by Kimball Lee
Charlotte pushed the elevator button and turned to face her former roommate while she waited, “I hope you enjoyed my loyal friendship over the years, Natalie. I guess you’ll have to find someone else to hold your hand every few months when you go to Planned Parenthood for one your ‘procedures’. Don’t worry; your secrets are safe with me. I don’t plan to tell anyone about all the professors you did ‘favors’ for to keep your grades up or the half dozen STDs you picked up along the way. In spite of everything I really was your friend, so good luck with the rest of your life, I hope you get everything you deserve. By the way, you’re right about me, I am the poor, illegitimate McCall relative and I lost my mother way too soon. But guess what? I survived some of the worst foster homes and dodged some of the most depraved old men you can imagine and I’ll survive losing your backstabbing friendship, too. ” She’d known at the photo shoot in Los Angeles that she would be leaving Ole Miss behind, but it hurt like hell that the one girl she’d let herself get close to was so happy to think she’d caused Charlotte harm.
*
Charlotte turned off her cell phone and didn’t call Jorgen until she was settled into a cheap motel room in Los Angeles. She told him what had happened and he was upset that she hadn’t called him from campus, the Bly jet would have returned to pick her up and they could’ve flown out together, he said. She told him she needed a few days to absorb all the changes she was facing, she would see about getting enrolled at UCLA the next morning and buy a used car to make the drive between L.A. and San Diego.
Jorgen told her to enroll in school but to wait for him to make the decision about a car, surely that wasn’t something she should do alone since she’d never owned one before. He would be in training with the Chargers all week but he would come to collect her on Friday and they would find a house or a loft in San Diego to call home. He said he loved her and didn’t know if he could go all week without her and her extraordinary little pussy, for her not to forget she was his alone. He talked on and on as Charlotte sat on the bed in her motel room with the phone to her ear and she wondered if she could really be happy with him for the rest of her life.
Evidently Alexander Bly made a call to someone at UCLA and she was welcomed as a student and on the cheerleading squad with open arms. She wanted to walk into Bly’s office and tell him she could get into school on her own but deep down she knew he’d made the whole process a lot smoother and she appreciated it. She bought a used convertible VW Beetle and rented a tiny studio apartment near campus and filled it mostly with cheap but cool furniture from Ikea and the Rose Bowl flea market. She loved the quirky little apartment, it was the first place she could call her own and she liked to leave the one large window open and let the mellow autumn light and voices of students filter in as she lay on her slip covered sofa, drinking a Starbuck’s mocha and studying.
She drove to San Diego as often as she could or Jorgen came to Los Angeles so they could be together. UCLA games were on Saturday and the Chargers played on Sunday or Monday, so they spent less and less time together. When they lay together in what little time their schedules allowed and usually after what Charlotte came to think of as emotionally unsatisfying sex, Jorgen mapped out their future.
He wanted Charlotte to give up the silly idea of law school, she should stop taking birth control in the spring, he said, so she could be a mother and then they would be truly happy. He knew she’d been accepted to law school in San Diego but he had a feeling he was going to get an incredible offer from Miami for the next season, so they would live there.
One night in early spring, when football season was over and they had more time to spend together, they lay together in the enormous house Jorgen had rented in San Diego. Charlotte moved down his long body, kissing his golden skin as he closed his eyes and she took his erect cock in her mouth. He pushed her away quickly and held her firmly beneath him, he used his fingers to open her, thrusting into her and after a few swift strokes fell panting on top of her.
Charlotte was finished she decided, finished with trying to love a man who wanted her barefoot and pregnant, who thought a nice girl shouldn’t put her mouth on her husband’s cock, and finished trying to pretend she loved a man she had nothing in common with. She filed for divorce and although he was crushed, she knew he would be just fine and find another unwitting virgin to dazzle with his beauty and provocative words. They parted as friends and by the time the divorce was final in May she felt free and excited about graduation later that month and she was eager to move to San Diego on her own and finally start law school.
CHAPTER THREE
She was packing up her beloved little apartment one afternoon, preparing for her move to the dorms at USD when she answered her cell phone and recognized the deep, sexy voice.
“So you’re the most popular UCLA cheerleader I gather. I won’t pretend I’m the least bit surprised Charlotte, I knew you would be,” Alexander Bly said.
It pissed her off, the notion that he’d been keeping track of her life, but her curiosity got the better of her, “what can I do for you Mr. Bly, you’ll have to tell me what you want, I don’t share your psychic abilities.”
He laughed and she smiled at the sound, “always the razor edged commentary, Charlotte, I think I might have missed our verbal sparring.”
“Well I truly doubt that, I hear your life stays extremely filled with ‘sparring partners’ she said and again he laughed.
“Are you free for lunch or dinner? I was hoping we could meet today, I have a proposition for you, and no, before you cut me off at the knees, it’s not that kind of proposition.”
“Alright, you’ve piqued my curiosity; but I’ve had lunch and I’m about to leave town. Should I drop by your office?” she asked, already planning what to wear and thinking, ‘settle down, Charlotte, it’s not a date.’
