I wasn't sure if I ever would go back to this story. I had written about three other drafts of this chapter since I wrote the first one. I hated all the directions the story would go. This one felt right and I have received a lot of comments and email about this one recently.
I am wrapping up chapter three of Lessons Learned too but I was torn between making it three and four or just a really long chapter. It's a long one and over 12000 words and growing. It should be done in a week or so I hope.
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It was three days of what should have been hell, but I had AC, a smoking hot new bedroom playmate and a pile of takeout menus. That kinda changed the perspective of the whole situation of a heatwave. Tess made it all pure bliss, even when the box of condoms ran out. We ended up settling for whatever crappy B-horror movie we could find on the various streaming services Tess had an account to use. I wanted to use my Shutter account, but I had that logon at home. Rick wasn't in the mood to help me after the cooler incident.
After calling two dozen delivery places, we found one or two still open despite the sauna beating down on the city. We only left the bed for bathrooms and to sign for the next food delivery. What started out as just sex ended up feeling a bit like more. I grew a bit attached over the few days in her room.
I wasn't surprised when the heat broke into a massive rainstorm as the humidity finally turned around. What did surprise me was the phone call twenty minutes later. Now that the heat was gone, real-life was to resume or so my boss was calling to inform me. Work had been forced to close due to weather and the fact our AC barely functioned. It took some of the office staff passing out at the start of the heat for them to shut us down. You got to love corporate greed sometimes.
Tess genuinely seemed sad for me to go, and truth be told, I wasn't happy to be going home to my kinda shitty roommate. Rick was in rare form as we both worked together, and he wasn't pleased about going back to work. Sarah, across the hall, took some talking to as since I was gone Rick had managed to piss her off so bad she was ready to call the landlord. I never got the details about it all, and I had no intention of asking either. I just did my best to cool the situation, so he didn't land us out on our asses. That was the last thing I needed right now. I wasn't going to ask my parents if I could move back home for a while.
Work was hectic, but the highlight of my day ended up being the text messages Tess sent me throughout the day. Her work schedule was pretty random, so by noon, she was usually sending me messages. They got pretty wild too. I was expecting that first day back for them to be the usual "How's work?" but I learned quickly that Tess was anything but conventional.
Tess- I am bored, so I went shopping.
Me- Must be nice. I am buried in paperwork. I'll be lucky to get home by eight.
Tess- Poor baby. I know what will cheer you up.
Me- What's that?
The next thing I know, my phone was loading a very not safe for work image. Tess was on her bed wearing nothing but a white lace teddy with a plunge in the front that went all the way to her crotch. I quickly hid my phone as I gawked at her while trying to keep a straight face. No girl had ever sent me anything like that before. Sure, once I had a drunken girlfriend send me a clumsy boob photo, but that was nothing like this. Tess had planned and set up her picture before she texted me.
Me- Holy shit! How did I get so lucky?
Tess- Whoever said being a bad boy pays?
Me- I am a good boy?
She didn't respond again with any text, just another photo and then another. I got a slide show of Tess inch by inch, removing her teddy. First one shoulder and then the other. She held arm across her well-endowed bosom as the bottom of her teddy vanished. Eventually, she lay naked on her bed, legs spread but hands still covering the naughty bits. Needless to say, this show took my whole lunchtime, and Tess finished it with the pièce de résistance. A photo of a decent-sized dildo with her comment, "I'll be thinking of you this afternoon, big boy!"
Me- You dirty cock tease!
Tess- Yup! Bye!
I thought that teasing would be the end, but it wasn't at all. The next day, Tess sent me photos of herself in a red bra, panties, garters, and matching fishnet stalking with high heels. They showed her spin for the camera then sit in one of her kitchen chairs. She straddled the chair and slowly peeled off garments photo by photo until the back of the chair blocked her breasts, and one hand covered her slit. Then the dildo returned with her acting like she was about to stick it in her mouth. Tess again said, "Thinking of you!"
If I told you that my phone and my hand didn't have a date every night with these photos, I'd have a nose as long as Pinocchio. Any man would have been jacking it thirty seconds after getting these dirty messages. I did get a little pissed though, Her camera shows happened all week to me, and when I suggested that maybe I could stop by on my way home or even perhaps spend the night, she shot me down.
Tess- Good things happen to those who wait.
Me- Yeah, but you are killing me!
Tess- Deal with it!
She then proceeded to give me another show in a bikini and a towel. Again I never saw anything except her almost naked. I lamented that even if I didn't ever see her again, these photos were something I would hold on to until the day I died. I backed them up to the cloud, I'd have been crazy not to do that.
Rick had started to doubt Tess was real since he had not seen her yet. He accused me of spending the heatwave at my parents or my sister's place. I showed him one of Tess's photo barrages, with her permission, but he still thought I was lying. I didn't really blame him, I would have thought the same thing if the tables were turned.
Friday afternoon, Tess confirmed she would join me on Saturday for our planned cookout as my date. She said she would be fashionably late since she had a last-minute tattoo job scheduled by one of her biggest clients. I, of course, told her that was fine, I'd be waiting for her with her beer in hand. I also couldn't wait to rub it in Rick's face as soon as she walked through the door. I didn't like being that guy, but Rick kinda had it coming. For a lot of different reasons, some going all the way back to elementary school. I don't hold a grudge though I also believe in payback.
Saturday came with a lot of stress. Between Rick and I, we had invited about two dozen or more people. None were from work, but I invited my sister Christine and her long-time girlfriend, Ariel. Before you ask, Yes, Ariel has flaming red hair, and her parents love the Disney movie. She and Christine had been together since Sis finished graduate school for her masters in Psychology. Ariel had been a freshman then, and my sister did like them young. Don't ask me, Christine has always beat to a weird drum. I also invited a few friends from back in school.
As people began to arrive, I became aware of who Rick had invited. The damn idiot had invited twelve women and two or three of his least attractive male friends. He couldn't have made his goals more apparent, he had looks but no brains or tact.
"So Carter," Christine began as I dug her and Ariel beers out of a cooler. "I hear you have an imaginary girlfriend."
"Yeah," Ariel added. "Rick is under the impression you spent that heatwave at our place or at your parents."
"I am going to fucking kill him," I said, pulling out my own beer. "Tess isn't a girlfriend yet, just someone I am seeing."
"Reeeaalllyyy," Christine said in that way that always meant trouble. "Any photos?"
"Yes, but nothing you can see," I answered after a long pull of my beer.
"Oohhhh," Christine said with a grin I didn't like. "Now, I got to see them."
"Tickle time!" Ariel cried as she dove in for her attack. She was a tiny little red-head full of curls. It was like being attacked by a small little leprechaun woman.
While distracted by the mini-carrot top, Christine came at me from behind. She pulled my phone out of my back pocket like a well-practiced thief. I almost dropped my beer in the commotion of it. This was not a new tactic for my big sister. She had used that kind of trick on me since grade school. I should have developed a maneuver to get away, but Christine is a wily one.
"Ooooh," Christine said as she swiped to unlock. Note to self, please set up thumbprint and code you fucking dumbass. "Wow, little bro, I am impressed."
"Wait, how hot is she?" Ariel asked as she dropped her attempt to tickle me. "Carter usual lands himself a good five or maybe a six if he is lucky."
"Just give it back," I told them. "Those are private photos."
"Hell yeah, they are!" Ariel said as my sister passed her the phone. "Damn, Carter! She is a solid ten. You're in the big leagues now, buddy."
