Duke Pt. 04

He nodded.

"I think the flowers were designed to sweeten me up after your crude attempt to get into my pants and I reacted coolly and you are waiting to order wine with the meal to give the impression you only drink minimally."

Duke coloured and fought against nodding or commenting.

"Are you aware Mrs Copeland warned me you drink excessively and are a womaniser?"

Horrified, Duke croaked "No."

"Well I applaud you for really making an effort to reform but for goodness sake your tongue must be hanging out. Order a beer. I couldn't believe it when you ordered me a cocktail and ordered a mineral water for yourself. Oh rest assured I'll only say positive things about you if Mrs Copeland queries me. I've been trained not to gossip."

"Lisa," Duke began, about to grovel.

"Order your beer. The bartender's waiting. Then you may kiss me."

The evening turned into one of the most memorable dates Duke had ever experienced.

Lisa turned out to be a real honey. Not unexpectedly she appeared highly intelligent and had amazing knowledge about so many things. She even had experienced kayaking, trail bike riding but on mountain bikes, not motor-cross bikes, loved tennis and swimming and yes, she occasionally got drunk when she had a three-day weekend off work.

Duke even remembered to avoid talking about TV and they make some progress talking about books, music and some shows they'd seen in Sydney.

Although she'd had only one cocktail and one glass of wine, Lisa's cheeks were flushed. She offered, "You know are you nothing like what I expected you to be. You've only looked at my breasts once haven't you?"

Duke decided it was timely to be brave but to take care. "Correct but that excludes the thirty sly glances."

She giggled. "Are you aware with homo-sapiens that is a fundamental purpose of breasts?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"No it's true. Duke I think you should close your mouth; you might catch a fly."

He was dumbfounded Lisa would have told him that, er on their first date.

Lisa said, "We've talked about many things but have really skirted sex."

"Um what do you want to know about it?"

She giggled and said she was a doctor.

"Oh yeah." Duke proceeded cautiously. "So do you want me to ask do you get enough sex?"

Lisa's cheeks burned. "Well deep down I guess I wanted you to ask me that."

"God you are wonderfully diplomatic and so flexible with language."

She appeared as if he'd just pinned a gold medal over her left tit... er... breast.

Lisa flushed and said simply, "Yes I will go out with you again Duke if you care to invite me and the timing is suitable. And yes I will consider going to bed with you but not immediately if you catch my drift."

"You wish to be confident about me?"

"Oh clever boy," Lisa said, pressing a thigh against his and Duke contained himself and just pushed back slightly to signal receipt of that communication.

It was another hour before she yawned politely and said she'd better go as she had a 6:00 am start.

At her car door Duke touched her shoulder and she swung into his arms and although she pressed into him her lips didn't open during kissing. But Duke didn't mind, he was now a gentleman wasn't he?

Lisa slipped into her Holden Cruze and wound down her window. "Are you aware of phone sex?"

"Yeah I think so."

"There is no need to be so cautious Duke. Give me your card and I'll email you my mobile phone number and my expected bedtimes during the coming ten days. Be aware I won't think any less of you if you don't call. Good night sweet man."

"Good nigh Lisa," Duke croaked.

He drove home elated. "Jeeze have I struck gold with Lisa. She appears to be a slow burner."

Duke received the email next day and called the 28-year-old brunette Lisa that night and eventually had her panting into your phone.

"Do you have your hand round your penis?" she puffed.

"I'm jerking it, yes."

"I'm about to climax," she wailed.

"So let it go; I'm quite a way off. The more we do this the better we'll become, just like with flesh on flesh contact."

"Flesh on flesh? Oh yikes, I'm gushing."

Caught in her excitement Duke came unexpectedly and his aim was such a stream shot right up and covered his left eye.

"Yuk."

She asked what was wrong and he said nothing. He was glad she'd gushed.

"Well I'm not; I have to clean up."

They chatted for a while and then said goodnight, she making kissing noises but switched off before he had time to reciprocate.

Duke was more than convinced that Lisa was an interesting hot bitch. Oops, he thought, and corrected. She was an interesting young lady. He went to the bathroom and flushed out his eye.

Next day at lunchtime Duke went to Orana Mall and bought two styles of hipster swimwear suitably fashioned for guys 30-plus and ran into Jean.

"Have you had lunch?" he asked.

"No but have been thinking about it. Neville decided to go to Sydney without me, knowing it would be pretty stressful as Charlie's wife is not taking this well."

"Who wouldn't?"

"Exactly," she said, glancing at him.

"Come on," he said. "My treat. Let's go somewhere where we can have a glass of wine."

"Does your company permit staff to drink during work hours?" Jean said slyly.

He smiled and said he didn't have to worry because the boss was away.

They sipped Pinot Noir and Jean said, "I had reluctant feedback. Apparently you were the perfect gentleman and a very interesting person although I already knew about the latter. The former part of her comment left me reeling."

"Thanks for sending Lisa to me. You could have warned me she wouldn't drop her knickers."

"You disgusting man," Jean smiled. "It's true I knew that but I selected her after her mum told me Lisa is very lonely, working very long hours and being on call."

"Well she is lovely and it appears we'll be dating again."

"Lisa didn't say it had been that promising?"

Duke said airily he didn't know what she was talking about and asked how was her leg.

"Feeling stronger by the day. Just take it slowly with Lisa and you will probably get what you want."

"And what is it I want?"

"Duke stop being so damn infuriating. Now please tell me exactly how you feel about Lisa. I promise not to tell."

"Right and I accept that promise and it means you don't even hint."

"Agreed."

During the next ten minutes as Duke spilled his heart, bringing great smiles from Jean.

Back at the office Duke emailed Lisa knowing she had the coming weekend off. He invited her to go with him to Thompson after she finished work next day, which was Friday, and they'd return on Sunday and explained the reason. He said he'd arrange for her to stay with a friendly neighbour.

He received a reply within the hour. Lisa wrote she'd loved to accompany him to Thompson. Duke emailed the three mothers and told them he was selling the house and shifting to Dubbo in the hope of landing a big promotion. If he didn't he intended to begin working in home renovations as a self-employed contractor. He said he'd found a lovely young woman and wondered if one of them would be kind enough to offer her a bed for the night.

Gina called him after arriving home with the kids.

"We girls had a sidewalk meeting and it was agreed to accept my offer to host your new lady and we'd have a combined meal at my home at 8:00 tomorrow night and that should give you two time to get here after work."

"That's brilliant Gina and thanks."

"Yes well you have been a great friend. Oh under the circumstances I have decided not to come to Dubbo."

Duke protested, "But Gina..."

"Enough said on that subject Duke. It's not really your fault that life appears to at last have taken you by the hand. We'll feed the kids earlier. Oh and we girls decided not to hint of your having a promiscuous past."

"Er thanks."

"You may take that as meaning we love you Duke."

"Oh I do, and by that I mean real love as friends. You guys have been truly wonderful to me."

"Have you been to a shrink or has an older woman been lecturing you" Gina asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, yeah," Duke said and then lied, "Some old bitch in the Post Office nailed me, told me to do up my zip and then told me to repent before my black life took me to an early grave."

"Oh you idiot," Gina laughed. "We are looking forward to tomorrow night and our husbands will be over to help you pack Saturday morning early. Gretchen says Bevan is really bitching at not being allowed to go to golf but once you guys have finished and get into the beer he'll be happy."

"Great Gina and everything appears to be falling into place. The storage firm will leave packing cases beside the house and cartons on my veranda sometime tomorrow."

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