Pool Girl: A Forbidden Slow Burn Romance Read online

  I lead her from the main hall into the dining room, where I ask her to sit at the table and proceed to show her the documents. First, I show her the House of Stars plan, proving that all I’ve said to her is true. Then I show her the contract for dancers, which has the logo of the business, the business name, and everything legitimate on it.

  She takes her time to read the individual clauses. I don’t know if she’ll understand the legal jargon, so I explain what they mean in general terms.

  “It means that for the next three years, you cannot dance for anyone but me,” I reply. “It also says I have to train you, so you can’t have another trainer. It has all the payment structure information and such, like how you’ll be responsible for filing your tax returns and stuff.”

  She nods as I go.

  “After the three years,” I say, “we can discuss another three-year or any-year deal. Also, if you want out during the three years, it’s possible. But it states we have to reach a consensus. Plus, just because we sign you at the agreed wage, doesn’t mean we remain at that level for the three years. The contract states that we will continually increase your wages commensurate with your skills, how well you perform, how well people like you, and, of course, how well the company does as a whole.”

  I wait for a moment. “You don’t have to sign it now. You can take it home and read—”

  “I’ll sign it, now,” she interrupts, plucking the pen from my hand and adding her signature to the document. I direct her to the other places she needs to initial and sign and print her name. Then I add my name and signature before making her a copy.

  We exchange phone numbers, and I store her contact information in my phone.

  “When do I start?” she asks as lead her out of the house.

  “I’m still finalizing some of the finer points of my business plan,” I admit. “But really, the only thing that has held me back all this time is finding the right person. Now that I know I’ve found the right girl, we’ll begin very soon. I still have to talk to my partners, but I’ll call you to let you know when we can officially begin some lessons.”

  “Perfect,” she says.

  After seeing her off, I retire to my study. The first person I call is the realtor I hired to find a venue to host my new club. He located for me an old hotel with a large conference hall that could be easily renovated to fit with my vision for the dance hall.

  I look through my phone for the pictures he’d sent. The owners were selling for 350 thousand dollars, but I remember telling him the most I’ll pay is 200 thousand. However, even at 350, it was a bargain. All the facilities in the hotel were working. Maybe a little renovation and maintenance here and there, but with another hundred thousand dollars, I could add some high tech equipment to bring in the younger crowd and have the club open for business in no time.

  It makes perfect sense. The main attraction will be the dance hall and the club. But there’ll be lodgings for guests, very pricey of course, and maybe rooms for private dances and all. I can see it all in my mind.

  I look for the realtor’s number and dial it. He picks up on the fifth ring.

  “Hello?”

  “Mr. Warren,” I say. “It’s Cullen. Cullen Roberts.”

  “Hey Cullen,” he replies. He pauses, and I can hear him leafing through some sheets of paper, probably trying to recall why he should know my name. He continues, “Oh, yeah, the hotel turned nightclub. I’m sorry I couldn’t get the 200 grand deal you wanted. The lowest I could get them to go was 300, but since you made it perfectly clear that you weren’t going to go above 200, I decided not to bother you.”

  300? That was even better than I’d hoped!

  “And did you look into the renovations?” I ask, trying not to sound too eager. I already had floor plans designed for House of Stars. The conference hall needs to be remodeled, and the other rooms need to be retrofitted with high-tech stuff and brought up to my standards.

  “A hundred grand,” he replies. “The company that would be doing the remodel is from Las Vegas so we’ll save on travel costs there. It’s their specialty.”

  “Alright,” I say. “How do I make the payment?”

  At that, Warren coughs severely, as if he’s choked on a drink. “Sorry, what?”

  “I want to buy the hotel, and I want renovations to begin immediately,” I explain. “I can provide floor plans, and I have some ideas for some high-tech equipment in some of the rooms, giant screens, surround sound, lights, cameras and such, you know. I want this to start right away.”

