Learning From Women

"No thank you dear. Fiji is too hot for your father and me. You took us there five years ago, remember?"

"Oh. Well I'll suppose I can find a girl friend to go with me.'

Maria had a sudden thought and asked, "Darling, do you have extramarital affairs?"

"Mom you can't ask me such a thing."

"Come on darling, own up."

"Well since I need you to mind the children when I'm away I'll admit to a couple or so."

"Good."

"Good, you ought to be giving my a lecture?"

"Darling that big shouldered curly-haired son of Patricia Major is in his final year of university. I'll bet he'll take a week off university to go to Fiji with you if I ask him."

"What, he's only twenty or twenty-one."

"Twenty-three, so there's just a little gap in ages."

"Yeah, ten years."

"Oh darling, think of those hot nights and days being fucked near-senseless in tropical paradise by your toy boy."

"Oh yummy mummy," Frances shrieked in laughter. "I'd love it but no way. I'm going to drinks with the girls on Friday night so will ask around. With luck one of them might be grateful enough to give me a lick or two."

They laughed when Maria said, "You filthy bitch."

Next day Frances looked up to a soft rap on her glass partition of her cubicle, on the mezzanine floor of the travel agency where she could look down at her personnel and their clients.

She gave a start, recognise the smile as the kid from across the street. "Come in Eddie. We haven't spoken for a long time."

"Probably not since your wedding. That was a great affair."

"I think you were carried out, drunk."

"Yeah, I said it was a great affair. You mom asked me to call saying you had a task you wished to discuss with me."

Frances swallowed. Actually he looked quite okay and with a bit of wishful thinking they might look roughly the same age, especially with sunglasses on. Yeah. "Please sit Eddie. This is mom's idea and you might think its preposterous and even insulting but I need a companion to travel with me in a fortnight to Fiji -- all expenses paid. Being female I have no wish to travel alone and become the target of predatory males."

"Why not, it might to fun?"

"Eddie!"

"Oh sorry. Yeah I'll go with you providing I can sleep with you."

Frances throat seemed to close and she croaked, "I guess that can be arranged."

"And you'll want me to say nothing about this arrangement to anyone, including your parents and my parents?"

"Oh Eddie, you are brilliant."

They sat and talked about details and Eddie was asked to bring in his passport for Frances to check.

* * *

Eddie told Federica he'd be away for two weekends and she had no problem with that. The manuscript was progressing well and she loaned Eddie her university-owned electronic notebook to take away with him in case he felt inclined to continue his novel. She didn't ask him where he was going.

Sex and for that matter cohabitation with Federica had been rather disappointing. Her interest in him evaporated each time they had sex as if she no longer had any use for him but she returned for more. Eddie believed she was 'laidback mechanical' and he was now using his time with Sue Oldham as his yardstick, having tried his best to give her the best part of a yard he possessed and Sue had responded brilliantly. Against Sue all others would be judged and to boot she was and exceedingly gracious and interesting person to know.

Eddie's disappointment in Federica had been massive. He'd expected her to enjoy foreplay and to lay her head on his chest afterwards and participate in what writer's called 'sweet nothings' But no, when they did it for the first time lay on the sofa and pulled up her hem and said, 'Feed it into me darling', not requiring to be warmed up and then as Eddie perform not being particularly active and didn't appear to be really involved. As soon as she cleaned up she wandered off to make phone calls. Although hugely dissatisfied Eddie decided to continue and play it her way because with him writing he really was Federica's protégé. If he succeeded she would gain credit for her encouragement and building self-belief in the young writer.

* * *

Frances met Eddie inside the secure area for departing passengers, not wanting to be seen with him with the wider public watching on.

She was uptight, very uptight and attempting to hide behind very large and dark sunglasses. Eddie guessed what she was doing and went up to her and said, "Hi Frances?"

She jumped and asked how the hell had he recognized her.

"By your tits, they are classic, by far the best around here."

Frances gurgled and allowed him to kiss her but when she attempted to pull away Eddie held firm and she gradually relaxed and increased the power of her kissing, murmuring, "What the hell. If I'm recognized I may as be recognized for entering the spirit of my indiscretion. At that she pushed her groin into Eddie's."

