What do you like to eat?" she asked.
"Everything."
Thirty minutes later we were ready to go shopping. We drove to the plaza and walked into the first clothing store. At first Holly was embarrassed as she bought panties, bras and other clothes, but then she wanted me to tell her what dress she should buy and what was my favorite color on her. It was kind of fun to watch Holly forget her problems for a while and enjoy herself. From the clothes she picked out I could see she had good taste.
When it came time to buy her swimming suit she timidly asked me what kind she should buy.
I said, "Holly, you have a nice body; don't hide it."
She beamed at the compliment. A not-too-conservative black bikini went into the shopping bag.
Four hours later we were done. She asked me how much she had spent. I ignored the question and lied, "I'm keeping track of every penny, so don't worry about it now."
We then went to the food stores. It was obvious she knew what she wanted. I was going to eat very well the first week.
By the time we returned home and put all the food away it was late afternoon. I told her we were going to a casual, but nice local Italian restaurant.
I was dressed in slacks and a shirt waiting for her to come out of her bedroom. She walked out and stood in front of me nervously. The light summer dress she was wearing highlighted her figure as the front displayed her shoulders and the beginning of the slope of her breasts. Her hair was arranged differently and was glossy from combing. Her light makeup accentuated her high cheek bones. I could smell the fragrance of her perfume. She was beautiful.
I teased, "I know you're beautiful, but where's Holly? She's my dinner companion for tonight."
She giggled and blushed with the compliment.
The dinner was fun. I asked her about her old job. It set her off talking and it was obvious to me that she had loved her job. The business emphasis she had taken in junior college along with three year's work experience convinced me we would have no trouble finding her a job.
For the first time she ate a normal size meal. "I'm not always a pig," she explained.
We returned home; it was obvious the day had caught up to her. She yawned as I gave her a glass of white wine.
I said, "One glass and you're history. You need sleep."
She sipped her wine. It was comfortably silent, but then I noticed she was starting to become nervous. I guessed what was coming.
She finished her drink and stared at the floor for a moment and then stood up and said, "Phil, you have been wonderful to me. I owe you so much."
She reached behind to unbutton her dress. I quickly stood up and grabbed her shoulders. She looked up at me.
"Holly," I said gently, "You're the apartment cleaner and cook until you get back on your feet, but that's all. I don't want your thanks this way. Let's stay friends for a week and then see where we are."
She looked surprised.
"I'd make love to you in a second; it's hard for me not to touch your body, but if we do have sex, I want it to be because we're attracted to each other and not as a thank you. Can you understand that?"
Her eyes filled with tears and she stood on her toes and kissed me gently on the cheek. She walked into her bedroom.
I went to bed shortly and masturbated wondering why I had become so noble—I really lusted over her body.
When I woke the next morning, Holly was already up. When she heard me she yelled, "Fifteen minutes and the pancakes and sausage will be ready."
It was a lazy Sunday. We walked about three miles around the city for exercise and then after a late lunch I took her to the swimming pool. When she took off her light swim robe I saw her new swimming suit. Her broad shoulders and bare chest highlighted her breasts, which were barely concealed by her black top. Her stomach was flat. Her suit bottom showed a lot of her ass, which was very tight and her long slim legs were sexy. Her skin was pasty white from lack of sun.
She looked at me for approval, but then noticed my erection pushing out my suit and giggled.
"I'm speechless," I stammered.
She grinned again and sat on the lounge chair.
She put on some sun lotion and we sat there for thirty minutes or so. It was getting warm so we played in the water for a while. That is, Holly swam some laps while I sat on the steps and watched Holly. We went back to the chairs and she lay on her stomach. She asked, "Would you put lotion on my back Phil?"
I started on her neck and when I got to her shoulders she reached behind and untied the string to her top. As I continued down her back I could see and touched the edge of her breasts. When I got to her ass she opened her legs so that I could get to the inside of her thighs. I heard her sigh once, but the rest of the time I was trying to avoid my now fully erect cock from pushing into her. Finally I was done.
"Thanks Phil," she innocently said, "That really felt good."
