WIP: Harem House - Chapter 29 Part 3

Deb sipped her mimosa. “So, have you determined the sleeping arrangements yet?” She asked after a brief period of silence. 

“I think so.” Kelly glanced at the other girls. “We talked a bit about it before and changed the plan every time we discussed rooms, but I think Katelyn and Katerine wanted to share a room?” 

The Kats nodded. 

“And if Arthur takes the Master Suite, that leaves three bedrooms upstairs.” Deb said, glancing toward the ceiling as if counting. 

“Three?” Rani asked. “I thought–” 

“There are four full bedrooms upstairs, two bathrooms, and then the master suite.” Debrah said. “The last bedroom is in the in-law suite, and technically, I suppose you could use the extra room down there as a bedroom, but it’s more of a dining room or office.” 

Rani raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kelly. 

“Well, we thought there were only three besides the Master’s suite.” Rani said. 

“Rani and I were thinking of rooming together.” Mindy explained. 

“Selene and I were going to take the remaining room, but with one more left…” Kelly trailed off, contemplating the possibilities. 

“Would you want to rent the extra room if we don’t fill it?” Rani asked. Mindy detected the alarm in her voice and squeezed Rani’s thigh under the table. 

“Well, I think George would.” Deb admitted. “But honestly, with all of you renting from us, it’s more than we expected. We planned on having one person per room, but two per room is perfectly legal.” 

Kelly frowned. 

Mindy nearly panicked. She had ideas on how to dress and behave when the harem had the house to themselves, but the possibility of sharing the space with total strangers quickened her pulse as she saw those dreams vanishing. 

“I might know someone interested in renting a room.” Lynn volunteered. “If there's space.”

“What if I covered the extra room, and we used it as a playroom?” Rani asked, ignoring Lynn and making her suggestion to Kelly. 

“A playroom?” Deb asked, confused. 

“Uh… like a second office. A room for homework, video games, hobbies, and stuff. A playroom.” Selene said quickly. 

Definitely not a BDSM dungeon of any kind. Though Mindy didn’t say that out loud. 

“Or a home gym.” Kelly suggested. 

“You shouldn’t have to–” Deb said. 

“I don’t mind paying the extra rent.” Rani said, waving off the concern. “I’d rather that than live with someone we don’t know. Besides, we’re gonna need a playroom or a gym. Arthur and Kelly are both gym rats.” 

Selene and Kat shared a look. 

“A home gym would be amazingly convenient.” Kelly said. “But that’s a significant investment for weights and equipment.” 

“If we go in on it together, what’s it work out to?” Rani asked. 

Selene and Kat shared a second look, and Mindy joined them. The concept of a significant upfront investment for equipment they likely wouldn’t use wasn’t ideal. 

“I’m not sure.” Kelly answered. “But I can look into it.” 

Rani nodded but said nothing, waiting for Deb to speak up. 

“I’m sure we can work something out.” Deb said. “Without having to rent out the last room, I mean. After all, except for Lynn, George and I agreed to give Arthur the right to approve who lives here. Or maybe two of you can have your own rooms.” 

Rani seemed to consider that. “If the Kats double, and Mindy and Selene double, Kelly and I could have our own rooms…” She looked at Kelly. “That works for me.” 

Mindy frowned. “But, I was looking forward to rooming together.”

Rani squeezed Mindy's thigh under the table, their arms crossing. “Then we can share a room, and the other can be Selene's room.”

Mindy glanced at Selene. Somehow, she imagined Selene wouldn’t be a very present roommate if sleeping at the foot of Arthur’s bed was an option. Having her pay extra rent for a room, she wouldn't use felt shameful.

“Or, I can keep it as my room for my clothes and just sleep in your room all the time.” Rani said, patting Mindy's thigh.

Kelly nodded. Having her own room would mean extra rent, but it might be worth it if she had the money. 

“Are you two…” Lynn pointed between Rani and Mindy, holding each other’s thighs under the table. “Together?”

