Freeing Kirsty Ch. 07

This initiated the liberation of Brian, and observing the slowly emerging results Marg continued to discreetly apply pressure. Brian became more enthusiastic about their physical fitness, which intruded on to what they ate and drank, and his interest in her in the bedroom also extended. Brian's routine in making out had been number one, in bed; number two, the blinds must be down; number three... She'd offended him once by teasing that he was she made love by numbers.

The meet-the-parents expedition had been a harrowing experience for Marg. A similar meeting with Brian and her family and their dependents had been a breeze. Everyone but her sister who lived in Singapore with her banker husband and their two children had been there.

Maureen became concerned, asking what was wrong, that Marg NEVER cried. Was she pregnant?

The house – really it could only be called a mansion – of the Raymond's, with its wonderful harbor sweeping views rather over-awed Marg as did the Raymond's senior. Both were dressed formally – Alec looking like the commodore of the yacht squadron (actually he'd been commodore) in a dark blue blazer with gold buttons and cream trousers with knife-edge creases and imported fancy brown shoes from a supplier in Lode England. Mary was in a mixture of black and grey, and held a cigarette holder with an unlit cigarette. She also dripped gold.

The images grated through Marg's mind. Oh why hadn't Brian brought her that clinging blue silk dress? The lying bastard – he'd told her to dress informally, so she was wearing baggy white shorts and a brilliant yellow and blue shirt knotted at the waist. Jesus! Brian, she thought. Wait till I get you home. Brian looked ex-army – dressed in khaki.

Only one of their children were home that day – Kate. Brian's twin brother Stan – whom Marg had been dying to meet, was out sailing.

Kate entered the tiled floor room through a side door, dressing in a bikini and dripping water from the pool.

"You're dripping water, Kate."

"That I know, mother. That's why we have tiles in this reception room and not carpet."

Mary did not respond, but Kate arched an eyebrow.

"Why are you and daddy dressed up as if you're going out with your yachter poofs?"

"Well said, Kate," Alec had replied.

"Look," he said to Marg. "We didn't know what to expect. We'd gathered from Brian that you move, dress and act like a second Grace Kelly. Would you mind if Mary and I went and got out of our penguin suits and into something more like us – I will be ever so grateful if you say you don't mind?"

Marg rolled the words around in her head – 'We'd gathered from Brian that you move, dress and act like a second Grace Kelly.' I don't think Brian has any idea how I used to adore Grace Kelly – Princess Grace Kelly! Oh Brian!

Realizing that everyone was looking at her, Marg turned pink and said no, they could come out in their birthday suits if they wished. Anything was fine with her.

Everyone laughed, including Kate. Brian had told her Kate could be very difficult at times, a comment that Marg interpreted as an implied warning to be careful.

"Do you swim?"

"Yes indeed, Kate. I love it."

"I get you one of my bikinis that with luck may go around your top. Should I do that?"

"Yes, thank you Kate," Marg said, her pink coloring returning. It was not her fault that she had 'luscious melons' as Brian called them. Someone had to have them."

The young women fooled around in the water, watched by Brian who eventually was joined by his parents, now dressed casually, with Alec wheeling a laden drinks trolley.

"Drinks, girls!" he called.

"Just a minute daddy!"

Kate asked Marg if she'd like a four-length race before jumping out for a martini or whatever she wanted to drink.

"Yes, I'd like four lengths and then to be plied with exotic liquor," Marg quipped Marg.

Kate turned, saw the cheeky smile and grinned.

"Filthy bitch. Come on, on the count of three. As hard as you can go."

There were off. Marg had already assumed that Kate's best distance was four lengths, otherwise why would she nominate that distance.

Marg was great at many things, and swimming was one of them. But this was not the time to be a show-off. She caught Kate's pace and dropped back half a body and kept that position right to the end, maintaining it even when Kate unleashed a great finishing sprint.

"I won!" crowed Kate.

"Yes," smiled Marg. "You're a really good swimmer."

"Why thank you," Kate said, handing Marg her towel. "Tell me, what are your other interests besides nursing, sex and obviously swimming? Clearly you could have carved me to pieces in front of my parents if you'd wished."

"Oh, I connive with relish, enjoy touches of humility and enjoy being in the company of similar-aged women who also believe in not letting the bastards get us down."

