Tarot Cards and More

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So, here we were. Alex had a well-paid job. I had sold my house and we had bought the new one here. The legal papers were in process of being ok. Alex had a BMW as a company car and I still had to choose one for me. The only thing left was organizing the move, buying furniture and signing the deed on the house. The other thing we had to do at home was closing accounts and Alex to resign from his work. Even though we were on the verge of flying back, we could only think about one thing.

San Jose! Here we come!

We had never been so busy at an airport! First we had Miss Rodriguez with a bunch of papers for me to sign. She was really helpful and I appreciated every help she gave. She even had our credit cards from our respective accounts as well as Internet access to them. She showed us how to access our accounts on my laptop. I could actually see that the transfer I had made two days earlier was already showing! I didn't know it went so fast. She also said that as soon as we would be back, everything would be finalized and legal. We also announced her we had gone over to buy one of the houses on the list and we gave her the address of it so it could be filled in on various papers as our official address. She was so glad for us and showed it. Her face was actually an open book for those who wanted to read. She couldn't hide any feelings or emotions.

The real estate agent joined us. It was clear he knew Miss Rodriguez well, as they greeted each other on a first name basis. We would later learn that calling others on a first name basis was something normal after a first introduction. Costa Ricans were not really formal. We signed the official buying contract of the house and I asked the real estate agent if he had the account number of the agency with him. Of course he did. I asked Angela to help me once more and did the necessary transfer for the deposit with her skillful help. The agent was more than happy with it as he expected to have to wait for the deposit and now he had the proof it was done.

As the airport PA system announced our flight, we bid our goodbyes and went to the gate. We saw that Brian was once again our purser and he greeted us with a nice smile. Being in business class, we were offered Champagne again and we asked if Brian could join us with a glass, as we had to celebrate. He said he would once we were in the air, as he had to go through the takeoff procedure. When he had a minute he joined us and we proudly announced the big change in our lives. He was genuinely happy for us and said we sure would be happy and wished us the very best.

Trevor came to pick us up at the airport to drive us home. He also announced that the official deed would be signed in a very short while and the necessary transfer of funds would be done the same day. He asked a million questions about this sudden change and we explained it all to him. Even though he was surprised at the speed everything had gone, he was happy for himself and us: he got the best deal out of it he said. Trevor had always said he loved my house and buying it was a dream coming true. I dropped the last bomb to him: I left the house furnished.

• WHAT???

• I leave the house furnished Trevor. What you don't need, you can just dispose as you wish! The only things that will disappear will be personal things and a few paintings or decoration items. But all the rest is yours.

• I can't believe this! Trevor said. I thought I had offered a fair price for an EMPTY house, not for a furnished one. Do you mean you even leave the curtains hanging?

• Yes Trevor, the curtains stay where they are and most of the cooking tools as well. We want to keep the move to a minimum.

Alex had to laugh at Trevor's reaction. Trevor was like a kid on Christmas, discovering a whole bunch of presents. When we reached the house he came in of course and looked around as if he had found Ali Baba's cave. About fifteen minutes later, the front doorbell rang and it was Tiffany. She wanted to know all the details as well. We showed them the pictures of the house we had bought and they were in awe like we were when we saw it the first time. She was impressed with the three bathrooms and Trevor looked at the picture of the swimming pool. He was literally drooling. We mentioned that they would be welcome whenever they wanted to come over once we were settled and both admitted they would take us up on our offer.

Our fridge was empty, so we went to the mall for a meal. Alex and I talked about Costa Rica as if it was paradise, and in a certain way it was. We talked about all the things we had seen and lived, but also on how quickly everything had gone. We even had some difficulty believing ourselves that we were actually moving over there. It was a brand new start but Alex and I felt comfortable with our decision. I just knew it was the right thing to do. My feelings and intuitions about it all were just right. Tiffany saw me thinking.

• Yes Gerald, your decision is right, she said. I consulted the cards after your last call and the first card that came out was "The World". I don't have to explain to you what that means: complete and total success. There was only a minor obstacle, but I couldn't figure out what it is.

• That minor obstacle as you call it, is the fact that none of us speaks perfect Spanish yet. We will have to follow some courses for that, and quickly! Alex for his job will need it and me for daily life things as well. But I guess we are not too old to learn it.

