Aurora - Way of the Goddess Pt. 06

"He wants to be careful taking those," Watson smirked, "they're bad for his heart."

The joke had no more effect this time than the last. "No," Vicky said with wide-eyed sincerity, "an epiphany. You know, like a revelation."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, just after he came back... I went into work one day, it was a Saturday. And right out of the blue, he asked how much they were paying me. I was terrified. I thought I was getting a pay cut or something. Then a few days later I rocked up to work and the senior accountant called me into her office. My pay had just been doubled, she said, and did I want her to find me a tax dodge. I thought she was ragging me. But it was true. Roger ordered the office to double my pay."

"I wonder what came over him?" Watson asked, though he knew not only what, but whom.

"You know what I think?"

Watson shook his head.

Vicky cupped a hand to her mouth and whispered, "God touched his heart."

Well a Goddess, at any rate, with long blonde hair and big blue eyes. And not just his heart, but many different places, in many different ways.

"Then along came my twenty-fifth birthday and my mortgage got paid."

"Maybe that was god as well?"

Vicky shrugged. "Well, if it wasn't Tanya who did it, that's the only logical answer."

"You guys!" a voice called and they looked up. Beck was leaning through the living room door, clad in the flimsy cotton slip with nothing beneath. The sun was shining through the fabric from behind, leaving nothing for the imagination to do. Vicky sat staring, open-mouthed, at the apparition as Beck announced, "Tan says you gotta come in for lunch."

* * *

The girls wolfed down their home-made Thai beef salad, then made themselves scarce for the thirty-minute hold on the pool. Left to their own devices, Tanya, Watson and Vicky took their drinks out onto the patio and the trusty wrought-iron, glass-topped table. "So," Tanya asked, "what's the plan, Stan?"

Vicky parked her sunnies and took a look at her iPhone. "The Stream's out of Melbourne at four. That puts it here just after five. I'll hop straight on and we'll jet down to Canberra, landing-on at just after six. It's an hour's round trip to the agent. Barring any hiccups we should be back by around ten."

Watson looked at Tanya, a question mark on his face. "Stream?"

"Gulfstream, Darling. It's a jet."

"I know that." Watson said, clearly stunned. "But a Gulfstream, from here to Canberra? You're kidding, right?"

Tanya and Vicky exchanged a glance. "No," Tanya shook her head, "why would I be kidding?"

Watson didn't know quite how to respond. The Gulfstream was an aeronautical masterpiece, worth tens of millions of dollars, mostly flaunted by movie stars and business moguls. But to use one for a half-hour commute...

Tanya frowned in thought for a moment. "Come to think of it, I've got a much better idea. Just take them with you. Damon and Beck. You can all stay in Canberra tonight and come back tomorrow."

"Well, gee..." Vicky replied, not wanting to sound too eager, "if there's really no hurry." The Gulfstream was just a glorified work vehicle but what girl could resist? Swanning around in a sixty million-dollar limousine, living it up in five-star hotels?

Tanya put a hand on Watson's arm. "Wanna go for a ride in the Stream? It's super cool. You can hang out with these guys tonight."

"Really, Tan, you have to stop spoiling me."

"I'll spoil you as much as I want, thanks very much. We'd be skellingtons on that island if it wasn't for you."

"You know," Vicky piped up, "I'd really love to hear that story one day."

"Good idea. He can tell you on the way down to Canberra. Ring Jacinta and have her book you all into the Hyatt. You, Beck and Damo, Ally Cat and Ben."

While Vicky got busy on the phone, Watson sat back struggling with conflicting emotions. It seemed like such unfettered generosity, a jet here, a hotel there, all achieved with a click of the fingers. Then again, in Tanya's world this was barely small change and while a better man might have stood on his digs, Watson decided to go with the flow.

Just when he thought the girls might have forgotten the swimming pool, they sauntered through the door, incongruously clad in bikinis. It seemed odd to see them other than naked, until he jiggled the perspective knob and tuned-in the visitor.

Tanya watched as they breasted the water, then duck-dived together and made for the deep end. "She's teaching that girl bad habits." she tutted.

"Who is?" Watson asked.

"Becky." Tanya replied. "She's gonna turn Maya into a fish."

"You mean a mermaid." Vicky beamed.

"That's what happens when you live in the tropics." Watson sighed. "You sort of become semi-aquatic. It's cheaper than air-con and comes complete with complimentary seafood."

Tanya arched her eyebrows. "And I bet it saves on washing as well."

