailed off as he said those words.  "Sorry, what was I talking about again?"

"The downstairs of the Landgraab Corporation building.  You make it sound mysterious"

"It's not, really.  You go in, there's the lobby, the old file storage room, some bathrooms and...and..." again, his voice trailed off.

"and what?  Come on, Jeremy, you can tell me...we don't have any secrets and I am very interested." she said, gently stroking under his chin like he was a cat.

"There's the pump room where...there's...an...elevator and...you...go...down....dark room..."

"A dark room?  Like for photography?"

"No...a dark room....where...Mother...Friend...Enemy...Suzy Kent is my enemy..." Jeremy shook his head and suddenly came to.  "Wow, Barbara...that feels amazing, hmmm, more please" he said, cooing at her attention but Barbara suddenly stopped when she heard what he had said about 'the dark room'.  Now this was a breakthrough.  A suppressed memory, perhaps?

"Is everything alright?" asked Jeremy.  "Why did you stop?"

"Oh, no reason...so you like the attention do you?" she said, returning to her playful mood.

"Oh certainly!"

"Well, lover...I hope you don't waste all your energy on your evening run!" she said.

"I might put that off if you have something else in mind?"

"Oh I do" said, Barbara, seductively.  "Just let me slip into something...well, you'll see"

She wandered off down the hall to the bedroom whilst Jeremy quickly poured himself a glass of water which he gulped down.  This was good, very good, he thought.  He had spent too much time obsessed with work that he forgot about spending time with his...mo...his mot...his moth....NO!  He thought, supressing the image of Nancy Landgraab that suddenly popped into his mind.  No...Barbara was his girlfriend, his love.  "I'm not thinking straight today!" he muttered to himself.

When he had finished with his water, he put the glass down next to the sink and jogged to the bedroom to see a heavenly sight:  Barbara had mostly undressed and was wearing...well, he didn't know the technical name for the piece of lingerie she was wearing but she sure looked magnificent in it.

They sat next to each other on the bed and began playful intimacies with one another.  "I can't remember the last time we did this..." Barbara whispered in Jeremy's ear.

"Neither can I...we're foolish for not making more time for each other" he replied.  "I'm sorry I've let work preoccupy me lately"

"That's alright...but if something is bothering about your work, you will tell me?"

"I promise" he said, warmly.

"Now let's get rid of those silly sunglasses" she said, taking them off him "get out of your shirt and shorts and let's get comfortable...."

CHAPTER 146: Judgement Call

Increasingly John Action found that he was restless in the mornings and found himself wanting to get out of the house as soon as possible.  At the crack of dawn he had grabbed his gym kit and headed off to Oasis Springs to work out, have a shower and then partake of breakfast at the Rattlesnake Bar.  He didn't know why he was this restless but this disturbed sleep and lifestyle pattern had begun after he had lost his memory.  The upside was that the Rattlesnake did some of the best, damn fine coffee in the city.

After a couple of cups of steaming Joe, Action headed off to 13th Precinct headquarters to begin his shift.  All week the department had been investigating the break in at the Huntington house and now they were on the verge of a breakthrough in the case.  They were fortunate that multiple witnesses had come forward but the fingerprint samples didn't match anyone on the criminal files...they were either dealing with someone for whom this was a first offence, or else a master criminal who'd never been caught.  It was almost certain the suspect was a woman, as most men had their fingerprints on record from being drafted into the armed forces at some point.

At the precinct house, Action went over the file of evidence they already had to make certain of all the clues and information they had.  Most witnesses claimed to have seen a woman enter the house, alone.  Action figured she had to have been strong to remove those appliances so maybe someone with an athletic build or physically well trained.  

 "So you're going with a lone wolf suspect, not a gang, Action?" asked Action's deputy, Cole Michaels.

"It looks that way...you've got to follow the evidence" Action replied.

"I thought you were a gut instinct kind of guy?"

