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Bondi Beach

By: Egmont0409



CHAPTER 1

Two days after the excitement of her twenty-ninth birthday, the normally well-adjusted and delightful Dani Buchanan spent most of Saturday in bed depressed.

At present Dani (Danielle) was a redhead. At other times she could be blonde or brunette.

Claire her mom fussed over her. Dani's dad Robert was too busy preparing to go to golf to worry about her and Dani's older brother Nigel, visiting home for the weekend, was banished from the house after asking Dani in front of their mom was she pregnant. That charge really sent Dani into her spin and she upset her mom when she said she wished she were pregnant because that would give her purpose in life.

"Stop it. You cannot get pregnant until you've had the joy of a real romance," sniffed her mother, running from the bedroom.

Claire returned later with lunch a little distraught and asked, "Please dear tell me what's really bothering you?"

Through tears Dani finally released it.

"Mom I'm destined to live a lonely life. I've never yet a guy not already married that I'd like to live with and here am I almost thirty and over the hill."

"Oh is that all?"

"Mom, you don't understand. You of all people must be able to understand. You and dad had to get married when you both were nineteen."

"Well I was unlucky."

"How can you call it unlucky marrying the man you loved at that age?"

"Darling I regret I missed out being in the arms of different men. I used to often wonder how other guys I knew would rate in terms of getting me off compared with your father."

"Mom! I can't believe what I just heard. I wasn't confident you knew anything about sex."

"Well what I just said is something very confidential, just between you and me."

"Oh mom, I feel so very sorry for you."

"Well that's understandable considering the number of young men I assume have had their way with you."

Dani wiped her eyes and said, "Let me hug you mom."

They hugged and Dani told her mom something that really interested Claire.

"You know mom, I really could fill a big bus with the guys who have had sex more than once with me but the truth is I've really yet to met a guy who took my breath away, although Charles Joyce came close.

"Your assistant professor at college? Oh god darling, Mr Joyce was married."

"That's exactly my problem mom; all the good guys are married."

Claire bit her lip thinking. "Look darling, resign your job. I'll arrange for you to go and live with your aunt in Sydney at Bondi and adventure is bound to happen to you there. Karen is always saying Australia is such an exciting place to live."

"I bet she changes her mind about that every time a swimmer is eaten by a shark or crocodile or giant python or killed by lightning, bush fires, dust storms or is lost in the Outback and fatally dehydrated."

"Oh darling, you only hear or read about isolated sensational deaths like that because they are mostly peculiar to Australia. Probably more women here die when pulling on their tights than those collectively in Australia who die from shark or crocodile attacks or are bitten by deadly spiders. I'm not sure that Australian pythons are the giant species."

"Well you won't get me going there for love or money."

"I was thinking of putting 20k into your bank account to help you to settle in Australia after Karen and Ivan have had enough of you. A twenty-nine year old who can't find love might be unsettling to them because both are into their third marriage."

"Oh that makes them like me mom, unable to find true love. Um do you really mean twenty thousand dollars, no questions asked?"

"Yes, the only condition will be that you stay in Australia three years to give yourself a real chance."

"Mom, I'm off to shower. God I could eat a horse. Please phone Aunt Karen now."

* * *

Dani looked around the arrival area at Sydney airport anxiously. It was nine years since she's seen her mom's much younger sister and Karen had asked Dani to wear a red beret because it was unlikely another other young woman would wear a red beret. Indeed, very unlikely. When reading that emailed request Dani had wondered what pills her aunt took.

"Darling, it's so lovely to see you even this is your back I'm viewing."

Dani almost jumped a foot hearing her mother's voice behind her. Well, at least the tone was similar, certainly not the accented drawl. She turned and tried not to boggle. Her aunt's skin with the colour of copper, her facial skin was dry and prematurely wrinkled and she was dressed like a teenager with cut-off jeans shorts and wearing a silk cami without a shirt.

"Aunt Karen," Dani screamed to disguise her distaste at the appearance of the woman. They hugged and Karen pushed Dani back a bit and said, "Oh my, those are big ones. Have you had them augmented?"

Dani almost died in embarrassment. She whispered no, conscious other people were looking at them, er, her breasts. An old guy under the disguise of three days' stubble, a straw hat, very dark sunglasses and a yellow 'Visit Bondi' t-shirt over a huge beer belly leered at her saying, "Nice ones babe."

"On your way Bozo."

"Dani, don't be rude to your Uncle Ivan."

With great presence of mind Dani said, "Ohmigod, please excuse me. I'm disoriented and almost incoherent after my long transatlantic flight."

"Disoriented is correct, Uncle Ivan laughed. "My dear girl you have spent all night crossing the Pacific. Let's get her home and get some beers into her Ren."

So the jerk had shortened Karen's short name to Ren. What a Bozo.

"I'll get the car girls," Bozo said, ambling off.

"You'll love Ivan. He's such a character. Oh, you must call me Karen because aunt makes me feel old and call Ivan Ivan because he's not your real uncle."

Again travel weary Dani wondered what pills Karen was on. Love Ivan, ha! 

But that was about to change.

Karen stood with the yawning Dani outside the terminal when added to the usual traffic noise was the grunty sound of an expertly tuned V8 motor. People waiting on the sidewalk for buses, hotel pickups and private pickups peered to the right and into sight came one of the most beautiful 'Yank Tanks' Dani had ever seen and behind the wheel was Bozo, er Uncle Ivan er Ivan.

"Isn't she a beauty? We called her Marilyn," Karen sighed. "I love her but sometimes think Ivan loves her more than he does me."

"She's absolutely gorgeous."

"Oh darling. I must tell Ivan that. He'll be elated."

Dani's luggage disappeared into the cavernous trunk and she and Karen sat on the turquoise and white leather back seat of the totally restored 1955 Oldsmobile Starfire convertible. As Ivan drove them off slowly in the 21-foot long blue and white lady, people smiled and waved at them, Karen said, "You'll be feeling like Miss Daisy."

Dani smiled and fell sleep, holding her aunt's hand.

A 'Where-am-I?' wakening for Dani next morning was followed by some stretching and then came the distant call from Karen.

"Come to the kitchen Dani."

Dani dressed hurriedly and followed the smell of coffee to find the kitchen. She remembered arriving at the Art Deco style elevated home above its four garages fronting the street without lawn or garden. She'd staggered up the steps led by her aunt and was in bed and falling asleep within minutes, her aunt saying, "You drank too much booze on the aircraft young lady."

Her aunt greeted her with a huge smile, unembarrassed at being seen in a ridiculously short nightdress with no bra and obviously no panties. God her aunt shaved!

"Please excuse how I look around the home. I even walk around in the nude. If you hear banging and me squealing you'll know Ivan is... er... having his fill."

"I understand."

"You shouldn't blush if you are a redhead. Let's go to a hairdresser today and get you blonded. It will suit you much better.'

"Okay."

"Oh only one or two words for conversation? You are embarrassed by my state of undress. I'll..."

"No please don't. Your figure is not unattractive and this is your home."

"Thank you darling. You will learn by this: I get far more sex by wandering about nude or barely dressed. I rather like sex."

"I must remember that."

Passing the machine-made coffee that curled Dani's nostrils as they strained to maximize the take-in of aroma, Karen asked, "Do you get a lot of sex?"

"A lot? That's difficult to quantify. I know I don't get enough and most of my girl friends I've left behind say the same thing but they also say their moms complain their husbands are over-sexed."

"Well we don't know if that is fortuitous do we darling? Using a parallel scenario, what would be our situation if there were enough heart attacks or bowel cancers to go around?"

Taking a moment to take in that concept Dani began laughing. Wiping away a tear she huffed, "God you are funny. And you are not at all like mom despite a similarity in voice tone."

"And thank god for that. Think of all the sex she's missing. You have endeared yourself to me Dani. Call me Ren if you like. It's Ivan's pet name for me and he'll be delighted to hear you use it, thinking you are becoming one of the family. Oh, there's another one of us who has been excited about you coming here. He's Ivan's son Lucas but there's a problem."

"What, he can't keep his zip up?"

Karen cackled and said good one. "I'm hoping you two will hit it off but he's only just turned twenty-five and is, ah, finding it difficult to establish a relationship more than one night long with any female he dates."

"No problem. We can be friends. If he's nervous about it tell him a 20-year old bowled me last year at a party. The lighting was poor and what I had in my hand I thought I was with a guy older than me. I woke up at daylight with him back in me again and I almost freaked out when I saw how young he was but after I climbed down off the wall age was no longer an issue."

Karen howled in laughter and said if she got an opportunity she'd mention some of that to Lucas.

"Lucas Boone... nice name. Karen goes well with Boone. God what an ancient gas oven and the cooker."

"It's yet another something the centre of Ivan's pride. He salvaged it from an old house being demolished and fully restored it. The gas fireplaces in this house are similar reborn units found in junkyards."

"What does Ivan do?"

"He's a retired gas-fitter who had quite a large company and sold it five years ago for almost $5 million clear after repayment of debt. I was new into my second divorce and was driving the Oldsmobile one Sunday afternoon. It belonged to the husband of one of my girlfriends. Ivan drove ahead of me and waved me down. He wanted to buy the vehicle and so I invited him to follow me back to Bella's home. The guys drank two gallons of beer and as Bella and her husband had been talking about renovating their home Ivan said he'd do all the work including installing gas for them in return for Skip signing over the car to him. Skip thought he was getting a great deal, only having to pay for materials, and he did too. But Ivan had acquired a Yank Tank in great condition, ending a two year search."