“We fuck.” Rani said without hesitation. “So, yeah.”

Mindy swallowed and blushed. She noticed something click into place behind Lynn's eyes, but whatever her thoughts, she made no comment and returned her attention to her food.

Deb coughed, her expression surprised but smiling. “Well, either way. I’ll let you work out who rooms with who on your own. You have time if you’re not moving in for another month or two. Are you planning to live here over the holidays or at home?” 

“Here.” Kelly said. “Though I might have to visit my brothers at some point.” 

“I usually go home over the holidays.” Rani said. “But… I’m sure I can stay here for most of the break. Christmas week, I’ll be in New Jersey.” 

“We’ll be staying here as much as we can.” Kat said. “But we usually spend Christmas week with our mom.” 

Debrah nodded. “Well, any of you still around are welcome to join us for Christmas dinner in the city or here if Arthur wants to host us.”

“I’ll be close enough to do both.” Mindy said as she realized the truth. She’d never spent Christmas or the holidays away from her family before but wouldn’t mind a break from the restaurant's busy season. Far too many people ordered takeout from them when everything else was closed. 

“True!” Deb said, laughing. 

“I usually join my parents on whatever vacation they’re going on over the Holidays, but my parents won’t mind if I stay here for a change.” Katelyn said. 

“My family’s big on spending the holidays together.” Rani said. “There’s no way I’d survive skipping Christmas.” 

“You celebrate Christmas, then?” Lynn asked, surprised. 

“Oh yeah.” Rani nodded. “Not the religious version with the baby god and stuff, but my dad’s big on American Holidays. He dresses like Santa Claus every year and gives out presents to our family and friends. He decorates the house with no concern for taxing the power grid. You can see our house from space from the day after Thanksgiving till the day after New Year’s.” 

Mindy giggled. “My dad’s big on it too, but we’re usually working on Christmas and celebrate our holiday on whatever Monday is closest.” 

“Our Mom is a little crazy about it, but she leans into the more religious aspects.” Kat said. 

“My mother does that too.” Kelly said. “If she can stop working long enough to enjoy it.”  

Deb smiled. “Arthur always loved Christmas. He couldn't care less about the presents as he got older but always enjoyed decorating, hosting parties, and loved snow. He always wanted it to snow on Christmas and would watch that Bing Crosby movie every year.” 

“White Christmas.” Lynn said as if explaining to the others. 

“He sings well enough to play Bing Crosby’s part.” Selene said without thinking. 

Deb nodded. “That’s the one.” She said to Lynn, then turned her attention to Selene. “And I agree. Though, I think he would have preferred to be Danny Kaye.” 

Selene smiled. 

“We learned that dance at one point. The one between Danny Kaye and Vera Allen.” Lynn said. “We used to dance together a lot.” 

Selene's gaze hardened. 

Kelly looked unimpressed. “Arthur is a terrific dancer, he must have been patience itself teaching you.” 

Selene bit her lip to keep from laughing. Lynn looked red and ready to throw her empty plate at Kelly. 

“I wonder if he still remembers it.” Selene said. “I'll have to ask him to dance it with me this year.”

“We’ll have to have a Holiday party together before you all leave for your families.” Deb said, smiling. 

Mindy’s eyes flicked between the girls, the same question on their faces. If they were going to tell their families about their relationship, which of them would be going home with who? Arthur would need to meet all their families at one point, right? Mindy wasn’t sure how long she could maintain the ruse with her parents, but she hoped to break it to them gently. 

Arthur was no Korean doctor, but he was still a great guy preparing to be a wealthy businessman. The harem was a more complicated problem. The Bible might have plenty to say about sexuality, but that was Old Testament stuff, right? The church they belonged to still didn’t approve of homosexuality officially, but some people in the denomination did, so there had to be some leeway. She hoped. Her parents weren’t bigots, or at least she hoped they weren't. They were pseudo-traditional, and their culture was different, but there had to be some leeway even then. 

“What do you think, Mindy?” Deb asked as Mindy realized she was the only one who hadn't responded.

