Saving the Starlight Ch. 01

Back home and struggling a little to carry the first of several sheets of wall lining up the steps and in through the laundry to the kitchen the effort suddenly eased and a light voice said, "Here allow me to help."

The couple introduced themselves as they carried in the first of sixteen sheets.

"Oh dear, you're dusty and sweaty," Fenton said, dismayed.

"Women don't sweat," she chided, having already introduced herself as Mary-Ann Topp. She looked eighteen.

"I'm nipping back next door to clean up. Come over in ten minutes and have a drink with us – we only have wine. Our next clients are not due until 6:00."

It was rude to say no; the 'Oh thanks' drew a smile to her dusty face sprinkled with debris from the plaster board.

"We" turned out to be Mary-Ann –she actually was eighteen – and her mother Nancy. Fenton distinctly felt both females were eyeing his body in an unladylike manner, even catching them exchanging eyebrow waggles.

Good looking Nancy with breasts large enough to show continuous movement, possessed the physical qualities of a top candidate for casual sex. She was just on the right side of forty perhaps. At this stage he wasn't sure if this new connection with females was a good thing but time would tell. No way was he interested in a threesome, if that were on their minds.

Their discussion was about Fenton remained at polite social level – which he was, what he did for a living, was he married or with someone and did he like dancing and the movies.

He enjoyed the slow pace of bedding in their relationship as new neighbours.

Nancy said she'd operated 'Topp Hair & Nails' in the house next-door for fifteen years and Mary-Ann was into year one of a 2-year professional training program for beauticians.

"Nancy said proudly, "I have three women on call to help with busy periods which are Fridays and Saturday mornings,"

Fenton's inquiry about who owned their property drew a very interesting reply. Nancy had purchased it three years ago from her landlord.

"What's your dream?"

"I'd love to set up business on Australia's Gold Coast."

"When?"

"As soon as I've helped Mary-Ann to fully qualify and win some competitions – hopefully three years from now."

"Couldn't you go sooner and Mary-Ann could complete her training in Australia?"

"I hadn't thought about that."

An hour later Fenton returned home after Nancy had accepted his offer to purchase her property, with settlement in two years' time or earlier. She would have her lawyer to prepared the sale and purchase agreement. Fenton considered it a great buy as he'd consolidation both adjoining residential properties had also been re-zoned for light commercial development. Nancy had considered that new zoning on her asking price.

At 8:00 that evening with Mary-Ann out with her girlfriends, Nancy knocked on Fenton's door.

"I'm here to celebrate our agreement over a drink."

"Come in Nancy. I say that's a pretty dress."

She licked her upper lip and lightly touched her left tit to gain Fenton's full attention.

However the ho-hum sex left Fenton disappointed but at least they both climaxed.

The problem was Nancy put little physicality into it and only wanted missionary and as soon as she climaxed she appeared to shut down and rejected Fenton's suggestion that they rest and that resume with a sixty-nine.

After she left he shook his head, wondering why so many women from their mid-thirties tended more often than not to regard sex similarly to housework, as if it was something one had to do.

God he couldn't wait to get between Liberty's athletic legs and have her attempt to fuck him legless – unsuccessfully of course.

He grinned.

Next day Fenton looked angry standing at the counter in the engineer's department in the City Administration Building.

He demanded, "May I please see your manager?"

The clerk went to a nearby office and returned with a guy wearing a sports jacket that was in fashion in Fenton's father's younger days. His dad had worn the near indestructible garment for decades.

"Good morning I'm Bruce Jessop, assistant city engineer – minor approvals. You've discovered there's a hitch?"

"Yes," Fenton said, fighting to remain calm.

"I had been informed the demolition permit application was non-notifiable. Yet I have been told an objection has been made and a hearing must be held."

"Yes, that is the required routine. Although our procedures under Government legislation do not require the public to be notified of a demolition permit application for a building on which the Council has issued a demolition order. However if any citizen or citizen group should lodge an objection, the objection must be considered and a hearing held if the objection is found to have been correctly filed and proper ground for objection laid."

"And that has been found to be so in this case?"

"Yes, I completed review procedures myself," Bruce said, taking a long look at the complainant. "Look, I've seen you at the golf club, haven't I?"

Fenton confirmed that he'd recently re-joined as a member.

"I am permitted to reveal to you that solid grounds for objection have been lodged."

