The Girl from the Ouachita Ch. 05

When he was done with that, he went back to the front door and walked every room on the first level in a measured manner, looking at and testing floors, windows, doors, transoms above the doors, even walls. He proceeded from first floor to second via the curving staircase, and thoroughly examined every detail of the stairs before thoroughly examining every detail of the second floor.

The staircase to the third floor was straight, but with the elaborately carved bannisters of the curved staircase. The third floor featured a dormer-style loft bedroom with full bath, but he remainder was unfinished, and the shelving indicated it had been used for storage. Chris didn't seem disappointed, though; he was interested in the integrity and potential of the house, not its use by other owners.

They followed him back to the ground floor. "Where is the door to the cellar or basement?" he asked.

Tina looked surprised. "I don't know -- there is nothing in my notes!"

They began searching and found the door at the end of the short corridor that included the pantry. It was dark and dank, so Chris entered alone, using his phone's flashlight. He walked down the stairs, wandered about, opened a few doors that creaked, and returned.

Chris turned to Tina. "Fifty thousand won't restore this place the way it deserves, nor will $100k. If I offer them $38,000 less than asking price, payable at closing, will you reduce your commission a point on either side? If you do, I'll use you as my agent on the purchase of land in Bosque County on Steele Creek, at the same rate."

Tina looked at him speculatively; Jo looked at him incredulously. He retained the same bland expression until Tina said, "Would you tell me a bit more about this deal in Bosque County. I'm familiar with the area, but my practice has been limited to Tarrant, Johnson, and Somervell counties."

"Jo, you have to agree to say nothing about this to my sisters or mom, or you need to leave." She promised to refrain, so he continued.

"Dad and I found a quarter section for sale where Steele Creek runs into Lake Whitney. It's in Bosque County, east of the little town of Morgan. That's about 90 minutes away from here. It has great lake access and an excellent home site on small bluff that slopes to the lake on the east and to the creek on the north. The guy is selling 160 acres and keeping another 160 beside it to the south. We want to buy it and build a vacation home on the lake; perhaps mom and dad will decide to retire there in a few years, if I stay in the area and Donna goes to TCU.

"We have spoken to the owners, an older man and his wife. The half-section has been in the family since the 1880s, and they run cattle on it. We'll probably lease our grazing land to him so we keep the Ag exemption, at least until Dad moves down." Chris chuckled. "He thinks he'd like to become a Texan with a ranch, cattle, and horses, like Tennesseans have done since Davy Crockett.

"Me, I want to buy a boat and a couple of wave runners, and enjoy the lake when I have time off!"

Tina looked at him with dollar signs in her eyes; Jo looked at him as if he was an alien.

"Well, Tina -- what's it gonna be? A quick sale and commission, and most likely another larger commission, or wait and see if you can find another buyer for this place?"

Tina's smile lit up her face. "You've got a deal, Mr. Alexander! I will need a lot more information on the lakefront property before I can properly represent you, but I'll get this one signed, sealed and delivered as soon as humanly possible! If they won't go for $38K less, do I have permission to come back with a counter offer?"

"Of course, but let me write up a quick summary of the work that has to be done to make it safe and livable. I can probably send it to you later tonight. Feel free to share it with them, and share this fact as well: anyone else is going to bring in someone to evaluate the soundness of the home and estimate the cost of the repairs and renovations. As you know, that will take a while - most likely, months.

"I've already done that, and, while another buyer will be put off by the cost of repairs, I know construction, I know contractors, and I can get the work done quicker and cheaper than anyone else -because I'm in the business. Therefore, I'm not demanding as much discount as another buyer likely will.

"More importantly, from what you said, if they sell to me they can have the money in their accounts as soon as we get the survey and title search done and execute the legal documents. Probably within a month, if they will help on their end. You can tell them about how many more months it will likely take if they go with a buyer that has to finance."

They had a quick look at the outbuildings, barn, and garage: Chris determined that all were sound, but needed some repairs as well as cosmetic work.

Next they walked down toward the creek. It was too dark to go further into the trees and brush, so they returned to Tina's car.

