by T. Massey
Before working for the van Hoffs (who paid her very, very well) Catrina had been working as a barista at a local coffee chain, frequently messing up orders and getting her hands burnt on espresso machines. Needless to say, she was amicably let go from that illustrious position. When a family friend told Catrina the van Hoffs were looking for a housesitter, she jumped at the chance. Why wouldn't she? Two months alone in the home of a billionaire and his family? It was any girl's dream.
Three years later, the van Hoffs still entrusted her to take care of their home while they were away, so Catrina supposed she wasn't bad at everything. Considering she'd just finished her freshman year of college and had already changed her major twice, it was comforting to know that she could always have a life as a professional housesitter to the rich and famous. To a nineteen-year-old, it didn't seem like a bad deal.
Except now she feared she'd broken their pool filter. She wasn't sure exactly how she'd done it but she knew it was making a noise no healthy pool filter should make. All she wanted was to spend this beautiful day by the pool, and it looked like she'd have to just lay out and tan instead – until she could contact the pool cleaners and have them fix it. She sighed and shut down the whole system, making the filter and the heater both whir to a stop. Picking up her towel and heading back outside from the pool house, she glanced over the fence at the neighboring property.
James Forrester – yes, that James Forrester – lived alone next to the van Hoffs. He owned Silverline Jets and was consistently featured in Forbes for operating an incredibly successful business model. His house was immaculate: typically Hamptons chic with a modern touch. Large windows wrapped around the house, no doubt giving the home plenty of natural light and a beautiful view of the ocean in the distance.
He'd fascinated her ever since she started this job. She rarely saw him leave the house and when he did it was just to speed away in his deep blue Porsche in what was undoubtedly a very expensive suit. Catrina admired him from afar for years. Not only was he powerful and successful, he was also devastatingly handsome in an older-man kind of way. She'd never been close enough to him to see what he looked like in person, but she'd seen pictures of him online. The man was a god, and it seemed like he only got better with age.
His salt-and-pepper hair was clipped short, and his cheekbones were only rivaled by the chiseled jawline dotted with just the right amount of stubble. His eyes were a piercing blue, and were described in some magazines as intense enough to close any business deal. He was tall, that much she knew, but she'd always wanted the opportunity to see him up close. Maybe someday, she sighed internally.
Catrina opened the grand French doors that led to the kitchen and started to look around for the number of the pool maintenance company the van Hoffs used. They were very particular about who they gave their business to, and the last thing she wanted to do was make a mistake and upset them. She vaguely remembered the van at the house, but couldn't remember the company name painted on the side. Crystal...Crystal something? Crystal Pool Cleaning? She frowned, furrowing her brow. That didn't sound right, and she couldn't find a phone number or contact info for them anywhere. “Crap,” she punctuated aloud.
She leaned against the kitchen island, pondering her next move. The van Hoffs came back in a month and a half. She couldn't just leave the pool that way, but she didn't know what else to do. Then, she got an idea that made her lips curl up at the corners. Finally, she thought, I'm going to see James Forrester up close.
Chapter 2 – The Man of Her Dreams
Cat stayed in her bikini and towel, only throwing on some strawberry lip gloss and tossing her hair in a messy bun before she made the trek to James Forrester's front door. He undoubtedly had supermodels around him constantly, so she felt no need to try and compete. Instead, she stayed true to her normal self. She threw on her flip flops and headed out the door.
The plan was to ask him if he knew what company to call, since he had a pool as well. It wasn't a great plan, necessarily, but if it got her to meet him face-to-face she would have come up with anything. She'd had enough of admiring him from afar.
She knocked on his door, not at all tentatively. Catrina was never shy and always confident, and that made her very popular with the boys at her school, but she wasn't interested in them. She had a feeling that what she needed was someone older. In fact, since she'd started dating, she'd only dated boys a few years older than she, but even they were too immature for her. She took her long sandy-blonde hair out of its bun and let it fall over her shoulders. Then, she waited for what felt like forever.
Just as she was beginning to think he wasn't going to answer (or more likely the maid wasn't going to answer), the door swung open and there he stood.
James Forrester. In the flesh. He was even more beautiful than she imagined. He was wearing grey dress pants with a black leather belt and a white dress shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and the top two buttons of the shirt were open. Catrina could just see a bit of chest hair peeking out of the top. And those eyes. My God, Catrina thought, those eyes.
She realized she'd been standing staring at him way longer than necessary and sputtered out a “Hello!”
“Hello,” James said cautiously, sizing her up.
She twirled her hair, a nervous habit. “Sorry, um, hi,” she started. “I'm housesitting for the van Hoffs and I'm pretty sure I broke their pool filter. I was just wondering if you knew what pool company they use so I can call and have it fixed?”
He paused a moment, his eyes intense on hers but his face like stone. Finally, he brushed a hand over the top of his head and hissed out a sigh. “Ah, it's a Saturday so they're not going to be around until Monday.” He tapped his fingers on his door frame. “Did you turn off the system?”
“Yeah,” Cat replied. “Yeah, after a while I did. Wasn't sure what to do.”