"I am, and I'm never wrong about them but in this case there's a conflict between what seems logical and what can be proven and this time it looks like this woman lifted that TV, that stereo set and all those other items single handed.  Find me evidence there was another person with her at that time and I'll change my mind"

"Well, if we find her then maybe she'll confess to who her partners were"

"Maybe, Cole, maybe..."

Officer Marina Beckett entered the squad room.  "Detective Action, there's a lady out the front who wants to speak with you...she asked for you specifically.  She didn't give a name, though, but said you know her" she said.

"One of your entries in your little black book, Action?" joked Cole.

"You can only dream of having a little black book like mine, Cole" replied Action as he headed out front to see who wanted to see him.

Action's heart sank when he saw who it was in the lobby:  Candy Behr...aspiring pop star, model and tease.  She blew hotter and colder with him more times than Goldilocks with a bowl of porridge.  Action wondered which Candy was wanting to speak with him today:  The hot one or cold one?

"Oh Action, thanks for coming to see me" she said, huskily and with a note of relief in her voice.

"Is this a police matter you want to talk with me about?" he replied, flatly.

"Well yes, but it's nice to see you as well...are you doing OK?" 

"Let's stick to the matter at hand; what the problem is?"

"So I'm getting the professional cop today, am I?" said Candy, disappointed.

"Who else were you expecting?" replied Action.

"I just thought, you know..."

"That because we once shared a moment together before you bailed on me entitles you to special police treatment or even friendship?  You thought wrong, sister."

"You're still mad about that?  I'm sorry, I panicked..."

"I'm not mad, but I'm wary of a pretty face who's trying to get something from me.  Now, what's been going down which requires our help?"

"Next door's been having these wild parties and there's some unsavoury types hanging around, you know?"

"I get the picture.  Look, I'm on a case right now and I'm backed up with it but I'll hand you over to my colleague, Officer Beckett here, and she'll send a patrol over to check out the scene with your neighbours.  OK?"

"OK...and, Action, you've still got my number, haven't you?" said Candy, batting her long eyelashes at him.

Yeah, I've still got your number...tucked away. He thought as he walked away.  He returned to the squad room to find Cole on the telephone and writing things down on a pad frantically.

"Action; we've got a witness who says they've seen someone resembling the suspect down at Brindleton Bay...they say this character's been trying to sell some electronic goods from the docks down there"

"Sounds promising...OK, let's put out an APB and get some boots on the ground" said Action, determinedly.  "Cole, you take your team down to the dockside area...Sergeant Kitchen will cover the area around the Salty Paws Saloon and I'll cover Club Calico.  OK, have we got a detailed description?"

"Only that she's wearing shorts, a blouse and is kind of dark..." said Cole, reading the witness statement.

"What do you mean, dark?  What?  Dark skin, dark hair, dark clothing?  Gimme more"

"I can't, Action.  That's all we've got..."

"Great...did you lot sleep through the class on how to take a witness statement.  Anyway, no time to talk...let's go!"

 

No sooner had Action arrived at the Club Calico than he saw someone who fitted the description of the suspect.  A woman in brown shorts, a grey-brown blouse and with dark hair and a Mediterranean complexion.  Was she the perp?  Action thought she could be but she was slight and curvaceous on a slim frame and Action wandered if she could have lifted those large electrical goods on her own.  She was also very attractive with a sexy figure but Action had to fight back his attraction in order to remain cool and rational.

Up close she just confirmed Action's initial impression that she was very attractive with form fitting clothes that left little to the imagination.  But her arms were very thin without a muscle on them:  Not fit for picking up heavy objects and moving them into a van.  Still, she was the closest thing to a suspect so far.

"Excuse me, Ma'am...Detective John Action, Sim City PD.  I'd like to ask you a few questions"

The woman looked him up and down "Ask away, detective" she said in a sultry voice.

"I'll start with asking for your name" said Action, cooly.

"Carly Navarette"

"Hmmm, nice name.  Now, can you tell me your whereabouts on Wednesday the 24th of this Month between 2 and 4pm?"

