Chapter 2
The morning dew was still covering the playing court when Claire arrived. Today was the day of the tennis tournament and she had to get an early start.
The court was wet, but Claire stretched the net across the poles getting ready. She'd worked at Arlington Country Club last summer, but came to Lake View in the fall. Aside from a few problems the jet setter housewives caused, Claire liked her job. She coached tennis every other weekend and served as life guard at the pool during the week.
Claire Banner was a pleasant young lady. She had a personality other were drawn to. The other instructors at the club got along well with Claire, especially the men. They enjoyed watching her work because she put as much effort into the art of flirting as she did the art of teaching.
Claire set the court up then double checked the net. Her bright yellow short shorts hung loosely around her firm thighs and the T-shirt she chose offered a healthy view of cleavage every time she bent over. Randall Weidemeyer was scheduled to help with the tournament but as usual he was late. Claire took her job more seriously than the other instructors. She made it a point to be on time and she was the one Stanley Lane could count on to keep things moving along smoothly.
Stanley was club manager. An older man, Stanley liked Claire's style. He was married with three small children, but that didn't keep him from trying to get inside Claire's bright yellow shorts. She encouraged him to a point then cut him off faster than scissors cut paper, but Stanley enjoyed the chase as much as he would the kill.
When Randall finally showed, Claire told him they needed to organize the team list. There would be four intermediate teams this season and the beginner team needed to be dissolved and divided.
"Why don't we split up Weston's team and spread them around in the other teams. We could formulate four teams each having three beginners?" Claire said.
"Fine with me, however you want to handle it." Randall said. He was a the go along sort. Randall Weidemeyer was a skinny guy, tall and lanky, but strong. Claire saw him pick up a net pole once and throw it across the playing area when Stanley asked him to take a Saturday shift instead of his usual Monday. In addition to strength, Randall had a temper.
"Okay then, let's divide the players up and we'll even out the teams. They'll all play two sets each." Claire said. Randall watched the way she organized everything and he found it amusing. He liked Claire. He liked her perky little breasts and her firm little butt. Randall was almost twenty three and he'd never made love with a women, but he fantasized about getting Claire in the woods and seeing what was under those nylon shorts.
The tournament lasted all morning. Randall was there watching every move Claire made, as were Duke and Ronnie, two other instructors, but that didn't keep her from jumping up and down wiggling and jiggling her tempting little body. Duke Dillon came to work at the Country Club last week. He instantly took to Claire and was planning to ask her out, but Duke wasn't the type to secure his dates in the usual fashion. He preferred waiting until the girl gave him the eye before making his move.
Duke was from the city. His jet black hair was slicked back behind his ears like a fifties teenaged rebel, and when he smoked he'd roll the pack up in his T-shirt sleeve. He was a tough guy, at least he sounded tough. Claire hadn't spoken to him much since he came to work. She smiled at him twice and got his attention, but she wasn't interested in the big city boys. Claire Banner liked the small town men with their gentle ways and shy innocent faces.
"Yo, Claire." Duke said, coming up to her after the tournament. Claire stopped and turned around. "Wait up, I wanna ask you something." She readjusted the mesh ball bag over her shoulder and when the rope caught against her shirt it pulled the fabric tight against her breasts. The closer Duke got the faster he slowed down. Running after some girl wasn't a cool thing to do so Duke eased up then sort of shuffled up to her.
"Listen, I was thinking." he said, bobbing his head up and down. "I'm goin to the Storm Club tonight and I was wondering, how's about you coming with me?"
Claire grinned. She didn't reply for several seconds. She was trying to hold back a laugh. Duke and his colorful city lingo was amusing.
"I can't." she finally said.
"Why not?" he snapped impatiently.
Claire smiled. She looked at his hair and his rumpled appearance. Duke looked Italian or Greek or something. He had olive colored skin, fine black hair and a set of dark brown eyes with long lashes that looked like fans.
"I'm busy, that's why."
"Come on, you ain't busy tonight, I checked."
"You checked?" Claire laughed. "Who with?"
"You'll have a great time, Claire, I swear, hey, seven, okay?" Duke said, pointing at her. He ran off toward the locker rooms and Claire just shook her head. She tossed the ball bag again then started for the club house.
"What did he want?" Randall asked, catching up with the blonde beauty.
"A date."
"Yeah, are you going out with him?" Randall asked with surprise. Randall didn't think Claire dated. There was no reason to think that, but Randall sort of had it fixed in his mind she didn't.
"No, I'm not going out him, give me a break."
"Not your type, right?"
"Duke isn't anybody's type. He's a relic from a time long passed, and besides, what business is it of yours?"
"Hey, Claire, how about going out with me?" Randall blurted. He said it jokingly, but Randall Weidemeyer would have climbed a mountain if it meant a date with her.
"Sure, where to, Mars?" she smirked.
