Page 3 of Vortex

“Hey, Vortex. Haven’t seen you around lately. How’s things?” Before I get to answer, the lights change and he growls away. Thinking this could be fate, I follow him to his office.

He’s parked up and walking into his office building as I get there. Leaving my hog where I can see her from the realtor’s window, I head inside. As I walk in, a woman has plastered herself to him, and she looks as though she hasn’t eaten in a month. I don’t mean she’s skinny, she is just devouring him. Hearing my gentlemanly cough has no effect on their shenanigans, so I fold my arms and wait for her to let him come up for air.

Walking back to her own desk she gives me a look that says she isn’t a one-man woman. I don’t think it would take very much encouragement from me to be getting the same treatment, just not as openly in front of her boss, boyfriend, whatever.

Now I’ve known Tristan Everett for a long time, and he’s never been flashy or so openly flirtatious with women. Before my time in the service, we hung out for a while. I liked him, and part of that came from him being different. He’s of British descent and his parents tried to hang onto that. He tried to fit in with his new environment, and he was tormented mercilessly because of it. He tried to hide his accent, and when he spoke in what he thought sounded American, it was just awful. Everyone calls him Chris, including me eventually, because whenever he told them his name was Tris, they asked if he’d said Chris? Whether that was deliberate or genuine, I never knew, but eventually he just became Chris.

“What do you have in the way of homes on the market? I would prefer a single-family home or a duplex at a pinch.”

Sitting back in his seat, Chris squints at me and purses his lips. If he thinks he’s gonna get a kiss from me like he just had from his receptionist, secretary or hooker, he can think again. I can still feel her eyes undressing me, and she needs to quit. I don’t do all that makeup, plastic, falseness in my women.

“The market is moving at an extremely fast pace at the moment, Vortex. There isn’t much on the market at all. It’s very lean out there.” Chris glances over at the woman, and I see him give her the slightest frown.

“It’s so slow that you’ve been able to trade in your old Honda for a Mercedes, I see.”

“Chris has a new home, too. It wouldn’t be out of place in the Hamptons.” Chris glares at her when his sidepiece reveals this tidbit.

“Candi. Get on with your own work and leave Vortex to me.” This is out before he realizes, and it’s in a sharper tone than she is used to, judging by the shocked look on her face.

“As I was saying, Vortex, the market is moving extremely quickly at the moment. Nothing is staying available on the market for very long at all.” Chris gives me what I assume is supposed to be a ‘sorry’ look, but it doesn’t wash with me.

“So you’re telling me that there isn’t a single thing on the market that would suit my requirements, is that it?” It isn’t what you’d call a small city, or even a big town that we live in, but to say that there isn’t anything available just doesn’t seem right. If there’s nothing available, how does he get to buy a bigger house and a flashy set of wheels?

“If you leave me your number, I can see what comes in and give you a call?” I know that tone of voice. As soon as I’m out the door, my number will go in the trash, and I’ll never hear a thing.

“There’s a place that's come on the market this morning that would suit what you’re asking about.” Candi speaks up and gives Chris a look that says, ‘fuck you and your attitude.’

Looking over at her, I raise my eyebrows. “What might that be, Candi?”

“I’m not aware of anything on the market that hasn’t already had an offer made on it. With an offer in place, there’s no point in looking at it.” Chris is very quick to jump in, and I’m beginning to get a little suspicious of my old friend.

“Well, this came in before you got here. I haven’t had time to process it or send you the details yet. It’s a large single-family home, lots of yard space, on the outskirts of town, near that old man's place that you keep trying to get him to sell. Something Crazy Ranch or whatever. On that road, anyway.” Candi looks like the goose that laid the golden egg as she grins first at Chris, then leers at me. “I have the keys. I can take you out there and show you a few things if you’d like? We could take that motorcycle of yours and enjoy the ride. I haven’t ridden bitch in a loooong time.”

Chris shoots forward in his seat and almost chokes. “You don’t do showings, Candi. That’s my job. My business, my showings.”

“Hell, Chris. Let the woman out of the office for once. We’ll only be gone an hour or two. Come on, Candi girl. Let’s go for a ride.” Holding my hand out, she pops onto those mad high heels she’s wearing and moves surprisingly fast as she totters to the door. When we reach the door, I stop and let out a groan. “Damn. I only have one seat on my hog,” looking like I’d just lost first place in a lottery. She skids to a halt, but without missing a beat she turns, runs back to her desk and snatches up a set of keys.

“No problem, we can take my ‘vette. You can drive.” She hands me the keys and drags me out of the office.

When we get to her Corvette, I know exactly why she wants to go to view this house with me, when she grabs my crotch. I stop her dead in her tracks. Explaining that first, I’d known Chris a long time and wasn’t going to do this with her, and secondly, I wasn’t the type of guy who just humps someone so she can get revenge.

“It doesn’t matter. He won’t believe that we didn’t fuck. He gets off on thinking of me with other men. We’re never going to be more than fuck buddies. I take the gifts and money he gives me, and he gets what he wants out of my body. Win/win. As soon as I have enough, I’m out of this shitty town and going on a cruise. I figure I can get myself a sugar daddy and live a good life somewhere warm and sunny.”

Wow. The aspirations of some people never cease to amaze me. The drive out to the house is a real eye-opener as Candi happily tells me that Chris has gone from a once honest, good guy to a sleaze bag interested only in himself and money. She knows he’s mixed up in something shady, but she doesn’t know what or who with. Money suddenly began appearing, and it wasn’t always through the accounts of his business. She walked in on him one day stuffing money into his work safe from a carryall. He handed her a wad of cash, threw her across the table and screwed her while he was ogling the open safe. Apparently, that was the longest he’s ever lasted. Too much information for me.

The house was a mile from the Critter Craze Ranch, owned by Silas. She couldn’t throw much light on why Chris wanted the ranch, but she did say he was making offers on it. The house we came to look at was in good shape. Whoever had moved out didn’t take the time to clean it, or even take everything. I got the impression that they left in a hurry.

I could make something of this, and being close to Silas, I could keep my eye on him in his twilight years. Jesus. If he heard me say that I’d be the one needing help. We stayed out for enough time to cause Chris’ imagination to run riot. When we got back to the office, Candi mussed her hair up as she got out of the Corvette and grinned. Grabbing my arm, she waltzed back in and rather than look angry, I swear he looked turned on by the mess she portrayed herself to be in.

When I sat in front of his desk, he only had eyes for Candi. He took the house keys from me, glanced once more at her, then focused on me.

“While you were out, someone made an offer on the house. They paid a deposit, so I’m afraid it’s off the market. I have your number, Vortex. I’ll be in touch if anything comes up that I think will be of interest.”

“Yes, and now I know that you have something I can make use of from time to time, I’m sure I won’t be a stranger to your office.” Giving Candi an exaggerated wink, I head toward the door, surprised when Chris follows me. As soon as I’m out the door, I hear the lock click shut, and a blind descends over the window.

I wonder how long he’ll last as Candi regales him with whatever story she can think up.

Chapter 3