My heartfelt thanks to LadySibel for helping me complete this story.
*
It was a hot, humid summer day in Atlanta, and I walked slowly up to the second floor of my apartment building. The morning went well. Five sales calls, two of which were wins. My commission check next month is going to be huge.
This is a relatively new apartment complex with lots of singles and parties, and I’m so glad I decided to splurge and rent a two-bedroom model. At the time I reasoned that the second bedroom would be my office and also figured I might get a tax break too. The small gym and large swimming pool make it easy to meet other single people.
During my first four months in the apartment, dating was relatively easy. All the single women want to test out new tenants. However, none of these women seemed like guardians to me, so I kept my options open and kept trying to party.
I stayed fit at the gym and worked hard on my sales territory, which paid off financially and got the attention of regional sales managers who noticed my sales.
Life is beautiful and simple.
As I was sitting with my head down daydreaming and thinking about spending my hard earned money I heard a knock on the door. At first I thought it was my apartment, but it was Carol’s door, which was two floors away from mine.
A woman stood in front of Carol’s door and knocked again. She was about five foot seven inches tall and had dirty blonde hair. She was wearing a heavy skirt and jacket with a shirt over it, which must have been very hot in the summer weather. A small black rolling suitcase lay next to her.
I went over there and said, “Hi.”
She jumped up and turned towards me. I surprised her.
“Hey, I’m sorry to scare you. Are you looking for Carol?”
She looked at me before answering. I could now see her face clearly. Besides her dirty blonde hair, she had blue eyes, high cheekbones and a pointed nose. Her face was sweaty, her hair dirty and she looked very thin, her body had lost its wonderful features. She was clearly tired.
She replied in a low, sexy voice: “I’m Carol’s friend and came to visit her over the weekend, but even though I told her when I’d be there, she wasn’t home.”
I replied, “I’m Carol’s friend and live in the neighborhood. Carol’s mother had a heart attack two days ago, and Carol flew back to Chicago to be with her. I guess she forgot to call you.”
“Oh, shit,” she whispered.
Selling is my profession and reading people is my vocation. I looked at this woman’s face and my disappointment turned to frustration, with a hint of panic. I thought, “She’s only seconds away from tears, or worse.”
Impulsively, I said, “I’m Phil Stockton. Why don’t you come over to my house for a cold drink?”
She kept looking at my face, but apparently did not hear me. Now panic overtook despair.
I grabbed her hand and suitcase and pulled her towards my apartment. She did not resist.
I sat her in a kitchen chair, turned the thermostat to seventy degrees, and filled the glasses with ice and water. She picked up the cup and drank it in one swig. I refilled it and sat down in front of her.
“This has nothing to do with me, but I think you need a friend right now.”
She looked at the table and shook her head. The first tears ran down her face.
“Hey, my name is Phil, what’s your name?”
“Holly,” she whispered.
“Well, Holly, it can’t be that bad.”
She looked at me. Tears illuminated her blue eyes. She blushed and stuttered: “I took five different buses in the past two days. My only possessions were in my suitcase, and I used the remaining money to pay for the taxi fee here, I look and feel like absolute crap.
I immediately smiled and said: “Holly, don’t hesitate, just tell me your serious problem.”
I saw her smile for a moment, but then she lowered her face and looked at the table again.
“Holly, look at me.”
He raised his head and looked at me.
“Now is not the time to make decisions or talk about them. There’s a sofa bed in my office. You’re going to take the longest, hottest bath of your life and then take a nap. I’ll give you some guest room towels and robes in the bathroom, as well as a clean toothbrush and shampoo and wine and food, then go sleep until morning and then we can discuss your little problem.”
“I can’t…”
“Holly, you will. Now stand up and follow me.”
She stood up like a small child and followed me. I pointed to the office bedroom and bathroom and showed her the towels and robes.
“Go take a shower. When you’re done, your bed will be unpacked and made. I’ll hang up the phone and lock the front door. I’ll wake you up at dinner time.”
She didn’t say anything, went into the bathroom and closed the door.
I quickly opened the bed. The sheets were clean and I took out two pillows and a thin blanket from the wardrobe and put them on the bed.
