When Jill came to the pool shortly after, Craig was already there, sitting on a deck chair and waiting for her.
"Why aren't you in the water yet, aren't you too cold?" Jill teased.
"No, I've thought of something," he smiled. "We were pretty noisy last night and I think we should go somewhere else before there's any trouble here."
She eyed him suspiciously. 'And what did you have in mind?'
'Let's go to the beach. Apart from the fact that I prefer swimming in the sea anyway, it's quiet there and won't disturb anyone.”
Jill hesitated, not sure if hanging out alone with him at night was a good idea. After all, she didn't know him and had no idea what might be hiding behind his harmless manner, so caution was advised.
As if reading her mind, he added at the same moment, "Don't be afraid, I certainly won't attack you," sounding utterly amused.
"I'm not scared," Jill said hastily. "I don't mind driving."
She had been looking for
"Wake up you sleepyhead, if we don't get down to practice on time Harriet will kill us," Mandy's voice jerked Jill awake.Wearily she blinked at the alarm clock, it was almost half past eight."Oh shit," she blurted out in surprise.She jumped up and put on her gym clothes."Yeah, yeah, if you hang around at night, you can't get out of bed in the morning," Mandy teased her meanwhile."I wasn't hanging out, I was swimming," Jill explained, embarrassed.Mandy smiled. “You haven't been in the pool.” Jill frowned, and she added, “Don't worry, I'll keep that to myself. I happened to wake up and was on the balcony for a moment, but didn't see you downstairs.”“I was at the beach,” Jill admitted hesitantly."Did you walk to the beach alone in the middle of the night?" Mandy asked, puzzled.“Mandy, please don't ask, I can't explain this to you. And promise me you won't tell anyone, I don
Jill hadn't expected that Cloe would actually carry out her threat, but as soon as they entered the villa, Harriet's voice shrilled through the open living room door. "Jill - please come in here, I want to speak to you." "Oh God," Mandy whispered anxiously and started to follow Jill, but she stopped her. "You stay here, I'll take care of this myself. It's enough if one of us gets in trouble.” Mandy stood there dejectedly while Jill entered the living room. Harriet and Mick were sitting on the couch, Craig was standing at the window, there was no sign of Cloe. "Sit down," Harriet invited her. Jill flopped down on a couch, looking at Harriet expectantly. "Is it true that you slapped Cloe?" she immediately began with an angry voice. “Yes.” “How yes? Isn't that all you have to say? Do you think it's okay to fight with the other girls here?' snapped Harriet. "No, I don't think so, but I don't think it's okay fo
She had just finished taking a shower and had plopped down on her bed when Mandy came panting into the room. "Oh man, I'm ready for a retirement home if this goes on for a while," she groaned and collapsed onto the bed. "I admire your condition." "It's also slowly decreasing, I had a bad calf cramp a little while ago." "But you were still pretty fast, could you keep running with it?" Mandy asked in surprise and then smiled when she saw Jill blush. "Oh, I see - you weren't alone." Jill gave her an uneasy look. "Listen, I don't want you to get any stupid ideas," she said defensively. "We go swimming together, we run together, and that's all there is to it." "Of course that also explains why you just blushed and why you always get so nervous in the evenings," Mandy grinned. Embarrassed, Jill bowed her head. "Mandy, to be honest, I have no idea what's going on," she admitted quietly. “Yes, I'm attracted to Craig, I like being with him, but I kno
"Oh no, please not again," she thought in panic. She looked around frantically, there was no way she would lie down under the bed again, she remembered the experience of the last time all too clearly. She quickly rushed into the bathroom, if she was lucky he would only stay for a short time, it wasn't very long until the bus would leave. She quietly closed the door so far that only a very small gap remained open, through which she carefully peered out. The door opened, Craig took a step into the room, then turned back. "Give me just a moment, I'll be right down," he said to someone in the hallway whom Jill couldn't see from where she was standing. The other person mumbled something. "Yes, I'm in a hurry, I just want to take a quick shower," Craig replied, audibly indignant, and closed the door. 'Oh my God,' Jill thought, horrified, 'that can't be true.' She stepped back from the door, feverishly trying to figure out what to do next. She looked aro
Jill hadn't felt as comfortable as she did that evening in a long time. The food was excellent and the red wine was also delicious. As they chatted animatedly, Jill's eyes kept wandering out to sea, where the sunset was showing off its full blaze of color. When the last rays of sun sank into the sea, Craig lit a small kerosene lamp. Jill was completely relaxed and enjoying Craig's company. They chatted with each other in a completely relaxed and informal manner. She found herself becoming more and more attracted to him and wished she could sit here with him forever. Craig shared a few anecdotes from the previous Super Model season, but kept a low profile about his personal life. "What do you do when you're not stumbling down a catwalk in a bikini?" he asked at some point. Hastily, Jill grabbed her wine glass and took a long sip. She thought hard about what she had written on the questionnaire that all the girls had to fill out before entering the villa.