"Has Brian being telling tales about me?"

"No, in fact he's said very little about his family."

"That's Brian all right. You know, already I've got the feeling that you and I are going to get along just fine. It's very unusual for me to be so emphatic so early."

"That's a lovely offer of friendship, Kate," Marg said, wishing she could hug the wild one.

Instead Kate held out her arms and they hugged briefly.

Walking back up the steps Marg noticed the eyes behind Alec's sunglasses flit over her body and rest in line with her breasts. Mary reclining beside him raised her sunglasses and openly looked at Marg's breasts. Marg colored, thinking what an unusual family.

"Well, come and let me pour your drinks girls, and then I'll get the barbie on."

"A light martini thanks, daddy, and no lunch. Merrick and I are going bowling."

"You still going with Merrick," Alec commented. "I'm pleased about that. He'd make a great son-in-law."

"Daddy – butt out."

Merrick? Marg was curious about the name. Brian frequently mentioned it and now here was a direct connection. This Merrick guy was dating Kate, the possibly tempestuous Kate. How interesting.

At that moment Marg had no idea that Kate would marry this Merrick fellow and then in marrying Brian she and Kate would become not only sisters-in-law but that Marg would become one of the few people who could tame Kate when the older woman was going through a nasty patch.

A 'coming out' party was held at the Raymond's home to celebrate the end of Brian's formal training and buying into a medical practice on the Hibiscus Coast, a thirty minute non-peak traffic drive north of Auckland City,

Although automatically invited, Marg received her own printed invitation from Mary. It indicated to her that she was accepted and Mary had a cutting humor, as the wording 'Dress: Formal' was circled with lipstick and signed below in the same lipstick, 'Love, Mary."

They were out on the back lawn at dusk drinking white wine when Marg showed the invitation to Brian.

"How bloody insulting," he thundered.

"Steady on Brian – she's being intimately friendly to avoid me being misdirected by my partner – one of her sons! – on what to wear."

"Oh."

"Yes, Oh! For that I wish to be taken to a real restaurant tonight, not a local yokel café."

"Right."

At the restaurant Marg asked casually, "Will Kate be there on Saturday night?"

"Of course, it's a Royal Command."

"Good, I'd like to catch up with her – we meet occasionally in the city for lunch you know."

"I know – you never forget to remind me."

"I'm sorry, if you're bored with my conversations..."

"Heavens no, my sweet. You're always telling me the most delectable things."

"Will Kate be bringing anyone?" Marg asked idly, looking up at the darkening sky.

"Merrick, of course."

"Of course?"

"He'd the only one – there are about to announce their engagement, according to mum, who thinks her nasty little daughter will do that during my evening."

"She wouldn't."

"She would."

"Holy shit."

"Marg!"

"Sorry."

They sipped in silence until Marg saw a shadow of a grin grip Brian's mouth.

"This supposedly good mate of yours – Merrick. "Does he ever ask to meet me?"

Brian performed a corkscrew on his chair.

"I thought as much. I also have long suspected that I have not been introduced to him because you fear he may whisk me away from you."

Lobby that grenade; Marg imagined she felt the heat from Brian's inflamed face across the table. He perfectly replicated the appearance of a stunned mullet. That will teach the prick from keeping secrets from me, she thought.

"Er, I didn't realize you'd be interested."

"Liar."

A flock of late home-going birds overhead flapped to their roost, a dog barked as a hot-rod vehicle back-fired and a suburban stressed mother screamed down the street – "Jock and Sharon, come home this instant, do you hear?"

During that medley a hound-dog expression appeared on Brian's face; Marg noticing it with mixed feelings. She was already pissed off at him and now she was both surprised and appalled by that look on his face that made him appear twelve years of age.

"Sorry darling," he practically whispered. "I was afraid – women go all gooey over him. I was afraid he might induce you to stray."

Marg had to turn away for a moment and clap her hand over an emerging laugh. This was priceless – Brian Raymond thinking that a man existed that could knock the socks and possibly the pants off his very own lovely lady?

She coughed to conceal her mirth.

"Sorry darling – a gnat down my throat."

"But we don't have gnats in New Zealand, do we?"

Marg couldn't help herself. She exploded. "For Christ's sake, Brian. What's wrong with you? Are you going to fantasize for the rest of your life that I'm going to jump into bed with every guy you introduce to me?"

