Long Blonde Hair, Sky Blue Eyes Pt. 03

And it adds up to the question on my mind...

This story is the work of the writer known as Texican1830 and no one has the right to publish it or any of my works on any other site, including cartoon sites, without my approval. If you must have an error free (no typos or misspellings) story, best move on; Word and I edit my work, which means I have to edit Word too. If you're looking for thrilling action or hard core sex, this is in Romance, which probably isn't the right section. Likewise, if you want the story moved along with as few words as possible, and with as little description as possible, don't read my works - any of them.

If you are still here, I hope you enjoy part 3.

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The merge wasn't flawless, but it was accomplished; albeit after significant troubleshooting and more than a few muttered cusswords. By one-thirty, data on all forms of conveyance available to the combined company was displayable at every center, and AI was drawing conclusions and making predictions.

Until AI had become more learned and proven, however, humans oversaw and could override the system, which was infrequently necessary, but necessary. Even when fully implemented, AI would not be fully autonomous - the humans might not be as capable of prediction, but they had institutional knowledge and instinct that AI didn't... at least not yet.

Several floors above, myriad issues were being addressed. Annika's world was filled with selfish, envious, manipulative people and entities that didn't want to give an inch, but she was persuasive and her lawyer adamant, when necessary. Slowly, a new calendar took shape for the year ahead, and plans were developed around that calendar.

The Labor Day weekend was spent at the Winquist family lodge on the world's largest freshwater lake. How big is it? Erik, Johnny, Hanna, and Annika learned that, incredibly, Lake Superior contains enough water to cover North and South America with a foot of water!

Maja and Oliver actually owned the family lodge now, but it and all its amenities were available to other family members without charge, on a reservation basis; Labor Day and Mayday being the exceptions.

The log lodge was huge, and significantly upgraded in terms of insulation and heating. The bottom floor consisted of a large kitchen, a dining area with a table seating 18, a humongous community room, and the master suite. Upstairs were bedrooms sleeping 12, with baths, and a bunkroom sleeping 14 with a large shower and dressing rooms that could be designated as or alternated by gender. Annika and Erik were assigned a bedroom, as were Hanna and Johnny, signaling an acceptance of the status quo by her family.

Today was about exploring the acreage and the house, and Annika's siblings eagerly took the role of guides. They led the family along a path that wended through the wooded eleven acres, and returned the group along the grassy shoreline to the boathouse. Unlike Lake Michigan, there were sandy shores with good swimming - assuming you could stand being in the 60-degree water and getting out into the 72-degree September air, which they could not!

The lake boats docked there were huge by Texas lake standards, but Lake Superior is huge by any standard, and the weather can change in minutes - as they would learn on day three.

It was cool, crisp, with a light breeze from the north; perfect weather to be outdoors! Johnny checked his phone and announced, "It's a balmy 106 at the ranch in Texas right now! I'll bet dad is outside barbequing and drinking beer!"

That elicited laughter from the group, which Johnny killed with the reminder that they would all be there two weekends from now, barbequing and drinking beer outside.

No one wanted to cook or go to a restaurant, so Mary brought out a huge charcuterie board with several kinds of bread and crackers, and various and sundry condiments. The drink choices were Pepsi, 7-UP, fruit juices, or water. When their meal was consumed, Maja brought out a plastic container filled with Swedish Cardamom Cookies. They were buttery, crispy, and delicious, and Maja informed them she had two more containers of these and one of Ginger Cookies, so eat up!

Erik begged her to bring some of these cookies to Texas so his parents could see what they were missing by abandoning their Swedish heritage; she promised she would bring an assortment of cookies and other treats of Swedish origin.

That little aside changed the conversation, which turned to the logistics of getting to San Antonio, and then to the ranch. Oliver said he had getting to San Antonio figured out; he was chartering a plane! Johnny said not to worry about transportation from the airport to the ranch; two Suburbans would be waiting at the airport, and he and Erik would drive.

Annika quietly asked Erik if they could sneak off for a while to check Austin out. He laughingly replied that was a long weekend at best, but he had a proposal for her. If she would accompany him to Austin for the wedding of an old friend the first weekend of October, they would go early, come back late, and he would show her around. She checked her phone calendar, smiled, hugged him, and said she would be pleased to serve as his Plus 1 for the wedding.

