Back at the Beach

"Wow darling, make sure you tell Inez that when you see her again. She flew out at 8:00 this morning to visit her parents in Dunedin. She hasn't seen them since they were in London thirty-two months ago."

"Thirty-two months, that rather precise."

"Inez is a writer and a competition glider pilot. She has trained herself to be precise. They say opposites attract."

She left giving him one of her fat wet kisses that men liked.

Lockie turned over and went to sleep but, in the way of hospitals, he was shaken awake seven minutes later and told to take a shower wearing a shower cap. A shy student nurse with a featureless face, the look of terror in lieu of a smile and no apparent breast development on her skinny body in a sack-like uniform, was assigned to supervise him in the shower.

"Just turn your back sweetie. If I feel I'm going to fall, I'll call you in plenty of time to catch me. Just let this be our little secret."

The student's relief was a joy to see.

* * *

The noise in the outer office, alerted Wendy that Inez was back in the office.

The receptionist and six general office personnel had prepared for this moment. When Inez entered and delivered a breezy 'Good morning everyone'. everyone, working on the belief that group unity gave considerable immunity to counter-action, chorused, "Good morning Lady Macdonald."

Inez bared her teeth but converted that into a smile. "You cunning assholes working as a pack."

That produced howls of laughter.

Wendy said to her client, "Please excuse me Mrs Knightsbridge. My dear friend has arrived."

"Certainly," the elderly woman sniffed. "I take it you friend means more to you than an important fee-paying client?"

Wendy thought furiously and smiled. "Her name is Inez Macdonald. You may have read..."

"Good god girl, why didn't you say so. She's connected with the British peerage. My cousin's friend who is a high-performing singer was once presented to the Queen in the Royal Albert Hall."

Wendy asked should she invite Inez in.

Her client said, "Perhaps she might help to break the deadlock between adviser and client over re-investment issues."

The introductions were made and the deadlock was explained, and while coffee was being poured, Inez ask Mrs Knightsbridge was she fit and did she walk long distances.

"Yes, I'm fit and I walk two miles a day with ease."

"And how many grandchildren do you have?"

"My son and daughter and spouses have seven between them but I fail to see the relevancy of this questioning."

"Then why don't you keep $25,000 aside and reinvest the other $388,700 as Mrs Bishop has wisely recommended?"

"Very well, Lady Macdonald. So how do I spend that other money, order a tomb?"

"No Mrs Knightsbridge. You negotiate with your two children, suggesting the two families accompany you at your expense to Cairns in northern Queensland for the mid-winter school holidays, when it will be cold here."

"The excitement of seeing crocodiles in their natural habitat, visiting bird sanctuaries and you floating in a glass-bottom boat watching them below snorkelling and viewing the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef will remain as some of your fondest-ever memories and they will know it was grandma who made it all possible."

Mrs Knightsbridge frowned. "But both families went there last summer?"

Undeterred, Inez said, "In that case leave $60,000 aside and take everyone to New York."

Mrs Knightsbridge's semi-cataract-clouded eyes did their best to shine. "New York, city of my dreams; oh yes. What a wonderful suggestion Lady..."

"Please call me Inez, Mrs Knightsbridge."

"Yes Inez, a wonderful suggestion. Please reinvest as you have suggested Mrs Bishop but leave aside $60,000 from that capital into form a new travel fund, interest-paying of course."

Inez left the other two women completing business and headed home feeling a little disappointed that Lockie hadn't called to thank her for her rescue and salvage efforts. Perhaps he'd thank her when they were face-to-face again, she philosophised.

Her phone went.

Lockie?

"Hi babe, it's Jimmy, your friendly ranger. I called in but you weren't at home. There are four largish cartons on your front porch, with a courier docket. I went over and asked Annie Fabish if she knew where you kept a spare key and to help me take the cartons inside."

"Thanks. Was she suspicious?"

"That would be unlikely. I told her I was passing and noticed the cartons left on the porch and, being a vigilant and proactive ranger, I'd done the decent thing."

"Little wonder you can commit adultery being able to lie like that. How may I reward you?"

There was a pause long enough, Inez fantasized, for Jimmy to scratch his balls and thought well perhaps that might be correct.

