Chapter 65

Phil adjourned to the hotel’s pool while he waited for Hailey to get off work. His brief glimpse inside of the Carstairs house had shown immense potential. If the women enjoyed coming into the penthouse apartment he could imagine the looks on their faces when they saw the stately interior of that house.

He could picture Hailey hosting the Beta Club for dinner or having a dinner party for Molly, Tiffany and Katelyn and their dates. The dining room had a long table with a chandelier above it on the high ceiling. The living room had vintage furniture that fit the décor. That was as far as he’d made it before the old man started to chew his ass.

He wondered if the furnishings came with the house and decided to ask. Rebecca’s voice was throaty when she answered.

“Hi, this is Phil Warner,” he announced.

“Hello, Phil,” Rebecca replied. “What can I do for you?”

Phil didn’t miss the innuendo in her voice but chose to ignore it.

“Does the furniture come with the house?” he asked.

He was greeted with silence for a moment. Rebecca had recognized the number and had convinced herself he was calling to arrange to spend more time with her. The fact that he asked a question about real estate caught her off guard.

“That’s negotiable,” she answered eventually.

“Good,” Phil said, nodding unseen to the woman he was speaking to. “OK, I’ll have a new proposal for you in the morning. Sorry to bother you again.”

“No bother, Phil,” Rebecca said, chagrined that she was considering trying to seduce a guy two years older than her daughter. “Call if you have any other questions.”

“Will do,” Phil replied. “Thanks again.”

He closed the call and tilted his head back to consider the possibilities. He wished Hailey were with him. That was nothing new. He had wished she were with him since he pulled out of the lot that morning. She had several important meetings on her docket, delayed because of Beth’s week away earlier. She probably could have arranged to miss them but she really didn’t think it was right to take advantage of Beth that way. Phil had agreed so he was on his own.

He was pondering how much to offer for the furnishings when a shadow passed in front of him. He caught the shapely bikini-clad bottom of a brown-haired young woman as she walked past him. Her tan was even and her body had a level of fitness that came from a gym and not from athletics. Every section of her body was perfectly proportioned. Her shoulders were exactly the same width as her hips. Her fingers stopped at the exact point the curve of her bottom ended. When she turned to sit he saw the view from the front was just as impressive as from the back.

Her breasts were large but not enormous; her stomach was toned but not muscular. Her bikini bottom came down to a perfect V between her legs. Her nose was slightly upturned and her high cheekbones gave her a mixture of grace and girl-next-door wholesomeness. Even her knees were cute, Phil decided.

Hailey was the most physically beautiful woman he had ever seen but he wasn’t sure this woman wasn’t prettier. That caused him to shake his head to clear the cobwebs. The young woman caught Phil’s gaze and offered a small wave. She knew the reaction she caused in the male of the species. She had the ability to turn heads when she was 13 and it had only improved as she had grown into her late teens.

Phil blushed at being busted and gave a half-wave in return. He wouldn’t have blushed if he had known that Courtney Hollings had spotted him alone at the pool and decided to see what he was all about. She had seen him pull into the parking lot in a typical college guy car. The fact he immediately got into a car with a statuesque redhead didn’t make sense.

Perhaps he’s a gigolo, Courtney mused to herself with a chuckle. Once she saw the guy’s toned physique at the pool, she decided she would drop a couple of hundred to find out. She frowned when the guy went back to his files, pausing periodically to check his phone. She wasn’t sure if he was getting texts or checking the time.

Finally he stood and put his shirt back on. He didn’t even glance at her as he gathered up his papers and walked back toward the hotel. She frowned at being ignored. The bikini she wore had turned the heads of some of the most influential men in Hollywood and New York. Now a college kid just walked away from her.

She watched him open the door to Room 207. That was something at least. His room was right beside hers. That opened up a world of possibilities.

Phil sighed heavily when he closed the door behind him. He couldn’t believe how much difficulty he had keeping his eyes from straying down the line of chairs to the brown-haired girl. He had managed but he found he wasn’t concentrating on anything but the unnamed female. Only Hailey had that effect on him.

The clock said it was only shortly after four p.m. He would have to wait for an hour before he could call Hailey. He shook his head to clear the thoughts. He wanted to pull the curtain aside and check to see if the newcomer was still at the pool.