"I can...I was up at Granite Falls for the day."

"Can anyone attest to you being there?"

"Sadly...no.  I went on my own to spend a bit of time alone, gather my thoughts and enjoy nature."

"I can understand that, but it would help if someone could verify that...can I ask you what you do for a living?"

"I work as a reflexologist"

Action looked up from his notebook and looked confused.  "A what?"

"A reflexologist.  I help people feel well by massaging feet using various aromatic oils."

"A masseuse then?"

"NOT like that, Detective.  My, what a dirty mind you have" she said, coyly.  "I work at the Perfect Balance Spa"

"Oh, I see"  He thought that place was a bunch of hippy crap but he didn't say so out loud.  This chick didn't seem like the type to burgle houses...but he had her name, her place of work, he added her address and telephone number to his notebook and made a note to keep an eye on her while she was around this part of town...but his instinct told him this wasn't the suspect.

If not Miss Navarette, then who?  Action cased the club, looking for someone...anyone...who also fit the bill.  He'd noticed a middle aged woman hanging around the place but she was neither dark nor wearing shorts.  But something else caught his eye...one of those unusual things a lot of people would pass by but to Action's trained sense of trouble it was like an alarm bell going off in his mind.

In the Club Calico's swimming pool was the same middle aged lady he'd seen before but in the pool with her was another woman...who was fully clothed and talking to the older woman.  One in a bathing suit, one in her street clothes and both talking while treading water.  Now this needed more investigation...

"Excuse me, ma'am...if I can have a word with you...outside the pool" he said.  She noticed the police badge on his belt and nodded solemnly.  She swam to the edge of the pool in a few powerful strokes, hauled herself out in one move and stood before Action.

"Nice swim?  Have you tried it with a bathing costume on?" asked Action, sarcastically.

"Oh I can explain, officer...you see I was talking with that lady over there; she was swimming and I was leaning over and...well...I fell in."

"I see.  May I ask what the topic of conversation was?"

"Erm...business" said the woman.

"Buying and selling by any chance?" asked Action.  "Or more like selling goods that are in your possession?"

"It's not like that, officer..." the woman replied, defensively.

"How about I ask our swimming friend what your line of business is?" 

"No need!" the woman said, suddenly.  "OK, yes, I do sell goods"

"I'm going to have to see your place of work to check it out..." said Action, and as he looked around the place he noticed a large van parked in the loading bay of the club, a van that matched the description of the one involved in the Huntingdon robbery.

"Or how about I check out your van over there?  That is your van...isn't it?" he said, knowing he'd set a trap for this woman...who was dark skinned, wearing a blouse and shorts and who had a well built upper body judging by the way she easily hauled herself out of the swimming pool.

Soon Cole Michaels and some uniformed officers showed up and the woman handed over her vehicle keys grudgingly.  In the back of the van was a refrigerator, a TV and a state of the art stereo set.  The only thing left to do now was read her the Miranda Rights...

The woman's name was Aya Chafik and she had no priors.  She was taken back to the station and booked on suspicion of robbery and it was left to Action to interrogate her.  

He led her to the stark, uninviting interrogation room and pointed to one of the metal framed chairs.  "Sit down" he said.  She meekly obliged whilst he slapped his files on the table and sat down opposite her.  Looking up at her, he could see fear in her eyes.

"First time being under arrest?" he said.  Aya nodded.  "Well, we've got a pretty solid case against you here:  Stolen goods in the back of a van you've rented and that lady in the pool you were talking to said you were trying to sell them to her.  Am I correct so far?"

Again, Aya nodded.

"I'll take that as a yes then" responded Action.  "So why d'you do it?  You're not a career criminal...why?"

"I desperately needed some money...I've got debts, big debts and there was J. bragging about all this expensive stuff he'd just bought..."

"So you know Mr Huntingdon?"

