The Writer and her Muse

"Yes, I know. I feel like such a fool. I'm not really good around people. I am very shy."

"So am I, Christ, if I was any more introverted, I'd be a vacuum."

She giggled. "I never got that feeling from you. You seemed so confident in the library."

"Yeah, well, I could say the same."

"Sorry, its all an act. I am terrible. It's why I use a pen name; I couldn't handle the intensity of the media."

"Who is the face on your books?"

She giggled. "That's my sister."

Our meals arrived, and we both played with our food, finished our wines and Lesley raced off to get a refill.

As she sat back down, she asked, "Why did you send my book back to Delia?"

"Grimacing, I said. "I don't know, indignation, petulance. I figured if you didn't want anything to do with me, I certainly wasn't going to finish your novel."

She took a large gulp of her wine as she almost whispered. "I was very sad when Delia rang to tell me. She seemed very upset as well."

"I'm sorry, Lesley, it didn't make sense for me to be editing your material."

"I'll be frank, Virginia. Part of the reason I was so unsettled is you know about my disorder. I am very embarrassed, ashamed really. I try to hide it. You must think I am a complete idiot."

"What? No. That's ridiculous. I'm blown away that you can write. It must be so difficult."

"It's impossible, words get me so confused. It's not like I am stupid, I have tried to unwrap the words. I have read and studied, but when I write, I get so anxious. Even the simplest blasted words. Take to, for instance. I get the rules confused, and I think, which one should I use."

"Lesley, I understand, you don't have to defend yourself."

"But I do. I get so disconcerted, so angry with myself. I tell myself off, you know this, why can't you get it right?"

"But that's my job as editor. That's what you hire people like me for."

"Yes, but then you know, and I hate people finding out. They hear the word dyslexic and think I am disabled. I mean, I suppose I am. You must have had a right old laugh at my expense when you read it?"

I decided honesty was the best policy. "Okay, yes, you're right, I did have a bit of a giggle. When Delia told me I was going to be editing one of your works. I was in heaven. Then when I read the first page, I almost had a fit."

She giggled as we finished our wines. "That is what I meant, now you must think I am a bloody idiot."

"Au contraire, I think you are an incredibly talented writer. Your stories are amazing. I mean, your English sucks, but who cares about that?"

She giggled, as she asked, "Would you like another?"

"No, I have to cycle back home. If I had another, I'd never make it."

She sighed, "Yes, I have to drive as well, what about desert?"

"Peach melba, sounds scrummy."

The mood lifted considerably as we scoffed our deserts. As we walked out, she suggested, "I am driving my Ute today. We could throw your bicycle in the back and I could pick up that book?"

That's what we did. We talked about writing, Uni and life. As I directed her to my caravan, she gasped. "Good lord, you live in that!"

"Yeah, it's all I can afford, plus, its next to the ocean. I have my own private beach."

She gave me a funny look and sniggered. "Yeah right, you and the other three hundred people out there."

"I'm a generous landlord, what can I say." As we climbed out of the car, I asked. "Would you like to come in while I find the book? I have tea and coffee."

"Yes, thank you, Virginia, that would be nice."

She sat on the bed, glancing through the book as I made a cup of tea. She accepted the cuppa, as I sat down beside her on the end of the bed.

She giggled playfully, "I don't usually go to bed on first dates."

"Well, this is technically our second date," I threw back quickly.

She nodded, adding. "This caravan lark is a pretty sneaky way to get your dates in bed."

"Yes, its part of my sneaky ploy. You know, the spiders web. Now that you've drunk my magic tea, its all over."

"Do you date often, Virginia?"

"Truthfully... I have been on maybe five dates in my whole life. I went from not knowing who I was to being in a relationship with my ex, Naomi. Then I have had two dates with you. I'm hardly experienced."

She nodded as she sipped her tea thoughtfully. "You seem to be a bright young woman; surely you can do better than a caravan."

"Lesley, I came here to try and forget about Naomi. We shared so many friends I kept bumping into her. I just wanted to get away. Aside from that. I came here with the express purpose of writing."

"Yes, solitude can be good for writing. It focuses one's mind. How has it worked out?"

"Shithouse really. For the first month I was so busy crying and feeling sorry for myself I hardly wrote anything. What I did write was soppy morose garbage."

"Hey, steady on, girl. I have made a career out of soppy garbage."

