Lola's Lurching Life Ch. 03 - Final

Lola, now a familiar figure at Rudi's restaurant, entered through the rear of the kitchen as a short-cut and was confronted by head chef Antonio hands up high removing his t-shirt to change into formal chef's uniform.

"God, Antonio, even at your age you display vestiges of a much younger guy's six-pack."

He dropped a hand to cup his dick and replied, "For you at your age baby, it's what's down here that really counts.

With a sway of her hips and amazing foot acceleration, she evaded the chef's groping arm and fled, laughing, "Fuck off, Antonio."

That incident and her final remark, when recounted to restaurant staff, would add another layer to Lola Hunt's reputation as being the most colourful regular to dine at the restaurant.

Caroline Burgess spotted Lola entering from the kitchen and went over to Lola who stood to be hugged and kissed. After calming Lola, Caroline simply said, "You will feel better in the morning, my dear waif, that I promise."

"Thanks for your greeting. It reached my soul."

"Wow, I really must have the touch tonight. How well did you gel with my sister?"

"With Todd, very well. With Meryl, with some difficulty."

"I thought it would be like that. My sister regards anyone female and stands up to her fearlessly as a challenge. I thought it best not to warn you, expecting you to prove yourself,"

"I fucked up by entering the fray when she yelled to Todd as if he were a child to go to his room after he conversationally used the F-word. He was so surprised that he said nothing, leaving me to face his mother alone, which allowed me to have my say, unimpeded.

Caroline said, "You visited, engaged and conquered."

Lola said, sounding bewildered, asked Caroline what on earth was she saying?

"You know it, but possibly don't know it yet. In simple terms, it's known as pecking order."

"I'm aware of what that is."

"When will you and my sister meet again?"

"Um tomorrow at lunch on my vineyard under the windmill."

"Were you surprised that she accepted your invitation?"

"Not really. We were no longer antagonists and I suppose I made the offer as a sign of friendship."

"And the mention of a windmill was purely unintentional?"

"Yes, absolutely. It is of course, in my mind because has just come into operation. Why do you ask."

"My sister has perhaps a dozen story books from her childhood in the bookcase in the master bedroom. Did you visit the bedroom or did my sister mention them?"

"No to the first question and no to the second."

"Unbelievable, and I say that respectfully."

"Uh-uh, must go," Caroline said. Skipper Laker has just tipped a glass of red wine over his wife's head."

"Bye and good luck at restoring peace," Lola giggled and her glass of Merlot arrived and she sat back watching Caroline telling Skipper something, probably telling him to back off, and then placing a napkin over his wife's head and leading her into the kitchen to calm her and give her hair and clothing attention.

Rudi Nevada, arrived at the table and kissed Lola and said lightly, "With Ned now permanently back in Sydney, am I on call while you, alone and forlorn, require sex from perhaps the most artful seducer on the island?"

She looked at the bearded sexagenarian and wanted to call him a dirty old man but he was really okay and had been very good to her, his advice to her had been given without charge. So, her response was to just poke two fingers at him obscenely.

He roared in laughter.

Their entrées arrived and they converse normally like friends.

Lola drove home from the restaurant feeling the despair of being alone once more. Still, it was better than being in as relationship including being married to a guy she could no longer stand having him around.

That night she dreamt of being dicked by young Todd Barnes and awakened in almost alarm. A few seconds later she thought she'd peed the bed but a brief finger test informed her that she hadn't sniffed urine.

"Omigod, don't I lead a disorderly life, she muttered and she grabbed a towel and a pair of fresh panties.

Next morning dawned fine, and Lola had breakfast after showering and went to a hire centre for a portable barbecue and five folding outdoor chairs for the day and at the supermarket purchased Australian prawns, beef sausages and minted lamb patties for the midday luncheon. At 8.00 she called Helena Wallace and Maria Orsini with a late invitation to join her for lunch at the base of the windmill that was in operational and storing water for her planted vineyard.

She had to explain to both women that yes, she had purchased land for the vineyard from her neighbours across the road, Glenys and Ernie Hills and that Glenys and Meryl Barnes would also attend the ladies' lunch, the first formal event to be held on the vineyard.