• Indeed, it is a MINOR obstacle as it can be learned. All the rest is bound to be exactly what you are looking for. From the way you talk about it all, I am sure it will also be a source of inspiration for your writing. I can easily see you on your terrace, typing furiously away and producing a lot of interesting novels. It is well known that the sun is a source of energy and that a blue sky tends to enhance the good mood of the people.

Her comments just confirmed what I was thinking. But we were not there yet. The list of "to-do-things" was still long and the most difficult thing to do was for Alex. His resignation was going to be a bomb exploding in his boss' face. O'Connor as well would probably be disappointed. Alex hated disappointing people. The other thing he was not looking forward to was to announce to his parents he was moving thousands of miles away.

We still had to fix the date of our definite departure, according to our to-do list. But we had a deadline as well, being the date of his first day of work in San Jose. Alex wanted to have time to adapt to the new environment, at least two weeks. So we made a reverse countdown program, setting the date of departure to about two weeks from Alex's first day. We contacted an international moving company to transport our things. The good thing was that they provided the necessary containers at the house. Once they told us that the things could be delivered in time, we booked our flights. In the week previous to it we closed any accounts that were pending. We also went to sign the official sales deed on the house. Alex had just to return the car as it was from the police station and mine was sold very quickly as I didn't ask for a huge amount of money for it.

Alex's boss was not happy! He hadn't count on it that Alex would leave and me leaving as well as he had foreseen an almost full time job in his team. He was at lost for replacements although he had foreseen it a bit, but the biggest disappointment was for O'Connor. He was really counting on Alex as a new and important asset to CSI. Alex did the necessary time according to his contract and that was till about a week before our departure.

We went to Alex's parents. I had met them just once or twice and they liked me enough. I guessed his mother was (for me) the typical mother-in-law, being furious to take her son away from her and even more now that we were moving thousands of miles away. I felt some animosity from her part, but Alex said to give her time, that she would be able to handle it.

The day of our flight was there before we even knew it. We had followed our list to-do-things scrupulously and were sure we had not forgotten anything. In the case we had, Tiffany and Trevor were still here to call upon if something had to be done. Trevor would be in charge to send us once a week any letters that would arrive at the house although we had forwarded most of it at the post office.

The last night before our flight we invited a few friends for a goodbye-dinner. Everybody was clearly happy for us and we made sure we had everybody's e-mail address. An open invitation was given out to everybody to come and visit us. At the same time we would be taken off, Trevor's moving truck would be in front of his new house. He had been discreet enough to not confront us with the changes he was going to make. Tiffany took us to the airport and the goodbyes were a little harder than what we had thought they would be. Although we had both Skype on our computers and that it would allow us to communicate easily, we knew it was not the same as being in front of each other. A few tears rolled down our cheeks, as we got emotional.

We had booked the same hotel we had been at in our previous trip as the house was still unfurnished. We had sent a message to Miss Rodriguez to announce our arrival. We were pleasantly surprised when she told us that Alex's company car was ready and that he could use it even before he started to work. She just told us to call her as soon as we were in San Jose and that she would organize the delivery of it. She wanted to give us as well our cell phones. Alex had a company cell phone that he could use for personal calls as well and Angela had thought of having one for me as well on a personal basis.

The car was just a beauty! Dark blue exterior paint and light beige interior has always been a very nice combination. Before our arrival we had asked her of a list of furniture shops and the addresses of various car dealers. We had received both lists with recommendations and warnings about the pros and cons. That woman was a jewel!

The day after our arrival we had an appointment to sign the deed on the house and pay the rest of what was due and so receive the keys. Providers of electricity, water, telephone and Internet connections had been contracted on our behalf. That meant that everything was connected already. After our visit at the real estate agent, we went furniture shopping. Alex seemed distant the whole time.

• Don't you want to bring your input in this? I asked.

• It's not that, he said, it's just that your house was absolutely perfect what the decoration is concerned, so I prefer to leave it up to you. Besides, you know I am not really a shopping guy!