"Hah, yours might be soppy, but it's hardly garbage. I love your new book. It's lovely."

She smiled at my compliment. God, she had the most amazing smile. Her whole face lit up, her eyes sparkled. It was so warm and inviting. The words fell out before I could stop them. "I love your smile. You should do it more. You are gorgeous, those little dimples, so cute."

I blushed wildly, I felt my cheeks burning, but I wasn't the only one. Her face glowed as she absorbed my compliment. "Thank you, Virginia, that is sweet."

As she gazed back at me, I felt compelled, her mouth looked so inviting, so luscious, moist, red. I leaned towards her.

She saw it, but didn't lean away. I felt her body press against me, her breasts squashing against me, her lips softly grazing mine. It was sweet, innocent. Lost in the moment, my mouth opened, and my tongue caressed her lips, hoping she felt as I did.

Waiting for her mouth to open, my heart racing, my skin tingling. Then her mouth opened and our tongues greeted each other. They slid together like long lost friends, slithering playfully, writhing and caressing.

Heaven will hopefully be like this. Lost in the moment, I wallowed in the sensuous caress, her moist lips working with mine as I nibbled on her juicy bottom lip.

I felt her fumbling, the kiss losing its intensity. My eyes opened to find her searching for somewhere to put her cup.

We separated, and I took the opportunity to take her cup with mine and place them in the sink.

She looked so gorgeous, her lipstick smudged, her cheeks red and glowing, her eyes glistening. She stood, taking time to smooth down her skirt. "Perhaps we could go for a walk on the beach," she suggested.

I nodded my agreement. "Yes, let's."

I climbed down first, and she followed, and as we fell into step beside each other, her hand bumped mine. When I glanced sideways at her, the was a little glimmer of expectation. I felt her hand bump mine again, and it opened, her hand sliding into mine, and we squeezed.

My pulse quickened, my mind a swirling vortex of confusing emotions. As we walked, she leaned down to take off her heels, while I took the time to slip off my sneakers. It was a typically warm evening, the smell of barbecues firing up, the sounds of the kids playing on the beach.

It all added to a wonderful background. We walked hand in hand along the beach. She broke the silence. "Virginia, I would like you to edit my book. I love what you did with it. You really are remarkable. I wish I said that earlier. I just get so anxious and embarrassed about my dyslexia."

"I would love to work with you on it. Now I know I can talk to you. I was afraid of making too many changes, I didn't want to spoil it."

"Oh dear, you could hardly spoil it."

Our hands swung to and fro as we walked, the soft sand squishing up between our toes. It was a question that had been bugging me, and I had to ask. "Understanding how you feel, who edited your books before?"

I felt her hand grip mine a little tighter. She came to a stop beside me. "It was my wife."

That made me gasp. "You were married?"

"No, not in the legal sense, but we were a couple for nearly ten years."

We started walking, her hand gripping mine tighter than ever. "Was it a painful break up? I sense there's more than what you said last time."

"Yes, there were lots of things. Its hard when you live and work together. Eileen wanted to tell the world about our relationship. She wanted to get married properly. It's not that I didn't want to, I just hate all that media stuff. It would mean coming clean about who I was. I just wasn't ready."

"Yes, I can understand that. I'm sorry it didn't work out. Are you still in love with her?"

"Oh, god no. I do still have feelings for her. We lived together for so long, but our break up was so fiery, we both said and did some hateful things. What love I did have was cauterised in the incinerator that was our separation."

"God, that sounds awful." I mumbled.

"Yes, no sense glossing over it. At the end of the day, when I look back, there were reasons I wasn't ready to commit. Really, we were convenient for each other. We let things ride for a long time. When we broke up, all of the unresolved issues blew up in our faces. You can't hide forever."

We crossed over the little river that runs through the beach, over some dunes, and then back onto the beach. "Where abouts do you live?" I asked, searching for conversation that seemed to have dried up.

"Well, if we walk for about another kilometre, we will walk right past it."

"Wow, you mean you can see the ocean?"

"Yes, you could say that," she said with a hint of whimsy. We kept walking. "Where are you from, Virginia?"

"Hamilton, lived there my whole life. Even went to Uni there, although, that was a money saving exercise."

"What about you, Lesley?"

"I have lived in the Bay, forever it seems. My parents own a dairy farm in Edgecumbe."

"Are they still there?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation alive.