“I’ll send a car for you…” he started.
“I have a car, the time you’d like me to be there is all I require,” she said, cutting him off, and she could just imagine the amused look on his face.
*
There she was, Bly thought, tall and beautiful and unaware of how graceful she was as she swept across the wide penthouse lobby. His office door was open and he stood up but stayed behind his desk so he could watch her as she make her way to him, she brought to mind a perfect long stemmed rose. He was intrigued by her legs, which seemed to go on forever as they disappeared beneath the hem of her short little shirt-dress. The dress was denim and the color made her sapphire eyes even bluer, it was cinched with a wide leather belt that made her narrow waist seem even smaller. Her thick black hair was loose and had that sexy, just out of bed look and she wore only lip gloss and mascara, and still she looked flawless.
“Bly,” she said, reaching to shake his hand as he came around the desk to greet her, he wanted to pull her against him and cover her pouty pink mouth with his, he wanted to see what smart ass come back she would have when she felt the pulsing erection under his suit jacket.
He simply smiled and pulled out a chair for her, she sat and her little dress rode up and gave him a quick view of those lean, muscled legs before she tugged the hem down a bit.
He was seriously disturbed by the feelings she roused in him, his cock was so hard it ached and he could hardly keep his hands from touching her porcelain skin to see if it felt as creamy and smooth as it appeared. He swore he could feel her body heat as she sat across from him and he was suddenly sick to realize she didn’t appear to be affected by him at all. Women gave themselves to him readily and on a regular basis and most of them had no idea who he was, just that he was unbearably handsome and sexy and irresistible. Charlotte didn’t seem the least bit interested in him, and of course that fanned the already blazing fire she’d kindled inside him.
“So,” she said, leaning forward so that the tops of her rounded breasts showed since she’d failed to button her dress high enough, or perhaps she’d left it undone on purpose. “What’s your proposition, am I going to like it?”
For the first time in his life he was at a loss for words, he collected his thoughts with some effort and said, “I would certainly think so.”
She smiled and sat back in her chair and she looked not so much like a flower, but cat-like, mysterious and comfortable in her skin.
“I think married life must suit you Charlotte, and I have to say, I didn’t expect that.”
“You don’t think I’m the marrying kind, Mr. Bly?” she asked, raising her dark eyebrows.
“It’s Alex and that’s not what I mean, you’re very young to be married was what I was thinking, but I guess I should offer my delayed congratulations anyway,” he said, fidgeting in his chair, he wanted to reach under the desk, remove her sandal and place her foot against his throbbing cock. He wanted to see the look on her face when she felt the size of it and he wanted to move his hand up that outstretched leg and touch her pussy, if even for a moment, and keep her smell on his fingers the rest of the day.
“Well, I suppose you’re right, Bly, and you can save the congratulations, we’re divorced,” she said bluntly.
His eyes registered surprise and something else she didn’t quite catch before he looked down at a sheaf of papers on his desk and said, “that’s too bad, Charlotte, I hope you aren’t suffering any heartache, although, I suppose you must be.” He felt his heart skip a few beats; he thought perhaps he should just muster one moment of insane courage and tell her how he felt. That they belonged together and he could already imagine sharing his life with her and although he’d never considered the notion before, he wanted her to have his children when she felt ready.
“No,” she said and she too looked down and away from his much too sexy face, “no heartache at all, relief actually. I’m not good at the whole man and woman thing, it seems. I don’t think I’ll be trying it again anytime soon.”
“That’s not an easy concept to grasp, you not being any good in the man and woman area. Maybe the quarterback just wasn’t right for you, in fact I could’ve told you that before you married him, he was undoubtedly not the kind of man you need,” he said, and then asked if she’d like to hear the proposal. “What? Why are you giving me that look, what did I say?” he asked, pushing his chair back to escape the storm of anger in her eyes.
“You know Bly, I have no idea how to feel about you, one minute I really like you, then you make some jack ass remark and I’m positive that I never want to see your face again. I’ll try to remember to call you up for marriage counseling next time I meet the perfect man. I’m probably not going to like whatever you’re about to propose, so let’s just say goodbye.” She picked up her purse and started for the door but he was next to her in an instant.
“I’m sorry, you have no idea how you fuck with my mind,” he said, running his fingers through a lock of hair that kept falling across his forehead. He looked into her eyes then, shocked at what he’d just said and he could see that she did want him and she needed him in some urgent way. Maybe not for love but to quench the strong physical attraction they both felt.
After a moment, she tore her gaze away and walked back to the chair and sat down.
Charlotte couldn’t look into those haunting sea-glass colored eyes without pressing herself against him and kissing him like there was no tomorrow, so she stared out the window behind his desk at the panoramic view of Los Angeles. She felt deeply broken at last, she had failed in her very first love affair and she was kicked out of school for a pictorial that had boys and men following her all over campus and most everywhere she went. She didn’t have Jorgen to hide behind when she was being hit on and hounded by all manner of freaks and fame seekers in the city of angels. When she looked at Alexander Bly she thought of sex and she knew he was probably good at sex and she needed good sex… and all those thoughts made her want to cry or scream or drag his sexy ass to the floor and fuck him until she couldn’t see straight. Instead she continued to stare out the window and she asked what he wanted from her.
