Learning From Women

"Well you were very kind with your comments about my best friends, in fact it was an intelligent and accurate assessment. Gina found it difficult to keep her eyes off you."

"Did she? She may be like that with other men."

Fiona changed the conversation.

* * *

For three weeks Fiona held Eddie away, not that he was pressing hard because he suspected that wouldn't work. He began to wonder if she'd lost interest in sex or perhaps she only did it with Scots around her age, guys that she fancied.

Annie had given Eddie one of the sofas from the billiards parlour as she called it for his office and later sent Henry up with a coffee table and she arrived with a vase of flowers. Fiona cleaned his study twice a week and changed the flowers. He went to town often, using Henry's quad bike that was registered and licensed for full road usage. He visited several historic sites and places holding archives as part of his research and Fiona joined him on Saturdays to assist searching records. They seemed to have become more chummy than ever but did not touch, apart from their customary kiss of greeting.

Towards the end of that third week Eddie was horrified to conclude that he'd become focused on fucking Fiona. He didn't wish to be motivated like that, making him almost as bad as her stepfather. So on Thursday evening after dinner when she was dusting his room after dry moping the stained wooden floors he said, "Fiona, may we have a quiet chat?"

"Sure, what do you wish to talk about?"

"Sit on the sofa," Eddie said, turning to face her on his swivel desk chair.

"Fiona, I hope this doesn't embarrass you unduly but I have to have sex. I wish to have it with you rather than go off somewhere to find an accommodating woman I won't know."

"Gina will be only too willing to have sex with you providing she can be sure you won't tell Mark."

"I don't want Gina although she is a lovely woman. I want you."

"Very well. Sleep with me tonight. We best do it over here because we could be too noisy in the house. Stay on working and I'll come over at 9:30 when Annie and Henry finish watching TV and yawn themselves off to bed."

"Er fine."

As Fiona was about to head down the stairs Eddie asked, "Why did you hold out on me until now?"

"Hold out?" she laughed in surprise. "I've been waiting for you to make a hit on me."

She was still laughing at the look on Eddie's face as she went down the stairs and he was slamming his hand against his forehead for the third time, thinking it was true what men say about women, that men can't understand them at times.

Fiona came to Eddie just after 9:30 like he'd never seen her before, dressed formally. She wore a white shirt and dark suit and stockings, full make-up and her long auburn hair fell in waves, highlighting its rich natural colouring. Usually she wore it up. She handed him a small bottle of chilled dessert wine and two glasses.

"I decided to dress as if we were going out formerly and this is the end of our evening," she said simply, walking into Eddie's arms as soon as he put down the bottle and glasses. They kissed slowly and sweetly and this time when Eddie cupped a breast through the clothing that was greeted by a welcoming sign and Fiona whispered, "My dress zip is at the back." Although front, either side and back were the only places for a zip and Eddie could home in unerringly through experience and had the expertise to get the breast out of a bra quicker than most women could, he knew the comment was simply giving him the green light.

Eddie found the whole experience pleasant but very perfunctory; in other words a big disappointment. Fiona displayed nothing more than her usual laid-back manner. Where was the fucking passion? Nothing he could do showed signs of really arousing her... almost the reverse in some cases. Nevertheless it was after 3:00 before they went to their separate beds with Eddie amazed that she'd got him off four times. Getting off four times without breaking into a sweat and yelling through the roof would be some sort of record for him although he'd be in no hurry to repeat it.

* * *

Molly Brooke's father Marco had had involved Eddie in telephone conversations with the Sydney office of an international publishing group and negotiations ended with the company signing Eddie. The accepted offer involved a useful amount of money with the promise of much more to come but the amount had disappointed Eddie who'd unwittingly come to believe he'd written something that would become 'The Great Australian Novel'.

* * *

On the second night after returning home to Brisbane for Christmas, Eddie struck it lucky with Molly, who had a boyfriend. Molly invited him round for a meal, as he'd become of interest to Marco and wife Sally. Late that evening Eddie was reconnected back to real sex, banging Molly against the headboard of her bed. Although they were at the other end of the house they made enough noise to have her mum shout outside the locked door, "Try to keep the noise down you two; Marco and I are trying to get to sleep."