Instead he took a shower and pictured Hailey in his head. Was this what it was like for her all the time? The young woman had initiated the contact with the wave. He cursed when he realized Hailey had been pushed aside again.

What was it about this brown-haired girl that caught his attention? She was no more attractive than Hailey. She was taller. That was it. Phil estimated she was probably 5-10 or 5-11 so she had longer legs. Hailey was curvier. No one would ever say Hailey didn’t have a body that would stop traffic.

Why was he comparing the two? Christ, he had a girlfriend! They could talk about anything. They had a lot in common. He had never said a word to this girl – and he probably wouldn’t. Still, the sight of her tight butt in her white bikini bottom would stay with him for a while.

He wrapped a towel around his waist and looked at his phone again, 4:38 p.m. He had pulled on a pair of shorts and a fresh T-shirt when he heard a knock at the door. He looked out of the peephole but saw no one. He frowned when he opened the door and found no one. The knocking came again and he realized it was coming from the connecting door to the next room.

He opened and there she was.

“Oh, it’s you!” she said, feigning surprise. She didn’t win an Oscar for nothing. “Hi.”

“Uh, hi,” Phil said. The young woman had a white button-down shirt tied beneath her bikini top. The tops of her breasts were still clearly visible. The strings of her bikini bottom hung out from the side of a pair of dark blue shorts.

“I was hoping you might know something about the area,” she said. “I’m starving but I’m sick of McDonald’s and Burger King. Do you know of any place decent?”

“Uh, sure,” Phil told her. “What are you in the mood for?”

Courtney smiled a winsome smile as her mind raced around that question. A quick, dirty fuck with the pool boy, she thought to herself.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “What do you suggest?”

“It depends on if you’re in the mood for grease or healthy,” Phil said, smiling back at her involuntarily. She had hoped he would invite her inside but he stayed in the door and made no inviting moves. That was OK. She wasn’t averse to making the first move.

“I was thinking about pizza,” Courtney declared. “Would you like to split one with me?”

“Uh, sure,” Phil agreed.

Courtney clapped her hands and pushed herself on the balls of her feet. Both actions made her breasts jiggle invitingly, just as she knew they would.

“Oh, thank you,” she said as if he’d just pulled her from the teeth of an alligator. “I have been here two days and you are the first person my age I’ve seen!”

“It’s pretty dead in the summer,” Phil laughed. “I have to call home – my girlfriend. How about I knock on your door in about an hour?”

“Uh, sure,” Courtney said.

“I’m Phil, by the way,” he said, extending a hand. It was only then that Courtney Hollings knew she had gone completely unrecognized. Reverting to her natural hair color from the platinum blonde that she had in the movies must have had more of an effect than she thought.

“Courtney,” she said, shaking his hand daintily. “I’ll listen for your knock. I can go ahead and order in a little while.”

“If you want the best pizza in town you can’t get it delivered,” Phil replied. “We’ll have to go there.”

“Oh,” Courtney replied again. This conversation wasn’t going as she planned. She figured she would be recognized immediately, be invited in, take a few minutes of small talk and then she’d find some way to get him into bed. Instead he was still blocking her entry into his room and it was obvious he had no plans to be alone with her in a hotel room.

“I’ll knock in a few minutes,” Phil promised. “I want to catch Hailey before she heads to dinner. Excuse me.”

Phil closed the connecting door and put his back against it. He had handled it well, he thought. He hadn’t gawked when she thrust her breasts forward. He hadn’t let her in although he could see she was eyeing an invitation. He was on the hook to take her to dinner but that was better than having her sitting on his bed while they ate.

He was thankful that Hailey answered on the first ring. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if he had missed her.

“Hey,” she answered brightly and Phil felt his heart flutter.

“How’s my girl?” he asked.

“Ooh,” Hailey cooed. “Am I your girl?”

“You know you are,” Phil said, smiling at the byplay.

“How are things down there?” she asked.

“It was an unproductive day,” Phil admitted. “The old man was a total dick. He’s going to the doctor tomorrow so we’re heading back out.”

“The old man?” Hailey inquired.

“The guy who owns the house,” Phil explained. “He doesn’t want to sell but he can’t afford to keep it. He’s two years behind on taxes and he’s going to lose it soon either way. I think I can get the price down farther. That should help out a lot on taxes. Hailey, you should see this place. You would love it! It’s so stately. As soon as I walked in I could picture you mingling with your guests at a Beta Club gathering or playing hostess at a dinner party.”

