Lost in America

WARNING: The sex like the story builds slowly. Set mainly in Ohio, you'll find a slight cultural gap as the English-speaking hero comes from Dubbo. Where's that? The heroine's mother knew.

Chapter 1

Daytona Mitchell was driving home late from the office in Columbus, Ohio, when she spotted a man waving from the opposite of the road. She stopped, ready to accelerate away if felt threatened and wound down the passenger side window.

"Yes, may I help you?"

"I'm lost."

"Aren't we all?"

He grinned and said she had a pretty smile.

Her foot hovered over the gas pedal but he did appear to be a traveler; he had a backpack so she gave him a second chance.

In what she thought was a Californian accent he said: "I hitched a ride from 120 miles away and just on dark was dropped off not too far from here. The little old lady told me to walk to the bright lights and I'd come to the city -- that was eighty minutes ago. I realized what I was walking towards was a huge airport, not a city. I attempted to take a short cut towards much more extensive bright lights but it turned into a long cut -- I've been walking through flat terrain for the past quarter hour with trees everywhere and bright street lights so haven't been able to see the faraway lights of the city.

"The city is a little to your left in the direction from which I've just driven from; it will be a long walk. Why the city?"

"Cheap beds."

"Bed -- you'll only want one."

He grinned and said she was sharp. "You ought to be a lawyer."

"I am. We are you from?"

"Out of Dubbo where my family has a cattle station."

Daytona asked if that was in Texas.

"No, Dubbo is over 400 miles west of Sydney and we're a half hour out from Dubbo."

"Sydney Australia?"

He smiled and asked was there more than one Sydney?

She smiled and asked to see some ID.

"What are you wanting to marry me?"

Daytona snorted and said she was thinking of offering him a bed in her parents' home where she lived but first she needed to check him out.

He ambled over and she wound her window all but up. He slid his passport through the gap. "Don't go roaring off with that; it's the only one I have."

"Do you mind if I scan this?"

"No, why?"

"For personal security. If I should come to harm these details will be on my office computer and easily found."

"Look lady, hand it back; all this is a little too spooky for me. Have you Yanks forgotten how to trust one another?"

"My sister was brutally beaten two years ago when she stopped and gave a guy a ride. He stole her money and her car. He was never found and she's now living in Florida."

"God, I'm sorry. Just hand me back by passport and I trek on."

"It's okay," Daytona said, unlocking the doors -- come aboard -- er -- Austin she said, reading the name she'd just scanned.

"Wow, pretty neat car. What is it?"

"The latest Volvo convertible."

"That scanner -- you had that installed just to collect guy's ID's?"

She laughed and said it was to transmit and receive legal documents and notes on the run. "By the way, l'm Daytona Mitchell."

"What after the international speedway?"

"God, you've from Australia and know about that? But no, I was conceived at Daytona Beach and my parents couldn't agree on a name so dad had me registered as Daytona. Mom threatened to divorce him and leave me with him if he didn't register me with a proper girl's name but he procrastinated and before she knew it she'd gotten used to it."

* * *

Daytona introduced her guest to her parents. "This is my mom Eileen Mitchell -- mom this is Austin Flinders."

"Good evening ma'am." Ma'am was still looking rather upset.

"This is my dad, Raymond Mitchell -- he's the best lawyer in town and is my boss."

"Hello Austin," said Raymond. "Your accent -- are you from Texas?"

"No sir, from Dubbo."

Eileen, looking a little dated with her faded blonde hair in a bun and wearing a long muli-colored floral dress reacted immediately. "My God, you're an Australian."

Austin, who'd been told by his travel agent who'd been to The States several times that nobody in all of America except Australians would know where Dubbo was and most wouldn't know any other places in Australia except Alice Springs and Sydney.

"Mom is an assistant professor at our university in geography," Dayton explained.

Eileen smiled. "I was so upset when Dayton said she picked you up off the street but now I know you are Australian I'm somewhat relieved."

"Thank you for your trust ma'am, I'll reciprocate at all times otherwise you are invited to make dog tucker of me."

The Mitchell's laughed politely as if understanding what dog tucker meant. Austin was on to that and explained, "It means carve me up and feed me to the dogs."

