“Well, I would like to show off the house. I mean, I would love to entertain there.”
“I see… You could join the Brighton Hills Country Club. There you would be able to meet others of your stature, although most of them are a bit older than you. Their children would be close to your age. I’m not sure they frequent the club though.”
“Well, that sounds like a beginning anyway. Thank you, Mr. Sutton.”
Mr. Sutton gave her a card and told her to let the club’s staff know that he referred her for membership. He would fax over a written recommendation in the morning. Lexi thanked him again and headed back to Rivenwood Manor.
The next morning, Lexi dressed in one of her most corporate-type suits and had Reeves take her to Brighton Hills Country Club. She had called them and made an appointment for an interview. A woman named Mrs. Stratford had said that Mr. Sutton’s letter had already arrived, and they would be honored to see her at 10:00 a.m. She assured Lexi that the interview was just a formality that would be over in moments and Lexi would be welcomed into their close-knit family. Money talks, Lexi thought.
When she arrived at the club, Lexi was awed by the beauty of the place. Even in the dreary, rainy, dim light of the day, it was breathtaking.
The driveway and parking areas were made of dark red brick. Instead of curbs, there were neatly sculptured bushes, so dark green they were almost black.
The club itself was the same dark red brick but with golden brick trim. There were so many windows and gables that the building would have looked like an enormous eerie gothic mansion, except for the golden light within that gave a warm, inviting glow.
Over the huge entrance was a large oval stained glass window showing a beautiful rose bud. The light behind the window showed it off perfectly.
A doorman ran out from the entrance and held a very large umbrella that shielded Lexi from the rain as Reeves opened the door for her and helped her out. Lexi smiled at the attention. It made her feel good.
The building was as impressive, if not more impressive, on the inside as the outside. There were lush, green plants everywhere; a lot of dark, mahogany wood; white marble with silver threading; and deep red, leather chairs and couches.
A woman holding a folder rushed to greet her.
“Miss Hunter, I’m so happy to meet you. I’m Marylis Stratford. We spoke on the phone.”
“Hello Mrs. Stratford. Please call me Lexi. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Lexi smiled warmly.
“Please call me Marylis, Lexi.” She smiled warmly in return.
She ushered Lexi into a large office. Lexi sat down on a settee, and Marylis sat down next to her. She was a thin, frail-looking woman probably in her late sixties or early seventies. She had thinning, blonde hair coiled in a tight bun. She had almost an old-time school teacher look to her. Lexi wondered what type of person she was.
“Now then… Just fill out these forms, and I’ll enter the information into our computer and you’ll have all membership rights. We have an indoor, Olympic-sized pool, a large health spa and gym, gaming rooms, party rooms, a movie theater stocked with all the most current movies, and that’s just for the cold weather months. During summer, we have trails and outdoor swimming and cabins and, well, here is a pamphlet that lists all the amenities. This is a place where you can come and do anything. I wish more of our young people would take advantage of this place rather than the city club circuit. It’s so destructive. I’m sure once they find out about you; more will want to spend time here. They’re always interested in new people who are worthy of their company.”
Lexi smiled. She then filled out the forms and handed them back to Marylis. Once she had entered all the information, she took Lexi on a tour. Each room proved to be more impressive than the last until Lexi felt that this club was almost as impressive as her home. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but Rivenwood Manor was still more impressive.
Marylis gave her a key and told her the club was open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to her, holidays included. It was like a second home. Lexi felt very comfortable with the atmosphere. She would definitely use the club a lot and make some new friends.
“You have special privileges here, my dear. If Mr. Sutton didn’t tell you, your aunt was and actually still is one of our biggest benefactresses. She left a large amount for maintenance of the buildings and grounds that will last for many, many years to come. She also bought all the plants you see. She had a passion for plants.”
“Yes. I can tell. My home is full of them, also,” Lexi smiled.