Oliver's cell phone was in his pocket; he felt the buzz and answered jovially. "I've been waiting on you! Were you late getting up here? ^ Yes, we're through eating, but Maja saved you some of her cookies, so come on over!"

"That was Sven Andersson," Oliver told the group. "He and his wife, Eva, are our neighbors to the west. They have one daughter, Karina, who is Elle's good friend, and four sons ranging in age from 15 to 30. You'll meet them in a few minutes, but in order of age, they are Aden, Lukas, Elias, and Nils. They are big strapping boys, but none are married."

Elle giggled, and Axel joined her. "What are you two laughing about?" Annika asked with a smile.

Elle replied, "Well, according to Karina, all three of her older brothers are 'players.' She says they have monthly competitions to see who can score the most points by seducing girls, and at the end of the year the one who won the most months gets a prize the others pay for."

Mary was aghast, and she chided her daughter. "You don't know that, and you shouldn't be repeating things like that anyway! That's disgusting!"

"It may be, but Nils says the same thing" Axel interjected. "He says they rate each 'target' from 1-20, and whoever scores with her first gets the points."

With a giggle, Elle interjected, "Annika, you better get ready; they saw your Sports Illustrated cover and rated you the rare 20 pointer - they call you The Unicorn."

Annika bristled at that, and Erik choked on his drink - he wasn't the only one who saw her as a unicorn! Erik saw the affronted look and teased her. "So, whichever brother 'scores' with you probably wins September; you best be alert."

Johnny wasn't amused, so Hanna teased him too, saying she could hardly wait to see the gorgeous men who could score with any beautiful woman they selected.

Oliver and Maja were shaking their heads in disbelief. "I've known those boys since they were in diapers, and I've never suspected anything like that!" Maja insisted. "I think their younger siblings are making this up!"

Mary looked flushed and agitated, and Erik decided she must have previously been the recipient of Andersson attention. Tonight was going to be interesting.

Sven and Eva were first to arrive, followed by the teens, Karina and Nils. The elder Anderssons took time with every person in the 'reception line', as Elle called it, offering formal introductions and friendly words to each. The Andersson teens pretty much said 'nice to meet ya,' and headed upstairs with the Olsson teens.

Hanna, Johnny, Annika, and Erik were the last four in the 'receiving line'. The line curved back into the living room from the entrance hall, so they were not immediately in view. Erik made sure he was in position to watch the 'players' when they saw Hanna and Annika. Twenty-two year-old Elias came before Lukas, who was three years older, and 30 year-old Aden brought up the rear. Erik saw the slight smirk Aden gave Mary, and her failure to smile as she welcomed Aden and Elias; he hoped Carl had too, but his demeanor never changed.

When Elias cleared Carl, he caught sight of Hanna and froze in place for a few heartbeats; then his eyes lit up, his face broke into a ear-to-ear smile, and he confidently introduced himself. Hanna was pleasant if cool; Johnny was courteous, but didn't break a smile.

If Hanna broke Elias' concentration, encountering Annika next flummoxed him. He stammered, caught himself, and then completed his introduction. He was still sneaking looks at Annika when he held his hand out to Erik, whose grip returned him to the present. There was no real pain for the young man, but there was no doubt there could be. He made a mental note, and stepped further into the room to watch his older brothers at work.

Aden was working his charms on Oliver and Maja, but Lukas was moving right down the line - until he got to Hanna, where he froze. Hanna was a beautiful woman and she knew it, but even so, she found the first two players going gaga over her to be amusing. Lukas soon realized Hanna and Johnny were a couple, so he included Johnny in the glad-handing and glib BS he was tossing out, until Johnny urged him to move on to meet Annika and Erik.

Maybe Lukas preferred brunettes, or maybe he knew Annika was on another plane, because he was courteous and solicitous, but laid off the bullshit. Then he moved over by his brother to watch Aden.

Aden was The Man. He taught the other two well, but he was the biggest, most handsome, most experienced, and most confident of the three. Where Lukas knew Annika was out of his league, and Elias was intimidated by her, Aden was immediately certain they were a perfect fit, and that Erik was no more consequential than a fly on the wall. That attitude amused Erik, and pissed Annika off.

