The Kansas prairie was starker than Emily remembered. She zipped down the road toward Graham's homestead with anticipation on a sweltering early September Thursday morning. Her hair was undone and flowed behind her: she hadn't cut it since her visit earlier that summer and she wanted to grow it out. Her freckled skin glistened slightly with fresh sunscreen, and she reveled in the fresh air washing over her. A little park marking the path of the Santa Fe trail provided a place she could shrug off her leather riding outfit and embrace the elements almost naked. A passing truck with tanned farmhands and ranchers honking or gave her thumbs up as the passed, surprised to see a topless woman cruising down the road on her Harley.
"Almost there, Graham, just about to make the turn from the highway."
There was a little static on her headset when the reply came over. "Check, Emily. We're ready for ya. UPS delivered your stuff just a few minutes ago."
"Great."
She turned off the main road and scooted up the driveway to the house. It was as she remembered it: a two story house with a barn and outbuildings, now rather naked without the ripening fields of wheat around. Graham was sitting on the front porch sipping a frosty glass, wearing a straw hat, K State t-shirt and shorts as he waited. He stood as she pulled into the yard, and a mob of young dogs darted out to yelp, lick and bark their greetings as she came up the path. "Well, hello little miss perky tits. I think I got you into a bad habit when you were here before."
"I learned to appreciate new things," she laughed as she fought off her welcoming committee and wrapped her arms around him in a big bear hug. "How's it going?"
"Good, good. Got the boy into his artist's loft in KC and settled for the year. Now just looking forward to Labor Day and fall activities. You ready to call the Plains home?"
"For a while," she said, getting her small bags off her motorcycle. "Guess I'm set for work according to Lydia."
"Yeah, that was nice of her to line stuff up for you. The pre-school her grandkids go to was looking for part time help, and she just bought the second hotel across town, so she knew where the jobs were."
"I think I can get by. You ready for a housemate?"
"Oh sure, especially when they come almost naked. You will wear clothes most of the time, won't you?" She giggled and nodded her head. "Good, I've got a friend stopping by to play tonight, so you can get settled while we're busy. Trudy doesn't want an audience, but she'll be happy to meet you and tell you about herself. I've got some pulled pork for dinner."
"Sounds good." He gave her thinly clad butt a loud smack as she walked by, making her dance quickly into the house.
Several packages awaited her in the front room, and for the rest of the morning and afternoon she worked to integrate their contents into the front room. The day sweltered throughout, and the old house only had a few strategically placed fans to keep the climate reasonable, so Emily wore only her shorts as she worked. Graham retreated to his shed to prepare, and around 5 she heard him moving in the kitchen, washing and slicing fresh vegetables.
After 5:30, a car pulled up outside and shortly afterward the front door opened at shut. Emily stuck her head into the living room to see a petite woman in her mid 40s standing with a small bag. She was perfectly proportioned for her size, and although she let her hair go grey, it was beautifully styled in a cascade of curls and swirls. Her face was oval with an elfin flair; humor danced behind her smile. She wore a sky blue dress with an red necklace and matching red heels. "I knew it was hot today, but I never thought it would be this hot. You must be Emily, right?"
"Yes, ma'am. I'm Emily, just go in today. And you're. . ."
"Trudy. Don't worry about me, I've seen it all before and I know Graham has, too. Nice titties, girl, your nipples are just the perfect size for your boobs. So where are you from again?"
"Tennessee, ma'am, Memphis."
"Elvis' hometown."
"No, ma'am, he was from Tupelo, Mississippi. Went to High School in Memphis."
"I stand corrected. Relax, Emily, you don't have to call me 'Ma'am' although I appreciate the courtesy. I'm Trudy. . ."
"And I'm glad," Graham continued as he sauntered into the room. He gathered her into his arms and gave her a long kiss on the lips. "Good to see you, Pixie. How's business?"
"Pretty good, pretty good, you old satyr." A mischievous smile played across her lips. "I'd ask you, but you look like you're doing pretty well now that you're taking on harem girls."
"Emily's here on her own, and I'm just letting her stay a while."
"Yeah, you're taking on an apprentice. I've got no problem with that, and you'll probably get a lot of lecture material from our session tomorrow. She can stay while we set things up after dinner."
Emily looked down and moved her right foot back sheepishly. "Thanks, Trudy."
"You're welcome, Emily, since you're such a well mannered young lady. I remember when I was your age. Do you remember, Graham?"
"Of course, how could I forget? We had almost all our MBA classes together in Boulder. You haven't changed."
"Bullshit, my chestnut hair has gone grey, my nipples have dropped three inches and my hips have become two big lumps of cottage cheese. Not to mention my biological clock is ticking down; did you make those deposits I asked for?"
"Of course. Woulda been more fun if you'd been there."
"Like you need me to get an erection."
Emily shook her head. "Deposits? Like, at a sperm bank?"
"Yeah," he said. "Anything for an old friend. We go way back."
"Let's not say how far, all right?" Trudy said with a steely look. "Besides, you've got a lot of money tied up in my company. You're going to get all the juice you can out of this old cow, aren't you?"