“I want you for the cover of American Jock’s swimsuit issue, it’s always our bestselling issue of the year, but it’s going to have a hard time meeting the numbers your last cover generated,” he said, wishing she would look at him as he spoke, and when she did the look in her eyes made him wish the words had never left his mouth. “Charlotte, I…”
“Thank you for the offer Mr. Bly, but no,” she said and stood up and leaned across his desk to shake hands cordially before she left. His hand was hot and they both looked down at their hands clasped together. They both wished for all the world that he had asked her a different question, an intimate, indecent question, and they also knew she would have said yes, but the moment was past.
“It would mean a tremendous amount of money for you Charlotte, and I’m not used to taking no for an answer, and I wish you would call me Alex,” he said, following her to the door of his sumptuous office.
“Well I’m glad I could introduce you to a new experience, because ‘no’ is my final answer. Take care of yourself Bly,” she said, and he watched her walk out of his life.
He called her just after she returned to her apartment, she’d only made it as far as the kitchen and she was leaning against the table with her hand between her legs. She pictured his face and his voice in her head, and the phone rang as a monster orgasm ripped through her. He wanted to see her socially he said when she answered and her voice was shaking, in fact he wanted to see her as soon as possible. He asked her to wait for him; but she told him he was too late.
CHAPTER FOUR
Dorm life at the University of San Diego Law School was much different than living in the dorms in the Bible-belt of Mississippi. Charlotte moved into her room and although it was meant for two or four students her assigned roommate changed schools at the last minute so she had the space to herself. The floor she lived on was coed so she got the usual stares and pleas of “will you sign my magazine?” She was settled into her room, lying on her bed studying on her third night there, when she heard louder than usual laughter in the hall and two men burst through her door.
“Pay up asshole, I told you the naked cheerleader is our new neighbor,” the taller one said.
“You win that bet mate, but you’ll be lucky to see a dime out of me because I believe I’m taking this incomparable beauty out for a lovely dinner,” said his buddy.
They were both GI Joe types, military for sure, short hair, pumped up muscles and tattoos showing under the sleeves of their t-shirts, and they were insanely good looking.
“Can you knock? Can you leave; can you get out of my damn room, now?” Charlotte shouted, she was wearing a white tank top without a bra and tiny panties; she looked down and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Hey hot cover girl, it’s not like we haven’t already seen your school spirit in living color! We own several copies of that magazine for recreational use. Come on, Finn wants to take you out to dinner, now granted it will be to some rowdy British pub but we want to welcome you to the neighborhood! I’m JP Thomas and my buddy with the stupid accent is Finnegan Hale.”
“Very glad to make your acquaintance,” Finn said, attempting to take her hand and kiss it, but she jerked it away and grabbed her bathrobe.
She wiggled into the robe managing not to give them an eyeful, and squeezed past them so she could hold the door open and order them out of her room.
“I honestly thought from your photographs you’d be quite a nice young lady, I’m hurt, I really am,” Finn said, leaning against her desk, obviously he had no intention of leaving.
“Oh please Finn, you could tell from those pictures that she’s a total little spitfire. I can tell you, I have visions of bite and scratch marks every time I peruse the copy we keep in the bathroom,” JP said, and both men laughed. JP opened her mini refrigerator and said, “Awe fuck, chick food, bummer!” Then he grabbed a wine cooler, twisted the cap off and drank it in one long swallow.
Finn continued to lean against the desk and smile and Charlotte took hold of
his arms to try and move him. They were like steel bands and he didn’t move and inch, just smiled down at her like she was an adorable child.
“Fine!” she said, grabbing a wine cooler from the fridge and drinking a few swallows. “You boys wanna party, we’ll party, where’s your room?”
“I knew we’d win her over,” JP said leading the way down the hall, “who can resist our charm and blatant masculinity?”
“I’ll bet she can,” Finn said as Charlotte marched into their room, looked around and ripped the magazine pictures of her naked body off their walls.
“Hey, those are valuable; we get an enormous amount of pleasure from them!” JP said and he and Finn watched her storm into their bathroom then cross to the window holding the magazine. She opened the window and threw it out as JP moaned and Finn laughed.
“There, go whack off on the lawn, and as far as me being your neighbor, get the fuck over it!” she gave them both a ‘go to hell’ look then walked calmly to her room and locked the door.
“Whack off? Whack off!” JP stood in the hall and called after Charlotte loudly, “Who in the name of fuck calls it whack off? It’s jerking off, princess, or beating off or choking the old chicken…”
“Shut the fuck up JP, you imbecile,” Finn said as he pictured the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen in his life walking away, “and you say I talk funny, John Paul. Did you hear her accent? She’s from Texas or somewhere, I’m certain. A lovely ‘rose of San Antone’ I’ll wager.”
“I’m starving, you want pizza?” JP asked as they stared at Charlotte’s closed door.