As I carried his suitcase from the kitchen to the office, I heard the shower running. I left the apartment and locked the door.
Holly must have been a lucky charm for me – I had three more sales calls and another winner. This day was the best sales day of my career.
After the third sales call, I went to the local bar, had a few beers, waited for the time to pass and figured out where I was. With the unknown background, she is obviously in a difficult situation. Her weight loss was not of her own volition, but of her own choice. It is because she did not eat much. I wonder if she is strong enough to withstand anything or anyone that attacks her.
Eventually, I left the bar and went to the grocery store. Two huge steaks, baked potatoes, sour cream, butter and salad ingredients seemed like the perfect combination.
I walked into my apartment in silence. In the kitchen, I turned on the oven and put in the roasted potatoes.
The office door was ajar. I went there and looked inside. Holly slept with her back to the door. The sheets hung below her waist, making it clear she was sleeping naked.
I looked at her bare back and then at her bare hips and the top of her ass. Maybe it’s just me, but a woman’s bare back is an extremely erotic image; nature has a way – my cock is hard and my thoughts are not pure.
“What an asshole you are, Phil,” I thought to myself.
I quietly close the door and return to the kitchen. An hour later, the salad is ready, the white wine is chilled, the red wine is breathing, and the charcoal burns in the grill.
I went to the office and knocked on the door. “Holly, wake up,” I yelled.
There is nothing there.
I tried it two more times with the same result.
I opened the door and looked in. The sheets were still hanging around her waist and I saw her naked breasts. They were bigger than I had imagined, the areolas were smaller, the nipples were a bit bigger and were now quite soft.
I went to the bed and pulled the sheet up to her neck. Her face, free from the pressure of any problems, was more relaxed and beautiful than I had imagined.
I backed up to the door, knocked loudly, and yelled, “Holly, it’s time for dinner.”
Finally, she stirred and whispered: “I want to sleep.”
“Holly, open your eyes.”
Finally, her eyes opened. I could tell she remembered me.
I said, “I know you’re tired, but you’re also hungry. Go wash your face and come to the kitchen. The steak will be ready in twenty minutes. Do you want to get up?”
“But I’m really sleepy,” she complained.
I repeated, “Dinner is in twenty minutes. If I don’t see you in the kitchen in five minutes, I’ll know how itchy you are.”
Her eyes suddenly opened. “You can’t?”
I smiled and replied, “I don’t think you want to know.”
I closed the door and returned to the kitchen. A minute later I heard her door open and she went into the bathroom.
A few minutes later she walked into the kitchen. She brushed her hair, which had regained some of its shine from the shampoo. She was wearing a T-shirt with Daffy Duck on the front. The shirt was too short, revealing two inches of her flat stomach. I could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra. She was wearing jogging shorts and her legs were bare.
She looked at me and smiled shyly and said, “I really want to thank you…”
“Holly,” I interrupted, “there’s no serious discussion tonight. Just relax, enjoy the meal, and we’ll talk about it tomorrow morning. Okay?”
He nodded in understanding.
I asked, “White wine, red wine, beverage or water?”
“White wine, please.”
As I poured him some wine I asked, “Do you want your steak medium rare or medium rare; if it’s more than medium rare you’ll have to cook it yourself because that’s a cardinal sin?”
She laughed: “Medium rare, sir.”
“Cover the potatoes with butter or sour cream, or both.”
She laughed again, “Please invite you both, Mr. Boss.”
I poured myself a glass of white wine and sat down. I said, “I want you to know that right now you are my lucky charm. I’m a salesman and I made more sales today than I did the last three weeks combined, which means in a few weeks I’ll be getting a hefty commission.” Check out from now on, we celebrate with wine and steak.
“My name is Phil. I’m twenty-five years old; I’ve never been married, but I was married twice before I got smart; I’m six feet tall and I get fat if I don’t go to the gym. I almost got married.
“I often fall in love, but Cupid only hits me with his arrows, for I also often fall out of love.
“I can tell a million jokes, but sometimes when beautiful women ask me something serious, I am left speechless.”
