The Stranger In My Bed

Light And Shadows

The distant chiming of the clock in the hallway told me it was eight in the morning. I opened my eyes to the early rays of light. True to his promise, Mr. Weston had touched nothing but my hand. Even in his sleep. I carefully untangled his fingers from mine so I didn't wake him.

The cool air of morning touched my exposed skin and sent a shiver through me. I blushed remembering the way he stared at my body, but there was no time for that today. There was no third day. "Jack Weston" would not be appearing again and I had to prepare for whoever might come down the stairs later.

I got dressed and went downstairs to wait for Thomas. I went to the parlor and sat in an armchair near a large window. I stared at the rose garden, in just a few days how many important things had happened here? I came here to escape being homeless and broke, how did I end up in some torrid affair with the man who was supposed to be my employer?

"Welcome to day three, Ms. Walton." Thomas' voice snapped me from my trance. "If you make it past today, then congratulations. You will have surpassed nearly eighty percent of previous candidates. Now, as I have said, Mr. Weston will not be himself today. There are a number of people he could become so I have brought you this. I would suggest you study it in your free time."

He handed me an old and very large binder filled with different tabs and notes. The first page was titled "Jack Weston":

Age: 29

Occupation: Heir

Personality: Social, friendly, care-free.

Interests: Reading, walking in his garden, chess, music.

Dislikes: Sports, politics, long-lasting silences.

Frequency: Approximately once a week.

Jack is the true personality of Mr. Weston. He likes to be informed of the activities of his other personalities while he has been "absent," give him a detailed and truthful account. Jack prefers academic interests and enjoys discussing literature and the arts. His personality is easy-going, bordering on flippant at times, but he is a serious and thoughtful person. Give him reassurance as he is constantly doubting himself.

I looked at Thomas in surprise.

"This is a compilation of Mr. Weston's personalities," he explained. "At least the ones that have appeared so far. Refer to this any time a new one appears to you. Feel free to edit and add to this book as needed, his personalities are people and, therefore, are constantly growing and changing. If you encounter a new persona not listed in this book, then give the new man a brief interview and add a page for him. I have organized the book by the frequency of their appearances. Any questions?"

All I could do was stare. It was enormous. Jack mentioned five personalities appeared most frequently, but there had to be over fifty different pages in this book. Did he really have so many personalities? How could I keep them all straight?

Thomas must have seen the panic on my face because he quickly walked over and pointed to a blue divider near the front of the book.

"These are the ones that appear most frequently. You'll be lucky to see any of the others three times in a month," he reassured me.

I counted the pages at the front, there were seven. I couldn't help the sigh of relief that exited my lips. Seven, a lot, but far more manageable than fifty. So he might be ten people a month? It sounded doable.

At that moment I heard footsteps at the door. Thomas and I turned and Mr. Weston was there. He stared at us in confusion.

"Thomas, who is this woman?" He asked.