Jared avoiding Clara

If indeed there was a gym to see, it could never be his son's only motivation. Craig was sure about this. He felt that he knew his son only too well.

Jared might be a little bit curious about the gym, but he was not likely to be seriously interested in running one himself, even though he was a fitness fanatic.

As far as Craig knew his son; frivolity was almost always his sole motivation whenever he made a special effort to do anything. Jared was only off to have some fun, Craig told himself. Well, he reasoned, it was only going to be for a few days, which was quite fine, because as soon as Jared returned, he would have to face up to a clear ultimatum.

He would work or lose his comfortable allowance.

Craig had also already spoken to his brother-in-law and asked him to kindly lay off from giving Jared money for going out on dates with girls.

If these tactics did not cause Jared to shape up, nothing else would. His son was being spoiled by everyone.

The only reason for that being that he was charming and good looking. Craig's wife, Brenda should be strong enough to stick to the plan and resist her son's charm for once in her life. So let him go to Cape Town, for his brief and final pleasure trip in a long time to come.

***

Just as he was on the point of leaving, having splashed on his only, but expensive cologne, Blake heard someone trying to insert a key into the keyhole on the other side of the door.

The door already held his key on the inside. He knew that it could only be Laura, so he unlocked the door and opened it.

She stared at him in surprise when she noticed his striking, formal outfit, complete with a silk handkerchief in his jacket pocket and his silver watch on his wrist.

Her obvious and instant assumption was that he could definitely not be going to work.

Not at seven o'clock in the evening. It would most certainly be a very unconventional job, if that were the case. So, he was going out for a night on the town again, Laura assumed.

Blake was openly very pleased to see both Laura and Monique. He embraced them both and gave them each a kiss on the cheek, before standing back, arms outstretched, with his hands on their arms.

"So, where have you been?" he asked, with unsuppressed concern conveyed by his tone of voice.

He did not give Laura much of a chance to reply however, because he immediately continued with a finger on his lips as a sign that he did not want a reply.

"But you will have to keep your answer ready for when I return. Right now I simply have to fly. A special job interview. Will explain later."

Laura gaped at him with her mouth open, clearly astonished by this strange behavior. She knew him well enough to have expected him to be home by then. He may have acted a little irresponsibly on Monday night, but she could always be sure that the attitude which Blake had assumed then could not last for very long. That was simply not a part of his nature.

Laura was most certainly surprised, but Blake knew that, true to her serene nature, she would not try to apprehend him when he was determined to do something. She would take time to ponder his unusual behavior.

***

Jared was spending his time exactly as he had anticipated. His days were fun and adventurous. He could forget Carminda's gloomy forebodings and occasionally he could even forget about meeting her.

This evening started with a mellow cocktail party in Sea Point, with Ray and a few of the girls from the gym, who were taking the evening off from instructing.

When Jared returned to Carla's flat however, he found that it would be difficult to enjoy the rest of the evening if it were up to her.

She was dressed rather sensually in a boob-tube top, made of black leather and a number of suggestive-looking metal zips. She also wore a black leather mini skirt to match.

Her frame of mind, however was not as frivolous as her outward appearance. Instead of engaging in lively, interesting conversation, she chose to try and detect Jared's innermost thoughts and feelings.

She would never learn, he thought to himself. Studying psychology would have fulfilled her much more than the teaching diploma which she went for (in his opinion).

What Carla did not anticipate, in her enthusiasm to discover the real him, was the actual fact that he might not need her probing. This was because there already was someone who was more adept at performing that task for him. He had met a psychic woman.

Carla simply always felt that she could read Jared's mind, ever since he had made the mistake of confiding in her on an isolated occasion. In fact, she would be shocked speechless if he told her about his recent experiences.

She needed to know that he already has had contact with a real psychic and that he was actually running away from this new person's influence. He really did not need another of her kind. That was the last thing he wanted in his life right now.

Carla did really not realize that her probing only came across as pestering. Jared felt that she was never going to leave him in peace and allow him to enjoy his own thoughts. In her own mind she was well-intentioned and nothing but kind.

Jared though, noticed that Carla could not acknowledge that she was only out for self-gain and vanity. He would not venture to be as impolite as to tell her this though. Perhaps time would teach her. Maybe she would find some real purpose in life sometime. Hopefully soon.