1 Chapter 1: Ella meets the stranger - Cassidy

The busy streets of Manhattan are doing its usual fast lane routines. It's 10 mins to 5 now, employees are hustling to head home, people crossing the lanes and cars honking. A typical afternoon for a typical New Yorker.

On the drive home, I love tuning in to 102.7 Buster NY radio for their afternoon mellow and laid back sweet music not to mention their hit afternoon session "Ladies Confession 101". Where ladies, rich or poor, singletons or married wives get to confess and sometimes just share their thoughts and opinions about their partner or office crush. Anything that evolves the female empire they discuss – and I mean "anything". From the best thongs to feathered g-string (Christ! Feathered g-string!) to the best dildos out in the market, yup! No room for sensors.

Well, I love it! I am, at the end of the day part of the female herd. The new alpha that runs the world. (Singing to the tune of who run the world "GIRLS!" by Beyonce include slow-motion hair flips). Women empowerment at its peak!

The woman sharing right now on the radio has a screen name of "love machine". A woman married to a business tycoon that only goes home every fortnight, they've been married for almost 5 years now but still has no kids. She sobs as she says her husband no longer rides her every time he goes home and even shares the fact that the husband ignored her new Brazilian waxed private part. I choked laughing at the thought but listened anyway. As she was about to continue with her story, I was stunned to hear an overriding voice on the radio. It sounded muffled at first then clear but with radio interruptions. I pulled over just to make sure I am not just hearing things. It's sounding gibberish but I am sure it's a man. "Heather, please.. I. am. Begging. you. We're still at Central Park, the same spot where you left. (Gibberish sound like a radio trying to find a signal and tuning in to the right frequency). I..sshh..ssshhh where else to go. And…sshhh. it's starting to drizzle and I have our newborn baby with me".

I am so taken aback. It's the 21st century and yet a radio interruption or an override or whatever you call it. What if this is a crime scene? Or what if I am hearing a criminal with a baby. Or maybe this is a kidnap for ransom and they are about to exchange (money and baby) Shit! Shit! Don't panic Cassidy! I tried to look around as I know that when radio signals are interrupted like this, the frequency should be coming from a short distance and soon enough I found a man holding an umbrella carrying what seemed like a baby wrapped in a blanket with suitcases everywhere and on the phone at the same time. I almost wet my pants feeling so horrified with all the morbid scenes in my head, I should call 911. Wait, it might be too late. I've seen it in some action movies, there might be some S.W.A.T around or a detective. I've decided to wait and observe what happens next. 5 mins passed, another message on the radio pleading "Heather if you're there ssshhh…ssshh we ssshh shh o' where else to go". Another 10 mins have passed and still no commotion nor confrontation. Then, it happened. The rain poured like cats and dogs that afternoon. Strong winds followed by lightning and thunder. Without any second thought, I grabbed my paper spray and went directly to the man holding a baby. By the looks of it, he seems like hugging the baby to protect it from the cold winds. The man was too busy looking from left to right like looking for somebody along the busy street of west side Central Park he didn't even notice me approaching them.

Excuse me, I said tightly clutching the pepper spray ready to fire in case anything happens. And then asked, are you looking for Heather? I made sure to include the name Heather in the conversation just to test if he's really the man on the radio. As he heard the name Heather, a sign of relief washes over his face when he asked, did Heather send you to pick us up? Before I could even answer he said, thank you, thank you so much as I don't know where to go. I wanted to protest as I don't really know who the hell is Heather but looking at the angelic face of the baby, pity overruled my principle of "don't talk to strangers".

Let's head first to my condo so we can talk properly, I believe the baby needs a warm and cosy shelter especially in this kind of weather.

Cassidy Blair, the all-time fool who talked to a stranger and even offered him to come inside her own house. I. am. So. Dead.

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