by Jax Hart
Feeling very buzzed I hit send. I didn’t have the guts to mention the couch. I did my best and when it dries, I’ll arrange the throw blanket over it and hope for the best.
“Twister time! New rules! Every round you lose, you strip!” Hannah held the game in her hands. “Colby can stay with his thong on.”
“I’m out.”
“Not surprised.” She snorted.
“I love board games but having my friend’s hoo-ha’s in my face isn’t my idea of a good time.”
“You wouldn’t know a good time if it hit you in the face.” She hooted.
“Oh yea?” I put my drink down, stripped to my underwear, and headed to the kitchen. “Hot tub water is still hot. I’m getting in.”
Laughter and splashing followed. We all got in as the freezing rain stopped. In no time wet bras went flying off the deck. Underwear too. I leaned my head back, giving zero fucks I was naked in a hot tub with my pregnant best friend and a stripper. Finding the situation completely hilarious, I started laughing. Uncontrollably.
“Is she okay?” Colby asked.
“…if Wade could see me now. He’d never believe it.”
“Feels good to take that stick out of your ass. Doesn’t it?”
“Shut the fuck up, Hannah. You’re a bitch and everyone knows it.” My eyes snapped to hers. Everyone was surprised I had stuck up for myself. To her credit she shrugged it off.
“Probably a one off. You’ll be back to your boring self by morning.”
“Probably,” I agreed with a thin smile. I closed my eyes, the sound of the pounding surf brought me back to my happy place. I tuned everything else out. Ten minutes later the water was cooling; the sound of moans had me snapping my eyes open. Kells had gotten out. So had everyone else except Colby and Hannah. They were full on making out. She was straddling him in the water. I slipped out, naked and unnoticed. There was an outdoor waterproof towel holder, I opened helping myself to two. Jenna and Ciara were snoring from their makeshift bed on the floor. The two of them had taken blankets and pillows to sleep by the fire. Rachel was passed out on the half-wet couch. I checked on them all, tucking extra blankets over them before climbing the stairs to check on Kells. I knocked softly on the master bedroom door. “Kells? You warm enough?”
“Oh yeah, baby. Evan… I miss you so much…,” I peeked in. Kells was under the covers Facetiming her man and from the looks of things they were trying something new.
Chuckling, I shut the door before entering the room I was supposed to be sharing with Rachel and Soph. I moved their bags from the bed, opened my bag in search of my night clothes. With the power out, there was no hope for a hot shower. My hands found the calendar. By candlelight I turned the pages. Mr. December was ok. January was cute. February was striking… I flipped each month until I found him. He was Mr. July. Just like I was earlier, I found myself trapped by his gaze.
Sighing, my finger traced the hard lines of his face, ran across his lower lip, circled his nipples before making a beeline for his crotch. My nipples peaked as I touched him there. I wondered if he was a man who was the entire package. Looks, brains and blessed with a good-sized cock. Doubtful, men like that don’t end up on cheap calendars. I was just about to put him down when groans and sloshing water came from below. My room was above the back deck. Sneaking over to the slatted windows, I peeked out. Hannah was riding Colby in the moonlight. Up and down. Then he grabbed a fistful of her hair, jerked her back and switched things up. He bent her over the side of the hot tub while he entered from behind her. It was hot. Erotic. And in that instant I knew Wade did right by breaking things off. I’d never had sex that hot. We were missionary or slow mornings. He never bent me over and took. And I never felt… taken. I shivered, dropped the slat, my eyes moving to the goody bags Kells had given out early in the day after our pedicure appointments. Inside was a sleek vibrator. Fully charged. I’d never used one before. But if there was ever a time…
I went over took it out, pressed the power button. It hummed in my hand like a powerful engine. My eyes fell on Mr. July. I slipped under the covers, propped him up next to me and dared myself to lower my hand.
