Long Blonde Hair, Sky Blue Eyes Pt. 02

"Oh, there's no doubt that 'this kind of intimacy' is reserved for you alone; it's the relaxed intimacy you develop by working together that I need to work on. If you agree to go with me on the Virgin Islands shoot next month, I think you'll understand what I mean.

"But tonight we're together, and I'm too happy and sleepy to keep talking, so, I love you, and I'll see you in the morning!"

He didn't wake up with her mouth around his cock, which was a good thing as he needed to pee like a racehorse. But she was on it like a bird on a juicy worm as soon as he lay down again, which led to another mattress pounding before coffee.

"I've agreed to go with you to San Juan next month; now I have a proposition for you. My parents and Johnny's want everyone to come down for a Texas barbeque in mid-September. Everyone means your parents, siblings, and grandparents, but especially you and Hanna. Hanna and you family have already agreed - will you be able to get off?"

"Honey, if I'm modeling in the White House with the President, I'll cancel to go with you to meet your family! Oh my god! That is so exciting... and so frightening! What if they hate me?"

"They already do. They blame you for me moving to Minnesota and never coming home to visit, so you will have to turn on the extra charm to keep from disappearing into the hog pen."

"Hog pen?" "Yeah, hogs will eat a human body if it's left in their pen. No trace."

"Asshole!"

Annika put in an appearance at the office just in time for lunch, and invited everyone to join her; on her! She got 100% acceptance, and had a minibus waiting. El Taco Reindo had tables reserved for them, and the offerings were excellent - for Minnesota. Erik and Johnny were complimentary, but exchanged winks. "Wait until they try Tex-Mex in San Antonio!" Johnny whispered.

When they got back to the office, the crew thanked her for the delicious meal, and she thanked them for sharing Erik for lunch. Before he got off, she gave him a quick kiss and forewarned, "We're going out again tonight, so I expect to see you in a coat, and you'll get to see me in cocktail dress I'm certain you'll like."

It wasn't just the words; it was the seductive tone that made him want to accompany her back to the apartment, but he really did have to work. They were too close to the integration of the Lone Star and Midwestern logistics program and servers to waste a moment.

Annika has his clothes laid out on his bed, with a note to shower and shave in the other bathroom, where she had moved his stuff; the master suite was hers until they left at seven!

It felt weird to be getting dressed up on such short notice - where were they going, and why? If this was some gala related to her occupation, he was not going to be pleased!

When she came out of the master suite and walked toward him, however, he forgot all his reservations. My god! She looked more beautiful than he'd ever seen her look before, and he thought he'd seen her at her finest!

That white-golden hair fell in long curls to below her shoulders, until it lay over portions of... what? A dress? A slip? It was silken, a shade or two darker than the color of her hair, and it fit and clung to her body like a slip, but he could tell it was meant to be a dress. The thin straps over her shoulders were golden, as was the trim around the neckline. The hem ended just below mid-thigh, leaving what Johnny had called "miles and miles of legs" exposed.

Her jewelry was white gold, her heels were golden, and her purse was the color of the trim on her dress. She was absolutely stunning, and the smile on her face said she knew it. She took his arm and said, "Ready? Our reservation is in ten minutes." He nodded, still struck dumb by the woman on his arm.

A white limousine with gold trim was waiting at the curb; they entered, and it drove away without instruction being given.

"So, are we going to a red carpet somewhere, or a ball, or one of the galas I've seen you at on TV?" he managed to ask.

"No, silly, we're just going out to eat, but I want to make an impression."

"That's certainly going to happen!" he exclaimed. "You... you are spectacular!"

"Thank you, Honey. You look pretty yummy yourself, in your navy pinstripe suit."

"What is that style of dress called; it's maybe the sexiest thing I've seen!"

"It's just a silk sheath I wore in one of the evening shoots. I kept it because I thought you'd like it. I kept several others too, for the same reason."

"You were certainly right about this one; the way it clings to you without really showing anything besides those gorgeous legs in hose is... wow!"

The limo stopped, the driver opened the door on Annika's side, and they exited onto the curb... in front of Allen's kitchen. Erik looked confused, but Annika took his arm and led him to the host's stand. "Reservations for Swahn," she stated to the bug-eyed host. Gathering himself, he replied, "This way Mademoiselle, Sir."