"Yeah, I'm a barmaid over at the Kitten Club and J...Mr Huntingdon...is a regular there.  That's where I heard of all his expensive stuff and, well, I thought his insurance would cover the costs and I could get a quick sell of all that brand new equipment."

Action wrote this all down and then put his pen firmly down on the table.  "Well, a smart lawyer and a soft judge will probably get you a reduced sentence IF you plead guilty." he said.

"Detective; what tipped you off that it was me?" she asked.

"I look for the things that don't figure straight...a fully dressed woman who accidentally falls into a swimming pool doesn't just start talking business with someone she doesn't know.  You were so desperate to sell those goods before we could catch up with you that you'd throw caution to the wind, forget about any embarrassment and conduct the deal there and then.  Detective work is about noticing the things that don't seem right and then using cool judgement to figure out what's wrong.  That's the Action way..."

The shift ended and Action went home, glad to have closed that case.  It was time to put some space between work and personal life.  He had some dinner and was about to watch some TV when there was a knock at the door.  He could see through the window that it was Barbara from next door and she looked upset.

"Babs, what's the matter?" he asked.

"It's Jeremy, Action...can we talk for a bit?" she said.  Action could see sadness all across her face.

"Sure we can" he replied, sympathetically.  "Where is he now?"

"He's working late.  He's been doing a lot of that lately"

"Is he still acting weird?"

"Yes.  That's what's worrying me.  He still freaks out whenever Suzy's name is mentioned, always repeats this same phrase whenever Geoffrey Landgraab is talked about and I found this in our study..."

Barbara held up a photo of Action.  There were small holes dotted around the picture.  "He puts this on a dartboard and throws darts at it."

Action raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"But that's not the worst thing..." she continued.

"It isn't?"

"He has a framed photo of Nancy Landgraab in our bedroom and refers to her as 'mother'"

"That is some mixed up stuff, Babs" said Action.  "You know what I think?  I reckon they've messed with his mind.  I heard a lot of stories from old Marine buddies of mine about how the Commies brainwashed captured soldiers back in Korea and Vietnam and maybe the Landgraabs are using the same techniques on us."

"Us?"

"Yeah, I had my mind scrambled not so long ago...they took all my memories of this one case.  The woman who tried to kill my work colleague and who I apparently chased down the road right there.  I think the Landgraabs are up to something big and they can mess with people's brains.  But don't worry, Babs, I'll get to the bottom of this.  Jeremy and you are my friends and I am the man who would risk his neck for his fellow man."

Action comforted Barbara, who was close to tears by this time.

"I'm gonna need your help, Babs." he continued.  "I need to know a few things about how Jez has been behaving of late.  Can you help me?"

She nodded.  Action led her to the dining area where they sat down to discuss this in more detail.

"OK, when did his behaviour start to change?" Action asked.

"The day he got the job at Landgraab's...no, wait!  It started to change the day he went in for his final interview with them."

"What did he say about that?"

"Nothing much...except he didn't want to talk about that day at all.  He said he went in, did this test..."

"Test?"

"Yes.  They called it an aptitude test.  He had to go in for that but he never told me what it was about or what happened even though I asked him."

Action thought about that and stroked his chin.  Then he looked at Barbara and asked "Did he refuse to tell you what happened or couldn't he remember?"

Barbara took a moment to recall when she spoke to Jeremy about that day.  "He said he couldn't remember"

Action slapped the table with the palm of his hand.  "That's it!  They've erased the memory of that day like they did with me!  OK, Babs, this is what I want you to do...can you be brave, 'cos what I'm about to ask of you might scare you?"

"I'm scared already, Action" she replied, solemnly.

"I want you to get as much information out of Jeremy as possible.  Try to stir up any memory from that day.  Even if he resists or tries to brush you off, keep going...you all your feminine wiles to get him to remember any detail from that day; no matter how trivial.  Then write it down in a notebook or diary or something BUT keep it hidden from him.  You write down anything he can recall or anything about his work he mentions to you and you give that book to me so I can study it.  You dig?"

"I dig...and then what?" 

