Prelude to Romance

Chapter 1

Face flaming, Christine Wallace, chief administration officer at Waterford General Hospital, eyed her sexy-looking public relations manager in disbelief

For a moment she was unwilling believe that filming due to start that day on the hospital's recruitment advertisement, to be marketed on TV to attract medical staff to remote-located Waterford General, was in crisis.

She refocused on what Lola Steele had just told her: "Are you saying the professional presenter for our ad, the person who delivers the message, has walked off the set and disappeared?"

"Yes, that smelly and bearded guy running things said her filmed rehearsal indicated she'd been horribly miscast for the role. When she rejected his assertion, the so-called director alleged any woman taken off the streets would exhibit more compelling character screen presence than that she could muster."

"Omigod, apart from missing our campaign launch targets, then we can expect film industry union officials and lawyers to descend upon us like flies attracted to a carcass?"

"Perhaps not as there's a chance the rejected woman may feel too humiliated to shoot off her mouth to the media or complain to the actors' guild or whatever it's called. She said in her fake-cultured voice that she couldn't get out of this dump of a town in the middle of nowhere fast enough."

"Okay, that offers faint hope. And, I guess you're also here as one of my senior advisers to ask me what you should do?"

"No, it's gone beyond that. I volunteered to step in for the presenter who's walked out. The Bearded One told me to bring me your approval in writing on letterhead and signed by you, allowing me to take the role."

"What, you want me to help launch you into a film career?"

Lola shook in laughter.

"Oh boss, what have you been smoking? I heard the script coach sneer I was all looks and no substance, that even a koala up a tree asleep could demonstrate more acting ability and display more credibility than what I would be capable of."

"Did he now?"

"It's a she."

"God, aren't women bitches. I was about to refuse your release but I will now to force those clowns to really sit up and watch you spill your skills. You are one of the most attractive and articulate young women that I've ever come across."

"Hmmm, you have been on Pot."

"Watch your mouth young lady," the CEO said scribbling her approval for the proposed substitution involving Lola Steele to proceed and signing it. "Just do your best and remember to show as many teeth as you can; you possess a natural and stupendous smile."

Waterford General's recruitment ad first featured on Australia TV networks just over two months later and the story about it's hilarious ad offering unique employment incentives had within three days left the hospital awash with job applications.

Newspapers, radio stations and national TV news bulletins carried details of the success story plus comments of reporters describing their difficulty in pin-pointing the location of rural town of Waterford and its general hospital's struggle to full job vacancies and retain staff.

Then a Sunday newspaper elevated the Waterford General story up a dozen notches by publishing a front-page picture of Lola Steele, presenter of the break-through advertisement, brilliantly photographed riding a galloping horse leaving behind a dust plume of Titanic proportions.

The caption-story read,

Look beyond the sweat and growing facial dust mask to see true dramatic beauty. This is Lola Steele of Waterford (which is a bugger of a place to find), who last Wednesday appeared on your TV screen in the first of three recruitment ads

With seductive aplomb laced with wit and humour, Lola created an avalanche of applications from young doctors, nurses and medical technicians eager to land jobs at Waterford's seriously under-staffed general hospital.

First Lola was pulled in to substitute in filming for the professional presenter.

Secondly, Lola who incidentally possessed no acting experience, disliked the script and said unless she was permitted to present her own script there would be no Lola. The hospital's CEO approved of the new script without reading it, saying it would be okay as Lola, the hospital's PR manager, was the hospital's communications expert.

Thirdly, Lola rounded up community leaders and convinced them to throw a heap of incentives into this campaign to attract new staff to work at the hospital. A major offer to retain staff was an offer of free burial plots when new recruits sign up.

Understandably, the campaign has been one of the most successful and funniest televised recruitment ads ever screened in Australia.

Go Lola!

When that eye-catching photo and appealing caption appeared on TV screens throughout Australia, including Waterford that morning, the amused Lola answered her phone.

"Congratulations and goodbye darling. We've loved having you on our team darling but Go Lola!"

"Christine?"

