A Romance Flips

"I really don't know anything about Tony's management style, and Hailey you'll understand that. I would appreciate if you didn't mention to him my remark about under-capitalisation. I would prefer to bring that up when I become far more familiar with the business. I must say the volume of business through-put is hugely impressive but as yet I have no knowledge of production and distribution efficiencies and margins relating to raw materials and contracts. And I must say, nor is it my business to know."

"But coming out fresh from university and being exposed to news trends and emerging ideas, Ronni, it is natural for you to want to become involved in innovation for a long-established company."

"Ah, darl, I could counter that by saying that's the last thing that Tony might want from me."

"Yes, indeed, tread softly, softly as they say. I, as a long-established surgeon and head of my department, pose a similar problem to trainee graduates brimming with information and theories relating to innovation. Just be aware, softly, softly."

"I hear you, Hailey. Um, I work Monday to Friday and was wondering about Saturday shopping?"

"Yes, I've thought about that. I usually shop Saturday mornings with two girlfriends ending with a café lunch. I think you should join us this Saturday."

"Um, will they..."

"I see them both for coffee on Wednesdays and shall say this gorgeous young woman from England is staying with us and they are almost certain to suggest she shop with us this Saturday and if they don't, I'll suggest you should be invited to join us."

"Brilliant, Hailey. You are so kind. Will you now join me in the pool and give me some tips on how to accelerate my progress. Emma told me you represented your university in inter-university swim championships."

"Indeed, I did and I guess that suggests you and I should spend some time in the pool over the next couple of weeks without the distraction of anyone else in the water."

* * *

Ronni had seen an artist's impression of the factory of an annual report that Tony had sent her in England, and the same illustration was featured on the company's website. But she was hugely disappointed with the reality. Her impression was progressive improvement and yes, innovation/modernisation, to the factory had generally ceased about thirty years ago.

She'd noticed modern processing machinery in places during her walk-through but suspected most of that would have been replacements to worn-out machinery or in some cases the need to replace due to new innovations in processing economics and flexibility.

Ronni was already forming ideas of what could be done to introduce innovations, but as Hailey had warned her, slowly, slowly. This was only Day One for her with the company.

Another concern for Ronni was her relationship with Nick. At home so far, he went out more without her than with her and there was little in his friendship with her that suggested courting, which was a rather dated concept but nevertheless, a little of the attention and warmth that it suggested would be appreciated. She was startled to think the real warmth came from Emma and Hailey, especially Emma.

Therefore, her suspicion that Emma might be developing the hots for her intensified when Emma bounded home after work and being at the gym. She grabbed Ronni who came into the kitchen to welcome her and kissed her hugely on the mouth and Ronni felt Emma's right hand slide down and over her hip and a hand clench a chunk of butt, only momentarily before Emma turned to attend to the coffee machine. But the connection traced in outline the movement of a lover.

Holy shit!

Ronni thought it best to make no comment and just as well, because Emma didn't either.

"How was your first day in that relic from the twentieth century?"

"That's surprising to me that you should describe it like that."

"Why?"

"Because anyone even without a trained eye just might agree with you. I mean it's smack in a light industrial area peppered with many eye-catching late-comer plants. So, what is your opinion?"

"Reserved."

"Spoken like a conservative engineer."

"If I was to be critical, I'd want to be sure of the facts in my dissertation."

"Gosh, darl, where has that delightful, out-going and emotionally-primed side to you gone?"

"Those interpreted features remain and as you corrected stated, it is a side to me. I was just responding via my professional side."

Emma then practically stunned her companion.

"Ronni, I'm bi-sexual socially."

"What?"

"It's only fair that you know because I'm becoming hugely attracted to you. I just indicated by kissing you fully on the mouth and I noticed intently that you didn't move away and exhibit repulsion."

"Well, Emma, how could I be repulsed by you. You're a real babe and super friendly. You have been so lovely to me."

"Omigod, are you saying you approve of my attraction?"

"Emma, let's get this out in the open, just between you and me. I'm being fucked by your brother and I have no intention of having capers in sex with you."