"Well he sure appears to have initiative."

"True Dani but there was more to come. This house had been converted into two apartments and he came across it, recognizing it as the house he'd grown up in. He'd come down Francis Street looking for it, remembering it was on the sunnier north side, elevated and only a four-minute stroll to the sands of Bondi Beach. This side of the house had not sold because the asking price was too high. Ivan went next door but those owners were not interested in selling. So Dani said to the vendor of the other unit to persuade the Black's to sell for top money and he'd pay both of them the current vendor's asking price. Two nights later they sold to Ivan. He brought in guys that he knew to modernize the interior after reintegrating the two units as a single dwelling, to put in the pool alongside a new outdoor centre and to return the exterior to its original art deco style."

"You must show me through Ren, it looks a beautiful home."

Late morning Dani called her mom in Denver. Karen had said it would be 10:00 at night over there. Dani said that would be okay, that her mom would be in bed reading and her dad would be watching sport on TV. Dani talked to her mom for ten minutes and then handed her phone to Karen, who was wearing only a dress and who talked until the battery ran out. 

Dani watched her aunt talking thinking how empty she was compared with her complex sister but as the women passed through preliminaries and began real conversation Dani realized just how vivacious Karen was compared to her mother. Far from being an empty head she was leading the conversation and talking about things that Dani knew were central to her mom's interests. Well, well! And Karen's vitality continued right to the end when she roared 'Fuck' and said, "The battery of Dani's phone is dying, bye darling."

Then instead of uttering crap about how she loved talking to Claire because of course she would, Karen simply said, "When I talk to your mom I feel I'm home, living only a couple of blocks away."

God, her brazen aunt had sensitivity.

Dani was in her bedroom suite when she heard the noise of Ivan arriving home. She gave them a few minutes to greet and stopped on the stairs looking across the family room. Her aunt and Ivan were fucking. Dani had never watched couples fucking outside of her years at college and lingered a moment to observe. Just as she would have expected had she'd thought about it, Ivan was a straight pounder. They were going doggy over the padded rolled end of the sofa. He was just grunting with each thrust but Karen was bucking and calling out encouragement and reaching back with a hand and slapping his bare ass, his pants down around his ankles. Obvious that was confirmation Karen loved being fucked.

Dani retreated upstairs aware her aunt was impressing her. 

She read until Karen, looking freshly scrubbed with a change of dress, held out her hand and said, "Pre-lunch drinks darling, the master is home." Dani leaped up and taking her aunt's hand and squeezing it gently wondered if Karen ever did her hair.

Again more surprise. Outside they were seated in what Karen called "Our alfresco area." Bordering the blue-tiled lap pool it was shaded from the searing sun by closely planted towering palms.

Ivan noticed her looking up at them and said, "Eighteen hundred bucks each to buy them and have planted here. I should have paid the guy five thousand a throw. They've made this area liveable in summer heat while completely retaining the essence of a natural outdoor environment."

Dani thrust her glass into her long open mouth. That was Bozo speaking" But that wasn't all. She was in short shorts and a gym top and apart from a couple of quick glances the guy didn't spend all his time staring at her chest or crotch. Didn't he like her? Karen felt overly warm so simply pulled her top down a bit, displaying much of her boobs and it seemed so natural. The guy Dani had called Bozo just looked the once as breast bulk popped into view and then grabbed another piece of Italian bread. Of course the lion had just mated, hadn't he? 

Dani sat amused thinking those two spoke a version of English but their version of lifestyle was completely foreign to her from her although she knew from movies that Californians had a liberalized life-style.

Ivan kissed them both. The kiss was on the lips and long for Karen and just a quick touch of lips for Dani and he said informatively, "See you later."

"Where's he gone?"

"I have no idea."

Dani tried again. "Shouldn't you know to try to keep him on a bit of a leash?"

"God darling, I'd grow old trying."

"What if he were... well you know."

"I wouldn't think so but so long as she was disease-free and he arrives home with enough gas in the tank for me what have I to worry about?"

"You could think loyalty."

"Loyalty? Darling Ivan knows I'm his babe and he loves me. More likely he's gone to assist a mate who's behind with contract work, or give a hand to someone working on restoring an old vehicle or to paint his mom's house... anything."

"Or drink with pals?"

"Usually Ivan doesn't drink away from home until the end of the working day, from 4:30 but unless I'm there with him he's soon telling the boys it's off home to the missus. Those guys who know me don't blame him."

"Oh god how embarrassing for you."

"Embarrassing? Most of those guys have little reason to go home early knowing sex for them is rationed."

"Oh god."

Karen laughed and said Dani's values were based on her mother's values.

"Keep them as your core values by all means darling but just remember even I regarded your mom as a bit of a frump by the time she was twenty although she was and still is a lovely person."

"This is confusing for me."

"I'm sure it is Dani. It's too hot to take you shopping locally today so lets go to the mall at Bondi Junction."

"Um, could we drive via the world famous Bondi Beach?"

"Oh of course darling but really it's just a beach, and far too crowded at weekends and on public holidays. Didn't I tell you yesterday that the beach is just down the end of our street?"

"Yes but I didn't realize by beach you meant Bondi Beach."

"Yes that's the one but darling you really must work on your values."

* * * 

At the mall Karen took over, saying she'd looked through the clothes Dani had hung in the wardrobe and they were mostly unsuitable. 

"What you need is a mix of what we call beachwear plus a bit of what you'll know as resort wear. Even going into the big smoke resort wear will be fine except in winter."

"The big smoke?"

"The city" and seeing the blank look Karen added, "Sydney CBD. Sydney has 4.4 million people."

"Well if I'm to outfit myself shouldn't we go to the shops in the central business district?"

"You could but why fuck around? The WBJ...

"Er?"

"Westfield at Bondi Junction is the sixth largest mall in Australia with more than 350 shops and more than 3000 parking spaces. It's not your village shopping strip and WFJ is geared to the more affluent consumer darling because we are north eastern suburbs."

As they drove on Dani sensed she was in the hands of a reliable consultant. Her mother's much younger sister was only twelve years older than Dani and seemed not to be in her mother's generation, although that couldn't be true. What they were riding in was an Eastern European vehicle that appeared to be designed from a tank with the suspension design and décor unmodified.

They had a wonderful time, mostly because Karen was an exciting person to be with, and they lunched with two of Karen's sexy friends who appeared to be only just on the right side of fifty. Both were extremely pleasant to Dani and that make her think, what else could you expect from people Karen was likely to befriend. When saying goodbye Sharon said, "See you tomorrow night Dani" and Brenda said "Yeah, right."

Taking Dani's arm Karen said, "Ivan is throwing a party for you tomorrow night for you to meet local people, mostly my friends. He thought you might not approve of his friends but now I'm wondering about that. You seem to be taking to him and Ivan is one of the biggest larrikins of all."

"Er?"

"Oh sorry, larrikin is Aussie and Kiwi slang for a mischievous or unruly male. Kiwis are New Zealanders."

"Oh, thanks. I'm thinking Ivan is very okay. I can't really believe he was only a gas-fitter."

"Only a gasfitter? Well he worked ass-up for most of his life and lost everything three times during severe economic downturns that hit new building and renovations but each time he bounced back. At the time of the sale he employed thirty-four gasfitters and plumbers, trainees plus support staff and engaged principally in commercial work through Sydney Met."


Bondi Beach



"Oh sorry... I should have added an astute businessman. How old is Ivan? He's obviously taken early retirement."

"He's fifty-two, not quite as old as his Oldsmobile. In case you have been thinking about him, he's by far the favourite of my three husbands."

"And you are not required to work?"

"Ah but I do. My degree is in business administration and I manage our seven investment properties totalling twenty-seven residential units. Did you think I was just a bimbo darling?"

Dani was honest: "I really don't know what to think Ren."

* * *

Karen and Dani had just had their Martini glasses refilled by Ivan when a tall guy came through the house and on to the alfresco courtyard and said, "Hi dad."

So this was Lucas from Ivan's first marriage. The men shook hands and Lucas looked at Dani and said, "Cripes a real babe."

"Hi mom," he said to Karen who'd leapt up to kiss him. Lucas slapped her on the ass and said to Dani, "Most of my mates wish they had a mom like Ren. Introduce us."

"Dani this is our son Lucas. He won't allow me to use the tag stepson."

"Most guys believe they need a mom through life," Lucas said simply. "My birth mom died when I was ten."

"I think that's so lovely," Dani cooed, standing up. "Do I rate a kiss?"

She was kissed politely.

"You are welcome to give me a big friendly kiss like you gave Ren."

The guys shot a look at Dani using that name. Lucas kissed her energetically and she jumped when her ass was smacked with a wallop.

Instead of apologizing Lucas said, "My understanding is women don't like being left feeling underdone."

Everyone roared with laughter and that set the tone for the evening.

As Lucas was leaving for his apartment shared with two other guys in nearby Bronte, he kissed both women and Karen said, "I'm hoping you'll introduce Dani to beach culture tomorrow; it's Saturday."

Eying the guest Lucas said, "Well okay but Dani I'm a lot younger than you."

"Your mom was suggesting a beach date, not marriage."

"That's really cute," Lucas said.

"Thank you and don't worry, I'll try not to act like an old maid should we encounter any of your friends.