It was true. Alex was not keen on shopping, except for his clothes. He had come along to the furniture shops just because I still had no wheels yet and he was driving me around. I found the basics for the house quite quickly and we arranged for the delivery. We would have to drop by the house to see what else we needed and I would go for it on my own. It was still early in the afternoon, so we went to see for a car for me. I didn't need a car as big as a BMW! I needed a smaller car, but a practical one and that would give me the pleasure of driving. We looked at the list and found some very good recommendations on various brands. We were pleasantly surprised that if we choose a car that was in stock, I could have it very quickly. My final choice fell on an Audi A3 convertible. It was nice, powerful and still had quite some inside space. The only available one was white with black interior. The most important feature, at least for the beginning, was that it had a GPS. I drove out of the dealership with it the same afternoon. I asked the salesman to introduce the address of our house in it and he did, showing me how to use the GPS in the future.

We then went to the house, although it would be empty. It was just such a thrill to drive on our own towards it and push the button on the remote control to open the gate. We parked our cars in front of the door and went in. The first thing we did was opening doors and windows. Although the house had been thoroughly cleaned, you could still smell that the house had been closed a bit too long. On the kitchen counter we found a note to look in the fridge. As we opened the door of it, we saw a bottle of Champagne and two glasses. A little note from the real estate agent wished us welcome. We didn't hesitate for a moment and opened it. We had just sipped at our glass when we heard the buzzer of the gate. The moving company was there without warning us that they were coming! Three hunks of Latino guys emptied the container in record time and suddenly the entrance and living room were full of boxes. They did the work in less than an hour! I looked anxiously for a specific box and found it. It was the one with towels for bathroom, kitchen and beach towels. When Alex saw what I had been looking for, he understood my plan immediately. We were out of our clothes in no time and running towards the pool, diving in and enjoying the fresh water. This was heaven on earth! And I realized it was something we would be able to enjoy every single day from then on. The garden was secluded enough for us to be able to run around naked without being seen by neighbors. Alex went into the house and came out again with our glasses of Champagne that he had refilled. Being naked and with the influence of the drink, our hormones woke up very quickly. We kissed and grabbed each other and soon were in frenzy lovemaking in the pool. We hadn't thought about it that the pool would be the first place to christen, but as there was no furniture yet, it was the only comfortable place.

When the sun was about to set, we closed up the house and drove back to the hotel. Alex surprised me by telling me we would each take our own car. I wasn't complaining, as the Audi was a marvel to drive. Over dinner Alex apologized to me.

• Why are you apologizing?

• Because I think that I will start working tomorrow already. I have been idle too much time. I know there is quite a lot to do around the house, but I need the more active part of my life. You know I am not the one going for shopping and that is what you'll do in the coming days. Over the weekend I'll help you with whatever you need me for, but I am anxious to start work.

I could understand him. I had never seen him without professional activity for such a long time. I was anxious to start writing as well, but I had a few tasks to perform before I could start that! I agreed with Alex that I would take care of the house and leave heavy stuff for the weekend. As the next day the basic furniture (understand the bed) would be delivered, I would do the check out of the hotel and be at the house. After his work, Alex could just come home.

I was at the house quite early, after doing some shopping at the supermarket just around the corner. They too had a delivery system as soon as your purchase was higher than a certain amount. I was largely over that sum, as I needed everything, from food and drinks till cleaning products and tools. I was pleasantly surprised with the bill as it was a lot less of what I expected. Before noon, the supermarket had delivered everything and I put the fresh and frozen products in the fridge and the freezer. The cabinets in the kitchen were quickly filled. I was just finished when the furniture arrived. Four guys brought everything in and I showed them where to put it. They were soon busy putting the furniture together and the house came to life, slowly but surely. By three o'clock the bed and the wardrobe were set up in the bedroom. The huge wall closet was proudly standing in the hall. The sofas were half facing the garden door and half facing the fireplace. The dinner table and its six chairs looked a bit empty, but I had enough in my boxes to make them look better.

I made a list of things that I had to go buying urgently. A sound system was definitely in order, as I can't live without music in the house. A flat screen television was also something I wanted quickly. I also had to buy some tools such as a drill, an electric screwdriver and so on for I had several paintings that I wanted to see on the walls. Curtain rails and curtains could wait a little longer. A coffee maker and cooking tools were more urgent right then. I went shopping and everything I could take with me was put in the car. Just the flat screen television would be delivered and installed, as it had a support to fix it on the wall and a decoder to have the signal from the parabolic antenna. They said they would come by before seven o'clock. I was amazed at how the local people were giving such a good service. Each service made me think we had made the right decision to come over. Just a move to the other side of town was tedious, but to another country could be a real hassle. Not so in Costa Rica! In less than a week time, the house was looking as a real home and the things that were still missing were due to me, not the shops or providers.