She also explained that Ned Adams had returned to Australia midweek to live there permanently and that she'd purchased Ned's cottage property and he'd sold the schooner to a veteran 'boatie' and Ned had given her his veteran Land Rover. meaning she could keep her new pickup in storage until she had a relocatable metal double garage erected on the other side of the track giving access to the cottage.

"In short, Maria said. "You already have 6500 vines planted trellises and irrigation already in place and many vines are already budding - that's unbelievable, darling."

Helena said, "Please get that old dump of a cottage spruced up to avoid having your image collapse around you and I'll come and help you landscape the surroundings of the cottage to make it look more homely."

As soon as Todd arrived on a borrowed motorcycle, Lola took him into the multi-purpose shed and that began removal of junk and carrying it to the other side of the track and dumping it.

"You can probably get more work from me by using the Land Rover to cart the junk to the council refuse transfer station and landfill depot. It will require several trips."

"Yeah, and thanks."

They made good progress and at 11.00, Lola halted work.

"Todd, take a breather while I load barbecue items, bread etc and wine and water on into the tray of the Land Rover. I'm expecting your mother and some other women at noon for a barbecue lunch. It will be part of your paid work to drive over into the vineyard as through a gateway on this side of the windmill tower and set up everything on the flat land below the windmill and get the gas barbecue warming up and later cook the food. You are invited to eat with us or, if you wish, eat and drink away from us if you can't stand a group of women going on like a bunch of magpies."

"Thanks, I'll decide at the time. I probably know most if not all of the women."

"Yes, after sending you off with everything, I'll shower and change into garden party clothes."

"May I watch you shower."

"Fuck off, Todd."

"I'm beginning to like you very much, Lola. You are much livelier and approachable than most females I know on the island."

"I'll ask Mrs Orsini if her daughter who's a junior lecturer at Auckland University who comes home every weekend would like to meet you."

"Not a chance, that stuck up bitch Bonnie was a real pain at high school."

"Todd, is takes many teenage girls to reach their twenties to really know who they are and to act accordingly. You may be surprised to find just how she has changed, or perhaps to confirm that she hasn't. At least give it a chance. I'll put the screws on her mother to arrange a meeting. You're a good-looking guy and my thinking is that I can influence the mother favourably as I appear to have impressed her greatly."

"But Maria Orsini is one of the elite women on this island."

"Todd, toss away your old mindset. I saw you stand up to your mother, yesterday, and know that's all you need to stand up for yourself in the presence of Maria. It's true she believes she's a privileged person through her marriage, and personal success, and why not? But I have experienced her very human side, and don't you forget what I just said when dealing with mother and daughter and, for that matter, the entire family."

"I'm not sure about this."

"Whoa, Todd. Please drop that attitude. Are you courageous?"

"Yes, I think so. But I'm a bit down at present."

"Well you just listened to me. Show the Orsini family that you have balls, err figuratively, and you may well be dating Bonnie providing she is between dates at present. But now we have roles to perform in offering hospitality to our guests."

"Our?"

"Yes Todd, you are on my team and the team is only you and me at present."

He was still grinning when taking a carton of food from Lola and walked over with it to the Land Rover.

* * *

While Todd worked away cooking, with the barbecue placed downwind of where the women would be congregating, he watched the four visitors arrive, all warmly dressed because it was earkt spring and there was a light nor-nor-easterly breeze from off the sea. The midday sun shone brightly.

After the inspection of the windmill and women grouped around the table that Todd had carted over in the second trip, with Lola seated seated in the passenger seat looking beautiful and full make-up and he'd caught a whiff of exotic perfume and noticed for the first time the thin gold necklace that was positioned high, almost like a choker.

"You look beautiful."

"Thanks Todd, make sure you don't say that again in front of our guests."

"Right, boss. Understood."

When the women received their drinks, poured by Lola, he took a swig of beer and turned over the meat patties and lowered the heat slightly. He looked at the women again and saw Lola had taken Maria Orsini to one side.

Knowing they would soon be looking at him, Todd turned and walked over to the Land Rover and returned with another pack of meat patties that would be required when those on the hot plate would be stored on the upper warming shelf.

The four women were back together.

