Categories > Original > Romance > The Beach
Hello Handsome
0 reviewsA handsome detective comes to a ocean front inn for a little rest and relax only to find himself in a real life murder. (People, my mom wrote this. I put it on here for her. review please)
0Unrated
The air conditioner was on the fritz again. That was just what Savannah Mills needed on a hot August day in Charleston, South Carolina. The temperature was in the mid 90's- in fact, the whole summer had been unseasonably hot. It was Friday and guests would be arriving for the weekend. Savannah had purchased the quiet little inn outside of Charleston two years ago. She had lived here all of her life was working for the main newspaper in Charleston. She enjoyed her job but yearned to be her own boss. When the Rosebud Inn went up for sale, she jumped at the chance to purchase it. Her father, Jackson Mills, was a successful banker- owning four banks in North and South Carolina. Financing was not a problem. Savannah's mother had died of cancer when Savannah was 12. Jackson had doted on his beloved daughter her whole life, but even more so since, she lost her mother. Savannah was an only child and to say she was spoiled was putting it mildly. The success that she enjoyed at the inn was all of her own making though. She had redecorated several of the rooms and the lobby area to fit her country theme. Now she stood at the desk searching through the phone book looking for a reputable repairman. She needed someone who would not charge her an arm and a leg to check the central air unit in the lobby area. Fortunately, the rooms had their own air conditioning units so they would be cool. The lobby, office, laundry, storeroom and hallway were beginning to heat up rapidly though.
Savannah located a repairman that said that he could be out in an hour and a half. That would have to do. Immediately after hanging up the phone the bell over the door jingled. Savannah looked up to see her best friend Shelly Thompson flying through the door. She always seemed to be in a hurry. Considering her life style, she probably was. At 27, she was the same age as Savannah. She was 5'9" and weighed 125 lbs. She had the longest legs that you have ever seen on a woman. Her hair was coal black with dark brown eyes. She earned a living as a hairdresser but worked part-time as a model for an Atlanta based fashion magazine. Her dark features and dazzling smile made her a favorite among photographers. When she wasn't busy, she would often help Savannah around the inn. She could book rooms, clean or do about anything that needed done. Savannah and Shelly worked well together- best friends that rarely had a disagreement.
As the temperature began to rise, the two women sat down at one of the three tables in the lobby. "I should make some iced tea. By the time the air is fixed we should be getting guests checking in," Savannah remarked.
"I just hope that the guy is able to get it fixed today. If we have to wait for parts it will be a real long weekend," Savannah stated as she rose to go to the kitchen. Shelly glanced at the midday news that played on the small T.V. in the corner. The weather forecast called for temperatures in the 90's all weekend with no rain. Shelly dabbed the sweat from her forehead with a napkin. Shortly Savannah returned with two tall glasses of tea with lemon.
Approximately an hour later, the repairman showed up. He was a middle-aged man named Leroy. After several minutes, he determined that the unit was repairable and it would take about an hour. Savannah and Shelly kept busy stocking towels and toiletries on the housekeeping cart and making sure the lobby looked its best. Guests usually arrived anytime after 2:00 p.m. and the inn's 20 rooms were already 75% reserved. People that did not have reservations would take the other rooms quickly. Besides Savannah and Shelly, the inn employed a part-time maintenance man named George Turner, 2 part-time housekeepers and 3 desk clerks. Savannah ran the desk on weekdays during the day but had employees for the 3-11 shift and weekends. The office was closed from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. but a pager in case of an emergency could reach Savannah or another employee. Shelly was always nagging Savannah to take some time off but she rarely did. Since buying the inn, Savannah's social life was non-existent. It wasn't that she didn't want to date; she didn't allow herself the time to meet anybody. Shelly was always asking her to come to parties, go out to clubs, etc. but she always declined. At 27, she was starting to think about settling down. She had dependable employees who she felt comfortable leaving in charge. The next time Shelly brought up the idea of going out, she decided that she would accept. Shelly knew many people through her hairdressing customers and her work with the Atlanta magazine. Shelly dated casually but did not want a serious relationship at this time. Her schedule kept her too busy to commit to anyone but she enjoyed going out when she could.
The afternoon passed quickly. Shortly after 3:00 p.m., several guests began arriving. Savannah and Shelly were both at the desk when a couple came through the door. The woman entered first. She was in her 20's with long red hair. The man behind her caught the women's attention immediately. He was about 6'0" tall. Muscles rippled under the white tank top that clung tightly to his upper torso. He had sandy blond hair that looked like the wind had gotten the better of. He had a nice golden tan and the most beautiful eyes and smile that they had ever seen. Savannah and Shelly both thought "Too bad he is taken."
