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| VOYEURS BY BEESA |
CHAPTER 4 |
The next evening
Téa stands on the street corner in her most revealing outfit yet. The unseasonably cold weather finally ended today, and the early evening air is actually quite warm, especially since the sun hasn’t gone down completely yet, so Téa has opted for a little less clothing tonight. She is wearing snug, bright pink shorts that fail to cover all of her tush, matching pink spiked heels and a white shirt that has the top four buttons undone. She has tied the bottom edges of the shirt into a knot, so the shirt is more form-fitting and revealing, yet she can keep her scar...from where she was once shot...hidden.
When Del first saw her tonight, he just about had a cow over her clothing choices, but Téa runs her own life and makes her own decisions, so he knows better than to push her. While keeping an eye on Téa, he also keeps watch for that black sports car of Todd’s, since he doesn’t believe that Todd really gave up on being with Téa, the way Téa said he had. He knows that any guy who has just gone to the lengths that Todd has gone to in order to find someone who looks like the woman he lost...well, that guy is light years away from being over the woman in question. And while Del hates that Téa is the woman in question, he has to admit to himself...and only to himself...that he can relate to what Todd is going through and can even respect it, to a degree. He knows what it’s like to lose the love of your life and not be able to get over her or move on; although, Del takes comfort in the fact that he never did anything as desperate as seek out a hooker who looked like his Kate...mostly, because he never thought of doing such a thing. He shakes his head to force himself to snap out of it and concentrate on the task at hand.
"Del, can you hear me?"
"Yeah, Téa, I can hear you."
"Tell me a story to keep me awake."
"Okay," he laughs. "Once upon a time, there was this chica who wore shorts that were so small part of her ass showed, and..."
"Del! Do not disparage my little hot pants. Guys think it’s sexy," she giggles.
"Guys maybe, but brothers do not. Next time, cover your butt, okay?"
"You’re no fun."
"Apparently not."
"This is ridiculous. In all this time, we have not seen any trace of a red Porsche. I think I’m going to pay Sheila a little visit later on tonight and ask her what’s up, because something is weird about this whole situation. It doesn’t make sense. I mean, where the hell is this guy? Maybe you should tail him from his office after work or something?"
"Yeah, maybe I should," Del sighs. "So, do you miss him?"
"Miss who?"
"Come on, Téa. I know you’ve been searching just as hard for Todd’s car as for Michael Barker’s car."
"No, I haven’t, and no, I don’t miss him. End of story, now drop it."
"Okay, okay, whatever you say, Miss Ass Hanging Out All Over the Place."
Téa laughs as she approaches the paneled station wagon that has just pulled up beside her. She leans into the window and dismisses the guy who propositions her. He leaves, and Téa returns to her corner.
Inside the silver Lexus parked down the street, Todd wipes his hands off with a couple baby wipes. He struggles to regain control of his breathing. He feels a little disgusted with himself, but he knew when he saw how Téa was dressed tonight that he would end up making use of the supplies he brought with him. Moments ago, when he saw her lean forward into that station wagon window wearing those little shorts, he about lost his mind, and he certainly lost control of his body. He thinks he should feel ashamed, but he doesn’t. He feels a little guilty, because he kind of used Téa, but he knows deep down that she would probably get a kick out of it, knowing how much she turns him on and always has. He knows he really should let her in on that fact sometime.
As he scrunches up the brown paper bag he needs to throw away, he congratulates himself for thinking to buy these items tonight. He’d never bothered before, but now that he knows it’s really Téa whom he is watching, he knows he will constantly be at risk of losing control. He opens up another bag and extracts a couple candy bars and a Coke. He’d prefer a beer, but he’s not about to risk getting pulled over, not with what’s in the scrunched up bag. He settles comfortably into his seat and enjoys his candy bars, his Coke and his Téa. He knows he’s smiling, and he can’t remember the last time he was this happy.
~~~
As Todd scrunches up the bag for the third time this evening, he sees Téa leave the street corner and get into the van. He quickly starts the car and follows Del and Téa. They return to the place where Todd had dropped off Téa the previous night. They both go into the building, and Todd is disappointed that his pleasurable viewing is done for the night. Just as he is about to pull away from the curb, Téa comes bounding down the steps. Her hooker outfit has been replaced by a loose white t-shirt, baggy jeans that are cinched at her tiny waist by a black belt and scuffed white high-top sneakers. Her hair is in a high ponytail, and her makeup has been removed. She is so beautiful, Todd has to remind himself to breathe.
His eyes follow her, as she gets into a black Ford Explorer. He falls in line behind her, being careful to keep his distance. He follows her to a mansion way outside of the city, and he watches her approach the huge double doors. She knocks, but there is no answer. Todd wonders where all the servants are, since places like this always have servants.
Téa looks around, disappointed to find nobody home and no red Porsche in the driveway. She decides to take a peek in some windows, and Todd decides to join her. She is unaware that she has been followed at all, much less that Todd is standing only a few feet behind her. She climbs up some stairs to a balcony, and as she peers into a window that has soft light coming from it, she gasps aloud at what she sees. There’s Sheila and a man having sex...and the man isn’t her husband, Michael.