Todd removed the wrapped from the pre-cooked sausages and put them on the mesh cooking rack when he heard Mrs Orsini say, "Hi Todd. I'm Maria. You may remember coming to our wine estate when we hosted our daughter's senior high school class a couple of times."

He'd noticed she had called herself Maria rather that Mrs Orsini."

"May I call you Maria?"

"Please do."

"I remember you and Mr Orsini hosting us grandly, and on that second occasion you wore a stunning red mid-calf dress with intricate white embroidery over your, um..."

"Breasts?"

"Yes, that looked almost and if it was your bra placed externally"

"Yes, and you guys and girls kept looking at me and gigging with hands over mouths. I didn't mind, as at least they could see that I had a decent pair of breasts. But I was angry that my bloody husband threw that dress on to the kitchen open fireplace and made me watch it burn and lectured me about wearing near-indecent clothing in front of impressionable students."

"But it wasn't indecent, far from it, only a little titivating."

"Tit-ivating?

"Oh heck, I apologise Mrs Orsini, that was an unfortunate choice of word."

"Am I no longer to be known as Maria to you?"

"Oh, definitely you are Maria."

"And how do you address Miss Hunt."

"I called her Lola and she appeared to have no objection."

"Good thinking, young man. If she had objected, I'm sure she would have told you emphatically. With me, you politely ask could you call me by my first name and I immediately thought why not, that you probably call Lola by her first name. Now, why do you appear to be nervous," she asked, watching Todd deftly dealing with the meat turning some, placing some on the warming rack and replacing it with items to be cooked.

"I await Lola's reply from suggesting you might consider something."

"Like what?"

Todd remembered what Lola had indelicately suggested that he act like having balls.

He made eye contact with the dark eyes of Maria and err thought they were rather like the eyes of a King Cobra he'd seen at movies.

"Lola agreed to ask you on my behalf if Bonnie was between dates, would you consider arranging a meeting between her and me."

"Yes, Lola did raise that matter with me minutes ago."

Todd locked eyes again, deciding he'd get the answer out of her, one way or another without having any idea about how to do that.

Then a simple solution came to him, and he calmly asked, "May I please have your decision."

"Before I do that, why didn't you call Bonnie, knowing she's home at weekends and this is Saturday?"

"I thought of doing that," Todd lied. "And then when I learned that you were coming here to lunch because Lola regarded you as an impressive friend, that I should ask you about arranging a meeting on my behalf."

"The truth now, why would you do that?"

"Because, like several thousand New Zealanders, I have been laid off work temporarily and that has made me feel rather down, low on confidence."

"Thank you. That's what Lola told me and what you worked at before being laid off. And we agreed that I should do my bit in ensuring you get to meet Bonnie. I called her before re-joining the other guest and suggested I invite you to lunch with us tomorrow and she agreed as said it would be nice to see you again. All done."

"Thanks, I'm impressed by you."

"Well kiss me on the cheek, affectionately."

"But the others might see that."

"It's practice for Sunday. You should kiss me on your arrival and that should impress Bonnie no end, because I'm not known for allowing males other than family to kiss me."

Todd kissed Maria and looked up to see his mother looking at him, gaping.

He smiled and returned to barbecuing, relieved he had earlier turned down the heat. His diversion away from the job had led to no apparent over-cooking. He wondered what Bonnie looked like these days. If she took after her mother, at twenty-six she ought to look fine.

Chapter 17

As soon as the visitors left, Lola went off to change while Todd cleared the luncheon site and had most of the recyclable stuff loaded on the Land Rover along with the hired barbecue and chairs by the time Lola came out in her work gear to assist. She helped Todd to hoist two heavier items on to the already well loaded vehicle.

She drove Todd to the hire depot and then went into speak to the person in charge at the transfer station to discuss pricing and what qualified as recyclable items was deemed rubbish so they could sort the two streams when loading on site estimated at seven tray loads on the Land Rover.

On the return home, Todd driving, he said, "Did you negotiate a discount?"

"Nah, the guy sniggered when I said we had an estimated six or seven tray loads. He said discounts were based on a contract for a minimum amount of material, beginning at two tonnes. They obviously don't care for the little guys, but bend the yardstick for customers like demolition contractors and commercial renovators."

