Saving Danny

Ruby blushed furiously and the two females laughed with a hand over their mouth to supress some of the noise.

Outside the café as they kissed goodbye, Ruby said, "So fundamentally, you were saying don't get into his car?"

"Oh no darling," Ronnie cooed. "I've never been a party pooper."

Ruby giggled and kissed her new young friend again.

Chapter 3

Immaculately dressed and made-up, Moira Marshall was partly through facially shaving her son Danny in his hospital bed when Ruby walked in carrying a business magazine and a girlie magazine. She made no effort to hide the latter publication.

Danny was relieved to see her, although it was near the end of visiting time.

"Good evening Mrs Marshall. Please allow me to complete that task. You need to protect that lovely dress from inadvertent lather splashes."

"Omigod, the heroine who rescued my son."

"Correction Mrs Marshall. Search and rescue regulars leave the heroism to specialists called in to make the daring rescues under extremely difficult conditions. We core operators are just the everyday team members and anyway I only work weekends."

"But everyone knows you kept my son alive."

"Yes, I and the team presumably did that Mrs Marshall. It's what we do."

"You win. Now about shaving. Have you any idea how to use a safety hand razor?"

"I've done under my armpits for years and in recent years I've shaved my pubic hair and regularly help one or two girlfriends attend to their unwanted hair."

"Omigod, put you hands over your ears Danny. This is women's-only talk."

"It's okay mum. My generation is more aware of personal care than your generation and others before that ever did. Moira Marshall, this is hot-shot Ruby Slater, an exceptional young woman not matter at what level she denies the tag."

"Good evening, Mrs Marshall,"

"Hi, call me Moira. Danny has told me heaps about you though little of substance yet. You are remarkably well groomed for a hospital visit."

"I wished to impress."

"I like you already. I'll go now and please avoid getting those mythical lather splashes on your stylish dress."

She kissed her son, smiled broadly at Ruby and left.

"Your mother appears impressive."

"Yeah, well she's mum."

Ruby sighed, not challenging that inadequate response, and resumed the shaving.

"You'll have to hurry as the bell warning all visitors to leave, will go in a minute."

"I'll take my time as I'll know most of the nursing staff and all security staff from six years of working in S&R."

"How convenient; stay the night."

"However, in exchange for that privilege I observe hospital protocols strictly apart from enjoying extended visiting house."

"Damn."

"Would you like as a treat and allow me to shave away your pubic hair?"

"What, good heavens no. I'm only getting to know you and no one, including myself, has ever shaven me to that extent."

"As you wish."

"Um Ruby, would you really have shaved around my gear if I'd said go to it?"

"Of course. It's only the act of intimate and personal shaving, not sex or wallowing in depravity."

"Hmmm, great answer. Um, Ruby, would you have sex with me?"

"In due course, I believe, providing you're not married or strongly attached to another person and are a devotee of safe sex."

"And?"

"That's it, Danny to avoid it becoming a big deal and so we don't feel obliged to face repeat sessions if it was decided one of us was no good at it."

"Christ, you're a really modern woman. How many times are you good to go in an extended session?"

"Drop it Danny, my pulse is beginning to race and I have no wish to cut you."

"Okay. I suppose you don't know me well enough yet to flash your boobs for me."

"Grubby Danny, shut up."

"Oh, sorry."

* * *

Ruby arrived home to find her parents already in bed. Her mother was reading and her father was giving the impression he was all but asleep.

She kissed her mother who asked, "Was she there?"

"Who, Danny's hot girlfriend."

"No, you idiot, his mother. You'll be delighted to know my impressions are she's very couth, elegant, friendly and was beautifully dressed and made up."

"I concur with that finding mother."

"Is that all you have to report?"

"Yes. No wait, I offered to shave his pubic hair."

"What," yelled her father, struggling to sit up.

"Bull dust," said her mother.

Ruby left the room laughing and said they'd probably never learn the truth.

She had just slipped between the sheet when her mother came in, pulling the top of her nightdress closed.

"Your father says he can't sleep without knowing what happened."

"Tell him it's true that I made that suggestion when finishing shaving his face as he's right-handed and that hand is bandaged. But he almost flipped in his haste to say no but reluctantly agreed I had a right to ask. Now go back and bang dad to sleep. Isn't that why he married you?"

"Goodnight," said her mother, patting her daughter's cheek. "God, you are incorrigible but perhaps you two may prove to be right for each other."

* * *

Danny was transferred to a recovery care hospital for three weeks before being release home to allow his shoulder to have substantially healed and to have the lacerations on his lower right leg treated daily. Ruby explained to him she wouldn't visit him at home until he clarified his thoughts about her, should he have thoughts about taking up with her romantically.

He said fair enough as they'd both come out of unhappy relationships and needed to be more careful this time. He said for her to call him each day and she countered by saying every third day and he said he agreed to that reluctantly.

Meanwhile, Ruby's mother Thelma invited Danny's mother to lunch on the Sunday after Danny's transfer.

* * *

Moira returned home on Sunday very happy and explained to her husband and daughter that she's agreed for her name to be put forward for consideration as the new director of the arts society.

The family congratulated her enthusiastically and Moira said her job would be fulltime and the salary was not as good as her present salary but the new job offer salary fell not too far short. What appealed to her were heaps of new challenges and huge opportunity to meet people with cultural interests.

"The society's long serving president, my new friend Thelma Slater, said my nomination would be the only one submitted to the board and she was aware the board realized she was used to getting her own way as president, that board members accepted they were primarily there to secure sponsors and finance and attend to legal and public liability issues."

She added if she were appointed director, she'd have to hand in her council car and buy herself a vehicle.

