"Did I tell you about our homestay girl?" Julia asked.
"Um, maybe you mentioned it, but I forgot." Jim said.
"Well, it's a Japanese girl, new college student, and she's coming in a few weeks, first of the month. She'll be here for the summer before she starts college. To take English lessons."
"Oh really. What else do you know about her?"
"She'll be staying in Jan's room. Her name's Mariko Naka-something. I've got a letter around here somewhere." She rummaged around for the papers, and finally found the packet of information.
"Says here she'll be studying nursing in the fall, and her English level is intermediate, whatever that means. She likes karaoke and J-pop. What's J-pop?"
"I don't know. Maybe Japanese pop? A kind of music? Or food? Like a soft drink?"
"No idea. Anyway, we're supposed to meet her at the airport and get her settled in. She's supposed to be like one of the family for three months, just do whatever we do."
"Hmm. I wonder if that includes what we've been doing recently."
"Oh you sly little devil. You're already thinking about getting into her pants, aren't you?"
"Well, you said whatever we do."
"Uh-huh, but I'm not sure that includes fucking her little brains out."
"Okay, how about yours, then?"
"Of course darling. I'm busy now, but when did you say your friend's coming over?"
"Around six this evening."
"Okay, I've gotta do some shopping and so forth, but I'll be back by around four."
"Sure, sounds super, Mom. By the way, when's Jan coming back?"
"Oh, let me see. Next weekend I think. Yes, that's right. And, um, two weeks after that is when Mariko will arrive."
Jim went out to bicycle around, play some pickup basketball, and just loaf around the rest of the day. He had seen a photo of Mariko in the packet of information his mother had, and she looked cute. Her black was shoulder length with auburn streaks and cut in bangs across her forehead. Her cheeks were high and rosy, and she was small and slim, wearing a high turtleneck blouse and a dark skirt that ended well above her knees.
It was around two when Jim returned home, showered and changed into fresh clothes. He watched TV for awhile but became bored by it and fell asleep on the couch. He was dozing when his mother returned and had him carry in bags for her. After she bustled around putting things away, she went to her room to freshen up. Jim walked past her room when he went to the bathroom, and saw she was taking a nap on her bed.
She looked beautiful when she was sleeping. She had taken off her skirt and top and folded them neatly on a chair. She was lying under the sheet, her eyes closed and her chest rising shallowly with her breathing. He watched her for awhile, then padded off to the bathroom. He was sitting downstairs when Rupert rang the bell.
The two friends greeted each other, and sat down to play a video game. Soon afterward, Julia appeared. She was wearing a mini-skirt that rode high up her thighs, and a cream colored top that was loosely buttoned around her throat. She fluffed her hair and let if settle loosely around her shoulders. She smiled at Rupert and took his hand, then kissed him lightly on the cheek before going off to the kitchen to prepare something.
In less than half an hour she announced that dinner was ready. It turned out to be a soup and salad type of meal. No one was too hungry, and the miso soup, a Japanese concoction she had learned to make, was pleasant without being filling.
Soon they were finished and she had cleared away the dishes. The boys offered to wash up, and they went to the living room to sit and chat. Julia got a glass of wine for herself and iced tea for the boys. She sat between them on the couch, crossing her long legs and hiking her skirt up even higher.
Rupert was really excited, Jim could see it in his wild eyes and the flush of sweat on his forehead. Julia was smiling and relaxed, her head leaned back against the cushions of the sofa. Her legs swung easily and as she slid her hips forward, her skirt peeled upward. She closed her eyes and breathed in a big sighing breath.
"So, Jim tells me you two are close buddies," she said.