The Girl in the Rain

"A problem?" I asked and she nodded as a slight blush crept over her cheeks.

"The Guesthouse is a bed and breakfast only and the last meal I had was a light breakfast," she said with pleading eyes. "I don't know if there is a restaurant within walking distance..."

"And you are hungry," I laughed and the blush deepened.

"I'm sorry Derek."

Still chuckling I gently put my hand on her shoulder. "If you will be kind enough to accompany me, I would love to take you to dinner Steffi. At least it would change an otherwise boring bachelor Friday evening."

I guess it was simply a gesture of thanks but she raised her hand and put it on mine where it still rested on her shoulder. She squeezed and then let go and I dropped my own to my side.

"It is still early. You wanna go eat now or shall we do some window shopping first?"

"I'm really hungry Derek."

"Ok, so let's go see what is on offer."

Once again Steffi surprised me. As bachelors often do I eat out a lot so most of the restaurants in the mall were familiar to me. I made a suggestion and she unhesitatingly agreed. We got a table and while she was checking the menu I leaned over. "Wine?"

"Shiraz, if you don't mind," she said while putting the menu down. "They have a steak with all kinds of yummy things with it. Red wine it will be for me."

I smiled at her. "Take that steak but add the glazed baked sweet potato. It is something gluttons dream of."

"You've had it before?"

"As I live close by and treat myself often, it is a standing favourite of mine and you may check on this. If you listen carefully while you eat, you can hear your arteries clog up. I am having it again tonight. It is a memory maker."

We placed our orders and when the the wine arrived we touched glasses. "To a strange Friday," she said softly and I nodded.

"Strange indeed."

I looked up and for the umpteenth time saw a guy at another table giving me the eye. I had seen him earlier on when Steffi and I left the store where she had bought her shoes and he had the expression of someone wanting to say something. Our food arrived and while we ate I kept an eye on the character. He was definitely measuring me up.

Steffi enjoyed the meal so much that I thought she was going to lick the plate clean and then leaned back in her chair.

"Thanks Derek. A lousy day has turned into something I really enjoyed." She sat there studying me and then leaned to me. "I want to know something and I will be blunt."

I curled an eyebrow at her. "Chop away."

She nodded. "You are quite attractive and you referred to yourself as a bachelor. The car you drive says you have reasonable money. So does your house and yet, at your house I saw nothing that indicated a female hand had ever been there. You do not act Gay. Are you practising to be the next Cliff Richard?"

I had to shrug. "I tend to pick the wrong girls. Not that there is anything wrong with them. It's us. The combination."

"Oh?"

"I do not understand jealousy. I just cannot understand why I have to take a roasting because I spoke to another woman."

She giggled. "So, you expect your girlfriend to be ok with things like what you did this afternoon?"

I nodded. "Most definitely, yes. If I had a girlfriend she would have been the first to know anyway. And also, if I had a girlfriend she would have been here with us and maybe most importantly, if I had a girlfriend or wife I would expect her to support me in something like that with no questions asked."

Steffi sat back and grinned. "Your girlfriend will have to be very understanding."

I shrugged. "Let's just say I was married. Am I supposed to have left you next to the road just because my wife may have had a hernia because of it?"

She grinned again. "Just to be on the level. If you were married, would you have taken me home as you did?"

"Yes. No difference. In fact, I hesitated to take you home but you were sleeping so asking you would have been silly. Had I been married I wouldn't have hesitated."

And then she did the most surprising thing. She burst out laughing and I had to wait for her to recover.

"Something funny?"

"After I had dressed into the overall you gave me a lecherous up and down. Would you have done it with your wife present?"

I had to laugh at that but nodded. "Guilty as charged. Quite possibly and may have had an earful because of it. You fill out that overall very well. In fact, I find you sexier in it than your dress."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Just the truth really. If you find it a compliment, then take it as that."

She sat there looking at me with a smile and then turned around to look over the rest of the crowd inside. The guy who had been keeping me under his vision all evening suddenly found something very interesting on the other side from us and I frowned. He was obviously trying to hide his face from Steffi.

"Your boyfriend have dark hair?" I asked as Steffi was done with her inspection.

