Possessed by a Stranger (7 page)

Garret opened the back door of the car and
climbed in. Jeff turned around to look at Garret, instead of using
the rearview mirror. By the look on Jeff’s face, Garrett knew Jeff
was bursting to ask something so he might as well get it out of the
way.

“The townhouse. Go ahead and ask whatever it
is you want to know.” In his five years of service, they developed
an understanding of each other. As long as Jeff stayed within the
boundaries of employee, employer and almost friends he avoided the
field of land mines surrounding Garret.

“I just thought you would be in a better mood
today, after what you brought home last night.”

Jeff was obviously digging for information.
His statement rang of a question. “So did I.” His mood should be
better after last night and would be if she hadn’t disappeared. Why
had she left?

Normally the women he brought to his bed
stayed for breakfast hoping to set up their next date. Date, shit,
it was a one night fucking spree. Then it was done, over, finished,
time to move on to the next one. The tight security at the hotel
prevented unexpected invasions from his previous playthings. That
was one reason he used the penthouse even when he lived in his
townhouse. Now, for the first time, he had one slip away from
him.

“Are you done with that one?” What the hell?
Garret’s mood darkened with his driver about to trip on one of land
mines he usually worked hard to avoid. Jeff always checked to make
sure it was safe before he claimed any of Garret’s castaways. Jeff
swore his chauffeur job was better than being the sleazy judge in a
beauty contest. Jeff used promises of helping the women get their
hooks in Garret to get into their pants. Valuing his job more than
an easy piece of ass, Jeff confessed his lying ways after each
conquest, to avoid any misinterpretations, if the women went crying
to Garret later. Garret appreciated his honesty and heads-up but he
always put those women on his blackball list. A woman that thought
she could fuck someone else to win his heart wasn’t anyone he
wanted back in his bed.

“That one is off limits. You didn’t happen to
see her leave did you?” He had laid claim to that one. No one
touched her until he was done. She was right about one thing; a
good mystery stimulated his imagination. A mystery he intended to
solve.

“Yep, right before sunrise. She took a cab.
Give me a day and I’ll get you the address from the cab driver.
He’s a friend of mine.”

“I would appreciate that.” Jeff’s interest in
his mystery woman wasn’t suspicious in itself as he always showed
interest in Garret’s petite conquests. His inquiry as to her
availability had come too soon, way too soon. He usually had the
good sense to wait a few days. Jeff yielded watching with this
one.

Garret saw Ted Jones nervously pacing on the
sidewalk in front of his townhouse as the car pulled over to the
curb. When the car stopped, Ted opened Garret’s door and started
pleading his case.

“Garret, I swear, I had that bid up until it
closed. Someone on that site sneaks in at the last second. They’ve
done it to me three times now. There’s no way to find out who or
how much they paid.” His quibbling voice grated on Garret’s
nerves.

“I don’t want excuses. You should have bid
higher to start with.” Garret jabbed his point across with his
finger into Ted’s chest. “Find it and get it.” Garret walked toward
his townhouse with Ted hot on his heels.

“It’s a secure site. The bids post with the
bidder’s screen name but you lose without disclosure as to the
winner. You’re paying a grand a month to ensure the privacy of the
bids.”

Garret paid Ted to know about the website so
he wouldn’t be bothered with trivial details. The mechanics of the
website was Ted’s problem; he only needed to know about results.
“You know who the other bidders were, so find them all.”

“It doesn’t work that way.
The bidder’s screen name isn’t an indication of their actual
identity. Hell, yours is
wolfman
. You can’t contact other
bidders. Everything goes through a clearing house.”

Garret stopped at his front door, ready to
rip Ted’s head clean off his body, if he heard one more excuse. He
rubbed his temples to ease the pressure before it exploded into
action. “Then, go there and get the information if you have to. I
don’t care what you have to do to get it. You lost it, now get
it.”

“I know a hacker but it will cost you.” Ted
stepped backwards when Garret turned his head to glare at him.
“I’ll handle it.” Ted threw up both hands in a surrendering
motion.