They followed him through a restaurant that went quiet as they made their way to, and were seated at, Erik's normal table. Among the silenced were their server, the normally irrepressible Kerri, and her support groups of fellow servers.

Erik looked up and saw her making her way toward them, and she looked completely intimidated. She handed them menus, ignored Erik's smile, and asked if she could take their drink order. Annika ordered a specific type, brand, and year of wine, and two glasses. "We're celebrating!" she told Kerri with her trademark megawatt smile. "I just returned from a ten day photo shoot in Tahiti, and I'm sooo happy to be back with my Erik!"

Kerri's naturally big eyes grew huge, and she hurried off to fill their drink order... assuming they even had the wine she ordered.

Erik grinned at her, only to be met with a loving look totally devoid of duplicity. "You shit!" he said quietly. "How did you find out about Kerri? From Hanna?"

"I have spies everywhere, my love. She's a cute girl, and she's going to make someone a great wife, but, in spite of what she thinks, it isn't going to be you! Or, let's say I'm not going to give you up without a fight, so I wanted her to know what she's up against."

"You have a mean streak, don't you? That's good to know, although I should have guessed; your tabloid reputation claims as much."

Erik didn't even like wine, but this was actually good. They didn't have to order; Annika gently told Kerri she had preordered, so the chef would have time to properly prepare the courses. Kerri dutifully brought course after course, and each time she stared at Annika in awe.

When the final course was consumed, Kerri approached, stated that the bill had been taken care of, and asked if she could be of further assistance.

Annika looked Kerri over, assessing her face and figure in the black skirt and white blouse, and then patted the chair beside her and asked Kerri to sit. She looked startled, but did as requested.

"Well, I can certainly see what Erik sees in you. Your kind of clean-cut natural beauty is rare; in fact, very rare. I understand you are a junior at the University, majoring in marketing, and you're putting yourself through school."

Kerri nodded, and Annika asked, "Would you be interested in doing some modeling? It's good money, and I believe we can fit it in around your class schedule. You would have to quit working here, but your income should at least triple, and you would have more time to study."

Kerri's eyes lit up, and she answered, "Oh, of course! But do you think I have the... looks, to be a model?"

"I've seen you in profile, from behind, and up close; I do. You would have to start with catalogs to learn the business, but I do believe you would do well. You're far too cute and curvy for runway work, and that's where the big money is - but, it's also stressful and most everyone is horrible to work with and around, so don't let yourself get tempted.

"You have the body and looks for catalogs, lingerie, and swimwear, both photographic and videographic, and you can easily make high five-figures while you complete your coursework and graduate. If you want, you can even keep working and enroll in graduate school, which I hear is your dream.

"If we do this though, I have one request."

"What is that?" Kerri asked, knowing it was stay away from Erik.

"Will you help me when I enroll at the university? I've never been in a formal educational setting, and I'm going to need a friend and lots of advice."

After the shock wore off, Kerri nodded her head and stated her agreement. "Of course! But, if I may ask, why would you want to pursue a degree? You're already a millionaire many times over!"

"Because being around Erik, Johnny, and Hanna has refocused me on what really matters in life. They are well educated and can speak about any subject. I'm not exactly an airhead model, but they've showed me how much I don't know about the world, about science, technology, history, government, philosophy, and even business and marketing, which is your field.

"I can't rely on my God-given looks forever, and even if I could, I've recently learned how wonderful it is to learn new things, to expand your understanding and your mind. So, I want to go to college, but I want a friend there to guide and help me when I need it. Will you be that friend?"

Kerrie squealed, "I'd love to!" they hugged, and she scurried off to tell her friends of the offer.

"The suspicious part of me wants to ask if you're fucking with her, but I read nothing but sincerity in you. So, college girl, huh?" he teased. "If you do that, you're going to cause massive disturbances all over that campus, boys are going to fail classes, and professors are going to stammer and stutter through lectures when you cross and uncross those long, lovely legs in your co-ed miniskirt."

"Come back to the limo with me and I'll practice so you can critique my technique. I don't want to do it wrong when I start classes."

****

She looked as good in a terry robe with wet hair as she did last night, in an entirely different way. Erik raised his second cup of fresh ground coffee and asked, "So, why did you do it? Offer Kerri a job, I mean."

"As you know, I went there to enforce my No Trespassing claim, but after a while, I saw what you saw. She's gorgeous, in a wholesome, Jennifer Love Hewitt way, and her body was made for lingerie and swimwear. They may want her to lose a few pounds, but I'll make sure they know my expectations.