"No, good heavens no! It's just that you don't know Merrick."

"Don't know what, Brian?"

Brian swallowed hard, looking upwards for inspiration.

"Girls go to him like lemmings."

"Oh really. And how do lemmings go, Brian?"

"I don't know, really. But I know what I mean."

"Brian, go to the restaurant alone. This is pathetic. I'm off to bed with something decent – a book imbued with intelligence."

At ten o'clock Marg looked down at the pathetic figure on the lawn. There was now a second empty wine bottle in front of him. She decided to play a variation of his trick. Tapping on the window, when she got his attention she cupped her breasts and waggled them obscenely. He jumped to his feet and collapsed. She waited a few minutes and then went down and placed a pillow under his head and a blanket over him.

"Good night, darling, you funny boy," she cooed, kissing him and leaving him there to sleep himself sober.

"Marg, this is MY Merrick," said Kate, performing the introduction. She slipped out of Merrick's arm as if to free him to kiss Marg. But with great proprietary he simply shook hands with her.

"Hi, Marg. Please to meet you. Kate is always talking about you."

"And Brian, too, I trust."

"Well, actually no. At least not to the same extent."

Marg was disappointed. He had shown little interest in her – if he'd ran an eye over her she was not aware of it. Where was all this magnetic personality and an operational Venus Fly Trap that Brian apparently so much feared?

She openly looked him up and down – yes, Brian was right to feel he was down the pecking order. Merrick was taller, darker, stronger and more handsome than Brian. But so what, Brian? Get a life!

Merrick appeared surprised to find he was being so closely inspected. Kate also noticed and stepped forward to wrap Merrick's right arm around herself, thereby signaling whose man he was. Kate realized that her behavior was socially uncouth.

She held out her hand. "Come on Kate, let's go and demolish a martini while these two get their blokes' talk out of their system."

Kate's eyes brightened as if relieved the threat was over.

The party was an enormous success, many guests staying hours after the 3 to 7 period printed on their invitations. Mary took great delight in introducing Marg to her friends and Marg was glad that she was beautifully dressed, so beautifully that Mary felt obliged to run her hand up and down Marg's flank on several occasions during this round of introductions and once even walked across to a group – fortunately with their backs to them – cupping Marg's left breast.

Marg also met Brian's twin, Stan. Brian had said they weren't identical twins and that was an understatement. Stan looked more like Kate's twin; he even had blond hair.

Catching Marg inspecting his hair Stan grinned: "I'm a bottle blond. But don't worry, we are twins – dad says so and he was there in the delivery room."

"Oh, sorry. I tend to be a little forward at times."

"So I hear. Kate thinks you are a cool chick."

"Isn't that phrase rather dated?"

"Not in our family – we believe if it works, use it. Mum and dad apply that to themselves literally, as they both are still playing around at their age. Disgusting don't you think?"

"No, of course not."

"Well then, being a very lush baby you won't be surprised if dad or even mum try to make a hit on you," laughed Stan, grinning he was led away by a pouting girl who looked not a day over seventeen.

"Your mouth is hanging open, dear," giggled Kate, handing Marg a flute of champagne. "Has my brother being propositioning you?"

"No, not at all. I was just surprised at how young his girlfriend appears to be."

"Who, Lily? I suppose she is towards the younger end of those in his harem."

On the drive home Brian trusted she'd had a lovely time.

"A truly lovely time, darling, and I met so many interesting people. I also had the opportunity to get your family into perspective."

"Good – they will be your in-laws early next week."

"What!" shrieked Marg.

"Yeah, dad had a quiet word and said I shouldn't wait too long as you are ripe for plucking."

I bet he said that, thought Marg, wondering if the family excluding Brian was also into incest. "Oh, what a horrible thought," she spluttered.

"What was?"

"Oh, just something that crossed my mind. So we now hang around for a couple of weeks, do some packing and then in three weeks from yesterday we move up to the Hibiscus Coast."

Brian asked Marg to pull out two envelopes from inside his jacket.

"I could do it but I love to feel your hand stroll over my nipple."

Marg made a slow extraction of the envelopes with a short detour.

"Open them."

The first contained two return tickets to Sydney for seven days, starting the next Tuesday. The slip of paper was a check for $10,000.

"O-o-o-o-h. Are we going?"

