Our Story: Harvey's Life

Blind Date

       "You have to do this!" Barb yelled at her daughter. "You need a man!"

"No, I don't. Men are liabilities, they're like cars that you have to maintain. I don't want that."

"Just this once," she pleaded. "I already told him that you were coming."

"Why would you say that? What if it wasn't my day off?" She brushed her hand through her head tiredly. "Why is he so important to you?"

    "When I got divorced, the money I got from my alimony wasn't enough for us to move, settle down and continue living the way we were before. His grandmother helped me."

   "This is why I hate being in debt to someone!" She walked upstairs abruptly.
"Does that mean you're going?"
 
   

     When it was six on the dot, Tess freshened up and began to get ready for her date. After a warm bath, she straightened her hair really well that it was just a little bit above her shoulders. Foundation, eye shadows, mascara and lipgloss followed. A maroon dress with two straps by the shoulder was fished out. She wore it and brought out a a pair of black heels.
           By six-thirty, she was ready.

    "Oh my gosh!" Her mother said when she was by the stairs. "Should we start preparing for the wedding?"

"What wedding?" Tess asked as she fixed her handbag.

   "He's gonna flip when he sees you in this," she winked at her.

      "What's he wearing? How am I gonna recognize him?"

  "When you get there, just tell there you're there for Jason." Barb explained.

    "Out of all places,why would he choose Johnson's restaurant?"
   "There's a second angle there, you didn't know?"

"What angle?"
"Behind the restaurant is another restaurant for people on dates. It's popular on social media these days."

    "Whatever, I'm leaving."

            She drove to Steak House and walked directly to Johnson's office.
She knocked before going in.

   "How may I help you?" Johnson said with a smile.
"Seriously?"

        He wrinkled his face in disbelief.
"Tess? Is that you?"

"Yeah, I'm here for a blind date. I heard you had a second angle?"

       He still looked awestruck but managed to pull himself together. "Follow me."

    
     He took her through a door and she was surprised at what she saw. Tables, roses, chocolate, wine, love was practically in the air here.
   "Who are you here for?" He asked.

"I think his name was Jason," she scratched her head a bit.
"Jason?" He yelled.

              "Is there a problem?" Jason stood up.
  Tess was shocked. The HolyMan CEO she had harassed a few weeks ago was standing before her.

   "You're Jason?" Tess pointed at him and scoffed.
"You're my blind date?" He asked and smiled shyly.

      "Mom!" She yelled over the phone. "You set me up with this?"
"What's wrong with him? He's nice, handsome, rich and young."

"Do you know how many scandals he has been involved in?"
"Bye!" She hung up.

"Just endure it." Johnson patted her back. "A new scandal was unveiled yesterday so he just rented out our entire second angle."

"I'll have to go and suffer for my past sins."

     "I'm Jason Gerard," he stood up and extended his hand and smiled.
"Tess Harvey," she took it with an expressionless face.

"What would you like to order?" A waiter came.

"Steak," they chorused simultaneously and looked at each other. "Nice choice," they did it again.

"Okay,this is weird." Tess muttered.

"So," Jason started as he forked a piece of meat into his mouth. "You're a cop."

"You're a CEO." She replied.

"You look really different, you know? With the makeup,the dress,the heels, you look beautiful."

"How many girls have you used that line on?" Tess asked.

"A lot." He sighed.
"Guess it never worked," she began to eat.

"I don't mean to be rude but your father's really rich, you could have anything you..."

"He's not my father,"she dropped her fork onto the plate. "They got divorced years ago, get your facts straight."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"I only came here because I was informed that my mother had already told you I would be coming. I'm not interested in dating anyone not to talk of marriage." She sipped her wine. "It was nice talking to you." She took a napkin, cleaned the edges of her mouth and stood up.

         "Before you leave, lemme ask you something."

    She looked him straight in the eye.

"How do you know Luke Henderson?"

"We were classmates."

       She walked out of the restaurant while Johnson ran after her.
"You're leaving?"

"It's done," she faked a smile and got in her car.

"You're back already?" Barbie asked as her daughter walked in.

"It's over," she walked upstairs.
"So," she asked when Tess was already on top of the stairs,"Did you like him?"

"No."

           She left an impression on Jason. Pretty, smart, successful and strong. She's not a whiny bitch. She was perfect but he already gave her a bad impression. 

      After leaving the restaurant, he called Luke.
  "Hey, can I ask you something? Were you close to Tess when you were in school?
Yeah, I need a favor."

  
                No crimes for them to solve, the team was given a short vacation. Tess spent most of her time at the diner. Her identity as the boss's daughter remained a secret.

     She enjoys talking to the high schooler whose name was Tony. He was a carefree guy who doesn't fit in at school even though he's got the looks. He has a crush on the girl whose locker was beside his but she had higher standards. He likes to pour out his frustrations to Tess. She was a great listener.

   This was how Tess's life was going until the unbelievable happened in New York City.

       A high school girl murder.

   The team had to leave their vacation and resume work again. She died in a gruesome way. It wouldn't be fair that she was sent away like that. The psycho needed to be put behind bars.