Téa stands transfixed by the sight before her. The couple is mostly dressed, but they’re definitely having sex...and they’re standing only a few feet away from the window. Todd quickly grabs Téa from behind, wrapping an arm around her waist and clamping a hand over her mouth. She begins struggling to get away from him, but she stops moving when she hears his soft voice.
"Delgado, shhhh, calm down. It’s only me. Shhhhh."
Téa relaxes, and Todd takes the opportunity to deeply inhale the fragrance of her hair and skin. They stand like that for a few moments, both of them silently watching the scene before them. They can both feel each other’s hearts pounding hard and fast. She begins to wriggle free of his embrace, and as he lets go of her, she whips around to face him.
"What the hell do you think you’re doing?," she whispers.
"Same thing you’re doing, taking in a freebie," he teases with a wink.
"Todd! Dammit, you know what I mean. What are you doing following me? I thought you understood last night that I didn’t want you doing that anymore."
"No, Téa, I believe what you said was that you didn’t want to see that black car hanging around your street corner anymore. Now tell me, did you see that car tonight? Hmm?"
Téa’s eyes narrow. "I should have known. You sold it and bought a new car, didn’t you?"
Todd just lifts his eyebrows and shrugs, unable to stop his smirk.
"You need to get out of here. I’m working."
"No, you’re invading people’s privacy, that’s what you’re doing. I didn’t know you were such a pervert, Delgado."
"I am not! I just came by to speak to a client, and since she wasn’t answering her door, I thought I’d look around to see if she was home but just couldn’t hear the doorbell."
Todd leans over enough to peek into the window again. "No, I’d say she has other things on her mind right now."
"Todd! Quit it. Stop looking."
"Why? You looked."
"I’m working!"
"Well, I wanna work, too!"
"Todd, just go home, okay?"
"No, I think I like this line of work," he says, as he leans over again and looks inside. Téa watches his expression darken suddenly.
"What? Did you just figure out that they were actually doing it?," Téa asks, sarcastically.
"Who are these people? Or, I should ask, who do you think these people are, Téa?"
"None of your business. Now, you need to leave."
"No, I’m staying. I’m not leaving you alone here."
"What? Who do you think you are?"
"I think I’m the man who’s going to watch over your pretty little ass, that’s who I am. I can’t believe Del let you come out here all by yourself."
"Let me? Let me? Nobody lets me do anything, Todd. I’m a grown woman. I do whatever the hell I want."
"Like hell you do!"
"Shhh, keep your voice down."
"Oh, please, Téa, that chick’s screaming so loud, she can’t hear anything we’re saying."
"Yes, he does seem to be making quite an impression on her. I just wonder who he is?"
"You don’t know?"
"No. Let’s just say that he isn’t the man I expected to find doing Sheila, okay?"
"So, you have no idea who that guy is?"
"No, Todd, why do you keep asking me that? How the hell would I know who he is? All I know is he’s not her husband. I’ve seen photos of her husband, and that’s not him."
"I’ll make a deal with you, Téa."
"Go to hell."
"Hear me out, okay?"
"No."
"I want to work with you...and that brother type guy thing of yours."
Téa sighs. "You are unbelievable."
"Yeah, I know. So, can I work with you?"
"Go away," she groans.
"Todd Manning, Private Dick," he laughs.
Téa can’t help but laugh at the sound of that. "No, Todd, you can’t work with us."
"But, I’d make a great investigator...better than you."
"Oh? You’d be better than me?"
"Yes, I would."
"Uh huh, and how do you figure that?"
"Because, I have a unique set of skills to offer. You and Del, you’re always on the, eww, the right side of the law. I, on the other hand, don’t have that problem. Besides, I’m always one step ahead of you, Delgado. I mean, you’re drop dead gorgeous and all, but you’re not all that bright sometimes."
Téa gives him a look and moves even closer to him, challenging him. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah," he says, not backing down and moving even closer still.
"Prove it, smart guy."
"Say that I can work with you first."
"I can’t say that, Todd. You’d have to talk to Del first. We are partners."
"Fine, but promise me that you’ll back me up, when we talk to Del."
"Fine. So, prove it. How are you smarter than me? How are you a better investigator than me?"
"Because, I already know who that guy is in there, boinking your client."
Téa laughs. "You know him?"
"Yes, I do."
She crosses her arms in front of her chest. "Right. Well, that’s pretty amazing, Todd. Imagine that, out of all the men on the Eastern Seaboard who could be boinking my client at this very moment in time, it just so happens to be somebody you know? Wow, that’s so...convenient."
Todd reaches up and tucks a stray piece of Téa’s ponytail behind her ear. "I really do know that guy, that son of a bitch."
Téa remembers how Todd’s expression darkened earlier and notes his change in tone now. "Okay, Todd, who is this stud?"
Todd takes a deep breath. "He’s someone I knew years ago in Llanview."
"Llanview? Really?"
"Yeah, he tried to screw me out of my inheritance, Téa. He’s a con man, a grifter. His name is David Vickers, and you’re not going anywhere near him...ever."
to be continued...