Alex was really happy with the new job. His first task was to find the guy, or the girl, that was giving information to the competition. His police experience came in really helpful. He had been introduced just as a kind of security guard. Nobody knew the real extend of his contract and that made his job even easier at the start. He tried to hit it off with all of his colleagues and with his natural charm it was a piece of cake. Some of the women tried to openly flirt with him and he kept his safe distance with a smile and a laugh. He always had a nice word for everybody, as the leading language inside the company was English.

We had both enlisted at a local language school to learn Spanish. Our teacher, Mrs. Lopez was very good and had her way to teach so that you never forgot what you learned. In less than two weeks we knew how to express ourselves for basic things. She advised us to watch the local television even though we didn't understand a lot. She told us that it made the ear used to catch the sounds and the words. She also said to read the newspaper. If it was online it was even better because with the translating programs, we would know what the report was talking about and so we would understand better what was written in Spanish. We had chosen the intensive course that included classes five days a week during two hours. The major difficulty at the start was the fact that the Spanish language had a gender for each word, something we are not used to in English. A table and a chair were feminine, but the coach was masculine! Why was it that they wanted to make it so difficult? The general rule of masculine words ending on an "o" and the feminine ones on an "a" was going hand in hand with quite some exceptions that could be awkward. A "pollo" was a chicken but a "polla" was the cock! But we managed. Alex had the advantage of being surrounded by Spanish speaking people at his work and he made good use of it. I had the shopkeepers and neighbors (although I didn't see them a lot) to help me and I made it a discipline to study Spanish online and by watching television and reading the paper.

Alex always had a lot to tell about his job when he came home. When he did, it was very soon a habit to undress and jump in the pool. I would prepare some cocktails or opening a bottle of wine to have a glass before our meal. One of these days, sitting on the terrace and sipping a drink, he told me about one of the women hitting on him big time. He laughed at it because he thought she was really attractive and he was sure, having read her profile, she was married and with children.

• Investigate a bit more Alex, because she is trying to seduce you to hide something. She wants you at her side for an inexplicable reason... at least for now.

• Why do you say this? Alex asked.

I was just about to say it when he stopped me and said: "Intuition I guess"

• Yes, indeed. And you know what that means with me.

He knew it all too well. In the following weeks Alex asked me more than once if I was sure about my intuition, because he couldn't find anything in her file. There were only two explanations for him: or she was hiding her game very well or she was just a frustrated woman in a frustrating marriage and needed to get off. But of course, he didn't give up. He had followed her after work more than once, but nothing unusual was to be noted. She always went straight home and once a week to the supermarket on her way. Alex didn't have the means that he had when he was at the police forces and it frustrated him. He wanted to check the calls she made and received on her phone. He mentioned it to Mr. Mackenzie during his weekly report. A single phone call was all the help Alex needed, as it was the security chief of the telephone company. A meeting was set up.

Francisco, the chief of security, and Alex hit off immediately. He was a very professional guy and knew his job to perfection. Francisco introduced him to a few typical things of Costa Rica where security was concerned. The differences with what Alex was used to were tremendous. In less than a day, Alex had the complete report of Mrs. Hernandez, the woman in question, received and sent calls. Francisco also showed him how to look for numbers in a special program that was normally seen not available to the general public. To be sure nobody would know about his connection with Francisco, they almost every time met at the house. Francisco became a regular visitor and soon he also became a good friend. We enjoyed a lot of meetings and even when they had nothing to discuss business-wise.

Francisco admitted to be gay as well and that was why the connection he had with Alex had gone so smoothly. He was not partnered and that explained why he had so much free time and was so often over at the house. He was a very friendly guy and fun to be around. His English was very poor and that obliged us to practice our Spanish even more. At the start it was a bit weird and we often had to use the dictionary. Francisco was very patient and corrected us when we made mistakes. His efforts added to Mrs. Lopez courses, gave a serious boost to our knowledge of the language. He also gave Alex a very good advice to not let know at his work that his Spanish was getting so much better. It would help him overhear conversations of people who would be thinking he wouldn't understand. Only Mr. Mackenzie and Miss Rodriguez were aware of his Spanish progress.