As she fell, Jill gave a startled little scream, but two arms grabbed her and set her safely on the ground. Distraught, she spun around to see Craig standing in front of her, staring at her in disbelief. "Jill, what the hell are you doing?" "There was a big spider," she blurted out, frantic. "Aha, that explains everything, of course," he said dryly, and Jill got the impression he was having a hard time suppressing a grin. "She must have been pretty clingy, following you up here from your balcony, along the wall." She shrugged helplessly, not knowing what to say. Shaking his head, he pushed her to a chair, placed his hands on her shoulders and gently forced her to sit down. Then he sat down on the edge of the table opposite her. »First you're standing half-naked in my bathroom, now you're climbing around out there and you're about to break your neck. - Wouldn't you like to explain to me what's going on here? And don't tell me you wanted
The next morning began as usual with a nerve-wracking breakfast. Even though Lilly had already left and there were only six girls in the house besides Jill and Mandy, the noise and chaos hadn't abated a bit. "God, I'm so glad I don't have to listen to that gibberish for a couple of days," Jill said, exasperated, once they were back upstairs in her room. "You're lucky," sighed Mandy, who had progressed on the show but wasn't allowed to go to Las Vegas. Jill stroked her arm comfortingly. »Next time it's your turn.« »Oh, I'm happy for you«, Mandy smiled, »You deserve it, your shoot was really great and I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Vegas is great, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.” “I hope so,” Jill smiled, and started packing her things for the trip. "Er..." Mandy, who had been watching her, suddenly cleared her throat. "I don't mean to bitch, but you can't walk around in those clothes." Jill frow
Heart still pounding, Jill threw her phone on the bed and rushed to the bathroom. Normally she didn't need much time to get ready, she didn't care much about styling and other embellishments. But today she definitely wanted to look good, she wanted to please Craig, and thirty minutes didn't feel like enough for that.She hurriedly jumped into the shower, washed her hair and hoped that the hotel hair dryer would be enough to get her dry in time. Then she carefully creamed herself and then rummaged through her suitcase in search of underwear. Despite her misgivings, she had packed some sheer lingerie and quickly slipped into tiny black lace knickers and a matching bra. She pulled on the new dress, struggled with the zipper for a moment and then put on the high heels.She rushed back to the bathroom, where she blow-dried her hair until it was halfway dry and falling in soft waves over her shoulders. As always, she didn't wear makeup, and tonight it wasn't necessary anyway
Jill's heart began to pound. Did she really hear that right? Was he really serious? Or was he making fun of her to get back at her for the arrest and everything else? She looked at him doubtfully, expecting to see a mocking smile. But his face was serious and there was so much tenderness and longing in his eyes that it hit her deep in the heart. All her feelings for him swept over her like a tidal wave, and she wanted to throw herself into his arms. But there were still the things she'd done behind his back that she couldn't possibly hide from him. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Craig, I have something to confess to you and after that you won't value me," she said softly. “I… I was snooping around on your laptop the night I was waiting for you in your room. I did it because of my assignment, but I don't want to make that excuse. You gave me your key and trusted me and I betrayed your trust. Also, I overheard a phone call from you in Aspen, at least part
Jill had Tom record her statement and then drove home in a trance. She was barely able to think straight, too many things were running through her head. Thank God Mrs. Atkins appeared to be busy or not at home, and she reached her flat unseen. Completely distraught, she collapsed onto the couch and sat motionless, thinking about what Walter had told her. So Craig was innocent, fortunately. She was immensely relieved, the thought that he might be involved in this sordid business had hurt her a lot. Still, a bitter aftertaste lingered, she thought of his face when he turned back at the door to the hall last night. He'd been hurt, hurt that she'd thought he'd worked things out with Harriet. She would probably have been just as disappointed if she had been in his place, but what else was she supposed to believe? It had all fitted together too well, and Harriet's phrase about Craig holding her had seemed so unequivocal. Jill still couldn't unders
Jill had heard enough. She quietly walked away from the door and walked towards the locker room. Thoughts raced in her head. Harriet, Joel, Ewan, Mick and also Craig were all involved. They had made promises to the girls to force them to take these nude photos. And apparently the floor was getting too hot for them now, at least Harriet probably had the intention of getting out of the dust right after the show. "I have to call Walter immediately," she thought in a panic, "It's guaranteed to be the same with Lucy Hollister." She was about to take her cell phone out of her pocket when the door to the locker room opened and Mandy stuck her head out. 'Ah, there you are,' she smiled when she saw Jill, 'come on, Ewan wants to put on the make-up.' At the same time, Harriet came hurrying down the aisle behind her. 'Come on,' she called, 'get ready, we've got no time to lose.' 'Damn,' Jill swore to herself, wanting to grab Harriet and drag her hair to the s