"Nope. Bald as a beach ball. He had measles in high school and it all fell out. Why?"

I doodled on the table. "Don't look now but right behind you is a guy that has been keeping us under surveillance all evening. When you turned around now he very quickly looked away. Obviously he knows you but it seems he does not want you to see or recognise him."

Steffi was not a girl to trifle with. She got up, made a slow turn and walked straight up to the guy who had been watching us. His unease was obvious as she approached and then he plastered a lame smile on his face as she got to his table. I saw her greet everyone at his table and strike up a quick conversation before returning to our table. As she sat down I saw just a flicker of anger.

"That is John Mayson. Works with Donald."

"Donald?"

"Boyfriend."

"Ah! Keeping an eye on his friend's shares?"

She made an awful noise by blowing through her lips. "If that guy and Donald were friends we would not be an item at all. He's one of those guys who would 'accidentally' move his upper arm across a woman's breasts. He also loves making lewd or suggestive remarks. A pest."

John was looking over at us again and I gave him a smile and a wave. He ignored it and I grinned at him. His eyes screwed down and I grinned wider.

We spent a while longer in the restaurant and then left. My naughty side wanted to take Steffi's hand and give John Mayson something to talk about but instead I kept my hands clasped behind my back and walked like a Gestapo officer on inspection duty.

The Guesthouse looked fine and after escorting Steffi inside I went home.

Some cars have unique headlights and I noticed that a particular arrangement was behind me once again. It had been there when we travelled from the mall to Steffi's Guesthouse as well. As I turned into my driveway it went past and disappeared down the road.

Saturday I mowed the lawn, cleaned the house, did some shopping and because Steffi had done the laundry I had some idle time on my hands. I grabbed a book I had bought quite some time ago and flopped down on a recliner to read. Darkness fell and I went to the kitchen to prepare something to eat. I wondered if Steffi had something for dinner but I had given her quite a bit of spending money so she would be alright.

Sunday morning I picked up my parents, did a quick shopping trip with them and had lunch at a garden restaurant. Somewhere Steffi came into the conversation and my mom grinned at me. "You have her phone number?"

I just shook my head. "What for? She demanded to know my banking details and I gave it to her but her phone never came into the conversation. Anyway. It is still in her car so I cannot phone her even if I wanted to."

"Do you want to phone her?"

I shrugged. "Not really. Admittedly I like her. She's gutsy and has a wide general knowledge. We had great conversations in the restaurant but she has a boyfriend and I am not going to barge in there."

My dad chuckled. "Is she pretty?"

I grinned at him. "Dad, she changed a wheel on her car by herself. She's built like King Kong and about as hairy and ugly." I wanted to elaborate but burst out laughing "Honestly Dad, looking at her is pleasant even though she has blonde hair. I prefer brunettes."

Mom leaned over to me. "Do you miss Sylvia with her crown of beautiful hair?"

I sighed and shook my head. "We were together for more than a year and we shared some great times but we just did not gel properly. Her jealousy angered me. If I so much as spoke to a woman she inflated her cheeks. The fact that I didn't bat an eye even if she hugged another guy gave her the impression that I did not love her. The difference is trust. It is also the reason we broke up. I was tired of arguments but yeah, there are many days that I miss her."

Mom nodded. "I liked her."

"Yeah, so did I but that is done. She met someone and she actually phoned to tell me all about it. She seemed very happy and the way she carried on left the impression that she is madly in love."

That seemed to set them at ease and we chatted about generalities until I took them home. From their house I had to pass near to the Guesthouse Steffi was at and I decided to check up on her. I grinned at the protocol. I had to wait in a rather plush lounge while they called her. As she came through the door she had a slightly peeved look about her but it disappeared as soon as she saw me.

"Ah, my saviour," she laughed and shook my hand.

"My damsel in distress," I joked back. "I was in the vicinity and decided to drop by. Check up on you."

She tilted her head and gave me a long look before smiling. "I am fine thanks Derek. Bored to tears but ok."

"Bored?"