Eileen turned white and Raymond went to hold her but she brushed him away with a thank you. "Although your idiom is a little strange you seem to be a polite young man -- are all Australians that polite?

"I wouldn't think so, especially to fellow Aussies but my mom was born and reared in Boston."

"Oh, a charming city," Eileen said. "What was your mother's maiden name?"

"Irma Hoffmann, her father was a veterinary surgeon and she became one. Three years after graduation she immigrated to Australia and took up a position in a country town out from Dubbo. My father was the landlord on behalf of the family trust as his father owned most of the commercial premises in the town or rather a township -- it's very small."

"Oh, the smell romance," Eileen said.

"It was nothing really -- she was gored by a bull and dad saved her life."

"You say it was nothing?" Eileen said weakly as Raymond asked them to come through to dinner.

"Sir, could I pop into the shower -- I have been on the road for two days straight and slept in a bus shelter last night."

"Yes, of course."

"I'll show you the bathroom -- we share it," Daytona said somewhat obliquely which made Austin wonder; moments later he found the reason for that.

As they walked up the stairs she said without any preamble, "I suppose you have sex with all the females you meet?"

"If I would be so lucky."

"I'm in the same boat," she smiled. "I guess I'm too choosy. Would you ever consider having sex with me?"

He grinned and asked was that a trick question or would the answer be transmitted to her office computer, She just glanced a smile at him and continued the climb as if they were talking about the weather.

He replied, "I'll think about it after dinner; I'm really not into casual humps." He fell back slightly so he could check out the legs and ass. Upfront everything looked first-class. The house was huge and the parents looked wealthy so it was unlikely she were a slut.

"Excuse me?"

"Er, casual humps translate to gratuitous sex."

"In that case I'll also determine my position over dinner."

He asked what positions she preferred but was ignored. Austin frowned wondering what the hell was going on here.

"Are my legs okay?"

Now what the hell was Daytona on about? He clicked; his face felt hot and she glanced at him again as he was back level with her. "Classically sculptured."

They reached the landing and she sniffed: "That was an appraisal of a simple-minded farm boy but that response was far from it. Are you college educated?"

"I graduated from university in law and although I live at home with the family I work for a law firm in Dubbo."

"Oh really," she said, her interest moving up a couple of notches. "In what area do you specialize?"

"Employment contract issues particularly wrongful dismissals and breaches by either party, workplace accident compensation claims, workplace safety issues and prosecutions of employers."

"Oh really, my father will be interested in chatting with you; we are short in coverage in employment issues as two of our seniors left to start up their own specialist practice in that area and took two juniors with them."

"That could be a big blow, even for quite a large firm."

"We'll it was for us as we are small; their sudden evacuation gutted us and litigation continues. Here's my bedroom -- the pink is mom's choice, she won't let me change so I mostly move about with my eyes shut. This is the bathroom and as you'll be sharing it with me please apply best hygiene practice with the facilities as well as yourself. Now through here is your blue room which was my brother's pad -- he's married and in law with his wife in Vancouver."

"A legal family."

"We think so; our business here was founded by my paternal great-grandfather. My brother was heir-apparent but chased after a piece of skirt in Canada and she refused to leave her family, so guess what?"

"How disappointing."

"For my parents yes, but I may have what it takes to succeed dad; if not so what? What I like about that torrid affair between my brother Stephen and Kate is it blossomed into a true love romance that one rarely comes across these days and with two little kids later their love for one another is still there -- it's so amazing."

"So that's what you are looking for?"

Daytona glanced at Austin stonily and said: "Go shower -- I'll unpack your backpack and leave a fresh shirt out for you; the shorts you are wearing are okay. I won't find anything disgusting in here, will I?"

"No, of course not but you'll have your fingers on my passport again."

"Go shower quickly; the folk will become drunk on Martinis if they are left too long without food. I'll see you downstairs."

In the shower Austin soaped lustily after shampooing his hair. He tried to imagine Daytona in the shower with him and did such a good job that he generated a partial-erection. "Down fellow," he grinned and then it collapsed completely when he realized Daytona's unpacking would uncover a six-pack of condoms with one missing. Would she find that disgusting?