The sounds from outside were hot. He was hot. I was burning up. My hand slipped. I almost came off the bed at the sensation. I didn’t want Kells to hear but then again, she was probably busy doing something similar. I experimented, found a rhythm and setting I liked. Soon, I was flying high. Under the cocky gaze of Mr. July, I came hard. It went on and on, like the pounding waves. Gasping, my back arched up. The vibrator fell out of my hand, hitting the hardwood floor with a thud before rolling. I was too out of breath with quite the afterglow to go fishing for it. I passed out hard and had the best sleep of my life.
A totally different type of moaning was the sound of morning. All of us were hungover. The power had come back on sometime late in the night. Kells made a full pot of coffee, fried bacon, and eggs. She was adamant that we needed a full stomach of hot food to soak up the alcohol.
Everyone sat around the kitchen. Colby was noticeably absent. When Hannah went to use the restroom, Soph let it slip that he called an Uber in the dead of night and split. Guess he’d rather pay the fare than face Hannah the morning after.
“I need a hot shower. I have hot tub hair.” Finishing my coffee, I winced at the mess we made of the once impeccable cottage.
After a much-needed shower, I picked up my phone to charge it. My heart pounded. There was a notification of a new email from Dr. Winnfield. It’s been weeks since I had written to her.
To: [email protected]
FROM: [email protected]
SUBJECT: RESEARCH PROGRAM
Ryan Hill,
I appreciate your candor. I needed some time to look into the situation. Please call my office at your earliest convenience.
(718) 608- 5643 ext. 302
Erin Winnfield
I tapped the number from her email. It was after nine in the morning on a Monday. I needed answers. Closure. Hope.
“Dr. Winnfield’s office.”
“Hi. This is Ryan Hill. Dr. Winnfield is expecting my call.” I was placed on a brief hold.
“Ryan Hill?”
“This is her.”
“Oh. I’m sorry I was expecting…”
“For me to be male? I get that a lot.”
After a brief pause, she continued. “I looked into the situation and I’ll admit I was overly impressed with your application. But my hands are tied. The decision was peculiar this year, but a fate accompli. I’m afraid.”
“Well, I appreciate you being honest and having the decency to get back to me. And here we thought in 2021 women were finally breaking free of the good old boy’s network.”
Her voice lowered an octave. “I might have something that interests you. But I’ll need to meet you in person for an interview.”
“I’m interested. Just working for you in any capacity will be worth gold on my transcripts.”
“You’re in Brookhaven?”
“Today, I’m in the Outer Banks outside of Kill’s Head.”
“Can you be here for one o’clock?”
Kill’s Head was only ten minutes north of here. “I sure can.”
“Perfect. I look forward to meeting you in person.” Stunned, I stared at the phone in my hand. I snapped out of it a few minutes later and started rummaging through my bag. I didn’t pack anything suitable enough for an interview. But my jeans were clean and almost new, and I did pack a nice J Crew sweater. I borrowed Kell’s hair dryer. I told the girls in detail over a third and fourth cup of coffee the details of how Wade did me dirty with the Duke program. They all excitedly helped me prepare. Soph did my makeup light and professional. Jenna made me borrow her Alex and Ani bracelet for luck. Rachel dabbed my wrists with a light fruity perfume. I was so touched by everyone’s genuine heartfelt wish to help me in so many ways. It almost brought me to tears. Ciara had a portable printer in her car. She hooked it up to my laptop and we printed my application essay and my resea
rch. Hannah didn’t offer anything, but she wasn’t bitchy either.
“Sorry to cut out like this…,”
“Stop. It was the best weekend. Just spending time with my girlfriends.” Kells hugged me hard as I stood by the door. I turned to the rest of the girls. “We need to clean up. Because of the power outage the owner extended our stay until 2p.m. Please Venmo me your share…”
“Don’t worry. We’ll clean up,” Soph assured me. I put my bags in my car, turned the engine on and let it warm up for a few minutes. My boots sunk in the sand as I took a path behind the house to the beach. It was windy, cold and the swells from the low-pressure system, offshore were still high. It was wild and beautiful. The sea grass behind the dunes rustled and danced. This was peace. This was heaven. I vowed to come back here someday.