Another forty-five minutes later we went back to the apartment. Holly needed time to prepare her first meal. She served Beef Wellington and it was fantastic. She was more than just a good cook!
After dinner we sat in front of the television. I was on my laptop researching the companies I was going to call on the next day trying to decide the best way to present my product. A few hours later Holly said she was tired and went to bed.
When she went to bed I stared at the closed bedroom door. It had been a lazy, nothing weekend, and yet, it had been one of my more enjoyable weekends since I moved to Atlanta. With that thought I went to bed.
I got up early Monday morning and drank coffee as I read the paper. Thirty minutes later Holly came into the kitchen.
"Good morning. Can I make you breakfast?" she asked.
"Nope, just coffee for me. Breakfast during the week makes me feel too full when I go to the first calls. I only eat breakfast on weekends.
"How did you sleep Holly?"
"I slept great. When I woke up I thought for the first time in a week that I might have a chance at a life after all.
"Phil," she timidly asked, "can I have money for cleaning supplies? I looked around and if you want this apartment really clean, I need some stuff."
I handed her sixty dollars.
"I don't need that much," she protested.
"I wasn't thinking Holly. You need some walking-around money in case you need to buy something or for an emergency. I'll give you more money later."
Holly protested, "I really feel like a shit spending all your money..."
I grinned. "It's week one and I'm the boss and we have a deal. Right?"
She nodded.
"Then have a great day and wish me luck selling," I said as I got up to leave.
"Good luck Phil" was the last thing I heard as I left.
I returned to the apartment about five. As I opened the door I could smell something good cooking. Holly was in the living room reading a magazine. Her hair was wet and it was obvious she just got out of the shower. I looked around and the apartment was shining. Now I'm not a slob, but some things like dusting and polishing the furniture is just not my thing. Holly had attacked the apartment with a vengeance.
"Wow, what a great job," I said.
She grinned at me. "I'm only half done. Tomorrow is the kitchen and floor and I didn't want to go into your bedroom unless I asked you first."
"I have no secrets Holly. Go and clean everywhere. What's for dinner?"
"Osso Buco."
"What's that?" I asked.
She laughed. "It's a veal shank in a heavy gravy sauce served with saffron risotto."
I asked, "Are you a cook or a secret chef?"
She grinned at my compliment.
Tuesday was a repeat of Monday and now the apartment was really clean. I had belatedly thought about the dozen condoms in my bedside table, but then thought maybe that wasn't a bad thing for her to find. The dinner Tuesday was Chicken Cacciatore, green beans, garlic bread and a Caesar's salad. It was as good as the Osso Buco.
"What are you going to do tomorrow, since the place is absolutely clean now?" I asked.
Holly replied, "I was going to ask you where the library was and do a little reading, and maybe look in the newspaper and see what jobs are out there."
I thought for a few seconds and then asked, "Do you know how to use a laptop?"
She smiled, "Of course. I used one in high school and then took computer courses in junior college. I was on and off the computer all day for the three years I worked."
I suggested, "Then why don't you put off the library for a day and spend tomorrow with my extra laptop putting together a resume. It shouldn't be more than two pages, but be sure it includes all your computer and business experience. Once I see your resume I can start going to the companies I call on and see if they have a fit for you."
"But the newspaper has jobs advertised," she said.
"The newspaper has some legit jobs, but there are scams by headhunters and companies often lie about what the job really is. My customers won't lie to me."
She stared at me a second and then grinned. "Okay, for a second there I forgot that you're the boss this week. Right?"
I smiled and nodded.
Before I left the next morning I set up the extra laptop and connected the low speed printer to it. That night when I returned I found a two page resume on the kitchen table. I could hear Holly's shower going. It was Wednesday and that meant eating out night.
I made a drink and sat down on the couch with the resume. I skimmed the two page resume first and then went back and read it again slowly. I was flabbergasted. Holly had come to me as a low self-esteem, desperate person who grew up poor and had a terrible one year relationship with a bum. What she forgot to say was that she was a straight A student who had excellent computer experience and three years of business that emphasized her computer expertise.