* * *

On the beach Dani removed her mid-thigh length terry robe.

"Jesus," Lucas said, starting at her body. "Where's the fat?"

Dani giggled appreciatively.

"The boys and I go to a gym near here. I'll show you around it later and get you a free trial. I have no idea how it will compare with your gym back home."

"It doesn't much matter so long as it's clean and the equipment is up to scratch."

"You'll have no complaints. Want to come for a swim or are you worried about your hair? Surf's up."

"No problem with hair. I can swim well but I've never been in surf."

"Jesus, where do you live in the States, in a hole?"

"Colorado is a lovely place to live and work but a downside is Denver's nearest ocean beach is probably near LA 1000 road miles away or down to Houston 1100 miles away."

"Oh sorry for my ignorance and thoughtlessness. I've lived near the beach all my life. Um we'll start in shallow water but if a power wave comes through I might have to grab you to stabilize you."

"That's fine. Touch me anywhere."

It was the sun, the surf and the joyous sounds of people around them including the excited screams of females when a power wave came through. The colour of Lucas' skin was bronze, he was tall, his chest was wide and practically hairless. So within half an hour Karen was happily tonguing Lucas, he entwining her tongue and groping her each time they were swept off their feet. When he finally pulled her hand on to his boner she contentedly left if there until they decided to stand again.

Walking up the beach, he said," You swim powerfully. Once you get used to the surf you'll be a little ripper."

"You are so kind and were so good with me in the surf."

"Oh, which part of my kindness did you like best?"

Dani hid behind her giggle.

"You are not at all what I expected and mom said the same thing early this morning when she phoned to remind me to take you to the beach. She'd expected you to be prudish, like your mother."

"Actually my mother is very okay."

"And actually I'm sure she is and not everyone would like a mother like Ren."

"God she really is full on, one out of the box, isn't she? I believe I'll become a better adjusted person being around her."

"Are you into sex?"

"What? No I heard you. God what a thing to ask me straight out like that. The answer is I haven't been with a guy for a while and if you at thinking of pushing your luck with me then go right ahead."

"You're really something," he drawled, leaving Dani with no idea what that meant but he squeezed her hand as they arrived to pick up their towels. He put on a beach shirt and she put on her beach robe. They walked through the beach reserve to the Hotel Bondi on Campbell Parade and as soon as they entered the beer garden a female called out, "Over here Lucas."

Lucas introduced Dani just as "my American friend Dani" and she was surprised to find two of the women were about her age and one guy looked almost forty. The feeling of age disparity began leaving her. After a couple of drinks people began drifting off so Lucas said to Dani, "Let's go; it's home for you because mom doesn't want you exposed to too much sun. We have a bunch of guys coming around to watch football so I best be there."

"Okay."

"What, you're not crying foul?"

"What about?" Dani asked quite mystified.

"You're like mom, not wishing to hook your claws into a guy."

She acknowledged with an 'Oh yeah' to avoid being considered ignorant. Outside his parents' home Lucas made no effort to jump out of his pickup he called a Holden ute (utility). So she kissed him and he revved the motor, indicating impatience so she scuttled out and as she closed the door he called, "See you."

Be seeing her, when? What for? Was she supposed to do something about it and contact him? Why couldn't he communicate in a civilized and understandable manner?

"How did it go darling?" Karen asked.

"Bonzer."

Karen giggled and said, "Talking Strine already, eh?"

"Strine?"

"Aussie slang dear. Use it discretely especially when meeting new people and they'll think you are okay even for a Yank."

"Yank means American doesn't it?"

"Oh darling, obviously you don't have a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock do you?"

The look of bewilderment on Dani's face doubled up Karen in laughter. She said it was an Australian colloquialism; describing someone intellectually impaired or moronic.

"Don't worry dear," Karen said, wiping away tears. "Most of us speak proper English."

"Us... do you mean you're Australian?" 

"Yes, I've now lived almost half my life in Australia and my second husband wouldn't marry me unless I became naturalized and that wasn't difficult to do because by then I already thought of myself as Australian."

"God how could you?"

"Easy, when live out of America after a while you realize you haven't moved from the centre of the universe."

"I see. Could you tell me what Lucas meant when he told me, with respect I thought, that I'm like you, not wishing to hook my claws into a guy."

"What was the context?"

"It's difficult to say. Out of the blue he said some of the guys were going to his place to watch football so it was best he were there."

"Oh I see. You obviously didn't object to him going off without you or say he couldn't go?"

"Of course not, why should I?"

"Exactly but try telling that to a possessive woman."

"Oh I see. That wasn't difficult to comprehend but somehow I didn't comprehend at the time. And then when he dropped me off he just sat in his seat."

"Darling, Australian guys like to think they are manly. Only wimps run around and open the passenger door for a woman. And he was waiting to be kissed."

"Oh how fucking manly!"

"Oh darling, you are such a treasure to have staying with me," Karen laughed. "I suppose he drove away after saying. "Be seeing you" instead of signing off like a polite American guy?"

"Actually he said, 'See you'. Exactly what does that mean?"

Karen remained straight-faced. "It simply means he'll see you when you two next meet."

"So we may never meet again?"

"I should think one of you would initiate something."

"This is a stupid dating game with no rules Karen?"

"If you want an interface to dating tell Lucas you want him to date you. Better still give him a piece of you and he'll be as keen as mustard."

"That is primitive Karen, so fucking primitive. God where am I beginning to use foul language."

"Because I have a foul mouth darling. Would you like me to find you an understanding guy around your own age?"

"No thank you. I'm quite happy to start off with Lucas providing he notices me."

Karen reached for her phone and made a call. She then said, "Come on, my hairdresser in Double Bay can fit us both in for a comb up. I'll buy you a party dress. Although the function tonight is at our place most of the females will dress up."

"Oh the party tonight. We'll have to get things ready."

"No, this is Ivan's do. He is bringing in caterers to prepare for an 8:30 start. We only have to worry about getting ourselves ready."

Karen also bought a new dress for herself and refused to allow Dani to pay for hers.

They dressed in Dani's suite.

"OH NO!" Karen screamed. "You can't wear a bra and panties with that."

"Oh god, I wish I'd not let you talk me into this dress but it's one of the most beautiful dresses I've ever had in my hands and designed by an Aussie woman. Obviously Aussie women are culturally centuries more advanced than Aussie men.

"Get two drinks into them darling and let them sight an interesting bulge and you might then reverse that opinion. Some of your so-called sophisticated Aussie women fuck until they can't even walk."

"Oh god, please protect me Prime Minister Paul Keating."

"You are two PM's out of date. Our latest Prime Minister is Kevin Rudd darling. Off with the bra and panties. I'll fetch you a new plain black g-string and better fetch one for myself."

Dani dressed reluctantly under orders and thankfully the black rectangular dress with an aquamarine colour splash woven in and sweeping off the right breast and down across to the front of the left hip had a shelf bra she'd not noticed, having tried it on at the boutique wearing a bra. The dress had short puffed sleeves, a very deep-V open back, hence the command no bra, and it stopped no more than eight inches below Dani's crotch. It was the shortish dress she'd worn since being a teenager but as Karen had said to her in the boutique with a bewitching voice, "Short? But darling this is Australia."

Ivan wearing a tux strolled in and said, "Ah, I had been hoping to spot bare pussy. Do you shave Dani?"

The roaring in Dani's ears was her blood pressure, but he'd asked very politely. "Er yes, for the past couple of years."

"You both look gorgeous."

Karen said, "Well you may kiss Dani. You money bought these dresses."

Ivan kissed Dani on the lips and ran a hand over a breast. "You stack a great pair Dani."

He then kissed his wife quite passionately and said, "You look so beautiful babe; I'm so fortunate to have you."

When he left to check on the catering Karen said, "You'll probably be fucked tonight. You are on the pill I guess?"

Dani nodded.

"Insist on condoms. Do you have some with you?"

Dani nodded and asked hopefully, "Then is Lucas coming to the party?"

"No."

Karen saw the disappointment and said, "Darling please allow me to tell him tomorrow when he comes for lunch that you are interested?"

Dani sniffed and said yes, thanking Karen for being so kind.

Karen looked at Dani thoughtfully and said, "I think there is something I should tell you."

"You and Lucas?"

"Yes."

"I had wondered about that. Where you drunk?"

"No very sober. Some time ago he asked me to teach him some of the more advanced techniques. He was genuine; I knew he was, so agreed. He did deceive me though, pretending to be a very slow learner." 

Dani laughed.

"But we've not done it since because we agreed it must stop."

"That was just you mothering him," Dani said earnestly and fell into her aunt's arms shrieking with laughter when Karen said, "Like hell it was and that was before he began to really work out in the gym."

They were having a cocktail waiting for the first of the guests to arrive when Ivan said. "These people coming tonight are Karen's friends and most of them are very open about sex. If you don't like what you are seeing..."

"It's okay Ivan, I attended an American College for four years. I'm telling you I've seen everything and participated in groupies though I'm somewhat reformed nowadays."

"Well if you change your mind I have an aunt who lives just up the street from here."

"No, it will be fine."

Karen asked Dani what she studied at college.

"I graduated with a masters in communications, majoring in advertising and public relations. I've worked the last six years in advertising, the past four designing and coordinating client presentations."

"What we call audio-visuals?"

"Yes, is one of your friends into that?"

"In a manner of speaking. She's coming tonight so she'd probably talk to you about your experience."

