Della Meets an Incredible Fella

"Perfect," Zane said as he read on and slowly hunch over the screen."

The cast had Sunday off and Casey, and the sexy wardrobe mistress and the stage director Cecelia who was almost ten years older than the other two went to a movies and returned to Cecelia's apartment to have a couple of drinks and omelets. Before they finished their second drink they began chasing pussies -- the author's term for it. The three having an all female encounter had Zane running a finger round his collar. The room had become s-o-o-o hot. He'd seen females going it many times on film and had read of them doing it but it electrified him reading about how each of the three females felt and thought about this encounter and having a tongue in their ass. He had to wipe perspiration from his forehead.

Casey had gone from the bath and Zane found her doing the laundry.

"How's your ass?"

"Good, good. Might take it up there again tonight."

Zane touched his slack dick sympathetically.

"I'll say this once more. For the hundredth time I appreciate you doing my laundry."

He was ignored because Della was already talking to him.

"What?"

"I said when does my mother arrive?"

"What mother? Arrive where?"

"God you make a poor liar and could never successfully deceive a woman. I saw a note on your desk, 'Advise McN harbor suite Quay Grand booked.'

Aghast, Zane said, "Jesus Della, you'll get me killed."

"Relax, I'll play along with the big surprise. Please answer the question."

"Friday Week."

"Good, the end of term concert is that night. I'll book them seats and let them see the fruits of my work. They'll have most of the day to sleep. God, fancy you not telling me the secret."

"You know your mother."

"Yes, I know my mother. Right, what did you think of the latest installments?"

"I-I... um, read my usual postscript."

"Oooh, a bit destabilized after finding women can enjoy doing it without men?"

"Um, exactly."

* * *

Della sat in front of her laptop and scrolled to the bottom of the current chapter and read the red type with interest, knowing it would be good.

'Darl, bloody amazing. Never in my sheltered life would I've believed three normal women would eat pussy as hard as these women did and then have dessert by flipping their target over on to her stomach. I almost blew my wad reading it. You must not let Innes-Rand people edit out the descriptive bits -- insist they get informed legal opinion if they're worried it might be bordering on being obscene. Then and only then agree to some editing if the expert believes there is risk in publishing it in a mainstream novel. Other writers get away with hot dialogue these days but in your case it's between women, not a guy and a woman which is where the boundaries remain at present.'

'I sense you are nearing your climax. You can't just have Casey go on stage and sing her heart out to receive wild claim in this her first lead in a musical. There has to be some big drama -- a near-death incidence. What about her being involved in a car crash and suffering chest bruising from her seat belt and the impact of the car behind them allows her face to slam into the fascia over the deflated air bag injuring her vocal cords. Research case studies of air bag injuries. It remains uncertain right up to opening night whether Casey or her understudy will perform. You'll know how to manage that outcome. Um, I understand your mom heads out of the office for a fortnight in just over ten days' time. Be great if she learns your manuscript is completed and has arrived in the office. That will tell her you've completed inside your deadline. XXXXXXX.'

Della smiled and said, "Sneaky. It means I'll have more time to spend with my parents.

She began searching the Internet for air bag accidents involving short-term trauma.

Zane was so pleased. He and Della had resumed fucking like rabbits again. Her writing was ahead of schedule and going well and rehearsals for the concert were taking place during school hours, leaving her with more free time. She instinctively knew how to put that time to good use.

CHAPTER 7

Della was holding on to Zane's arm and he was pulling his travel bag on wheels to the departing flight areas when a woman said in surprise, "Della?"

A man now stood alongside the woman. Della turned and gaped. "Mom, dad? Ohmigod," she shrieked and ran to them almost bowling them over.

"Ohmigod, Ohmigod. I can't believe it. You're here in Australia. Fancy getting you away from the ranch dad. Zane go catch your flight."

"There is no flight. I was the decoy."

"Ohmigod, ohmigod."

Della's parents must have thought it worth the twenty-six hour flight just to see her performing like this. It really was top theater with her face hugely red and waving her arms about like a constipated swan and then slobbering kisses over them.

"Calm down darling, you are making a spectacle of yourself," McNeil said, looking at the grinning people around them.