Next morning when Eddie left at dawn, Molly kissing him goodbye at the front door, Eddie said something that left her nonplussed. "Thank you dear Molly. I feel reconnected to my rampant sexuality again." When reading the manuscript of Eddie's next novel Molly would giggle in enlightenment because there would be reference to the hero banging an old flame against the headboard and making that same farewell comment next morning but it being explained explicitly, that the hero had been going through a dry patch sexually despite having something that was some woman's idea of sex.

Two days laterGina Morgan called.

"Hi Gina, how's Renmark?"

"Hi Eddie. I'm just leaving the airport in Adelaide. This will be quite a shock to you. Fiona received a call from her mum last night. Her mum has been badly beaten by her husband but is okay. He has been arrested and is likely will be jailed because of the ferocity of the attack; her mom is bruised all over, hit with a broken broom handle. Fiona has left on the first leg of her flight home."

"Oh Christ, that's horrible for Fiona and shocking for her mother."

Gina burst into tears. "She resigned her job this morning and packed everything. She's not coming back."

Eddie didn't know what to say so tried, "Don't become unduly upset Gina. You can go to Scotland to see Fiona."

"It's not only the loss of Fiona. I'm also losing Carole... a guy has taken up with her and they're besotted with one another. I'm calling because Fiona asked me to let you know. She said she will write you but I also wanted to hear you voice."

"You poor darling. I guess you are feeling abandoned?"

"A little. I'm going to Gawler with mum to her parent's for Christmas and some of the family will be there but I'm not looking forward to it. It will be noisy with all little kids and no one really interested in me apart from mum."

Eddie had a knee-jerk reaction. "Come to Brisbane for Christmas with my family and me. There will be eight of us, just one of her sisters and husband and their thirteen-year old son and fifteen-year old daughter."

"Do you mean that?"

"Yes, of course. I'll send you money."

"No I have money. Are you sure?"

"Yes of course. I have no deep feeling for Fiona... we can have sex if you wish."

Gina began sobbing again.

Eddie attempted to bypass that, knowing she was unsettled. "You best grab a flight as soon as you can after talking to your mom. It's close to Christmas and the rush starts late this week as people move to fly home for the family festivities."

"Eddie I'm on love with you."

"Oh come on Gina, you are distressed at what has happened to your small coterie."

"Don't you dare say I'm in love with you," she yelled. "I felt something the first time I laid eyes on you and it has grown from there. It distressed me to see the nonchalant way Fiona treated you but that's not meaning I felt sorry for you; I became jealous that it was Fiona who had you and I knew you wanted someone like me who'd arouse you and keep you aroused because you are that type of man."

"Am I?"

"Of course you are. I can't believe you don't know that."

They talked a little more, ending with Gina saying she'd text her flight details to Eddie.

Eddie walked into the kitchen and smacked the ass of his mother who was icing her Christmas cake.

"Stop that Eddie, you know I don't like it," Patricia practically gurgled, so pleased to have him back home with her and delighted he was up to his naughty ways. "That is improper behaviour, I'm your mother."

"Yeah, yeah, I bet your nipples are already firming and your breasts swelling."

"Eddie, your repulsive bug; get out of my kitchen," she giggled.

"Mom we'll have one more here for Christmas."

"You mean Fiona?"

"No she'd on her way to Scotland. Her mother has been beaten up in a domestic dispute."

"Oh god, how awful." Patricia then pulled the photo Eddie had sent her months ago of Fiona and her two friends.

"Darling which one is coming, the blonde or the brunette?"

"Gina, the brunette."

"Oh darling," Patricia shrieked. "I was hoping it would be that one. When I received that photo I said to myself that you had teamed with the wrong woman, that the brunette looked the perfect match for you."

"You can tell that from a photo?" Eddie asked agog.

"I don't suppose so. I guess the caption on the back influenced me. It says, "The brunette keeps looking at me mum, am I in danger?"

Eddie grinned and said he must have been drunk at the time. He asked what had he written about the other two.

"The blonde talks too much and you haven't managed to switch Fiona on."

"Jesus I hope you didn't tell grandma that during one of your calls to her?"

"No I didn't young man. Those were intimate comments to your mother but your Aunt Jackie pulled the photo off the wall and after reading it was very disgusting, saying she bet you wished you were fucking the brunette."

"She's always been a disgusting cow."