"Bored. Last night I ordered in some Chinese and sat here eating alone. Eating alone at home is bad enough but in a Guesthouse it is really unpleasant. This morning when boredom became palpable I got an Uber to take me to the mall. I went to a movie. It sucked. As you may have noticed, I bought a new dress with the money you lent me. I walked that stupid mall from one end to the other and then got another Uber to bring me here but on the way decided to get him to drive past my house."

She looked away and fell silent. I prodded; "And?"

She bit her lip. "It looked pitiful. Don't ask me why. It was just the feeling I got as we drove past." She smiled with a tinge of sadness in her eyes. "It felt as if I had lost something. Not just the fact that I could not get into my own house but there was something that made me feel like crying."

I raised my eyebrows and she sighed.

"Its silly I know but it seemed empty almost. As if it's soul had leaked out. That 'something' that always made me happy to be there suddenly seemed gone."

"Wow," was all I could say and she curled her lip in a crooked smile. I frowned. "Deep thoughts for a lonely day."

"Yip."

I decided to change the subject. "Heard anything from your insurance?"

She became animated. "Sometimes I think there are people in the world who get to the point of being employable but quite honestly I think some of them are still at the stage where they are too dense to eat by themselves and should be fed. This jerk phones to the Guesthouse this morning wanting to know when I will be able to come and get the car. Explaining to him that the keys are currently unavailable was just a little too much for his ability to comprehend. Only when I raised my voice did he get the message that I definitely do not want a locksmith to force the the car open and that I would come and get it tomorrow." She shook her head. "And I pay a company to employ eggheads."

"So you know where the car is kept?"

"Yes, I have an address."

"Uber again," I laughed and she nodded.

"First to work and then to the yard where the car is parked. Then home for a change of clothes and then back to work. Hopefully they don't fire me before I get back."

I nodded. "There is a small Italian restaurant a little ways from here. Feel like company for dinner?"

She seemed taken aback for a moment and then smiled. "Sounds fun. Dress code?"

"Definitely not that overall."

She smiled and nodded. "No lecherous looks tonight."

"No. Pick you up at seven?"

The food was great, the conversation better and the evening too short but at least we called it a night before any of us started to yawn.

Monday morning was a bit of a rush with new orders coming in and a few large ones to be delivered. At around two another call came in and I absently answered it to hear a tentative "Hi" at the other end.

"Who's this?"

A chuckle. "Steffi."

"Ah, the damsel in distress," I laughed. "Got your car?"

"Yes. And I wanted to thank you once again for everything you did for me. Please know that I really appreciate it and I will never forget it. I also repaid the money you gave me. I guess you saw that."

"My pleasure. If nothing else it brightened up a potentially slow weekend and I have to admit. It was fun."

"It was. And thank you once again Derek. Run into you sometime?"

A smile crept over my face. "Possibly. I look forward to it."

We said our goodbyes and I sat there for a few minutes staring at the phone. I liked this girl and I tried to remember how she had filled out the overall. I like women. All of them. Blonde, dark, slender, heavy, short, tall, booby or flat. No matter. But one thing I really liked was a curvy girl with with curvy legs. Like Steffi. Man!

The week went by as most do. Only the bad moments and the exceptionally exciting ones stick in your memory. Thursday evening was a ball when a couple of my friends arrived at my house and we eventually ended up at a small pub telling lies and sharing wishes over typical man-food.

Friday night I was reading in bed when my doorbell rang. I curled an eyebrow when I glanced at the bedside clock. Although not all that late but after nine in the evening visitors are not expected so I assumed there was something amiss. I pulled a T-shirt over me and in my boxers I walked down the steps, listening to a third rattle of seemingly impatient knocks on the door.

I was a little peeved when I opened the door wide. I had time to see two guys in front of me and then a fist exploded against my teeth. The shock of it made me stagger backwards and then something like a battering ram hit me in the solar plexus. I went down and tried to roll out of the way but got kicked hard for my effort. I tried to get up and I got a kick in the ribs before hands grabbed my head. With it in a vice-like grip I was pulled into a kneeling position and the next moment a kick in my groin from behind made me lift from the floor and I roared in pain and fury. Something hit me on my back and I went down again only to receive kicks wherever they found space. At some point my lonely dinner decided to take leave of me as well..

Eventually they must have decided that I had taken enough punishment and with a last kick against my head I heard a distant voice saying; "Steffi's mine fuckhead! Come near her again and we will damage you."