They made it to the suite in the Quay Grand, with great views out to the harbor bridge.

"Now mother, you are not to make snide remarks about the bridge being nothing compared with the Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge."

"Darling, don't worry your pretty head. I'm culturally sensitive. What's the program darling?"

"Well I want you guys to sleep through the day. Zane will come tonight at 7:00 to be at my school to watch my seniors present a concert. I'm in a couple of items with them. We've only just received permission to perform one of the numbers. Tomorrow mom I take you shopping and Zane will arrive at noon to take you dad to a rugby league match. You won't understand it dad but Zane knows so many influential people you'll be in a box where lunch cooked by two of Sydney's top chefs will be served and a great selection of wines will be available. The highlight on Saturday morning is Zane will fly us by chartered aircraft to his parent's ranch. They are great Aussie characters, you'll love them."

"Oh darling, that sound's wonderful," McNeil said. "You are looking so fit and healthy."

"It's eating the right food and all the fucking..." Della looked horrified and bit her lip but relaxed when her mother smiled and said, "I understand darling. There can't be much else to do in Australia."

As they drove to Rose Bay Della groaned. "I can't believe told my mother I fuck."

"Relax dear. She'll know we do it. Besides it's not an illegal act done in your bedroom with the blinds drawn."

"I suppose you're right. I still can't believe I told her."

"What do you want to do when you get home -- swim?"

"Okay but let's fuck first. Ohmigod, what did I just say?"

Zane chuckled and said she was on emotional overload because her parents had arrived. "Now remain relaxed. I want you at your best on stage this evening. You've told me it's year since your parents heard you sing."

Diane Prebble, head of music at the college, opened proceedings to the crowded assembly hall by welcoming everyone and saying Melrose was proud of the high standards attained this year by it's students seeking music credits.

Students played as a classical quartet, as a mini choir and were followed by several soloists, a student violinist of Chinese origin almost bringing the roof down with thunderous applause.

Mrs Prebble then announced, "We now present an appealing song from the Sound of Music. We only received permission to perform it publicly four days ago so felt ourselves on a knife's edge. Our voice specialist, American Della Jones, a former professional singer who took several prominent roles in musicals on New York's Broadway, will play Maria. Her parents are in the house tonight and I'd like to say Della Jones is probably the most gracious, very talented and certainly the loveliest teacher ever recruited by this college and the results she's achieved have been outstanding and will become apparent this evening in our finale titled, 'High School Melrose Musical'. Thank you.

Polite applause followed. The seven von Trapp children of almost identical ages were grouped on stage and from offstage came Maria's voice in English with an Austrian accent. "Now children take your places and please concentrate on getting this right. I'll take the first verse and then you all join me. Friedrich are you picking your nose?"

"No miss." (Huge laughter)

"Apologize for that untruth."

"I'm sorry miss."

"Thank you. Well here we go and please open mouths wide."

Maria began singing 'Do-Re-Mi' arriving on stage and at the end of the first verse the 'children' joined in and their clear voices rang through,

At the end Maria bowed to acclamation and as she walked off the 'children' said in unison. "Thank you for teaching us the joy of music Miss Jones."

Della appeared caught totally be surprised. She nodded to the children and hurried off-stage, a hand over her mouth.

"Well, that was the student's way of saying thank you and caught our usually boisterous Miss Jones by surprise," said Mrs Pebble. "There will now be a ten minute interval to be followed by three items by our students who won intercollegiate competitions and then Miss Jones' big musical. Parents, be warned. It's probably like nothing you've ever seen before. Thank you."

"God, I can't believe Melrose College loves my daughter so much," McNeil said, dabbing her eyes.

"It's your fault we didn't go to see her on Broadway," Dan said. "You were paranoid about her being amid drugs and bestiality."

"Della taking drugs and performing extreme sex? You have to be kidding," Zane said.

"I'm ashamed. This novel of hers -- it's partially semi-autobiographical, isn't it."

"Yes, of course it is and you know it McNeil. The only references to drugs is peripheral and the heroine doesn't have sex with dogs or circus bears."

"God Zane, keep you voice down."

