John the Bodyguard and Cop ©
I retired from the Army in 1991. When I was stationed in San Francisco, I was sent to San Diego to investigate a negligent homicide case at the Army Reserve Center. I thought San Diego was beautiful and the weather was great, so I decided to retire there. After kicking around for two weeks, wondering what I wanted to do, I took a job at an upscale high-rise condo working security. Every condo cost over a million dollars, and I found the residents to be very friendly; not snooty at all. I liked the job, but I only worked there for three weeks before something better popped up.
Melissa Price was 39 and was married to Anthony Price, one of the wealthiest men in the country. They owned a 32-acre estate in the wealthiest area of San Diego. A good friend of mine was currently employed by a famous actress/singer in the same neighborhood, and when he was asked if he could recommend a bodyguard/estate security agent for Mr. & Mrs. Price, he called me. When I told him I would be interested, he arranged an interview.
When I arrived at their home, I rang the doorbell and was greeted by a huge German Shepherd with very big teeth, barking at me and signaling he wanted to tear me apart. Luckily, he was accompanied by Ms. Price who gave him a command, and he stopped barking but continued to bare his teeth. She opened the door and invited me into the den where her husband was waiting on the sofa. I shook his hand and he told me to have a seat.
Ms. Price sat across from me and the dog laid down on the floor between us. She was wearing sandals, loose shorts, and a sleeveless green blouse that was doing a poor job of restraining her very nice 38 C cup breasts. She was very attractive with medium length brown hair and green eyes. The shorts revealed very toned and tanned legs.
Mr. Price was 41, medium height and weight, and appeared a bit geeky. He had my resume and asked me about some of my previous assignments. He then asked some hypotheticals about security. I pointed out several problems I had observed with his security while driving up his driveway. I then told him what I would suggest to improve his estate security.
He explained that he dealt in international finance and frequently travelled between his offices in Beverly Hills, New York, London, and Dubai. He said he normally travelled alone so he was concerned about his wife's security while he was gone. After my fairly quick interview, he asked his wife if she had any questions for me, and when she said she didn't, he asked when I could start. I was surprised that he offered the job so quickly, but he just chuckled and pointed to my feet. I hadn't even noticed that his German Shepherd had moved to right in front of my feet and was sleeping soundly.
He said, "My dog rarely trusts strangers, so if he is comfortable with you, so am I."
I told him I could start in a week and we shook hands. Before I stood up, I reached down and scratched the dog behind the ear. When I stood up to follow Ms. Price to the door, the dog followed behind us, apparently no longer looking at me as a potential threat, or his next meal. When Ms. Price opened the door, she took my hand and said it was a pleasure to meet me. I noticed she held my hand longer than necessary.
The next week, I arrived early on Monday morning. When I rang the bell, Ms. Price came to the door dressed in jeans and a pullover top. The dog started barking when I rang the bell, but when he saw me, he didn't bark or bare his teeth anymore, but instead wagged his tail and licked my hand. We went inside to the kitchen and Ms. Price asked if I would like a cup of coffee. I gladly accepted and we went to the kitchen table to sit down. She explained that Mr. Price had already left that morning on a seven-day trip.
She first told me to call her Mel, then she asked if I would mind answering the phone anytime it rang to screen her calls. She said she would give me a list of people to whom she was always available. Otherwise, I was to take a message. She showed me to a spare bedroom just off the kitchen and explained I would be staying there anytime her husband was out of town. She said I was to feed and water the dog and take him for a walk around the property, morning, noon, and late afternoon. She said she would go with me to walk the property right after we finished our coffee. She then showed me the rest of the house.
We went outside and as we started walking, she explained the history of the property and the fact it was a working Orange grove. She said at harvest time there would be several people there to pick the oranges, crate them, and take them to market. She said anytime I wanted to pick an orange for myself, I should feel free. As we walked, I had the dog on a leash. He seemed to know the route, so I let him take the lead. I wanted to see if he was trained, so I called him to heel, sit, down, and stay. When he immediately obeyed all the commands, I walked to him, scratched his head, and told him "Good Boy!"
Mel said, "Looks like you know your way around dogs."
I explained that I had at one time supervised ten dog handlers, and I grew to love German Shepherds. She told me his name was Bailey. We walked completely around the fence line and then returned to the house. When we got back, she asked me about my ideas for increasing security. I told her I wanted the gate closed at all times. There was an intercom to announce visitors, but I wanted a combination intercom/camera. I would also order a sign that said, "Warning. Gate and Driveway Alarmed. Armed Response." That would at least deter most intruders.
I then told her I noticed when we left the house, she didn't lock the door. I told her I wanted the doors locked at all times and the alarm set when she left the house. She agreed to all my suggestions. I then got a list of all employees, including Maid, Pool Boy, Gardener, etc., along with their work schedules. For the rest of her day, she messed around the house, mostly in the office, and I got settled in my new room. It wasn't spacious, but it would do.
Later that afternoon, she asked me if I liked Italian food. When I said I did, she said she was going to make Chicken Parmigiana with Spaghetti for dinner. I discovered she was an excellent cook. She explained we would be eating together whenever her husband was gone. After dinner, I helped her clean the kitchen and put the dishes in the dishwasher. She said she was going to have a glass of wine and watch some TV in the living room, and she asked me to join her.
Over the next few days, we had several interesting discussions. We talked about politics, travel, terrorism, and whatever popped up. I think she was surprised I was conversant in a number of areas and could carry on an intelligent conversation.
One night she asked me why I had chosen my current profession. She said, "It seems that you could do almost anything you put your mind to. Why this?"
I told her I had been doing protection work for a number of years and I enjoyed it. I also believed I was good at it, and it paid well.