Before cutting her brief call, the hospital's CEO said, "Yes darling. For the next few hours record all calls and there will be many, some callers talking big money!"

Lola's father Stewart said, "That was an odd call. Christine is suggesting you'll get offers galore, but you can't act as you have never been coached in acting."

"I've had experience; as an 1l-year-old I acted dressed in the front end of a costumed horse in a school play," Lola giggled.

"You're too hard on the girl," Gloria told her husband. "She has the face and figure of a great film star. Most of them can't act competently and it isn't necessary for them to do so."

"Bullshit and I should have been paid for allowing my daughter to ride her horse for that stringer photographer who arrived here with his mealy mouth and out to get as much money as possible for that picture. I said at the time, he'd find some sucker to buy his exclusive photograph."

Lola's phone went. She switched off the speaker option to avoid her parents taking part in the business call. They were unable to hear what the caller said.

"Hi, yes it's Miss Steele speaking but please call me Go Lola!"

"No ma'am, I'm not prepared to reveal how many offers I've received."

"Oh, you are calling from Sydney. That's a long way away."

"Yes, ma'am I have often been in big cities."

"Well, for example, I've worked for several months in London, Berlin and New York to gain international work experience while studying for my advanced public relations professional qualifications."

"My bachelor's degree was gained in Adelaide and my master's in Melbourne."

"Oh, there's no need for you and your team to fly out here to meet me as it can become so dusty. Anyway, our local airport is too small to take large charter aircraft."

"Yes, my father would fly us to meet you and your team in Adelaide later this week but he'd want to be compensated."

"Oh, $10,000 is grossly far too much. We are nowhere near Darwin."

She giggled watching her dad pretend to cut his throat.

"Sure, I believe he would accept $5000, especially if handed to him in cash."

She watched her dad almost nod his head off his shoulders.

"Yes, he says that's fine."

"Yes, I would consider a retainer of $9,000 a month for three months to allow you company to find a principal who would offer me a long-term contract that meets my approval."

"Look Mrs McCready, I didn't come down in the last shower; I spend about a quarter of each working day on contracts. If you wish to get me to sign an exclusive retainer with you then offer me a retainer of $20,000 a month for three months to allow you to get me signed up with a principal."

Noticing her mum's eyes popping, Lola said, "My mother, who is a lawyer, is nodding her approval of my demand."

"Yes, I might appear to be a tough cookie but really I'm very cooperative and sweet."

"No, I don't expect to be called Go Lola! Permanently. It's just my adopted name for today."

"Thanks Mrs McCready. The three of us expect to meet you at your convenience in Adelaide anytime this week. Bye Mrs McCready."

Eyes practically popping, Stewart Wallace said to his daughter, "God, I can't believe you have been offered twenty thou a month doing nothing to earn it and the only concession given is you won't negotiate with any other bidder for three months."

"It's called Big Business dad and they can give you money and just as easily they can also ensure you'll never work for Big Business again if you turn mongrel on them."

"Leave her Stuart, she's doing just fine without our help. Just stick to grain, sheep and cattle, things about which you have expert knowledge."

"Yes dear."

Her mum turned to Lola and said, "You have a verbal deal but nothing on paper. Tut-tut."

"Actually, I'm almost as smart as my mother. You probably saw me check my other phone while winding up with Mrs McCready. I electronically signed my acceptance of her terms and conditions and immediately her signed, dated and witnessed copy of that initially draft contract that I had signed was emailed back to me. That clearly establishes both parties had mutually confirmed our agreement which is good enough for me."

* * *

Two months following the recruitment campaign, Lola and her mother went to Sydney where Lola signed a lucrative contract for her exclusive services. She was to become an instantly recognizable face associated with Total High Fashion On-Line Australia, a newly established and about to be launched mega on-line fashion house.

A unique feature of the new on-line business was it would utilise only indigenous designers who have been confirmed as legally holding Australian residential status when designing their creations. This requirement would enable the company's output of all products including accessories to be labelled genuine Australian creations.