"I'll look forward to that."

CHAPTER 2

The party went very well. None of the guests appeared to be outright ravers. No orgy was evident. Everyone appeared very friendly to Dani, some of the women saying they must have her round for dinner. Then just when Dani was thinking no guy was interested in her she was in the kitchen getting a drink of water when a guy came up behind her and cupped her breasts. At least she hoped it was a guy and then saw hairy arms peeping out the cuffs of his jacket.

"I've been thinking all night about doing this Dani."

She turned to take a quick look at him, smiled and said you're welcome Alan. He was Alan the structural engineer. She couldn't remember his surname. They kissed.

"Can we go somewhere?"

"Yes to my room."

"I don't want my wife to see me going upstairs."

"Well come through the laundry."

Another couple came out of the laundry as they reach the door, smiling and straightening their clothes.

As soon as they were in the laundry Dani removed her dress and placed it neatly aside.

"Christ Dani," Alan said, eyeing her. The light was on.

"Fuck me Alan," she said, holding out a condom.

He fumbled nervously but that gave Dani time to get herself wet and he finally slipped into her.

Alan ploughed away and finally puffing, sweat dripping off his face, he said, "I don't think I'm going to make it Dani."

Dani, in an uncomfortable position, wanted it over as well. "Alan just imagine you have your thick cock entering my ass. It's hurting. I'm screaming but you won't stop. You say take this right up your ass you snobby cunt of a bitch. I even want my balls into you as far as they can go. I'll be almost into your guts when I get it right up you, dribbling cum to help me slide in where no other man has gone before me you dirty little bitch."

Dani grabbed his balls and began squeezing. "Oh Dani, you say, I can feel my balls opening your asshole impossibly wide. I'm about to blow a pint of cum up you and..."

"Oh, oh...oh fuck...oh, oh," Alan cried, as he filled the end of the sheath deep inside Dani's pussy.

He reeled away from Dani, gasping and rolling off the condom threw it into the sink.

"Place that in the waste bin beside the sink Alan."

"Oh yeah. God Dani I haven't cum so massively in years."

"Teach you wife how to talk to you."

"The trouble is she now prefers women."

"Well jerk off seriously when you're in the John, no half-hearted measures. As you feel ready to cum imagine it up a pussy or an asshole. Women in for fucks at a party don't want to wait all night for a guy to get them off Alan. Talk dirty to them and chances are they'll talk dirty to you."

"Dani I've listened. Thanks a million."

"Oh Alan, have you tried your wife in the butt?

"Er no."

"Try to get her to cooperate, perhaps on your birthday. Some women apparently are more sensitive up there than anywhere else."

Dani pushed Alan out, locked the door and patted the sweat away. God, he'd taken so long. With a lover that would be acceptable.

A buxom woman came up to Dani and said, "Hi, we were introduced earlier. I'm Paula Dick, Alan's wife."

Dani thought oh god, here's trouble."

Wrong.

Paula said, "He's been blabbering on to me about how you got him away talking dirty to you. I've never thought of doing that. He also said you suggested he should fuck me anally, that I might be more sensitive to his administrations up there. I think it's worth trying. Thank you. Now for something very different; Karen says you work in advertising of late preparing digital presentations for clients?"

"Yes, correct Paula."

"I have a small business specializing in setting up and producing training DVDs for companies and institutions. I have more work that I can handle but can't attract a computer graphics specialist to convert the film clips and edit into a professionally finished presentation. Would you be interested in coming to talk to me and look around? I'm based in Bondi Junction."

"Yes I would."

"The work is specialised and I have job-search response difficulties recorded with three top recruitment agencies so a great case could be made to gain you permanent entry status in Australia providing you work for me for the required period. I think the period is two years."

"Well you look into that for me Paula. It's information I need to have. Meanwhile why don't I give you this card. Oh where's my fucking handbag. Oh over there. Please excuse me."

"Did you swear before you came to Australia?"

"To tell you the truth Paula no."

"It's living with Karen that's doing it. But don't get me wrong, we all think she's such a honey and she sorts us out when we go to her all fucked up."

"Yes I think I'm beginning to find what a honey my aunt really is. Now here's my card of my previous employer and here I'm writing down my site on their internal intranet with my password. It will be weeks before my space is removed knowing how they work. You will see dozens of examples of my work including two clips in which I explain what I do and show how I do it and what the finished result looks like. You'll find that of more use to you than a 10,000 word interview, but of course you'll still need to interview me about my character etc."

"Your character? You've just fucked my husband."

"I was feeling horny, he asked for it so guess what happened Paula?"

Paula laughed. "God you are going to be just like your aunt. Do you lick pussy?"

"I have but prefer not to these days or to be involved in groupies. That disappoints me to some extent, having learned that women kiss better than males."

"You're damn right Dani. I must go and look for a cooperative female. I'll be in touch, very soon."

Dani walked up to her room to put on panties. The g-string was somewhere in the laundry. Ann, a very attractive woman, walked out of Dani's room, smiled at her and stopped and kissed her quite sexily. She said, 'Hmmm, lovely," And walked on.

A blonde guy she remember being introduced as Philip Farmer, was standing beside the bed buckling up his belt. He stared at Dani.

"Oh fuck, it's my lucky day," he said, dropping his pants. "I have been thinking about fucking you all evening. Please lock the door."

Dani locked the door and pulled off her dress carefully, standing in only shoes.

"Christ, ready and waiting for it," Philip leered.

"Philip you may fuck me on one condition."

His face fell and he asked what was that.

"That you fuck me properly wearing a condom and get me off."




Bondi Beach



A grin swamped his face. "Baby, not a problem. Gloria who just walked out satisfied was only my second fuck tonight. My wife Katie insisted on being first."

Philip was good. His long thin cock slipped into Dani. She felt it touch her in places she needed to be touched. He and she were mouthing each other, tongues hitting but not entwining. He was squeezing her left breast making near feel almost breathless and his thrusts were longish and powerful.

Oh it felt so good. She'd been a little disgusted at herself having that inept engineer almost batter her into losing interest but as it had turned out making him get off had by chance led her deeper into securing a job offer.

Dani felt Philip thickening and his thrusts increased in tempo. She squeezed his balls and reached down and touched her unattended clit and bang, she knew she was oozing girly cum to meet his plunging dick. She squeezed harder, his face turned darked and he shouted into climax, looking very pleased with himself. And why shouldn't he: three successful fucks of three different women, one his wife, in one evening.

As soon as Philip left Dani cleaned up and went down and found Karen who looked exhausted.

"Oh hi darling," Karen yawned. "I think I'm becoming too old for multiple action like I've had tonight."

"Learn to pace yourself old lady," Dani smiled. "I've enjoyed myself and had a great time and scored well with Philip and Alan was a disappointment."

"Yeah, Alan was lucky to get you. All the girls in the know steer clear of him. He never gets off."

Dani decided not to enlighten Karen. "His wife Paula is looking to interview me. Thanks for your groundwork. Goodnight darling. Please tell Ivan I thought it was a wonderful party. I'm slipping off to bed now."

"Good night darling. I'll tell him in the morning when he wakes up feeling like shit. The state he's in now, mostly because of excessive drinking, he won't remember me saying anything to him."

Dani twice awoke to the sound of someone thumping on her door. She lowered her voice and yelled, "Fuck off" and both times guys called out 'Okay Dani."

Dani's phone went at 10:00, arousing her from dozing.

"Hi Lucas," Dani said reasonably brightly after checking who was calling.

"You sound fine compared with mum. Dad is comatose. Mum said you'd be okay because you went to bed early."

"Yeah, great party until some people became drunk their behaviour became rampant. Not my scene really."

"Good for you. Coming over for a barbie?"

"A what?"

"The girlfriends of my two flatmates are coming over for a barbie... oh sorry, a barbecue or to you probably a cook-out, at noon. I would be so please if you would join us."

"Can I be your girlfriend for the day? It will be more comfortable for me that way. Have told the guys I'm older than you?"

"Yes, I though they'd put in extra effort to make you feel welcome."

"I'm unsure whether you are teasing me but the concept appeals to me."

"Well that's what will happen Dani. Since we are having this heart-to-heart, do you think I've good enough for you?"

"Oh fuck, what a question so early on Sunday morning. Yes I do. If you must know I would like you to date me regularly and yes if you wish to have sex with me in my room here that's fine. I feel Karen will be happy about that."

"She's told you that?"

"Not directly, more like implied. Let me know if you want me to ask can you sleep with me here."

"Okay, ask before I arrive for you at 11:50. God you are a cool chick. I can't think what you see in me."

"Opportunity I would think. I had a piece of you in my hand in the surf yesterday morning and it sure wasn't a little piece."

"As I said, you are one cool chick."

"Oh before I forget, you've never told me what is your work?"

"My degree is in computer science and I'm into my second year working for a company as an IT trouble-shooter. We have almost 400 clients here in the eastern suburbs, all commercial operators. Mom told me you were working in computer graphics."

"Advertising initially but my strength was seen by the company in editing and completing computer-generated presentations to clients, many of them being signed off without rejection or requests for reworking them."

"Sounds impressive work. See you at 11:50. Dress is a bikini or top and shorts. The weather is expected to stay fine and windless. We are under shade but will play cricket so cover-up clothing and sunscreen for the exposed parts of your beautiful body. Mum doesn't want you to get her level of skin damage."

"Play what?"

