CHAPTER 1
There was speculation that the recently arrived young graduate from Chicago, Sinead Morgan, would take this year's title of Miss Prairie but she wasn't even in the final seven. A fairly strict upbringing had taught Sinead and her sister and two brothers that a guy sins if he pays for sex and likewise so does a girl if she gives sex in return for a favor.
In this case the bewhiskered chief judge who appeared over-done in garlic and in years missed out, not that Sinead was against garlic or age-wrinkled men but she didn't believe the promise that fifteen minutes with him in his hotel room and the title would be hers. She also thought he'd say that same thing to all the entrants who sent a message to his pecker.
"You should have won last night," the head of the soil research unit said to her next day.
Sinead sniffed and said she just didn't have what to takes.
Her boss swallowed, eyeing her face and chest in a carnivorous-like glance. "You don't say."
"Yes Walter. Shouldn't I be completing my morning batch of tests?"
"I suppose so. Would you come for dinner at my home this evening? My bachelor brother is here visiting."
"Perhaps. What does he do?"
"He runs a one-man boat-building business at the lake."
"What Lake Michigan?"
"No Lake Mead about 150 miles to the east of here."
"May I ask why your brother is not married?"
"Part of the year he lives in virtual isolation but from late spring to early fall his environment is over-run by boat people, beach bathers, photographers and trampers and the occasional balloonists and nudists."
"What does he do over the quiet half of the year?"
"Vegetates, builds two wooden boats and wanders as an amateur ornithologist/photographer."
"How interesting."
Walter Meadows smiled and said, "It's only dinner Sinead. You are too naïve and unspoiled to be turned loose with him but Orlando does appreciate beauty."
"Orlando?" Sinead the soil technician sighed and said, "Half the year in the wilds practically alone is he? Perhaps I should give him half a chance?"
She then began testing soil samples as part of work to find causes of ill-thrift in crops on a client's farm.
Late afternoon Sinead returned to her room plus tiny bathroom in a rooming house, still unable to find a small apartment that satisfied her completely, wondering about this Orlando guy. Cute name, almost as good as Sinead, she smiled and decided to dress exposing flesh to catch his eye. But when she took a cab to Walter's apartment she was dressed in jeans, boots and a top that went right up her throat and down over her wrists and she wore her honey blonde hair down, having decided to bury the flesh because this guy could be Walter's older brother although she had a sneaking suspicion that he was the kid brother. Walter had described him as his bachelor brother and had smirked slightly.
The other reason, of course, was to avoid putting Walter's wife into the back row by over-dressing.
The doorbell was opened by a gorgeous trim woman in a cocktail dress, her blonde hair piled high, and she purred, "Hi Sinead, I'm Nancy, Walt's wife."
Sinead had to struggle from bursting into near-hysterical laughter and confessing how could she have got it so wrong. If this trend continued she'd find the Orlando guy was Walt's twin brother but knew she couldn't get it that wrong.
"Hi Nancy. How lovely to be invited."
"It's our pleasure dear. Walt wanted livelier and younger company tonight because Orlando returns home tomorrow. We entertained the boys' parents last night. I worried about you being his choice because I had no idea what you looked like or about your poise. And here we are... you are beautiful with a smile to die for and I can't remember ever having a figure that looked like yours. Come in dear and welcome to our home."
The next shock came in the foyer. Among the family framed photos on the wall was a photo of Professor Walter Meadows, at the university's dinner marking his retirement as head of the chemical engineering department after nine years.
"I wasn't aware Walter had served as an academic."
"Yes but the university finally drove him near-mindless which is why he resigned after buying the laboratory. Why do you call him Walter?"
"Everyone at the lab calls him Walter."
"Oh really? I suppose I should take greater interest in his work. He met me when I was completing my doctorate and after I finished my interest degenerated into cooking and keeping house for him and, of course, attending to him in the bedroom. Come through and meet Peter Pan, the kid brother who's never likely to grow up."
They walked into the lounge. Sinead thought keeping house? Nancy had created a mini palace. It was so beautiful. The two guys in lounge suits turned and smiled at them. Then Sinead heard Nancy beside her suck in breath when the younger of the two guys openly gaped.
He wasn't handsome but neither was he ugly. She supposed this is what was called 'ruggedly handsome'. God he looked a powerful warrior.
"Orlando you can close your mouth now," Nancy said. "This is Sinead, not what you'd call your normal lab technician."
"Christ no," Orlando said and they all laughed.