The company's principals, former international Australian model Molly Ryan and partner, marketing consultant Ted Stringer, had committed themselves to exclusively promoting and selling Australian fashion and if the demand they expect eventuated they intended to convert their enterprise into a public company to expand the range and quantity of output.

Lola's mum Gloria established instant rapport with the retired fashion model Molly, who had retained her figure and outgoing personality developed from working on the international modelling circuit.

During drinks after the signing, Molly said to Gloria, "I wish I'd found you before I signed up Parker-Weston as our corporate lawyers; you are so much easier to relate to than Mark Weston who I principally deal with."

"Alas I couldn't consider it as I limit public clients because I have to make myself available when and where my husband requires me on farm duties, legal and otherwise."

"Otherwise?"

"I assist to fly freight and farmhands around our spread."

"Is your spread large enough to justify use of an aircraft?"

"Oh yes, our Cessna Caravan is in use almost daily."

"Um, how many people can it carry?"

"Depending on fit-out specifications of course, it can transport between nine and fourteen passengers. We usually have it configured for four to six passengers plus pilot and even that reduces to no passenger seating or perhaps only two plus freight and a pen for dogs."

"Are you saying you operate from your farm?"

"Yes, we have four unsealed strips on our property which is why we have the Caravan which is built for this type of work."

"Four landing strips, then how big is your farm?"

"It's actually called a station and the land offers sparse grazing and is in a low rainfall area. We farm 512 square miles."

"Omigod Gloria how many acres is that."

"It's 328,000 but there are much larger stations than that in South Australia and up north and to the west."

"And I take it you have a pilot's licence?"

"Yes, as so do Lola and Flynn, her older brother and my husband of course. We all have full private pilot licences and are qualified for night flying. Incidentally, we flew here in our smaller Cessna 172 which provides more economic travelling and it, too, is a real workhorse and I use it to go shopping and of course we often have to fly out to fetch spare parts for machinery or perhaps for the washing machine if the standby one conks out too."

"But that's enough about us. Tell me Molly, how did you come to choose modelling as your initial career?"

Lola returned to Sydney two weeks later on a regular commercial airline flight from Adelaide, with most of her possessions in temporary storage, ready to come to her by road freight when she'd found a suitable shared apartment.

After four nights at a hotel, Lola moved into an apartment in a converted warehouse within walking distance of her Total High Fashion On-Line Australia's offices in a building overlooking Darling Harbour.

The company had acquired warehouses near the Sydney and Melbourne airports for distribution centres and converted them to its requirements to accept deliveries for packaging and dispatch to customers of bulk output of various sizes and quantities arriving from many factories in different locations. Design items had been in production under contract for some time in preparation for the company's big launch.

Lola had been attending meetings with either Molly or partner Ted and sometimes with both their chief assistants, being briefed about company objectives and policies and then specifically with the director of marketing, a hard-faced woman with a personality to match but Lola soon recognized Maria was professionally talented for that job.

One morning Ted said to Lola as she arrived in his office for yet another briefing, "Are you prepared to remove your dress for me?"

"Possibly, but you have my photo portfolio which gets down to me almost completely bare."

"Hmm."

"Meaning?"

He smiled and said, "Why don't you attempt to explain my motives?"

Up to the challenge, Lola said, "Do you have sex in mind?"

She enjoyed watching the good-looking and, in this situation, overly-confident male's face flush.

"That comment is offensive."

She countered, "But how could that be? My response was delivered inoffensively together with a soft smile. I mean, I could have scowled and said 'Whatever gets your nuts off Bozo' or hissed, 'Up yours scumbag'."

He winced and said he' forgotten that she was of straight-talking country girl origin, and not too recently removed from that environment.

She shook her head daintily and lied that in her experience, country males when speaking to country girls invariably spoke to females in a gentlemanly manner.

Ted eyed her doubtfully.

"Yes Ted, even I wouldn't accept that assertion as being true," she giggled.

Ted visibly relaxed and said there was no need to mention this somewhat embarrassing encounter to anyone, especially Molly.

"Of course, it was part of some sort of test, I believe."