Emma said calmly, "I understand your feelings at this moment darl, but when you get over the shock of disclosure, you may begin to see things a little more rationally. For example, how much softer, giving and sweeter smelling that I am compared with my brother, but let's drop this for the moment, Coffee?"

"Ah, err, yes please."

"Fine, go out on the patio and join mum. I'll bring out coffee and biscuits."

Ronni went out on to the patio not knowing what to think.

* * *

Next morning, Emma woke Ronni up opening the bedroom window and making her giggle by saying, "Christ, this room stinks."

"Yeah, your brother came home last night with a skinful and promptly vomited on to the wood floor that he hasn't cleaned up yet."

"The pig. It's almost 6.00 -- want to come with me on an hour's slow run."

"Yes, but I'm out of shape and may not last the distance."

"You will as I'm willing to take a couple of breathers. Have a quick pee, throw some light clothes on and off we go. You can do your teeth and basic make-out after showering on our return."

They did some road running and then beach running and no mention was made about sex and they had no reason to kiss.

Coming off the beach they sat and had coffee before running the short distance to the house.

"We can do this every week day morning if you wish."

"I'd like the thought of that provided I don't have a huge hangover, Emma. Why this fitness regime for me?"

"Because Nick intends beginning your surfing coaching this evening and then every other evening unless something socially irresistible comes up. Surfing can sap your strength when it's all on."

"He hasn't said anything to me about beginning coaching me."

"Guys are like that, darl. Mum asked him when and he told her. Just don't allow him to treat you off-handed like that."

At work, the small team in the design and specifications department were surprised, indeed impressed, to find that Ronni was a graduate in architecture as well as structural design. Nothing had been posted about her and she'd only been introduced to department heads and managers that she'd be working with. She fixed that by writing out a brief bio and mentioning the fact that she'd been recruited while in England where she'd struck up a friendship with Nick who had graduated from the same university.

Ronni gave the bio together with a pic of yourself to Tony's PA with the request that she get Tony to read it and approved it for posting on the company's website. It was posted exactly as Ronni had presented it, which pleased her. Internal communication was one area within the business that obviously was overdue for an overhaul.

Tony said to Ronni driving her to the factory next morning, "I have a sneaky feeling that you might think we are a mite slack on internal communications."

"Yes, perhaps a tad or more,"

"Right,"

Ronni thought no need to comment further just now as the point had been made.

"Tony, I've come into your outfit with more than a little experience in inspecting metal design and fabrication factories in England. Because I've arrived as a fresh face and having been exposed to the latest ideas and trends on the other side of the globe, why don't you suggest that I take a couple of days to study and report to your comprehensively on my appraisal on the operation you have here and perhaps include some constructive ideas about what could be done in the way of change in the short term."

"Hmm, go with those suggestions providing the report goes only to me."

"Fair enough. Then because it involves that level of confidentially, could I be privy to the company's published and unpublished financials including financial reserves and work information as I see relevant into my comprehensive report, making it more or less like a suggest blue print for the future direction of the company,"

"You are making me nervous, Ronni."

"Only you and I will be aware of anything I'm rabbiting on about, unless you decided otherwise."

"Yes, but we all know what happens when a can of worms..."

"All I'm asking is be brave and open-minded, as least initially Tony. What harm can that do?"

"You are so fucking persuasive, Ronni."

"Which is one of the assets in the package that you inherited when you decided to employ me, pal."

"Bloody oath," he enthused. "After all, what we are talking about is merely a bunch of words on paper."

"And don't overlook the fact that I might come up with a somewhat appealing suggestion of attracting private British investment," Ronni said, remembering hearing her father say to her mother that he and his friends were beginning to talk about switching some of their cash investment to the Southern Hemisphere.

"Now you're talking Ronni. That is what I regard as innovative thinking. Please explain."

"Rein in your enthusiasm, boss. Wait to read all about it presented in logical and interwoven order."