  “Give me an hour to contact the seller and the renovation firm,” he replies. “Stay by your phone. I’ll call you as soon as I know more.”

  “Right,” I reply and cut the call.

  Next, I call Rick and inform him that we’re in business. He’s surprised that I found my girl so fast, so I invite him and the guys to my house this evening to celebrate. I don’t know if I can get Gemma to come out tonight, but at least they’ll see the signed document and the hotel I’m about to buy.

  It isn’t even an hour before Warren calls back. He gives me the accounts to make the payments to. “If you meet me at the courthouse in the next hour, we can have the deed and title legally transferred to you. With proof of payment from the bank all notarized, the hotel will belong to you.”

  “Then we’ll meet at the courthouse by then,” I reply.

  By five in the evening, I’m standing with Rick and Andrew in front of the hotel, the title deed, and documents in hand. The hotel belongs to me now. I’ve also been in contact with the renovation firm. They’ll be in town as early as seven tomorrow morning. It’ll take them a week or so to get the hotel back in shape, but the dance hall will be ready for use by the weekend, meaning I can begin training Gemma on Monday.

  “You work fast,” Andrew observes.

  I ignore his comment. “It’s right in the heart of the town. The perfect location.”

  The hotel is a three-story building that stretches a whole city block. It’s on a bustling commercial avenue in the southern end of town, but just far enough away from the strip that no one should do much complaining about the kind of establishment it is.

  “When will we be open for business?” Andrew asks.

  “Six, eight weeks tops.”

  “Andrew, call our friend Zinzy and see if she can coordinate a few girls and start some lessons for us.”

  “Will do, Boss.” A smile of relief on Andrew’s face. “Do you have preferences on the girls?”

  I smile at that comment, “No, I’ve got my star. You and Zinsy figure out the other acts. All I ask is that they be sexy and “of age.” All legal Andrew. It’s not like it used to be anymore. See ya bud!”

  I wave them goodbye as they climb into Andrew’s Jeep and drive off. Before I leave, I place a call to Gemma.

  “Hi, Cullen,” Gemma chirps. As soon as I hear that voice, I remember the feeling of her body pressed against mine. It leads me to question my true intentions.

  “Hi, we start your training on Monday.”

  “Wow, so soon?” she asks.

  “Yep,” I reply. “You’ll have to talk with Jack. If it’s going to be a problem, I can call my lawyer.”

  “No, there’s no need for that,” she assures me. “They’re not like that. Where is the training?”

  “I’ll text you the address before then,” I answer. “Later.”

  “Later.” And she hangs up.

  Now, I hope I’m able to keep my hands off her long enough to teach her to dance.

  Chapter Nine: Gemma

  “You did WHAT?” Dr. Sally says, almost screaming. That Saturday evening I met her at her front door when she came home. By Monday, she’d settled down a bit and decided to drive me to the hotel on my first day of training. We’re on our way to the hotel, and we’ve passed the time until now listening to the radio.

  “Are you sure this is what you want to do Gemma?”

  “If I’m being honest, no,” I admit. I note the look of c
oncern on her face. “But the truth is, half the things I do, I’m not sure of. I just kinda go with my gut, and it’s usually right.”

  In fact, that has pretty much been my philosophy. Go with my gut. Whenever an opportunity presents itself, I don’t shy away just because I’m not sure it’s going to work out.

  “So, you’re really going to do this?”

  I nod as vigorously and confidently as I can. I don’t mind Dr. Sally questioning my motives. I welcome it. Since the loss of my mom, Dr. Sally has been like a surrogate mother-slash-mentor to me, even though she’s only a few years older than me.

  “What did James Monroe say?” she asks.

  I think back to telling my boss I was quitting as a pool girl. It was the day after I met Cullen. I went to the shop and requested to have a word with Mr. Monroe. Jack, being the operations manager, asked if it was something he could help with. I told him it involved James directly since James was the one who’d recruited me. Also, you know, James was the actual owner of the business.

