Chapter 1

My life was now free of her. She had really gotten the best of me. I never even suspected her affairs. Not that she had been very careful, I just never was with her at these parties she went to. If it had not been for a girl I worked with asking me if I knew what my wife was out doing, I would still in the dark. My name is Peter Pipper. Pipper with two 'P's' thank you very much.

I was now a single man again. The PI had been expensive, but he had been thorough; the 'Bitch' had made his job very easy. The lawyers, though, were not cheap. Because the girl had alerted me, most of any cash was salvaged since I waited a day before the papers were filed. That saved a lot, after everything was done, there was enough to pay for the divorce and give the girl a nice vacation in Hawaii, on me, she had earned it.

The townhouse we both had owned. There was not much equity in it. It was actually sold and the money split. I never wanted to see her again, or so I thought then. I really did not want to go on. I really did not want the 'Bitch' to win either. She had made a mockery of our marriage and all our friends knew it. Hell, most of them were screwing her.

We had been comfortable, not wealthy or rich but I made enough to pay the bills. It had not been enough for her though. When the divorce was finally over I had a decision to make. My Job(Same Ad Agency as her), home and social life would keep me seeing her, quite often. This was not something I wanted. I also liked New York. Maybe not the same scenes she did, but life there was never dull. As I found out.

I had rented, not leased a new flat in Mid-town. It was expensive, but as I was not certain of what or where I was going, the month to month option was attractive. The good thing was there we had no kids. Because she had been cheating on me there was no alimony either. One of the benefits of the PI photos.

I did finally quit my job. From the money I had left, $43,000 would not last in New York. I had given the girl, Angela, pre-paid tickets, hotel and two-weeks of all expenses paid. It had cost about $6,000. I did not care, it seemed the right thing to do.

I had been looking in Lower Manhattan for a less costly place, also a job. There was a weekend gig going on, off Canal Street, I listened to the band for a while then decided to grab a bite to eat before heading home. I called the apartment home now.

I had given my cell number to a couple of people at work. It was a Friday, just past 5PM when I heard the ring tone of my phone. If I had not been a walkup away from the music I would have missed it. The lines to the restaurants at or near Canal were horrendous, I was going to Del Monico's, Judy was probably working that night and I would see a smile and a great steak. She was a college girl and had been a shoulder to cry on, nothing more. I needed a smiling face tonight.

By the time I had gotten my phone out, I had missed the call. OH Well! a wrong number since I saw no name on my caller ID. As I was putting the phone away, it rang again. God, I loved this William Tell Overture. I answered, Hello. "Peter, is that you?"

"That or my Doppelganger", who is this."

"Angela, from work. At least your old work. I just got back and had to tell you Thank You, it was wonderful!"

Hey, no problem. You saved me a ton of grief and some money too, so it was my gift to you for that.'

"I'm sorry that I was the one to tell you. So many people were talking about her, the way she was at parties, that, that ... I had to tell You, I am so sorry. We're you at now?"

"Near Wall, I'm going to get some dinner then home..."

"No, I meant work!"

"Hell Angie, I don't even know if I am going to stay here, no job yet, and I have a month to month in Mid-town."

"Yeah, gets expensive, I know. I may go back home if my roomy decides to leave."

"Where is she going? Where is home?" I had never really known much about her, we just worked for the same company. The fact that she clued me in what my Ex was doing made her a friend. Something I did not have an abundance of right now.

"Her name is Julie, I'm not sure, she has been trying forever for a contract. I think the delay has made her want to give up. She is a model, pretty good too. But here good looks are a dime a dozen. I think she was from Atlanta or Savannah, somewhere in the South. Gets expensive here, like I said, if she leaves I may too, our lease is over end of this month."

"Yep, I hear you. Well girl I hoped you work things out and I am really glad you enjoyed Hawaii."

"Oh, God, Peter, it was the best, Thank you again."

I sort of perked up. That steak was beginning to melt in my mouth already. Hey, I remembered the waitress at Del Monico's was Julie, not Judy. I'd remember, her name was the same as her roomy.

The food was OK. I did not have an appetite tonight. Julie, (I'd gotten her name right) was busy on a Friday night, but I did get a nice smile. I left her a generous tip, too. It was 7:30 ish. Train or cab seemed the best. I walked the two over and one up back to Wall and started down for the 35-B to Mid-town.

That's when I saw them. Two small girls and an old lady. I continued, stopped then watched them. The street people and homeless come out early on Wall. She held the girls with one hand while looking for anything of value in the trash can. I approached them, slowly and asked if they needed help. I did not want to frighten them.

The old lady said something. The older girl, still holding her hand softly said. "Please sir, we were not doing anything, just looking for stuff. Grandma does not speak English, only Polish!"

Having been raised by a Polish and Russian family, I actually knew Polish. When I asked again, this time in Polish how I might help, the smile on her face could have lit the whole city. There were many hungry and homeless here, I decided this night there would be three fewer. I took her hand.

"Come grandmother, we are going to dinner first then to let you and your girls clean up and rest." We went back to Del Monico's. We sat in the bar, which was clearing out by now. "Julie dear, my friends here need some of your magic touches. Give them whatever they want, the older lady only speaks Polish so you may have to ask the girls."