"I'm just making the point McNeil, think the best of your daughter. Don't lose touch with her. She's entering the peak of her life and making quite a mark here but methinks it's only just started. You haven't told her what you think of her final manuscript."

"It's being processed. It requires tight editing and some passages need rewriting."

"That happens to every manuscript McNeil including mine. Have you read it?"

"Yes on the airplane coming here."

"Well don't be a bitch McNeil. Tell her what you think; what you really think."

"Stop pushing me. It's credible, in fact very credible."

"You use words like that to her and I'll whack you McNeil. I want you to tell her how you see it, from the heart."

Dan interjected, "She'd told me, she was..."

"Shut up Dan."

"Honey if you don't tell her how you reacted and what you really thought I'll invite Zane to whack you and I'll take second shot."

"God you beasts. Let me out."

"You're going nowhere McNeil," Dan gritted. "There goes the three-minute bell."

* * *

Mrs Prebble announced, "This is a real life situation, converted into a musical by our music students under the direction of our multi-talented Miss Della Jones, who plays herself as the voice tutor at our college who made it all happen."

Della, dressed in a pink sweater, short black leather skirt and sneakers, narrated the opening. "This is based on a true story and we start at the beginning when we a new student arrived, the school's first mixed-raced student who defiantly called himself Aboriginal whereas others with some Aboriginal blood emphasize their European culture either by choice or so they might fit in with the crowd."

The lights dimmed and a 16-year-old boy sat hunched on his chair, looking very miserable.

Della approached him and said, "You are Jimmy I believe?"

"Yes."

"Why are you unhappy?

"I don't speak educated English Miss. Everyone else does so I am an outcast."

"Oh yeah -- so you think everyone here is the same? I don't speak exactly like my students."

"But you are white."

"And are my Indian and Chinese students white?"

"No miss."

"Say to me, I will try to speak in the style I am most comfortable with Miss Jones."

"I will try to speak in the style I am more comfortable with Miss Jones."

Miss Jones looked astonished. Jimmy had repeated that right down to mimicking her accent.

"That was excellent Jimmy."

"I have a good ear Miss. I sing like the guys I hear on the radio. Many of them are America."

"Oh really. Give me a C please?"

"What's that?"

She sounded note.

He hit the note instantly.

Right, now these notes as I sound them," she said, "holding them slightly."

They sounded C, D and E. She asked Jimmy would he like to take music instead of one of his other options. He nodded and Miss Jones said she would arrange that.

"Right attention everyone. Please spit your gum into the container. Now we have a new student, Jimmy Morrow -- come over and join us Jimmy."

"They don't want me with them."

"Perhaps that is so Jimmy but this is my class and I want all of my class in a group, working together on a musical for our end of second term concert. A couple of you boys please make Jimmy welcome.

The guys stared but none made the move.

"Very well. Two of you girls offer hospitality."

The prettiest girl Thelma and a shy part-Indian girl Nina moved apart and Thelma said, "Over here Jimmy." Jimmy joined them.

"Now go back where you were Jimmy and walk to Thelma and Nina like a man. No one slinks in my class because it's not how we perform together. Move quickly Jimmy."

"Right guys. Today we begin by picking the leads and their under-study. Let's go."

"Thelma," came a chorus.

"Are you comfortable about taking the female leading Thelma?"

"No, Nina should take the lead because although I'm told I sing like an angel, at least my grandmother does, and Nina has the driving voice best suited for a musical."

"That is very generous and perceptive of you Thelma. There appear to be no other nominations Nina, will you accept?"

"Only if Thelma is my under-study."

"Good choice. Nominations closed. Now the male lead."

A great looking guy with a big chest and a bit of a swagger snickered, "Jimmy." Most of the guys and a few of the girls screamed with laughter.

"Are you comfortable with that Jimmy?"

"What's the lead Miss?"

"It means you play the main male singer and talk the most."

"Do you think I can do it Miss?"

"Yes Jimmy. Guy will be your under-study -- that means he takes over if you are sick or can't go on because you are too scared to face our audience."

The big student Guy looked astonished and his grinning mates pushed him forward.

"Jimmy might be sick but Jimmy will not be scared Miss," Jimmy said.

