Chapter 25 The Spy

"Hey stranger" Greg walked up to Josh who was already pumping away on the treadmill. There s no time like Saturday morning to get into a better shape at the gym, he thought.

"Hey Greg, how are you doing. It s been a while." Josh responded to his friend s greetings panting from the work out on the treadmill.

"I m cool, and how s it going with work?" he asked dropping his bag on the floor to get on the empty machine beside his friend. He didn t know he would be doing this but Lewis had put him up to it. One of the reasons he obliged Lewis was because the man was there for him. He s been there for his family when his own father took ill and had been hospitalized. It was Lewis that helped him got the hang of his father s business. With that the ma has earned his loyalty, he thought. Greg pressed the button on the mill to a slow start. Lewis had thought of strengthening the family bond by arranging a marriage between him and Brenda. Unfortunately Brenda has other plans. Plans that didn t include him, he was hurt by her by rejection. What could he do other than give her space? She practically told him she needed the space. And if Greg was truthful to himself, he needed the space too. For a long time he d though they were an item. He had been friend-zoned, which is the biggest woe a man in love could experience with his woman love interest.

"Hello, are you still there?"

Greg came out of his reveries at Josh s words. "Yeah I m fine" he said distracted

"Ok hit me, what s the problem because you don t seem fine." Josh slowed the pace of his own machine. "How s your Pops these days?" josh asked him thinking it has something to do with Greg s father illness.

"He s still same." Greg was truly sad, as he s always at the mention of his Dad s illness. It s been a while but no improvement whatsoever… yet.

"I m sorry man." Josh sounded really sorry empathizing with his friend.

He nodded pensively at his friend s empathy "How are you though?" Greg asked shifting the attention from his sick Dad.

"Well, I m doing great." Josh answered with a big grin on his face.

"That s a big smile" Greg commended.

"Yeah" his smile got bigger. "And thank you for inviting me to this place."

"Yeah it s been an old membership privilege I have not used. And I thought why don t we use the catch up time?"

"Thanks man. Because it turned out that your invitation is timely" he responded with a chuckle.

"Am I missing anything here… timely… what s that?" Greg asked confused

"Yeah…" josh sounded a little embarrassed, a certain love interest of mine like her men all sinewy and muscled up" he said averting his gaze. "You know what… let s step out for a bit, if you don t mind"

Greg was amused and at the same time his interest was piqued. "Okay, let s get a breather outside"

They both stopped their slow-paced machine and walked out of the Gym for fresh air. They walked a couple of blocks from the Gym.

"So this love interest…. Is it someone I know?" Greg asked an amused smile on his lips.

"Yeah… you might have met her once, although at the time I didn t think it was going to be a serious thing… you know, it was just a casual date. Then I got to know how smart and funny and witty she is and I kind of enjoy her company not to talk of her beauty" Josh drew on lost in his fantasy world.

"You got it real bad Bro" Greg gave him a jab.

"Yeah, I know. I mean thanks to you and Brenda. If not for you guys, I wouldn t have met her."

"Wait!" Greg stopped mid track "You mean Brenda s Realtor?"

"Yes! Ella."

Greg laughed really amused this time "You Dog"

"No this is real… No dog kind of thing here." Josh sounded serious. "I mean I wouldn t mess with her not with a brother like Dave. Even Ella is a kick-ass kind of girl so I wouldn t dare. Besides bro! This is real I feel it in my gut."

Greg watched his friend s animated gestures and was truly happy for him. "Wait, is Dave not the hotel…."

"Yeah he s the owner of the hotel quite right. I couldn t believe the guy s achievement either." Josh chipped in excitedly.

"Maybe it s a family business, and he s helping his parents to run it like many of us do these days." Greg tried to hide his scorn under nonchalance

"Man, I tell you, he built his wealth from nothing. I kind of admired him."

"How did you know that?" Greg asked his spy-boy antenna picking up signals.

"Well Ella told me stories of how it was tough for them growing up, having no parents and all." Josh leaned towards Greg in conspiracy "Did you know Dave was a hero since when he was young. I mean the guy saved his mum from his abusive Dad."

Greg thought he would scream from Josh s hero worship of Dave Campbell, especially if he said one more word of praise about him, but he was curious too. "How did that happen?"

"I heard he knocked his Dad unconscious when he was strangling his mum. But the old man didn t make it eventually, likewise his mum. I feel sorry for him and Ella too. I mean I would do the same in his shoes. I can t let anyone mess with my mum, not even her husband."

"That s terrible." Greg, in spite of himself sincerely felt sorry for Dave.

"I can t imagine how hard it must be for them losing both parents at such young age."

They walked in companionable silence for a while. Greg s thought going back to his own sheltered childhood. And Josh s thought were on keeping Ella from more pain, each man with his own thoughts.

"You see why I can t mess with Ella s heart. She went through enough already so I won t do it to her."

"You guys seemed to like each other a lot" Greg commended, slightly jealous of their relationship. "A woman doesn t just dump all that on you if she didn t see you as special already"

"Yeah, I know alright, though I haven t told her yet but things a pretty serious on my side. I just hope she feels the same."

"Trust me she does. I only wish I could say same with Brenda."

"I thought you guys were an item, seeing all that display at her welcoming party." Josh said remembering the happy face on Brenda and Greg that night at the Davila Hotel.

"Well I thought so too, until she told me otherwise." Greg said, trying to decipher if it was his heart or his pride that s in pain.

"I m sorry man" Josh said to his friend."

"I m sorry too."

***

Dave never believed he would be doing this. Here he was sitting at the reception of one Dr. Miguel for his appointment. He was early to get himself mentally ready for this. He was so nervous. He never really opened himself for anyone let alone a stranger. But in truth I knew he needed this for his mental well being. His future lies beautifully ahead of him. He came to the conclusion that if he wanted to be better than his father he needed to talk to someone professionally, someone who will not judge him. But right now in this surprisingly beautiful reception, he s extremely nervous. He felt like a virgin bride who was to be initiated to the act of lovemaking on her wedding night. Okay, maybe that was dramatic, but coming here scares the living daylight off him.

"Mr. Campbell? A young receptionist came to ask him.

"Yes, Yes that would be Me." he stammered. Irony of life who could believe ever confident Dave could be this nervous. He thought jokingly, probably to calm his nerves.

The young receptionist must have guessed his fright "You will be fine sir" she smiled at him. "Please, this way sir." She led the way.

Surprisingly she felt calm by the receptionist welcoming words and smile.

Dave stood at the door where the kind receptionist has deserted him. He gently tapped on the door.

"Come in please." The female voice summoned him from the other side of the door.

"You are welcome Mr. Campbell." The nice looking lady said, standing up from her seat behind the desk, she walked towards Dave. "Please do have your seat"

Dave nodded curtly and obliged the lady. She looked to be in her late forties, beautiful with a nice smile and sa very intelligent set of eyes.

"So how are you doing today?" she asked with a genuine smile, like she really cared to know and not out of courtesy or making a conversation.

"Great… I m doing great"

"Should I offer you anything? I mean I have some to die for cookies, I can ask my secretary arrange some. And maybe a cup of tea"

Dave was skeptical, but finally acquiesced. "I wouldn t mind some, not when you asked so nicely." He responded and that was the ice breaker.

The nice receptionist soon came in with the snacks after the Doctor spoke with her on the phone.