“That must have cost you plenty.”
“I don’t have many expenses right now, so I treated myself.”
They got in, and Rick pressed the starter. The engine roared to life and settled into a low rumble.
“Big engine; this thing must fly.”
“I don’t know, we’ll see in a few minutes.”
They turned right on 77th Avenue and then onto Bell Road going west. Then they jumped onto the Agua Fria Freeway, heading north. The freeway or the 101 Loop as it is more commonly known, was relatively free of traffic, just a few pickups and rental cars were scattered on the four lanes heading north.
Just as they entered the freeway, a vintage Corvette pulled up next to them and matched their pace for about half a mile, and then downshifted and took off. Rick accepted the challenge. Before she even knew what was happening Rick stomped on the accelerator and the Hellcat growled, got up on all fours, and took off. Less than a mile later, Rick caught the Corvette and passed him doing over one hundred thirty and just as quickly he took his foot off the gas and coasted back down to a respectable seventy miles per hour; just barely keeping up with the traffic around them.
“You know, of course, I’m going to have to change my panties again.”
“Sorry, but you’re right I think it does fly.”
The road looped around, and they were now heading east. For the next twelve miles they maintained a steady speed, and then turned off the 101 and got onto Route 51, the Piestewa Freeway heading south back towards the center of Phoenix. After about six miles he turned onto East Shea Boulevard and headed east. The Phoenix Mountain Preserve loomed large just to the south. When they reached Tatum Boulevard they turned south again, taking Tatum for another four miles before reaching the head of Camelback Mountain. They drove for another mile around the head and then into a development of multi-million-dollar mansions.
“Rick, where are we, and where are we going?”
“You’ll see in a minute.”
They drove a little farther, made a few more turns, and suddenly seemed to run out of road. In front of them, about twenty feet off the road was a large ornately scrolled iron gate. Rick quickly reached up and pressed a button next to his rear-view mirror. The gate parted in the middle and slowly opened. It opened before Sasha could make out the ornate capital ‘H’ formed by the two sides of the gate.
Rick proceeded up the long concrete driveway, passed a neighbor’s tennis court and a large rock formation until he reached the end of the driveway and parked the car pointing outward under a carport. As they got out of the car, Sasha could also see a Mercedes S-Class Sedan and a Mercedes AMG GT.
“Geez, whose cars are those?”
“The owners of the house. I told you a while ago that I was house sitting for a couple. They left for overseas and won’t be back for a while. I’m staying in the ‘casita’ while the house is being renovated.
“Come on, I’ll show you around.”
They walked through the carport, towards the main entrance of the house, but then made a left down a short flight of stairs to a gravel path through the gardens, coming out the other side near another short staircase to the pool level patio behind the house.
“Watch your step, I wouldn’t want you to fall in.”
“Rick, this place is magnificent.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“What’s not to like; I’ll bet the view from the house is breathtaking.”
“Not quite as breathtaking as it is from the top of the mountain; but it’s almost as good as looking at you.”
“Flattery will get you everything. Is that a hot tube over there?”
“Yes, it’s actually built into a small grotto that the builders caved into the mountain. These houses were built before the city fathers banned further development on any of the mountains in Phoenix.
“Let’s go inside my place.”
He led her around the pool and to a door off to the left of the main house. It was a two-story structure attached to the main part of the house by a connected roof. There was a narrow passageway between the two structures; overhead there was a connecting walkway.
Rick unlocked the sliding door and showed her in. The room was large, laid out in an open floor plan. There was an eat-in kitchen, a sunken living room with an entertainment center and several recliners and a sofa. On the wall closest to the main house, there were two bathrooms. One for men, one for women.
“Those are for guests using the pool. They can also be accessed from the breezeway between the two buildings. The place was built to be a pool house as well as a guest house. Upstairs there are four bedrooms, each with a bathroom.”
“Rick, this is not a ‘casita,’ this is as big as most of the houses in Glendale.”
“I’m sorry, that’s what the owners called it in the ad I answered. Do you want to go swimming or just relax in the hot tub?”
“I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”
“That’s ok, I don’t think I ever unpacked mine.”
______________
Rick, walked over to the hot tub, turned on the heater and the unit to circulate the water. He turned and followed Sasha as she walked down the staircase into the pool. “This section is for the kids, its only two feet deep, you have to step over the wall to get to the adult section.”
“Rick, I’m afraid I never learned to swim.”
“Don’t worry, there’s a gradual walk into the center of the pool which is five feet deep. You will be able to stand with your head above the water anywhere in the pool.”
“But what happens if I get a cramp or something.”
“Then I’ll have to act as your lifeguard. I took a CPR course a few years ago; I am certified to do mouth to mouth resuscitation.”
“I know that already, we did that before, what happens if I need something more?”
“That’s what the hot tub is for.”
They stayed in the pool for about a half an hour, Rick doing laps back and forth, while Sasha either tried floating on her back as best she could, never quite succeeding, or walked in circles around the edge of the pool.
“I guess that’s why I wasn’t very good at swimming. I have always been packed with dense muscle mass. Either from gymnastics or Pilates. I just sink to the bottom.
“I’m getting cold, let’s go in the hot tub and warm up,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.
“The water should be perfect now. It doesn’t take much to heat the water to the hundred-five-degree mark.”
As they approached the hot tub Rick flipped the switch and the jets roared to life turning the still waters of the tub into a frothing caldron. Always the gentleman, Rick held her hand as she eased herself into the warm water.
“Wow, this is hot!” she yelped.
“That’s because your skin is cool from the pool, it will just take a minute for your body to adjust to the temperature.”
As she grew accustomed to the heat, Sasha settled into one of the two lounges built into the tub.
“Oh yeah, this is much better now. I could get used to this, especially after eight hours of doing Pilates. Do you think the landlord would let me put one of these in my studio?”
“I doubt it. There must be something in your lease about using excess water or having this much water inside the building where it could leak and damage the other stores, or something.” Rick replied knowing full well that there wasn’t, but making a mental note to suggest it for future renewals.