"Hey, if that's where you want to go, we're out of here." he said, hurrying to keep up with her.
"Thanks, Randall, but I can't. I went last week and the manager told me never to show my face up there again." Claire teased.
Randall stopped following. He took the message to heart and figured, what the hell. He'd never stand a chance with a girl like Claire anyway. She was too too pretty.
She took the bag into the office and laid them on the floor. Stanley was there, grinning as usual. He always gawked at Claire. Stanley was the type of man who thought about sex every hour. He spent the better part of his life thinking about it, but never did it. He didn't have the nerve. He was the type who enjoyed the fantasy more than the reality and Claire knew it. When she dropped the bag, the waist band on her shorts got caught and the weight of the balls tugged her pants down over one hip. Stanley made his eyes wide and she just shook a finger at him.
"Naughty, naughty, Stanley. You musn't let your imagination get away from you like that." she said.
"I'd like to speak with you a minute, Claire." Stanley said, still grinning.
"Sure, what's up?"
"In my office, okay?" Stanley turned around and started for his office and Claire looked up at him. She wondered what the problem was. Stanley never called her in there. She quickly followed feeling her nerves on edge. Claire didn't know what to expect.
"Sit down." Stanley said, opening the door for her. He closed and locked it when she came inside, but Claire didn't notice. She was too worried about the reason he'd called her in.
"How did the game go?" Stanley asked, sitting behind his desk. He had a big wooden desk, about the size of a washing machine box, and when he sunk back into his chair Claire was only able to see his face and the tops of his shoulders.
"It went great. The ladies had a good time. Is everything all right?" she asked, cutting to the chase.
"Sure, fine, why do you ask?"
"You never talk to me in here, that's why. I'm not getting fired or anything?"
"Fired, you?" Stanley grinned. "Heavens no, what gave you that idea?"
"I don't know, why did you ask me in here then, what is it you want to talk about?"
Stanley cocked his head a few times then cleared his throat. He was visibly nervous and Claire watched his every move. She could see his face and shoulders and the way they moved she could tell he was squirming in his chair.
"Well?" she asked, still waiting for him to say something.
"I ah, well, I was wondering if you were free tonight?" Stanley asked putting on a matter of fact expression.
"Free?" Claire repeated.
"Yeah, you know, not busy. Will you be home tonight?"
"Why?" Claire smiled looking at him. Stanley squirmed more when Claire's green eyes looked into his. She aroused him and Stanley hadn't felt that way in a long time. His wife lost interest after child three and for a long time he'd gone without.
"Well," Stanley said, clearing his throat. "I've got some ideas for a new facility and I was wondering if I might run them by you." he stammered.
"Run them by me, why?" Claire said. She didn't have authority to approve new ideas.
"I wanted your opinion, that's all. Can you meet me somewhere?"
"Stanley, what's this all about?" Claire asked with a smile. She always knew when Stanley was fibbing. His forehead broke out in a sweat and he shook like Barney Phife.
"What, I've got some good idea's here, that's all. I just thought we could go over them and you could give me an opinion."
"Where are these new ideas of yours?" she asked, still grinning.
"I've got them." Stanley said, defensively.
"Where, Stanley?" Claire said, looking at him with those deep green flares.
"In here." he said, pointing to his head. Claire knew what he was up to. Stanley tried many times to get her aside somewhere, but he'd never gone this far. She was flattered. Claire wanted to shake him up a little, give old Stanley something to think about. She got up from her chair and sensually walked around behind his desk. She sat on it, letting her foot rest between Stanley's legs, and as her legs spread apart, his eyes scanned the lovely soft pastel colored lace on her panties.
"Why can't you run your ideas by me here, Stanley?" Claire asked with a teasing tone. "We could lock the door. We could be completely alone in here and you could show me all your new ideas. I'd like that, Stanley, I'd really really like that," she said, giving him her best Monroe pout.
"It is." Stanley said, looking at her face.
"What is?" Claire asked.
"The door, it's locked already." he said. Claire looked over to the door then back at Stanley. She quickly took her leg off the chair and stood up.
"What's the door doing locked?" she said, insisting on an answer.
"I just didn't want to be disturbed, that's all." he said, squirming.
"I'm really surprised at you, Stanley." Claire walked toward the door. "I didn't think you were like the rest of them. I figured you to be a good guy."
"I'm a good guy, Claire, what makes you thing I'm not?" he said in his own defense.
"Good guys don't lock innocent women in their offices, Stanley, what's the matter with you?" Claire started to turn the knob to leave, but as soon as the door opened, Stanley's wife knocked.
"Mrs. Lane?" Claire said with a startled tone.
"Claire. How are you?"
"Fine, just fine."
"Were you just leaving?" Mrs. Lane asked. She smirked at Claire asking in a telling sort of way.