"Backyard cricket. Aw, we'll show you Yank.

"Oh, something I learned last night. Dinki-di cobber."

"Jesus," Lucas laughed, cutting the call.

Dani dressed and packed a bag and then crept into Karen's room. She was awake but held a hand on her forehead. Dani returned from the bathroom with a wet town and placed in across Karen's forehead.

"Thank you darling," Karen whispered. Have a good time at the barbie. You'll be served prawns. Do say you like them even if you don't."

"Okay. Look is it okay with you if I bring Lucas back and he sleeps with me?"

"Oooh, you are aiming to get lucky? Yes of course it is and I'm certain it will be okay with Ivan. He's said it would be great if something happens between you two. Ivan has really taken to you darling, I mean in the nicest possible way."

"Thank you darling. I recommend you sleep till sundown."

"God, young, pretty, sexy and sensible with a brain. You have it all Dani."

"And you had it and still have it all old lady."

They giggled and kissed.

Ivan lay lifeless. 

Dani ran down to the street at the sound of twin air horns. She stood at the passenger side; the window was down.

"Get in babe."

She stood motionless.

Lucas drove forward a few feet.

Dani remained where she was. She heard Lucas use disgusting language and he backed to where she stood, got out and came around the vehicle grinning.

He opened the door. "Please get in milady."

"Not until I've been kissed properly."

Lucas performed that task very well.

"Into the ute bitch."

"Certainly sir."

At that Dani knew she could go all the way with this guy and she didn't mean sex. She'd found the guy she wanted.

They arrived at the dark brick and orange tiled house, converted into two dwellings. The boys shared the back unit and in the backyard they had the barbie set-up under trees. As he was getting of the ute Lucas had said, "She's a hot one, the outside temperature is 35.8 Celsius" and hitting a button added, "In your lingo that works out at 96.5 Fahrenheit and it doesn't snow here. Where would you rather be babe?"

"It's difficult to say; I like skiing and ice-skating but at the same time I like being with you."

"Yeah?" Lucas said and hurried around the front of the vehicle to kiss her. 

"Come on you two," a pretty brunette called. "Time for that later. This time is for socializing before we eat."

"Oh hi Kylie, this is Dani."

"Oh hi, I guess that's the feminine form spelt D-A-N-I."

"Correct... love your hair style Kylie."

"Well I'm glad you noticed. Jazz didn't. Come over and grab a drink. What would you like?"

"White wine or if you don't have white then mineral water please."

"Don't you wish to start with a tinny to impress the Aussie guys?"

"Once they eye my tits they'll be sufficiently impressed. I don't want them running the top paddock with a bunch of kangaroos."

Kylie fell about laughing and the others came over to share in the joke.

Jazz (Josh) and Michael and Michelle laughed when Kylie related Dani's response to her comment about impressing with a tinny. Lucas shed his beach shirt to be wearing only board shorts like the other two guys and they all watched silently as Dani showed no shortage of bust development and then a lean body when she discarded her fuchsia-coloured pareu. Her flattering bikini was the matching colour.

As Michelle Stewart handed around black and green olives soaked in spiced olive oil and Kylie followed with sliced pineapple and three types of sliced melons Dani noticed Lucas's flatmates and their girlfriends appeared to be around twenty-eight to thirty. Lucas was used to being around older people. How interesting.

Dani enjoyed herself and added considerably to the lively conversations and came up with a couple of party jokes that went down well. Later when she and Kylie went to the bathroom Kylie kissed her. "I'm totally attracted to you as a person, I mean attracted in a friendly way. We didn't believe Lucas when he assured us you were anything but a loud-mouthed American. He claimed you were like a modernised version of Karen whom we all love. You really are a throttled-back version of Karen. Would you care to come shopping with me at the boutiques in Paddington on Saturday? The autumn fashions are now in. On display will be clothing that will not be seen in America for another six to eight months and we even see the new season's Italian and Spanish shoes before the Italian and Spanish women do."

"Oh that would be lovely Kylie. I apologize for being reserved. For a minute I thought you might be coming on to me."

Giggling Kylie said she found Dani attractive but not THAT attractive.

They kissed, freshened their lipstick and combed their hair and rejoined the others.

A guy in this early thirties came to the fence and said belligerently, "Turn the fucking music down guys."

Back home Dani had seen her father handle this very situation. She leaped forward and said, "Oh we're very sorry sir. Perhaps you and your partner would care to join us?'

"Er my wife and I are watching TV?"

"The big game is not on till later. Come on it's the neighbourly thing to do."

"Okay babe, I'm Adam. I've not see you here before."

"Does that matter?"

"Er I suppose not."

"Then grab a couple of tinnies and something for the barbie and get over here Adam. Tell your wife to join us after she's powered her nose. I'm Lucas' girl Dani."

"Er okay Dani. We'll be over shortly."

Jazz said, "We've had nothing but cold shoulder from him Dani since they moved in two weeks ago. He regards us as scum."

"Well if he kept seeing your three guys lining up the empty tinnies and growing the pile while loudly swapping filthy jokes, who could blame him? I hope you don't mind my instant intervention Jazz. Unless he was met head-on while hot under the collar there might not be a chance to appeal to him."

"I think your tits overwhelmed him darling," Michelle chortled and the others grinned.

When Lucas was driving Dani home after a kissing farewell including by Adam and his wife Jill, Dani asked, "You guys weren't upset I invited Adam and Jill over were you?"

"No, not at all. He was looking for a fight and you stopped him in his tracks. He seems okay now. We must have got off on the wrong foot with him."

"Well I'm pleased about that. Kylie has invited me to go shopping with her Saturday.

"You mean Michelle. Kylie's such a snooty bitch. Her parents are loaded."

"No I mean Kylie."

"Jesus."

"What?"

"She doesn't have the warmth of Michelle."

"Oh yeah. Well that tells me you other two guys have banged Michelle."

The ute lurched as Lucas regained control.

"There's no need to say anything Lucas."

"She gets drunk and sexy after Kylie goes home."

"God you animals."

They entered the house to be warmly welcomed by Karen. She kissed them.

"Stay for dinner Lucas. I have a roast lamb loin on."

"Yummy."

"And why not stay the night. Here's the key; put your ute in the fourth garage."

"Good idea mum. Get dad to serve those top pinot noirs he has hidden away."

* * *

Dani was on the bed nude, legs drawn up, when Lucas came in from the bathroom wearing his underpants.

"You can get those underpants off you fool. And then go straight in. My pussy is in great need of attention."

"Yes Dani, oh how I've been waiting for this moment," he said, hurling his underpants went through the air and stroking his growing erection.

Dani, gripped in a rising wave of emotion, looked at the workmanlike penis, looked at the grinning face of her seducer and felt the goose bumps creeping over her skin and she shivered. She sat up, reached out and grabbed Lucas standing at the end of the bed still stroking himself and she fell back, pulling him on top of her.

But then the fool began sucking her tongue and squeezing her breasts. Dani groaned and feeling over-primed and frustrated was swept by a series of orgasms. She wanted desperately to order him to get on with it but had the sense to know with a guy such urgings could just as easily convince them to begin teasing and delay insertion. She gripped the bedcover and screamed silently.

"Gosh your tits are swollen."

"Lucas!"

He jumped a bit at the scream and then grinned and pushing two fingers into her rubbed those dripping fingers over his dick and slowly pushed into her, watching her face intently.

"Oh we do like a bit of cock do we?" he leered.

Yes leered. The bastard loved making her practically beg for it.

When his groin met hers Dani rolled, turning them both on to their side and she raised her upper leg high and sighed contentedly as Lucas's began recoiling his ass to build up a the long strokes that sent Dani's sensory nerve ends into overtime. She squeezed Lucas's uppermost nipple between her thumb and forefinger to accelerate his motor and she began to rock under an intense pounding.

She loved it.

Dani pushed back at him and used her hands, eyes and lips to heighten her involvement in this sexual encounter and added a breathless "This is awesome" to make absolutely certain he knew he was ringing her bell.

She came so hugely that for a moment she thought she'd peed herself, and pulling him out she jerked him all over her tummy and tits.

They then both looked at the mess she was in and laughed, eyeing each other with far greater interest than ever before.

"You fuck good," she said, stroking the side of his face.

He smiled and said gently, "With you I certainly do. I better fetch towels." 

The couple slept till daylight and awoke to find themselves staring at each other. They grinned and had turns in the bathroom and then greeted the new day in an appropriate way for young lovers.

CHAPTER 3

Dani went shopping with Kylie on Saturday morning and watching Kylie try on a sundress Dani realized she now had her first friend outside Karen's family, a big step in her settling into Australian living. Not that she was feeling homesick. No way, she was here to stay for at least a couple of years and longer if she invested that nest egg he mom had given her. Kylie worked in the promotions department of a big magazine publishing firm and had a degree in media studies. 

Over lunch Kylie said without preamble, "It appears we are friends?"

"Yes, it must be because of your openness. Normally I don't click with anyone so suddenly. What do you think?"

"Well I adore Karen. God I wish my mum was like her. She has vitality to burn and if you think I'm open what about her? Generally I like Americans, and we have heaps of them around here and in the city where I work but I'd never met one I had so readily taken to until I met Karen and now along you come. You just seemed to relate to me just as if we were sisters and yet I noticed it wasn't like that between you and Michelle."

"Well looking at it like that I must say you have more style than Michelle and Michelle is rather... um..."