"She's not afraid to show off her body, so I think she'll enjoy modeling. Don't worry, I'll take good care of her, but you're going to need a new waitress to leave $50 tips for."

"Hey, I was just supporting her school efforts!"

"Of course you were," she said with an eye roll, "Now, you need to go to work so I can get some work done here."

"You're just afraid I'll take that sexy robe off and do you again," he teased.

"That's not entirely untrue, but if you do, call in sick first, because I'm not letting you leave until dinner!"

Erik and Johnny spent the day on telephone and video calls with the Lone Star logistics centers, including what would become the central terminal for the merged companies. They were already using the program; the issue was hardware differences between the two companies, and, ultimately, the only way to find and solve those issues was by using it. Tomorrow would be the day, so today they and their staff were troubleshooting what they could.

Annika was upstairs meeting with her agent and attorney. She was at the pinnacle of her profession, which wouldn't last very long, and her intention had been to make hay while the sun still shines. Then Eric came along, she bonded with her family, and her changing priorities affected her willingness to stick to the schedule she had approved.

Today was all about rethinking and revising the schedule without breaking contracts. The rest of the week would be about tying all the broken and loose ends back together in a way that allowed her to build the budding relationships she had, and develop relationships with the Swahn and Lundell families. Without destroying her career...

After the career strategy session was over and her agent went about gathering more information, she went to see Daddy; she needed help developing another strategy. Before long, her Daddy's daddy and mother were on his way to the office to provide input.

In a way, she felt guilty going about it this way, but she needed information before making a huge investment of her savings, and only Farfar had that information. Their session continued until a text arrived: "Where are you? I'm at the apartment."

"I'm with my grandparents. What would you think of eating out with my family tonight?"

"Love to! Where/when?"

The answer came after a brief consultation. "How about Manny's Steakhouse on Marquette? My grandfather is paying."

"He'll have to, or give me a raise! What time?"

"In an hour?" "Cool - see ya there."

It didn't take long for Erik to realize something was up; their attempt at subtlety was poor. A little light conversation, 'when is the merge,' 'is everything ready,' 'and where do you see yourself living in five years?' That last question was the clarifying clue.

"Until recently," he replied, "somewhere on the IH 35 corridor, in the Austin area. Not Austin, but somewhere between Marble Falls on the West, Bastrop on the east, Georgetown to the north, and San Marcos to the south. Somewhere near the fastest growing metro area in the country, with access to all major Texas cities, Mexico, and the main cities we do business with across the country.

"If Lone Star - Midwestern grows into an international firm like we all think it will, we will need to be able to influence state government in Texas and in Washington. I'm not the guy for either job, but someone will have to be readily available to whatever lobbyists we hire, and I'm more comfortable dealing with Texas than Washington. Besides, Mr. Olsson already has effective lobbyists in Minnesota and Washington; that leaves Texas, where Dad likes to stay above the fray.

"Unfortunately, If we're going to become the 'green transportation alternative,' Texas will have to get onboard, and that will take money and a strong voice. State leadership is firmly in the pocket of big oil, but there is a push for green energy for homes and businesses, so maybe we can make some inroads and garner favor for big ol' trucks that deliver goods with energy efficiency."

Erik was watching everyone else while directly addressing the questioner, Maja. He saw the grin on Oliver's face and the delight on Annika's; he also saw the frown on Carl's. If he had any question about the question, the answer was now obvious.

"On the other hand," he added, "I love it up here with you guys, so I guess I need to keep an open mind. Maybe Johnny is the one for Texas." Carl smiled, and Annika laughed.

Playing up to the parents and grandparents was unlike Erik, and so doing reinforced his bond with her family, and she appreciated that.

The rest of their dinner conversation was light and happy, and the Texan had to admit the medium-rare porterhouse was as good as any he'd eaten, that he or his dad didn't grill.

An almost giddy Annika clung to his arm, rode as close as possible in his pickup, and invited him to shower with her. That set off two rounds of incredible lovemaking that let them both sleep soundly until dawn, when they enjoyed a third.

Erik knew his answer last night came across as him sucking up to her family, but as of this moment, he would gladly live where ever she wanted. She was so deep under his skin he could feel her in his heart, which both thrilled and frightened him.

****

Part three is written. Hope you enjoyed this one.

Texican1830