"Eddie, stop that. Jackie is my sister. May I say I'll be delighted to have Gina here for Christmas and I promise I won't over-act the anxious mum and spoil your plan to develop a relationship with her."

"Relationship? She's a pal mum, I scarcely know her. It's just she feels abandoned because Fiona is all home and the blonde in that photo is over the top with a guy she'd just met."

"Do you wish to sleep with her?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"It means if you don't know her intimately I don't want you sleeping with her in our house."

"Aw come on mum, Gina is all personality and can't help but be sexy."

"But we don't know how she will react when we sees... um sees what you carry in your trousers. You are over-size darling."

"How the hell would you know that?"

"Your mother knows things you don't know she knows darling," Patricia said mysteriously. Answer me this you incompetent seducer, why didn't you choose Gina ahead of ... oh of course, you already had Fiona under your nose when Fiona introduced you to her two best friends in Australia. Well just take it slowly. Gina will be feeling a little embarrassed over the suddenness of this Christmas arrangement and still feeling a little wounded and nervous about your reaction."

Eddie, driving to the airport in his mother's BMW coupe was astonished just how helpful she'd been. He'd wanted her to accompany him to the airport, but she said no, that Gina would arrive plagued with uncertainties, wondering had she blown it by agreeing to team up with Eddie in this manner instead of waiting patiently for his return to Renmark. The airport reunion had to be all about Gina and Eddie so that Gina could receive the assurances she so desperately needed. His mom had added that Fiona could be mentioned of course.

At the airport Eddie parked and made extensive notes about his thoughts. This sexually stupefying relationship he'd found in engaging with Fiona had now swung abruptly to the other pole on the strength of a phone call from Gina. He now had the story line for his next novel. He'd do the great loop in a camper van from Renmark via the Stuart highway through Victoria to Mildura inside the border with New South Wales and then up to Broken Hill on the Silver City Highway and back into South Australia on the Barrier Highway and then cut back at Curra to eventually connect to the Morgan Renmark Road. He'd planned to make that trip anyway and if Gina went with him it would be a bonus.

He went into the arrivals section of the terminal unaware Gina's flight had arrived early. He was walking along when she said behind him, "Hi Eddie."

"Hi," he said turning and then "Oh hi. Have you arrived already?"

She stood uncertainly, just as his mom thought she would. She probably could be excused following that remark from Eddie to think she was dealing with a moron.

"Mom says it's not okay for you to sleep with me in our home."

People around them looked amused and so did Gina.

"Eddie, please slow down; you're acting as if you are on Speed."

"Um yes, okay. Want a drink?"

"I'd like a kiss first."

He hesitated, thinking she looked gorgeous, and heard himself saying, "What in front of all these people?"

"It's usual for people to kiss at airports."

A forty-something woman standing by them and talking to a guy turned and smiled, "Kiss her you fool."

Gina felt tense as he grasped her and kissed her, slowing down. Gina began to pull away but he pulled her back in and kissed her again, to ensure we got the message. "You look lovely and kiss beautifully."

"Oh god," she wailed and grabbed him by the shirtfront and gave him a really juicy one.

Eddie choked, "Wow!"

The smiling woman turned back to her companion.

Gina said she would like a beer and a muffin.

"You drink beer?"

"Only when I become overheated," she replied. Well she did look rather red faced. She took his arm as he pulled her suitcase along. "Do your heroines endure such moments of awkwardness on meetings like that?"

"It appears I write more smoothly than I behave in real time," he said toothily, and had his arm squeezed and pulled against Gina's softest part.

She said shyly, "This sounds stupid because I don't know you really well but I've missed you, knowing you were no longer there."

"Having sex is a great way to get to know someone," he said grinning and really grinned when Gina slapped a hand over her mouth and appeared to convulse.

CHAPTER 4

Two months after his twenty-fourth birthday with his first novel to be published in three months and his second almost completed, Eddie was aware he was still learning a thing or two about women and learning from women, even his mom.

Patricia came out to greet them and he was surprised his mom was all dolled up -- dressed in a fawn summer suit with black mesh stockings, very high heels and sunnies parked above her forehead, her hair piled high. Her realized for the first time in his life his mom was really sexy, especially for her age of fifty-two. Christ he could imagine older guys jumping at the chance of getting a piece of her. Perhaps they did? He was horrified for a second by that thought but then thought well why can't mothers have sex away from home, er, apart from the moral and fidelity reasons? He looked at his mom and felt very proud of her although she didn't see the admiring stare because her eyes were fixed on her son's houseguest.