"Yes, Lola. Out of my personal interest I asked you to remove your upper garment - to see more of your gorgeous body of course - but to allow yourself to be aware of your reaction as being in business at corporate level you might periodically get requests arising from more licentious motives as you are a most attractive businesswoman."

"Ah, and I should say confidentially that Molly opened discussion with me on that err ever-present challenge in the role I was being considered for. I found it rather intellectually stimulating because she was frankly descriptive with some of the encounters experienced by models, though emphasizing she was avoiding speaking from personal experience."

"Well, that must have been a very thorough interview, I'm pleased to learn as I had been asked not to attend the preliminary discussions."

"I assure you it was a thorough preliminary interview, the field being ploughed deeply, so to speak."

"Please put your dress back on."

"I'm prepared to remove everything if you wish."

"Lola, no thanks. My personal policy is to avoid unnecessary temptation in the workplace."

"And an excellent policy that is Ted. I've enjoyed this encounter."

"Excellent, and now let's examine my concept in the launch, beginning with media leaks hinting about your engagement in some sort of national promotional announcement. Molly required a couple of amendments to my original concepts and has approved this plan and schedule we shall discuss now, in confidence of course."

"Of course."

Chapter 2

Lola shared a premium top floor apartment in a 3-level building with three other young women. The apartment had spectacular views of the busy tourist and visitor centre of Darling Harbour but taller buildings blocked their views of nearby Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

The views at night were most spectacular.

Lola had settled in and was well-accepted by Joss (Jocelyn) and Wendy, both young lawyers, and Eve (Evelyn) the oldest of the four, an assistant town planner.

One night they were all at home and Eve, reading a magazine, began discussing an article on an outdoor yodelling contest being held at the island city of Tamworth later in the month.

"I dislike yodelling and wouldn't go around the corner to hear it," Wendy said, "but I have thought of visiting Tamworth one day but not when the National Country Music is being held because the town would be choke-full."

"It says here that the yodelling competition can be hilarious at times because contestants are sometimes as young as four and even 80-plus."

"Why don't be all go for a big day out and a good laugh," Joss suggested.

"A day out, are you joking?" Wendy said. "It's more than a 4-hour drive to get there, being 260 miles away and requiring a crossing through the Blue Mountains, to be following by a tiring day to be had in the sun. We'd be sensible to stay the night."

"Or, if we all chipped in, I could fly us there and back in a hired aircraft."

The three other females looked Lola almost in shock and Joss almost angrily, "You didn't tell us another of your attributes is that you are a qualified pilot."

Attempting to sound humble, Lola said, "I guess I didn't think it was necessary to reveal and anyway, none of you revealed when interviewing me that you can drive a car."

"That's an attempted diversion."

"Look guys, I apologize. I also can use a motor-driven post-hole auger expertly, get failed water pumps working again, drench dogs and livestock, cut the nuts from bull calves..."

"Omigod, stop," Wendy said looking a little pale. "Guys, we now know Lola can do things we can't even begin to imagine, and so let's leave it at that, eh? How long have you been flying?"

"Officially since I turned 17 but like my brother, I began learning much earlier, initially sitting on my mother or father's knee as both gained their private pilot's licences as teenagers."

Eve said, "I'm game to fly with you to Tamworth and return Lola. I take it you've flown long distances?"

"Yes, I've flown solo from near Adelaide to Perth twice, to Alice Springs and to Melbourne three times."

"That's good enough for me," Eve said and Joss said and for her and Wendy said, "Then let's plan our flying visit to Tamworth, weather permitting."

"Okay, I'll find out the charter costs and other flying costs and I warn you that it won't be cheap but it will be convenient and we can deduct the cost of any other form of transport plus the cost of overnight accommodation and meals. I estimate the flight time there will be around 30 minutes."

The four flatmates made that return flight to Tamworth in a small hired aircraft and had a great time. Lola was voted in as 'leader of the expedition' and was the guest of her flatmates at a restaurant dinner in Sydney on the night of their return, all four vowing to never attend a yodelling contest again but the vote for Tamworth being a cool place to visit, at least once, was unanimous.