“I’d like that.” Mindy said. “A holiday party sounds like fun!” 

The girls agreed, Lynn included. 

“Well.” Debrah said, sitting back in her chair. “Those were delicious. Thank you, girls, for bringing all that food, and Mindy, that kimchi toast was amazing.” 

“Oh, it was no problem.” Mindy said, assuring her. “My umma’s actually the one who made it.” 

Deb smiled. “Well, thank her for me.” 

Mindy nodded. 

“The food was delicious.” Lynn agreed. “Did you make those muffins yourself?” She asked Rani. 

“The ones from the box with the bakery logo on it?” Rani asked. “Yeah. Old family recipe. You should see the laddu I’ll make once we move in.” 

Mindy laughed. 

“What's laddu?” Lynn asked, not recognizing the word.

“Laddu.” Rani said, correcting Lynn's pronunciation. “Sweet balls. Like… I don't know. It's laddu.”

“I can't wait to try them.” Lynn said, smiling as she turned her gaze toward Kelly. “And l thought your eggs were delicious. Hardly any eggshells.” 

Kelly’s smile flickered with the ferocity of a thunderstorm. The remark was the closest Lynn had come to landing a blow during their verbal sparring, and Mindy could tell Kelly would make her regret the insult. 

“Oh, you’re so funny!” Mindy said, laughing at Lynn to defuse the tension. “There were no eggshells in mine.” 

Lynn shrugged. 

“Thank you for inviting us to this, by the way.” Kat said, breaking the tension by focusing on Deb. “We’ve been looking forward to it.” 

“Same.” Deb said. “I’ve been eager to get to know all of you.” She said, looking at the table. 

“Me too.” Lynn said. “I want to know all of Arthur’s new friends.” 

Rani laughed. “Be careful what you wish for. I’m still trying to convince Kelly to beat you up and stand on your neck.” 

Lynn’s smile turned to Rani, who smiled back and gave her the finger. 

“Well… I think that’s enough food for now.” Deb sighed and placed her hand on her stomach. She stood up, brushing off her lap as she stood. Lynn followed her example, taking her empty plate to the kitchen. The others trailed behind, and Mindy passed her plate to the sink. 

“Leave them there.” Deb said to the others. “I’ll run the dishwasher when we’re done. Can I offer you girls a house tour to help me walk off some of that food?” 

The girls nodded. “Yes, please!” Mindy said, eager to see it.

“Top off your drinks!” Deb said, passing the champagne to Rani, who obediently filled her glass. “Oh, and let's take a picture!” Deb said, flipping her phone around.

The girls arranged themselves in a V behind her, but Lynn moved forward and stepped beside Deb, forcing them to shuffle. She made sure the angle was complimentary before Deb snapped the photo. Deb took a few shots, the girls smiling. Rani put her two middle fingers behind Lynn's head for the last one, giving her devil horns. That was the pic Deb sent Arthur. She posted a nicer one on her socials and sent it to the girls with her friend/follow requests.

Lynn giggled, oblivious, as she poured herself some coffee. 

Some others took coffee instead of alcohol, and Mindy followed the group as Deb led them into the hallway, stopping at a closet door. 

“This is the board game closet. We’re leaving these since they’re all Arthur’s anyway.” Deb said, opening the door. 

“Arthur likes board games?” Kelly asked, surprised. 

The sheer number of board games overwhelmed Mindy. She didn't even have time to read all of the boxes before Deb closed the closet. 

“Arthur loves board games.” Lynn said. “I’m surprised you don’t know that. You’d think you’d know your boyfriend better.” 

Kelly ignored her as they followed Deb into the sitting room. Mindy hadn't known that either. He'd never asked her to play one. 

“This is the sitting room.” Deb said, gesturing around herself. “It’ll be a great homework space and great for entertaining if you have friends over. There’s a full bar, but I'm afraid you’ll have to stock it yourselves.” 