The woman walked up to the desk in a brisk manner. "Hello, my name is Natalie Thorton. My boyfriend and I have reservations for a week." She did not seem to notice that both women were looking behind her at the man and not paying attention to her.
Savannah was to the first to recover and find her voice. "Welcome to the Rosebud Inn. What brings you to our inn? Business or pleasure?" The red haired woman smiled slightly as she replied, "I got a big promotion at work and Mitchell brought me here to celebrate." The man leaned around her to drop his Visa on the counter. His fingers lingered a little too long as Savannah brushed against his hand when she reached for the card. Savannah glanced up to see him looking at her with a slight smile turning up the corners of his sexy mouth. She looked away and quickly and glanced at the credit card in her hand. His name was Mitchell Forrester according to the card. She turned away from him to enter the check in information into the computer. As the woman answered the usual questions asked of all guests, Mitchell walked to the far side of the room to glance at a magazine on the table. She could not help but notice how his faded blue jeans hugged his rear end. The view from the back was as good as the view from the front. She stared for so long that Shelly had to tap her leg with her foot to get her attention back to the computer screen.
The inn had two floors. The first ten rooms were on the bottom level along with the laundry facilities, storage room, lobby area and a room that contained vending machines and an ice machine. The ten rooms on the second floor were accessible by a stairway up from the first floor or an outside stairway. The room that she checked out to Natalie and Mitchell was on the second floor- Room 17. After the checking process was completed, she handed them their receipt and two keys for the door. She gave them directions to their room and they left the lobby. As he was going out the door, Mitchell put his sunglasses back down on his face and gave both the women a casual smile. They got into a very fancy black Mustang convertible and drove around to the other side of the building to locate their room.
Savannah looked at Shelly and smiled. "Boy was he a looker. What do you think that he does for a living?" "I don't know", Shelly, replied "but he could be a model or something. Did you see those muscles and that awesome body? Man, I would like him to keep me warm on a cold winter's night". Savannah gave her a playful punch on the upper arm and said "Calm down, we have more customers coming in." Just then, a couple came through the door and approached the desk. They checked in and were given directions to Room 3 on the first floor. The rest of the afternoon pretty much went the same way. By 6:30 all the rooms were filled and the women finally sat down at a table to take a little breather.
They had not seen the gorgeous man since he had checked in 3 hours earlier so they assumed that they were relaxing in their room or had gone somewhere. Savannah couldn't help but notice that her thoughts had returned to him more than once since she met him in the lobby earlier. Shelly seemed to have forgotten about him as she chatted away about her plans for the weekend. She asked Savannah if she would like to go to the beach on Saturday and do some sun tanning. Savannah thought that sounded like a good idea. Being blond, she had to be careful about how much sun she took in at one time but she sure could use a little relaxation time. She had bought a new black string bikini a couple weeks ago and this would be the perfect time to put it to use.
Savannah lived in a cottage on the east side of the inn. It had come with the inn when she purchased it and the previous owners had lived in it as well. It was convenient to be so close in case she had an emergency to deal with in the middle of the night. She walked over there to make a couple sandwiches for herself and Shelly. She brought them back along with some fruit and some low fat yogurt. Shelly was always watching her weight so Savannah had just gotten used to eating that way too. That didn't mean that she didn't occasionally indulge in a bowl of ice cream, just not when Shelly was around.
The rest of the evening passed quietly. Shelly went home about 9:00 promising to pick Savannah up at 10:00 a.m. for their trip to the beach. Due to a staff vacation, Savannah had to work both shifts this day. She closed the office at 11:00 and walked the short distance to her house. Her thoughts several times returned to the handsome blond man that she had met earlier in the day.
The next morning dawned bright and sunny. Savannah was up at her usual time of 5:30 a.m. even though she did not have to open the office today. She put on a pot of coffee and headed for the shower. After showering, she dressed in a pair of beige shorts with a white t-shirt. She put her black bikini on under her clothes. She took time to do her hair and make-up even though she would be swimming when they got to the beach. You never know whom you might meet at the beach she told herself with a chuckle. After pouring herself a mug of coffee she headed over to the office. She wanted to make sure that everything was in order for her employee who would be showing up at 7:00.
