Craig and Jill spent another cozy Friday evening. They sat snuggled together on the couch, chatting, fooling around and cuddling. A passionate and tender night ensued, during which Jill sometimes got so loud that Craig had to cover her mouth.
"Maybe we should get you a gag when we go shopping later," he suggested, grinning the next morning after waking up. "I'm surprised Mrs. Atkins didn't call the police tonight with all your screaming."
"You could just sleep on the couch and that would solve the problem and it would be a lot cheaper," she said dryly. 'But speaking of Mrs Atkins and shopping, it would be better if I went alone. Knowing that old bastard, she'll be lying in wait all day again, and I don't want her to see you.”
He sighed. "Got it, you want to lock me up here like a pleasure slave."
"I didn't really intend to, but you've just given me a very interesting thought," she laughed.
They got up, showered together, and then discussed wh
The girls spent Tuesday in the training room from morning to evening, only interrupted by a short lunch break. It was exhausting, but unlike usual, everyone was very enthusiastic about it. Harriet only looked in once or twice to make sure everything was ok, the rest of the time they were alone with Lindsay.Lindsay knew how to motivate the girls very well, she didn't skimp on criticism, but she also distributed praise and it was great fun for everyone.Whenever she had the chance, Jill watched Lindsay unobtrusively. She had to admit without envy that the black-haired woman really looked extremely good. She wore a red suit with a white blouse that contrasted attractively with her dark complexion. Her black hair was cut in a modern short hairstyle that flattered her face and showed off her fawn eyes.It wasn't just her looks that made her appeal, but also her manner. Contrary to Jill's assumption that women like her had to be arrogant and bitchy, Lindsay turned ou
Jill was sitting on the couch in Craig's room watching a documentary on TV but was too restless to pay much attention to the report. In between, she kept looking at the clock. She had been waiting for over an hour now, wondering where he might be. "Briefly," he'd written in his message, so it couldn't be too long.At some point she didn't feel like watching the film anymore and turned it off. She paced the room for a while, then lay down on the bed. Craig's familiar scent filled her nostrils and she closed her eyes.Yes, Mandy was right, it was silly to get so upset over a few little things. After all, she wasn't a fourteen-year-old teenager, but a grown woman who could be expected to handle such situations. Even if Craig wasn't interested in a lasting relationship, she had expected it in the first place and couldn't blame him now.She wondered what he wanted to show her. Maybe he had the intention of ending their relationship, their liaison, their dalliance, or
Craig let them stew. He neither called nor showed up.Jill lay on her bed like a wounded animal, staring at the door as if she could will her to summon him here.She didn't know whether to be happy about the delay or not, because there was no doubt that it was only a delay. On the one hand it might be good if things calmed down a little first, on the other hand she would have liked to get it over with.She hesitantly picked up her cell phone, wondering if she should call him. But she had no idea where he was or what he was doing, and surely it was better not to upset him further by bothering him.She noticed a message on the screen telling her she had a missed call.It was Craig's number, the message was from last night, just after ten o'clock.With a sigh, she pressed the button for her mailbox, then heard Craig's voice:“Jill, I'm sorry I can't make it today. I have been held up in Lakeside and will
On Friday morning, Grace again mentioned her brooch, which was still missing. As promised, Mandy had helped her with the search, but the piece of jewelery could not be found.'I don't understand, I've always kept them in a box on my bedside table, I'm sure I haven't misplaced them.''Where did you have them last?' Jill asked.Grace thought for a moment. “I had it on my blouse on Tuesday when we drove to the shoot.”“And on the way back? Was she still there? Maybe you lost her at the zoo?''I'm not sure. When I went to put it back on Wednesday morning I noticed it was gone.'They debated for a while, then Harriet came in."Listen," she interrupted the girls' conversation. 'You can go home until Sunday evening. The last few days have been exhausting, and next week will be at least as stressful. So get some rest and I'll see you all fresh again on Monday.”The girls happily ran upstairs to pack their things
"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
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
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
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'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