Now, that Ted understood his
responsibilities, it was time for another matter to be discussed.
“There’s something else I want you to do. I want you to find a
woman for me. I don’t know her name but she goes to a bar in Old
Town called Leprechaun’s. She knows the bartender and she just
called off an engagement with a man named Jay. Be cautious in your
inquiries or they’ll clam up on you.”

“I know that type of bar. No outsiders are
welcomed. What does she look like?” Ted eagerly jumped on the
assignment, obviously trying to make amends.

“About five four and petite. You can’t miss
her hair. Lots of long curls…light brown with blonde and auburn
highlights. I think she lives close by.” Angel hair…that was what
she had… angel hair. The description of her hair was one of those
thoughts that ran around your brain, tickled your tongue then
disappeared as you tried to speak. He liked the sound of Angel
hair. It was perfect, just like her. Her sparkling blue eyes, her
pug nose and delicate features topped her petite body, sleek and
toned like that of a dancer.

“Personal or business? Do you want me to
bring her to you?” Ted puffed his chest, pulling on his belt,
indicating he was a man of action, ready for anything.

“Personal, and no. Just find out what you
can. Name and address for starters. Call me or text a.s.a.p. with
any and all info. Now, go and keep me updated while I deal with
this latest delay of my townhouse.” Garret disappeared inside his
townhouse, leaving that headache outside.

The following days of the next two weeks
blended into a hectic blur. With his plate overflowing and very
little sleep, Garret survived the transfer of family
responsibilities by mainlining caffeine. With a coffee cup glued to
one hand, he finished the take-over. His team of corporate
mercenaries invaded his latest and last company on a long list of
hostile takeovers. He successfully moved to the Foundation. His
temper was explosive after the completion of the move with his lack
of sleep. The first meeting as CEO of the Presley Foundation went
well under the circumstances. He handed out layoff notices and
heads rolled as Garret cleaned house of all the pocket-lining board
members that were bleeding the foundation dry. The thought of
recuperating those funds started his juices flowing. After serving
four years in the Special Forces, Garret developed a thirst for a
good fight.

On a brighter note, Ted’s hacker found the
purchaser of one of four paintings Garret needed to complete his
promise to his grandfather. Aged Treasures, an internet company,
slipped in a bid the exact second the bidding ended. Garret was
undecided whether to terminate the company or hire the sneaky
prick. He appreciated good business savvy. There was always
something new to learn from a setback. If the man impressed him, he
would offer him a procurement position. The meeting Ted arranged
through the company’s website would be the deciding factor.

Garret was thoroughly rested after a
well-earned good night sleep. Now, he planned to catch up on emails
until time for the meeting with Aged Treasures. He ordered
breakfast, one of the few things he would miss when he moved back
to his townhouse. The final inspection of the renovations was
scheduled for the middle of next week. His life had the beginnings
to some semblance of normalcy.

The elevator opened, delivering the same type
of cart, holding the same breakfast, he had every day he stayed in
the penthouse suite. He followed his usual routine of moving the
cart and turning on the news. He sat on the end recliner of the
sectional just as his phone rang. What the hell, Jeff never called
him, he called Jeff. Garret answered the phone expecting a problem
with the town car.

“Hey Boss, I hope I’m not disturbing you. I
thought you would like to know I saw Hannah Greer last night. The
girl you’re looking for.”

“That’s good news. Where was she?”

“I was in Leprechaun’s last night and she
caused quite a stir. I’m sending you a video.”

“Thanks Jeff, I’ll be here until eleven.” So
her name was Hannah, Hannah Greer. He was stunned at how easily her
name rolled off his tongue. Her name suited her.

He had put his mystery woman on the back
burner with all the changes taking place in his life. Ted turned
out to be as useless as a dick on a dead man in regards to finding
her. The bar patrons pegged him for a cop and he was ostracized.
Thankfully, Jeff stepped in on his own accord infiltrating the
group. Garret suspected there was a piece of ass involved but he
would reward Jeff anyway.

Garret clicked on the video anxious to see
Hannah Greer again. He mainly wanted to reaffirm she was as
beautiful as he remembered. Doubts had crept into his thoughts. The
mystery part of the night may have clouded his memories.