I turned back to the house, no one was downstairs, they probably all went up to take showers. The backdoor was unlocked. I let myself in, I had plenty of time to make my appointment. I poured the last bit of coffee into my cup that was left on the counter before taking the ones from the sink and loading them into the dishwasher.
I cleared the table, looked around one last time my eyes widening as I saw my pink bra dangling from a tree branch out the window. I grabbed a broom from the closet, using it to wrestle the branches for my bra. Snagging it, I sighed in relief. I moved through the living area, wincing at the back of the couch. I’d have to contact the owner and hope for the best. Candles and the flashlight were littered on the coffee table. No one else knew where they belonged. I scooped them up, went back to the kitchen and moved the stool. “There.” I tucked them all back up in the cupboard above the fridge. My fingers brushing the mysterious Christmas box. I don’t know why I did it. It was purely impulsive. My hand reached in lifted a few calendars. I hugged them to my chest. The clock on the mantle told me I really needed to leave. Cuddling my calendars, I got into my car, flipping the first calendar in the pile. There was my man on the back cover. Mr. July. So hot. Hannah was a bitch, but she was right about one thing—I did need a real love life. Maybe after I figure out my next move, I’d work on that.
I flipped the visor back up. After checking my appearance, I grabbed my papers and cell. Dr. Winnfield’s office was right at the marina. A huge white vessel with Duke’s emblem painted on the side gently rocked in the water.
The air smelled of faint diesel fuel and the ocean. Sea gulls hung suspended in the air; wings spread letting the breeze do the work for them. My cheeks were red from the wind, a few locks of my hair clung to the side of my face as I entered the building.
“Hi, I’m Ryan Hill. Dr. Winnfield’s expecting me.”
“Yes. I see you on her list of appointments.” The receptionist smiled politely. She led me to a small sitting area where I waited.
“Ryan?” I looked up from the papers in my hand. I liked Dr. Winnfield immediately. She was dressed casually in skinny jeans and a DUKE sweatshirt. Her water boots came up to her knees. Her hair was in a ponytail.
“Sorry. I was out taking air samples earlier.”
“Are you kidding?” I grinned. “I wish I could’ve been with you.”
When she smiled the fine lines of her face stood out. You could tell she spent her days out under the sun. She was young but seasoned. She reminded me a bit of Captain Sandy from that reality show about yachting. “Well, you are here now. I’m a straight shooter, Ryan. You made some serious allegations, which took some time to look into. However, the final decision of selecting next year’s candidates was left to the department head at Chapel Hill.”
“Let me guess. That person belongs to the same country club as Wade Harrington V’s family.”
She grimaced. “If Mr. Wade Harrington V does not or cannot perform up to my standards, he and Sierra will both get cut. I have the say on who stays in my program.”
“Great. But how does any of this help me?”
Dr. Winnfield sat back in her seat assessing me. “Like I said. I decide once students are in the program if they stay or go. Lucky for you I had to cut someone from this spring. Leaving a slot. You’ve missed a few weeks, but it’s yours if you can manage housing. My admin will work the rest out with the admissions office as far as transferring your credits from Brookhaven and handling tuition.”
My mouth fell open.
“There’s nothing I can’t stand more than good-old-fashioned nepotism. If you work hard which I can see you have, then you deserve a shot. What do you say Ryan?”
“I’m in. Even if it means sleeping in my car. When do I start?”
She hands my papers back to me. “Two days.”
Heart pounding, I shook her hand. When I walked back outside. My whole world changed. Just like that, I was on a different road. Changing lanes. The tides of change had come for me and I couldn’t wait to dive right in.
I called Gran immediately.
“Ryan darling!”
“Gran! I did it! I busted Wade for his shenanigans and guess what? Dr. Winnfield gave me a spot this term. She had a vacancy.”
“Congratulations, honey! But what does that mean? Wade and the she-devil will be with you next fall?”
I shrugged. “Guess so. But I have the jump on them. Besides, who knows what could happen between now and then?”
“That’s my girl. Charting a new course.”
“I just need to find housing and get Pop’s boat!”