The lobby area was available to guests 24 hours a day so that they could have access to the vending machines, ice and T.V. Savannah entered without turning on the overhead lights. Two table lamps on either side of the room lighted the room. She went behind the desk and started to look at the reservation book and see how many people would be checking in and out today.
Savannah glanced up and realized with a start that somebody was sitting at one of the tables. It was Mitchell Forrester. He had a cup of coffee in his left hand and was holding the morning paper in his right hand. He continued to read the paper even after he noticed Savannah behind the desk. She walked over to the table on unsteady legs that would barely carry her. Why did this man have this effect on her? Yes, he was very good looking but she had known many handsome men and they had not affected her in this way.
"Good morning Mr. Forrester. Is everything all right?" she asked in a shaky voice. He glanced up at her as if seeing her for the first time. "Yes, everything is fine. I just couldn't sleep so I decided that I would grab some coffee and see what is new in the world today." Then he gave Savannah that smile that she remembered from yesterday. "Oh, that is fine," she replied. "Just wondering if your room was okay and you found everything that you needed." "Everything was good," he answered with that attractive smile. "I'm just used to being an early riser for work and it is hard to get out of the habit when I am off work."
"What do you do for a living?" Savannah asked. "I'm a detective with the South Carolina state patrol. I've been doing that for 6 years now. My brother is a cop with the city of Charleston and my father is a retired cop. So I guess that I was predestined to go into law enforcement." Savannah caught herself staring at his muscular arms and wondered how he got them. As if reading her mind he added, "I was in the marines before I joined the police force". He smiled as Savannah looked down, obviously embarrassed having been caught staring at him once again.
"What is there fun to do around here on a sunny Saturday?" he asked as he picked up his cup for a drink of coffee. "Most people spend a day or two at the beach when they first come here. And then there are a lot of things to see in Charleston too," Savannah replied. "We are pretty close to Folly Beach, it is real nice. In fact, my friend that you met yesterday when you checked in and I are going there today. Myrtle Beach is probably the best beach around but it is about 100 miles away so I don't get there too often. In fact, I haven't been there since I started running the inn two years ago. I could give you directions to Folly Beach if you would like."
"That would be great," he replied. "Natalie never gets up too early so we might be there by noon if we are lucky." Savannah went to the desk, got a pen and a piece of paper, returned to the table, and sat down next to Mitchell. She wrote the directions out and handed them to him jotting down a couple of nice restaurants near the beach.
"Thank you very much," he replied with that great smile again. "Maybe we will see you and your friend there."
"You are welcome Mr. Forrester. I hope that you have a good time today." He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "Please call me Mitch. My friends all do." With that, he got up with his coffee cup and newspaper and walked toward the front door. The last thing that Savannah remembered was the way that his hand felt as it was touching hers. For her sake, she hoped that he would not show up at the beach today. She could only imagine that body in a pair of swimming trunks all wet from the ocean's water. It was going to be a long day.
Savannah located a repairman that said that he could be out in an hour and a half. That would have to do. Immediately after hanging up the phone the bell over the door jingled. Savannah looked up to see her best friend Shelly Thompson flying through the door. She always seemed to be in a hurry. Considering her life style, she probably was. At 27, she was the same age as Savannah. She was 5'9" and weighed 125 lbs. She had the longest legs that you have ever seen on a woman. Her hair was coal black with dark brown eyes. She earned a living as a hairdresser but worked part-time as a model for an Atlanta based fashion magazine. Her dark features and dazzling smile made her a favorite among photographers. When she wasn't busy, she would often help Savannah around the inn. She could book rooms, clean or do about anything that needed done. Savannah and Shelly worked well together- best friends that rarely had a disagreement.
As the temperature began to rise, the two women sat down at one of the three tables in the lobby. "I should make some iced tea. By the time the air is fixed we should be getting guests checking in," Savannah remarked.
"I just hope that the guy is able to get it fixed today. If we have to wait for parts it will be a real long weekend," Savannah stated as she rose to go to the kitchen. Shelly glanced at the midday news that played on the small T.V. in the corner. The weather forecast called for temperatures in the 90's all weekend with no rain. Shelly dabbed the sweat from her forehead with a napkin. Shortly Savannah returned with two tall glasses of tea with lemon.