She lured him on, "I'm feeling horny and am just leaving town. Want to meet at Shepherd's Bush -- I have a rug with me?"

Jimmy, beaming, said, "Yeah, great idea. Josephine rejected my suggestion to invite you to dinner, saying you were too high and mighty for the likes of us."

"Did you say she was misguided, that you'd recently had your erection up me as far as it would go?"

"Inez!" Jimmy choked.

She laughed and said she'd see him in about ten minutes.

Jimmy said he'd arrived only three minutes earlier when Inez pulled up behind his vehicle. They kissed sexily, circling tongues, and walked off with Jimmy carrying the rug before they turned off and negotiated thick undergrowth for not even twenty yards before finding one of the little clearings in that park that lovers had used over generations.

"Get them off Jimmy," she smiled. Inez only have to remove her sun-frock and underwear and kick off her sandals while Jimmy Applefield had to unbutton his park ranger shirt, remove the required white tee, unlaced his boots, remove thick socks following by pants and underpants.

"It looks fine Jimmy, long and strong," Inez encouraged, already on her knees waiting.

Grinning in pride, Jimmy pushed it into her open mouth and rolled his eyes in pleasure as Inez gobbled it skilfully, removing it a couple of times to lick the length including waggling her tongue around his hairy testicles. When he began to pant, Inez pulled away and lay on her back.

"My turn."

"Christ Inez, you are a detectable fuck," he said, "Clean, fresh and shaven and yet it's well past your shower this morning."

"God, what do you get at home?"

But to her relief, as she'd not meant to say that aloud, Inez heard only a garbled reply as Jimmy, tongue hanging out and curled in a half-circle attacked her very wet pussy.

Jimmy got her away with relative ease. Well, she had said she was horny. She climbed on to her hands and knees, guided him into the right orifice and he was away, plunging into her with a beautifully slow rhythm that had her groaning in appreciation each time he bottomed out.

When she knew by his noises that he was preparing to come, she reached under and squeezed his balls and yelled, "Go tiger!"

"I'll drown you, you hot bitch!" he roared, pumping into her.

Inez was used to men acting as if they actually pumped a pint of semen instead of half or perhaps, at most, two teaspoonfuls.

Jimmy suggested he better go home with fuel in the tank.

They talked for a while and back at the vehicles, Inez handed him a dispenser of water-soluble lube.

"It's for your bedside cabinet top."

"Cor, thanks Inez. It looks expensive."

"You're worth it. The truth is Jimmy I think I've met someone who appears interested and if it happens it could become long-term."

"That's okay," Jimmy said gallantly. "Two great flings with you were worth a dozen mediocre ones at home."

"Listen Jimmy, work on her, gently and let her see kindness and real affection. No woman wants to feel she's kept just to be a handy fuck-bag. No matter what you think of your relationship, what matters as far as Josephine is concerned is how she sees things and how she thinks."

"Take her flowers occasionally and perhaps when dining one Friday night, you could say, 'What say we have a candlelight dinner tomorrow night, late after the kids have settled?'

And pick other good moments to just say good things to her, supportive things."

"Like what?"

"Like you think she doing great things with the kids, making them into real family members. But Jimmy..."

"Yeah?"

"You have to sound sincere and feel you are sincere otherwise none of those things will count; it will be just a waste of breath."

"You're doing great with the kids Jo. I see a real family shaping up because of your excellent mothering."

"Jimmy that was just wonderful. You have no idea yet what that will be to her, but when she realizes it's not just a flash in the pan, she'll tell you."

"God Inez, you're brilliant."

Driving home, Inez thought initially what a slut she'd been tempting Jimmy to commit adultery again. It could unsettle him to re-establish through new experience that fucking a woman didn't have to feel like fucking a pillow.

But then the guilt eased when thinking she'd told him they were finished and then brightened when thinking of him possibly making a determined effort of acting like to real husband and companion to his wife who might be thinking she was locked in a loveless marriage.

Inez said aloud cheerfully, "It wouldn't require much imagination to see a half-drunk Josephine with tenderness in her eyes sitting without panties on over Jimmy's lap. Despite being only halfway through their candlelight dinner, she possibly had diverted from eating to urge him, 'Slide it into me big boy after lubing up; the dispenser is between the salt and pepper'.