"Yes. I'll see you later Stanley." she said. "Oh, and any time you want to come over to my place is fine. We can go over the new ideas for the club whenever you're up to it." Claire loved getting Stanley into the dog house. It gave her a laugh. Mrs. Lane may have lost interest in giving it to him, but she hadn't lost interest in seeing to it no one else did.
Duke caught up with Claire in the parking lot. He reminded her of their date and she laughed. She told him no again, but Duke wouldn't accept her answer. He insisted that if she didn't have plans there was no reason for her not to go out with him.
"You're a little full of yourself, aren't you, Duke?" Claire said.
"Hey, I like you, okay, I think you like me. Let's cut through the crap and go out, what's the problem?"
"Duke, I don't have any interest in dating you, besides, I don't date the men I work with, it's bad business."
"Don't give me that, Claire, you date them, you date everyone, I know, I ..."
"Checked." Claire said at the same time he did.
"That's right, I checked, so what's the problem?"
"If you had checked, Duke, you'd know what the problem is. I'm not going out with you, okay. I don't know you well enough, now run along and find someone else to bother. I've got to get home and shampoo my hair." Claire said sarcastically. Duke glared at her then turned and stormed toward his car. He was just about to drive off, spinning gravel at Claire, when he saw Randall running toward her car. Duke waited to see what was going on.
"Claire, hold up, wait." Randall shouted.
"What is it?" she said, annoyed with Duke still.
"What in hell did you and Lane do in his office?" Randall asked with a grin on his face. He was almost out of breath from running such a long way hoping to catch her before she got away.
"Why?"
"His old lady is killing him in there."
"Is she?" Claire smiled.
"Christ, she's shouting at him and things are flying around the room crashing against the walls. What the hell were you two doing?"
"Nothing, we were talking." Claire said with a laugh. "Is she really killing him?"
"I'm telling you, the place sounds like war night at a survivalists convention. Old Stanley's going to get permanent residence in the dog house this time. She sounds serious."
"You heard her?" Claire asked.
"Everyone up there heard her. She told him off good. Your name came up twice."
"Oh, for heaven's sake, that woman is nuts." Claire laughed turning around leaning against her car. Randall stood close to her and Duke watched. He wasn't able to hear the conversation, but he saw how Randall was making her laugh and Duke was jealous.
"Can I get a ride with you, Claire, my car's in the shop." Randall asked.
"When are you going to junk that thing, I swear, the shop has it more than you do."
"I know, I know, but I can't afford a new car right now, please, just to Bentley Street. I'll walk the rest of the way."
"Get in." Claire said. Randall moved close to her nestling quickly between her legs and he kissed her lips kiddingly, but Duke didn't think so. He didn't like being told a lie, and when Claire and Randall drove off, he followed.
She took Randall to his apartment and Duke wasn't far behind. He pulled his car over and watched them talking before Randall got out.
"Thanks." Randall said.
"Any time."
She started out of the parking lot. Claire spotted Duke's car, but she didn't let him know it. She pulled out and went along at normal speed. Claire thought it odd Duke would go to all the trouble to follow her. In a way, she was flattered, but in another way it made her uneasy. What did he want, she wondered. She drove on. A few times she almost lost him, but Duke's car appeared again and Claire was getting nervous.
When she reached her apartment, Duke didn't pull in. He passed the driveway and took a right at the next corner. Claire figured he just wanted to know where she lived and she didn't see the harm in that. She went inside and got her telephone messages off the machine then went to take a shower.
The water felt soothing running over her tired body and she lingered in the shower for twenty minutes letting the heat of the spray wrap her body. Claire didn't have a date, but she did plan to see a movie then visit her brother's place. He always had poker games going and some of the guys he invited were the best looking men in town.
When Claire stepped out of the shower she thought she heard a noise in the living room. She listened for it again, but didn't hear anything. She toweled off then wrapped the towel around her head and slipped into her robe, but when she came out of the bathroom, Duke was waiting for her.
"What are you doing here? How did you get in here?" she shouted.
"The door was open." Duke said.
"It was not, I always lock my door!" Claire snapped. "Get out! You have no right to just walk in here this way."
"Calm down, Claire, calm down, I just want to talk, that's all."
"Look Duke, I already told you my answer, now, you just get out of here before I call the police."
"Jesus Christ, Claire, what's the problem? We work together, don't we? I'm not planning to rape your ass if that's what you're thinking. Damn, woman, I just wanted to talk with you." Duke said, sitting down hard on the sofa.
Claire didn't say anything when Duke plopped down. He had verbalized her worst fear and somehow she felt better.
"Why didn't you knock?" she asked, firmly.
"I did, okay."
"I locked my door, Duke, I know I did. How did you get in here?"
"The window." Duke admitted.
"God, Duke, you can't be breaking into people's homes like this."
"Claire ... " Duke shouted, getting her attention. "I'm gonna kill a man." he said.