"This will be a costly changeover for us," growled husband Stan.

"Are we short of cash and reserves?"

"Of course not," said the commercial building contractor. "Err, I'm also pleased. It's a long time since I've seen you this happy."

Moira called Thelma and said she was happy to accept nomination for the director's vacant position,

Thelma Slater said to her husband Charlie and daughter Ronnie that there would now be less tension around the home because at last she'd found a replacement director to recommend to the board of the arts society.

Ronnie tensed when hearing that the nominee would be Danny's mother Moira Marshall. She wished Ruby was home hearing about this first-hand instead of being at a training session for volunteer medics (Moira had completed formal nursing training before she decided to complete a master's degree and seek a university junior lectureship).

She poured glasses of red wine for the three of them and sank hers in continuous sipping after muttering, "Congratulations mother."

"There's no need to be bitter darling. I'm sure Ruby having a fling with the new director's son won't do anything more than raise eyebrows among some critical and eagle-eyed members who have nothing better to do than gossip."

"Anyway, should they manage to really stir something, Moira and I would counter-attack with all guns blazing the moment we heard even a whisper alleging an improper appointment."

Stan focused on that comment, nose practically twitching,

"What might be considered improper about you selecting this Marshall woman?"

"Oh, it's nothing darling?"

"Talk about all guns blazing scarcely relates to something that could be swept under the carpet."

Thelma sighed and said their son and the Slater's daughter were preparing to have an affair as soon as he left hospital, or at least it had appeared that way. But at present the young couple were in a cooling off period to test their mutual fidelity and depth of romantic attachment.

Stan said that made sense with promiscuity rife among young people these days and Ruby was left devastated when finding her disloyal boyfriend had been two-timing her.

"So, you two think your appointment could attract strong criticism because Ruby and the president's son Danny are having it off?"

"Dad, my understanding is that Danny and Ruby have not had sex or even come close to it," Ronnie protested.

"Oh yeah, he's bound up in hospital tied up injured. My apologies."

"Thank you."

"Well ladies, you can forget about all but a handful of compulsive trouble-makers stirring the pot successfully in alleging a crony appointment. Ruby is a low-level heroine riding on the newspaper publicity about her gutsy work in keeping victims in deep shit alive during their rescues and the Marshall family is one of the most popular and highly respected family in this community."

"Oh Charlie," said Thelma, rushing over and kissing him.

"Thanks dad," Ronnie said sincerely. "You've made me more certain that this romance will proceed. You'll admire Danny. He looks handsome and athletic and has a smooth and no-nonsense tongue."

"Okay, I trust your judgement baby. Let's get Ruby married off to this cool dude."

"Dad," Ronnie sighed. "Modern romances rise or fall without outside intervention. I suggest you devote your attention to canoodling with your wife instead."

"Great advice Ronnie," said her mother happily. "More wine please."

Chapter 4

Danny Marshall was already dressed and in a loan wheelchair when Ruby walked into his hospital room.

"Where's my mother?" he asked anxiously, "And why are you in S&R uniform when it's midweek?"

"Oh, good morning Danny darling. Allow me to call you darling if you are certain that you and I are eminently suitable for a romance. I'm sure that we're highly compatible, err, potentially."

"Hi darling. A quick kiss please and explain why my mother is not here as arranged."

"My S&R team is only on standby today and volunteered to transport you home. They are doing this for me rather than you because they apparently know I'm hooked on you and they also appreciate the solid publicity you gave for the service over your rescue."

"Hooked? That indicates a pretty definite level of commitment."

"Yes, my mind tends to go where my heart is."

"Wow, and I believe you and let me guess. You have taken a fortnight off from your two jobs to nurse me and during that time will slowly and carefully reintroduce me to sex."

Ruby looked astonished and said how could he know that so accurately.

"A little bird told me."

"Ah, it was Ronnie. She's the only one whom I share secrets with."

"Yes, I confess. She has been calling me almost every day because she disagreed with you leaving me abandoned without emotional connections apart from my family, despite me agreeing with the sensibility of your plan for a temporary stand-off to allow for soul-searching, given that we both had been let down severely by our last lovers. Are you mad with Ronnie?"

"Aw no, because she has a knack of good timing when taking a stance on so many issues. She's a remarkable kid sister, thanks partly to being raised by you?"

On the ride home, Danny asked how had Ruby managed to move into his parents' house to look after him when his mother had been talking about engaging hired nursing care around the clock until he was cleared by his doctor to walk freely once his leg wounds were no longer being dressed and he proved he could manage to walk safely with his shoulder in a sling and the other leg recovering from injury.

"Your mother was relieved to receive my offer, saying you would approve and it would be a big help to her as she was extra busy preparing to leave her council job and being on the interview panel interviewing the top eight qualifying applicants to find her replacement. She knows I'm sweet on you."

"What did she say when you mentioned your plan to reintroduce me to sex with your assistance and taking care not to upset the healing of my injuries?"

"Um... um... oh heck, it wasn't mentioned."

He laughed and said chicken.

The first morning of home-care when Danny's parents had left for work, he called out, "Ruby. Are you good for sex?"

She replied, "sounding as if her mouth was half-full, that she was having breakfast."

"Okay," he called, and growled to himself that at this rate it would take days before his girlfriend finally got a leg over him.

He smiled, licking his top lip. Well, he had loads of time to figure out how to influence Ruby to kick-start her passion so that her self-appointed role into re-introducing him to hot pussy would only be hours away, instead of days.

"Ruby, are you thinking about having sex?"

Encouragingly, there was no answer. He'd figured she would be too busy thinking.

The End