Chris gestured toward the old buildings: "This isn't a hot area for development, and I saw on your map that back third is in a flood plain. That further lowers the value to a developer, but one might want to stick a tract of cheap houses crammed together on tiny lots.

Anyone else is going to see these outbuildings as something to be torn down and the vehicles as things to be hauled off. I'll restore them and the house, and make this a showplace instead of an eyesore. If all they want is out, that won't sway them, but I want you to know, in case it matters to them."

On the way back to the truck Tina asked for more information about the lake property. Chris gave her details about the property, access roads, and other info, and told her the old couple and their lawyer were handling the sale without a realtor, so she would be representing the buyers only. She asked for the survey information so she could do more research, and Chris promised it would be sent tomorrow.

Jo did not say a word on the tour of the outside, or in the X5. When they got in the Ram, however, she sat on the passenger side, let him drive in silence until they were almost back to the apartment, and asked, "Just how rich are you, Christian Michael Alexander?"

"I have a decent income and investments for a twenty-five year old, and I have a wealthy father, Amy Jo Kennedy. Why? You planning on marrying me for my money?"

"No, I plan on marrying you for an entirely different reason, Christian Michael," she replied in her sexiest southern accent, before becoming serious again. "But you're almost scary when you're doing business like you were tonight! I've never seen you like that before!"

He pulled up beside the Jeep; she got out before he came around to open her door, met him in front of the pickup, and asked, "What now? Do I go back to the dorm, or can I stay here with you tonight?"

"Well... since you seem to have some free time, I'd be pleased if you would stay. I wasn't sure about your social obligations, or I'd have asked."

She grabbed his hand and didn't let loose until they were in his bedroom. She stripped his shirt off and kissed his chest, each arm, his shoulders, and his belly in numerous places. "Mine," she said after each kiss.

She knelt to pull his boots off, then his jeans. "Mine," she kept saying as she kissed his legs and hips.

"Only Mine!" she told his cock after a quick kiss, and then she swallowed as much as she could before gagging.

Part of him wanted to choke her with two weeks of cum, but he pulled her up by that golden crown of hair and began stripping her. "Mine!" he claimed as he kissed each titty, arm, shoulder, neck, and every inch of her tiny belly. She almost fell over trying to hurry her pants off, and grew more frantic with each kiss on her feet and legs.

By the time he proclaimed, "ONLY MINE!" to her flooded pussy, she was moaning, whimpering, and tugging on his hair. Seconds later, she was screaming in delight! They moved onto the bed, and her screams continued almost unabated until after midnight.

Tina didn't get the requested documents until the next day.

Over coffee, Jo tried again to apologize for her manifold questionable appearances on social media and for her neglect. Chris shushed her and said, "I want you to enjoy your college experience. I've seen nothing on social media that you should apologize for; just a bunch of cute college kids having fun. Just remember what's mine, and I'll remember what's yours, and we can get together like this whenever you have free time."

"Don't make me that offer! I'll drop out and stay here full time if this is 'getting together'!" she exclaimed with a wicked grin.

"So, are we good?" she asked more seriously after another sip of coffee and a bite of sausage and egg biscuit.

"Of course, but we need to schedule a weekend to meet and talk, and we need to do it soon. A lot is happening in my world that I want to make you aware of, but not when we're in a hurry. When do you have a free weekend?"

"I'm free this weekend, but I'll have to study a lot. Better here than in the dorm, but just so you know: mid-terms are next week, and then we take spring break. I'm going to tell you now that Kate wants me to go with her and her family to their ski chalet in Park City, Utah. I'd like to go, but I'd also like to be with you, so we need to talk about that also."

****

The weekend came, and both were hit with surprises. She told him more about the ski trip, including that several boys -- Kate's cousins -- would be there.

Her daddy was sending his jet to pick them up on Saturday and fly them to Salt Lake, and would return them the following Friday. She was ambivalent about going, but she would like to meet Kate's family and try skiing, and she could spend the next weekend with him.

He told her to go and have fun; he had to work all week anyway, and they could be together when she got back.