Mindy wondered what the protocol would be for having friends over. Though, it seemed unlikely they'd hang out in this room without a TV. She frowned, searching the walls for one and finding nothing but a mirror over the mantle. 

Kat had the opposite reaction, plopping into one of the chairs. “I'm gonna get so much reading done in here!” 

“Bookworm, eh?” Lynn asked. “Another nerd.” She sighed as if removing the nerdy women present from her list of potential friends, though no one here wanted to be her friend. 

Come to think of it, Mindy was sure Lynn didn’t want to be friends with the group, period. She’d been antagonizing them all morning, though, to be fair, it was understandable she’d still be angry over them stealing her clothes the night before. Mindy wondered if she’d been embarrassed as she left the hotel or if she strutted her hot figure through the lobby without shame. 

Lynn had a body no one should be ashamed of, though. She was hot, bustier than Mindy, with a flatter stomach and round hips that made Mindy press her hands against her own narrow sides. Lynn looked hot as hell, and Mindy wondered what she looked like naked, what her nipples looked like, and whether she trimmed her bush. 

Mindy licked her lips and turned away from Lynn, refocusing on the room. 

The room was spacious and well-furnished, with chairs, a standing bar, a fireplace, and a piano. Although the white carpet seemed impractical, it was soft as sin against Mindy's socked feet. 

The bar had a pole running along the bottom, a footrest for those in absent stools, and Mindy imagined Selene chained to it with a serving tray, bringing Arthur his beer while he sat before the fireplace. Mindy would be there, sucking his cock while Rani ate out Kelly, sitting across from him. The two of them, Rani and Mindy, fastened to each other by cuffs and rope. Kat could sit on the sofa under the window and read her smut with a cup of hot coffee while pretending not to watch.

“That’s a nice piano.” Kat said, looking at the grand piano at the room's far end. 

“That stays too.” Deb said. “See if you can convince Arthur to serenade you, light a fire in the fireplace, and cuddle up with a good book for a perfect evening.” 

Mindy smiled at the thought. She'd learned last night that Arthur could play the piano, and she desperately wanted a private concert. 

“I can think of at least six better uses for Arthur.” Rani said without thinking. 

The others all looked at her. 

Deb laughed, causing the others to laugh as well. Mindy shook her head at Rani’s antics, nudging her gently. Rani shrugged in response and smiled at Mindy, winking at her. 

Mindy giggled and took Rani’s arm as they left the sitting room behind for the hallway. They turned right and took a few steps. 

“This is the family room.” Deb said as the hallway emptied into the middle of a rectangular room perpendicular to the hallway. The room split into two levels: a lowered level with a step to the left and the rest at the same level as the hallway. A large TV filled the left wall. An enormous sectional sofa rested before the TV to their left. The step down reminded Mindy of the sunken section of the hotel last night but to a far lesser degree. 

To the right, an open space with furniture along the walls terminated in a cushioned bay window overlooking the front yard. A settee against the wall looked antique, and the room was incredibly spacious. Mindy imagined the open space filled with them all sitting on the soft carpet and playing a game like Twister or something. 

The overstuffed modular couch in the TV section looked like a square with a piece missing, its interior section pulled forward to serve as a coffee table between the sofa and the television. The matching throw pillows on the then U-shaped sofa made it look like a comfortable movie pit instead of a couch. Mindy imagined pushing the removed section in to make the sofa a bed, and piling onto Arthur with the others, sucking and kissing him as he relaxed in a nest of naked women. 

“The home theater system has wireless surround sound, and the light-blocking curtains help.” Deb gestured to the windows. “The sofa seats nine, so there’s plenty of space.” 

“I cannot wait to watch movies on this thing! Lord of the Rings is going to be epic in surround sound!” Selene plopped onto the sofa, then seemed to remember the others were there, and Mindy watched her guards go up.

“She’s obsessed with those movies.” Kat rolled her eyes as she explained to Deb. 

“What’s that door?” Katelyn asked, pointing to the door on the wall opposite the hallway. 

