Parallel Me

Parallel Me Part 30

In the morning, I was out on my normal training run, down the side of the swan river at five. It was nice at this time of day; the sun had just come up, so it wasn't too hot yet, and the trees and grass smelt fresh with the morning dew. No fishing anglers on Barrack jetty this morning, so I was back in my apartment at seven. Shower breakfast and getting dressed, I found me stepping out of my door at eight-fifteen. Just as Martin's door opened, Melanie came out, and she didn't look that awake to me and proved it by holding her head.

"How much did you give me to drink last night?" she asked when she saw me smiling at her. It wasn't me she should be asking, it was Martin with the smug look that should be answering. It looked obvious Martin had got what he wanted when he took her back to their apartment last night. I walked with them into the city, only to leave them as they went into the bank. As it didn't open for an another half an hour, I would return to it when it did. I wandered into the big Bone's department store and got a good discount, on the two beds and bedding I ordered from them, and arranged to have them delivered, at three in the afternoon.

I went back to the bank at nine-thirty, where Melanie waved at me from her deck, with the sign investments, over the top of her. I saw no sign of Martin, and I had to come back to see the manager in an hour, to pick up the bank draft, it was to give them time to clear the withdrawal. Melanie and Martin hadn't told me what they did at the bank, and when I stopped by her desk, Melanie suggested she could come to my apartment and discuss investments with me after work. I was at the estate agents, almost half an hour early, and unlike Saturday, all the desks were full of agents.

They all looked up as the lady agent, I saw on Saturday welcomed me. "Hello, Mr Lacey, nice to see you again." She said standing up behind her desk, as I entered the premises.

"Can I offer you coffee, while we wait for Mr Harris he shouldn't be very long, oh I took your friends advice and took my friend to the casino on Saturday. We enjoyed your show very much; do you think I could have your autograph for her?" She asked I little shyly, as a young lad brought my coffee. I picked up a pen and held it poised, as she fumbled for a suitable blank card.

"Who do I dedicate it to you or her, or would you like one each?" I asked, smiling. She hurriedly produced the second card and going a slight shade of pink said.

"My friend's name is Wendy and I'm Sandra, this is so good of you Mr Lacey." She purred as she watched me write, the dedication. 'To Wendy hope you enjoyed my show, JJ Lacey XX'. Then she gasped when she saw me write, 'Joseph J Lacey dedicates this to Sandra, the first person to ask me for my autograph XXXX.'

Then when I signed it and gave it to her, she said. "Oh my god that's so cool, am I really the first one?" I smiled.

"Yes, that's the first time I've signed my name, on a piece of paper for someone to keep as a souvenir, normally it's a contract or a check to pay something." She was smiling happily, and then looked towards the door.

"Here he is Mr Lacey this is Mr Harris, he been keen to meet you." I stood up and turned, to see a smiling man of about thirty-five, holding out his hand to me, as he came closer.

"It is you I thought I recognised the name, saw you last September at the WACA. I was the ringside commentator; I'm the one that nicknamed you the pile driver." Sandra was looking lost, she obviously could not relate to what he was saying.

"You sang at the WACA last September, I thought you had only just arrived in Australia last week." It was now Mr Harris who looked lost.

"He didn't sing at the WACA, he beat the crap out of a Kiwi sergeant there, this is the commonwealth forces boxing Champ, flattened the Kiwi champ with one punch. Best exhibition of boxing I've seen, you haven't fought since I've been told. I have a sports program on the radio and a Saturday sports round-up show on TV, would you be my guest on one of them, preferably I'd love to interview you on television." I had come here to finalise, the purchase of my apartment, and my past was on the edge of being on display. I had no legitimate reason to decline his request; the publicity might do me good career-wise, it was too late now to try to stay invisible, my appearance at the casino had put me in the public eye.