An image of Hannah’s back, he recognized the
Angel hair, at the bar talking to the bartender jiggled on his
phone. The small screen combined with Jeff’s shaky hand made it
impossible to watch. He downloaded the video to his laptop.

He opened the video on the bigger screen. The
jiggling motion stopped after the first few seconds. Garret assumed
Jeff steadied his phone on the table. Skintight low riding jeans
hugged Hannah’s firm ass. Her bare waist showed when she moved and
the white tank top slid up her back. He would love to know what she
was saying because she was pissed. So, there was some fire in that
sweet piece of ass.

The blaring music prevented any chance of
hearing her chastising words. She stomped her foot more than once
with her hands fisted on her waist. Her hair swayed after angrily
nodding her head. Her stiffened index fingers jabbed on the bar or
into the air directed at an astonished bartender. She obviously had
more courage than size blasting away at man almost a foot taller
than her. Garret was aroused by her fiery display.

A gift-wrapped box went spinning down the
bar, after she shoved it out of her way. Her hands slammed on the
bar and she hopped onto the bar stool on her knees. With another
hop, her feet replaced her knees on the seat before she stepped
onto the bar. Larry shook his head with frustration written across
his face. He stooped behind the bar and the music’s volume
diminished. Hannah turned to face the crowd as Larry’s loud whistle
drew everyone’s attention. Larry crossed his arms over his chest
leaning back on the workspace behind the bar. When she turned to
face the crowd, Garret wished he had taken the time to visit her
before now. His dick, sure as hell, remembered her. Her vibrant
beauty wasn’t diminished by the crappy video taken by Jeff’s cell
phone. She definitely would have soothed his foul mood.

“I apologize for the interruption I just
needed to clarify a few things. Most of you know me but the ones
that don’t just pretend you sobered up on a reality show. I have
returned all the gifts I had in my possession. If you don’t receive
yours, get with Jay. He’ll have them at his apartment. Jessie, I
left the cash for our spa day with your mother. I didn’t know how
it was divided so I would appreciate you handling that part of it.”
Her voice was calm, almost cheerful, which surprised him after her
obvious temper tantrum. She was a hand talker. Her body shifted as
her arms moved to accentuate her words.

“I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable
with the break-up, so this will be my last visit to this bar. All
of you know our wedding has been cancelled and why. Most of you
knew why before I did. The night I left here with a man is not an
issue in our break-up… no matter what you’ve heard.” Her eyes
twinkled as she mischievously smiled.

“I knew it. I told you she wouldn’t just run
off and have sex with a stranger.” The louder male voice sounded
closer to Jeff’s phone.

“Was he as hot as everyone said?” A female
voice yelled from somewhere in the bar. Hannah’s soft laughter lit
up her face. She pointed and winked at whoever asked the
question.

“Whatever you imagined happened or didn’t
happen, is no one’s business but mine. I had already given Jay back
his ring. Of course, he was busy humping his brains out at the
time, so his recollection might be a bit fuzzy. I hope some of you
keep in touch. You can always reach me by email. The ones that knew
about Jay’s dick diving activities and neglected to tell me… can
kiss my ass. You know who you are and so do I. Unlike everyone that
laughed behind my back, I am saying what I have to say to your
faces. You can stop contacting me for information about my wild
sexual encounter for Jay’s benefit. That is my business and surely
not Jay’s. It’s been a fun ride guys… I have a lot of good memories
from all the good times in this bar… but this is goodbye.”

The music returned, drowning any further
conversation. Larry extended his hand to help her down. In a
crisscross wave of her hands, Hannah refused his offer and stepped
back on the barstool. She bent her knees to jump to the floor. She
took a few steps before she high-fived a man as she passed his
table. The man turned to stare at her ass just as another man
grabbed her by the arm. The hateful glare she pointedly directed at
him confirmed that must be Jay. The video shook and ended.

Garret’s amusement from her ballsy
confrontation dissipated after witnessing the last disturbing
image. Garret picked up his cell phone and speed dialed Jeff. Jeff
answered on the first ring. If there were the slightest mark on
her, someone would regret it for a long time to come.