Chapter 1

It had been a rough day and from the way things had been going it looked like, although more enjoyable, perhaps, that was going to continue. I had promised Jessica I would be at her party. You try and refuse anything Jess wants or asks for. Prague to Frankford, to London then and on to New York. Fourteen hours of flying, queues, check ins and customs but she was worth it. Just one kiss from her, let alone the expectation of the night to follow was worth it.

It was not the typical Cast only party; only 200 of her closest friends. Why after all this time she still, well, I mean still tried to be friends, very good friends, friends with benefits I never could figure out. Maybe she wanted to find that certain something that would make me say no to her. Right, like that would ever happen in this lifetime. She had gotten married a few times. Her current bed partner was a real jerk.

Jessica saw me about the same time I saw her.

"Well stud, I guess I won't be bored any longer. Boy's my real man finally got here. Enjoy yourselves without me, I think my dance card just got filled up for the rest of the night. Took you long enough, I almost thought I'd have to cry myself to sleep or worse, find some 'body' to console me."

"Now Jess; I know you might call me a bit late but you know I would never miss your 'company'. It may take me some time to find my way home. Do you 'need' to call your husband should we not find our way tonight?'

The look on her face said it all. "I'm certain one or two of these 'boys' will go running to find him. I'll be in good hands, won't I?"

"Most assuredly Jess."

"I missed you; you know? Don't worry I won't ask where you where. You would never tell me the truth anyway."

"Would you rather I lie to you or just don't tell you? I missed you too. I could never stand being your husband but this way, I wait with baited breath to see you again."

"Smooth! I'll bet you say that to all your girls?"

"There will never be any like you though, Hon!"

The phone was ringing. It was my phone. Not many people had that number, no one in-fact. It was my land line. I had a Sat and cell too but even fewer knew those. Thinking it was another telemarketer, Carmen or Trudy with my 'final offer' to take advantage of the 'new financial stimulus package' now available to me. Right. I had been away a might, took the 'tele' off hook and had just put it right that night.

What a welcome back too. Maybe I'll tell you more later, much later. I told you, I think, that I missed Jess.

In a way I missed having it ring too. I answered, "Hello, Sam's home for wayward girls, are you picking up or dropping off?"

"Hello is this the Greene residence?"

"Damn, a real call. Yes, must have been a crossed line. Who is this?"

"This is Sgt. Carlson, is this Mr. Greene?"

"Yes, Sgt. What can I do for you. I pretty much gave all that I knew to your people at the station!" Jess was acting like she was going to say something. I playfully slapped her bare butt and mouthed that it was not her husband.

"Yes, I have it here. That's how I got your number. Mr. Greene, this will be highly irregular but the lady you saved tonight wanted to reach you, she said she and her family wanted to thank you and, well, insisted I release your name and number to her. I won't do that, this is a continuing investigation, unless you tell me it is OK, then I might just say the wrong thing to her."

"She was sort of pretty Sgt.!"

"No sir, she was beautiful and if a girl like that wanted to thank me, well ... so I called you to see if..."

"Tomorrow! I just got back, need sleep, food, sort of busy right now too and I've already had my allotment of phone calls for today. Maybe 2 or 3:00 pm. She is cute Sgt. isn't she?"

"No, beautiful. OK tomorrow I'll call her back. We never had this conversation Mr. Greene."

"No Sgt., What conversation?"

"Good evening and may tomorrow be even better?"

I sent Jess off after breakfast, saying that business calls.

At 3:02 pm the tele rang again. I tried to ignore it, remembered Sgt. Carlson's call and answered, just 'Hello' this time.

"Is this Mr. Greene, Mr. Greene?"

"Yes, If this is about the $37.50 I owe you, the check is in the mail or soon will be." The voice on the other end left me no doubt who it was.

"No Sir, this is Melissa Jenkins, you 'saved me last night', remember?'

"Oh you were the dancer who lost her top, or was that your bottoms that I picked up at the party?"

"Mr. Greene!"

Oh, your not one of 'them' who spent the night; did I snore? I thought that was someone else. Did I hurt you?"

"No, Mr. Greene, I think maybe you are having part of me pulled a bit."

Why, Miss Jenkins, now why would I do that?"

"It's Mrs. Jenkins as of last month and from what I recall from my single days, I could think of a few reasons."

'Drat, double Drat!' "Mrs. Jenkins was it. Why yes, I do recall saving a pretty 'Damsel in Distress' earlier last night."

"Yes, I realize how hard it might be to remember all your female faces that far back, but my family and I wanted to thank you properly for aiding me! We are new here and I went to that place to meet my husband. I am certain I would not have been alive if you had not shown up. For that I will be eternally grateful. My entire family want to meet and thank you too."

"It was just something anyone would do. The entire New York area is a mix of the good, bad and ugly. Where do you all hail from?"

"England, London, 'Etctually' my husband is with the UN now. We had just settled in last week. By the by, you gave the Constable my address instead of yours, how did you know where we lived?"

"No, I don't believe I did. I gave him 123 Governor's Castle Lane. That is my correct address."

"No that is my Address."

"No! I think I would remember someone a beautiful as you prancing around here, believe me?"

"Mr. Greene! Do you really think I am Beautiful?"

"Does the sun rise each morning? If you had a sister who looked like you, I'd marry her, maybe!"

"I have a 'twin sister' Mr. Greene, should I send her over and start making plans?"

"It's Jim and I'm the 5th floor."

"She is Heather and we are in 433. She is here visiting. Did you say the 5th floor?"

"Yep!"

"So you are the 'Mystery Man' everyone has told me about. The man that no one knows or ever sees."

"That's not true, I have a lady (Cute, cute, cute too) that stops by when I'm away, which is like all the time these days, she cleans up, waters the plants, watches the grass grow and has the service clean the pools before she swims in them."

"I don't think Heather should stop over un-announced then?"

"Tell you what, have the whole family over, just tell me when, I'll have corned beef, pastrami, fresh bread, coleslaw and pickles and we can stay on the 6th floor, I'll send a key for the lift so you can go there, you bring the root beers. I think within a week would be best I may have to go out of town again after then."

"There is no 6th floor!"

"Yes there is, that's where the indoor pool and gardens are at, the outside ones are on the roof."

"Oh my! Maybe I should only come. Joke Mr. Greene, only a joke. I think!"

"Jim, Mr. Greene was my father, I think too! Mother had a bad memory back then. A 'Twin Sister', Ehh?"

"Almost, she has the mole on ... never mind, I doubt you would notice."

"Oh, believe me I would, I think I would go over every inch in order to compare."

"Compare to whom?"