* * *

Inez stared at the cartons. Initially, she thought they might have been delivered to the wrong address, but checking found her name and address was written on the carton and also on the delivery docket.

Ah, perhaps it was copies of the new book from her publisher, but three times the usual number from those skinflints? Unlikely and anyway they used their own cartons. Why would anyone send her something in a new-like cartons marked Sony music centre?

The penny dropped. It WAS a new music centre!

She loved the generous gift. The unsigned card read, 'A small token for saving my life.'

Omigod, Lockie was communicating with her and expressing his thanks in a really wonderful way.

Inez called Annie and Gavin over for a drink and asked Gavin to help her unpack the cartons and get the music centre going. Inez played the test disk in the CD and they all agreed it sounded marvellous.

Annie picked up the note, read it and smiled.

After Annie and Gavin left, she called Wendy.

"Ah, Inez has it arrived?"

"Yes, and its beautiful with awesome sound. Lockie hasn't called me since the night of his jet-ski accident."

"Did he suggest you call him Lockie?"

"No, out in the water I just began calling him that shortly after we introduced ourselves. He told me it was your pet name for him but didn't tell me to desist."

"Omigod, he told me it had started."

"What has started?"

Wendy said um, it didn't matter.

"Where is he?"

"He wanted you to receive the gift before he called you but this morning went to Sydney urgently to advise the holidaying wife of an influential client about to appear in court on a shoplifting charge."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because he's a lawyer."

There was silence until Wendy said, "Omigod, you thought he was a businessman and didn't know that he was a lawyer. Then what the hell did you two talk about before the dinghy arrived?"

"Well, we exchanged cross words fuelled by emotion in the darkness about not being able to see one another. We knew we were close..."

"Omigod."

"And after exchanging names, I was told you were attempting to match us up over dinner to go on a date. Then there was talk about sharks..."

"Oh god."

"And then I work to calm him, telling him how I though a boat would be launched and someone would have a spotlight and how they would use it to arrive at our last known position observed in daylight. Annie and her team arrived and you know the rest."

"God Inez, you were heroic and I can't understand why you are gun-shy over taking credit for it."

"Because if I'm to become a celebrity in my own country, I want it to be because of the popularity of my books. I may have saved Lockie' s life by talking to him to encourage him to remain conscious. But he's probably a tough coot and it may have worked out okay for him without me being there until the boat arrived. Who knows and who cares. The thing is, Lockie got back to shore alive. How's baby?"

"Fine and kicking a little, but does that mean discussion on the rescue has ended?"

"Yes."

"God you can be as dense as a male."

"Thanks darling; I guess that was a compliment?"

"Grrr. On the other hand, you were brilliant with Mrs Knightsbridge earlier today. She was becoming such a pain. Thanks darling."

"No problem. Please give me Lockie's phone number and I'll call him."

"Talk sweetly to him darling because he's told me it's begun to happen between you two. Now this is confidential, Lockie is married without children but it's an unhappy marriage and divorce proceedings are underway. The process could take up to two years to complete. There's nothing to stop you two having sex or even living together if that's what you two decide."

"Omigod and yes my lips are sealed."

"Excellent now this is really, really confidential. Peter, Lockie and I conducted a study to appraise legal services in this town and found the number of lawyers in our town district is well below the national medium of lawyers per head of population. We also found the District Council quick to confirm that the annual net population gain of in this area is positive, 11% above the national medium and yet it was only 4% above that line three years ago."

"A month ago, just before your return here, Peter and I agreed after due consideration with Lockie's request to expand our business and take him in as a partner, providing full general legal services. That agreement was signed and he has another two months before he completes his commitments to his existing partnership practice."

Inez smiled happily.

"Well, well. That makes the possibility of a romance developing between Lockie and me being based on even firmer ground. Now this is confidential: If he wants to live in town that would be fine. I could go out to the beach just to write or rest in the dunes thinking and being warmed by the sun."

"It will work, I know it will. Lockie has never met a woman like you."

"Hush darling and I plead, please butt out. We'll have to leave him to make his own decisions about romancing me but at least I can make the possibility very attractive to him and you could help by arranging double dating. Once I have him between my legs, he's mine, I'm 90% convinced about that."