  As it turned out, James wasn’t in town that day. I didn’t get to see him until Friday. When I did, he seemed enthusiastic to see me. He told me that business has been good lately and he wanted to give me a raise. I was surprised, to be honest. For curiosity’s sake, I asked what the new wage was, and he told it was twice my current pay. If I accepted the raise, I would be the highest earner.

  When I told him that I was flattered, but no, he was taken aback. Leaning back in his swivel chair, he asked me where I was planning to work when I left J&J Pools. I realized then that the raise had been a grab at keeping me here (and that I should have threatened to quit a long time ago).

  I told James about Cullen Roberts and his new business.

  “House of Stars?” James asked.

  “Yes,” I replied. I wondered how he knew the name since Cullen hadn’t started publicizing the business. I didn’t bother asking.

  Judging James’s reaction was difficult. It was always difficult to tell with him. If he were angry, you couldn’t tell. If he were disappointed, you couldn’t tell.

  Still, I did my best to keep things friendly. I had to ensure that I left J&J Pools with an assurance that my old job was available should my new venture fail.

  I wasn’t hoping that my contract with Cullen would fail. In fact, very much the opposite. But I have to be smart and prepare for the worst.

  After a few more minutes of talking about this new job and what it required of me, James asked me an odd question. “Do you trust that man, Cullen Roberts?”

  The question reminded me of my conversation about Cullen with Dr. Sally several days ago. What was it about Cullen that was so untrustworthy? Why did they keep implying that he was dangerous? Did they know something that I didn’t?

  Cullen Roberts was a nice man. At least, he certainly seemed like one. There’d been no shady characters hanging around his house. He had been nothing but kind to me. And the problematic nature of our first meeting, well, that wasn’t his fault. Cullen had given me no reason to distrust him, so I answered, “Yes.”

  James only shook his head. “Did he tell you what he did before he came here?”

  “Yes,” I replied. “He was an actor. He got fired, probably because of his age or something, he didn’t tell me why. So, he’s come here to set up a business so he can retain his lifestyle.”

  “Did he tell you what kind of movies he was in?” James asked.

  “I don’t think so. I mean, I don’t see the relevance. Does it matter? So long as he…” I paused as I realized I was defending a man that I didn’t know. I wondered why I was defending him. James hadn’t outright accused him of anything, after all.

  “Go on,” James prodded. “Don’t let me stop you.”

  I wanted to go on, but I stopped. I let the fledgling anger in me smolder to nothingness before I heaved in a deep breath and said, “I don’t know, sir. That’s it.”

  For a long time, nothing was said, until finally, “I accept your resignation. Of course, your job is always available here in case it doesn’t work out with Cullen.”

  “Thank you, sir,” I said, turned around, and left my job as pool girl.

  * * *

  “Be careful,” she tells me.

  I reply, “Mr. Monroe told me to be careful. And that he’d hate to see me get hurt.”

  “And haven’t you wondered why?” Dr. Sally asks, keeping her attention on the road.

  I shrug. “I guess he’s just being overly protective of me. I think he sees himself as more than my boss. Maybe he sees himself as some kind of fatherly figure.”

  “And is the feeling mutual?”

  “Mr. Monroe?” I say. “I don’t know, maybe.”

  “You know I want what’s best for you, right?” Dr. Sally inquires.

  “I’m sure you do,” I reply. I see the flash of hurt in her eyes, and I chastise myself for responding that way. It’s just that I’m sick of people trying to make me feel like I’m not doing the right thing. Like I’m making a mistake.

  When I decided to work for James, nobody said anything. Now that I’m going to be making five hundred dollars a week, it’s a problem. It’s almost as if everybody wants me to be the poor little girl whose mother died and who’s struggling to make ends meet. It feels as though everyone wants me to be that charity case they help every now and then.