“Okay. Go ahead and make yourself at home. Go and enjoy everything you want. This is your place now. You can live it up, relax, or wait around. It starts to hop a bit around here at the dinner hour. We have a world-renowned chef working here. There are also some very nice apartments on the west wing. Your key fits L134, it was your aunt’s apartment. It’s on the main floor. You have French doors leading out into the rose garden. It’s very beautiful in the summer. The apartment is yours to use or not as you please. It’s cleaned daily whether or not you use it. If you want privacy, there’s a red satin ribbon you tie on the knocker. You’ll be left alone until the ribbon is removed.”
“This is all very impressive.”
Marylis beamed. “So glad you approve. I’ll see you later, Lexi.” She took Lexi’s hand and then gave her an impulsive, quick hug. “I know you’ll love it here.” And with that, she was gone.
Lexi explored, met a few older couples, and finally checked out L134. It was a quaint apartment, very nice and richly furnished but a bit on the small side. The thought immediately struck her as funny. She giggled quietly. Four of her old apartments would fit into this one. Well, her life was much grander now than it had been then. It was another lifetime.
She walked into the kitchen and found that there was a menu lying by a house phone. She was a bit hungry and ordered herself a lunch she would not soon forget. It was absolutely the best food she had ever tasted. The dinner roll was brushed with a mixture of olive oil and garlic. The marinara sauce on the pasta had so many distinct flavors that all came together perfectly and made Lexi’s mouth water as she lifted each bite to her mouth.
She walked over to the French doors after lunch and looked out at the garden. There were a few roses left; but even without the full blooms, it was a magical garden. There were trails and stone benches and beautiful, full trees. Beautiful statues were placed perfectly to enhance the majesty of the garden. She could not wait for summer.
She decided to see what movies were playing. She did not know what was out in the theaters. Television was something she never turned on anymore except for the news. She saw that there was a movie about two college friends who ended up dating the same girl that started in fifteen minutes. It sounded all right, although romantic comedies were not her greatest interest. She preferred real-life dramas about the wealthy. She did like to watch old war movies at times, which she could only associate to her growing up watching them with her dad.
A pang of guilt hit her. She had not gotten in touch with her parents to see how her father was doing. She had been so busy trying to cure her boredom. Well, she would call him soon and see how he was.
She opened the door and found a very large theater, just like the public ones, only with seats that were so padded that she knew if a the movie was boring she would fall asleep. The floor was polished marble and was immaculately clean. There was a small booth to one side of the staircase which led up to stadium seating. Next to the rows of seats was a small booth where you could push a button and fresh, hot, buttery popcorn was dispensed. Next to that was an ice and pop dispenser with clear blue plastic cups. This place really did pamper its members.
Lexi sat on the very top row in the middle. She wondered if they played movies even if no one was there since it looked as though she would be the only one there for the movie.
Lexi was surprised to find a handle on the side of her chair that brought up a foot rest. This place was lik
e a huge home, and she felt more pampered than ever.
About two minutes before the movie started, a group of people walked in. Lexi slid down a little so they would not see her until she wanted them to. They were younger people, maybe about her age. She sat up a bit, and the five people saw her.
“Hey up there. You don’t look familiar,” a very tall, professional-looking young man said in a deep voice. He smiled to show that it was his way of greeting her.
Lexi got up and walked down the staircase to where three young women and two young men stood watching her.
“Hello. I joined the club today. My name is Lexi Hunter.”
One of the women gasped. “Camilla’s niece?” she asked with an astonished look on her face.
“Why, yes. You knew my aunt?”
“Hardly… She never came around here, but she is the talk of this club. We had heard you were a recluse.”
“Dotty,” the young man with the deep voice admonished her, “is that the way to talk to a new friend?”
“Well, darling, it’s just what I’ve heard.” Dotty leaned up against him and practically purred. She was tall and thin with glossy, black, shoulder-length hair, black eyes, and the exotic beauty of a black panther.
