Struth Shaun

"Now you have become ridiculous," Narene said, but not unhappily.

Under pressure she agreed to enter the contest and on the afternoon her entry was filed she was walking down to the beach to join Cathy and young Nick when she heard screaming.

She raced down and saw Cathy waist deep in the water screaming helplessly to Nick who was being blown out to sea on his air mattress. The maintenance guy's wife was on the phone calling the wharf superintendent to come around in the small motor boat.

"He reckons it will take up to thirty minutes to launch the boat and get around here."

Narene raced out to Cathy, pulled off her dress and watch and gave them to Cathy to hold.

"Yell to him I'm coming for him."

Narene paced herself, hoping she was moving a little faster than the wind-assisted drift of the mattress against the resistance of the water. Each time she paused to look up she saw she was gaining and finally reached Nick who was a bit flaky but she hugged him by the shoulders.

"You make the choice Nick. Do I swim back with you or do we wait for the boat to come around the point and hopefully Mr Thomas will spot us?"

"What if he doesn't?"

"Search and rescue people will use a spotter aircraft."

"I'm scared. What if you can't swim me to shore?"

"I'm confident I can once I rest. The water is fairly warm."

An aircraft appeared from nowhere and flew low over them, its wings were being waggled to signal they'd been seen.

"Someone at the resort must have called the cops and they contacted a tourist plane already in the air. It's best we stay with the mattress because it's easier to spot than two swimmers."

"Mom will be angry with me."

"And what's so wrong with that? She'll be angry because she loves you and was afraid."

"Are you a hero?"

"Hell no, anyone could have swum out to you like I did."

"What swim a mile?"

"You were probably a half-mile out when I reached you. We're still drifting out."

"Well mom can swim a bit and none of those other people on the beach swum out to get me before you arrived."

"Well my dad rescued me in a flooded river when I was four. It's about time I returned the favor and rescued someone. Anyway, provided you stayed on the mattress you were safe."

"Did you know I would stay on the mattress?"

"Yes because you are a sensible kid."

"Then why did you swim out."

"Nick could we talk about something else."

Right then they heard a hand-held air-hooter.

"That will be Mr Thomas but he'll be low in the water. Take off your shirt Nick and then carefully kneel, taking care not to tip, and wave your shirt away from the shore so the wind lifts it. He'll probably see it and here comes the plane, down low but don't be afraid. It's probably fifty feet above the water and will turn roll over a bit over us I reckon, to give Mr Thomas a bearing."

"What's a bearing?"

"Just watch Mr Thomas Nick. You're up higher than me," Narene said, holding lightly on to the side of the mattress."

He's waving," shouted Nick as the plane flew very low over them.

"Great that means he's seen us. Keep waving."

Skipper (Selwyn) Thomas told them on the way back to the beach, "There's a police chopper with a rescue Rubber Ducky landing on the beach and minutes later said,

"There's the Orion TV chopper. The newspaper team probably got a ride out with the police."

"Oh god," Narene groaned.

"Young fellow do you promise Uncle Skipper to never again paddle out to sea in an off-shore wind."

"Who's Uncle Skipper?"

Skipper groaned and but smiled when Narene said, "This handsome older man driving this boat who rescued us so brilliantly and who is talking to you."

"Oh, yes Uncle Skip. I hear what you say.""

Cathy had Nick and Narene in a vice-like grip when the guy leading the advancing media pack yelled, "Hold that gratifying hug baby, we want pictures."

"No," Narene shrieked and darted back into the sea and swam off around the point after telling Cathy she didn't want any publicity otherwise other contestants in the local beauty contest would think she was attempting to rig the show.

After interviewing Rick and his mother, the media crews searched for Narene but left, failing to find her. By then she was asleep in the kitchen storeroom

Narene arrived at breakfast next morning confident she'd escaped attention, that Skipper would be credited for making a rescue, and event that would by ignored by TV but given two paragraphs in the Echo.

Grinning, Straun said, "Just a quiet afternoon on the beach yesterday, you said?"