"The answers to our questions lie in the Landgraab Corporation building but I need some clues where to look.  That's why that information is crucial.  But you can't tell him what you're up to otherwise he might tell 'mother'."

Barbara nodded.  She stood up and said "He'll be home soon but thank you, Action.  I knew I could count on you."

She gave him a big hug of appreciation before she left but Action was already thinking about how to find out what those bastards, the Landgraabs, had done to his friend...and to him.

CHAPTER 145: Where The Girls Are

 

"Milton was a woman, discuss" I absolutely hate those questions!  I mean, is this important?  Can I get to the moon knowing whether John Milton was a man or a woman?  I hate homework like this!  

Now there's a knock at my door!  Who is it this time, mom or dad?

It's mom.

"Hello Jamie, I just came to see if you're OK as you didn't have any dessert with dinner"

"I'm OK, Mom, I've just got a ton of homework to get through"

She looked around the room.  "I don't know how you can get much study done in this light!  It's murky!"

"I like it; it's atmospheric"

"If you say so...so how's homework going?"

I show her the essay question.

"Oh...." she said in a mixture of surprise and trepidation.  "well, an unusual question but I don't think your teacher wants you to answer that directly.  This is more like a test of your skill at making a convincing argument.  So, to begin with, work out what you think is the answer and then figure out ways of backing that up."

Now it kind of all made sense...I invited Mom to stay so I could use her as a sounding board for my ideas.  I was going to ace this project!

"You know, Mom, this is really working...OK, I'm going to argue the case that Milton WASN'T a woman, here's my reasoning why, and my conclusion."

"You see what you can do if you think a little laterally" she said and then she did this annoying thing of touching my forehead to indicate thinking.  She's done that with me ever since first grade.

"Well, I've aced this homework so I'm going to relax a bit now" 

"What are you going to do?"

"I thought I'd go for a bike ride..." I want to go where the chicks are, but I won't tell her that.  "Maybe head over to the park..." Where the girls are  "and hang out with friends" preferably of the female variety.

"Well, be careful out there on your bike...and don't stay out too late either; it's a school day tomorrow"

I grab a few supplies from the fridge to keep me going while I'm down at the park, get my bike and head off for....who knows what?  But it's got to be better than John/Jane Milton.

Desert Bloom Park was fast becoming known as the hang out for high schoolers in this area.  The main reason is the snug area near the BBQ pits.  It had a small library, open fires, comfortable sofas, a bar and a built in radio which played all the popular pop/rock stations.  It was also somewhere to play my guitar...now that really impresses the chicks, or at least it should do.

I was wondering who else would be there tonight.  I'd met Yuki Behr down there, once, and although I like her she's dating that Marcus Mueller these days.  I've seen other cute girls off from afar but, not only that, I have friends who like hanging out there as well so there's every chance one of them will be present this evening.

Yep, I have a good feeling about tonight!

Right, first things first, get to the snug and start playing those sweet tunes.  I've learned a few new licks and songs which I'll try out on the lay-dieeeesss...

"Is someone strangling a cat in here?" 

I look around to see who said that and, would you know it, it's Marcus Mueller.  Typical.  I can't stand this guy.  And he's brought a friend it seems.  Let's see if he's as big a jerk as Marcus.

"I dunno, Marcus, I kind of like it" 

OK, this dude has gone up one notch in my estimation.  

"See, Marcus, this guy's got taste.  Hi, I'm Jamie"

"Rohan...so, are you in a band?"

"Not at the moment" Not at all...maybe I should put one together?  "I'm kind of a singer-songwriter type..."

"So you write music as well?" Rohan looked wide eyed in amazement at that announcement.

"If you can call it music..." 

Shut up and just leave, Marcus!

"So is this a band rehearsal in here or can anyone join in?"

I turn around to see who said that...Oh my gosh!  It's Gillian Hills!

