Falling for the Billionaire Dad Next Door

*Harper*

My life was shitty… I could find better words to describe it, but I preferred to summarize it.

Growing up in a conservative family, my parents always controlled everything I did, from the way I dressed, to the friends I had, to where I could and couldn’t go. Being asked to house sit for my professor was a blessing I had always craved. It was a chance to taste freedom.

Here, there were no college roommates or my conservative parents. No one knew me here, so I could definitely reinvent myself. A new image, a new life, and a new me.

Hello, Santa Monica! I took off my huge knock-off designer sunglasses and swung my oversized duffle bag over my arm as I walked down the driveway toward the giant, brick-faced house.

The mansion looked like it had jumped out of a fairy tale book from my childhood… my professor, Dr. Rebecca Martin, told me it was a big place, but she didn’t prepare me for this, that’s for sure. The front was gated and the brick driveway led past a rock waterfall and koi garden. The building itself was incredible, with sweeping archways and etched glass windows that overlooked the front gardens.

My sandals made a little clicking sound on the marble pavement as I walked. Some guys made whistling noises at me as a car drove past the house. I smiled and took it as a compliment, all the while knowing that my mother would have a fit if she would have seen me do it.

But I was on my own now.

And to show my new independence, I’d gone shopping for outfits to wear at the Santa Monica mansion and worn them right out of the store after buying them. I was wearing a bright red top that showed off a little cleavage and some shorts to match, as well as a bikini underneath. I’d have to look into getting a tattoo while I was here. I’d always wanted a little butterfly right on my shoulder. I also wouldn’t mind getting a belly button piercing like I’d seen in the magazines. Should I do it?

I shook my head; my mother would have a fit if she ever saw a tattoo or piercing. I guess even the freedom of being by myself won’t be truly free.

But while I was here, I was going to enjoy myself. Professor Martin had told me to make myself at home, and to feel free to swim in the pool all I wanted. This was going to be fun.

I turned up my music till it was blaring from my air pods, and marching up to the mansion’s entrance to the music gave me the feeling of being the main character in an action movie. My hair swung from side to side in the warm breeze as I walked, as though waving goodbye to the offending judgmental atmosphere I had left behind.

My pastor would tell me not to dwell on the world and how vanity is a sin… heck, he probably would have just come drape the nearest cloth around me to hide my ‘shame.’ I was pretty glad to be away from him right now as well.

I took out the house keys the professor gave to me and opened the door.

A pleasant aural wash of a sweet perfume was lingering in the air as I walked into the house. Family photos and luxurious, expensive-looking furnishings welcomed me, accompanied by an excited bark.

I turned in time to see a chocolate brown Pomeranian running toward me, its tail wagging its welcome. I put my duffle bag on the fish scale tiled floor and crouched down to greet my new furry roommate for the duration of my stay here.

“You must be Cocoa,” I said as I patted her head. The dog yelped with excitement as she lay on her back begging for a tummy rub. I gave her one and looked around, spotting the tiny dog door off the side patio. It opened to a fence yard so that Cocoa could go outside whenever she wanted. At least she hadn’t been stuck inside while waiting for me to arrive.

As my fingers brushed her little tummy one more time, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I struggled to pry it out of my rather tight shorts.

“Professor Martin, how are you?” I said.

“Hi, Harper. Did you find the place?”

“Yes, the Uber dropped me off right outside the house. I just met Cocoa, and I think the two of us are going to be best friends,” I said, and Cocoa whined happily in agreement.

“That’s great. The fridge is stocked up; you’ll also find everything else in the cabinets. If there’s anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to contact me,” Professor Martin said.

I thanked her and hung up. I got up and did a little sight tour of the house, which was even more beautiful from the inside. I couldn’t help but walk to the wall and trace my fingers on the shimmering floral tapestry hanging from it, which looked unique and sophisticated. The rough paint on it told me that this was hand-painted. Painting on a canvas was difficult, but hand painting such a beautiful piece on cotton fabric was pure genius.

I walked around the house, absorbing my surroundings with my eyes. Cocoa was at my heels as she followed me around.

“Do you want to give your new friend a tour?” I laughed down at her.

She looked at me and barked before running ahead and jumping on the couch.