“Bunny! No personal calls at work. I have a deadline.” The man’s voice took me by surprise. It was rich, deep, and smooth. Sexy. The sound of it like hands running down the bass clef on a piano.
“Who is that?”
“Excuse me Mr. Carmichael. I won’t be a moment…”
“Gran?”
“Sorry. I just started a new job. My boss is one of those difficult—anyway something crawled up his butt the past hour and made a home there!”
“I heard that, Bunny!”
“You let him call you Bunny?” I was stunned. Floored. Gran only let Pops call her by her given name. I can’t believe whoever owned that sexy voice on the line does the same. Or maybe I can see why Gran loves it.
“I-I need to go, darling. We’ll talk soon!” Gran quickly ended the call.
I was dazed as I drove back to campus. My mind was so busy thinking of my impending future that thoughts of the weekend barely slipped through. Until I was unpacking my bag later that night. With one last look at my sexy calendar guy, I slipped him in my desk drawer and got busy looking at classifieds.
Ten
“…the house was a mess. I’m sorry Mr. Carmichael my usual cleaning fee is $250 like we discussed, but it’s so bad I’ll need to charge you double. Maybe triple. You’re lucky it’s off season and I don’t have five houses to clean a day.”
My fingertips tapped on my desk. With the phone pressed to one ear, I breathed in and out slowly, processing my house cleaner’s words. The lawyer in me stayed calm. Cool. My questions short and clipped.
“Can you expand on your assessment, please?”
“They left wet towels outside. Empty wine bottles everywhere. Spilled sticky daiquiri like drinks on your new white quartz counters that probably stained them even though you say it’s sealed. I’ll need a special stone cleaner with a Mr. Clean sponge and spend forty minutes just on that. The beds are a mess… and there’s… her voice lowered to a whisper, “Sex toys. Sex toys everywhere. And used condoms on the deck.” I felt her blush as she said the words to me over the phone.
“Are you still there?”
“I’m in the driveway.”
“Thank you, for calling. Don’t touch a thing. I’m leaving work to see this for myself.”
“Am I fired?”
“No, Doreen. You have my apologies for walking into that. I’ll be in touch.”
I sat back in my desk chair; jaw clenched. My beach house has been defiled. I did a google search for Ryan Hill, finding nothing. Did this person use a fake name? My nostrils were flaring now, I logged into my app, finding the res
ervation. There was a 3% damage fee. Doreen came recommended from the real estate attorney I used to close on the shore house. I didn’t take more money yet. Not before I laid my own eyes on whatever debauchery and havoc was done to my home. After all, I am an attorney. I know exactly how to use the law to make my enemies pay.
I logged into my desktop, opened my outlook calendar, and changed my status for the rest of the day from “in” to “out.”
“I’m leaving for the rest of the day,” I muttered to Bunny as I moved past her desk.
She turned, “Who pissed in your Cheerios?”
My fists clenched. “I’m not exactly sure. But you can bet on Texas I’m going to find out,” I growled. Bunny’s hand went to the pearl choker necklace around her throat. She’s never seen me angry. What Bun Bun and I had going on was a good thing. I shot her a wink over my shoulder as I pressed the button for the elevator. “Look, I’m sorry if I was a bit of a jerk today. I’m about to go all crazy Kraken on someone’s ass. Wanna come along for a ride?”
She pursed her lips, her hot pink nails clicking away on her keyboard. “Someone has to stay behind for Diersky watch. I caught him acting suspicious outside your office door yesterday morning.”
“What?”
Her eyes never left the screen in front of her as she spoke. “Sure did.”
“Order me a camera. One of those that sits on a shelf or something. Expense it.”
“Seriously?”
“You bet, Bun.”
“You want me to shop for a spy camera?”
“Office security. One can never be too safe.” My wheels started turning. Cameras. I should invest for the shore house. “Actually Bun, order me some of those doorbell camera things…. Outdoor wireless cameras… the works.” I opened my wallet, walked back over, and dropped my Amex on her desk.
“You trust me with your credit card?”
“More than my sister. I just finished paying off the 30k furniture bill she charged without telling me.”
“What do you need all those cameras for?”