“After a while you did?” James asked, looking up through his lashes at her. “How long is a while?”
“Maybe...twenty minutes?” Catrina replied, her voice suddenly becoming higher pitched. Her heartbeat quickened. No wonder he was such a shrewd businessman. She felt like she was on trial.
He made a sound like a chuckle and said, “Twenty minutes. Okay. Come on in and wait while I get out of these clothes, I'll come over and help you.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn't hesitate. “Okay. Thank you. That's really nice.”
“Well,” he said. “I know how Rob and Carolyn are about their pool. I wouldn't want to see you get reprimanded. Make yourself at home,” he called over his shoulder as he approached his large winding staircase.
The interior of the home was mostly white, with a few black accent pieces. The floor was marble and the windows provided just the amount of natural light she imagined. Cat walked toward one, past the kitchen and immaculate dining room. It had a perfect view of the ocean and led out onto a patio with a single chair and table. It was odd to her that there was only one chair. He didn't have anyone to watch the sunsets with?
She heard James clear his throat behind her. Catrina whipped around quickly, dropping her towel in the process. She was standing in her bikini in the kitchen of one of the wealthiest men in the world and he was staring right at her. Dear Lord, she thought. She scrambled to pick up her towel and put it back in place, but she was absolutely certain it was too late. He'd already seen her in her tiniest bikini. It could only go up from here.
She was aware of his eyes on her, transfixed on her body. After a moment he cleared his throat again. “Come on, let's see what the damage is,” he beckoned with a wave of his arm. He'd changed into a pair of blue shorts, boat shoes, and a white polo shirt. He looked every bit the Hamptons charmer. “My name is James, by the way,” he said politely when she caught up to him. He offered her his hand.
“Catrina,” she replied with a smile. “Really, thank you for going to all the trouble for this. I really appreciate it.”
“It's not a problem, Catrina,” he said, all business. She
noticed a little twinkle in his eye when he looked at her though. And even if his mouth wasn't, his eyes were smiling. “So tell me about yourself. Are you in school?”
“Yeah,” she replied. “I go to Greenwood. Studying psychology.”
“Psychology, huh?” he asked with a smirk. “Any tips for me to know my clients better?” He winked at her and for a moment she felt like her knees were about to buckle.
They reached the pool house, and James opened the door. She watched as he pressed the little green button to kick the filter on. He was concentrating hard, listening to the horrible sound the filter was once again making. “Huh,” he pondered. He squatted down to get a closer look. Catrina couldn't believe James Forrester was helping her fix a pool filter. She never thought her life would lead to this. She giggled a bit.
“What's so funny?” he asked with a chuckle.
She giggled more. “Nothing, nothing,” she said.
He stood and crossed his arms, leaned up against the door frame. “Are you sure it's nothing?” he pressed, using the kind of voice a person would use when they found a child doing something bad.
“It's just,” she smiled, stifling another bout of giggles, “You're James Forrester and you're helping me fix a pool filter. That I'm pretty sure I broke! It's just...funny.”
“Like I don't know how to fix things?” he asked, teasingly offended.
“That's not why I'm laughing at all,” she told him, a sweet smile on her lips.
He nodded and chuckled again then motioned for her to lean down and look at the filter. “See, it wasn't really broken at all,” he told her. “There was just some air in the line. It needs to prime when you turn it back on.” He was motioning to parts of the machinery she couldn't even begin to name, but she nodded as if she understood anyway. He stood and wiped his hands together, getting rid of whatever dust or dirt was on the filter, and she stood to face him.
Catrina knew that logically she had no chance with him, but even so she couldn't deny herself a little fun. She had the towel low-slung on her hips, showing off her breasts in her tiny blue bikini. Everyone told her baby blue was her best color. It matched well with her blonde hair and blue eyes. She smiled a cute half-smile and asked, “Do you want to go for a swim?”
He smiled politely back. “Unfortunately, Catrina, I have dinner plans this evening. Maybe another time,” he offered.
Somewhat crestfallen, she said, “That's fine. I'm only a house away, so, you know, if you see me out here, you're welcome to...you know, come over.” Where was her usual confidence? She was rambling like an idiot.
“I will certainly take you up on that offer, my dear,” he said kindly. “Well, I'd better get cleaned up and head out. It was lovely meeting you, Catrina.”
Catrina smiled and said, “You can call me Cat.”
“Cat,” he repeated, eyes locked on hers. “I'm certain I'll be seeing you, Cat,” he said as he walked through the gate. She watched him go, biting her lip at the sight of his ass in those shorts. He was magnificent. And she'd made a complete fool of herself.
Chapter 3 – An Unexpected Surprise
Cat watched James speed away in his Porsche, sunglasses on, from the guest room of the palatial estate with a little twinge of sadness. Normally her little tricks worked on men, but she supposed she was nothing compared to the beautiful women he was around constantly. She sighed and stepped away from the window.
If James wasn't going to join her, that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the pool herself. She walked outside and parked herself on a lounge chair, turning the poolside radio up to ten. There wasn't too much daylight left, but she wasn't going to waste the sunlight cooped up inside. She put on her sunglasses and leaned back, basking in the warm sun. She could absolutely get used to a life like this.