They flew out of Brisbane and landed in Fiji at 9:00 in the evening, becoming very conscious of the steamy air. After a short trip they were delivered to their one-bedroom villa fronting the lagoon pool at the Sheraton Denarau and given complimentary tickets for three meals at any restaurant at the Sheraton Resort for seven days and four complimentary massages at the spa.

In the bedroom Frances said a little uncertainly, "Eddie, I'm ten years older than you."

"Thank god you are not younger. My fetish is older women. Show them to me Frances."

As if mesmerized she pulled off her top and removed her bra.

"Great, I love them. Please don't wear a bra while we here unless you think its necessary."

"They hang."

"Good, I love it."

From that moment Frances just loved that boy. They went to dinner, choosing the Flying Fish. With difficulty Eddie persuaded her to leave the room without wearing sunglasses.

Frances was all over him when they returned to their room after midnight and they engaged in the best sixty-nine Eddie had experienced. She was absolutely awesome, making him almost jump out of his skin. They finished with a slow and sweet Missionary and as they fell apart to sleep Eddie blew her mind when he said, "Frances, I hope I find someone to marry who is very like you in manner and sexy expertise."

She cried and Eddie hugged her and asked what was the matter. "I love you Eddie," she sobbed. She was of course rather drunk.

During the week Frances told Eddie he was so wonderful for her that she was losing some of her inhibitions. He taught her to become confident swimming with a snorkel and they went out on a safari to Mana Island where the snorkelling was wonderful. They rested up and Frances asked him what he intended to do when her left university.

"To become an action-adventure novelist."

"Oooh."

"Frances can you talk to me all the remainder of our time together about what women think when they are alone, what they fear and what they love most and how they want men to interrelate with them. Your own thoughts and the thoughts you recall receiving from other women is all I ask. It doesn't have to be profound -- I just want to write like a woman thinking when I write about the thoughts of a woman."

Frances knew she was having one of the best holidays of her life so she gave the information Eddie wanted as it came to her. For three nights they teamed with three older sisters from England and New Zealand, having gone on a day cruise with them and Frances encourage them to help in educating Eddie about how women think and what they desired from men... er covering all aspects. As the wine flowed the restraints dropped and some of the comments became very bodacious.

On the flight back to Brisbane Frances told Eddie it had been a great time away from the office for her. "And I loved the sex and I almost wet myself the first time I saw the size of your donger. But above all you were such a perfect companion for me, sharing in the things I wanted to do, responding whenever I mentioned I was hungry or tired. Have you fucked my mother?"

Eddie felt as if the aircraft had hit an air pocket and dropped a thousand feet. How the hell could he answer that question? Frances could strangle her mom.

"Are you mad. Could you imagine me doing that? She's ancient."

"It's just I've been thinking, why on earth would she recommend I holiday with you?"

"Um you told me you wanted a friendly companion to stave off unwelcomed advances. Perhaps she thought like that too, what with me being the closest guy available and your mum perhaps thinking I could duck out of university study for a week."

"Oh yes, availability at such short notice. That's credible."

Desperate to change the subject, Eddie asked, "Do you want to go to a toilet and I'll follow you in to initiate you into the Mile High Club?"

"God, you filthy little toad. No... regrettably we had our last one this morning Eddie."

Although they never fucked again, for many years Frances would act as Eddie's travel consultant.

Federica called him next day, knowing he was to arrive back late on Saturday.

"Did you have a lovely time?"

"Yes great, plenty of action and I befriended an older woman for research purposes."

There was disbelief in Federica's voice when she said, "Research purposes?"

"Yes, well I did have sex with her a couple of times but she talked to me for hours and hours about what I wanted to know...how women think and how they expect men to behave."

"Well, I must admit if you keep on which such research it will assist you as a novelist. How many chapters did you write?"

"Er, sorry Federica, only five and a half."

"How many times did you say you fucked that woman?"

"It may have been more than twice."