"Hmm, you are beginning to give me a headache. I'll get a memo out to all department heads and mainline managers. When do you wish to do this survey.?"

"Thursday and Friday of this week."

"Fuck, that soon!"

"Why allow the cobwebs to grow, Tony?"

His response was to rudely belch and sigh.

Ronni returned home at 4.40 that afternoon and just after 5.00 she went with a run with Emma. As organized by Emma, Nick met then at the beach where they finished their run with three surf boards suspended over the tray of his pick-up.

Ollie ambled over to chat with them and soon Ronni said, "Ollie, I'll leave you chatting to Emma if I may because Nick is here to take me on my first lesson as a surfing greenhorn."

"Okay, but why the safety zest when the waters out there this evening are fairly placid?"

"It's because I'm also learning to swim."

"Christ, lady you're big into everything up to your tits."

Ronni belatedly joined into the laughing as everyone else appeared to think that comment was hilarious. She noticed Emma quietly adjusting the built-in bra of her bikini as she prepared to have Ollie to herself, conversationally. Ronni hoped Ollie would remember he was married.

They arrived home from the beach and Hailey rushed out and hugged and kissed Ronni and sneakily rubbed butt out of sight of others.

"How did surf coaching go, darling. I was worried that you would be exhausted doing that strenuous activity after running for an hour in this heat?"

"Mum, she proved to be better that being able to surf by lunch time. The small waves had quite a bit of energy and Ronni rode in five wavelets on her knees on the board and we worked more on balance and feet and hip positions and I sent her out further and she made several tumbles and then fucking rode in the three last attempts. You ought to have seen her face on his first successful upright ride," enthused her coach proudly.

Hailey kissed Ronni wetly and, feeling somewhat like a paper heroine, Ronni was almost flattered that a married woman of two adult children should kiss her so suggestively.

She thought, well, they were sporty Australians, weren't they!

Emma arrived home and said to Ronni, sounding somewhat relieved, that Ollie hadn't hit on her. Her imagine of him remained intact.

Chapter 5

On Saturday morning, Nick and Ronni left in Nick's pick-up with two of Nick's and Ronni's boards lashed on the for' and aft across aluminium pipe supports at the ends of the tray for a drive of about three hours up along the eastern seaboard to a beach where they would meet other people that Rick often surfed with.

Ronni was becoming used to these 6 am or even earlier starts. In England, she'd rarely rose before 7.30. They hadn't had breakfast, just a quick machine coffee as Rick said they'd stop at a roadside place for brekkie at 8.00 or later.

"You'll find the waves at this beach in this wind-set today much steeper and far more powerful than you've experienced so far. If you get swept off your board, don't panic; all you have to do is stay afloat. Until midday, the light buoyancy of your vest and the incoming tide will sweep you ashore. After around 12.30, should you and the board part, you could be swept out to sea but not to panic. Everyone in our group of thirty or even double that number will keep an eye on you, knowing that you are the Pommie newbie who has guts to try to start assimilating upon arrival in Oz."

"Surely they all won't think like that."

"True, there's always a couple of dummies in any group.

"Um, don't expect everyone to be polite and considerate as if they were on a Sunday school picnic."

"You are saying to expect them to be almost as foul, inconsiderate and disrespectful as the typical crew on the factory floor or any structural fabrication outfit?"

"Yeah babe, I'm beginning to see why mum and Emma regard you with some awe," Nick chuckled. "Oh, all the guys gathered will surf, but only some of the females will, while the others are either too timid or are really there to be fucked by whoever and whenever. When sitting on the beach kept looking out to sea rather than what's going on behind you and you'll think you are on a Sunday School picnic."

Ronni actually met some very nice male and females while there were also some that her mother would instantly label in disgust as scum.

Everyone drank water or beer, perhaps both and some coffee flasks appeared around noon when people began having early lunch because the waves had lost their edge due to the tidal change.

By mid-afternoon, Ronni was exhausted because the larger waves of the morning had returned again to give her a battering while mainly successfully fighting to stay on her board and it required considerable effort to get out again through incoming surf.

