Long Blonde Hair, Sky Blue Eyes Pt. 02

"You're so bad! Take that big cock out and play with it while you watch me. It won't be the same, but you turn me on like mad even 3000 miles apart!"

She was right on all counts, but what they couldn't recreate on Facetime was going to bed and waking up in each other's arms.

****

Saturday morning, Annika and crew ventured north until their guide found the stretch of unbroken, snow-covered ice he was looking for. Annika modeled snowsuits, ski suits, cold weather jackets, and snow boots, had a meal of hot soup with Hanna and the crew, and then did the sexy jumpsuits Donna was featuring. She had to retreat inside the heated bobtail truck that had been turned into a dressing room several times, as the jumpsuits were meant for New York or London, not northern Alaska.

Back in Minnesota, Erik went for a run in the nearby park, joined the gym a few blocks over to lift weights and work on his martial arts, and then ate a locally-sourced grilled chicken salad at a nearby restaurant. He idly wondered why 'locally sourced' was so important up here, but didn't pursue it with his pretty server because he didn't want to give her more reasons to talk and flirt.

Last night's video session with Annika was surprising and sexy as hell, but left him less than fully satisfied. That this hottie reminded him of the dark-haired, dark-eyed starlet named Carrie he pounded into submission a few months before he met Annika was not contributive to his monogamy.

Maybe "Kerri with an i" read that somehow, or maybe she was just on the make, but it was sweet of her to sign her name with a heart over the 'i' and include her number on the credit card receipt.

Fuck - it was going to be a long two weeks! He needed a long swim and a cold shower, now!

The Sunday and Monday evening shows were further indications of Annika's creativity, and they took the edge off for Erik, but watching her get off on toys was not the same as getting her off with his hands, mouth, and cock. Still, it was better than jacking-off alone.

He and Johnny talked over coffee each morning, and both felt the same - the difference was, Hanna would be back Wednesday, and Annika was gone for another ten days.

Late Tuesday afternoon they were engaged in a team-training exercise that involved scheduling the entire fleet of Flying W trucks for a week ahead, based on dozens of factors. When the room went silent and all eyes turned to the door behind them, Erik and Johnny turned around in their chairs.

They were dressed to impress, and thrill, and they did; so much for the decorum of a professional workplace! Having those two come sashaying through the office in tiny cocktail dresses and accost the bosses pretty much ruined the propriety established, and the fact that they were followed by caterers who began setting up a variety of foods and drinks on the conference table they weren't using finished it off.

Hanna and Annika ardently hugged and kissed their men, introduced themselves, and then enthusiastically told everyone they had gotten back to town early and wanted to surprise their boyfriends and their new teammates, so they brought food and drinks!

That drew a round of applause, and lines started to form at both ends of the table. "What are you doing here?" Erik asked quietly. "You said at least two weeks!"

"Donna's team was made up of first class professionals, and we all agreed Alaska was awesome, but it was cold and home was calling. We hustled, worked late, sent her the unedited products, and she loved them! So, here we are, and I don't have to leave again until Thursday at noon!"

"That could be a problem, because we have your grandfather coming over to answer questions and share his expertise tomorrow. I really won't have time for you between nine and about five..."

"That's okay, Honey. You're going to need a long break by then anyway, and I can work online from your apartment!"

They both needed a long break by nine the next morning, but were fully recharged by six that night. Erik stumbled out of bed and made it to work Thursday morning late, and Annika gingerly walked from the limo to the waiting chartered jet to Honolulu while treasuring the way her lover had handled and mishandled her so frantically that night and morning.

The only downer came over coffee, when she finally told Erik that this next shoot would include a grown-up version of the 'Blue Lagoon' commercial, with Afton... her first. He was so fucked down he didn't react as strongly as expected, but she felt guilty, and it seemed he was reading her emotions.

That night's video was all about love and trust, and how he shouldn't believe anything he sees or reads because it's all just publicity poses and she only wants and loves him. Then, after a few minutes, perhaps seeking assurance, or perhaps displaying her own insecurity, she asked about each of the four young women on their work team. Where were they educated? How smart are they? How were they chosen? What does each bring to the team?

