by Brian King
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
End notes
Brian King and Michael-Scott Earle
Chapter 1
“Well, that’s the last pile of shit I have to mop up.” I took a long breath of air that no longer smelled like dog feces, leaned my mop against the wall of the Los Angeles County Animal Control kennel, and then raised my hands above my head to stretch. My spine cracked a bit with the effort, and I let out a long sigh as I looked at the clock.
4PM.
It had taken me three hours, but the last of the dog pens were now sparkling clean and devoid of the explosive canine diarrhea that had sprayed across the walls, floors, and ceiling earlier this morning. The offending stray was now quarantined in our vet unit, and all that was left was for me to move the rest of the dogs in from the yard. After they were back, I could tell my boss I was ready to clock out.
Then it would be time to go visit the graves of my parents.
It was twenty-five years ago today that they got married and started their dual veterinary practice. Three years after that, they got hitched, and I was born.
Today was also the two-year anniversary of their death.
“Victor! Why are you lounging around? What is your problem?” my boss’s voice cut through the silence of the clean kennels like nails across a rough chalkboard.
“Hey, Beatrice!” I said as I turned to the stout woman who ran the Animal Control Center. “I just finished cleaning up all the shi-- poop from the floors, walls, and ceiling. I’m about ready to head out.”
“Hmmm.” She glanced around the walls, my mop, the step stool, and finally the ceiling.
Beatrice wasn’t exactly an attractive woman, but what really got me was how mean she was. She never smiled, never laughed, and never seemed to care about the animals we rescued. The woman just wanted slaves that did her bidding, and she’d been put in charge of the center because her uncle was some big shot who donated money to the mayor.
“So… I’ll be heading out now. See you tomorrow?” I grabbed the mop-bucket combo and made as if I was going to leave.
“Nope,” she spat, and I felt my stomach drop.
“What’s up?” I asked as I tried not to wince.
“I need you to put in some overtime today.” She cleared her throat with a frog-like croak and then reached up to pick her nose with her pinky.
“Uhhh, I asked for this afternoon off, remember? It’s my parents’--”
“Look, Victor, you are still the low grunt on the totem pole here. Dispatch just got a call from some richy-rich folks up in Hollywood Hills. I need you to go out and fix their problem.”
“Beatrice, any other day--”
“How many times have I told you to call me Ma’am?” she screeched as she stepped toward me.
“Ohhh, uhh, sorry, Ma’am.” I searched my mind for any recollection of her ever asking me to call her “Ma’am” and couldn’t think of any.
“Dispatch will tell you the address, get going.” She’d snagged a booger from her nose and carefully inspected it before she flicked it away.
“Ma’am, can’t Nicole or Justin get this one?” I asked as I tried to keep my stomach from churning. “I did ask you for this afternoon off. I wanted to visit my parents gra--”
“Are you an idiot?” she asked as she finally looked at me. “Nicole and Justin are on patrol. It sounds like you are disobeying a direct order. If you’d just gotten in the truck and left instead of arguing with me, you’d be done. Now get your ass out of here.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” I said with a heavy sigh.
She gave me a confused look when I handed her my mop, and then I turned and walked out of the kennel, through the office hallways, and out into the parking lot. There was only one truck left in the fleet. It was a fifteen-year-old beast without air conditioning that we all affectionately called “Old Guss”.
On most days, the lack of air conditioning in Southern California wouldn’t have been a big deal, but it was midsummer, and the temperatures were in the mid-nineties.
I hadn’t expected to go on patrol today, so I made a quick trip to my own beat up Honda Civic, grabbed my hat, and then jumped into Old Guss. A few minutes later we were on the road, and I was crawling up the 405 Freeway traffic toward Westwood.
Hollywood Hills was one of the richest areas in the already uber rich suburb of West Hollywood. I’d only been at my job with Animal Control for six months, but the remote location of the community ensured that we got plenty of calls to take care of wild animals or stray pets. Soon I was at the gate of the address dispatch had given me, and I pressed the button on the control panel.
“Hey, this is Victor, from the Los Angeles Animal Control,” I said after the beep.
“Oh, my gosh! We’re so glad you’re here. Hurry around to the side gate at the end of the driveway!” The voice coming from the front gate intercom was feminine, and I could hear other female voices echo from the speaker.
“Sounds good. I’ll head on up,” I said as the massive wrought iron gates opened in front of my truck. As soon as there was enough space for my vehicle to fit through, I pushed the gear shift of Old Guss and crawled up the cobblestone path toward the mansion.
The road up the hill was a bit serpentine, and too narrow for a pair of cars to come across each other, so I concentrated on the half-minute drive instead of rubbernecking up to stare at the residence I drove toward. When I finally made it to the foot of the gimongous home, I put my truck in park and appraised the massive mansion. It was similar to one of those small Tuscan castles that I saw in rich folk wine magazines, and the length of the peach colored stucco building extended way beyond what I could see out my front window. This was my first call in the Hollywood Hills, and I let out a long whistle as I looked at the estate.