She dozed off for a while and when awaking, she looked around for Rick and saw he was busily engaged a little way behind their position. She was disgusted to see he and a guy called Barney were double-banging a female she'd not noticed before.

Angrily, she gathering her things apart from her board that she left beside Rick's board and scrawled a note for him, 'Gone home, disgusted with you, you pig.'

She barely began walking up the half-mile beach access road to the main road when a car stopped and a young woman she recognised as a primary school teacher Helen Clough called, "Want a lift, Ronni?"

Naturally, Ronni said yes.

"Are you disgusted at Rick's selfish behaviour?"

"Yeah, and thanks for the offer of a lift. Anywhere on the North Shore will do."

"I'll take you right to your door as Mike and I flat about 300 yards beyond Rick's parent's place. The first time I saw Mike sticking it up some slut's butt I almost vomited and yelled him out that no way would I marry him. But he gradually got me to accept that a guy has to do what a guy has to do and suggested I take his car when the party began to become boisterous and he'd get a lift home with one of his mates. Several of the wives and girlfriends have a similar arrangement and Lucy Orange actually stays to be fucked by whoever while her straight fiancée goes home early."

Unable to help herself, Ronni began giggling, setting off her driver.

"Omigod, our generation of females is becoming far too permissive in various sense of the word," Helen said, whipping the tears of excessive laughter from her eyes.

Ronni found no one home when she arrived home with Helen. They had coffee under the shade of palms at the western end of the pool and after Helen departed, Ronni went back to her lounger, stretched out and went to sleep.

She awoke late afternoon to find Emma stretched out right up beside her, blowing gently on to her face.

"Hi darling Ronni."

"Hi, darling."

"Did you find anything dangerous, exciting or disgusting about local Australian surf culture."

"Yeah, babe. I almost crapped myself when I saw a dark shape glide up ahead of me when I was paddling back out after one glorious and mind-blowing ride which including some small but successful intended changes of direction and met a few lovely people. And then mid-afternoon I awoke from a shortish nap and saw Rick with another guy banging some slut and so I walked out on him, leaving him a short and scathing note."

"He'll expect you to get over that disgust."

"Well, that leaves me in a pickle, because I don't believe I ever will."

"Damn."

"I'll survive. I'm under immigration contract to your father and so at least I'll hold my job. A good thing happened after that. I barely got off the beach when an outward-going car stopped and a female I'd met in the morning, Helen Clough, offered me a lift home and she said she'd take me right to my door."

"Ah, how fortunate. Helen is a lovely person and we often meet in a weekend coffee group. She's a local school-teacher and originates from New Zealand. She marries soon and continues to let her fiancé sow his oats, as the guys call it. Tell me, are you going to dump my brother?"

"He's probably already got the message and he'll get the confirmation when he returns home and finds I'm back into my original room and that I refuse to accept his apology."

"Hmm, this will be a little awkward for you for a while."

"Yes, I expect so. I wonder if you are interested in this idea; what say you and I go flatting together?"

"What as, nuns?"

"As close friends of course, and um possibly more."

"Have you had experience with same-sex sex?

"Yes, in my first year at university. A few of us females believed it was the safest way to go with all these male arseholes rushing about fucking anything that moved."

They giggled at the pictures that comment suggested.

"Yes, let's go flatting. The thought of having your tongue sweeping slowly up my long tanned and hairless less makes me feel like I'm going cross-eyed, Ronni. And here's a couple of things of possible interest.

Mom had at least two close friends who work for on letting properties for local real estate agencies. And now this is for your ears only: mum and I occasionally get into the mood and play around rather lavishly and it's most likely she would welcome the opportunity of a threesome, particularly if it were you."

"Wow, a really bit WOW."

"Yeah, and I can easily find you very acceptable guys to ensure that you don't feel you are becoming deprived of hot driving dick."

"Omigod, am I about to enter Utopia," Ronni sighed, reaching out and extending a finger that Emma captured and began slowly sucking while gazing into Ronni's eyes intently.

The End