Chapter 2 - Single & Unavailable

So Romeo searched and searched for this blonde girl every where he knew but he couldn't find her. They have searched the pubs, restaurants, clubs, hotels and even airports. He felt that if he knew her name, the search would have been easier. He cursed himself over and over again for not being able to achieve this target. He has never failed at anything but time, he felt like a failure.

A month has gone by very fast and yet no sign of her. Gradually he seems to have lost all hope. He thinks to himself that perhaps she was a ghost or maybe, it was just a bad dream. He thought of putting his life back in to the way it was and pick up from where he stopped with his 'fans'.

The thing is, after the unfortunate incidence between Romeo and this blonde, Romeo has never been in his right mind. His contacts have combed the entire city in search of the girl fitting his description. They had nowhere to search anymore. Convincing themselves that she might have left the country, they vowed to get the search to their contacts in other countries since they didn't want to disappoint Romeo. He was giving up, which only meant he has lost trust in their ability to find her. Romeo was paying them better than anyone can so they don't want to lose the chance to impress him.

They didn't have a name so they had to fall on the security cameras which only gave a back and side view of her. She was a first time visitor to his club and hadn't signed up for membership so there was no information on her. No one in the club at that time knew her. He didn't understand what he was feeling for this girl. Was it love or hate? And did he really want revenge?

Ever since that encounter, he hadn't taken any 'fan' home. He just couldn't understand his own emotions anymore. But he decided to move on and treat this whole thing as a bad dream.

During one of his meetings with a supplier, He gets down from his car and mistakenly dropped his sunglasses which got a little scratch. 

"Acid",  he called. Do you know of any good boutique around? He asked.

"Yes boss". Acid replied confused.

"Take me there", he ordered

"But Sir, won't we be late for the meeting?" He asked with concern.

"Are you questioning me? came his usual arrogant tone. My damn sunglasses got scratched and you think it's okay to just wear it for the meeting? I need a new one." He said with conviction. Acid didn't have to argue because he knew Romeo will never go anywhere without his sunglasses.

"Okay boss, I will call to reschedule the meeting to an hour." He negotiated.

"Better do so". Romeo replied indefinitely.

So they drove to the biggest designer boutique Acid knew. When they arrived at the boutique, Romeo spotted the collection of sunglasses a few meters away and quicky walked to it. They were in his favourite designer brands, making him settle for seven different shades. He thought of keeping spare ones in each of his cars as he heads to the cashier and just when he was giving his credit card to the cashier, the lady in front of him turns around and with the close distance, her forehead clashes with his jaw.

"Oussh...I am very sorry' she murmured rubbing her forehead

Romeo bends down to pick her items fallen on the floor. He picks up her lip stick, phone, and a credit card.

"Thank God it isn't broken, he murmurs. Good screen protector." He adds as he turns the card around and sees the name, Maria Pores. He hands over the items to her and for the first time, their eyes meet. Those hazel eyes. He remembers he had seen them somewhere. He tried to remember exactly where he saw them but his mind was blank and before he knew it, she was gone without a trace.

"Hi Romeo", the cashier called to him flirtingly.

He quickly gives her his card and runs out of the door, totally ignoring her. Acid follows him in confusion. He gets to the door but couldn't find her. He returns to the cashier and picks up his card, feeling like a loser once again.

"Can I call you tonight Romeo", the cashier asked seductively.

"No". He replies harshly, leaving her with a disappointed look. The cashier was so disappointed thinking that maybe the rumors she heard about him were false. She heard that Romeo had a different girl each night and paid them pretty well. She was hoping to be next tonight but something told her he wasn't the same person she had heard the girls talking about.

Romeo goes to the meeting with half concerntration. He had the look of confustion all over his face and couldn't hide it in the meeting. Thankfully, some of the goods hadn't arrived on time, buying him the pleasure of postponing the meeting. On his way home, he googles the name 'Maria Pores'.

"Shit..."he yelled at the image popped up on his phone.

"Did you forget something boss?" was Acid's worried voice. 

"Call Pluto now". Tell him to meet me at the basement he said hurriedly, not taking his eyes off the image on the phone.

The basement is his secret hideout. Its a place where he also keeps all his security tools and all his cash. It's five storeys underground building just below his main garage. Over here, he keeps eighty percent of his money made from the clubs. That way, he doesn't pay tax on them. Smart move for a smart brain. He only sends twenty percent to the bank and even that amount makes him a billionaire. Only Pluto and Acid knows about the basement and they have sworn to take that secret to their grave.

"Pluto arrives as fast as he could" 

"Rome, are you okay, you got me panicked". He only calls that name when they have a very serious conversation. so calling that name meant he understood that whatever reason Romeo called him, must be an urgent one.

"I found her", Romeo said.

"Who?' He asked confused.

"Maria Pores"

"Who is Maria Pores?" pluto asked even more confused.

"The blondee bitch"..he yelled with anger. But she wasn't a blonde. He said in a soft but painful tone. She was brunnet." He said looking at Pluto.

"Come on Man, girls change their hair color everyday. Some even use wigs." Pluto said jokingly.

"That's it. All along, we were looking for a blondee but she kept changing her hair color." He said in a satisfied tone like he has just unraveled a great mystery.

"But how did you find her?" Pluto said, excited that their long search was over not knowing it was just the beginning.

"At the boutique where I bought new sunglasses". I googled her on my way back and checked her out on facebook, he said showing him the picture.

That's really her. He exclaimed excitedly. So what are you gonna do now? He asked again after a pause.

"Find out everything about her. I mean, I want to know everything about her. Her family, her siblings, her marital status, what she does, what she eats....I mean, I want to know everything about her, he ended thoughtfully.

"But she has limited information about herself on facebook". Pluto remarked.

He began browsing more information on her as Romeo had requested and he saw something that caught his atention.. Wait a minute, He said as if he had caught a big fish.

"Have you seen her status?" He asked with a questionable look.

"Single & Unavailable"?, I just did. Romeo replied as he gazed at what Pluto was looking at.

"That girl seems to be a badass. A mysterious whore." Pluto remarked.

"Don't you ever call her a whore again", Romeo yelled, gripping Pluto on the throat.

"Okay, Okay," Pluto says almost in a whisper as he raises his hand in surrender. He was trying to speak but the pain in his windpipe was unbearable. He couldn't breath with Romeo's strong hands becoming tighter around his neck. Romeo slowly releases his grip on his throat as he catches his breath.

"What was that for? He said breathlessly. You want to kill me over a girl you want to revenge on? He had seen enough anger in Romeo eyes to not use the 'whore' word anymore. He was trying to be polite.

"You said you wanted have revenge but now, I don't know. You seem to like her",he said carefully.

"I don't like her, he said with clenched teeth. I don't know what came over me okay? Am sorry". He said thoughtfully.

But Pluto knew better that there was something more to his search. They have been best buddies for years and Romeo has never dared to do what he just did. But he was still determined to help him anyway. He owed him that much for all the sacrifices Romeo made for him.

"Then how come you don't allow your fans around you anymore? When was the last time you sent one home? he asked skeptically.

"You have a small brain Pluto, you don't know a thing about revenge, he smirked.

"Okay. So can you tell me? I can't help you if you don't". He said.

"I will pursue her, I will make her fall in love with me and only then will I teach her what it means to embarrass the Irrestible Romeo," he said with a devilish grin.