"Common?"

"Oh god I was trying not to be that blunt."

"It's fine. That rests between you and me."

"Did you two go to school together?"

"No. When I was nineteen I went out with a bunch of contemporaries swimming. We had been drinking and went outside the so-called safe swimming signs and all were caught in a rip and swept out to see. Lifeguards came out and began pulling our party of eleven onto jet-skis and surfboards. I didn't panic and waited to be rescued and suddenly I realized every one had gone back in. There was nothing I could do but to hold up a hand, hoping I would be noticed. I'd become tired swimming across the rip as one is supposed to do. I rested and seemed to become so tired. Fortunately Helena Smith, who incidentally is American, counted everyone and then it was realized the party was one short and she was the first to say it's Kylie."

"That was lucky."

"Yes but even luckier than what you might think. The professional lifeguards had left and the only volunteer surf lifesaver near Helena was Michelle. She was told and asked Helena what was the colour of my swimsuit and Helena said a yellow bikini. All the jet-skis were farther along the beach so Michelle grabbed a guy's surfboard off him and went out to where she thought the group rescue had been made. She couldn't see any sign of me so thought I might have tried to swim across the rip and that could have been one of two directions of course. She thought my instinct would have been to swim back towards the centre of the beach rather than away from it because the lifeguards' tower was in that direction. She couldn't see me but then saw a flash of yellow. I was belly down, unconscious and that was my bum in the air as I was lifted on the swell of an incoming wave. She pulled me on to her board and by then two other female lifeguards on jet-skis reached her."

"Ohmigod, you could have drowned."

"It was touch and go." Kylie said. "I regained consciousness in hospital and had to stay another day to be tested for possible brain damage through impaired oxygen supply but I checked okay. Dad who runs a big paper importing business took our family and Michelle and her family to dinner where he attempted to hand her $10,000 in cash. But she just laughed and said no way but what he should do was to make a donation to the surf club by cheque as a tax deductible donation."

"Ah I see where this is going... you were already very grateful to Michelle for saving your life and when she turned down that heap of cash you couldn't believe it, and thought she truly was a super person."

"Yes exactly."

"And that my friend changes my opinion of Michelle. If we do this again I'd like her to be included."

"That is a lovely thing to say Dani. Thank you. Please come to dinner at our place tonight?"

Dani giggled. "What so you can introduce your parents to a nice American girl?"

"As a matter of fact yes."

"Oh Kylie, please don't over-expect. Perhaps I am likeable but I'm no angel."

Kylie sighed. "And neither are my parents. Both have been adulterous and my older brother when young was a real hoon until a tough off-duty cop caught him one night attempting to steal an 18-wheeler to go joy riding. The cop gave him the ultimatum to join the army or be taken to the officer's district station. Rick chose the army and the cop took him home to work with dad to make sure the deal stuck. The reformed Rick now works with dad as a division manager." 

Kylie took a call, excusing herself and while she was speaking Dani's phone went. Half a minute later both women held their calls briefly.

"It's Jazz, he wants to take me to a party over at Vaucluse this evening. He says Lucas is going so perhaps..."

Dani replied, "This is Lucas asking me to go with him to a party; he hasn't said where."

Kylie laughed and said it would be the same venue. "He and Jazz and Michael kick round together at weekends. Just say yes. We'll do the family dinner some other night."

* * *

On Tuesday morning at the invitation of Paula Dick, Dani toured the small office and saw what was involved and then Paula took her to lunch.

"Well?"

"I'm impressed. The facilities are great, the equipment is leading edge and you appear to have some very talented people."

"Yes but with gaps and that's making us inefficient and unable to grow the business dynamically. You could fill an important gap that is holding us back. We looked at your website and Jonathan my IT guy says you would be up to speed for us and your work is close to top shelf if not already there."




Bondi Beach



"Thank you for sharing that." 

Picking up her glass of wine and eyeing Dani steadily, Paula said, "Well?"

"Outline my job specification and then show me the colour of money."

Karen was wildly excited when Dani arrived home and said she'd accepted a job with Paula on the condition that Paula would sponsor her application to have Dani's temporary work visa replaced by a skilled independent visa that would allow her to live and work in Australia permanently.

"Oh so you'll be staying in Australia?"

"Yes, providing my application is accepted and I interview successfully meeting the stringent requirements."

"Oh how marvellous. Come on let's go shopping. I must buy you something suitable to wear to work."

"What jeans and a polo?"

"Oh dear, well I was thinking a pin-stripe business suit but you'll know what you should wear."

Over dinner that night when Dani said she must start looking for a flat (apartment) as her new home, possibly a shared flat, Karen and Ivan persuaded her to stay living with them for another couple of months while she integrated into Australian life more seamlessly.

Dani's relationship with Lucas had started off promising but was now stalled, going nowhere. He spent more of his time going out with guys than he did with Dani, appearing to only want her round him when partners were required or when he had nothing else to do. At least they went to the beach together most Saturday and Sunday mornings and he was teaching Dani to ride a surfboard.

The following Saturday Dani went by cab to have dinner with Kylie Rosewell and her parents at Point Piper that was quite near the CBD with magnificent harbour views that Kylie had said would quite take Dani's breath away.

"You're dining with the nobs tonight luv," grinned the cabbie, taking her fare.

Dani just smiled and wondered why Kylie hadn't warned her the family lived in one of Sydney's 'millionaire rows.' Perhaps it was because Kylie had lived all her life there and regarded living there as no big deal. Dani was glad she'd had the sense to dress up.

Kylie must have been looking out because she waved down from one of the wraparound terraces and called she'd be right down, riding the lift.

God their private home facing into Rose Bay has its own elevator thought Dani. Looking at the huge pool with perimeter planting on three sides she guessed they even had a private or shared jetty and wondered if this was a family that never had time to become bored.

Kylie wearing a little dark blue dress and matching colour velvet choker came out of the lift and gaped at Dani. "Oh... mi.. god."

Dani giggled and touching her piled high blonde hair now with lighter blonde streaks said, "Karen took me to a hair stylist and then brought me this dress to celebrate with me for being hired by one of her friends to work on computer graphics and editing and integrating film clips."

"Congratulation darling," Kylie said, kissing her. "You look lovely."

Her mother Shelley looked at the vision of loveliness in silver and light green halter dress with scooped frilly necklace cut above the knees with a gold chain belt and elasticised upper back and said, "I worried when Kylie said she hadn't told you we dress formerly on Saturday night. I was told you are American so would know that."

After being lightly kissed by Shelley and taking the gift of a box of expensive chocolate liquors, Dani said, "That I'd know that is news to me." The three of them laughed.

Take Dani through to meet dad while I attend to drinks."

"Yes dear," said the perfectly behaved hostess and that was a new experience for Dani in Australia because the crowd that hung out with Karen were less than sophisticated although Karen could turn it on when she felt it necessary.

"Darling this is Dani our guest. Call him Pat darling and me Shelley."

"Good evening Pat. You have an awesome environment to come home to after a hard grinding day at the office."

"Yes, are you in business?" Pat asked, kissing her cheek.

"Yes computer graphics and sometimes have worked 14-hour days."

"As I do very occasionally," he grinned.

The four of them were standing looking out at huge container ship passing through home-coming yachts when the door behind them opened and a curly-headed blond guy yelled, "Guess who's coming for dinner!" He then caught sight of Dani and said, "Jesus."

There was a moment's embarrassed silence and then Kylie snapped, "You beast Rick. I have cooked a special dinner for four; you might have called. You have ruined everything."

"Sorry sis. You just serve as you planned. I'll have a tin of the cat's food on toast."

Dani took Kylie's hand. "Come on, I'll help you extend dinner for four into dinner for five. There are ways of doing it."

"We have a strip loin of New Zealand red venison so there is enough meat."

"Great, we are over the big hurdle already. You and I are dieting so really what's the problem?"

"None?"

"Exactly. Hi Rick. I'm Kylie's friend Dani. Catch you later. You look interesting."

The young woman went to the kitchen, Rick eyeing their backs speechless.

"Who was that?"

His mum sighed. "She just told you Rick, her name is Dani, probably short for Danielle."

"She's gorgeous."

"We know that dear. Have you been out in the sun too long today?"

"Huh."

His dad said he thought Rick had a girlfriend.

"Not packaged like that dad."

They laughed and Shelley sighed and said, "God you guys belong to the Neolithic Age."

"Actually I was surprised how easily she took over Kylie who was ready to let rip. Kylie went off like a lamb. Is she American?"

Yes said his parents together.

Dinner went well and later when Dani went to leave Rick said he'd run her home.

Dani looked surprised and Kylie said that meant he'd drive her home in his car.

Rick held the door of the metallic blue car open for Dani and that impressed her.

"What car is this?"

"An Australian Holden Commodore SS V-Series."

"Very nice," she said, none the wiser.

They arrived at Ivan and Karen's home and Rick asked in surprise, "You know Ivan Boone?"

"Yes he's married to my Aunt Karen. How do you know him?"

"Ivan rebuilt the motor of my 1971 Plymouth Duster 340."

"Oh?" Dani said, none the wiser but this time Rick grinned and said it meant he was driving an old vehicle with almost a new motor. It was a long job and very technical, having to source parts in America. "I did that bit and Ivan and his buddies did the mechanical stuff."

Rick stood awkwardly at the gate with her so Dani reached up and kissed him lightly and said goodnight.

"Um?"

