Silver-Tongued Stranger - Prelude

The Silver-Tongued Stranger - Prelude

"Hello stranger...it seems like a mighty long time..." Hello Stranger, Barbara Lewis

The drone of mostly male voices in the bar was punctuated by the occasional shout over the din and the clinking of glasses. At their regular meeting for a few drinks to cap off the week, Damian and Gerry were talking about their plans for the evening.

"After I grab a bite to eat here," Damian was saying, "I'm off to Debbie's place. I'll probably stay for the night."

He was in an off-and-on relationship with Debbie, his current girlfriend. They were both separated and had met on a dating site. When he heard that her young son was staying with his grand-parents for the night, he decided it was time to pay her a visit.

He went on, "You should come with me, Gerry. Her friend Amelia is coming over to stay the night too. You never know, you might hit it off with her. How's your luck with the ladies been going recently?"

"Sadly, my scoring rate has dropped right off since Covid," Gerry grumbled.

Damian was in awe. "I don't know how you pull in so many women."

"It's pretty simple - a few little white lies and heaps of flattery," Gerry explained. "As they say, faint praise never won a fair lady."

"So, how's your scoring rate now?" Damian asked. "It used to be about one a month."

"Yeah, but it's fallen right away. Luckily, the wife's visiting her sister in Cairns for three weeks, so opportunity knocks. Anyway, tell me all about this Amelia babe. Is she hot?"

"Deb's known her for ages. They've done lots of travelling together and they don't have many secrets from each other."

"Not gay, are they?"

Tapping a finger on the bar, Damian reflected on this for a moment, then replied, "I'm 90 percent sure they're not, but they did share a hotel bed when they had a holiday together in Byron Bay. They've talked about it quite openly, so your guess is as good as mine. You could come and ask them yourself, if you like."

Gerry raised an eyebrow. "So, is this Amelia hot? Or not?"

"Definitely hot - particularly if you like Italian girls who look as if bikinis were designed just for them. Incidentally, she loves champagne."

Gerry stood up and said, "Okay, you've won me. Let's go. I'll just grab a couple of bottles of bubbly, then I'll get my car and follow you out."

Gerry worked as a driver for a luxury car service which provided him with a vehicle for his own use after hours. This weekend he was driving a new electric sedan from an classic brand. It was their top-of-the-range model. He hoped it would be "a real chick magnet." Half an hour later, Damian pulled up outside Debbie's house, a comfortable looking brick bungalow in the suburb of Whitfield. Gerry pulled in behind him. There was a small silver sedan in the driveway. It belonged to Amelia who had arrived a couple of hours earlier. She and Debbie hadn't been in touch recently, so Debbie had invited her to stay overnight for a few drinks and a catch-up. They were not expecting company - until Damian phoned to ask if he could come over. He didn't mention that he'd have a mate with him. He was always doing this, turning up with a friend usually without warning. Debbie had never been able to work out why. She knew Damian was aware that Gerry had a rather shady past and was a notorious womaniser. Maybe that could have been the reason - on this occasion, at least.

Debbie hadn't had sex for over a month. She and Amelia had been chatting almost continuously about their sex droughts as they shared a few drinks. So now, they were both starting to feel slightly tipsy and decidedly frisky. If Damian was coming over, a bit of male company could be fun. Amelia had been separated from her husband for nearly a year now and was becoming increasingly desperate for sex. She had tried clubbing but most of the guys in the clubs were way too young. Besides she didn't want to pick up strangers. Nor did she want casual sex with people from work. Equally, she'd had enough of dependent guys she'd chatted to online who wanted more from her than she could give.

Then there was the problem of her two young sons who were staying with her ex for the weekend. It was their usual arrangement. That could make it convenient if an opportunity arose tonight, but it would not always be the situation. Above all, she did not want a one-night stand. With her background in sociology, she was aware of the negative side of casual sex, especially for women. But she was having a hormonal high tide and was desperate for sex. She knew she would eventually settle down with a sensible and reliable man -- one who shared her view of the world and whose Ying would complement her Yang. Ideally, she wanted someone who genuinely loved her and was a skilled lover who would be fun in bed. It seemed they were few and far between and even those who fitted the bill were either married or gay.

But right now, to hell with it, she was tempted to play with fire and discover what casual sex had to offer. She'd thought through the possible downside enough to set herself some sensible boundaries. She wouldn't jump into bed with the first horny stud who happened along. She would not form a strong attachment to an unsuitable partner -- especially if it could jeopardise her life with the kids. She knew that there was no-one where she worked who was remotely suitable for her. That was why she had tried dating sites. So far, all her matches were dead ends. There were so many obstacles that it seemed unlikely that someone suitable would come along, someone she fancied, who felt real affection for her, who was okay about the kids and who would also be good in bed. All of these considerations were real, but right now, she was desperate for some toe-curling sex.