Oxford, MIT, Michigan, and Texas; very intelligent/top of the class; highly recommended from internships and employment; and expertise in areas she had never heard of, weren't the answers she wanted. With her own lack of formal education, an associate's degree from a community college was intimidating, and competing with well-educated, accomplished young women like these was terrifying.

A certainty in her world is that looks only go so far, and they fade fast - far faster than an educated, inquisitive mind and engaging personality! Getting and keeping someone like Erik - well, Erik - was going to be more difficult than she had imagined - especially when she was gone so much!

Women look at him like men look at her, and he knows it as well as she does! Not only that, but her actor friend and Erik's former lover, Carrie, said he was undoubtedly the best, most accomplished lover she'd had, and she'd had a lot more than five (times ten). Growing this relationship into marriage was going to be hard!

Erik was worried too; she had history with Afton, and this was set up to be a re-visitation of that time when they first discovered sexual feelings. To make it worse, Afton was the male manifestation of Annika, in terms of beautiful face and body. He had a well-earned reputation as a lover, and this was the first time they had worked together since the 'blue lagoon' days.

Loving one of the world's great beauties in the real world wasn't shaping up to be as easy as it had been on Mackinac Island and M22.

****

Any of Karla, Andrea, Suzanne, or Joyce could have become a problem for Annika, but they acted professionally in the workplace, and looked up to Erik and Johnny, who were regarded as 'young lions' in the field.

Kerri, on the other hand, was a senior in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota. She saw Erik as a prime piece of manhood/ husband material. If she was on duty when he entered the restaurant, she was on him immediately, no matter where he sat. The other servers, all of whom were older and married, thought it was cute and gave her his table without complaint.

She was the bright, peppy coed who made everyone's day brighter, but they knew she'd had a tough life and risen above her raising. They loved and supported her, and if she wanted Erik, they would help her get him.

Erik knew he should avoid Kerri, but the restaurant was close to his gym, office, and apartment, and he liked the food. He also enjoyed Kerrie's relentlessly happy manner, and the teasing and flirting. Dark hair, chocolate brown eyes, cheerleader body, and vulnerability disguised by a gregarious front. She was Carrie at first glance, but something in her eyes and carriage told him that was where the similarity ended. This girl wasn't a sports fuck; she was the marrying kind.

Minneapolis was five hours ahead of Tahiti time-wise, exacerbating the communication problem their busy schedules created. The MWLTS merger team was working long, intense hours, much of it on phone and video calls across the country, as they prepared to launch the new system Erik and Johnny had created. There were hardware problems that had to be addressed first, before software could be installed and they could do the online training.

It was hectic, it was stressful, and eight-hour days didn't fit the situation, especially with offices in all four time zones.

Things were just as intense out in Polynesia, so Annika and Erik relied primarily on texts and emails over a VPN to communicate their feelings, and exchange pictures. In Alaska they had relied on video sex to tide them over, but the time difference, Erik's twelve to sixteen hour work days, and Annika's sunrise, sundown, mid-day, and evening photo shoots and filming, made even that poor substitute an impossibility.

Hanna showed up at 9:30 mid-week, took Johnny and Erik by their ears, and told the other three still there that they were all going to eat now, Johnny and Erik were buying, so come on! They logged off, shut down, unplugged, secured the building, and trudged over to Allen's Kitchen, which served until eleven.

As soon as the greeter saw Erik, she seated them at a large table in the back, handed out menus, and scurried off. Moments later, a gorgeous brunette with a killer body and smile approached their table to take their orders. Hanna didn't miss the look she gave Erik, or the smile he returned.

The meal was fabulous, the service impeccable, and Erik's tip very generous. He even handed Kerri a Franklin to give the chef, and Kerri gave him another look that Hanna caught.

Hanna spent the night and enjoyed breakfast with her boyfriend, and then sent a head's up email to her BFF before rushing off to school at seven.