Then it was his turn to drop a bomb: graduate school at Colorado University. He would leave on July 1 and would live, work, and go to school in Boulder for a full year, after which he would be awarded a Master's degree in Architectural Engineering. With that degree, his duties at Beck Construction would change significantly: more office work, less onsite work, and little chance of having to live anywhere else for more than a few days or a week.

Thus, the plan to purchase a home in Fort Worth, and the lake property less than two hours away.

Jo was stunned. Grad school had never been mentioned before, and the thought of being away from him for a year terrified her; she told him so.

"I'll buy you a pass on American and you can fly up as often as you want. There are ski slopes close by, Rocky Mountain National Park is only an hour away, and there are lots of other things to do. That's assuming you want to leave the bedroom, my little sexpot," he teased.

"I'll fly down and meet you at the house whenever I can; we will be together during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, and at spring break, so we won't really be apart for a year. If you go to the first semester of summer school this year, you can spend the second with me in Boulder. Next summer, you can attend the second semester of summer school, and spend the first semester with me in Boulder.

"See what I mean? As it is, I only see you every few weeks for a night or a weekend. Between my workload and your classes, there is just not time. Next year will be tough, but we can make sure we spend the time we're apart productively, so we can be together when we have time."

His 'voice of assurance and persuasion' morphed into his teasing one. "Add in phone sex or Facetime sex every night, and we'll make it just fine."

Jo laughed: "Not that I won't enjoy it, but I strongly favor The Brute over plastic, and I'll miss your kisses -- and tongue -- as much as The Brute!"

They spent much of the remaining weekend with Jo studying and Chris researching the lake property or looking into repairs and renovation of the old house and outbuildings. During breaks, he told her of his plans for the old Kittler house, and asked her opinion. The project was too overwhelming for her to consider in whole, so her input was to modernize the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room, and to standardize the lighting throughout the house. It appeared that cheap lighting fixtures had replaced some of the gorgeous chandeliers, and florescent light did not belong in that house!

They still found time for working out with weights and running together, and a surprising amount of time for making love... plus having sex on remaining surfaces and pieces of furniture on which they hadn't yet made special memories.

Jo told Chris she hoped he got the big old house with all the outbuildings; it would take years to properly utilize all those locations and surfaces!

****

Jo was ecstatic the next Friday night -- she had aced her exams and had a 4.0 at mid-term! She drove to his apartment and took out her ecstasy on Chris, before hurrying back to the dorm the next morning to get ready before the private jet picked them up at noon.

Bad weather plagued the stadium project when the workweek began. An arctic cold front blew in around ten am, overriding moisture blowing over Texas from a storm camped off the coast of Baja California, said the weathermen. That combination was causing the heavy rain, but much colder air was about 24 hours behind; it would bring temperatures in the teens by Tuesday afternoon.

The rain would continue as freezing rain, turning to sleet and then snow, and wouldn't let up until Thursday night or Friday morning. Trey pulled the trigger at eight Tuesday morning. His staff informed all employees they would be paid for eight hours of work for each 'snow day', and that they should report back to work next Monday. In the meantime, stay safe and warm, and take care of each other. Then they went home.

Chris' phone chimed an hour later. "Good morning, Chris! This is Sandra Beck. I just got off the phone with your mom and dad. It's miserable in Tennessee too, so we put together an impromptu ski trip to our place in Utah. Donna is on spring break so she's coming, and we want you to fly with us. We'd love for Jo to come too, if she's also on spring break.

"Don't worry about housing; we have six bedroom house in Park City, so there is plenty of room. So, what do you say to a free ski trip with your family and friends?"

Chris hesitated; he didn't want Jo to think he was stalking her, but this was too good to pass up. He chuckled. "Believe it or not, Jo is already there! When are we leaving?"

"Meet us at Spinks Airport at noon; it's on the northeast side of 35 in Burleson. Your parents are bringing all your ski gear, so just bring enough clothes to wear around the house, and to go out on the town as often as you please. We'll be eating at our favorite restaurant Wednesday night for sure, and it requires semi-formal dress. Otherwise, wear whatever you want."