The investigation of Mrs. Hernandez's phone calls was slow but really systematic. A lot of the numbers were discarded, such as family and what seemed to be close friends, but Alex didn't discard any of them completely. There was nonetheless one number that was extremely difficult to track. It was a pre-paid cell phone and thus without a name related to it. Francisco had helped Alex track down where the cell phone was located but his possibilities were not as extensive as the ones Alex had been used to. Most of the time it was located in the southern part of San Jose, but it was difficult to get an exact location. Nonetheless, in that same area, Alex found a few companies that eventually could be related to what Mr. Mackenzie feared: a direct or indirect relation to the competition.

Mr. Mackenzie wanted to know why Alex put all his efforts on Mrs. Hernandez. It was of course difficult to explain my help. That was when Alex learned that the believes in Tarot cards and paranormal forces were quite common in Costa Rica. Mr. Mackenzie actually didn't care how Alex did his work as long as the results were visible. To play safe, the information Mrs. Hernandez had access to, were seriously filtered although in a very discreet way. The IT guys did a wonderful job to check what Mrs. Hernandez had been looking at and that was not necessary for the job she had to do. It was obvious she had viewed, and even downloaded on a pen-drive, information that she didn't need to accomplish her job. But checking that, they also discovered two more people who were acting in the same way. Thanks to Francisco's help, he tracked down the same pre-paid cell phone number in the other two people's call list.

The main problem was that Alex knew that three people had looked at files they didn't need, but he had no proves that they had transmitted that information outside the company and thus he couldn't accuse them directly. An urgent meeting with Mr. Mackenzie and the chief of the IT department was set up. Alex wanted, if possible, that the computers of the three people would be connected to a separate server, receiving the exact information they needed to accomplish their job, but receiving other information on the files they had been viewing, all this without creating any suspicion. Alex was convinced that the three people were closely connected and checking their phone numbers it was clear they called each other quite frequently although they didn't need to for professional purposes. The IT guy said it was not easy but not impossible.

Alex continued to search for the user of the pre-paid cell phone. He was lost with it. Each time he thought he was about to find useful information, he was faced with a new wall that prevented him to get the answer he was looking for. He was frustrated to a point I had never seen before. I suggested calling his former colleagues and seeing if they could come up with some trick to open the necessary doors. He thought it was a brilliant idea and didn't hesitate to call O'Connor. After some small talk he explained the purpose of his call. They talked for quite some time and Alex realized that he was indeed no more on the police forces he had been. Their possibilities were so much more efficient. From thousands of miles away, O'Connor could localize by satellite the exact place where to find the cell phone. In a few minutes time he had solved a problem that had taken Alex weeks and without results.

• O'Connor has helped me a lot, but made it clear it was a one-time thing, Alex said when he was finished with his call. I will really have to adapt to the limitations of a private job. I was used to have all the technology at my service, but here it is different. Nonetheless, I have the information I needed. I guess we will be able to stop this leak of information definitely.

• That is good news, I said. I guess we will be in for some celebration. Tell me in time so that we can throw a little party. Tell me how much people to count with.

• Oh, just hold your horses! I have a piece of information but I still have to find the necessary proves.

It took him another two weeks to get all the proves, but the case was undeniably clear. Mr. Mackenzie was now in doubt whether to make an official complaint and bring the three people to justice, or to keep it inside the company. Alex gave his opinion.

• If you want to avoid them to ever doing that kind of thing again, the best way is to charge them officially. The consequences will be for them. They'll never again have a job with any responsibility, as their criminal record will not be clean. If you keep it within the company, and fire them, they'll just run over to the competition and God knows what kind of information they kept on pen-drives or other items. It is risky.

• I know you are right, Mackenzie said, but Mrs. Hernandez has kids!

• Yes, indeed she has, Alex said, but that's something she had to think about before she did what she did. It is not our fault that she started to give out confidential information while having kids at home! The two other guys involved are married as well and one of them has kids as well. But the problem is that they ARE guilty of industrial spying, and that is something that is forbidden by law. You knew there was a mole and asked me to find him or her. I cleaned the company of three moles and that's what you are paying me for. What you do with them is your decision, not mine. I can only give you my opinion. Whatever you decide to do, don't forget you already have three potential and unscrupulous enemies, that you want it or not. My advice is to lock them away for as long as possible.