It was two in the morning in Moorea, and Annika was wide awake. Tomorrow they were moving everything except the people to a new location; the atoll. She would soon be flaunting her body in Tom's edgy swimwear, but not until the next day. Tomorrow the director and Tom's rep would take the cameramen and crews over, pick the best locations, and plan the shoots. She, Afton, and the others would catch boat early the next morning, and spend the day shooting swimwear, beachwear, loungewear, and casual wear on the deserted atoll.

With nothing to do that night, for the first time since they arrived, the entire crew had vowed to par-tay until the break of dawn! Annika's new status as the friendly, happy, complimentary, and cooperative model everyone loved made her feel good, but also meant she had to set her own wants aside to blend in. So it was that she was front and center when the party began an hour before sunset, which would happen just after six in late August.

They were sitting on folding chairs on the west side of the center house, which had walkways running to the houses that surrounded it in all directions. The other houses were at least fifty yards away, in a starburst pattern.

Sunset was as spectacular as every other sunset they had witnessed down here, but more beautiful because they were imbibing alcoholic beverages instead of hurriedly changing, making up, and filming Annika, Afton, and the background models in the changing colors and shades.

There were no evening gown shots tonight either, although the walkways between and among the dozen colorful vacation homes, built over the shimmering waters of the lagoon, would have made a great background for formalwear.

When the sun had settled over the horizon, they moved to the huge porch on the east side of Afton's house to await the rising of the Blue Moon from the eastern ocean. In its own way, the moonrise was more spectacular than the sunset, since the humongous moon was bigger than the sun and just as orange when it separated from the distant waters. Practically everyone else was taking photos or videos of the phenomenon, but her phone's battery was low and she wanted to save it for texts or calls from home. Erik had texted they were working late again, but just in case...

Besides, there were professional photographers and a videographers shooting away, and they would happily give her better shots than she could take.

Afton was hospitable, offering the use of his bathrooms, kitchen, and bar, although the rums and mixers were courtesy of the director, who wasn't with them. He was also solicitous to Annika, who had been his first just as she had been his. He had never forgotten the feel of her or of that moment, but he wanted another chance, now that he had the knowledge and experience to please her, rather than only himself.

Annika was missing Erik badly, especially in romantic and sensory stimulating moments like these. She had no interest in giving Afton the 'second chance' he had pleaded for almost as often as he had quietly memorialized the 'blue lagoon' in which they had lost their innocence. He was circumspect, but having him whispering of his desires and memories in her ear while leaning against him in a pose was distracting. A little bit of a turn-on too, but mostly distracting.

The tropical sundress she wore was one from an earlier shoot. She knew Erik would love her in it, but it was getting chilly in the early spring winds down here in their southern hemisphere paradise. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered lightly; Afton caught it, and brought her a lined windbreaker. She offered her appreciation and put it on. He offered a blanket if she needed it; she declined, but with the caveat "maybe later." The forecast was for a low of 67, but the breeze made it feel colder; a blanket over her legs might feel good later.

They were drinking potent ginger, coconut, or fruit-infused rum from the local Pineapple Factory Distillery, mixed with tonic or a lemon-lime drink that was popular on all the islands. Annika was sipping, but she could feel the warmth spread each time she swallowed, and she had to pay attention when she went inside to use the restroom; her balance was off just a bit.

That was at eight; it was now 2 am and she was shitfaced. Everyone else was too, or passed out in and around Afton's house. Annika decided she would make the fifty-yard trek back to her house, because dozing off while cuddled in Afton's arms was starting to feel too good... especially with him kissing her neck and shoulders, rubbing her tummy with one hand, and her thigh with the other.

She struggled to her feet, her head spun, and she staggered to the nearby rail to keep herself upright. "Oww! I'm way drunker than I thought!" she slurred. "I'll be alright; I'll just hold onto the rail and..." She took one step, another, and then leaned over the rail and puked her guts out. Her purse fell from her hand, hit the board surface, and things flew all over the walkway and into the puke-covered water.

When a sufficient amount of alcohol was dispelled, she folded into a tangle on the walkway, moaned, and more splashes were heard as she wiggled around, knocking more things into the water. The few still awake watched, but no one offered to come help the puke-covered supermodel.