A huge flat-screen television was placed on a wooden floating shelf on the wall, and a sound system complemented the entertainment system. I bent down to study the electronics. I could tell that the sound system was powerful despite how thin its speakers were.

I pressed the power button and the sound system’s lights came on. I switched on the Bluetooth and managed to connect it to my phone. It was time to dance into my new environment. I loved music, and In my new reimagined life, I’d decided I would need a theme track for almost anything. Silence and subtleness couldn’t do my arrival justice. Harper was in Santa Monica!

After selecting the track I had always wanted to listen to on high-quality speakers, I cranked up the volume, and the music filtered through the surround sound system. The bass could be felt under my feet, and I couldn’t help but sway to the music.

“Can you dance, Cocoa?” I asked and the little dog seemed content with just watching me. “I could teach you a few of my signature moves, you know?”

I swayed and twirled toward her. I rubbed her head, and she again turned to lie on her back. I chuckled and gave her a quick tummy rub before dancing around the house. A few moments later, I found myself in the kitchen.

I did a little tango to the fridge. I was starting to feel comfortable here. When I threw the double doors of the black mirror fridge open, my jaw dropped open. Was this food just for me? I had never seen so much food in a single fridge inside someone’s home. My parents had always been the type that didn’t believe in splurging on unnecessary pleasantries. They bought the basics and just enough for the given time. Too much could spoil and be a waste.

“Harper, you must not waste food. Do you know children are starving in Africa?” my mother would always say. Now that I was an adult, I wondered how eating all my food was benefiting a child in Africa. Were they also getting full from the food I was putting in MY stomach through Bluetooth or telepathy?

I took a small plastic container of red grapes from the fridge, and without losing rhythm or a step, danced to the sink to give them a little rinse.

A large window by the sink gave me a view of the backyard. The blue of the pool outside was inviting as the afternoon sun’s rays made it sparkle. It was calling out to me, and who was I to deny it the pleasantness of my company? I popped a grape in my mouth and dashed to the sliding doors that led outside to go introduce myself to the swimming pool.

I was already dressed for the occasion, so I headed out the patio door.

I stood by the edge of the pool and kicked my sandals off before dipping my toes to test the water. The cool temperature felt like heaven on my rather hot skin. Just then, I heard shuffling from somewhere. I had closed the sliding doors behind me and made sure Cocoa hadn’t followed me outside, since her outdoor area was safely away from the pool.

The professor’s sound system piped music all the way out to the pool area, so I was still enjoying the song as I dipped my toes into the water.

I hesitated for a moment before wiggling out of my shorts and top; I wasn’t used to wearing a bikini where I came from, so it made me feel a little exposed. What the heck… I was all alone and I would love to get to know this gorgeous pool.

“My name is Harper, we will be spending some memorable time together,” I said to the pool as I proceeded to walk over to the diving board.

I danced a bit around the pool, dipping my foot in it now and again.

Reaching up, I freed my hair from the ponytail and shook it loose. The curls fell over my shoulders like a curtain and went all the way down to just above my bum.

That was one thing I thanked my overly religious parents for. They believed the hair was a woman’s crown and shouldn’t be cut off in her pure years. I guess that still technically described me, for now, since I was still a virgin.

I smiled at my reflection in the pool water. Life here was going to be so liberating.

I reached the diving board and walked gracefully across it before sprinting forward and doing a cannonball into the water. The crisp coolness of the sparkling liquid enveloped every part of me, and I thought this was what heaven must feel like.

After doing a few laps in the pool I made my way toward the shallow end of the pool and sat on the entrance stairs.

“Umm, you were awesome,” I said as I scooped up some water and let it drip slowly onto my bikini top.

I threw my head back to remove the wet hair from my face. My eyes met those of a man looking at me from the upstairs balcony of the house next door. I felt my face burn as the man didn’t flinch or try to pretend he wasn’t looking at me.

His dark hair looked like he had run his fingers through it a lot. I could feel the piercing sparkling green of his stare even from where I sat. I could tell he was older, but there was no denying he looked quite gorgeous. He stood for a while staring and proceeded to put his hands in his pocket.

Had he been watching me all this time? I guess he’s officially the first man to ever see me in a bikini. My face grew hotter, but I didn’t want to be rude, so I raised my hand and waved.

“Turn that music down! Are you trying to make the whole neighborhood deaf?” he shouted and went back into his house.