Austin began whistling to clear his confusion. This entire travel cameo was extraordinary as a casual interest had vaulted into becoming a possible sexual encounter and she now had the notion her father would offer him a position. She should be writing romance novels; she appeared to have the mind for it. Actually with that body of hers and fresh and alive appearance -- brown-blonde hair with natural waves she obviously would be a standout dressed up. He'd noticed inquiring green eyes slightly turned up nose and generous mouth with very full lips; she could star in a romantic film. So what was wrong with her -- why didn't she have a line-up of panting guys at the front door?

* * *

As Daytona entered the dayroom just beyond the dining room her mother put down her glass. "Young lady, I'm still angry with you. Although he appears to be very nice young man you took an unnecessary risk stopping to talk to him. And then to invite him to enter your car -- ohmigod. You father is displeased -- tell her Raymond."

"Yes dear, you took an unnecessary risk."

"There, straight from the horse's mouth," her mom said triumphantly.

Raymond looked at his daughter closely. "You think this is the one?"

She nodded, turning a little pink. "From the moment I saw him across the road -- so tall, so open-faced with a heart-tugging smile."

"What are you two whispering about?" Eileen demanded. "Why haven't you dressed for dinner young lady?"

"Mom, he's traveling light with only that backpack. He's seen me in this business suit so will have become comfortable with that but if I were to change that could embarrass him -- he's coming down in a change of shirt but still in those shorts."

Eileen put on a happy face. "Darling, I'm pleased you are showing a little more sensitivity towards young men. Keep this up and you may become marriage material after all. I'll be easy on Austin as he'll be out of his depth."

"I wouldn't bother mom -- I asked him how large the family farm was and he said five hundred and ninety three square miles. I thought he was kidding meaning acres or hectares but he said no -- it's pretty dry land and the conditions are hard and they stock as low a one beef cow to a hundred acres in what he called 'the big dry' and even then stock losses can be heavy.

"Yes, its arid country -- they'll be out beyond Dubbo presumably and eventually that country runs into desert," Eileen said. "The Big Dry' is a colloquialism for drought which in Outback Australia can continue for several years.

Raymond had taken out his wallet to use the built-in calculator. He whistled and said, "The farm is no paddock -- those square miles convert to 380,000 acres."

"Well, he's no farm boy," Eileen smiled.

"No, he's a lawyer who lives at home but works in Dubbo specializing in contracts, conflicts and prosecutions in the employment sector of business law dad. I thought that would interest you."

Daytona's parents looked shocked but recovered as the farm boy-lawyer entered the room. Daytona had heard him whistling coming down the stairs so returned from the kitchen and held out a glass and can of beer.

"Oh thanks, cheers. I thought I might have to drink a Martini -- tastes like kerosene to me."

"You know the taste of kerosene?" Eileen said, not at all amused.

"Yes, I occasionally have ingested some in the start-up when siphoning with a straight tube instead of finding a hand-pump."

"How awful."

"Yes and no," Austin grinned. "It's why I gave up smoking at eighteen. I had been siphoning and felt a bit crook inhaling fumes so lit up a cigarette..."

"Not now please," Eileen frowned. "We are about to eat."

"Did you require facial skin grafts?" Daytona enquired.

"Daytona!" her mom shrieked.

When eating apple pie -- much better than his mom made -- Austin felt one of Daytona's feet touch his for the third time; this time he did not pull away in polite reaction. He looked across and winked at her. She smiled and raised her shoeless foot and rested her leg on his knee. As soon as he finished eating Austin reached under the table while Daytona was talking to her mom and squeezed her big toe. Daytona glanced at him, turning pink and opened her lips a little. He squeezed the toe harder and her lips opened more to show her tongue tip.

The magic moment was over with Eileen looking at her daughter and asking, "Are you feeling all right dear?"

"Feeling fabulous -- come on Austin, time for bed."

"Daytona!"

"It's okay mom, I'm twenty-eight -- a big girl now. You are always pressing me to become involved with a man again. Well, here we are."

"Raymond," Eileen appealed. "Say something."

"Come in late in the morning baby and bring Austin if he'd like to look around. Being on his first sabbatical includes the responsibility to extend his knowledge in law as well hitchhiking on a $20 a day budget to cross America on that stupid bet he told us about. We would like to learn about law practice in Dubai."