Hailey listened to the excitement in Phil’s voice. She listened to him describe the furnishings and it struck her. He wanted the house for her. He wanted her to live in someplace he felt was worthy of her.

“I love you!” she said, interrupting him.

“I love you, too,” Phil said, smiling at the excitement in her voice. There was no way for him to know that her excitement wasn’t about the house but about him.

“Uh, before I forget, I met a new student at the hotel,” Phil informed her. “At least I think she is a new student. She wanted me to recommend a place for her to have dinner. I guess I’m going to accompany her to Prizanti’s. I didn’t want you to hear about it and get pissed off at me.”

“You have a date?” Hailey asked with a laugh. “Didn’t I do you well enough this morning before you left?”

“Oh, you were perfect,” Phil said. “It’s not a date. It’s just...”

“I know, Phil,” Hailey said. “She’s down there alone. Is she pretty?”

“I...” Phil hedged. “Yeah, Hailey. She’s very pretty. I don’t think she’s as pretty as you but she’s pretty.”

“Really?” Hailey asked. “Do I have to worry, Phil?”

“No,” Phil said quickly. “I just didn’t want you hearing something and drawing the wrong conclusion. I’m trying to get out in front of things because I don’t want any misunderstanding between us. Things are going too well for me to let something inconsequential like this ruin it just because I didn’t tell you upfront.”

“OK,” Hailey said. “What’s her name?”

“Uh, wait, oh, Courtney,” Phil said. “I think that’s what she said. I was counting the minutes until I could call you so I wasn’t really paying attention to her.”

“You’re smooth, Mr. Warner,” Hailey laughed. “Just behave yourself.”

“I only misbehave when I’m around you,” Phil said. “And I’m eagerly awaiting my next opportunity.”

“Will you be home tomorrow?” Hailey asked.

“I hope so,” Phil told her. “Look, Hailey, if we don’t get the one on the hill, I’m not sure what we’re going to do. There are a couple of places out in the sticks but I’m not sure how it would work.”

“You like this place?” Hailey asked.

“I really do,” Phil said. “I mean, I can see us living there in 40 years. I honestly believe you will love it. God, I wish you were here.”

“At least you love me for something besides my body,” Hailey joked. “I’ll back you. If we run short of money there are always jobs in the chemistry labs. If you want it, let’s do it.”

“You can’t use words like that when I’m five hours away,” Phil said with a laugh.

“I’m just trying to keep you interested while you’re out on your date tonight,” Hailey joked. “I’m serious about the house. We’ll find some way to make it work.”

“Are you sure?” Phil wondered.

“Not really,” Hailey admitted. “But I trust you – not only about the house but with some skanky whore at a pizza shop.”

Courtney Hollings lifted the sundress over her slim shoulder and looked in the mirror at the pert 34C breasts that had most men and several women drooling. She wore only a green thong on her trim body but now she had to change.

She had tried a trick from one of her movies, using a glass to listen through the wall but soon learned that the plastic cups weren’t good for conducting sound waves. She went to a more traditional idea. She opened her side of the adjoining door and listened to the guy’s conversation from beneath the door.

Her first thought was that the guy was playing it cool by pretending he didn’t recognize her. She appreciated that he didn’t swoon like a fan-boy when he saw her. Now she realized that he didn’t recognize her at all – and that he didn’t consider this a date. So the sundress had to go. She decided that the thong had to go, too. She slid it down her thighs and kicked it over toward the bed. Nude, she searched through her suitcase and pulled out a pair of low-cut boyshorts and a matching bra.

There would be no harm in jerking the guy around. She might let him know who she was after she got him into bed but maybe not. His girlfriend might not mind if he banged Courtney Hollings but she would be pissed if she found out he fucked some girl without a last name.

She slithered into a pair of tight blue jeans and slipped a sweatshirt over her head. She wouldn’t let him in on her plans for him until later – when she knocked on the door nude. He’d open it – particularly since he knew who was next door. She’d give him a glimpse at paradise and then fuck him into oblivion. If she could get his phone, she would take a picture of him fucking her and send it out.

That would teach him to screw around with her. Courtney pulled her brown hair back into a ponytail and put on a pair of fake eyeglasses.