"Yeah, it's the way Big Business goes," Todd nodded. "I must say your luncheon was a great success and thanks for paving the way for me getting my date. It's all arranged and I really appreciate your role in that."

"And all praise to you, Todd. Even your mother was complimentary and surprised that you are capable of presenting a barbecue so-well-cooked without signs of over-cooking. She said barbecuing at your home was your father's domain and his family were only engaged when he wanted something fetched from the kitchen."

"Yeah, right. Dad likes to dominate,"

"What does your father do?"

"My father David is Harbourmaster for Kennedy Point and Matiatia Bay where most of the commercial boating activity occurs and around Kennedy Point Marina and Big Oneroa where the largest mass of private boat activity occurs. His other brief is to investigate marine-related incidents including mooring disputes that occur anywhere on water around the coastline of the island."

"Ah, he's and Old Salt as they say."

"Yes, as was his father before him. Granddad became a Petty Officer in the Royal New Zealand Navy and dad took early retirement from the Navy as a Lieutenant-Commander."

"That's very impressive and you chose not to join the Navy?"

"Indeed, and mum was opposed to me joining the Air Force when I thought of becoming a pilot but I gradually drifted away from that idea."

When Todd arrived home that evening, after returning the borrowed motorcycle from a friend, Meryl rushed up to her son and demanded, "Why did you kiss Mrs Orsini? I couldn't believe it. You don't even know her."

"She remembered me from high school days and me being in her daughter's class and coming to their home a couple of times."

"Omigod, is she trying to get you to date her daughter?"

"Mum, calm down. It's a little bit like that. While you make us coffee, I tell you how I have this invitation to lunch with Mrs Orsini and her daughter Bonnie and family."

"Well I hope something comes from that," Meryl said. "It would eliminate my fears that you might disgrace yourself attempting to hit on Lola Hunt."

Seeking a division, Todd said, "Why would I do that, mum? Bonnie Orsini is really top shelf."

* * *

Lola sat in her cottage with a coffee and had just completed designing a simple sign for the entrance stating 'Lola's Vineyard Cottage' and adding the measurements including the length of the two stakes already attached to the signboard to be driven into the ground. She wanted visitors and suppliers to locate her mostly hidden cottage when calling for the first time.

Lola then looked around the one-big room thoroughly and rumbled through cupboards and drawers and concluded that almost everything must go, because it was just not 'her' and she had sufficient money to spend on a complete internal renovation with a bathroom with toilet extension that would require a council permit.

"Bugger it, let's get moving," she hissed. "Book a renovator in the morning, draw up plans of the bathroom addition to submit to the council - actually a good handyman renovator could attend to the design and permit application and then building the addition and get a plumber to transfer the toilet across from the shed and get a new seat and fit it. All done."

"Ah, where will I sleep during renovations?"

"Ah, once Todd is briefed about work tomorrow, I should visit a couple of centres that hire half-decent small caravans and take it for four weeks. All done."

"Right, what's next?"

"Ah, bed and get up early and stick coloured tape on things that must stay in the shed at present and then Tom will work without having to pause to ask, "What about this?"

From 6.00 am, Lola ran Web-listings of home handymen/renovations based on the island and the first four who replied to her call all apologised and said they had at least a month's work ahead of them.

When the renovation contact she attempted to call, a young girl answered the phone and when she was asked to fetch her father she replied, "He left us days after I was born and I'm now eleven, so work that one out. If you want work done on your home then you want mum, as she heads Enterprising Home Renovators."

"Who should I say is calling."

"Lola Hunt."

"Christ," said the child, and the receiver of obviously a landline phone could be heard swinging and banging against the wall as it was dropped.

Lola heard the following conversation quite clearly.

"Mum, mum, come quickly,' yelled the youngster. "That famous lady Lola Hunt wants you to do urgent work for her."

"I can't come, I'm nude as I'm just out of the bath."

"She won't be able to see you as she's on the phone, not at the front door."

"Good girl, that's calm and helpful thinking. I can't imagine why she wants EHR to work for her."

"Hi Miss Hunt, Shona Matthews speaking. How may we be of service to you?"

"I need my nerdy one room cottage renovated, a bathroom added to the building and the toilet shifted from the close-by shed, PDQ."