Richard

What was matter with him? He was a constant walking hard on these days. It was like being seventeen again, but without being able to bunk off school. He’d missed so much work, that he was putting in double shifts to make up for it. It actually worked out for the best because a prospective client was impressed with his dedication and decided to choose him over a competitor. Good job, he’d not been around a week ago.

He thought back to the beach house and the time he’d spent there. His brain seemed to automatically tune into the same thought, playing over and over in his mind. He’d not seen Juliette for a nearly a week and it was killing him, but they had already made plans to spend the weekend back up at the cabin. He’d talked to her every night on his phone, sometimes for hours. He couldn’t get enough of listening to her voice, hearing what she had been up to.

The day after they’d returned from the cabin he’d looked up the Hollywood Dating Agency. He felt a great need to thank them for all that they had done for him. It was exceptionally difficult to find. He’d scoured the internet and even called 411 to track it down to no avail. He was just about to call Tony to ask him, when he found a webpage with the initials HDA written in a plain font in shadowed white with a white background and an address underneath. That was it. No pictures, no information.

After work, he bought a bunch of flowers and went to the address. It was a non-descript tower block in the classier part of town.

A very attractive receptionist wouldn’t allow him in to see the owner without an appointment, so he left the flowers with her to pass on as a thank you. They joined all the other vases of flowers that filled the office. She thrust a white card into his hand. It was the same as the web page. White on white. He absentmindedly put it in his pocket so not to offend, but he knew he wouldn’t be needing it. His dating days were over for good, at least with anyone but Juliette.

When Tony called asking to meet him at Maxim’s on Friday lunch time, he couldn’t very well say no. After all, it was because of Tony, he now felt he had a reason to live again.

Tony was waiting for him outside as usual as he pulled up in his car. This time there were no pretty ladies for him to ogle.

“Ricardo, my man! Where have you been?”

“I’ll tell you inside!”

Marnie thrust a couple of beers in their direction as they took their regular seats at the bar.

“So how did it go? She was a very pretty girl,” said Marnie, breaking her own rules and resting her elbows on the polished counter to join in the gossip.

“What girl?” asked Tony before widening his eyes. “You don’t mean the woman from the dating agency?”

“Tony,” replied Richard. “You are a god and a true friend! Thank you!” He kissed his friend on both cheeks, Italian style, causing Tony to almost drop his beer.

“It went well then?” laughed Marnie.

“I’ve got one for you too!” Richard leaned forward and pulled Marnie towards him, kissing her on both her cheeks as well, and adding one on the lips for good measure.

Her cheeks flamed which amused Richard no end. He’d never seen Marnie embarrassed before.

She took hold of her cloth and found an imaginary bit of dirt to clean up at the other end of the bar, to hide her tomato coloured face.

“Don’t tell me you got laid?”

“A gentleman never kisses and tells,” replied Richard with a grin on his face.

“You sly dog you! The agency gave me a discount because there was a no sex clause.”

“And yet you didn’t think to tell me this before my date?”

“I didn’t want to spoil your dinner,” replied Tony

Richard laughed. That was typical Tony.

“You are so thoughtful!”

He shouted his order of two burgers and fries over to Marnie and pulled out his wallet to pay. The card from the LA Dating Agency fell out. He’d completely forgotten about it until now.

He fingered the corner, almost ready to throw it away, when his gaze landed on Tony.

Tony had never been short on women. For some odd reason, they flocked to him, like moths to a flame and yet he was a lonely man. In all the years Rick had known him, he’d never had a relationship that lasted longer than it took to eat dinner.

Sacha had performed a miracle for him, could she possibly do the same for Tony?

The cost didn’t matter. A thousand dollars was nothing to him.

“So tell me about this gorgeous woman,” grinned Tony.

“Just a second,” replied Rick, getting up from the bar, taking his phone out of his pocket. “I have a quick call to make.”

Outside of Maxim’s he held out the card and dialled the number carefully.

He recognised the honeyed tones of the receptionist he’d met earlier.

“Good afternoon. Hollywood Dating Agency, How may I assist you?”