I look like a naughty librarian, she thought. She decided to go without makeup to further her disguise. She searched her mind for the guy’s name ... Phil. Yeah, that was it. Phil something. She pulled on a pair of sneakers and waited on the edge of the bed for the guy to beckon her. She wondered what she would do if he hit on her. Would she still bang him if he was interested in her? Sure, she decided. She needed to get laid and this guy was nobody.

She decided on her plan. She would play it coy, just two people of the opposite sex sharing a pizza. She wouldn’t tell him he was dining with Courtney Hollings. She wouldn’t let on that she was going to fuck him. That would be a surprise. Maybe she’d get lucky and he would be on the phone with his bimbo when she knocked. She could watch him stammer and stutter. Would he tell her that he loved her before hanging up on her? Maybe. That would be funny. She glanced at the sundress and contemplated changing into it again. It showed off her tits and she knew she had great tits.

A short video of her in skimpy underwear had been leaked from her latest film and rumor suggested it had almost caused the Internet to grind to a halt. She knew for a fact that several websites shut down because of user overload. She wondered how many guys had jerked off to her in a lacy bra. Millions? Certainly, she decided. Maybe billions. That was more likely. A billion cocks spurting to a computer image of her tits. The poor dumbass next door would be putty in her hands if she wore the dress.

She had just picked it up when the she heard a knock on the door. The guy hadn’t knocked on the adjoining door but instead had gone to her front door to knock. She smirked for a moment. He wasn’t going to take any chances – and it still wouldn’t matter.

“Just a second!” she yelled as she reached into the suitcase again and extracted a couple of condoms. Can’t be too careful, she told herself.

She pulled the door open and saw the guy was playing the “non-date” aspect to the hilt. He still had on the T-shirt he wore to the pool but added a pair of decent shorts that didn’t match.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” Courtney said. “Lead on, MacDuff, and all that.”

Phil offered a crooked smile as they headed to the parking lot.

“Do you mind driving?” Courtney asked. A college girl with a sports car would give the game away in a hurry.

“Since you don’t know where we’re going, that might be best,” Phil said, smiling again.

“True that,” Courtney replied. She walked to the sedan and waited. She expected the guy to open her door for her but instead he just unlocked the driver’s door and unlocked her side. She got in with a frown that turned into a smile when she faced him.

“No fish on the pizza,” she declared.

“You won’t get an argument from me,” Phil agreed. “No onions either.”

“Definitely not!” Courtney stated. She was thinking about making out with him later and how nasty onion breath would be. “I like sausage and mushrooms.”

“I’m good with that,” Phil agreed. “I always have to battle the girls on pizza toppings.”

“The girls?” Courtney asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Phil said. “Hailey – she’s my girlfriend – and her best friend, Tiffany. Then there is Katelyn. She’s more my friend than Hailey’s but she always votes the gender line when it comes to pizza. Then there is Molly. She’s Irish – as in from Ireland – and she has some weird tastes. She likes bacon and pineapple and stuff like that. She picked one up on the way home once and it was some sort of feta cheese and vegetable stuff. You can bet that was the last time she got to choose.”

“They sound like a crew,” Courtney said. “You all live together?”

“We all got an apartment in the city for the summer,” Phil hedged.

“The city?” Courtney wondered.

“Calder City,” Phil explained. “It’s the only thing close to a city here – as you’ve learned.”

“Oh, of course,” Courtney said.

“Where are you from?” Phil asked.

“Originally, from a town called Cedarport,” Courtney told him. “We moved to California when I was little, though.”

“I know where Cedarport is,” Phil said. “I grew up near there and I played baseball against them in high school. My girlfriend grew up in Stony Ridge. That’s a suburb of Calder City.”

“I barely remember living in Cedarport,” Courtney admitted. “I was young when we moved out West.”

“Yeah, I’d imagine a California sunset would push Cedarport right out of your mind,” Phil agreed. “I went to Los Angeles with my parents when I was, I don’t know, 11 or 12. I thought it was awesome. That one visit is why I wanted to go to Stanford. Well, that and Stanford is a long way from my parents.”

“I can agree with that,” Courtney said with a frown. “My parents totally suck!”

“Mine aren’t bad,” Phil replied. “It was more a matter that I saw other people get away with a lot of shit – oh, sorry, stuff – that I never got away with.”

“And that pissed you off?” Courtney asked, chuckling slightly. “I don’t curse much but I know all the words.”