The resume was technically perfect and I could see subtle little things she did in printing the resume that only someone with a great deal of skill could pull off. It was a creative and professional document.
I was lost in thought when I heard a little cough. It was Holly presenting herself to me. It was the same dress that she wore on the previous Saturday, but she was even more beautiful wearing it. I thought that it probably was the five or six pounds that she had gained since we met. She had gone from skinny to slim and I would swear her breasts had gone up a size.
"What do you think?" she asked looking at me.
"They're perfect," I replied without thinking.
She stared at me and then blushed red and finally giggled. "I was talking about the resume."
It was my turn to blush. I tried to recover. "The resume is extremely professional and I like it a lot. Can I get you a drink before we go; I'd like to ask you some questions about your business background?"
"A light drink would be nice," she answered.
We spent twenty minutes talking and in the first five minutes I already knew what I was going to do, but I didn't want to excite Holly so I kept my thoughts unsaid.
We had a great dinner. Holly's personality appeared. From a dirty, beat-up desperate person on the edge of despair, she had become a beautiful, witty person with a great personality. She reversed the tables on me and got me talking about my background and family. Any time I slowed down talking she nudged me with a word or grin and I was off babbling again. I thought to myself that maybe cupid had sunk the arrow in a lot deeper this time.
We were back at the apartment having a nightcap. As we sipped I said, "I'd like you to do something for me. I sell a somewhat complicated software package for small businesses. I get a good commission when I sell and install it, and if they ever upgrade to the medium size package I get a second commission. The problem is that the operating manual is big and I get a lot of complaints that it isn't clear, so I have to make a lot of come back calls so that I keep the sale. For the rest of the week would you read the manual and play with the program and tell me how my company can make it easier."
I could see I sparked her interest. She said, "Sure I'll read the manual. Is the program on the laptop I'm using?"
"Yes, it's on the computer and you can print out the examples if you want."
Holly grinned, "I'll start first thing tomorrow."
I got the manual down and laid it on the coffee table. "Here it is—all five hundred pages of it."
I finished my drink and stood up. She looked at me as I said, "I really enjoyed dinner tonight; you got me talking like a little kid and that's normally my trick.
"It's time for me to go to bed though. I have six calls tomorrow and it's going to be a long day."
Holly put her drink down and stood up next to me. She stared at me and quietly said, "You're my best and only friend Phil. I can never pay you back."
I started to say, "Holly, you're a wonderful..." but her lips covered mine and she pulled me into her. I could feel her breasts pushing against my chest as her tongue pressed against my mouth. My tongue met hers as my cock pushed into her. Holly's hands slid down my back to my ass and pulled me into her groin. The kiss lasted a minute. When it ended I was breathless, horny, and shocked.
She grinned at me and said, "That's not a thank you. That's because I like you. Okay?"
I nodded yes.
"Go to bed Phil. Sleep good and dream of me."
I nodded again and went to my bedroom, but sleep didn't come easy. Holly was getting to me. I finally fell asleep and woke about midnight to go to the bathroom. When I went back to bed I could see under the bedroom door that the lights were on in the living room. Holly was still awake.
This time I fell into a hard sleep for the rest of the night.
I woke up Thursday morning feeling great. I made coffee and had just finished the paper when Holly came into the kitchen.
"Are you sure you don't want me to make you something?"
"No Holly. Six calls today and I need to be at full speed at the first one. Thanks for asking."
A few minutes later I wished her a good day and left. In the afternoon I called her and said I was running late and would be home at least an hour later than normal. She told me the dinner would be ready whenever I was ready, and wished me luck for the rest of the day.
I walked into the apartment at seven that night. Holly was watching television news and smiled at me as I walked up to her.
I grinned, "Two sales today means I get a big commission check next month. You're still a lucky charm for me."
She grinned back. "Maybe it's because you're a good salesman Phil."
I asked, "How about a drink before dinner so I can come down a little bit from my high?"
She nodded yes and I made the drinks. I toasted her, "To my good luck charm."
She giggled.
We sipped for a few minutes and then I asked, "Are you making much progress with the operations manual?"