She waited and had to ask yes?"

"I'm splitting with my girlfriend. May I call about a date sometime?"

"Yes."

"Oh?"

She said oh what? He said was that an enthusiastic response?

"Please don't split with your girlfriend on my account."

"Oh no," he lied.

"In that case here's my new business card Rick. Call me when there are no encumbrances."

"Right I'll do that. How old are you?"

"Twenty-nine. And you?"

"Thirty-two. That makes us about right doesn't it?"

"What to date or to have sex?"

He looked confused and so she said goodnight and began walking up the steps and smiled when he called, "Both."

* * *

Paula Dick gave Dani two days to settle in and then cracked the whip and that suited Dani perfectly. She'd had time to converse at length with the four main people she needed to integrate with to do her tasks and they appeared to accept her professionalism.

Kylie had called her on the day after the dinner to arrange to go out to a movie with Dani and Michelle midweek and she was excited, almost bursting.

"Are you engaged?"

"No but I wish I were?"

"Then if you like Jazz enough ask him what he thinks about becoming engaged."

"No way, I couldn't do that."

"Darling don't be a lame duck. If you don't become proactive you might not get what you want."

"Um Jazz might not be what I require."

"Then dump him and find someone who is."

"Christ Dani are you a monster in disguise?"

Dani laughed and so no, just level-headed.

"What I'm excited about is Rick raving to mum about you."

"What?"

Kylie smiled. Rick is my brother and mum is my mother. You had dinner with them on Saturday."

"I know that. But what's this about raving?"

"He's smitten. He's going to dump Anna to begin dating you."

"Oh no, I specifically told him he was not to dump his girlfriend on my account."

"God you're no monster. You were stupid saying that. Rick is regarded as being an A-list bachelor."

"Well I'm upset if he dump's that Anna because of me."

"Rick recently found Anna is experimenting with drugs. He doesn't like it and warned her to stop or else he would break up with her and she promised to stop taking drugs. On Friday he called to take her out and found he away with the birds."

"You mean 'flu."

They screamed in laughter.

Kylie asked would Dani date Rick and Dani said yes, after considering what Kylie had just told her.

Rick took Dani out to dinner on Saturday at his yacht club.

"Oh all this sea, I can't get over it," Dani said, looking at the sunset reflection on the harbour."

"What's unique about sea?"

"Oh Rick, I come from Denver that is a mile above sea level and is a thousand miles from the nearest sea."

"No place is that high and that far from the sea."

"Rick Denver, Colorado is. Shouldn't you think before making such rebuttals? How far do you think Alice Springs is away from the sea and what is its height above sea level?"

"Oh yeah, from memory The Alice is about eight hundred miles from Darwin in the north and Adelaide in the south. America would have cities farther than 1000 miles from open sea, wouldn't it."

"Correct. It's amazing what we know and can work out when we put our minds to it isn't it? Creativity in my job exercises my mind constantly. Exactly what do you do?"

"I'm assistant manager of distribution in the business dad heads. It's a company with American and British stockholders as minority partners. It imports varies types of paper for printing and other more exotic papers."

"So your job is not very creative?"

"No, my responsibility is to keep the wheels moving, bang heads and to negotiate us out of difficulties with major clients, marketing and dispatch taking care of the small fry."

When they arrived back in Bondi and parked outside the house they kissed and eventually Dani allowed Rick to work a breast out and suck it before she put it away, saying she'd better go and thanked him for the wonderful evening. They kissed again at the gate, Rick making sure she thought that she could feel his erection. Well that told her he could get it up. They arranged to go south on the Grand Pacific Drive with some side diversions and on to Wollongong and beyond to visit beaches and parks and to give Dani her first chance to get close to kangaroos and to see some of the great bird life of New South Wales.

Rick called her at work on Friday.

"All set for tomorrow?"

"Yes and I'm excited. Karen says it's a pretty drive and we'll see some great beaches."

"Yeah, well pack your bikini in an overnight bag."

Dani sucked in breath and then, "My overnight bag?"

"Dani it is optional but isn't it about time we did it?"

Her heart raced and the pit of her stomach churned but she managed, "That sounds like the possible highlight of the trip."

He laughed and said he liked that.

Somebody in Colorado had told Dani that Australia doesn't have pretty highway tours apart from Queensland and Tasmania but when she offered that comment to Karen on Friday night when they were having a drink waiting for Ivan to come home to take them out for dinner, her aunt in her customary forthright manner said, "Bullshit."

"Oh?"

"Yeah girl. Be prepared to be blown away tomorrow by scenic grandeur in places."

Next morning after breakfast Ivan cocked his head and said, "What time did Rick say he was coming?"

"He didn't."

"Well he's here. That's an American V8 I'm hearing."

Dani grabbed her overnight bag and kissed them both and went to the door. She looked down and Rick coming up the steps waved. She waved and beyond him saw he'd come in the Plymouth.

"I'm coming down to take a recce of the old girl," Ivan said, clutching Dani round the hips and pushing her forward.

She giggled and he said softly, "You sure are excited. You must have looked at your watch two hundred times this morning."

"Liar."

"Well ten times. It's amazing what a dirty weekend can do for a girl's morale."

"Unhand Dani you dirty old man and stop attempting to over-excite her. Isn't it about time you took me away on a dirty weekend?"

"Right pack a bag for us both and we'll leave in half an hour for the Hunter Valley."

"Oooh, darling."

Rick kissed both women and shook hands with Ivan and they both punched each other on the arm like some ancient ritual. Dani noticed how slowly Karen opened her eyes after being kissed and was quite unhurried about letting him go. She obviously liked Rick and had said they had met at the American Car Club several times.

* * *

The motel was good quality with harbour views and they went out and had an expensive meal but one of the best restaurant meals Dani had ever had. Rick convinced her to allow him to choose so they had an entrée of honey roasted pork belly, eating slowly and chatting while looking out over the cliff top to the ocean. A barbequed seafood platter followed and she described the tastes as simply amazing.

Rick was very pleased, aware that she wouldn't have had the opportunity to eat some of that seafood before.

They returned to the motel and Rick proved to be a gentleman.

"I feel I might have put you under some pressure to be in this situation. We can return home now if you wish."

"No it's fine. I haven't had sex for three weeks since I told my boyfriend I intended dating you and he thanked me for taking an interest in him and said we must remain good friends."

"So you planned this?"

"No you did."

"Oh of course I did. What do you wish to do?"

"Fuck."

"Er of course. Go clean your teeth and I'll have the bathroom after you."

Dani was quite surprised Rick seemed to have lost momentum. She hoped that they wouldn't be involved in sex by numbers. 

* * *

As Dani entered the bathroom, Rick sighed. For some reason he appeared to be making hard work of this, being almost awkward. Didn't he like Dani?"

He knew he did. She was great... pretty... vibrant... intelligent... super sociable with people including his family. Then what was it?

He thought and then it came to him. Ah, she was making a play for him, that's what it was. She hadn't said anything but he thought the signs appeared to be there. She was just so lovely to him, nicer than any other woman he'd dated, ever.

So no big deal. If she was interested in running with him long term it wasn't illegal. Until Anna had sunk into drug-taking he would have been happy running with her long term so what was the quibble?

"Oh yeah. Something his mom had said to him. She'd said that Dani was rather a superior class of young woman and Rick would have to wake up his ideas if he was to have a chance of holding on to her. He had laughed and not taking too much notice of his mum's comment but he had thought about it without reaching any conclusion but now he had that conclusion. His mum though Dani was too good for him.

Rick thought he ought to pack and tell Dani they were leaving.

Dani came out of the bathroom totally nude, hands making not effort to conceal anything and she faced him head on, her cheeks only slightly flushed.

"What do you think?"

His mouth fell open and he said, "Christ."

Her body was the most perfect women's body he'd ever seen. This was unbelievable. It was firm, curvy and rather lean for a woman and appeared blemish free.

"I take it blurting out the word Christ means you approve?"

"Yes," he said thickly. "I guess it's all mine."

"Almost. I don't butt fuck but don't worry if a finger happens to stray that way."

"It won't."

"Good."

"Unless I lose control."

"Well that's being honest. Thanks. Don't let me wait too long. Off you go and don't be embarrassed walking back here with a hard on."

"No I won't," Rick mumbled.

In the bathroom he thought his mum had been quite right. Dani was a superior young woman in the sense that everything about her appeared to be so right, even to the point she'd been in the country for less than two months and already seemed to be Australian except for a bit of an accent and some word choices.

Rick came out of the bathroom with a towel hanging hands-free over his erection.

Dani, sitting on the end of the bed, slapped a hand over her mouth to choke her laughter. 

"Are they both for me?"

Rick nodded sheepishly and she said how considerate. She removed the towel, said "Oh my, what a beauty," and kissed it with wet lips and Rick felt the single lick. Dani then stood and grasping his erection in one hand placed her other hand around his neck and pulled Rick's head down and began kissing him with increasing intensity.

It was so simple, so elegant and so full of promise that he was totally enchanted. 

By the time they'd snuggled down to sleep, Dani had got him off three times. Er he'd gotten them off three times. Rick yawned and was very much aware that for the first time in his life he'd experienced the perfect fuck with the almost perfect woman. She wouldn't be perfect because women never were but what could one say about men.

Quite.

Rick had gone to sleep wondering if he'd be able to get it up in the morning; she must have practically milked him dry. But he awoke to find his morning erection in Dani's mouth.