Approximately an hour later, the repairman showed up. He was a middle-aged man named Leroy. After several minutes, he determined that the unit was repairable and it would take about an hour. Savannah and Shelly kept busy stocking towels and toiletries on the housekeeping cart and making sure the lobby looked its best. Guests usually arrived anytime after 2:00 p.m. and the inn's 20 rooms were already 75% reserved. People that did not have reservations would take the other rooms quickly. Besides Savannah and Shelly, the inn employed a part-time maintenance man named George Turner, 2 part-time housekeepers and 3 desk clerks. Savannah ran the desk on weekdays during the day but had employees for the 3-11 shift and weekends. The office was closed from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. but a pager in case of an emergency could reach Savannah or another employee. Shelly was always nagging Savannah to take some time off but she rarely did. Since buying the inn, Savannah's social life was non-existent. It wasn't that she didn't want to date; she didn't allow herself the time to meet anybody. Shelly was always asking her to come to parties, go out to clubs, etc. but she always declined. At 27, she was starting to think about settling down. She had dependable employees who she felt comfortable leaving in charge. The next time Shelly brought up the idea of going out, she decided that she would accept. Shelly knew many people through her hairdressing customers and her work with the Atlanta magazine. Shelly dated casually but did not want a serious relationship at this time. Her schedule kept her too busy to commit to anyone but she enjoyed going out when she could.
The afternoon passed quickly. Shortly after 3:00 p.m., several guests began arriving. Savannah and Shelly were both at the desk when a couple came through the door. The woman entered first. She was in her 20's with long red hair. The man behind her caught the women's attention immediately. He was about 6'0" tall. Muscles rippled under the white tank top that clung tightly to his upper torso. He had sandy blond hair that looked like the wind had gotten the better of. He had a nice golden tan and the most beautiful eyes and smile that they had ever seen. Savannah and Shelly both thought "Too bad he is taken."
The woman walked up to the desk in a brisk manner. "Hello, my name is Natalie Thorton. My boyfriend and I have reservations for a week." She did not seem to notice that both women were looking behind her at the man and not paying attention to her.
Savannah was to the first to recover and find her voice. "Welcome to the Rosebud Inn. What brings you to our inn? Business or pleasure?" The red haired woman smiled slightly as she replied, "I got a big promotion at work and Mitchell brought me here to celebrate." The man leaned around her to drop his Visa on the counter. His fingers lingered a little too long as Savannah brushed against his hand when she reached for the card. Savannah glanced up to see him looking at her with a slight smile turning up the corners of his sexy mouth. She looked away and quickly and glanced at the credit card in her hand. His name was Mitchell Forrester according to the card. She turned away from him to enter the check in information into the computer. As the woman answered the usual questions asked of all guests, Mitchell walked to the far side of the room to glance at a magazine on the table. She could not help but notice how his faded blue jeans hugged his rear end. The view from the back was as good as the view from the front. She stared for so long that Shelly had to tap her leg with her foot to get her attention back to the computer screen.
The inn had two floors. The first ten rooms were on the bottom level along with the laundry facilities, storage room, lobby area and a room that contained vending machines and an ice machine. The ten rooms on the second floor were accessible by a stairway up from the first floor or an outside stairway. The room that she checked out to Natalie and Mitchell was on the second floor- Room 17. After the checking process was completed, she handed them their receipt and two keys for the door. She gave them directions to their room and they left the lobby. As he was going out the door, Mitchell put his sunglasses back down on his face and gave both the women a casual smile. They got into a very fancy black Mustang convertible and drove around to the other side of the building to locate their room.
Savannah looked at Shelly and smiled. "Boy was he a looker. What do you think that he does for a living?" "I don't know", Shelly, replied "but he could be a model or something. Did you see those muscles and that awesome body? Man, I would like him to keep me warm on a cold winter's night". Savannah gave her a playful punch on the upper arm and said "Calm down, we have more customers coming in." Just then, a couple came through the door and approached the desk. They checked in and were given directions to Room 3 on the first floor. The rest of the afternoon pretty much went the same way. By 6:30 all the rooms were filled and the women finally sat down at a table to take a little breather.
They had not seen the gorgeous man since he had checked in 3 hours earlier so they assumed that they were relaxing in their room or had gone somewhere. Savannah couldn't help but notice that her thoughts had returned to him more than once since she met him in the lobby earlier. Shelly seemed to have forgotten about him as she chatted away about her plans for the weekend. She asked Savannah if she would like to go to the beach on Saturday and do some sun tanning. Savannah thought that sounded like a good idea. Being blond, she had to be careful about how much sun she took in at one time but she sure could use a little relaxation time. She had bought a new black string bikini a couple weeks ago and this would be the perfect time to put it to use.