"Yes." she replied. "In fact, I'm done with it."
"Holly, no one can get through those five hundred pages in a day and understand it. It just can't be done."
She smirked as she said, "Wanna bet?"
I replied, "A bet wouldn't be fair. You can't win."
She answered with a challenge in her voice. "Okay Phil, make up a list of questions or give me reports to edit or change using your software package. If I do them right by the time you get home tomorrow, you have to wash the dishes tomorrow. And I'm warning you that what I'm making is going to be super messy."
I was actually surprised and delighted with her challenge. After dinner I went through a list of the most common call back problems I had with my new customers for the last four months and chose the ten toughest and wrote them out. I showed them to Holly who asked a couple of clarification questions.
As I went to bed that night, Holly called after me in a mocking voice, "I hope you know how to wash dishes Phil."
I woke up at one in the morning for a bathroom trip and saw that the living room lights were still on. I grinned to myself and thought that if she got five of the ten correct, I would call it a success.
She came into the kitchen the next morning. I teased, "Late night for you?"
She smiled, "Not real bad."
I only had three sales calls that day and came back at about four. Holly was in the kitchen cooking. She yelled, "Hi, I'll be right out."
She walked into the living room. A smudge of flour was on her forehead and nose. "I haven't made this in a long time, and it's really messy in there."
"Who's going to clean it up?" I asked.
"Why you, of course," she smirked. "But there is one problem we have to talk about first."
"What?"
"One of the test questions couldn't be done right because there is an error in the software."
"Impossible," I said.
"Wanna bet?"
"Sure," I answered.
Holly giggled, "If I'm right that there is a software error, you wash the dishes tonight and Sunday night too."
"Deal," I agreed not realizing I didn't even ask what I would win if Holly was wrong.
Short story: She nailed the first nine examples perfectly showing me what she did and printing out the final products. On the tenth problem she showed me where the software forgot to carry over a column, but then she showed me how to get around the problem.
I was amazed and delighted, and made no effort to conceal my surprise. She relished in my praise. It was obvious that my happiness in her getting the problems correct was a huge upper for her.
I asked, "How late were you up last night?"
She looked a little sheepish and muttered, "Maybe about five this morning."
"Holly..."
She interrupted, "I hate to lose a bet. You didn't say I had to sleep last night."
I just grinned and shook my head.
Holly took mercy on me and helped me clean up after dinner. Thank god for little favors—she used more dishes than I knew I owned. However, the meal was one of her best. Shortly later she decided to crash and recover from no sleep the previous night.
She cooked breakfast the next morning and after the kitchen was clean I suggested we walk to the park. We circled it once and found ourselves at the same table that we sat at a week earlier. Probably the ducks swimming in the pond were the same too.
"Don't you think week one went well?" I asked.
"It was perfect," she said.
Want to know about week two?"
She nodded watching me, but then put her hand on top of mine and said, "Before you start I have to tell you something. Wednesday morning I saw Carol. She got back late Tuesday night, and her mom is going to live. She was really embarrassed that she forgot about me, and asked if I would stay with her now.
"I said no."
Holly stared at me waiting to see me reaction.
"Good answer," I replied watching her grin with relief.
"Now first of all," I continued, "This is another shopping day." At a minimum you need to buy another summer dress, and something appropriate for business calls."
"I have a dress," countered Holly.
"Holly, you have one dress and you look beautiful in it, but you wore it twice now and I think it would be nice to see you in a different dress tonight.
"And you forgot; who's the boss?"
"You," she grinned.
"But what about the business clothes?" she continued.
"Well, that's week two," I said. Week one you were apartment cleaner and cook. Week two we share cooking because you're going to be working a little."
"Doing what?" she asked.
"Holly, I've been thinking about this since the moment I saw your resume. I make money by selling the software package, but selling the product involves two things. The first is the actual sale and I can do that with one or two calls on the customer. The second is getting the customer on board to use it. He has sixty days to reject the product and if he does, I lose the commission. So I have to go back five or six times to show them how to install it and use it correctly. A lot of times the employees haven't even read the manual.