Miss Jones smiled and said she thought as much.

"One punch from me and you're dead Jimmy."

"Do that and you'll die in your sleep that night. Haven't you heard of Black Fella's magic?"

Guy turned white.

"Enough of that you two. Over here the four of you to the piano. Here is a test song you'll sing together. I want everyone here involved in writing the songs and the music for our show. I'll assist."

"These are the words to 'Rock Around the Clock' Miss, one of my old favorites because it's one of the few songs my dad knows."

"My dad is like that too, but he knows a few more," Guy said.

"Oh that's great but we are here to launch a school musical guys. Minds on the job. Now please rip into this and feel free to display action. One, two, three..."

The music class looked blown away as was Miss Jones. All eyes were on Jimmy who'd become transformed, belting out the song with swaying hips and clicking his fingers like a pro. The song finished and Guy summed it up for everyone, "Holy Jesus."

He was not reprimanded and the rest of the cast applauded.

The curtain pulled across and Miss Jones came to the edge of the stage.

"What you saw is more or less true. It's basically what happened. We have eliminated the racist remarks expressed that day because they serve no useful purpose. We'll not bore you with the hard grind of rehearsals, the crying and stamping of a foot in anger, the outright tantrums and the no-shows by students who found the going too hard but I rounded them up and back they came and I demanded they be supported. Our female lead Nina was one of those but Thelma proved a true friend and was there for her. Without Thelma's intervention I fell we would have lost Nina. I know as parents at least some of you will think Melrose's fees are way too high but what I'm just told you is an example of the hard work that is put in here all through the school to coax top performance from your children and to teach them how to behave appropriately in various situations. It's called education and doesn't come cheaply."

"For those of you who are sensitive I warn you to prepare for a bit of a shock. The setting is a multi-cultural community in Sydney where very few of the parents were born in Australia. I make no apologies for the language -- it's everyday street language with just some of the usual four-letter words left out. Please don't think we allow our students to talk like this at school. Sophistication is sparse throughout the production, including the music but remember the authors are merely high school students. The exceptions are our two leads who I can say with pride will deliver you performances at new professional level. Remember too this is theater and the players over-ruled me about costumes, reminding me I wanted this as a student production. Thank you."

The production was a riot, and the audience generally laughed helplessly at the amusing and earthy dialogue that mocked the prejudices children see in their parents. At times the singing brought tears and the production drove through to the final love scene between Nina and Jimmy without faltering and to thunderous acclaim at the end. The tone had been set from the outset with the males dressed as females and the females dress as males including a scene beside the pool where the four girls involved wore only shorts, drawing huge gasps from mothers in the audience. To cries of 'More! More!' Della came on stage and the cast gathered around her and they belted out the closing number, 'A Whole New Life awaits Us'.

The audience wanted more but when the curtains were closed a beaming Mrs Prebble came to the front of the stage and called above the noise, "Thank you. You're been such a lovely audience but we must let our victorious cast go home otherwise their parents will censure us for keeping them out too late. Thank you everyone, something wonderful happened her tonight. Good night."

A strong voice called from the auditorium, "Just a minute Mrs Prebble. May I speak?"

"Yes ma'am."

"I am Mrs Jones, mother of your voice tutor Della Jones. Dan and I happened to be in Sydney and were invited to this show. We never saw our daughter on Broadway, much to our shame, but what we have seen here tonight, under her influence, has blown us away. Dan and I wish to announce we are donating twenty-five thousand American dollars to this school with the request that some of that money finds its way to the music department. Thank you."

"Thank you for that incredible gesture Mrs Jones. I might add that Della is on a temporary appointment but that is about to change to a permanent appointment if she wants it. Thank you again Mrs Jones and good night everyone."

Quite a large number of the audience waited for their children from the cast and working back stage to join them. There was applause when Della came in with the last of the children and just as Della joined her parents and Zane a well-dressed guy with a woman half his age came up and said, "Miss Jones, I've Guy Bailey's father Charles Bailey. The company I represent is preparing to stage a new musical still under wraps and we are presently seeking worldwide expressions of interest for key personnel including that of musical director. Here's my card. I'd appreciate you calling me tomorrow."