Savannah lived in a cottage on the east side of the inn. It had come with the inn when she purchased it and the previous owners had lived in it as well. It was convenient to be so close in case she had an emergency to deal with in the middle of the night. She walked over there to make a couple sandwiches for herself and Shelly. She brought them back along with some fruit and some low fat yogurt. Shelly was always watching her weight so Savannah had just gotten used to eating that way too. That didn't mean that she didn't occasionally indulge in a bowl of ice cream, just not when Shelly was around.
The rest of the evening passed quietly. Shelly went home about 9:00 promising to pick Savannah up at 10:00 a.m. for their trip to the beach. Due to a staff vacation, Savannah had to work both shifts this day. She closed the office at 11:00 and walked the short distance to her house. Her thoughts several times returned to the handsome blond man that she had met earlier in the day.
The next morning dawned bright and sunny. Savannah was up at her usual time of 5:30 a.m. even though she did not have to open the office today. She put on a pot of coffee and headed for the shower. After showering, she dressed in a pair of beige shorts with a white t-shirt. She put her black bikini on under her clothes. She took time to do her hair and make-up even though she would be swimming when they got to the beach. You never know whom you might meet at the beach she told herself with a chuckle. After pouring herself a mug of coffee she headed over to the office. She wanted to make sure that everything was in order for her employee who would be showing up at 7:00.
The lobby area was available to guests 24 hours a day so that they could have access to the vending machines, ice and T.V. Savannah entered without turning on the overhead lights. Two table lamps on either side of the room lighted the room. She went behind the desk and started to look at the reservation book and see how many people would be checking in and out today.
Savannah glanced up and realized with a start that somebody was sitting at one of the tables. It was Mitchell Forrester. He had a cup of coffee in his left hand and was holding the morning paper in his right hand. He continued to read the paper even after he noticed Savannah behind the desk. She walked over to the table on unsteady legs that would barely carry her. Why did this man have this effect on her? Yes, he was very good looking but she had known many handsome men and they had not affected her in this way.
"Good morning Mr. Forrester. Is everything all right?" she asked in a shaky voice. He glanced up at her as if seeing her for the first time. "Yes, everything is fine. I just couldn't sleep so I decided that I would grab some coffee and see what is new in the world today." Then he gave Savannah that smile that she remembered from yesterday. "Oh, that is fine," she replied. "Just wondering if your room was okay and you found everything that you needed." "Everything was good," he answered with that attractive smile. "I'm just used to being an early riser for work and it is hard to get out of the habit when I am off work."
"What do you do for a living?" Savannah asked. "I'm a detective with the South Carolina state patrol. I've been doing that for 6 years now. My brother is a cop with the city of Charleston and my father is a retired cop. So I guess that I was predestined to go into law enforcement." Savannah caught herself staring at his muscular arms and wondered how he got them. As if reading her mind he added, "I was in the marines before I joined the police force". He smiled as Savannah looked down, obviously embarrassed having been caught staring at him once again.
"What is there fun to do around here on a sunny Saturday?" he asked as he picked up his cup for a drink of coffee. "Most people spend a day or two at the beach when they first come here. And then there are a lot of things to see in Charleston too," Savannah replied. "We are pretty close to Folly Beach, it is real nice. In fact, my friend that you met yesterday when you checked in and I are going there today. Myrtle Beach is probably the best beach around but it is about 100 miles away so I don't get there too often. In fact, I haven't been there since I started running the inn two years ago. I could give you directions to Folly Beach if you would like."
"That would be great," he replied. "Natalie never gets up too early so we might be there by noon if we are lucky." Savannah went to the desk, got a pen and a piece of paper, returned to the table, and sat down next to Mitchell. She wrote the directions out and handed them to him jotting down a couple of nice restaurants near the beach.
"Thank you very much," he replied with that great smile again. "Maybe we will see you and your friend there."
"You are welcome Mr. Forrester. I hope that you have a good time today." He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "Please call me Mitch. My friends all do." With that, he got up with his coffee cup and newspaper and walked toward the front door. The last thing that Savannah remembered was the way that his hand felt as it was touching hers. For her sake, she hoped that he would not show up at the beach today. She could only imagine that body in a pair of swimming trunks all wet from the ocean's water. It was going to be a long day.
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