Mr. Mackenzie was far too soft for such decisions. He was a hard working man and a fantastic businessman. When he was in negotiation mode, he was unbeatable, but he was a softy with the people working for him. Alex told him so, insisting that being soft is ok as long as there is no problem. But this was not the case. Finally, he made the decision and called the police to officially press charges. The three moles were arrested on the spot and in front of everybody to see. A lot of the other employees just couldn't believe their eyes, as none of them didn't even have a clue of what had happened. Mr. Mackenzie then ordered Angela to organize an urgent personnel's meeting. An hour later all personnel was assembled in one of the main open spaces next to the storage. Alex had urged him to enter in business mode and use a strong and assertive voice. He did! He explained what had happened and everybody already knew the direct consequences. Mr. Mackenzie also made it very clear that ANY inappropriate behavior in the company would have similar consequences.

The arrest of the three people had reached the news. Alex had no idea how that had happened, but apparently the local reporters were constantly following police activities. They showed the devastated faces of the kids crying for their Mum and the other kids crying for their Dad, but the reporter was honest and even used the same statement Alex had used with Mr. Mackenzie: the criminals had to have thought about it their kids before doing what they did.

The party that I had suggested to Alex was actually just having Francisco over for a dinner. Alex thought that it was not really appropriate to invite his boss or anyone from work to celebrate what was actually just his job. Francisco however had been of great help and certainly introduced Alex to some of the things that were possible in Costa Rica. Before he arrived for that dinner I had a word with Alex.

• Alex, I said, I have another intuition that I need to share with you.

Alex frowned his brows, wondering what else was coming his way.

• I just know for a fact that Francisco feels quite lonely, but there is something more. My intuition is that he has a serious crush on us. I say "us" because that is what he feels. He appreciates our friendship and loves to be in our company, but he wants more. I just know it.

• Do you mean he wants to get physical with us? Alex asked.

• Indeed, that is exactly what I mean. The problem if that happens is that his feelings will grow even more and that the simple crush will turn into him falling in love with us.

• And what do you think we should do?

• There are not a whole lot of possibilities! The first one would be to act as if we don't know anything about it. Here we don't know enough people to introduce him to and hope that he'll find someone to share his life with. The second option is to indulge a threesome and know that he will want more every time we meet. It would be like admitting a third person in our relationship.

• My God! You are serious, aren't you?

• Yes, because I think that we should never touch a heart we can't love. I don't need anybody apart from you Alex, but I also know that Francisco became a good friend and that we should help him if we can, whatever way it is. I called Tiffany this afternoon and she confirmed my suspicions. She surprised me a little when she said that our hearts were big enough to love someone more. I don't know about you, because we never talked about this, but I have been part of threesomes in the past. It was always sexual and not emotional. I know that sexually it has given me pleasure. However, I am not sure I want to share you with anybody else.

• I understand what you mean Gerald. I had threesomes as well but just like you, it was sexual and not emotional. I don't have the need of someone more in my life. The fact is that I like Francisco. I have never thought about him as a lover tough. Now that you mention it I don't know what to do. I don't want to jeopardize what we have. We are in for the long haul.

• What would you say if we see how he acts and reacts in the coming weeks and months? I mean, what about following the flow and see where it goes? After all, he already is a good friend and we appreciate his company. Let's not force anything. Let's just see what happens next. If he comes out to us, we can always talk it over again. If the sexual urge rises, I just want us to know what the possible consequences are.

Alex was silent. I could clearly see his brain was working overtime and at the speed of light. He was weighting the pros and cons. We didn't have any doubt about the love we had. My intuition was that he wouldn't mind giving it a go, but, as he said, he didn't want to put our relationship at danger. I didn't think our relationship was at danger. It was not like going each our separate way! We played together in this scene and I just wanted us to agree upon what to do. We hadn't done anything to induce this situation. We had just been friendly and grateful for what he had done for us.

We had no time to think it over a lot more, as the front doorbell rang!

To be continued if you guys tell me you like the story ! All comments welcome at amahy1957@gmail.com