"Fine and what are the details?"

"Oh our clerk should have told you to flip over the Delay of Issue Certificate she gave you. Full details are noted under our stamp on the reverse side. Is there anything else, Fenton?"

"No thanks," he muttered,

"Good we should have a round together some time."

"Yeah, Bruce and that makes me relieved I don't only get bad news from you."

Both men laughed.

Fenton took his form across to a chair and table. After some legal preamble the statement read:

The Save the Starlight Cinema Campaign Organisation objects to the demolition of the building on the grounds that it is a Historic Building under the provisions of the Preservation of Small Community Commercial Buildings of Historic Importance Act, 1952. The application has been properly lodged on behalf of the objectors by their Organiser Sally Tucker. For further information contact the legal representative Liberty Wentworth.

Fenton rubbed his chin and muttered, "Why am I not surprised to find Liberty's name popping up here? It's because it fits in with her combative behaviour with me."

* * *

Lawyer Liberty Wentworth had rushed away from Fenton Whoever on the boil. There she'd been, not altogether resisting overtures of seduction by the Enemy!

She lashed herself verbally: "You're green behind the ears you self-indulgent twerp."

There was a reason for dropping her guard. Liberty was so used to her father's friends and acquaintances being dull, criminals, misfits or yesterday people like himself that she'd been pleasantly surprise that he actually knew someone of...well, she coloured, beddable material.

That thought mixed with what a horrible beast of a man flamed her mind and a strident horn blast by a vigilant driver allowed Liberty to jump backwards, saving her from being injured.

She crossed the road safely and entered an Italian Restaurant to have dinner. Over that leisurely meal she had three glasses of red wine, and a fuzzy haze of goodness transported her into relaxation.

Perhaps the beast was just a naughty tomcat and basically he could be a gentleman of charm looking for a beautiful young lady to love and respect. That would make him the sort of man to dive into bed with; God, she could do with that. It had been almost six weeks since Simon left for England. Going six weeks without bedroom action for someone her age was, well, a disgrace to womanhood!

Liberty though Fenton had been attracted to her, not even blinking when hearing her name. Most people hated it: one lecturer at university had said he'd even have difficulty calling a horse that name – the bastard, humiliating her like that.

She'd watched Fenton study her face and his eyes drifted down to her chest. He must have liked the shape there although she was disappointed he hadn't licked his lips; had he done so she would have been scandalized; presumably. Then his eyes wandered down to about her navel, and halted. Why there? They had been on bar stools and he could more or less have looked all the way to his centre of interest.

Was he wondering if she over ate or was pregnant or perhaps he had a belly button fetish? Oooh, this was interesting, but why hadn't he looked at her legs – everyone but everyone knew she had fabulous legs because so many of people said so, decorously of course. Er mostly.

Anyway, what did it matter? He was now on the other side, and she had to be sure she kept the trenches between them. That time in the bar with him had been gooey for her, her finer feelings running riot. He really was smoothie and persistent.

The big question: would she have gone to bed with him that night? Liberty pretended she was she was about to think perhaps, but was rocked by a renegade thought. Yes, she'd have been prepared to have been backed up against a street pole and would have hitched up her skirt for him.

Liberty!

"Everything in moderation," her dull dear old dad always said. It was not proper for her to be thinking so riotously about sex. But then again, it could be argued that someone had to think about it strongly in order to maintain balance in life. She was perfectly capable to thinking about it strongly.

God, she was hot. If he came along right now he could have her across the table.

She blushed and looking out the window saw Fenton walking along looking lonely but not dejected. You moron, she told herself hotly. Hate him, hate him because he's The Enemy.

Liberty took a cab to her apartment that was within easy walking distance of her father's home, occupied by him and his live-in 'housekeeper'. Ha! Mrs Matson was only eleven years Liberty's senior.

Liberty had located near her father to take advantage of the pool and tennis court. Conveniently Mrs Matson – she was forbidden by her father to call her Barbara – would cater for Liberty's occasional garden parties below the big house as if Liberty were lady of the house.

Secretly, of course, Mrs Matson and Liberty were very good friends. Mrs Matson lunched with her on Saturday's when Liberty's father would spend much of the day at golf, and whenever her father was out of town she'd go to the big house for dinner with Mrs Matson, another little secret hidden from daddy.

Daddy never surprised Liberty and she thought idly that would never change.

More to Come