“Lexi, don’t mind Dotty. She has no manners. I’m Jeff Grayson.” He held his hand out to her, which she took and shook firmly.
“This is Appel Broughter,” he gestured at a tall, somewhat chubby young woman with short, curly, blond hair and sparkling, blue eyes.
“Glad to meet ya, Lex.”
Lexi shook hands with Appel and liked her immediately.
“Here we have Houston Cheyenne,” who was about six feet tall with a trim, fit build. His arms looked like he was a body builder. He was dark and very good-looking but seemed very unfriendly also. He did not offer his hand but stood there, looking her over. She felt extremely uncomfortable with his gaze.
“And this is Lark Winston,” he gestured to a willowy, mousy, brown-haired young woman. She smiled faintly and shook Lexi’s hand.
“Very pleased to meet you, Lexi,” said Lark with a bit of bored sarcasm.
“Well, that’s our little group. Shall we all have a seat and enjoy this miserable show?” Jeff asked lightly.
They all sat down. Jeff made sure he sat next to Lexi, which she could tell Dotty did not like at all. She practically sat on Jeff’s lap, which Lexi thought was funny. The last thing she wanted was a relationship with a man, especially someone else’s.
The movie was a little better than Lexi had anticipated, and she even laughed out loud with the others a couple of times. Jeff kept patting her hand and asking “did you hear that.” She knew it was a habit of his by the way he kept doing it, but it made her feel like a fifth wheel. Dotty gave her a scathing glare more than once.
When the movie was over, they all got to their feet.
“Well, Lexi, got any plans for this evening?” Jeff asked.
Lexi saw a murderous look on Dotty’s face but knew she would have to get over this hurtle sooner or later if she wanted to have friends.
“No. Not really. I was just going to stick around here and see what came up.”
“Awesome. We’re going to a party at my cousin’s house. She throws the wildest parties around,” Jeff said with a wink as he took Lexi’s hand and put it on his arm.
“Am I dressed appropriately?”
“You look divine. You’ll fit right in,” said Appel. “By the end of the party, you might have nothing on, so it really doesn’t matter.” She laughed loudly, and the others joined in.
Lexi stopped walking for a moment, causing Jeff to look at her questioningly. She was not into that kind of lifestyle. Then again, she had been cooped up in the house for so long and had missed her college experience to put herself through college. She needed to be less frumpy and have some fun, she decided. She shrugged, smile at Jeff, and they continued on their way to the party.
Fun turned out to be a lot more than Lexi had bargained for. The evening started off nice. She met a lot more people whose names she promptly forgot after each introduction. She was given a glass of a delicious wine, and there was beautiful music playing in the back ground but not too loudly.
Jeff’s cousin, Trina, was as tall as Jeff and very beautiful. Honey-blonde hair coiled around her head, and she had the bluest eyes Lexi had ever seen. She took an instant liking to Lexi and kept her near her for hours. Lexi learned that most of the people at this party had grown up together. She heard a lot of the wild pranks they had pulled on family, teachers, and even each other.
A tray was brought out. It contained white powder that Lexi knew must be cocaine. She passed, but not without a lot of urging. Finally, the others gave up, and they all started doing lines. Lexi was disgusted with the habit, but she did not let it show. These were her friends now, her only friends; and she would have to make allowances. They were also in her class, so who was she to judge?
The music got louder and faster, cigarette smoke filled the rooms, and alcohol and cocaine were being served continuously by waiters. Lexi kept drinking the wonderful wine, but it seemed to have a bit of a kick to it. She was starting to feel very funny. She had never gotten drunk, and she was only sipping this wine very slowly; so it surprised her that she suddenly needed to sit down. She found a spot on a white leather couch and set her drink on a coaster. The room started spinning.
She looked up and saw her only anchor, Trina, toss her keys to Jeff and yell, “I’m leaving with Brad. Go ahead and close lock up after everyone goes home.” And she was gone. Lexi wanted to call out to her but instead leaned back and closed her eyes. She had no strength, no energy at all.
