"Jen see who is at the door!" Mary called out, Jen's boss.
Jen opened the door to see a tall gangly man standing on the porch in a well worn suit that hung from him. Seeing the girl, he smoothed back his oily hair, "Why hello! Are you the woman of the house?" he asked flashing a cheesy salesman smile.
Letting out a small groan, Jen called back over her shoulder, "Mary, it is for you." She went back down the hall, shutting the door partially. The man could hear a second woman ask the first who it was and heard her also groan when informed that it was a salesman.
The door opened again and out stepped a petite red headed middle aged woman. "Sorry sir," she began, "but I am not interested in anything that you're selling."
"Now Mrs. Norton, how can that be if you don't even know what I am selling?"
"How do you know my name?" Mary asked becoming wary as this man looked the type to sell his own mother.
"The mailbox," he said pointing towards it and looked back to her smiling again. She noticed for the first time that he had several gold teeth which only added to the sleazy look of the man. "I am selling water purifier tablets that can make any water taste as if it was straight from a mountain spring."
"What?" Mary said trying to stifle a laugh, "This farm gets its water from a well and there is nothing wrong with the water. Maybe if I lived in the city I would be interested, but not out here. Sorry." She started to close the door.
"I will give you a three month free trial period today, so what is the harm in that?" the man called out trying to keep the conversation going, "and if you try it and don't swear it is better than your current water, my company will give you a $100 gas card."
The door opened again much to the salesman's relief. "Did you say that if I try these water tablets that you will give me $100 gas card and I don't have to sign up for anything else?"
"That's right Mrs. Norton," the man said, "If you would allow me, I can do a taste test right now."
"I don't know. I need to get to chores and I don't have time for this nonsense." Though Mary thought of the budget being so tight now that the farm was not producing nearly as much as it once did; a hundred dollars in gas money would be a boost even if small.
"You won't be disappointed," the man added hopefully, "and I did come out all this way. It would be nice even for me just to have a glass of water right about now." He faked wiping his brow to add to the effect.
"Oh all right come on in."
"Thank you Mrs. Norton. My name is Bob Peal." he said reaching out his hand, "Is there a Mr. Norton around as it might be helpful if you both try it, so that you both can make a decision."
"Call me Mary, and no there is no Mr. Norton. My family passed away in a car accident several years ago."
"Oh, I am sorry to hear that, so you run this farm all by yourself?" Bob inquired.
"For the most part of the year, I have two helpers, Jen who answered the door and Barb. They are college girls studying Ag Business at the local university. I hired them on when they were freshmen and now they are seniors," she sighed and then continued, "I have come to think of them as my own daughters. I plan to make them partners if they want once their schooling is done."
"That is very kind of you Mary," Bob said.
"I don't know if that is being kind. The farm does not run itself and it has been hard to find help out here that is not a man." At Bob's confused and somewhat hurtful look Mary added, "I had some trouble about a year ago with a male farm hand. Jake was his name. He seemed to think that us three woman would simply allow him to run things and that we were here for this entertainment."
"Yes, I can only imagine. It is sad what some men would stoop to, just a sad affair completely." Bob said though Bob knew all of this already as he had been studying the Norton farm for some time. He interviewed Jake in order to get a complete picture, and Bob was convinced that the women and the farm were perfect for his plans to make him a very rich and satisfied man.
Mary set out two glasses on the table and proceeded to pour water in. Jen came out of her room pulling on a sweatshirt. As she was pulling it over, she was completely unaware that she was showing off her perfect melon shaped breasts hidden only by a flimsy undershirt.
"Jen! We have company," said Mary somewhat embarrassed.
Jen upon seeing this man inside the house was shocked and reddened, "Sorry Mary, what is โ"
"Selling the best water you can find anywhere girl. Why don't you have some?" Bob invited hoping to get things moving along quickly.
"Ah," Jen stalled trying to figure how to get out of the room with this man as he made her uneasy.