Welcome to Your Life 3- Even While We Sleep, We Will Find You
James awoke early again, his life seemingly at a standstill. Another day doing security at the five star resort and hotel he worked for since graduating college. He was not well paid, but he did have a small efficiency apartment on the grounds of the hotel and resort. It wasn't his dream of a federal law enforcement post, but he had hope. Daily applications and checking to see if any came to fruition were part of the routine.
He checked his emails for messages, having applied for dozens of positions on various police forces around the country.
"Well that sucks, still," James lamented, getting responses on five of the hopeful openings, but receiving only the traditional "thanks for applying but..." responses.
Life had not been going as he had hoped, spiraling badly, especially since Allison, the lovely nursing student he was dating, had left him in his last semester at college. He looked at the picture of them together that sat in a frame on the dresser as he put on his staff security uniform.
"What the fuck happened," he thought as he shook his head about those weird weeks, musing about Allison as he looked at the picture. "I will keep looking into what the hell went on..."
The whole last few weeks with Allison seemed strange to James- her grandmother passing away, her roommate weirdly inviting him to some sex convention that same weekend, his not having a lot of memory about even being at the SEXXXPO. It gave the young hopeful law enforcement officer angst to think about the breakup, and a nagging suspicion that there was something odd going on regarding Allison, her room mate Carla, the weird sex convention and the breakup.
Then Allison suddenly, almost the next week, has a new boyfriend and starts taking mini vacations to different hot spots. Carla was also seemingly jet setting to different places.
The math didn't add up for the criminal justice major, who was tracking Allison's location as best he could with his work computer and network access, while still having a few mutual friends to feel out for information. Two coeds, in debt from school, jet setting around to various places. It was a definite math and money problem that didn't make sense.
Whenever he could, while working in the control room at the resort, James was checking to see what he could find out about his former girlfriend, without raising suspicion and being fired. Carla as well. Having access to the company's security computers assisted in his attempts, as small as they seemed. But nothing substantial ever arose in his quests.
His day progressed slowly, as usual, as he sat in the reasonably comfortable wall of monitors surveying the coming and going of guests and employees, when he saw something on the black and white monitor.
"Allison?" he swore he saw his former girlfriend, blonde, big sunglasses over her eyes, wearing a pink sundress at the check in desk with an older man, peppery gray and black hair, casually dressed.
James thought his eyes were playing a trick on him, and he called the front desk.
"Who is that being checked in at center main terminal?" James asked the manager.
"Is there a problem?" the manager asked in reply.
"Not that I can see, I need names for a background check, just to be certain..." James replied,l knowing the manager would provide the names as was protocol.
"Female is Eva Johanssen, the male is Brian Tedford, room is A601," the manager relayed. "High roller in the penthouse."
"Thanks, I'll run a check..." James answered, as he quickly ran the names through the system to see if any criminal history is in either background, or if there is anything out of sorts.
It didn't take long for photos and background check to emerge- there was no criminal background for either, but Eva Johanssen was his ex-girlfriend Allison, or her doppleganger.
"Everything's clean," James said to the manager.
"Why the check?" the manager questioned.
"I was told to spot check every so often, from my boss," James lied.
He was very confused, he needed to run into Miss Eva Johanssen and see if it was actually Allison, or if his mind was playing tricks on him. He couldn't concentrate for the rest of his shift. He kept a very close on the hallway at the A601 penthouse entrance, and the express elevators taking guests directly to the four penthouse suites from the lobby.
He saw nothing for the remainder of his shift.
********
The young security officer decided to spend the evening wandering the grounds to see if he could indeed find Mr. Tedford and Ms. Johanssen, which was permitted and encouraged by the high ranking security officials, to ensure the safety of the high rollers paying large amounts for the use of the facilities within the resort so long as they weren't i interrupting or being a distraction.
Frustrated, puzzled, and feeling as though his mind was just playing tricks on him, he decided a beer at the bar near the main check in station was the best way to end his night, so he made it over to where his acquaintance Beverly was working.
"Hey, Bev," James said softly.
"James, what's wrong, you look like you have seen a ghost or something," the cheery redhead responded.
"Maybe I have, I don't know," James said. "But I'll have whatever is on tap that isn't light."
"I have just the thing," Beverly replied, bringing back a tall pilsner glass filled with a dark colored beer.
Beverly left the drink on the coaster and continued her rounds for the patrons seated at the main bar.
James sat lost in thought, staring at the dark liquid as he drank it, thinking about his life in the last 18 months post Allison.
"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?" dark haired, slightly older brunette with beautiful eyes said as she motioned to the empty chair next to James, who felt a sense of deja vu.
"No, not at all," James said dismissively, giving the vibe of leave me alone.
"I'm sorry, but how can you seem so distressed? This place is the best resort there is," the brunette asked, ignoring James' vibe completely.
"That may be, but I work here," James answered, never looking away from the beer he was nursing.
"Oh, I see, I am sorry to disturb you," the woman said. "But I still don't see what could be so wrong you can't enjoy yourself at least a little."
"You wouldn't understand," James said curtly.
"I think I do," the woman answered. "It's girl trouble, it always is."
"Yep," the security officer replied.
"So let me guess, you saw someone who reminded you of her," the woman replied.
"How did you know..." James said, as he looked at the brunette seated next to him.
"Because the mind always plays tricks on us when we least expect it," the woman said with a small laugh. "It just happens sometimes."
James couldn't help but look at the woman seated next to him.
"I'm Bianca," the woman said, holding out her hand in front of James, who instinctively reached out and took the offering and replied.
"James," he said slowly, a bit confused.
"Feeling like you have seen a ghost, James?" the brunette in a little black dress that left little to the imagination asked.