“That’s the mudroom.” Deb said. She opened the door to show a plain tiled room that acted much like a hallway, with another door on the opposite side of it and a smaller door on the left. A large industrial-sized washing machine, dryer, table, folding iron, basin sink, and a refrigerator lined the walls on either side. “It’s soundproofed, so you don’t have to worry about your laundry interrupting your movies.” 

The door on the wall opposite them looked like a front door, complete with a peephole. 

“That’s a half bath.” Deb explained as she pointed to the smaller door on the left. “And this leads to the garage.” Deb pointed to the larger door straight ahead. “I don’t know if there’s enough space for all of your vehicles, but it’s a four-car garage, or you could park in the driveway and use it for storage.” 

“We should probably draw straws to determine who gets the garage spaces, so it’s fair.” Lynn said. “I have some–” 

Rani shrugged. “Nah. We’ve all agreed to let Arthur decide that kind of thing. Right?” She looked at the other girls, who smiled and nodded. 

Lynn frowned. 

“He’ll get one of the spaces, then he can choose who gets the other three.” Kelly said. 

“I’ll probably park in the driveway.” Mindy volunteered. “If I’m still running delivery for my parents, it’ll be less of a hassle to come and go.” 

The others nodded as they returned to the family room. Kelly lingered in the mudroom, examining the appliances and finding them more than satisfactory. “This will be amazing for doing laundry.” She said. 

Deb nodded. “I’ll miss the size of it, that’s for sure. It was vital to me that our comforter fit in the dryer. Come on, I’ll show you the other side of the house.” She gestured, and they followed her into the hallway, past the kitchen, sitting room, and dining room.

Mindy slid to Selene’s side and took her arm, pulling her back while the others walked ahead. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah.” Selene said, surprised. 

“Okay. I just wanted to check. You’ve been acting weird.” Mindy said. 

“Sorry.” Selene patted her hand. “I’m just nervous.” 

“Because of Deb?” Mindy asked, surprised. “She seems nice and way more open-minded than I expected.” 

“I know.” Selene said, nodding and looking toward Deb down the hallway. “She's awesome. I’m just not good with moms. I really want her to like me, and I don’t want to mess it up.”

“Don’t worry.” Mindy said, hugging Selene in a one-arm squeeze. “She likes you.” 

“Yeah.” Selene said. “Probably more than my mom does.” She chuckled dryly. 

“What do you mean?” Mindy asked, tilting her head. “Do you not get along with your mom?” 

“Mindy, you’re going to want to see this!” Rani called from the room Deb had gone into. 

The two headed toward the others, catching up to Lynn at the rear of the party. Lynn’s eyes followed Mindy and Selene as they reached Rani. 

Rani pointed to the door opposite the dining room and revealed a sizeable ornate study. 

Gorgeous built-in bookshelves of darkly stained wood lined three of the four walls. A fancifully carved cherry wood desk was toward the far wall, with its chair facing the door. The windows behind the desk looked out over the front yard and the flower bushes of the garden. 

Mindy closed her eyes in bliss. This was an office. She could only imagine the things Arthur would do to her in here. She checked the space under the desk, picturing herself between Arthur’s feet. There was enough room for her to kneel without being able to see her from the door and some space for her head if Arthur’s chair was low enough. 

The drawers on either side of the desk wouldn’t let her spread her arms like she could at the office desks at the school, but this would certainly work well for some scenes at home. Plus, the desk was large enough for her to lay across without issue. She could lie on her back, spread her legs, and let Arthur fuck her against the hardwood surface and still have support for her head and neck. 

“You can use this either as a homework space or a library.” Deb explained. “If we get rid of the desk, you can throw some bean bag chairs in here, pull in some proper furniture, or even put a futon in it if you want to make it a guest room.” 

“Oh, don't get rid of the desk!” Mindy protested. “It's beautiful! If anything, we could add more desks!”

Deb smiled. “I don't know how functional an office or homework space it would be with everyone crammed in here, but I'll let you sort that out.”