After introductions he tried to cut her off from the others by moving between her and Erik, and offering that he knew the rest of her family well, but hadn't see Annika since she was a young child of three or four. "You definitely grew into the young woman the child predicted. I understand you're a very successful model - one of the most sought after in the world," he glibly enthused.

Annika smoothly slid around him, took Erik's arm, and replied, "So some say. I'm more interested in expanding into other areas, like business and marketing, and I hope to start a family sometime in the next few years. At heart, I've found that I'm a domestic, one-woman man, and I finally found that man."

She grabbed Erik behind the head, pulled his mouth to hers, and gave him a scorching kiss that didn't end until Maja teased them about going up to their room.

Erik's eyelids were slits during the last few seconds of their kiss, and he watched Aden clinch up at the blatant dismissal. That turned to rage when Annika suggested, "She's right, Honey; it's time to take it to our room!"

Erik squeezed her, kissed her neck, and suggested they get to know the company for a few minutes before hitting the sheets. She reluctantly agreed, pulled his body to her, and walked into the living room tightly melded to him.

Erik couldn't see Aden, but he heard Lukas making the "shot down" sound of a plane spiraling and crashing, and Aden's angry promises in response. Part of him wanted to turn around, walk over there, repeat the words he just heard from Aden, and say, "Put up or shut up, punk!" But it wasn't his house, and Aden hadn't actually done anything yet. Talk is cheap.

Annika had pulled Erik to the love seat Johnny and Hanna shared. She looked around, rather loudly stated, "There just aren't enough chairs; why don't you sit on Johnny's lap and I'll sit on Erik's? That way we can be a part of the conversation without anyone standing or sitting on the floor."

Hanna quickly accepted that invitation, and Annika made a production of settling onto Erik's lap.

Sven Andersson then addressed her. "Annika, I remember you as a child, but it's been years since I've seen you. My wife and children tell me you're a famous supermodel; tell me, how does one become a famous supermodel, and what does a famous supermodel do?"

Annika laughed and donned the persona everyone had loved at Mackinac. "I'm not sure what a supermodel does, but I'm the product of very nice genes contributed by my father and mother, which is the first and most important step in becoming a successful model.

"The second step is to be able to endure scores of wardrobe changes over long days and nights that are considered successful if you get maybe a half-dozen usable shots. The third is to endure the angry, jealous, entitled, and narcissistic persons all around you, and the greedy, manipulative men and women behind the scenes. The fourth is keep from becoming one of them.

"Sorry if you wanted me to talk about the bright lights, glitz, and glamour, but it's really a dirty business. Luckily for me, my grandparents snagged these young men for their company, and then pulled me out of the quagmire long enough to get to know my Olsson kin. My kin and friends are now my guardians, and the reason I can continue to face the grind knowing I won't sink into the swamp."

"Wow! I had no idea," Eva Andersson said. "So, how long did that swimsuit issue with you on the cover take?"

"More than a week for me, and from that I got five pictures printed, plus the cover. Some of the girls were on locations even longer, and didn't get a shot included in the issue."

"And your budding film career?" Eva asked.

She laughed. "I'm not sure how many acting lessons I'd have to take to have a film career that didn't include me getting naked every other scene, and I have no intention of finding out. But, believe me, it would take a lot! Filming a commercial is one thing; filming a movie is quite another. Besides, as I just mentioned to A..., uh, your oldest son, I have other, more domestic aspirations now that I've met the love of my life."

She gave Erik a kiss on the cheek, and then beamed at the guests.

Erik kissed her on the ear, and whispered "Meanie." She ignored him and kept smiling.

Sven turned his attention to Erik and Johnny. "So you are the young men Oliver told us about when we were up here last May. Computer whizzes of some sort, if I remember correctly."

Erik took the lead. "I don't know about that, Sir. Our parents own Lone Star Logistics and Transport, so we were raised in the business. At UT we were encouraged to think beyond current boundaries and envision a world in which technology and artificial intelligence help improve individual lives, and life on this planet.