Walter er Walt came forward and kissed Sinead delicately on both cheeks and apologized, "I should have told you dinner would be formal."
"I can go home and change."
"No come through and I'll find something for you dear. We are basically the same size but it will be a little tight up top for you. But first, Orlando step forward and kiss our guest instead of rocking on your feet like that."
"Um Sinead, may I greet with a kiss?"
"Of course but no tonguing; we've only just been introduced."
The combined laughter gave Orlando the shot of confidence he needed. He kissed Sinead quite firmly on the lips and said, "You are absolutely stunning."
Sinead caught the startled look that passed between host and hostess and said, "I'd expected a man with the dry wit and conservative restraint of your brother. But instead I find an open romantic who possibly finds this city environment a little over-powering, making him inclined to confuse beauty with good make-up. But I suppose I do wash up well. Please just find me a loose fitting gown."
The women returned with Sinead dressed in a little blue sequined dress with a scoop neck and hem that fell to halfway down her thighs. She wore faintly patterned stocks and shoes with glass six-inch heels.
"Christ," Walt blurted.
Orlando was back to gaping again.
The evening continued merrily and the Meadows trio appeared genuinely dismayed when just before midnight Sinead announced she must go. When she returned with Nancy dressed in her own clothes Nancy said, "Kiss Sinead good night dear and Orlando please escort Sinead out to her cab." She then kissed Nancy goodnight.
Orlando and Sinead came out into the main foyer and he said 'Damn' when seeing the cab was already waiting. "Will we see each other again?"
She smiled and said she doubted it.
"Damn."
"In that case here's something to keep me in focus," Sinead said, grasping Orlando's hand and sliding it over the neck of her top and under her bra when she then slipped her hand out and kissed him soundly before twisting away and into the backseat of the cab.
"God that was wonderful."
She laughed and told him he now had something to focus on.
Was that the end of Orlando? Sinead, mindful of the expressions she'd seen on his face that evening thought not. Had she seduced him with her kiss and planting his hand ever so briefly on her warm breast? She couldn't be sure because a girl could never tell with a guy but she had a feeling that the man from the lake had been hooked.
Sinead was dressed only in panties and had a towel round her head after highlighting her hair when he phone rang.
"Hi it's Orlando."
"Oh hi, lovely to hear from you."
"Your voice sounds even great on the phone. Do you have a vehicle?"
"No."
"Oh I was going to invite you to come here early Saturday morning and stay the night."
"I can rent a vehicle."
"Are you that keen?"
"Yes."
He mumbled he didn't know what to say.
"Just be grateful and give me directions."
Sinead called Nancy; they'd been out to coffee on Tuesday and to lunch only a few hours ago.
"Orlando has just called to invite me to visit him."
"That's interesting. How do you feel about that?"
"Um wildly excited."
Nancy giggled. "Darling my understanding is he's no saint."
Sinead laughed and said she wondered why she wasn't surprised. "I just called to discuss the invitation in case you found need to warn me off."
"No I believe you are a totally capable of handling him but don't go if you don't want sex."
"Oooh. What's the quickest route there?"
Nancy said to follow the directions Orlando would have given her. "You may borrow my car."
"That's lovely of you but a rental will be fine. I have seen one company advertising specials this weekend."
"Yes well it's still not far into spring and it's still possibly snowing up there. Book a four-wheel drive vehicle. Oh I'm so happy for you two."
* * *
Light snow on the ground had not slowed Sinead as there were few corners on the last five miles of rise above the snowline to the lake. She'd been told to turn left at the lake, then right after 300 yards and she'd then see a house at the lake's edge on poles and a boatshed with a gabled roof a few yards to the left of it. And that's what she'd found.
The house appeared deserted and locked so Sinead walked on the side deck to the front of the house and found her host asleep on a rocker with a half empty bottle of wine and empty glass beside him. Well is was approaching early lunchtime.
Sinead was finishing the second glass of wine, using his glass, when she saw him stir. Orlando's eyes fluttered and then he was staring at her.
"Hi."
"God you are beautiful," was his very acceptable reply.
"Just remember beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."
He grinned and said he was sure the word in the quotation was 'eye'.
"It was," she smiled. "That was a test to see whether you really are awake calling me beautiful."
"Would pretty or attractive be more acceptable?"
"I love the word pretty. I wear underwear that I pretty."
"Oh do you know. That suggests an area of discovery lies ahead of me."
"Do you want sex now, um before lunch?"
He looked startled and grinned. "God I've never had such a brazen statement in my entire life."
"Liar."
"In respect of day time sex."