The sun was high overhead, scorching a white-hot hole in the bleached blue sky and the temperature was one or two degrees shy of uncomfortable. After a protracted round of phone calls, messaging, scheduling and juggling meetings, Vicky whipped off her sunglasses and mopped her brow. "Done!" she said. "Cinty's got us all booked in."

"Just like that!" Tanya crowed. "Don't you just love shooting from the hip?"

"What'll I wear?" Watson asked with a frown.

"What you normally wear. Don't worry. If anyone asks just say you're in showbiz."

Forehead burnished with sweat, Vicky looked at the girls, lounging in the pool, playing dodgems on their air-mattresses. "Gosh," she said, "I'd kill for a swim."

Tanya gave her a shove. "Well go in for a dip why don't you? Go on, there's plenty of time."

Vicky blushed. "Oh, no. I couldn't."

"Oh yes, you could."

"But I didn't bring swimmers."

"Borrow some of Caddy's." Tanya said breezily. "She's got a million of the things and she's about your size."

"Oh, no Tan, really, I shouldn't."

"Oh, yes Macca, really you should. Come on, Toots, let's get you into a bikini."

Tanya limped inside dragging Vicky, still protesting, behind her. She hobbled out five minutes later wearing a big, dimpled grin. Rolling her eyes she mouthed, 'Fuck!' as Vicky followed her shyly onto the patio wrapped in a towel. When the girls set eyes on her they barged from the water and seized Vicky's hands to drag her in, just as they'd done with the old man.

Watson suffered a transient stoppage as the towel fell away, revealing a gorgeous young female body, clad in a skimpy floral-patterned bikini. Her feet were white and so were her hands, while her legs were deeply tanned from her skinny little ankles to her well-muscled thighs. Same with her arms, brown from her wrists to just below the shoulders. Everywhere else her skin was lily-white- the hallmarks of a dedicated cyclist, and she had the muscle definition to prove it. Her hips were low and wide- child-bearing hips, bound to come in handy for a future of spitting out kids. Flat stomach, generous thigh-gap, pert, delectable breasts one size too small for the triangular scraps of fabric. A fit, healthy young female in her absolute prime, the old man thought, trying not to think of her naked.

Beck spied the bitter end of the bow in the middle of Vicky's back. Almost as if she'd overheard the old man's thoughts, she gave the string an exploratory tug and the bikini top came promptly undone. The young woman clutched an arm to her chest, but not before Watson caught a fleeting glimpse of firm round side-boob. On his feet in a heartbeat, he drew a breath and bellowed, "REBEKAH! NO!"

Beck left the ground in fright as Vicky turned, blushing and flustered. "No, no, it's okay," she said, hastily retying herself, "she was just playing."

"We do not do that to strangers!" Watson seethed.

Mortified, Beck plunged into the water and swam to the deep end, then sat on the bottom, sulking. "Oh lighten up you old fart," Tanya admonished, "she's not hurting anyone."

"I keep telling her!" Watson fumed quietly, while Maya led Vicky down the tiled steps into the water, "when we're with normal people, we have to act normal."

"That was normal!" Tanya observed dryly. "Completely normal. I would have done the same thing."

Tanya sat herself down beside the pool, her face almost invisible under the brim of broad floppy hat. Chastened but not about to admit it, Watson reclined on the sun lounge beside her and ripped open a newspaper. A couple of minutes passed and a voice called out, "Damon? Do you think she's alright?"

Watson looked over his paper. Vicky was halfway up the steps, her skin streaming water, her nipples at attention under the clinging fabric of the bikini top. She was pointing straight-armed over her shoulder at the deep end of the pool, where Beck was still sitting it out. He looked around for some lurking timepiece then shook his head. "Nahh, she's fine. It's only been a couple of minutes."

Maya went for an exploratory dive. She surfaced, water pouring out of her nostrils, and shook her head. "She's not coming up."

"She'll come up when she's hungry." Watson said from behind the World Round Up.

Vicky and Maya played quietly for another couple of minutes until Vicky lost her nerve. "Damon? Do I need to go check on her?"

It had been a good five minutes. Hardly a record, especially since she wasn't exerting herself. "What time do we leave?"

"Leave what?"

"For the flight?"

Vicky looked around in confusion. "In an hour or two. Why?"

"If she's not up by then we'll fish her out."

Taking matters into her own hands, Vicky swam to the deep end then duck-dived, treating Watson to a splendid view of her tail. Twenty seconds later she burst to the surface, an apparently unconscious young blonde clutched in her arms. "Damon!" she gasped, almost panicking, "I think she's drowned."

Maya swam to her side as Watson looked up. Beck's head was lolling and her eyes were shut, and skeins of golden hair were plastered all over her face. The old man went back to to his paper. "Tickle her."