"Dubbo, dad. I'll do that. Goodnight mom -- sleep without worry," Daytona said, kissing Eileen who appeared to be in a daze. "Come on mom, I've heard from your old pals about your exploits at college and then university were in danger of setting new standards but then you met dad and returned to being a Bostonian lady."

"You are from Boston?" Austin asked and when she nodded her asked may he tell his mom that when he called her tomorrow.

"Yes, tell her I was an Elliott. Do you call your mom regularly?"

"Yes, I'm under orders -- every second day without fail. If I failed to do that she'd kick-ass. Ooops, sorry ma'am. My mom is a pretty tough cookie as she deals with stroppy cattle and horses although she has The Hulk to help her with the real heavy work but even worse are cantankerous older cattlemen -- she had to become tough to survive in our part of the country. She returns to Boston for three weeks a year to do what she calls 'Drink at the well of civilization' and to see her parents and sisters and their children, at least those who are still around."

"How interesting -- what a splendid character she seems to be. Am I likely to see her?"

"Depends where I'll be. She's dropping off to see me early next month on her way to Boston. She plans to stay with me for a week so I must continue on to finish my hitch-hiking bet on Manhattan in sight of the Statue of Liberty."

"That stupid bet," sniffed Eileen. "Why don't you drop it and look around properly. Hitching across America within ten days on twenty dollars a day is such a juvenile thing to do."

"Can't help it now ma'am, I accepted the bet and that's it. No real Aussie chickens out after accepting a wager."

"But you said earlier it was your father and his three mates who laid the bet, twenty dollars each, charging that you couldn't do it."

"It's not the money ma'am -- it's about winning and winning fair and square; important principles are involve here."

"Well I never," Eileen said. "Call me Eileen please -- ma'am makes me feel old. Since you are to have your way with my daughter you better kiss me goodnight."

* * *

Raymond watched bemused by Eileen's turnaround and raised his eyebrows when he saw her pat their guest's back several times as he kissed her cheek. So the mother connection had done it he thought, waving at the couple as they left the dinning room hand in hand. Eileen had determined a brave woman like his mother wouldn't rear a son who was anything but reliable and true and knowing he had won a law degree and was practicing would have helped no end.

"I can't believe I now approve of this," Eileen said, coming and sitting on Daytona's lap and reaching for Raymond's hand. "I know I shouldn't worry but..."

"Hush, sex is no big deal with people of their generation," he smiled. "If she lived in her own apartment we wouldn't know what she did and with whom."

"Are you thinking of offering him a position?"

"Yes, if everything checks out. We are in desperate need because we are presently unable to offer full service to all clients because of this gap in business law employment coverage. We are actively seeking replacements, so far with little success. Because of that we could get him fast-tracked through immigration. I'll chat to Bruce about that in the morning. Meanwhile I've off to my study; collect me on the way to bed if you feel frisky.

"God, am I what! I'm thinking about those two at it."

Raymond went to his office and on the Web looked up the name of the law firm Austin had mentioned and was satisfied -- Austin was one of two names listed as working in employment and business law. He was even more than satisfied with reading a summary of Austin's CV: well qualified and appeared to have had a wide grounding experience. He was twenty-eight, same age as Daytona. Was this an opportunity he could milk?

* * *

"Come to be and get your mouth around these tits," Eileen grinned, as soon as they left the dinning room.

Austin grinned, loving it as did Daytona. She spent half her life appearing to be pompous and very correct but when it concerned sex she turned into a right little slut. He patted his crotch and said, "Come on boy, playtime."

Austin went in behind Daytona up the stairs using both hands to playfully pinch right at the top of her thighs; she bit into her wrist giggling and occasionally pushing her ass back at him. She reached the top of the landing pink faced, big-eyed and panting and held out her arms.

They kissed long and softly -- their first kiss.

"Do you really want me to take you to bed?" he asked.

"I'll scream blue murder if you tease me," she said, hauling him by the shirtfront into the pink room and locking the door. She went to the far side of the bathroom and locked that door.

"I have to get something," he said. She pulled out a multi-pack from her skirt pocket and said 'Mom came across with them."

Austin said he couldn't believe she'd do that and was told that Eileen fussed a lot but underneath she really was a good sort. "She shows that by tolerating Sharon being with me," she said, immediately bending over and pulling up her skirt to reveal pretty lace and ribbon trimmed knickers.