"I bet. I want you to meet me for lunch tomorrow at the Point Restaurant at 12:30 to introduce you to a literary agent's daughterMolly Brooke who acts as her father's assessor. When meeting a former student the other evening who is in non-fiction publishing I explained I was looking for a good agent for a new-start author and she recommended Molly's father Marco. Molly has read the eleven chapters I'd lightly edited and you corrected and she said she was impressed. I didn't find that surprising. The scholarship submission requires only a manuscript whether or not it has been published. I thought we may as well get your first novel on the road to publication."

"That's amazing -- your confidence goes deeper that what I'd thought."

"Well don't allow this to go to your head but Molly's father read the first four chapters and told Molly to interview you. His opinion is your work is publishable; probably the UK would be his first preference -- America later if sales take off. With that promising appraisal I'd say you'd be a front-runner for that scholarship. Just make sure your university work keeps up to scratch."

"Federica, I don't know what to say."

"Just a thank you will do until we meet at the summer house this weekend. My husband is away fishing again this weekend. I suspect he's having an affair."

"Damn."

"It's okay but I would prefer not to lose him."

"Right and thank you again. Who pays for tomorrow's lunch -- do we all split?"

"No, leave Molly to pick up the bill. She suggested lunch rather than meet at her office. I think she wants to see you in a social situation. Twenty-three is considered young for an author. While teenagers and kids have been published such cases are not usual."

* * *

Federica looked up at a pretty tanned ash-blonde entering the restaurant and said to Eddie, "That's Molly."

Eddie had been expecting a dumpy brunette with glasses and a sharp manner... he had no idea why; he must have been in negative thought at the time, slighted that he was to meet a scout instead of the principal. He stood and was surprised once more -- Molly was almost as tall as he was at six-two. She smiled at him and said "Hi, I'm Molly" and looked away immediately to smile glowingly at Federica and say, "Good afternoon Mrs Giovanni. I remember you from a couple of lecturers you gave us. I graduated with my masters in English Lit two years ago."

Aha thought Eddie, a baby face but probably she would give him two or three years in age.

"I'm sorry Molly... so many classes... so many students."

"Of course you won't remember me," Molly giggled. "I did nothing to distinguish myself but in one presentation you did telling us about our greatest fear... the difficulty of securing employment outside of education. But then you went on to inspire us, urging us to develop skills in critical reasoning and analysis, upskill in IT and show a strong independent focus. Then you smiled encouraging and said do that and lo! Awaiting for us will be opportunities in areas which have traditionally attracted English Literature graduates include advertising, marketing and PR work, arts administration, library and information management, the legal profession, editing and publishing, journalism and other areas of the media. You left me with the impression a whole world of opportunities awaited me."

"You remember all that?" Federica said in awe. "It sounded rather too fulsome and off pat for me."

"Well I refined it I guess and have committed it to memory. I have been invited to several high schools to be one of the speakers on Career's Day. Apparently as I have worked in IT with a PR firm and now with my father I am regarded as a recent post-graduate success."

"You certainly are Molly," Federica said.

"Thank you and now about drinks; this meeting is on my father. I have been sent to check out your maturity and work disciplines Eddie."

"No worries," Eddie said but his confidence dropped a couple of pegs when his assessor said, "That is encouraging to hear but we have been led down before by young people unsure of their priorities and vision."

"Good for you Molly," Federica smiled. "This manuscript is being prepared as a submission for Eddie's application for the William B. Goldsmith Scholarship. Your involvement as an assessor is fortuitous but not by accident. I believe your stringent examination will be a useful forerunner for Eddie for when he appears before the scholarship assessment board."

"So I'm being used?" Molly said as the light white wine was being poured, not losing her smile.

Federica said only in a manner of speaking. Eddie had three weeks to finish his novel and she believed it had the feel of commercial success. "In no way does the scholarship application affect what your father does commercially with his copy of the manuscript. The rules of the scholarship application specify a manuscript of a novel whether or not published."

"Federica is running both programmes for me concurrently," Eddie explained. "I am her protégé for her academic purpose."

Molly watched as Federica looked sharply at Eddie. "Who told you that?"