Dispatch logged this call as an emergency, but then again, all the calls animal control got were treated that way. It didn’t matter if there was a stray skunk, dead possum, or cat stuck in a tree; when people had problems with animals, they tended to freak out. It was okay though, even though Beatrice was a pain in the ass and I was supposed to have the afternoon off, I loved this part of the job.
Hell, I was kind of like the police, except it was for animals. I even had a badge made out of polished brass, and I gave a quick glance at the LA County shield hanging from my left shirt pocket. Animal control was as close to a real job as I could find with my two-year certificate in animal science. It came with a bad ass uniform and a utility belt with the tools of my trade, but even though I kinda felt like a cop, I had very little of the authority wielded by real law enforcement.
I gave the mansion another appreciative glance, let my imagination run wild a bit about what the inside might’ve looked like, and then reached for my Australian cowboy hat. It wasn’t regulation, so I only wore it at remote job sites. It made me feel like an exotic game warden in the land of Oz.
Even though I wanted to visit my parents’ graves, I enjoyed patrol and service duty. I liked to think of it as another perk of the job. I got to be out of the office, I got to work with animals, I got to be a hero for a few minutes, I got to wear a badge, and I got to wear a cool hat. It all made up for the painfully low pay, terrible boss, and three hours a day I spent cleaning animal
shit out of cages.
I’d barely had time to angle my hat how I liked it before someone banged aggressively on my window. I gave out a yelp of surprise and turned to see the faces of three beautiful women. They looked to be about my age, and they all pointed frantically toward the mansion as if there was a fire that needed to be extinguished immediately.
I cracked open my door and was practically yanked the rest of the way out by the young women. They were wearing skimpy swimsuits, and their bodies glistened from a mix of Southern California sunlight, pool water, and suntan lotion.
My mind stopped working for a few seconds.
“Oh, thank God, you’re here. Please, hurry!”
The raven-haired young woman in charge took hold of my hand, and I got a good whiff of her coconut suntan lotion as she pulled me toward her. I had trouble meeting her eyes because she wore a sheer cover-up that allowed me to see how her black one-piece had an open v-cut down past her belly button. A few loops of fabric tried in vain to hold the two sides together, but her shapely breasts wiggled playfully as they attempted to escape from those bonds.
Especially as she jumped and tugged at me.
The cover-up dangled down to her hips as she pulled me along, and it acted as an attention magnet for her shapely thighs, calves, and bare feet. I couldn’t even get a proper look at the other two ladies in those first bountiful moments.
I only knew they wore different colored skin tight bikinis which would be right at home in a Brazilian Carnival parade. I stumbled a bit as they joined the first girl in pulling my arms, and I let them lead me around the side of the mansion.
My brain was still reeling from the unexpected sight of the girls in all their glory, so I had trouble actually processing what they were telling me. I did hear the word “snake” and “Oh my god, the biggest one. Like ever,” but I had a million thoughts going through my head, including one where I’m searching for a hidden camera. This seemed like a potential setup for a cornball skin flick.
We were close to Hollywood after all.
“We’ve been calling pet stores to help us with this thing, but no one came. Not even for lots of money! I’m so glad we found your number,” the dark-haired beauty said as she turned over her shoulder to shoot me a smile. She was one of the prettiest women I’d ever seen, and my body went numb when she squeezed my hand.
“Yeah, the county pays for our services.” I tried feverishly to think of something to add, but I was visually enthralled by the three jiggly women pulling me toward a gate to the backyard. I grew up in Los Angeles, so I’d seen plenty of beautiful women, but most of my house calls were from far less attractive people, and I hadn’t expected to be met by three goddesses in swim suits.
“It’s right out back. You’re such a lifesaver,” the leader said with almost infectious excitement. She stood aside as her friends went through the gate first, and it gave me an opportunity to admire each of their backsides. They had to be wearing bikini bottoms several sizes too small because they basically didn’t exist.
I forced myself to look away from their butts, and my eyes turned to the face of the beautiful dark-haired one that was leading me. The beauty had long, curly black hair and big brown eyes. Her gold hoop earrings practically glowed against her brown skin, and I wondered how expensive they were.
The rest of her face was a mixture of sun-kissed tan, just the right amount of freckles, luscious full lips, and a dimpled smile which almost made me forget how little she was wearing. I realized she looked very familiar, and I wondered if I had seen her on television. Hell, all three of the women could have been actresses, or models, or model-actresses. I really should be watching more TV and playing fewer video games, then I would probably know who she was.
She led me through the gate at the side of the house and pulled me around to the pool area of the mansion after her two companions. I felt the breath leave my body, and despite my stalwart intentions and attempts to stay on task, my brain was gripped by a riptide.
The two girls ahead of us were quickly lost in a sea of beautiful women. It wasn’t just a trio of hotties in distress. There were more. A lot more, and they were all wearing swimsuits as fantastic and revealing as the one holding my hand.