They giggled and Wendy handed across Lockie's business card.

<b>Chapter 4</b>

As arranged during their earlier telephone call, Inez went to Auckland, the country's largest city, the next morning to meet Lockie for lunch shortly after his 3-hour return flight from Sydney.

Inez was unaware that Lockie had decided to stay overnight in a hotel instead of his small temporary apartment because if he managed to lure Inez between the sheets, after taking her to dinner and a concert, it would feel the more proper place, a neutral and more traditional to commit adultery

Nothing had been discussed, or even implied, where Inez would stay but she knew what her preference would be, if invited.

Meanwhile, Inez had arranged through the producer who'd contacted her about a beach interview to be interviewed live early that evening in a 7-minute slot at 6:20 during the hour-long national TV1 news programme, knowing such an appearance could stimulate her book sales in New Zealand.

She'd arranged to stay with a married cousin who'd take her to some malls and designer-label 'outlet' shops to update her summer wardrobe.

The romance writer was in a high state of expectation when she entered the restaurant to wait for lunch with Lockie, hoping for an exciting evening.

Lockie entered a few minutes later, looking tall, dark and handsome, just like romance authors think while these days though invariably not describing personal features in such simplistic terms, she thought.

She stood and waved, happy as a teenager on her first date.

Over he charged.

They kissed, rather a long one but not immodesty. It was not a lover's kiss, she sighed to herself, more like a thank you kiss from a guy whose life she may have well saved.

Still, it outshone a handshake.

They sat and began taking simultaneously. They both stopped and laughed and then immediately repeated that performance.

This time he grinned and said 'Ladies first' and to her horror Inez heard herself say inanely, "How was your trip to Oz?"

Christ, had romance died.

He replied politely but by then she'd regained her usual poise, and shifting up a gear said, "I'm so pleased to see you again. I really want to be your friend, Lockie."

Following that very revealing conversation with Wendy, Inez had decided Lockie was not the kind of guy to throw herself against wantonly. He was living by professional standards and knew he had a millstone hanging for his neck, being married to a bitch of a wife.

Clearly, with all the things on his mind, he wouldn't be focused 60% of his time on his cock as did guys like Jimmy.

That's what she'd thought guys had on their mind, and if she were wrong no harm done. Perhaps he'd think she was standoffish and would have to be won-over by determined wooing. That was far preferable for him thinking she was totally focused on having sex. What man would want a woman like that? She'd smiled believing she knew the answer to that question.

Their conversion was lively and friendly. She'd always remember that, Inez thought, if this occasion were the next step in something that would culminate in a magnificent obsession as bygone romance writers termed it. Something a little short of that would be more practical to live with.

They had a cosy time together and departed with him primed to call at her cousins' home for her at 7:45 that evening and had been told to watch TV1 news a 6:20 when she was expected to appear in an interview.

"You are in a celebrity in the making," he smiled.

"What?"

"Wendy says that's what she and Annie think."

Inez cringed, thinking what a flawed character she was, having in mind of her alternative side of being in a public park with Jimmy and acting like a slut. Good grief, little wonder she'd put to the side her rightful claim to the title of Lady.

She almost whimpered: "If that means being elevated in popularity as an author, then I'm all for it."

"The public expects their heroines to be more than very creative at the keyboard. I suggest you think about that?"

"Has Wendy been talking to you about this?"

Lockie's face colouring told Inez the answer before he confirmed and added Wendy wanted Inez to be the best she could possibly be.

He said seriously, "I'd like you to think about that, I really do."

It was time to end their time together and Inez was somewhat disappointed that he'd left her quickly, with a dab of a kiss and without any sign of reluctance.

Boom, boom, she thought, having no idea of what that meant, but perhaps she was mindful of a balloon losing its perfection and suddenly falling flat.

She shrugged, in keeping with the hard bitch that lurked in her persona, and hurried off to have her hair done, thinking she was becoming a bit confused about herself.

Inez said to the middle-aged hairdresser, "If you were a public figure and had done some naughty things. would you confess publicly?"

"Hell no; public lives and private lives must be kept separate. What naughty things have you been doing, luv?"