She smiled and said: “I am twenty-three years old …”
I interrupted and said, “That’s all I want to know tonight—that you are twenty-three years old, beautiful, and a woman.”
“Aren’t you curious too?” he asked.
“Oh, Curious, but it’s time to cook and eat now. We’ll talk tomorrow. I’ll go out with the steaks. You set the table and get out the salad and dressing. Take the potatoes out of the oven in five minutes, then get the sour cream and butter out of the refrigerator.
He greeted me with a smile, “Yes, boss.”
“When you’re done, take the bottle and join me on the balcony. My glass will be empty by then.”
She smiled and went to work while I took my steaks to the grill.
From the balcony overlooking the Buckhead area, while the steaks were cooking, I watched the flow of traffic to the Buckhead restaurants and shows. It was the beginning of the weekend and people were leaving early. I felt him behind me and turned.
“Slave, please bring me some more wine.” He said emotionlessly.
“it’s almost time.”
He poured wine into my glass and then poured the remaining white wine into his glass.
She looked at me but didn’t say anything at first. Then, “I really…”
“Tomorrow, Holly. Tonight your job is to eat a lot, drink a little… not drunk is the right word, and get some sleep.”
She replied: “Ok, but I just want to say that your screaming and biting meant nothing – you’re a nice person.”
The steaks were ready and we went into the kitchen. I poured Holly’s first glass of red wine into clean glasses and we ate. I bought a huge steak. Holly said they were too big for her, but once she started eating them, she never stopped. Her steak, potatoes and salad disappeared along with more red wine. I thought, “She hasn’t eaten in days.”
Finally, the meal is ready. He looked at me strangely and said, “I made myself a pig. The steak was great, but I didn’t even try to talk to you.”
I reached for the wine and poured a half glass for each of us, but the bottle was gone. I raised my glass high and made a mock toast, “This was a delicious steak dinner, cooked by experts and helped by a beautiful woman.”
She giggled, then her eyes filled with tears. “Phil, that food was delicious. I really want to…” She yawned.
“Oh, crap; I’m sorry for yawning at you,” she said a little softly.
“Am I still the boss?” I asked.
“Yes,” she laughed.
“Stand up, go to the bathroom, and go to bed.”
She stood up, looked at me with teary eyes and walked towards the bathroom. A few minutes later I heard her leaving the office. I stood up, found the door open and looked in. When I saw her naked again the sheet was up to her knees. I heard her snore softly.
I pulled the sheet over her shoulders, quietly closed the door, cleaned the kitchen, drank some healthy drinks and went to bed. I thought: “Tomorrow should be fun.”
I’m a morning person, no matter what time I went to bed, so I woke up at sunrise, tried unsuccessfully to fall asleep again, and finally got up. My master bedroom has its own bathroom, so I did my morning routine, put on a clean shirt and shorts, and headed to the kitchen.
The office door was still closed, so I waited for about an hour drinking black coffee and reading the morning paper, then started preparing breakfast. I walked up to the office door and knocked.
There is nothing there.
“Holly, wake up.”
I knocked again louder and opened the door. She turned sideways to face me, the sheet covering her neck. Her eyes were sleepy, but open and looking at me.
I said, “Breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes, so you better get up, clean up, and meet me in the kitchen.”
“Are you always this overbearing?”
Pretending to be serious, I said, “Twenty minutes.”
I left and the door was open. A few minutes later I heard the bathroom door close and the toilet flush. About twenty minutes later she walked into the kitchen wearing the same t-shirt and shorts. I noticed this time she was wearing a bra.
She sat down and said nothing. There was a large glass of milk and a glass of orange juice in front of her. I placed a plate with three slices of toast, two cooked eggs on each slice, and about eight slices of bacon. I placed some bagels on the side plate next to her and topped them with cream cheese.
“It was too much for me,” she said.
Fifteen minutes later, the meal was over.
She looked embarrassed. “I’m eating like a pig again.”
“You’re eating like a man who hasn’t had a good meal in a while.”
She blushed again.
“Phil, I wanted to thank you…”
I interrupted and said, “There’s a wonderful park four blocks from here. I’ll clean up the kitchen and then we’ll walk to the park and talk. It’s cool now, but it will get warmer later, so let’s enjoy the morning.” .
