Authors note: all characters in this story are over 18 years old (ages are given within Chapters 1 or 2)
The internet search proved more difficult than Jessica had expected. She swiftly realised that she didn't even know whether he was 'Geoff' or 'Jeff'. Then there was the fact that it wasn't that uncommon a name. Between the two variants she found 23 people of that name in the UK and, of course, it was too early for the name to be associated with Park Drive, or even her town. Eventually she worked out the right one and at least established that he was named Geoffrey. However, she didn't find out much more, other than that he was some sort of successful businessman and quite wealthy. Details of what his business was and how he had made his money were strangely lacking. Nor could she find out anything about his personal life. Mr Mills seemed to avoid social media and was not on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or any of the other platforms Jessica could think of. Looking up 'Caitlin Kelly' didn't help either, as there were even more of them, over 70 in fact.
Eventually she had to concede defeat. Still there was nothing in what she had discovered to raise any concern. Perhaps, like a lot of wealthy people, Geoff Mills just valued his privacy.
When Ellie came round as agreed earlier, Jessica told her everything that she had gleaned from her visit and the internet search, but it was little enough in truth. So, when her friend discovered that Jessica and Mike were to host the mysterious Mr Mills and some of his ladies the following evening, she pleaded to be invited. Given that the object of the event was 'meet the neighbours' Jessica could see no good reason to say no, and so it was agreed.
* * * * *
Sunday 9 July
The gathering on the following evening proved a great success. Geoff Mills arrived promptly at 7.30pm, a bottle of exceedingly expensive red wine in hand, and accompanied by Caitlin and a sweet and charming young lady of Japanese descent, who was introduced as Sakura Tanaka. Like all of Geoff's associates seemed to be, she was in her early 20s, 22 in her case. They were not at all put out to find Ellie present. Indeed, Geoff announced himself delighted to meet another of his neighbours and expressed a wish to also meet her parents as soon as possible.
Geoff had a way of talking that simultaneously put everyone at ease, but was also endlessly fascinating. He could easily have dominated the conversation had he wished and Jessica wondered if this was perhaps the reason that he seemed to avoid the small party all gathering in one room and instead talked to his new acquaintances one to one. In was all so enjoyable that, rather Instead of the hour that Caitlin had mentioned, the party ended up lasting for three.
In the early part of the evening, Geoff cornered Mike in the kitchen. From the sound of it, Jessica assumed they were having a lively and enjoyable chat, presumably about whatever it is that men talk about when women are not around; sport, work, girls perhaps? Anyway, she was not concerned because it allowed Ellie and her to talk to Caitlin and Sakura in the living room and try to pump them for information over a glass or two of red wine. In the event they didn't find out much. A bit about the two women, but almost nothing about Geoff. Despite this they still had a lot of fun. It was really nice to be able to talk to other young women of about her age.
Sakura had come to the UK with her parents. Her dad worked for the UK branch of a Japanese car company. She had met Geoff while still attending university in the UK when she had taken a summer job at this company he owned. Apparently, he liked to offer posts to students like her. She had enjoyed it so much that she decided to abandon her degree and go and work for him full time. Her parents had been concerned initially but, after Geoff had talked to them, they had supported her decision.
Caitlin's story was a little different. Originally from Ireland, she had also been a university student in the UK. Like many students she had a part time job, in her case waiting on tables for a catering company that helped organise weddings and similar events. She had been doing her role at an evening business dinner. Geoff had been there, spotted her and then made a point of talking to her. She was used to unwelcome attention for older men, often drunk, and knew how to get rid of pests. But Geoff was different, so interesting and fascinating. At the end of the evening, he had offered her a role working for him. She had accepted on the spot, resigned her job and dropped out of her university course.
The only curious point was that both Caitlin and Sakura were rather vague as to what their duties working for Geoff actually were. Every time Jessica or Ellie started to touch on this, their two guests would steer the conversation toward other topics. There were especially keen to learn more about Jess and Ellie, their families, jobs, friends and the like.
After a while Geoff and Mike joined the girls in the living room, but this arrangement didn't last long. Caitlin and Sakura suddenly expressed a wish for Mike to show them round the house and garden. Jessica expected him to try to get out of it; normally he would leave that sort of thing to her, finding it boring. To her surprise he immediately accepted. 'Well,' Jessica though 'maybe it is not so unexpected. Chance to spend time with two drop dead gorgeous babes, one redhead and one Asian; what man is going to pass that up'. This left Geoff alone with her and Ellie, and Jessica soon forgot about Mike and the two girls, because Geoff was talking and everything he said was so fascinating.
Initially he talked to both of them together. Then after a few minutes he suggested to Ellie that she take a message from him to Caitlin and come back in ten minutes. She immediately did so. Jessica had Geoff to herself for a while and he gave her his undivided attention for those ten minutes, talking to her quietly in his rich deep voice. It was so relaxing and satisfying to listen to him.
Jessica was a bit put out when Ellie came back, but then Geoff asked her to go tell Caitlin and Sakura that they would need to leave in about half an hour and suggested that she spend ten minutes with Mike and the girls. Jessica was delighted to be helpful to this lovely man. She leapt up and went off to find Mike, leaving Ellie alone with Geoff.
Not long afterward Geoff, Caitlin and Sakura returned to their home and five minutes after that Ellie also left to go back to her parent's house.
"Good party" said Jessica to Mike, "Geoff is a really interesting guy and the girls were fun".