Sometime later, she awoke to blearing music, laughter, and a hand on her arm. It was Appel.
“Hey Sweetie… Ya passed out. How much of that firewater did you have?”
“I think about four glasses.”
“Oh my gosh Honey! There’s straight grain alcohol mixed into that fruit juice. Goes down smooth; but oh, you’re gon’a hurt in the mornin’.” Appel helped Lexi to her feet.
“Come on, hon. You come sit in the hot tub with me. Maybe we can sweat some of that alcohol out of you.”
They went out past the pool that was loaded with inebriated people and walked down a path leading to a large, brick building. Lexi realized that it was raining very hard and wondered at the people in the pool. It was also fairly chilly, but she supposed they had not noticed, given their state. She had just realized that she was soaked to the skin herself.
They walked into a large room filled with rose bushes and the largest hot tub Lexi had ever seen. She had no idea that anything that big existed. Appel flipped a switch, and what looked like candles turned out to be little gas flames that gave the appearance and feel of hundreds of candles lighting the room. It was magical. Appel stripped off all her clothes and got into the water.
“Come on, Lex. It’s wonderful.”
“Are there any suits here?”
“Oh, come on. It’s just us.”
Lexi, being less inhibited than normal and certainly not in the best frame of mind to make decisions, took off her clothes and hung them on some branches to dry and then awkwardly climbed into the tub. It felt so warm and relaxing. She found a seat and leaned her head back. She was almost asleep when something brushed lightly on her neck. She opened her eyes to find Jeff smiling sleepily at her. She sat up quickly and realized she was tightly clutching a sheet to her naked frame. She was in a bed.
“How did I get here?” she squeaked.
“You don’t remember? You and Appel were in the hot tub, and I happened to come in. You called me over, started kissing me, and, well, one thing led to another. We decided to come up here for some privacy.”
Lexi blushed deeply. She did not want this.
“Did we…?”
“Well, I would love to say yes, but we both passed out,” he said regretfully.
Lexi felt an immense relief. This was one problem she didn
’t need or want.
“Where are my clothes?”
“I would think they’re wherever you took them off,” he said as he jumped out of bed and got dressed. “Do you remember where that was?”
“By the hot tub… I can’t believe all this.”
“It happens.” And he was gone.
She wondered, had anyone else seen her naked? Did she just walk up here with nothing on? She felt huge waves of embarrassment and humiliation run through every inch of her body. She had a very fit body, but she definitely didn’t want to parade it around for the world to see.
About ten minutes later, Jeff returned with her clothes, which were mostly dry.
She felt too embarrassed to ask but too afraid not to ask. The fear won out.
“Jeff, did I walk past people with nothing on?”
“Sure, but not that any of them noticed. The only one who was in any shape to notice would have been Houston, but he had to leave to attend some family thing. Go ahead now. Get dressed.”
He then left the room to give her privacy. She was very relieved that he was a gentleman when he was sober at least.
When she was dressed, Lexi searched for the kitchen. The house was big but nothing like Rivenwood Manor. She found Jeff pouring two cups of coffee.
“Thank you, Jeff. I really feel foolish for everything. Thank you for being such a gentleman.”
“Lexi, I consider you a friend. Yes, we just met, but I would like to continue our friendship. And if it turns into more than that…I would rather it happen because we both want it to, not because we couldn’t control ourselves.”
Lexi was amazed at his honesty. She smiled at him.
“You do amaze me.”
Jeff smiled warmly. “How would you like some eggs and croissants with your coffee?”
Lexi’s stomach flip-flopped. “No, thank you.”
Jeff chuckled. “Sorry. I had to tease. Anyway, I have a meeting this morning. You can lounge around here. Trina likes you, so it would be okay. Or I can call your man to come and get you.”
“Yes. I should get home. There are a few things I need to take care of today.”
The Prodigal Heiress Page 4