"Good morning Mrs Major, how lovely to meet you."

"Hello Gina, welcome to our home. Eddie's father is in Townsville today but will be back in time to greet you and take us to dinner. Please come with me and I'll show you to the guestroom."

"Mum?"

"Eddie has been placed on a no-sex embargo in our home and I hope you can accept that darling. I believe his father has affairs with other women but is rather restricting about what his family does at home."

Eddie gaped, not having heard his mum ever suggest there were other women in his dad's life. Jesus. And yet she coped so well in saying that.

Patricia added, "Eddie the poor boy has been like a cat having kittens waiting for you to arrive."

"Well he welcomed me very nicely at the airport. Has Eddie told you about me?"

"Yes. For several months I had a photo of you three young women in my kitchen and I had fretted that circumstances had not allowed Eddie to align romantically with you."

Gina appeared embarrassed but Patricia said, "It's all right dear. He is fetching the luggage. Anyway I had told him my thoughts."

"I-I don't know what to say?"

"You are too polite to tell me to butt out but just be aware I've very, very happy to have you here. I do hope you enjoy your stay with us."

Gina was in the shower when Eddie brought in her suitcase so he went off to his own room and changed in baggy shorts and a t-shirt. He checked his emails and phone but found no messages from Fiona and went back to the guestroom. He found Gina in the bathroom, towelled off and dressed only in panties bent over the vanity bench working on her eyelashes.

"I won't be a minute... this is a tricky part of make-up.

"It's okay, take your time," Eddie said, thinking about dropping to his knees behind her and pulling her legs apart and streaking his tongued up from low between her legs until up to the elastic top of her panties.

"Please don't touch me," Gina breathed jerkily. "Your mother has the right to control what goes on her home."

Forlorn Eddie looked in the mirror and said, "Your tits look great."

"Please call them my breasts."

"Your tits look sculptured Gina and I mean that."

"Oh Eddie, what a lovely thing to say to me. You may call them tits."

Eddie backed away, making no attempt to hide his erection tenting his shorts. Viewing that in the bathroom mirror Gina gasped and cried, "Oh shit!"

"What -- what's wrong?"

"You are big."

"Um sorry."

"No, don't be. I'm big too. Some guys with small ones have been embarrassed."

Eddie grinned. "You are an angel darling. Here feel this."

Gina purred in pleasure and said sounding tragic, "Off you go Eddie."

Before leading Eddie asked, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-seven. We had a night on the town for your twenty-fourth remember? We discussed that and drunkenly talked about our sexual experiences and our preferences."

"Yeah. I remember."

"Eddie, this is just between you and me. I like to think I'm capable of exciting and satisfying you. It's why I'm here on earth."

Eddie left the bathroom pondering her last comment... "It's why I'm here on earth."

Jesus! Did that mean she thought here mission was to pleasure him?

Later when they were in a restaurant dining with Eddie's parents he was asked about his next novel.

"The story line is this sexy young American travel writer arrives in Renmark and tries to hire a guide to take her through to Mildura, up to Broken Hill on the Silver City Highway and then to complete the round trip via the Barrier Highway."

Gina said "That's a lot of uninteresting travel for a travel writer -- mile upon mile of brain-deadening nothing."

Patricia who'd grown up in the region, but with restricted transport in those days, agreed.

Eddie continued undeterred and said several people tell the frustrated writer to approach the town's resident novelist who liked to break out from his routine from time to time. The writer agrees to give the American woman the Loop Tour she's so keen to take.

Eddie turned to Gina and said, "Well it's up to us to make it interesting. We introduce this mythical person to country pubs, sleep out under the stars with her, 'do over' Broken Hill and perhaps take the longer detour to stay a couple of nights on the 200,000 Trilby sheep and cattle station bounding the Darling River and..."

Gina said, "We?"

"I was thinking you might like to take ten days off work and travel with me, you being the America heroine in the novel and me being the reputedly fearless guide but alas with a propensity to stuff up -- wrong turns, running low on fuel, almost starting a bush fire... that kind of stuff."