They arrive together

The Blue Crab is (as you probably guessed) a seafood restaurant that I like in these days of Covid because of its open-air patio and the delicious mimosas even on weekday mornings. I am sitting patiently at one of the outdoor tables sipping on the said mimosa when Alison arrives.

“Hey Mr. P,” Alison's cheerful greeting makes me look up eagerly. “What did you do to your leg?” I almost forgot the inflatable cast on my leg. I had decided that morning that looking like an invalid might help convince the pretty Indian coed why I wanted someone to live upstairs and do odd jobs in exchange for room and board.

“Oh, I'm fine, Angel.” I assure her, “The old leg flared up a little, you know how it does sometimes.” Alison leans in for a very warm hug and with her soft lips pressed against my ear she whispers in my ear. “You big faker. It might take some time to warm her up, but I like this one. She's going to be just what you're looking for.” She pulls away leaving a wisp of her flowery perfume and holds out her hand to Riya who has perched silently on a nearby wall.

“Don't be shy,” Alison encourages the slender beauty, “He's not as fierce as he likes people to think. In fact,” she pauses to give me another big hug, “He's really just a big old teddy bear.” Riya smiles nervously and blushes a little as she sees me staring at her. She looks even better in person than the snapshot Ja'mal had taken. Not at all curvy with next to nothing up top and slightly boyish hips; that and her lack of make-up make her look young, I am still having trouble believing she's twenty. Riya's best features are those long legs and the firm ass squeezed into designer jeans that look like they were painted on.

“Mr. P,” Alison smiles innocently, “I'd like to introduce you to Riya Kapadia, she's a friend and she needs help.” Because I'm watching for it, I see Riya's almond-shaped eyes widen slightly as this woman she just met introduces her as a friend. She hesitates for only a moment before placing her small, perfectly manicured hand in mine. Her hand is so soft, I doubt this Indian debutant has ever done a real day's work a day in her life.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Riya.” I hold her hand just a fraction of a second longer than is proper. “Can you join us for lunch?”

“Oh no, Sir. I wouldn't want to intru-” I was a little surprised both by the posh British accent and Riya's polite refusal. I guess in hindsight, from what little I know about the Brits, I should have realized that the two went together like fish and chips.

“None of that, now.” Alison cuts off Riya's polite refusal with an almost motherly care. She moves to Riya's side and steers her towards one of the three remaining seats at the table with her arm around the nervous girl's slender waist. “I told Riya about how good you were to me during the pandemic, Mr. P. I really think you two should talk.”