"Knowing more about transportation than other areas, we applied our knowledge and imaginations to rethinking the logistics of the business. Johnny is an excellent programmer and has a businessman's intellect. He led us through ideas and options until we came up with a plan we thought we could turn into a program. One that would kill two birds with one stone: improve the bottom line for the business by decreasing down time for drivers and fuel consumption, and thereby improve air quality for the planet.

"Our dads fell for our spiel, liked the outcome, and they talked Mr. Olsson, a friendly rival, into giving us a hearing. We were blessed that he saw the possibilities and shared his immense knowledge with us. Due to his guidance, our program is much more refined, and it has just been successfully implemented across the combined transportation companies.

"More importantly in the long run, Mrs. Olsson made us a part of their extended family, and her kindness has enriched our lives. She also introduced us to Hanna and Annika, which further enriched our lives, and to make it complete, we've come to know and love Mary and Carl, and Elle and Axel as well."

Johnny had been watching the rapt audience; he chuckled and added a bit more. "That's my self-effacing partner! He left out a couple of things, like selling his first game on Apple when he was nine, having his own YouTube Channel at ten, and having a following in the tens of thousands for his EDM - Electronic Dance Music, by 14. His next exploit was in designing, filming, and publishing what might be called 'hype videos' for schools, athletic teams, fraternities and sororities, and ultimately, for collegiate athletic departments.

"You may not know of his work, but watch the Godzillatron just before the team comes out at UT games and you'll see Bevo snorting fire, players raising their hands to touch the longhorns high on the wall, and snippet highlights from UT stars going back to Bobby Lane. The fans go wild as soon as they hear the intro, and they go wild again when the University promo begins mid-game; he created that one too.

"In other words, in spite of his modesty, he really is a 'whiz kid,' or as Annika called him the day she met him, "wunderkind."

Erik had been looking at the floor and shaking his head through Johnny's tale, and now he interrupted. "Uh, Johnny, who was working with me every step of the way? Don't lay all that at my feet - you were as big a part as I was!"

"Not even close, but I'll accept the accolades anyway, Old Buddy." They bumped fists behind the girls, and winked at each other.

Erik's eyes raked the room, catching the fury on Aden's face, the admiring looks from others, and the appraising look on the face of his lap kitten. "You do video?" she inquired quietly.

"Actually, I just mix video and computer generated graphics to create what the customer wants. Or did; I don't do it anymore."

"Would you do it for me, if I offered extra incentives?"

"Depends on the incentives..."

"I'll get back to you with a proposal," she said, and then gave his ear a snakey lick.

The real adults then took over the conversation, discussed the weather forecast, and made plans for Saturday through Monday. There was way too much 'together time' built into the schedule for Erik and Johnny, who would be fine with never seeing the Anderssons' sons again; but they were guests, so they held their tongues and focused on the wriggling felines in their laps.

Annika began elaborately yawning and stretching soon thereafter; she climbed off Erik's lap, pulled him up, and told the elders, "It's been a long week and I'm exhausted! See everyone tomorrow." She led him off without even a glance at Aden, Lukas, or Elias, and ran up the stairs giggling, with Erik right behind her. Johnny and Hanna were only a few steps behind Erik.

Annika slammed the door when he was inside, wrapped him in her arms, and gave him another scorching kiss. "Let's shower and get to it, Baby! They were talking about breakfast at eight in the morning, so if we're going to get any sleep, we need to get started on the fun stuff!"

Only a month ago she had displayed a rare degree of natural ability but few skills; tonight she showed him that her sexual abilities and skills had increased geometrically. She wanted to drive, and he let her. Some of the positions she wanted to try he wasn't sure a normal girl could achieve, much less get off in, but apparently her flexibility allows orgasms to happen even in an upside-down, pretzel-like situation.

In his opinion, she still needed work on shifting gears and grinding pubic bones when on top, but sex with her was better than he'd ever had, and he loved the way her eyes rolled back in her head before she collapsed, so he let her do her thing... until her motor ran out an hour or so later.

Waffles with real butter and maple syrup, and plates of bacon awaited them at seven. Erik missed his fresh ground dark roast, but the twin carafes of medium-dark roast were steaming and more than passable, and the fresh, cold milk from a nearby dairy completed the feast.