Clinging desperately to the poolside with one hand, one arm supporting the lifeless girl, Vicky said, "WHAT?"

"She's faking it." Watson said, running his eyes over the cartoons. "I'll bet you ten grand. Just give her a tickle and you'll see."

Vicky paused for just that instant and Beck knew the jig was up. When her eyes flew open and she flashed Vicky a smile, the young woman's panic turned to reproach. "Why, you little rascal!" she cried, then launched into a retaliatory tickle, "I was just about crapping myself!"

Beck threw her arms around Vicky's neck, cackling. After kissing Beck's wet face all over, Vicky let the slick-skinned girl slip from her grasp then turned and dived after her.

Watson was waiting when Beck surfaced. "Rebekah." he crooked a finger, "Come here a minute."

She knew from his tone that all was forgiven. Pitter-pattering over to him, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind, Beck brought her elbows in and pressed her arms to her chest. She leant over him, dripping all over his folded paper. "Sorry I shouted at you." Watson said in a low voice. "I'm just trying to look after you."

Beck closed her eyes and nodded. "I know. I didn't think it would actually come undone."

"And be careful with that drowning act. I think you gave her a fright."

Beck looked over her shoulder. Maya was sitting on the bottom step, up to her neck, while Vicky lay on the surface beside her, elbows propped on an air mattress. Beck leant into Watson's ear. "Guess what?" she whispered, "I just felt her boobies." She tapped her bottom lip. "And she kissed me." Planting a big wet kiss on Watson's forehead, she turned and sashayed back to the water.

* * *

They were waiting at a Fixed Base Operator, at a secondary airport when the Gulfstream taxied in. Watson had been shown over one once, in preparation for brainstorming a script, but had forgotten what a work of art the airplane was. The long, sleek fuselage was gleaming gunmetal-grey with subtle accents of blue and gold. Its elegant swept wings were turned up at the tips in vertical winglets, and two hulking great turbofans were mounted at the rear in streamlined pods beneath the proud T-tail. It nodded to a stop and the shrieking of the engines quickly whined into silence, to be replaced by the hissing of an APU.

A door at the front folded down and airstairs extended, almost touching the ground. A tall, athletic figure in a blue peaked cap, wearing a crisp white shirt hurried down the steps and stood casually to attention on the apron. Tanya nudged Watson's arm "That's Ben."

One-by-one, several suited figures appeared, a couple carrying briefcases, others with back-packs, one dragging a wheelie-case with a suit bag over his arm. Pausing to shake the pilot's hand each in turn, they scurried towards an open security gate, beyond which sat an idling limo. Tanya drew a breath. "Take your time, boys." she yelled, "He's not due back for a couple of weeks!"

Ambushed by the boss's fearsome wife, the lawyers screeched to a halt by the gate and their energy switched from imperious to servile. "Bugger that." one of them grinned, "Happy hour kicks off in twenty minutes."

"Where's the old man?" another one yelled.

"Buggered if I know," Tanya called back, "I'm only married to him."

Waving farewell, the lawyers filed through the chain link gate and tumbled into the limo, as a dumpy-looking woman emerged out of the plane, shepherding a tiny, frail child. Stooping, the tall pilot tousled the little boy's hair then straightened and nodded farewell to the dowdy-looking mother. Caddy was next, clad in designer jeans and a pink-striped, open-necked shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Rising on tiptoe to peck the pilot on the cheek, she settled her shades, raked back her hair, and strode sexily across the tarmac.

"What a bloody day!" she exclaimed, mounting the steps.

"How's Ma'maa?" Tanya asked.

"Mad as a meat axe." Caddy sighed, massaging the small of her back. "What a production! All that fuss over a new frikken' fridge. You'd think she was on a frikken' mission to Mars."

"She's getting worse." Tanya nodded dourly. "She rang this morning wanting to know when you'd be down."

"Thanks for looking after Maggie." Caddy switched channels. "How was school, Mags?"

Maya blushed and all four plotters looked at their feet. Caddy jammed her fists on her hips. "Oh, Tan. Not really?"

"I was sick." Maya protested meekly.

"Sick bullshit!" Caddy said and clenched her jaw. "You know how much I hate you skipping school. You've already missed a year remember Madam."

"Right! So we could around the world! That was educational."

"But not the sort of education that's gonna get you into medicine. Next year's your final year you know, you have to make every day count."

"Geez, Mum," Maya huffed, patently embarrassed, "it was only one day. Just chill."

"We've talked about this, Tanya. She can't afford to rest on her laurels. And you know the school's policy. Now I'm the one who's gonna have to deal with them."