They had been gone for quite a while before I could breathe properly again. I tried to get up but had to abandon that when my body complained from many places of serious hurt. I curled into a ball and lay there for quite some time until I felt I could chance an attempt at getting up again. It worked but I had to hold on to pieces of furniture to prevent me from falling down again. My head throbbed and my body ached everywhere. I took a gingerly step and felt my groin cramp in pain. I groaned but thankfully remained standing.

It took forever to get up the steps and I grunted in relief as I fell on the bed. My nose and mouth was still bleeding where my teeth had been knocked loose and my lips smashed. It meant the pillow would be spoiled but I was in too much pain to care. Somewhere I fell asleep only to wake at the crack of dawn with pain being my universe. My mouth and part of my face was stuck to the pillow and as I pulled it free it hurt enough to bring tears to my eyes. Breathing was necessary but far from a pleasure. Any movement caused stabs to travel down my spine and I grunted with the pain of it.

I struggled into a sitting position and held my head while I groaned and grunted in pain, waiting for the spin to slow. Once I had the guts to do so I got up and walked to the bathroom. The mirror was in a bad mood. A malformed Ogre after a fight with Hercules may have looked better. One eye was blue and swollen shut and the other was halfway there. My lips were swollen, smashed and blue and there were holes where my teeth had gone through. Above my left eye was a goodly blue lump and I casually wondered what may have caused it. A fist? Not likely. Possibly the heel of a shoe.

I looked at the shower and grimaced. This was going to hurt but I opened the taps and very carefully stepped under the water once I had pulled my bloodied clothes from me. It stung like hell and I clenched my teeth against the pain.

I washed the blood from me and very carefully cupped the little guy and his two friends in my hand. Just touching them caused a paralysing pain in my lower body and I groaned softly, swearing death by torture if I ever ran into those two cowards again. The term blue balls will never mean the same to me again.

I pulled on a loose fitting shirt and got into my swimming trunks. At least the little guy and his friends were gently supported without being cramped or left to swing and be bashed around if I walked. I grunted down the stairs and made myself some coffee which I drank standing in my front door, looking at the blotches of blood on the floor. The smell of my meal that had been kicked out of me filled the room with its acrid sour stench.

Furniture had been moved around violently during the attack. My coffee table's leg was broken and I casually wondered if that was the cause of the bump on my head. I turned when I heard somebody behind me and looked at the shocked face of Hester, my friendly, nosy and motherly neighbour from across the street.

"What on earth....?"

I had to chuckle as an answer came into my head. "Jealous boyfriend."

She came closer and looked at me from all angles before carefully touching my swollen eye. "I heard them laughing before they left in a hurry last night. I'm sorry Derek. I didn't know you had been attacked."

I simply shrugged and Hester stood there acting as if I was something from another planet. "Phoned the police?"

I sighed. "Not yet. And even if I do, what do I say? That two guys attacked me in my house and I suspect a jealous boyfriend?"

Helen clucked. "Do you know them?"

"No, but I was told to stay away from a girl by the name of Steffi. I know Steffi."

"I see. That the girl you had here last Friday?"

It hurt like hell when I laughed and I cut it short. "You saw her?"

She just nodded and clucked some more. "You have to stay away from couples Derek. Some men take serious exception to anyone scratching around in their pond."

I could only nod. "No good deed goes unpunished."

I could see Hester making moves to leave and I bid her a good day before going back into my house. I grinned to myself knowing that within the next few minutes, news of the attack on me would be spreading around the suburb like fire.

It took some serious elbow grease and a lot of soapy water to clean the floor but I got it done while grunting with pain every time I turned in a way that my back or other muscles did not like. All the windows were open to get the smell out but at least it was clean again.

I switched on my computer and called up the control programme for the security cameras I had installed after an expensive burglary. A few clicks of the mouse and I had a ringside seat to the attack on me. Even with the bad light the cameras made recognition of the two easy. The hairstyle of one and the lack of it from the other made it clear that one was John Mayson and the other would be Donald the Boyfriend. More than once I cringed as I saw blows and kicks hitting me. These guys were having some serious fun.