  My only thanks is that Taylor wasn’t that way when I informed her. If anything, she was excited about the fact. Hopefully, after a month of work, I’ll be able to move us to a better apartment. I can finally take care of her like she’s taken care of me.

  And the next time someone tries to second-guess me, I’ll shoot them down so quick that they’ll regret the day they were born.

  I suddenly don’t feel so bad for talking the way I did to Dr. Sally. It’s not that I’m ungrateful for all her help through the years. It’s just that lately it rubs me the wrong way when people try to push me down when all I’m doing is trying to get up.

  “I really do want what’s best for you,” she persists. “That’s why I’m making sure that you’re making the right decision.”

  “I am making the right decision,” I snap. “It’s not like he’s asking me to do something illegal. Or immoral. I’m not going to be sleeping with him or anything. I’m going to be dancing. The last time I checked, there was nothing wrong with dancing. It’s my dream.”

  I think the anger in my voice surprised Dr. Sally because she merely nods in agreement. She doesn’t talk again for the rest of the trip, which makes me feel kind of bad. But everything I said was true. Still, I’m smart enough to realize that the issue isn’t the work I’ll be doing. The problem is who I’m going to work for. What is it about Cullen Roberts that concerns Dr. Sally and James so much?

  “Is there something I should know about Cullen?” I ask. “Because it seems that he’s the problem you have with this job. Maybe if I knew, I could see your point of view.”

  Doctor Sally doesn’t reply for a long time. I’m beginning to think that she was so deep in thought that she didn’t hear me. Or that she’s ignoring me. I decided to try again, but as I open my mouth, she starts.

  “I can’t tell you much about Cullen Roberts,” she says hesitantly, “let’s hope he’s changed over the years; mellowed out.”

  Right. How motherly. I roll my eyes.

  “But,” she continues hastily, noticing my eyeroll. “Do something for me. Ask him what kind of work he did as an actor. Ask him exactly what kind of movies he featured in.”

  “Fine!” I say.

  I’m about to ask why the hell everyone is so concerned with the kind of movies Cullen was in—Were they all just bad? Is he a terrible actor? Why do I care?—when we arrive at the hotel. It’s looking more like a club each time I see it. There are a lot of people buzzing around the building because of the renovation. I see Cullen’s Range Rover parked on the other side of the road, so I know he’s here somewhere.

  I step out of Dr. Sally’s vehicle
and lean down to say goodbye before I close the door.

  She smiles at me. “Take care, Gemma. See you soon. I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

  I shut the door, and she drives off. I stand there alone for a minute, watching her car drive down the road before turning right and disappearing from view.

  That was an interesting ride, I think to myself. I look around. I don’t spot Cullen outside, so I assume he’s in the conference room waiting for me. I glance one more time at the building. I know that once it’s all done, it will be known as the House of Stars. People will come from all around to watch me perform.

  This is my dream coming true! I’m finally making something of myself. And I’m not going to let anybody ruin this for me. Not Dr. Sally. Not James Monroe.

  I feel my life is about to change. I brace myself and walk into the hotel.

  Chapter Ten: Cullen

  The weekend leading up to the Monday meeting with Gemma Johnston is probably one of the craziest, tensest of my life. I can barely eat. I can hardly sleep. I’m consumed with only one thought. And that thought has nothing to do with the business that’s well on its way to starting. It isn’t about the hundreds of thousands of dollars already invested. It isn’t even about whether the business will succeed or not.

  It’s about seeing my pretty pool girl, again.

  I didn’t know just how much I was struck by our “incident” in my house until she was gone from sight. Until there was no reason to call her again.

  I keep replaying the scene in my head, much to my intense embarrassment. I keep remembering how it felt to hold her body in my arms. How the swell of her firm breasts felt pressed against my chest. The pressure of my erection hard against her nearly bare thigh.

  Every time I get too carried away, I remind myself that a lifetime exists between Gemma and me. But I can’t seem to control myself.