Once the sun started to set, she tossed her hair up in a bun and sat down by the water's edge, dipping her feet in. Soon after, she heard James' Roadster speed down the street and come to an abrupt stop in his driveway. He got out and she waved but he didn't see her; he simply slammed the car door and went inside, talking on his cell phone the whole way. Oh well, she thought with a sigh. At least I met him.
She heard his sliding glass door open and watched him step out onto his balcony. He placed the drink he'd been carrying on the little table outside and sat, watching the sun set over the ocean. Cat craned her neck to stare at him, and was still in this awkward position when he looked directly at her. Her head snapped back the other way in embarrassment. He knew she'd been staring right at him.
Cat lifted one knee out of the water, resting her chin on top. She left the other leg in the heated pool, making lazy circles in the water. If she just played it cool maybe she wouldn't die of embarrassment. She peeked nonchalantly behind her to see if he was still looking at her, but found he wasn't even there. Awesome, she thought. I creeped him out so much he went inside.
In moments, though, she heard a rapping at the gate to the pool. James stood there, two drinks in hand.
“You looked like you needed some company,” he offered.
“So did you,” she retorted.
He grinned. “Vodka tonic?”
“Don't mind if I do,” she said, taking it from his hand. She made sure to brush her hand against his. It was rougher than she thought it would be. She assumed it would have been baby-soft based on his white-collar lifestyle. Cat motioned for him to come in and join her.
He was wearing the same outfit he had been in before, and in the waning sunlight he looked even more perfect than usual. “Sit by the pool with me,” she said.
“That sounds excellent right about now,” he sighed, voice tired.
“Are you alright?” Cat asked as she sat down.
“Now I'm just fine,” James said, taking a sip of his drink. He took off his boat shoes and sat next to her, dipping his feet in the water.
“You weren't fine before?” she asked him with slight concern.
“Rough dinner,” he explained. “No big problem though,” he assured her. “No worries.”
She nodded and smiled at him, sipping at her drink. He made them strong. She was typically able to handle her liquor but James clearly had many more years of experience. She squeezed the lime into the liquid and dropped it in the glass, stirring it with her finger.
“Is it alright?” he asked, motioning to the drink.
“Oh yeah,” she assured him. “It's fine. Strong, but good.”
“Ah, I do tend to make them a bit stronger than most,” he told her, watching the sun set.
“Not a problem,” she said.
For a while they sat in silence until Cat had the courage to ask what she wanted to ask. “So, one chair on the balcony?” she said, the drink helping her be a little more confident.
“Just the one,” he confirmed.
“Where did the other chair go?” she asked.
“The other chair is currently living in Aspen but demanding more alimony. I had dinner with the other chair just before,” he answered. She was surprised at how candid he was being.
“Ah,” she said. “Well, who needs another chair anyway?” she joked.
He smiled, but was silent.
The sun had almost completely set and twilight took over; that strange, purplish time of night Catrina had always loved. Without overthinking it, she set her drink down and slid into the pool, laying back to float. She dove to the bottom and rose up, taming her hair.
“Come for a swim?” she asked, flirting.
He smiled. He knew what she was up to and she could tell. It made her sort of excited. “But I don't have my suit,” he protested.
“So what?” she asked, swimming away from him, beckoning him to jump in.
“It is a beautiful night,” he said, looking around. “And who am I to deny a beautiful girl some company?”
She grinned at his compliment. James stood and took his shirt off. She drew in a breath when she saw how toned his body was. He had just the slightest amount of chest hair, and
his muscles were surprisingly well-defined.
“Now I'm not sure what to do,” he said. “Getting these wet would be a nightmare,” he told her, motioning to his shorts.
“So take them off,” she cooed.
She wasn't sure, but she could almost hear him groan. He approached the steps leading into the water while she stayed in the deep end, holding onto the pool side and watching him. He rolled his shorts off of his hips and was left standing in his boxer briefs. She grinned. James stepped into the water, and when he reached the bottom, he dove in. He swam underwater nearly all the way to where she was.
“Are you happy now?” he teased.
“Of course,” she said, swimming closer to him. She got to where her feet could touch the bottom and approached him. He had his arms rested on the side of the pool and stood, most of his torso out of the water. She sidled up next to him, their arms touching.
“What are you up to?” he asked her, narrowing his eyes.
“I'm not up to anything,” Cat responded innocently.
“Oh, really,” he said. It wasn't a question.
“Really,” she said, locking eyes with him.
“So if I leaned over and did this,” he said, encircling her body with his, arms on either side of her, and kissed her gently on the lips, “that wouldn't have been what you wanted all along?”
She couldn't respond. The electricity of his kiss sent shivers through her body.
“That's what I thought,” he said, his face close to hers. “You know, I have seen you out here. I'm not blind.”
“You have?” she asked, nearly breathless.
“Of course I have,” he said, chuckling. “Who could miss this sight?” he purred, looking down at her body under the water.
“And when you saw me,” she started, “what were you thinking about?”