Now on top of my ranking list of most gorgeous girls in Buckingham High is, of course, Judy Keith.  But only one notch below her is Gillian Hills.  She's head of the Fashion Club, does modelling as a part-time job and is always up to date on the latest fads, trends and scenes.  I've never even spoken to her before and yet she's right here, 3 feet away from me...the closest I've ever been to a goddess like her.

"Gillian, great to see you; you look amazing"  said Marcus, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek.  She went all coy and patted him on his arm.  Of course he of all people would know her.

"Marcus, how sweet of you to say that"

"And to answer your question, it's just this guy and his guitar...I must apologise for his playing but he's very much a beginner with the instrument."

"Marcus is just jealous that he can't play" There, that's my marker put down.

"You're not bad...not bad at all" said Gillian, looking me up and down.  Did she mean my musical abilities or something else?

"I can play a bit of piano!" chimed in Rohan, a little desperately.  There was an awkward silence.

"Well, Gillian, I'd love to stay and catch up but I'm meeting Yuki for a date" Marcus said, smugly.

"Oh, you're still dating her?" Did I detect a hint of disapproval in Gillian's voice?

"Well, it's just casual...you know how it is" replied Marcus, his smugness disappearing.  Anyway, he said his goodbyes and left me, and Rohan, alone with Gillian Hills!  I go dry:  What do I say to someone like her?

"Hello, I'm Jamie"

"Of course you are.  My name is Gillian but you can call me Gilly"

"I'm Rohan!"

She ignored him.  I sat down on one of the sofas in the hope that she would sit next to me but she remained standing.

"So...Gilly...are you into music?"

"Yeah, I like all the latest bands and sounds.  You?"

I try to sound cool.  "Yeah, I like the British invasion bands mostly..."

She raises an eyebrow in surprise.  It's going well Jamie, my son...

"You do?  So do I...who's your favourite?

"I'm really into The Beatles"

"Oh...I prefer the Rolling Stones" Dang it!  Did she have to sound so disappointed though?

"I like Dusty Springfield!" Rohan reminded us he was still here.

"You know, we should start a band!" Rohan continued in his enthusiastic way.  "I mainly play piano but I've tried a Hammond Organ and there's this church I know where there's a piano and a room to rehearse in!"

"Well, I'd love to talk about this some more but I have a busy social calendar right now so I will leave you budding Lennon and McCartney's to it..."

No!  Gillian!  Gilly!  We've only just met!  Your mere proximity to me will boost my social standing immensely!  I'll write you a ballad in tribute!

"Jamie, don't you like my idea?"

"No, it's a decent enough idea...it's just...don't you know who that was?  That's Gillian Hills!"

Rohan shrugged.  

"She goes to my school and she's like...a model and hot and only one of the most desirable chicks in Sim City! And she left...."

"Oh don't worry about that, Jamie.  When we start our band the chicks will come flocking to us!  But we need to practice, rehearse, find a singer, drummer and bass player...then book some gigs..."

"Slow down, Skippy!" 

"Sorry, I get carried away sometimes"

"Don't sweat it...but I like your overall idea.  We'll get together soon and have a jam"

Rohan and I step out of the snug to see who else is around and I swear tonight in Desert Bloom Park it's a target rich environment.  As well as Gillian, there's loads of cute girls around.  Sadly, not Judy Keith but still...

Rohan stops dead in the doorway.  "Where did they come from?"

"Who cares, Rohan, they're here now.  So...shall we mingle with them?  Go over and say hello or something?"

"Yeah...something.  Well, we can tell them about our new band as a conversation starter"

"That's better than the starter I had planned"

"Which is?"

"Nothing at all.  Let's go with your suggestion"

Rohan approached one group of girls but just as he got close to them, he panicked and turned around.

"I...I...couldn't go through with it, Jamie!"

"Why?  What's the matter?"

"Well, one of them...I think she's French by the sounds of her...was going through her diary commenting on all the guys at Buckingham High and how she ranks them....we didn't even get a mention!"

Ouch!  