Afton was torn; he saw the opportunity he had been given, but he actually liked Annika. She was a dream to model with, she was friendly to and with everyone, including him, and she had a serious boyfriend.

On the other hand, she was a gorgeous as anyone he'd ever been with, and she felt so good in his arms!

He weighed his options, made his choice, and went over to help her up. He was bigly drunk too, but he could at least lift her, wrap her in his arms, and help her stagger into his house and bedroom.

****

Back in the USA, in CDT it was six am, and Erik was getting dressed. Today was a big day; the first trial run across the system! Okay, it was a trial run, but, best case, it would show they were ready to launch, or, in the more likely case, it would show what remained to be done.

He checked his phone and saw there were no messages from Annika. It was just after 1:30 am over there, but he sent her something to read when she awoke: a picture of his excited face with the caption "Today is the Day!" and a flood of crossed fingers and four-leaf clovers.

He was the first one in the office, but the rest of the team was there within fifteen minutes, and they reached out to their east coast affiliates at eight, their time; everyone in ET said they were ready for the eleven am launch. Those in the central time zone also responded positively, as did those in Rocky Mountain. One Pacific affiliate was late responding, but after they cleared one glitch, they were ready too.

It was T-minus 10 and counting...

The launch was anticlimactic. Everyone across thirty-two stations was seeing the same screen, the data were flowing, and the colored dots signifying various kinds of trucks, trains, boats, and planes were scattered across the screens. Using known locations, orders, and AI predictions, station after station began the work before them, without discovered glitches.

Erik and Johnny had been running from terminal to terminal, figuratively holding their breaths waiting for the crisis. When two hours passed without incident, they inhaled deeply, flopped down in chairs, and began clapping. Curious faces turned toward them, and smiles broke out as they realized their bosses were clapping for them.

"Best job I ever had!" Andrew exclaimed to Joyce, who enthusiastically passed that thought to Karla. At some point, they all turned to their bosses and began clapping for and throwing kisses to them. It was silly and immature, but the oldest person in the room was 27, and no one in the room had participated in something this big, much less something this big that was pulled off flawlessly.

Johnny followed Erik into his office, where they made a video call to Oliver Olsson, Alexander Swahn, Erik's dad, and Lukas Lundell, Johnny's dad. They shared the good news, but with the caveat that it would take at least a week to identify and weed out smaller problems that were sure to occur. The older men were ready for a celebratory weekend, but Erik reminded them that Annika wasn't due back until next week, and he wanted her present for any celebration.

Alexander laughed and offered to host a gathering the second weekend of September, so they could all finally meet the mysterious Annika and Hanna. Oliver agreed, and said he would bring Carl and his family so they could all meet and get to know each other. Johnny and Erik logged off and left the three businessmen to make plans and do whatever they wanted.

Johnny's text to Hanna was returned in seconds with a cute celebratory gif; more crickets from Annika.

Karla stuck her head in the door, announced they were ordering sandwiches, drinks, and dessert from Jimmy Johns, for which the bosses were paying, and asked if they wanted their regular; they did.

It was nigh on four o'clock when they finished their meals, still sitting close to their computers, just in case. There was nothing more to do than monitor, which one person could do, but no one wanted to go home yet, so phones were in use and there was happy chatter around the room.

Erik checked messages, email, and a couple of communication apps on the outside chance Annika might have used one, but found nothing from her on any. Sure, he knew she was busy, but he was a bit perturbed at getting ghosted for a day and a half.

When he looked up, he knew something was up. Karla and Joyce were sitting close together, looking at a phone, with Phil and Albert looking over their shoulders. That was okay, but the furtive glances they were throwing his way were not. He stood, stretched, and wandered around the room.

By the time he got to Karla, the others were sitting at their stations pretending they were busy, and Karla's phone was laying upside down on her desk.

"Are you going to show me what you guys were looking at?" Erik asked. "I can tell you don't want to, but I can also tell it's something I need to see, right?