Jill and Craig spent the night in front of the fireplace, hugging, stroking, making love. In contrast to his otherwise rather irrepressible and demanding nature, he was very careful and tender. For all his passion, he was careful not to hurt her injuries unnecessarily, and she enjoyed having him so close and feeling him. After a quick shower, they went to breakfast the next morning and then immediately disappeared back into his bungalow. As before, they snuggled up in front of the fireplace, watched a few of the pay movies on offer, slept and made love in between. Something had changed. Although they hardly spoke to each other, instead dedicating themselves extensively to their lovemaking, they were as close as they had ever been. It was almost as if their bodies were speaking a language far more intense and clear than words could ever have been. In Craig's arms, Jill forgot everything. Forgotten were Grace, Lindsay, Mick, Joel and everything that had to do w
Jill stood staring at Craig. His face was serious and she realized there would be no point in arguing. Also, she didn't have the strength for an argument, so she nodded. "All right." Mandy came back at the same moment. She handed Jill a jogging suit, t-shirt, socks and underwear. "I hope that's okay?" she asked, before adding apologetically, "And sorry, I just took your key out of your jacket pocket." " It's okay ." , and then help you get dressed,” Mandy offered. Jill nodded and they went into the bedroom together. After removing the robe, she slipped into her underwear and Mandy rubbed the rubbing alcohol on her. Then she spread some of the ointment on individual areas that were already beginning to turn bluish. "Thanks," Jill murmured as she pulled on the shirt and sweatpants with Mandy's help. "You really got lucky," Mandy said softly. “You'd best lie down and rest. I'll tell Harriet over dinner that you're afraid
On Thursday morning, after breakfast, an indescribable rush broke out in the villa. Everyone was packing, suitcases and bags were lying around everywhere, and everyone was scurrying around excitedly, anxious not to forget anything. Jill and Mandy were also clearing out their closets, and while Mandy was chattering away happily, Jill was trying to figure out how to approach Joel about a private photo shoot. So far, no suitable opportunity had arisen, and she couldn't just walk into his room and say, "Hey, here I am, wouldn't you like to take some nude pictures of me?" Around noon, while they were waiting for the bus, the first was due to appear in half an hour, a favorable moment seemed to have come. Jill was sitting in the living room and noticed that Joel was sitting alone on the patio sorting his photo supplies. The girls were scattered all over the house, and there was no sign of Harriet or the rest of the crew, so Jill sauntered outside and sat next to him.
Jill slept deeply and dreamlessly. Despite the shock, she fell asleep very quickly and woke up on Monday morning feeling fine except for the painful lump on the back of her head.Despite this, Mandy insisted that she stay in bed."Signs of a concussion can come with a considerable delay, so you'll lie down and call in if anything happens," she said firmly. "I promised Craig I'd watch over you, and I don't want to get in trouble with him."Sighing, Jill gave in, and after Mandy left, she closed her eyes and dozed for a little longer.Eventually, there was a knock on the door, and to her soft "yes," Craig walked in, holding a tray of toast, coffee, and orange juice."Room service," he smiled, "I thought I'd spoil you a bit."He put the tray on the bedside table and sat down on the bed with her."How are you?" he asked, searching her face."Well, I could uproot trees.""Never mind, stay in bed," he said sternly. 'I spoke to
Stunned, Jill stared at the picture that presented itself to her down there. Craig held Grace in his arms, lovingly stroking her hair over and over again. It looked very intimate, and a wave of jealousy and pain swept through Jill's guts like red-hot lava.Had she been so wrong about him? She had counted on her relationship with him never going beyond this show, knowing that there had been and would be other women in his life. But she never thought that she wasn't the only one he was having fun with here in the mansion.It looked like he wasn't any better than Mick, who also tried everything to get close to the girls.'Men like him don't let themselves be put on a leash...' Harriet's words flashed through her mind again. She wondered if it was really possible that he'd been double-tracking all along. He'd had plenty of opportunities, they'd been together a lot, but not always, and she had no idea what he'd been up to the rest of the time.She rememb
"By the way, Craig apologized to me earlier," Mandy reported half an hour later while jogging. "That's why it took a little longer, we talked.""Excuse me?" Jill asked blankly. "For what?""Well, that last time he snapped at me when I came into the room during your argument." And what… what else did he say?”Mandy smiled. "He said I should thank you and tell you he'd talk to you about anything else when I got a chance, and you'd know."Jill almost tripped over her own feet. "What?" she blurted out angrily, "That brazen, impertinent fellow.""Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Mandy admonished as Cloe turned to them curiously."Whatever he's imagining in his arrogant mind, he better forget it," Jill hissed. 'He's not going to think I'm going to get involved with him anymore.''Tell me, did you promise him anything in exchange for his help?''Of course not. I have no idea what