"Retired now, but yes, they still live there. I visit occasionally, and they come down every so often. We get along pretty well. These days they are so busy touring the world I don't see that much of them. They discovered cruise boats, and that's how they fill in their time these days."

"What about your sister, the face of Annabelle?"

She giggled. "May, she is married to a farmer in the Waikato. I don't see nearly enough of her. They are busy though, with the farm and a young family."

She dragged me to a standstill, and turned towards the dunes. "That's my place up there." She said pointing to a monstrous house that sat high on the dunes overlooking the ocean.

"Wow, that is pretty special. You must make a lot from your writing."

She sniggered, "Not as much as you would think. My father was a bit of a financial wizard, and he taught me how to invest wisely. I make far more from my investments than writing."

I was a bit shocked as we stared up at her palatial mansion. "Would you like to come up for a look?" she asked.

Before I could answer, we were climbing the dunes and walking up to her back door. I say door, but it was like an enormous wall of glass that slid back, allowing us to walk inside. What a place; it was amazing. Everything sparkled. I was instantly embarrassed about taking her into my caravan.

We did the guided tour before returning to the sprawling kitchen. "Would you like a glass of wine, Virginia?"

I nodded as I walked around, the dining room was walled with a huge bookcase. In fact, there were books everywhere. The place was a veritable library in itself.

She led us out to the outdoor area, where we relaxed in a couple of recliners, staring out at the ocean. "Wow, what a view, you're so fortunate."

"Yes, I feel a little blessed. I love this place, and its so quiet."

"Beautiful place, that's for sure, Lesley."

We lay back in the recliners, the world and its problems a distant thought. It was quiet, but the uncomfortable silence was replaced by a peaceful embracing contentment. We sipped our wine and drank in the spectacular vista, wispy clouds scudding across the clear blue sky. Waves lapping gently on the beach below us. Talk about heaven.

I could feel my eyelids getting heavy, when Lesley asked, "Would you like to stay for dinner? I have some salmon. That should be lovely, with a little salad."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be any trouble."

She swung around on her recliner, so she looked directly at me. "Virginia, I think you may well be trouble, but wrapped in such an exquisite package, I don't care. I would love to have you for dinner."

I giggled. "What about the salmon? Shouldn't we have that first?"

Her gorgeous whole-body smile returned, as she whispered seductively. "If I had known that was on offer, I would never have suggested the damn salmon."

"Oh, it's on offer, but I am hungry."

"Then let's eat. Do you know how to light a barbecue?" she asked, pointing at the flashest looking barbecue I had ever seen. It was bigger than my caravan. Apart from being huge, it was easy to operate. I had it up to temperature in no time. Lesley turned up with another glass of wine, and two large salmon steaks.

As I threw the salmon on the grill, she twisted me in her arms and our mouths seamlessly welded together. The kiss was everything a kiss should be.

Her lips were juicy and full, smooth and slippery, her tongue agile and dancing frantically with mine. Our arms circled each other as we felt the combined heat of our bodies, her hard nipples rubbing my own.

I never wanted it to end; it was a feeling I had searched for my whole life. My world could never have been complete without feeling this delight.

We parted breathlessly. I turned the salmon, and she scurried back inside to finish the salad. The food was scrumptious, the meal filled with furtive little glances, teasing peeks. Searing expectant hungry looks.

My tummy did somersaults as the anticipation grew to levels I never knew existed. All I knew for certain was, that kiss, I wanted more of that.

Her sanguine body language drove an eagerness within me I had never experienced before. The earlier diffidence was gone, replaced by this urgent insatiable hunger. I wanted her at that moment more than anything.

With the dinner finished, I helped her clean up. Her smell was everywhere, it permeated everything. God, it was unbearable. I wanted to kiss her, feel her body next to me.

This tension built inexorably; it was like we had missed the moment.

It was something I always failed at, reading situations and people. The body language thing, it made me nervous, was I reading it right? Was I going to make a huge fool of myself?

A million thing flew through my head. In the end, I just stumbled into her arms, and kissed her. Her surprise evaporated, and lust took control. She was as aroused as me. Her mouth sucked and nibbled frantically on my open mouth. Her breasts mashed against mine, her tummy writhed against me. Her hands slid up under my cotton top, her hands, hot and smooth, caressed my breasts.

My moans giving away my desire, I mewed like a contented kitten, her mouth smothering the moans.

