This is some "little country place," Nicole thought as she parked her green Camry on the wide circular cobblestone driveway in front of Lindsay Jacobsen's home. It was a veritable mansion, nestled against the hills forty miles from town and three miles up a private road off the Interstate. The distance from the front gate to the house itself was another mile, through well-kept and wooded grounds.
Yet the place seemed deserted—no one working or strolling the lawns, no vehicles other than hers to be seen.
The barefoot woman who opened the great front door to greet her was also clearly not household staff, clad as she was only in a black and red silk robe which fell to her middle thighs. "Nicole, so good to meet you," she said, smiling easily. I'm Mai. "
"L-Lindsay's mother?" Nicole stammered.
"The very same. Please, come in."
Nicole wasn't sure what surprised her more: the extreme physical contrast between Mai Jacobsen and her tall, willowy blonde daughter or Mai's youthfulness.
A few streaks of silver highlighting her jet black hair as noon light from the foyer's tall windows played over it and the network of fine smile lines that wreathed her ebony eyes and wide mouth when she smiled were the only clues to the fact that, based on what Lindsay had said of her family, Mai must be in her early fifties. Her deeply bronzed skin was as supple and unblemished as a young fashion model's.
"I'm - I'm pleased to meet you," Nicole said, her heart in her throat as Mai reached up to embrace her in a warm, familiar hug.
"I apologize for the informality," Mai said, turning to lead Nicole through the halls of the great house. "I employ few servants. We value our privacy."
They stepped outside again, onto the granite deck surrounding a huge free-form pool. Tony dozed on a chaise lounge while Lindsay and a second young man swam.
"Nicole!" Lindsay and hauled herself out of the water, running toward them. Her blonde hair was dripping wet and she wore only the bottom of a red thong bikini. She threw her arms around Nicole as if greeting a close friend she'd not seen in months, rather than a patient she'd "counseled" two days earlier. "Oh, I'm sorry—your dress is all wet!"
Nicole gathered her courage. "I'm guessing that's not going to be a problem," she said. She kicked off her low heeled pumps and untied her sun dress, letting it slip to the stone floor. She was completely naked.
"I catch on quick," she said as Lindsay burst out in surprised laughter. Mai drew in a sharp breath. Her eyes widened appreciatively as she looked Nicole up and down. Nicole's pulse raced in anticipation.
"You are more beautiful even than my clever daughter promised," Mai said quietly. She took a step forward and rose up on her toes to brush her lips across Nicole's cheek.
Tony had roused himself and rushed over to them, but the man who'd been swimming with Lindsay managed to climb out of the pool and made it to Nicole three steps ahead of him. He was taller than anyone else in the little group, heavily muscled, with eyes and hair that matched Mai's. "Marc," he said, staring intently into Nicole's eyes and thrusting out his hand.
"My big brother," Lindsay said. "You remember Antony, of course."
"Hiya," Tony said, ducking his head. Charmingly shy for a young man who has sex with strangers for a living, Nicole mused to herself.
"Of course," she giggled. "How have you been, Tony?"
"Real good."
"You won't get much out of him even when he's not 'working,' Lindsay said affectionately. She gave him a wet slap on the back of his Speedo. "He's the quiet one. I'm the one who lectures frustrated women on the joys of kinky sex." She stuck out her tongue and Tony grabbed and held her, kissing her deeply.