"Yes, it's a great little cove, so tranquil."

He tossed her the newspaper.

The front page headline of the Echo screamed, 'Boy Rescued by Heroic Beauty Contest Entrant'.

"Oh god," she groaned, looking at a double column photo of herself in her parent's vineyard and placed below a three column photo of Rick in the arms of his tearful mom.

Rick was quoted as saying, "She told me no way was she a hero because anyone could have swum out to recue me. But they didn't and by the time Narene got to me we were a mile out from shore."

"Half mile," Narene muttered, reading what Cathy had to say.

"I can't believe the heroic action of my best friend Narene. She just loves Rick and ripped off her dress without a word, handed it to me, and swum out in just her bra and panties. At that moment I knew my dear son was safe because I knew Narene was a former South Australian age-group swim champion. When coming ashore she fled the media saying to me she didn't want any publicity because other entrants in the local beauty contests and their sponsors would think we have staged this to win publicity for her. That defies the reality. My son was swept out to sea in a sudden fresh in the wind and Narene wasn't there but she arrived minutes later after finishing her midday partial shift as chef."

"Rick and I are so grateful for the action of courageous Narene, for the pilot of that tourism aircraft that flew over them and acted as a spotted and for the island's highly respected harbormaster Skipper Thomas who launched his small boat in response to the distress call. By the time he'd done that and got around the end of the island and out to pick up Rick and Narene, they were easily two miles offshore. I also thank the police and its search and rescue team for their quick response in getting out from the mainland. Thank god Rick had the sense to stay on his yellow inflatable mattress. Again I thank everyone and I'm so sorry this has embarrassed Narene who's set a new record as the oldest entrant ever in our local annual beauty contest."

"Oh god, I'm going to vomit," groaned Narene.

"Bacon and fried eggs for breakfast Narene?" asked Wendy one of the waitresses.

"No just two pieces of dry whole meal toast and milky coffee," Narene groaned.

Mrs Curtis came into the dining room.

"Oh darling Narene, you have generated wonderful publicity for our resort. Your rescue was even reported on state radio news at 6:00. Pineapple Coast TV called me to get you over on news at 6:00 this evening but I declined on your behalf, saying your wish was to keep out of the limelight. That is your position I would think?"

"Absolutely Tess."

Even Straun was surprised to hear Mrs Curtis being called Tess by an employee.

"PC TV is sending a chopper over to pick up Rick and Cathy to be interviewed. I told them you would be willing to pose for a filler shot, wearing brief clothing, but that you would decline to say anything. Please do that little thing for us darling. It will run State-wide and will probably be picked up by TV stations in other states. This will be equivalent to thousands of dollars of free advertising.

The TV crew filmed Narene wearing a bulky sweater and baggy jeans and then called Tess over and there was an intense discussion.

Tess walked over to Narene looking grim and before Narene said a word Narene said, "Yes I'll do that providing I'm not required to speak."

Tess looked gratefully relieved.

Fifteen minutes later Narene was filmed coming out of the water at the cove, wearing only her bra and panties. Water streaming over her face she looked up at the camera and smiled, looking absolutely stunning for a woman who'd removed all her make-up to try to make herself appear nondescript.

The news excerpt lasted only three minutes but the edited shot of Narene coming out of the water and looking at the camera, as sexy as any woman who'd played in a James Bond movie, was played twice.

There were only fifteen guests for dinner than night and so the kitchen closed for a 15-minute break while everyone went to the staff dining room to watch the news clip at 6:10.

Nick repeated the main parts of his conversation with Narene at the mattress as she rested and what he'd thought when he realized she would rescue him. His mom repeated her comment that when her best friend stripped off and plunged into the sea she knew her son was safe because Narene had been a champion swimmer in her teens.

As the clip ended, all the staff rose and looked at Narene and applauded.

Straun said as he walked Narene back to the kitchen, "That shot of you coming out of the water, you looked so sexy. I thought I really should be banging you."

"Why aren't you?"