“Over there. Hurry.” The tanned hottie pulled on my hand again, and I let myself be led through a dozen soaking wet girls at the impossible-to-believe pool party. A few were in the water chatting under the bright sun, a couple sat at the edge, but most were lounging alongside the water as if they’d been put there solely for my viewing. This was like a hip hop video, only there were no men to be seen, just twentyish beautiful women scattered haphazardly around the pool.
And they were all staring at me.
I tried to keep my eyes forward and not stare back at them. From their point of view, I’m sure I was probably the nerdy animal control dufus, but my male brain insisted I look at each of them as I walked by.
There was a thin redhead in a green pasta string bikini. My eyes absorbed her white porcelain curves in that instant.
The next girl had her hair in a towel while she stretched on her front on a little sunbathing mat. She watched me with bling-encrusted oversized sunglasses. Her slick shoulders and curved back sent my eyes slipping down toward her pert ass. She had definitely mastered the spoiled movie star look.
Another pair of blonde girls wore bikinis that almost didn’t cover their nipples. They were in the shallow end of the pool splashing each other, and they paused their play so they could wave to me. A redhead was sipping on an iced drink, and the freckles on her face danced down her neck, shoulders, and ended where her toned stomach touched the top part of her tiny bikini bottom.
If I were a Japanese anime character, blood would have already erupted from my nose, and I would have fainted. Fortunately, I was able to kind of fake keeping my cool, and I gave the two splashing Playboy Bunnies a small wave. They giggled and then moved to get out of the pool. It almost looked as if they were going to come meet us, and I felt my pulse quicken.
Someone mentioned my uniform, but I couldn’t hear what was said since my brain and eyes were so over stimulated.
I saw an athletic-looking brunette in a two-piece standing nearby. The bottom wasn’t a bikini, more like boy shorts with multicolored stripes. Her breasts were wrapped by an all-white tube-style top. She’d just gotten out of the pool, and her nipples were clearly visible through the thin white cloth covering her breast.
Hole-eeehhh-shit.
A few more beautiful women blended together in a whirl of exposed skin awesomeness.
Tattoos.
Too-tight bikini tops.
Microscopic bikini bottoms.
Long wet legs.
Lips firmly wrapped around the straws of fruity drinks.
The gleam of sun reflecting from oil slathered bodies.
My mind was going to explode.
“Victor? Is that you?”
A girl stood at the far edge of the pool, which seemed to be the focus of much of the commotion. The spark of recognition struck us at the same moment, and I felt the air leave my lungs with a dizzying explosion.
Of all the girls it could have been. It was Lacey Rogers; high school crush Lacey Rogers. In the flesh. Her bronzed skin was like a permanent tan. Her dark wavy hair was a brush stroke away from perfection and hung near her shoulders; an effect only slightly diminished now that it was wet. Her face was angelic, of course, but it was her eyes that always made my sight go fuzzy. Their rich hazel color was brighter than I could remember seeing on any other girl.
It didn’t seem possible, but she brightened even more when she realized who I was. “Oh my god! Victor! It’s you! You’re working for animal control now?” She ran up to me and planted her towel-wrapped body against my uniform. It was a friendly hug that only lasted a second, but this was already the best assignment of my career.
“You remember me?” I had wanted to sound a bit manlier with my question, but my voice squeaked, and I had to clear my throa
t. Lacey Rogers. She was the girl of my dreams. We shared several honors classes, and I’d been in love with her since freshman year.
But I’d only talked to her a few times.
“Of course. You always helped me out during biology. Do you remember Katie?” She pointed to the black-haired girl who brought me around through the side gate. My brain was starting to come free of the fog, and I realized that I’d recognized her because of school. She was a California 10 for sure, but my interest had always been in Lacey.
“Oh, yeah. Hi, Katie. Nice to see you again.” My voice was back, but my heart was still hammering in my chest, and my legs were still shaking. There was a crowd of beautiful women around the three of us now, and they were all looking at me.
“Hiya, Victor. I didn’t recognize you at first.” She wiggled her fingers in a dainty little wave, and I studiously avoided her look-at-me cleavage under that cover up. “Where are you going to college?”
“I’m not, well, at least not right now.”
“Why not? You were so smart in class!” Her dimples and bubbly demeanor were hard to resist, despite what she was saying.
Lacey coughed and gave her friend a pointed look. Katie’s perfect mouth opened wide, and then she turned to me with pity plain on her face.
“I heard about your parents,” Lacey said as she adjusted her towel. “Uhh. I know it's been a few years, but I'm sorry about that. I should have--”
“No, it’s okay. It's not your problem, Lacey.” I let out a sigh and tried to keep my eyes from her towel adjusting activities. The wrap was pushing her breasts up and almost out of her swimsuit top. It was a good distraction from thoughts about my parents and the postponed visit to their grave.
“So, where’s the emergency? I’m here to help.” I was proud of myself for being able to string together a sentence with all the surrounding women.
“Oh, it’s over here!” Lacey gently grabbed my hand and led me a few paces to the end of the pool’s sitting area. When I got up next to her, she pointed to a fancy cooler lying upside down in the well-manicured grass a few yards from the pool’s edge. The pillows stacked on it were a nice touch.