"OK, time to think of a plan B..."  I consider our options to get ourselves noticed in a good way then I remember I have some foodstuff I'd brought along to share with friends.  Well, Rohan is my new friend and I was willing to make some other friends who were hot chicks.  I fire up one of the BBQs and get cooking.  Barbecuing is about the only kind of cooking I know and even then I just light a fire, slap on some meat and let the heat do the work.  The grill smell is wafting all over the park by now and it smells good...

This willowy redhead is walking over in my direction...I look behind me, expecting some big, hulking jock or some smarmy rich kid like Marcus Mueller to be standing right behind and who would be the person she's walking towards.  However, there wasn't anyone standing behind me.  OK then, she's going to the snug.  She looks very striking with the shortest shorts I've ever seen on a girl, a top that clings to her body like a second skin and these amazing red suede boots.  Before she walks past me and out of my life forever I can drink in her beauty for just a few seconds.

"Hello...you might just be a life saver!"  She spoke!  Was she talking to me?  I look around.  "I take it you're the chef?"

"Oh...me?  Yes.  Yes I am although I'm hardly a chef...more like your friendly neighbourhood BBQ guy"

"Could I be outrageous and ask for some?  I'm starving!  My own fault really for not having something earlier"

"You can be outrageous" I said, handing her a plate.

She took a bite of the hamburger I gave her and I swear I've never seen anyone chew on one as seductively as this girl.

"Hmmmm, and who do I have to thank for this?"

"Oh, that would be me:  Jamie McGregor"

"I'm Morgan, Morgan Fyres" she said, holding out her hand for me to shake.  I took it and it felt so soft and smooth.  

"Groovy name, I dig it...erm, would you like to sit down with me for a while and hang out?  I mean, if you've got nothing else to do or....someone else you're meeting"

"I've got no one to meet so, sure"

This is going so well!  How come I've never seen this girl before?  Maybe she goes to a private school but, she doesn't seem the type.

"So are you at high school?  I'm sure I've seen you from afar there"  That's me fishing.

"Yeah, Buckingham High...you?"

"The same"

"Funny how we've never met before.  Is this a usual hang out for you?"

"Yeah, we must just keep missing each other"

She looked straight into my eyes and I was captivated by hers:  The brightest green eyes I'd ever seen perfectly framed by thick. black eyeliner.  She pushed the plate of food to one side and made a kind of bridge with her elbows and hands on the table.  She rested her chin on her hands and fixed me with an enticing gaze again.

"So, is cooking your thing?" 

"One of them:  I play guitar as well"

"Ooh, a man of many talents!  I like the sound of you, Jamie McGregor"

"What about you?  What are you into?"

"ALL kinds of things!" her eyes widened as she said that.  I could well imagine this redhead with legs that went on forever and who isn't backward at coming forwards would be kind of fun, kind of wild and kind of unpredictable...this wasn't your average girl next door!

"Sounds interesting..."

"I am...if I may be so immodest"

"You certainly can"

This was the most flirtatious conversation I've ever had but I was kind of swept along with it...that's what it was like around Morgan:  She led, I followed.  I was just lucky she decided to approach me in the first place.  The place was getting dark and a quick look at my watch told me it was past 10pm.  I suspected she wasn't the kind who paid much attention to time, and I didn't want this moment to end but then there's the deal I struck with Mom to be home not too late...dang it, why couldn't I have met Morgan on a Friday or Saturday night?

"So, I guess I will see you at school tomorrow?" she said.  

"Yeah, I'll keep a look out for you"

"And thanks for the food...I'll make it up to you"

"My pleasure"

"The pleasure was all mine" And with that she gently stroked my hand. I could have thrown caution to the wind and stayed with her but I played it safe, packed up my gear and went to get my bike.  I turned to look at her one more time and she smiled, warmly this time.  I don't know if I'll see her tomorrow, or the next day or the days after that or whether the magic of what happened this evening will ever be replicated but now I know there was one time, and one girl, who looked favourably at me...and what a girl that was!