The girls examined the shelves, more interested in what they might place on them rather than what was currently there. The room especially enthralled Kat and Mindy, though for different reasons. 

“If we put a sofa or a loveseat under the window, it'd be a great library. We could all pool our books if we mark our names on them first.” 

“Brat, how many books do you think we have? I do my reading on a tablet.” Rani shook her head.

“Did you just call her a brat?” Lynn asked, looking at Rani.

“Yeah.” Rani said. The realization of why Lynn asked dawned on her. “That's what I call her.”

“Like a nickname?” Lynn asked.

“That only Rani can use.” Selene cut in and glared at Rani. “Right?” 

“I may allow others to use it from time to time.” Rani said, flipping her hair haughtily. “But certainly not you, bitch.” 

“Is bitch your nickname for me then?” Lynn asked. “What do you call Kelly?” 

“No. I'm not saying my nickname for you because it's too rude. I'm just calling you a bitch.” Rani explained.

Mindy laughed while Lynn glared at Rani.

Deb cleared her throat. “And now for my favorite room in the house.” Deb said, leading the way and taking a left out of the office. Her departure was abrupt, and they followed, with Lynn bringing up the rear. 

This hardwood-floored room mirrored the family room she’d shown them before, a rectangular room on the opposite side of the house, perpendicular to the hallway. This one was three walls of half-wall windows with the blinds down. Deb pressed a button by the light switch when she entered the room, and the blinds rose to reveal a three seasons room looking out to the front yard, the side garden, and the rear yard. 

The overstuffed armchairs looked comfortable for sitting and reading under the windows. A square wooden table toward the front yard window meant they could eat in there if they wanted or just hang out. The room's natural wooden theme reminded Mindy of last night's hotel, which made her smile. 

She imagined Arthur taking her on that table while the others watched from outside the windows surrounding them, looking in. She imagined the look on Lynn’s face as she watched from beyond the locked door while the girls surrounded Arthur on their knees. 

Mindy’s smile widened. 

“You have such beautiful gardens.” Kelly said, looking out the side window. 

“Thank you. I’d love to take the credit, but I’m afraid I only tend about ten percent of what’s actually involved. The rest is professional landscaping.” Deb explained. “There’s more to see in summertime, though.” 

“Winter is coming.” Kat recited, making the others laugh. 

“Shall we head outside?” Deb asked, gesturing to the external door. 

The girls shrugged and fetched their shoes. They slipped them on at the door and followed Deb to the rear patio after a few concrete steps.

An awning from the house covered the patio's red stone tiles. The grill was set in a built-up stone counter decorated with metal. It formed an L on the far side of the patio, which they’d set up more like an outdoor kitchen with built-in coolers and a large rectangular table. 

“Is that a hot tub?” Mindy asked, pointing to the large hot tub on the other side of the pool by the pool house. A small stone ring surrounded by wooden lawn chairs marked a fire pit halfway between the hot tub and the line of trees encroaching onto the rear yard. She could see it more easily from the elevated Jacuzzi.

Deb nodded. “We just had a new one put in. And the pool is heated, so you can use it year-round, though if it gets too cold this winter, you might not want to.” 

Selene and Rani shared a wicked smile. 

“And there’s the pool house.” Deb said, gesturing to the small structure on the opposite side of the pool beside the hot tub. “It’s got your basic kitchen, an extra bedroom with a walk-in closet for extra suits, a bathroom, which is really what I use it for, and that’s pretty much it besides the studio area.” 

She showed them the pool house, which looked similar to a tiny one-bedroom apartment. The front entrance was a pair of French doors, which opened easily and let in plenty of light. The ceiling in the living area was mostly skylight windows, letting in even more sun. There was a sofa, a TV, and a breakfast counter separating it from the kitchen, but the open space made the small area seem larger than it was. 

“We’ve stocked some suits, but if you have your own, you might want to label them or keep them in your rooms, whichever is easier.” Deb explained. “It makes for a good guest house, too, since the sofa pulls out to a queen bed if your family visits.” 