The Embraer Legacy 500 was sitting outside the private terminal at Spinks Airport in southernmost Fort Worth when he arrived at 11:40. Chris had flown in private jets before, but nothing as nice as this. His enthusiasm and curiosity earned him a seat in the co-pilot's chair and an instrument tour of the cockpit by the pilot. Everything was digital and featured the latest and best of proven technologies. He was impressed, as he should be by a $20 million dollar business jet.

The trip took all of two hours, from Burleson to Salt Lake City. Trey called a moratorium on talk about work, but immediately turn the conversation to graduate school. Chris let him know he would have to take a day off and fly up there to meet with the Engineering School Dean in order to get the credit he was seeking for construction and management experience.

The remainder of the trip was spent in casual conversation, including several inquiries about Jo and her experiences in school.

Their 4wd Suburban and driver were waiting at the private terminal. The trip through Salt Lake City and into the mountains surrounding Park City took about an hour, the trip to their house another fifteen. There was fresh powder everywhere, courtesy of the same front now battering Texas.

The Alexanders, minus Diane, who was in the Caribbean with friends for spring break, arrived a couple of hours later. By then, they had the three-story Swiss-style house warm and toasty, and were making plans for a quick look around downtown, a meal, and a visit to their favorite bar. Donna loved on her big brother for several minutes before asking if Jo was still up here with her roommate.

After he told her she was, until Friday, Donna sent a text asking for a return call.

Chris then called Jo's cell and left a message to call him when she got off the slopes. He wanted to surprise her by showing up at Kate's parents' chalet, so he asked the Becks if they knew the Ellisons from Portland, who had a vacation home up here. They laughed, said they were acquaintances more than friends, but they certainly knew them. In fact, they had been to a New Year's Eve party at their house, which was about ten minutes away.

With Jo not answering or returning the text or call, Chris joined the others in the Suburban for the tour of town and meal. When there had been no response from Jo by 7:30, Donna called her; she didn't answer, so Donna left another message to call.

After their meal the Becks and Alexanders wanted to go to their favorite bar, Park City Live, to drink and dance a bit. Chris looked doubtful, but his vivacious sister took his arm and insisted. "Come on, Chris; I'll be your date until we get hold of Jo! It'll be fun!"

Surprisingly, it was. He danced with Donna, Sandy, his mom, and the wives of 2 couples who joined them after walking in and finding their "good friends" at their favorite bar!

Another call to Jo, another message. Donna called Kate and left her a message to have Jo call, or to call and let her know what's going on with Jo not answering. Mom noticed the frowns on the faces of her daughter and son, and asked what the problem is. Chris shook his head, but, but Donna said "We can't find Jo or Kate; neither is answering their phone, or returning calls or texts!"

"Honey, do you mean Kate Ellison and her cute little friend, Jo?" asked Judy, one of the newcomers to the table.

After Donna brightened up and told her that was them, Judy said, "I saw them in a big group of young people going into the Downstairs Dance Club as we were leaving. We stopped and talked to Kate, who introduced us to Jo. We began our night there, but it got so crowded and noisy we moved over here. Do you know where it is, or do you need directions?"

"No, my phone knows! Mom, Dad, we're going to Uber over and get with a slightly younger crowd -- not that y'all or old or anything," Donna concluded with a grin.

Chris opened his Uber app, and found a car was just outside dropping someone off. They hurried out and were taken to the other, younger, hipper, louder dance club. It was so crowded you could barely move, but Chris led his sister through the crowd to the bar, and, after securing himself a Polygamy Porter beer and Donna a 7Up, on a quick trip to a tall table that a couple just left.

They barely beat two guys, but took their seats and smiled. One of the guys asked, "So, since you stole our chairs, can we dance with your girlfriend?" Chris laughed, said, "She's not my girlfriend, she's my sister, so if she accepts, keep your hands where they belong -- I'm a very protective big brother!"

One of them took her off, and the other asked if he could use her seat until she returned. Chris nodded, and they began a conversation. His name was Sal, and the boys were cousins from El Paso whose parents co-owned a condo up here. They came several times every year and said they knew all the regulars, so Chris asked if they knew Kate Ellison.