To everyone's surprise, Julie started speaking to the old lady in Polish, took their order and gave me a smirk and a smile as she went to the kitchen. I felt a gnarled hand take mine and the teary face of the old woman. "Dziakujemy" she said. "Dziakujemy"

The food she brought out was not the regular meals served. It was everything from soup, salad, meat, fresh vegetables and several desserts. When they were done I asked Julie for the bill. "What bill! I just had them sample some of the food us poor servants get here."

A short, heavy-set man came up, handed Julie a bag which she gave to one of the girls. "For a snack," she said with tears in her eyes. She patted my hand, "You're a good man."

I then explained that I would like them to come home with me. That I lived alone and I would not hurt them. I reached in my wallet, called Julie back and showed them all my ID. I told them Julie would be their witness, that I had asked them to go home with me. As we left Julie whispered, "you better behave Mr. Pipper, I know where you live."

Actually it was still my old address on the ID. We took a cab, this was getting to be expensive. $73 for a cab to Mid-town, on a Friday night, was cheap. The doorman looked a bit askance at the old lady and two girls. I asked Ralph if he could still buy them some clothes tonight and gave him $400. He said, "In New York, he could get anything, anytime, day or night."

Getting them to take a bath was seeming to be a showstopper; that is until Ralph came back with some clothes, and bless him, shoes, socks, underwear and an assortment of girl things. When I mentioned bubble bath, the girls pulled the old lady in, like they were giving stuff away. I asked Ralph how much more? "Well, we have this guy who has a friend, who knows this other guy ... Well you know New York!"

The apartment had two bedrooms and had come furnished. (It should for what they were charging me.) It took a bit longer to convince them I was not an axe murderer, and was not going to sneak up during the night. One of the girls moaned, Awww.

We all made it through the night, alive. I had a service that brought up breakfast for four. As I opened the door, after knocking on the bedroom door, I entered pushing in the food cart. I did not see the old woman and two girls, instead three adult women in some gauze that resembled long gowns.

"MMM, is that for us?" I heard. "I hope you ordered enough, I'm starving again."

I did no know if I should give her a smart answer, run out screaming or sit down and pretend I was dead. I guess that last one only worked on bears, I was not expecting this.

"Do you always treat little old ladies this way, or take little girls back to your room, ummmm?"

Now I knew running quickly was the right choice. "I do, if they are as pretty as you three?" I said.

"Wow a nice man, and a funny one, in New York too. Now, before we give you your wish, what did you bring us to eat?"

If this was a joke or some prank, well, I was easy, this was not Halloween but these three were not hard to look at, either. "Ladies this is but the appetizer, I'll leave it up to you which main course you are in the mood for?"

"Very funny, indeed." I heard. The blond lifted the lid in one dish, "MMM! scrambled eggs and round things."

"Muffins," I said. They started taking things from my $97 cart. "Hey, that's mine I said, as a rye toast vanished."

Whoever had set me up had really done well. These women were good. The gowns they wore looked like something from Macbeth, you remember, the tree witches, but these were more like movie stars. Damn they were good. Cute too.

"Your pretty good yourself, Do you always feed your succubus like this? If so, I want to apply."

Cute and sexy too. A guy could get used to them.

"Well eat up my pretties, I'll be moving on, I guess."

I got this strange look. "Why, we thought you wanted to get even with the 'Bitch'?"

Now I knew someone, maybe I still had a friend, had set this up. "Well my lovelies, it might be I choose you instead of 'revenge', you appear to be the 'sweeter' of the two."

"Maybe you can have both, if you are really, really good." The blond said.

"Any man that treats a poor, old lady and her two defenceless little, young, tender, girls like you did, has a chance with us." Said the redhead.

"Yeah, every Halloween, we search for an honest man and give him a treat" the brunette said."

"Hon, that's the old man searching and this is not Halloween," from the blond again. "Don't mind her, she is new to this. Truth is, we were bored and started slumming. When you tried to pick us up, we decided to see if you were for real. When you started talking Polish, you had us, anyway you wanted us, I think. When you fed us and bought us clothes, I think we all got a little excited, I know I did. By the way, how do you like these?"

As she turned, several slits opened and there was no doubt she was a woman, a very well endowed one. "Hmmm", the Redhead said. "Patience, Patience," and laughed at her joke.

God, if I was feeling down and out because of everything, this was like a wake-up jolt. Whoever arranged this was on my gift list forever.

"Here, honey, this will get you started. She handed my a bankbook. We'll be back and can you get some more of those round thing, they are good?"

"Yes Milady. I shall see to it we have a fresh assortment for you. Coffee, Tea or me too?"

"I think, Yes Milord."

I turned for a second and when I looked back, they were gone. This must have cost a fortune, or somebody had three very professional friends. There was only one person I knew who would want to cheer me up. I used my cell.

"Angela, it's Peter. I give, you really got me. I feel like a million bucks and a little like a schoolboy. You did not have to do it, but where on earth did you find those three delightful women, I think I'm in love?"