Kelly nodded. “It’s lovely. That’ll make a great space for some pool party nights.” 

“Oh, definitely.” Deb nodded. “And if you’re here in the summer, it’s got central air conditioning, just like the house.” 

“Oh, that’ll be nice.” Kelly said. 

Mindy could picture such an evening, the girls in their swimsuits and Arthur in his trunks, towels on the floor, maybe a blanket or two, cuddling up with hands wandering. She wondered how much of a movie they could watch on the poolhouse’s wall-mounted television before devolving into an orgy. It was perfect. 

“I like the privacy of the pool, too.” Rani said. “And the house, for that matter.” 

“After spending so many years in the city, privacy was a must.” Deb said. “Oh, and there’s a security system, but I’ll let Arthur show you that.” 

“Any cameras?” Rani asked. 

“At the front door and gates.” Deb said. “But not pointing toward the pool. I didn’t want security guards judging my swimsuit choices.” 

Rani nodded. 

“Oh, Arty will love ogling us in our swimsuits.” Lynn said, almost laughing to herself. 

“He’s seen us all in swimwear.” Kelly said, dismissing Lynn’s comment for the foolishness it was. 

“And less.” Rani snickered. 

“Oh, that’s right. How was your nude party last night? Should I expect those to be a regular event here at the house?” Lynn asked, glancing at Deb to see her reaction. “Are you even going to wear swimsuits or just skinny dip all the time?” 

Deb’s eyebrows lifted. She glanced at the girls but did not linger to meet the gaze of any particular girl. 

Mindy shrugged. “Is that a problem for you?” She asked Lynn. 

“Yeah, you’re gonna be in the basement anyway. What do you care if we skinny dip?” Rani asked. 

Lynn shrugged. “Just because I live in my own apartment at the house doesn’t mean I won’t use the pool or patio.” 

“We’ll see.” Kelly said in a tone that didn’t invite further comment.

“I think it’s actually in the paperwork that you don’t get access to anything other than the basement, like the pool.” Kat said, glancing at Deb. “I remember Arthur adding that stipulation?” 

Lynn turned to look at Deb, whose smile faded when she nodded. “That is correct. Though, I’d hope for Arthur to show some leniency on that.” 

“So I can’t use the pool, but they can skinny dip whenever they want?” Lynn asked. 

“Sounds like it.” Kelly glanced at Deb. 

“You’re okay with them having nude parties?” Lynn asked, turning her question into an accusation as she glared at Deb. 

The girls looked uncomfortable, but Deb met Lynn’s gaze without flinching while Kelly checked on Deb. 

“Oh, don’t worry about me.” Deb said, waving Kelly’s fears away. “I expect you youngins to get up to some mischief. Just be safe and hygienic, and maybe don’t destroy the poolhouse or throw any ragers Arthur can’t repair.” 

“Oh, we’re definitely not the rager type of crowd.” Kelly said, and most of the others nodded along.

“I enjoy a good rager if I’m in the mood.” Rani said, taking Mindy’s arm. “But don’t worry. The worst you’ll have to worry about is Selene inviting half the school to a one-man orgy. Er, I mean, nude party.” She put the phrase ‘nude party’ in the verbal air quotes it deserved. 

“I remember naked parties from my time in college.” Deb said, laughing. “They can be a lot of fun with the right people.” 

Lynn looked at her, shocked. 

“Oh yes, I was quite wild in my day.” Deb smiled, her gaze looking off somewhere decades past. “I’ve been to a handful of them myself when I was in college, but I didn’t know they were still doing them.” 

“It’s less of a Pendleton thing and more a horny young people thing.” Rani explained. “So it sticks around.” 

Deb laughed, shaking her head. “I like you. You’re refreshing.” 

“Thanks.” Rani said, smiling. “Can we see the bedrooms?” She asked Deb. “We’ll need to see how we’re gonna fit.” 

“Of course.” Deb said, gesturing for them to follow her. She closed the poolhouse behind them and took them into the house through the kitchen.