"Yes, after all my effort and sacrifices I need a bit of a blow."

"Goodie. Alec has been very generous."

Marg opened the other envelope and announced there was nothing inside.

Brian grinned and said there better be something there.

She looked inside again and found a check standing back-on and looking part of the envelope.

"Brian...oh Brian. This is a check for $30,000. That is a huge amount of money."

"Yeah, it is. Mother is also generous. I think I've told you before that she is loaded."

Merrick drove Brian and Marg out to the airport for their flight to Sydney and Merrick and Kate brought them back from the airport a week later. They began seeing a lot more of the couple, who'd become quietly engaged while Brian and Marg were away.

"Oh, you could have had such a great engagement party," Marg said.

"It would have been too close to the wedding," said Kate. "I'm pregnant,"

Marg screamed and hugged her, wildly excited and Brian delivered his congratulations.

"I'm still having a white wedding – the twenty-second of next month. You're both invited along with mummy dear's 1200 guests."

"You're Best Man, mate."

"Right, thanks."

Kate asked Marg if she would assist her with the wedding outfits for the bridal party and Mary.

"Mother knows next to nothing about choosing clothes. She knows you are going to be asked to assist, and she told me, 'Good choice.' We both so much admired your dress at the big party. It wasn't bought off the hook."

"No, it wasn't. I saw one once, went back but of course it was gone. The shop assistant told me that the designer who also made it is a retired dress designer who continues to dabble to supplement his income. She gave me his address, and I told him I wanted a clinging blue silk dress with character.

"He said, 'Ah, my favorite type of client who loves blue silk. Certainly my dear. "Perhaps we should ask if he will do your wedding?"

Kate said why not, his workmanship looked exquisite. She asked who he was and when told, shrieked, "Ohmigod – he's a legend. I thought he was dead."

"Perhaps that's how he wants people to think – he's rather buried down a leafy right-of-way and lives like a recluse. Half of the lounge is his workroom."

Before long Marg happily became aware that Merrick liked her; he joked with her and teased, like many men did, but he also would talk to her at length, intelligently and interestedly. She also liked the way Kate would smile so pleased to see them in deep conversations; clearly Marg was no longer treated suspiciously when around Merrick.

On the other hand, the way Merrick occasionally looked at her – and continues to do – made her aware that he might like to do more than just kiss her cheek as he now did when greeting or fareweling.

The second New Year's Eve after Merrick and Marg had met she'd decided to try him out. Both couples were married by then – Brian and Marg living on the Hibiscus Coast while living at Devonport with great harbor views, Merrick and Kate had their rising two-year Giles and Kate was working to present him with a sister whom she planned to call Liliana, but Merrick favored Bella.

Marg had been on champagne for most of the evening as they celebrated the end of the old year and welcomed in the new at a city hotel events centre, in the company of the Raymond extended family and many friends.

During the midnight kissing frenzy when Marg came against Merrick she swung one of her long legs between his, and pushed forward. She had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes widen in surprise.

They kissed and she drew his hand down on to her breasts, dropping her hand away.

She began breathing heavily when she confirmed that his hand had stayed there, not that confirmation was difficult: his fingers searched for her nipple and he had no trouble locating it because both nipples were now very erect as Marg felt a hot flush sweep through her body and her heart-beat increased noticeably.

Then, just as she realized she was approaching a state that could only be described as the feeling of incredible bliss, some drunken woman grasped Merrick and led him away: and that was that!

Thereafter, he seemed keep himself rather distance. Obviously he thinks that bonking one's best friend's wife is not the done thing, Marg concluded a little sourly. But at least he remained friendly with her.

Years later when the marriage of Kate and Merrick ended, Marg was heartbroken. She cried for both of them. She made no approach to Merrick, not even when Kate decamped to Australia with Giles and Bella. It was such a sad time.

Time passed and she continued to socialize in groups that included Merrick and she and Brian occasionally had Merrick to stay and went out with him to city restaurants. For some months he always was alone, but gradually women began to appear beside him, though never the same one twice. Merrick had decided to shield himself by committing himself only to one night dates – probably one night stands, thought Marg.

Marg accepted that, the poor blighter had to have some fun and to keep his reproductive system in working order – did they not say, use it of lose it! Marg had always wondered with that little homily who 'they' were.