"Males have brains as well as females Federica. It wasn't difficult to work out that although you took an interest in me because you saw special potential in me and you expected me to stroke your ego, there had to be more than that involved. My guess is you want one major success behind you before you apply for a fulltime senior lecturer position in English Lit. It also explains why you've had three papers published this year on aspects of the widening career paths for English Lit in the 21st Century."

"Who told you that, who have you been talking to?"

"Does it matter?" Molly giggled. "Be happy Eddie here is not a dumb-ass male with tunnel vision."

Federica joined the laughter and regained her humour.

From then on the conversations were wide-ranging interspersed with questions from Molly about Eddie's writing schedule, how he relaxed, his research methods, how well was he read in his genre of action adventure (since he turned twelve) and other probes apparently aimed at discovery about his focus on a career as a professional writer.

"What about experiences with women Eddie, I mean sexually?"

"I get my share."

The women laughed.

Molly said she meant was he limited to the sweet girl next door or had his experiences been wide-ranging?

"Molly," Federica said. "I can personally and confidentially state I found no lack of experience being involved with Eddie."

Eddie coloured, dropping his gaze but he heard Molly giggle.

They separated, Eddie taking the ferry to his university campus at St Lucia.

* * *

Eddie was working on his novel after dinner when he took a call.

"Hi Eddie, it's Molly."

"Oh hi, thanks for giving me your time today."

"No problem, it's my job but thanks for being polite. I'm not far from you, leaving the home of one of my girlfriends. I wondered if you'd like to join me for a drink."

Eddie laughed easily. Funny he'd not noticed much about Molly apart from her extremely light blonde hair what was cut short and combed forward. Perhaps that was because her height surprised him? He struggled unsuccessfully to recall when had he never taken in a woman's waistline, legs and breasts. This was amazing. How would he recognize Molly if he went somewhere to meet her? Tall and light blonde? Oh yeah.

"Um is this a test to see whether you can lure me away from writing?"

She giggled. He liked the giggle. "No, I have already given my father my written assessment."

"Was it favourable from my perspective?"

"What an explicit question. I have to reply very favourable indeed."

Eddie threw to baited hook. "My parents have gone to a movie. Would you care to come over here?"

"I'd love to; give me directions."

Eddie ran out when he heard Molly arrive and opening her car door for her saw she had very long legs... very long and shapely legs. He was wondering about a kiss when she kissed him.

"I er didn't know whether to do that."

"It's just a greeting."

"Oh?"

Molly smiled. "You may kiss me properly if you like."

They kissed softly, neither in a hurry to end it.

And then as they broke away, she asked looking at him steadily, "Are you promiscuous Eddie?"

"I often don't back off if that's what you mean?"

"So you choose with care?"

"As much care as could be considered reasonable. I'll be honest with you Molly. I'm not long back from a week in Fiji. A married woman on the advice of her mother took me as her toy boy."

Molly's initial frown dissolved into a smile. "Ohmigod, with experiences like that you ought to write romance with depth."

"That daughter used to baby-sit me in her youth."

"Well that puts a little air of propriety to it I guess."

"But you disapprove?"

"I'm afraid your confession if I could call it that caught me by surprise. I don't know what to think. I still can't understand why you told me."

"I didn't want you mislead about my character although that's the only grey spot, er black spot, on it."

Molly said, "Obviously I have impressed you?"

"Yes."

"And you were surprised I called you and then even more surprised when I agreed to call over?"

"Yes, most surprised but I hasten to say the approach neither rang my alarm bells nor gave me the expectation of sex... I was left stymied."

"Stymied, is that a less than usual experience with you?"

"Um I normally assess females very quickly and after I left you after lunch I was mystified that my computer-like appraisal hadn't really picked up on your apart from hair colour and height. I guess I had been expecting a studious looking plain woman short and... um."

"Fat?"

"Er yes. It was just expectation."

"So you weren't aware of my legs, ass and breasts?

"Ah not ass... um waist."

"Ohmigod, you look at waist ahead of ass -- why?"

"Um, real curves suggest a real woman so I look for the narrow waist."

"Ohmigod, you lecherous asshole."

"Sorry."

"No it's okay. It makes you appear um a little more discerning. Christ, now you have got me saying um."

"Perhaps a drink would help?"