"We need time to get to know each other better."

Narene instead of yelling her frustration and said, "Don't leave it too late."

That left Straun looking thoughtful.

CHAPTER 2

Tess handed Narene $2000 in cash.

"That money is yours but I would like some of it spent on a cocktail dress. You have a day off tomorrow. Take my car and go to the State capital and buy a real stunner of a dress."

"I would be happy to go by train."

"Riff-raff are often on that train. Take my car please. It's fitted satellite navigation with a setting that shows city parking buildings.

Narene returned just before 6:00 and changing in Tess' bedroom, emerged wearing a silver sheath dress covered with silver sequins.

"Omigod, just look at you," Tess said. "You are making me very horny... um just joking."

Narene hoped she was joking. Tess' husband didn't look worried.

Colin said, "You look a real treat, a real credit to tourism in this State and Tess and I are really proud to be sponsoring you. Please don't worry if you fail to make the final three."

"Thanks Mr Curtis. Please don't expect too much Tess. The judges will be wondering if I've qualified for a retirement pension."

"Darling, you will win. Get used to the idea and prepare your acceptance speech.

Narene giggled and said, "What are you on Tess? Something rather hallucinatory I would think."

"You will win Narene, believe me."

That night when walking to her cabin and escorted by Shaun she said simply, "May I sleep with you tonight?"

"Sure."

She waited but Shaun added nothing more.

"Um should we start with nude wine-drinking in your unit?"

"Yes come on over. Do you have condoms?"

"Um no."

"Neither do I," he said, and she wondered if he were lying. She was on the pill but had not idea of his sexual health. Well that was something to think about.

Narene undressed and showered, dressed and went to Shaun's unit and he watched her undress.

Phew.

He poured her a wine from the fridge, making no effort to hide his half-erection.

"You've got me horny at last," he said. "God the way you flopped out your tits when removing your bra."

"Oh was that sexy?" she said innocently.

He grinned, handed her the glass of wine and gently tweaked a nipple while she brushed a hand over his dick and invited him to sit on the bed next to her.

"And then kiss me."

"And then lick your butt?"

"If you wish."

"Just testing," he grinned.

Only then did she realize his midriff was completely hairless, as was hers of course. Well perhaps not of course because being hairless was no accident.

"You had some red hair down there last time I saw you nude," she said, as he sat beside her.

"Well since then I've shaved, thinking each passing day was a day closer to the time when you'd want to suck my balls."

"You really must have a lot of spare thinking time," she giggled.

He reached out and took her glass and put both glasses at the side of the bed and then took Narene into his arms and kissed her sweetly.

As they moved apart slightly a few moments later he brushed back her hair and said, smiling faintly, "You know it's a hugely exciting time for a guy to be with a woman who wants to be fucked. Usually it's such a struggle for a guy to know what way the female he has cornered wishes to go."

"I've never thought of it that way but yes, I do wish to be fucked Shaun. Are you the man for the job?"

"Yeah and I have worn condoms on other occasions and so I'm confident of my state of sexual health. What about you?"

"Clean as a whistle I expect."

As they licked and sucked, Narene thought life was sweet. She had no plans to leave the island any time soon.

*

FOOTNOTE: After the pre-contest cocktail party the other contestants in the Miss Holiday Coast Beauty Contest apart from Narene met and elected a deputation of three to represent them in an approach to the contest's controlling committee urging it to simply declare Narene the winner. The committee convener said it wouldn't be a contest unless there was judging and the other contestants, disappointed by that news, began talking about quitting en masse. But a second-time contestant Sharon said, "Look I don't think we need to bother... just look at Narene, she has everything going for her and the judges will see that." There was general acceptance about that and Narene won the contest. The delighted owners of the island resort, Colin and Teresa Curtis, promoted Narene to a new position of Island Resort Hostess with a year's contract and gave her a guest cabin as an accommodation upgrade. When she invited Shaun to move in to the luxury unit, he said looking very pleased, "Struth Narene, you must really like me."

THE END