We walked to the park in comfortable silence. From time to time I would point out something interesting, but I could tell she was nervous. We followed the bike path around the park and sat at a picnic table in front of a large pond. Ducks swam in the water.
She obviously didn’t know what to say.
“What is your biggest problem?” I asked.
“I had no job and no money.”
I continued, “What’s your second worst problem?”
“I had no place to live and no friends in a strange city.”
“Do you have cancer or any serious illness?”
“No.”
“Are you wanted by the police?”
“No.”
“So,” I concluded, “you have serious short-term problems, but you will be fine in the long run, and you don’t consider me a friend.”
She grabbed my hand and cried out: “Oh, I was so foolish. You saved my life yesterday; you took me in when I was desperate. I will never forget your kindness.”
I covered her hand with mine and asked softly, “If it makes you feel better, why don’t you tell me how you got to my door.”
She spoke for an hour. The first few minutes were hard and then everything came out. She grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. Her father left the country before she was born, so she was raised by her mother. They were poor, but her mother put her through high school and started her in junior college. During her sophomore year, her mother died of a heart attack.
Her focus in junior college was business and she soon found work at a small business in Chicago. Two years and two promotions later, she was beginning to succeed in the real business world when she met Jim. Three months later Jim moved into her apartment. Their plan was to get married as soon as they had enough money to feel comfortable.
Jim lost his job three months after moving in. He was an alcoholic and has now quit drinking. They did not try very hard to find a new job and the little savings they had built up began to run out. His drinking became worse. He abused her when drunk and their sex life became a series of rapes.
A week ago, Jim came to her office drunk and demanded money in front of his co-workers and boss. They told him to leave, but he yelled that he would come back and kill everyone. He frightened his company so much that they told him he was fired. He received a week’s severance pay. When she returned home that afternoon, she found the apartment ransacked in Jim’s rage. Furniture was destroyed, clothes were torn, and an eviction notice was taped to the door. Jim has received rent checks, but they have never been mailed in the past two months.
When she went to the bank to collect the rent owed, she discovered that Jim had cleaned out their account. The only thing the bank did to help her was to cash out her severance package.
She met Carol at a charity party around the same time she met Jim, with whom she kept in touch a little after Carol moved to Atlanta. She called Carol and asked if she could spend a few days with her to start a new life. Carol wasn’t there when she arrived in Atlanta.
Holly sat in front of me in the park and cried as she told her story. The feeling of despair returned as she realised again that she was in trouble.
I didn’t do anything except touch her hand while she was telling her story. I didn’t know what to do. I felt like if I hugged her she would completely break down and get emotional, but I had to give her some hope, I didn’t realize that even at this moment I was attracted to her;
I said, “Holly, you have a big short-term problem, but that’s it. This is what we’re going to do.
“The first week you have to get back on your feet and the second week we’ll start looking for a job for you. Let’s go back to the apartment and I want you to write a list of clothes you need to buy and other things you need to take with you throughout the week.
“Can you cook?”
He nodded yes.
“Are my cooking skills average or good enough?”
“I’m fine,” she admits.
“It’s easy,” I said. The first week you’ll live with me. You’re the official apartment cleaner and cook, except for Wednesdays and Saturdays, when we go out to eat. I’ll lend you money to buy things, and you’ll pay me back when you make money.
“Why are you so nice to me?” he asked.
“You’ve been lucky for me in sales so far, and I think behind those tears I see a nice guy who got unlucky,” I replied.
We went back to the apartment and she began writing a list of her clothes and belongings. When she finished, I checked the list.
“I haven’t seen any outfits to wear to the restaurant tonight,” I joked.
“The dining room?”
“It’s Saturday today, and we went out to eat on Wednesday and Saturday, don’t you remember?”
She added a dress to the list.
I continued, “Put the bathing suit down.”
“I don’t really need a bathing suit,” she said.
“Well, when we go to the pool this weekend, you’ll either swim naked or wear a suit…it’s up to you.”
She added a swimsuit to the list.
“Now make a list of the meals you’re going to make for the week,” I suggest.