Tugging wildly at her blouse, I lifted it, my hands swirling across her body. Her skin was so soft, like silk, or fine porcelain, her bra, slipping easily off her boobs.

I pounced like a feeding baby. I nuzzled, my mouth sliding over every centimetre of exposed flesh, her nipples firm, erect, filling my mouth, as my tongue swirled crazily over the swollen nodes.

Her beautiful flesh radiated a pinkish hue.

The passion was shared. I was not alone in my desire to own her body. There was no talking, she led me to her bedroom, our clothes falling quickly to the floor.

Her eyes, those beautiful glistening reservoirs of liquid light, impossible to fight the magnetic pull. We made love like starving animals. It was fast and furious, soft and tender. Gentle one minute, ferocious the next.

Her pussy tasted amazing, natural and succulent, her nectar sweet, a wonderful earthy musky flavour.

It was late, my body exhausted, we lay curled together in languid peaceful satiated contentment. We kissed softly, enjoying the combined flavours of our secretions. The air reeked of our arousal.

"Did you lock your car?" I asked, the random thought erupting from me.

"I don't know, and what's more, I don't care," she said, wistfully. "If the world ended now, I would die happy."

Her words felt so true, I couldn't help kissing her again.

"Virginia, I want you to stay, I want to wake up in your arms."

"I wasn't going anywhere. I was just worried about your car. There are lots of kids at the park. They might break in, steal it."

She tittered like a laughing tweety bird. "I wasn't joking, Virginia. If I get you, then they can have the damn thing."

"How can you be so blasé?"

"Shut up and kiss me again." She giggled.

That's the way our night went. I was so happy to be in the arms of another human being. I didn't realise how much the loneliness had eaten away at me. This felt so wonderful, I couldn't believe my luck. I woke several times during the dark hours of the morning, and couldn't help enjoying a stolen kiss.

They might have been sneaky, but the they quickly turned into much more. We made love over and over, no end point, no goals, just luscious sexy kisses, caressing seductive fingers.

My alarm roused me from a deep slumber, my body lovingly coiled in a lubricious embrace. God, what a feeling. So many emotions flooded my cerebrum: love, joy, arousal, desire. It exceeded anything I could comprehend.

Lesley, hearing the alarm, and feeling me try to softly unwind from her cloying embrace, sighed. "No, not yet. Stay with me."

"I can't, I have to go to work."

"What, no, it's early."

"I have to go back to the caravan, shower, and change. I can't go into work wearing the same clothes I wore yesterday."

"I have clothes, there must be something you would like."

"Lesley, I have to go. I need to get my bike."

"Spoil sport. I have been dreaming about what I was going to do to you this morning. I think you might like it."

I giggled. "Yes, I'm sure I would, but I have to go. I might use your shower, though, if its okay?"

She sat up slowly, her face showing defeat. "Yes, use the shower, but if you do, I might join you."

She wasn't joking. The soap suds were foaming as the door opened and her sexy nubile body slithered in, rubbing up against my own. "I did warn you," she sniggered.

The shower was fun, and she made us a light breakfast before we walked back to the campground, me to get changed, and she to get her car.

Work was torturous, I couldn't think. My mind was full of erotic memories. Like a giddy teenager, I meandered around, listlessly stumbling from one job to the next.

Trisha actually joked, "Fuck, girl, did you get laid last night. You've been away with fairies all morning."

I think it was my bright red blush that gave it away. "Oh my god, you fucking did, didn't you? Who was he?"

My sexuality hadn't come into question since my arrival here. Without knowing how Lesley would feel about me divulging her secrets to the world, I just said, "Who said it was a he?"

Trisha stopped dead in her tracks. "Are you kidding me?"

"No, just making a point. I never said it was a guy, in fact I never even said I was with anyone."

"You might not have said it, but I know you were. Be honest, are you gay or something?"

"All right. Yes, I was with somebody, but that will remain my secret."

"Like hell, girl. This is a small town. There's no secrets here. If you're getting some, it won't take long, we'll find out who."

"I'm not embarrassed, Trish. If I thought she wouldn't care, I'd tell you now."

"Oh, my fucking god, you're gay, you fucking are, aren't you?"

I nodded. "Yes, I'm not ashamed, Trish."

"Cuz, you don't have to be ashamed. I don't care. You can fuck whoever you want. I'm gonna find out though. No secrets here, Cuz."