Tanya plugged her ear with a finger then spoke into a make-believe microphone. "We now cross live to our man in the Hot Seat. Take it away, Damon Watson."

"It's true." Watson admitted guiltily. "Honestly. Tanya was fighting the good fight but we ganged up on her."

"Well you're a very naughty boy, Damon, and so is Maya. If she doesn't learn discipline she'll end up just like her aunt. A random, scatterbrained-"

"-sexy..."

"-lazy, spendthrift, good for nothing strumpet."

"Don't worry," Tanya nudged Watson with a wink, "she'll get to my bad points in a minute."

"See that? Utterly no contrition. No sense of duty or responsibility. Really, Maya. Do you really want to wind up like her?"

Maya's jaw dropped. "Can I?"

"Don't worry, Cads," Tanya bumped Watson with her shoulder, "he'll make it up to you, he promised."

Caddy gave him a loaded look. "I'll jolly-well make sure of that, don't you worry. Hello, Beck. What's with the backpack?"

"Hi, Aunty Caddy. We're going to Canberra on the Gull Stream with Macca."

"Passport party." Vicky announced, joining the gang.

"So you pulled it off?"

Vicky smiled a big, white smile and her hand went to her mouth. "We're a couple of hours away from having it in our hot little hands."

"Two days!" Caddy shook her head. "Must be a new world record. Gee Macca, you're incredible."

Maya gripped her mother's wrists. "Mum? Do you reckon I-"

"Don't even think about it." Caddy said with a shake of her head.

A ride in the Stream and another day off... it was always a long shot, but Maya stuck her bottom lip out, feigning disappointment.

Another pilot emerged out of the plane and commenced a walk-around, checking the aircraft's vital components. "I guess we'd better make a move," Vicky sighed, hoisting a well-travelled overnight bag onto one shoulder. Flying through some of the busiest airspace in the country, they would be severely punished by air traffic control for a late departure. Watson gave Tanya and Caddy a kiss then hugged Maya's shoulders. "Don't worry, Maya, your mum can't stay mad at you all night. We'll see you tomorrow when we get back."

Dressed in her favourite floral-patterned sun dress and pink, short-sleeved cardigan, with tan gladiator sandals on her slender brown feet, Beck was having none of the fond farewells and took off after Vicky, bound for the plane. "Oi!" Watson called. "Manners!"

Teetering to a halt, Beck turned and quickly backtracked, kissed Caddy and Maya on the lips, then gave Maya a hug. "I'll bring you a present."

"What?"

"Where are we going again?"

"Canberra."

"What do they have there?"

"Politicians, public servants," Caddy said dryly, "diplomats and federal police."

"No worries. I'll bring one of each."

By the time Watson caught up, Vicky and Beck were at the foot of the airstairs, meeting the pilots. Vicky cleared her throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please. May I present today's pilot in command, Captain Ally Cat."

The small, stocky, firecracker of a woman looked up at Watson, smiling under the shade of her peaked cap. "Alana Blake." she announced, offering her hand.

"Why do they call you Ally Cat?" Beck asked, as Watson gave the young woman's hand a cursory shake.

Captain Cat curled her fingers into imitation claws and went, 'Reeooowwwrrr!' "No idea." she shrugged, "I think it's a play on words."

The nickname, in fact, was a comment on the young woman's morals, lovingly bestowed by the boss-woman, Tanya.

"This is Damon Watson and his daughter, Rebekah." Vicky announced. "That's Rebekah with a 'k' and an 'a' and an 'h'. They're good friends of Roger and Tanya."

The young female bowed her head. "Pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Sir?" Watson looked around for anyone who fit the description, "The only time anyone calls me 'sir' is when I get pulled over."

Captain Cat tilted her head. "You're not a lawyer." she said, a question and statement rolled up in one.

"Damon's a writer." Vicky explained. "Rebekah's a mermaid."

"Right." Ally nodded, as if any of it made sense. "Does that mean I can take off the hat?"

Vicky checked over her shoulder. "Why not? The suits have all gone."

"Cool!" The young woman swiped off her cap and flung it like a Frisbee into the plane. She raked a hand through her shoulder-length hair- light brunette with blonde highlights- then pinched the knot of the tie at her throat. "How about the noose?"

Vicky shrugged. "Take it all off for all I give a dang."

While Watson was busy thinking, 'Yes! Yes!', Ally gave Vicky a nudge. "You cheeky monkey."

A presence loomed over them and Watson looked round to find a tall, impossibly blonde, impossibly handsome young man at his side. "Ben," Vicky announced, "Damon and Rebekah."