C9 The city park lounge

"It was fun catching those unplanned photos of you. I am going to have your handler put them up on your Instagram. How does one go from week to week without pictures? Do you not know that you are a celebrity?"

Rowan was angry but he was trying to remain calm.

"My life, my choices!" He retorted to Jack.

Jack laughed hysterically at his cousin.

"Well, if you feel offended, I am sorry. However, I am not sorry that I got pictures of you taken; I am only sorry that it was done like an ambush."

Rowan threw him a cold stare and shook his head.

"You're a terrible human, you know. I will have my pound of flesh. Just watch."

Jack laughed again.

"I am a jolly good fellow, if you throw lemons at me, I will make a huge basin of lemonade from them. You need not worry."

At this point, Rowan found his anger dissipating and his heart lightened a bit.

He smiled slightly at Jack and his smile got Jack almost reeling on the floor with laughter.

"You know you want to laugh so loosely and loudly like I do. Come on, try it; it really isn't that difficult."

Rowan burst into laughter and hit the table.

Jack was an arse, he thought. But the beautiful things about him were the facts that he was always there for Rowan and he never had a gloomy face.

"Well? Are you still mad at me?" Jack asked with a smile that said "I know I won you over."

"I was just burdened by a few events. Remember that lady from two nights ago; the same one I mentioned was supposed to be at the Villa?"

"Yeah… the one you said denied knowing you. That you also said you met four years ago?"

"Yeah. She is the most extravagant, lazy, clout-chasing, gold digger I know!" Rowan yelled.

"What?" Jack asked with a shock-stricken face. "How did we come to this conclusion?"

"You know that night when I got back, she saw me coming and sprang up the stairs into her bedroom."

"Why would she do that?"

"I have no idea! Probably because she knew that she had a lot of explaining to do about her whereabouts. To think that I was even thinking about her as a possible wife."

"Oh come on… she just lost a jewel. But you could have talked things over with her. Maybe she really did have some explanations."

"That is not the point, Jack.

"The point is that she has been siphoning money from my company, having all expenses paid for trips to exotic locations, receiving a statutory monthly allowance of about 10 000 dollars and a payment called miscellaneous. Yet, she was apparently whoring about like she owned herself and my company was funding her lascivious lifestyle. Isn't that too much craziness for one woman?"

His voice went down, showing how much depression he was feeling.

Jack had pity for him etched on his face.

But he was careful not to sound too pitiful because he knew his cousin would not condone excessive care or show of concern.

"So, what did you do to her?" He asked with curiosity.

"I had to ask the bitch to leave my house before I got back. I didn't even want to set my eyes on her. The audacity she demonstrated was choking and had I set eyes on her, I may have beaten her to a pulp and ended up being accused of being abusive."

"Good thing you asked her to leave then. I guess she will know the difference when she stops receiving those excessive amounts of money she didn't work for. Some women can be crazy, really."

"I do not know why and how our paths crossed. It is just annoying that I let myself stoop so low to her level," Rowan bemoaned with fury evident in his eyes.

"Did you sleep with her?" Jack asked with a mischievous grin.

"If I didn't, would I feel too indebted to her? It was something almost like unsolicited sex. I do not want to use the word 'rape' because she did not complain nor did she revolt; she just followed with it. But I felt a certain level of guilt for taking her to her vulnerable point and then I decided to take her in. In addition to that, I was attracted to her; her face, her smile and her killer body."

"You seem to be in love with her though…" Jack suggested with a dim expression.

Rowan looked at him and shook his head.

"You haven't been listening the whole time, man. I am done talking about myself. I just came here to have a bit of a time out. I guess it is time I went back to the comfort of my villa."

Jack was shocked at his sudden mood change and tried to convince him to stay a while longer, but Rowan insisted and stood in his chair.

"You're really leaving, cous?"

"I am already halfway through the door," Rowan replied with a smirk. "By the way, if you need to get drinks, use this number. I'd like you to add points to the young lady. She has a great personality and you two might get along."

His gaze was mischievous and he winked at Jack, who took the number card with a smile.

"Go home, jerk," Jack jokingly called after Rowan as he walked out of the VIP lounge.

"Please cry me a river," Jack added with mischievous laughter.

Rowan turned around and gawked at him with his middle finger in the air.

Jack looked at the number card and dialed it with the phone on the table. A voice picked at the other end.

"Good evening, Rosemary speaking. Kindly tell me your table number and your order."

Her voice struck a chord in Jack's heart and he felt a tingling feeling.

"Table 1b; I'd like a blue cocktail and a pot of shisha. Man needs to get high."

She laughed merrily and said "coming through," before hanging up.

Jack found himself being anxious to meet the mysterious voice behind the call. He was intrigued by her.