Oh what a babe.

Rick drove them home after late breakfast knowing he was half in love. It was a new feeling for him with a female other than his mother and the good thing was Dani appeared to be doe-eyed over him.

Arriving at his parent's place for the regular Sunday night family gathering after dropping off Dani, Rick had to lie to his mum. She was all over him wanting to know how it went and what they did and had they slept together. He described in detail what they had seen, their restaurant dinner and yes they had slept together and his mother waited for some further information but sighed when none was forthcoming.

"So your impression of Dani?

"Unchanged. From the outset we all recognized her as a lovely young woman."

"Well you can't sleep with her without having an emotional experience and perhaps an emotional rethink."

"Where's dad?"

"Oh Christ, having a nap," his mum sighed. "We had a big night last night." 

Almost two and half miles away in Bondi, Dani had fended off Karen's attempt to find out had the overnight stay went, beginning crudely with, "Did you two fuck?

She too was frustrated because for Dani she hoped it hadn't been a casual encounter, that if they continued to relate well she might be on the way for her first true romance. The signs looked good from her side but what Rick's thoughts were was anyone's guess and he could be attempting to avoid thinking too deeply about it.

CHAPTER 4

Two months after Dani and Rick had sex that night and next morning in Wollongong two things hit Dani. She realized this was the longest she'd been going out with a guy since senior high school and Rick had just suggested she move in with him.

"Well, what do you think?"

They were sitting on Bondi Beach, just coming in from a long swim and cavorting in the waves. Dani said warmly, "I think it's a wonderful idea."

"Good, so go home and pack your bags. Call when you are ready."

"Um we need to talk this through. We have to decide where we wish to live, what type of accommodation, furnished or unfurnished, that sort of thing."




Bondi Beach



Rick said honestly, "Oh yeah, I hadn't thought beyond moving in somewhere with you. Perhaps my two flatmates could shift out and we live there."

"No I'd prefer staying reasonably close to Bondi but not necessarily in Bondi itself."

"Well at least you are flexible. Now that you are authorized to live in Aussie permanently, will you?"

"I think so. This lifestyle suits me and I really like working with Paula and being part of her team. I have begun negotiations with Paula about taking a share in the business to provide the capital for expansion. As well, your sister is the best friend I've had since leaving high school. Then there is Michelle who lives close to here and of course I have me aunt living here and Ivan. I have a small community of people I never thought I'd have round me when I set off for Australia."

"You must have expected that to happen?"

"I'd hoped it would but that's no guarantee it will happen. Oh I'd like to give Karen a few days notice before I leave to get her used to the idea. She has been so wonderful to me."

"Okay, I can understand and there's no real rush. I'm really glad you want to be with me. Perhaps we should start looking. What about Paddington."

"That would be okay and nearby Woollahra would appeal to me even more."

That same evening Rick went clubbing with three visiting male business executives and he awoke next morning in the bed of a woman he'd befriended at the last club he'd remembered visiting. Her name was Felicity and she was a bank executive. She told him he looked dreadful that he should take a day off sick to recover. Always a sucker for a pretty woman Rick called in sick and stayed in bed all day with her and they had a wonderful time as well as catching up on sleep. He returned to his flat for dinner that evening having arranged to go out the next evening with Felicity. After one more night with sweet Felicity, Rick called Dani at her workplace to advise he'd found someone else.

She just screamed and slammed down her phone, breaking it.

Not having heard from Rick for two days Dani had delayed telling Karen she would be leaving. She was greatly upset, more so because Kylie had called to advise her that Jazz had proposed to her and she'd accepted. The boss Paula, hearing the scream, came and took Dani back to her office to calm her and when Paula said men were just pigs Dani was sure that was the wisest thing Paula had ever said to her.

Dani went home that evening and had another cry in the arms of Karen who, also sobbing, said philosophically, "Well darling all I can say is we can't always win. At least you have the comfort of knowing it was a record length of time for you before being dumped.

"Yes, you are so right. Fuck men."

"Exactly. That's what I try to do Dani."

They laughed through their tears.

Karen said, one never knew when the next opportunity would drop out of the sky. "But don't bother working Bondi Beach darling because those guys are usually predators, and forget the supermarket because those guys looking for eye contact already have at least one failed marriage behind them."

Dani moaned, "But where?"

"Don't worry; it will happen. All you need to do is to keep in circulation."

Kylie who'd had been devastated to learn that Rick had dropped her called her daily to check on how she was getting on. One of those calls she picked the brighter tone in Dani's voice and said gleefully, "Great news, my brother has picked up an STD from his new girlfriend and they're both receiving treatment."

* * *

Paula introduced Dani to a couple of guys round Dani's age but one had a squint and kept forgetting her name and the other guy wanted sex almost every hour.

"Sorry Dani, I can see I need to look upmarket," Paula said, hearing Dani had to let over-sexed Bruce go.

"Don't bother Paula but thanks for trying."

Dani began knocking round with Michelle who was seeing less and less of Michael and suspected he was loosing interest in her. Michelle introduced Dani to two brothers in café one evening and Michelle and Dani began dating them and they had some good times together before the brother lost interest.

"Perhaps you ought to be dating me," Michelle said as the two women ate alone again, horrifying Dani until she caught the sly smile.

"It's tempting but I must remain in male pursuit mode," Dani laughed. 

"I-I was joking."

"Of course you were Michelle. A tongue is no substitute for a fat dick."

They laughed knowing they now were really good friends and that had cushioned Kylie's partial withdrawal as a social threesome to spend more time with Jazz. Kylie's mom insisted on calling him by his real name of Josh, just as his own mum did. 

The next day Michelle called and said her mum wanted the family home for the long weekend (Monday was Labour Day, a public holiday).

"Mom has invited you and my brother Rod is bringing home a pal. Perhaps we could double date."

"What me and the pal?"

"No you fool, you and my brother. You might be just the babe for him. I doubt he's ever been properly... er..."

"Fucked?"

Michelle giggled and accused Dani of being crude. She said her brother was a lawyer based in Bondi Junction and the pal was a dentist. Both were no much over thirty .

"Ooooh, yummy. Is your brother likeable?"

"He used to be a real pain to me but has modified in recent years. Mum thinks the sun shines out of his backside."

"Oooh, mum's usually have good judgement. I guess I'm not meant to take that sun shining thing literally?"

They laughed.

Both women finished work on Friday at midday at met at the pickup point nominated by Rod Stewart. The black BMW arrived, headlights flashing, and the two guys got out and introductions were made at the cases loaded.

"You sit in the back with Bevan sis and that will give me opportunity to learn about Miss America. You are very beautiful."

"Thanks Rod, remember beauty if you can call it that may only go skin deep."

"Rod that's bullshit. Dani is the loveliest woman my age I've every known."

"Not to worry," Rod said. "I don't have much luck with women of any appearance or vintage."

"Perhaps your hair is too long and you are too direct for most women."

Rod considered that and for a moment Dani thought she must have insulted him.

"How can you say that?" he said. You've only known me for no more than ten minutes."

"But I have been observing and listening to what you've said. In case you had overlooked the fact, women are not men."

He grinned. "What I meant was you said exactly what my mum says to me, that I look too rough and talk too straight for females to feel endeared to me but of course they flock to me in my law practice because I work in family law, specialising in divorce, and some of my female clients believe I have the look to kick ass, their husband's ass."

"Well I apologize for shooting my mouth off. I thought I was being invited to express myself and I thought why give it to you sugar coated or avoid saying anything substantial."

"I like the way you think and yes I was inviting that sort of comment and thanks for the endorsement. Our mum is really going to like you. My father is a doctor working from a surgery attached to their home and mum is his practice nurse. Goulburn is about two hours' drive from here in normal conditions but being a holiday weekend the exodus from the city will be underway and the roads will be busy."

"Wow, that delivery was bursting with information and comment."

"I like you. You also say what you mean."

"Oh come on. You've known me for ten minutes."

"And you are even think like me. Michelle told me your Australian boyfriend dumped you, so what about dating me?"

"Are you married?"

"No and perhaps ought to say I stood up my recent girlfriend once too often and was dumped."

"God we are exactly the wrong mix, two social rejects."

Everyone laughed and onward they went.

The welcome by Elizabeth and Ian Stewart was warm and genuine, making Dani feel she was among people like in rural America.

* * *

Next morning when it was only just dawning, Dani was shaken awake and then became aware the person was having a good feel of her breast.

"What?"

"It's Rod."

"We can't have sex here, I'm sharing this room with Michelle."

He snickered and said, "Come, hurry. Get dressed with a jacket and walking shoes."

They drove off quickly.

"Are you kidnapping me?"

"I wish. No last night you said you'd like to hear kookaburras and get up really close to kangaroos. This is it."

"What, you mean we are off to see kangaroos?"

"Yes I made enquiries last night and was told by a guy they are up on the top paddock of his farm, a group of forty plus young ones."

"Are you telling me you have a few kangaroos loose up in the top paddock?"

Rod laughed and said she was acclimatising quickly.

They turned up a side road for two miles and stopped. On their left was a pasture or paddock as the Aussies call it that ran right up to bush (a thicket of native trees and undergrowth).

As they climbed over the fence Rod put an arm round Dani and said, "You have lovely tits."

"I was aware you were stealing a lusty feel."

"Oh, lusty feel was it. Am I required to apologize?"

"No I welcomed it. No where..."

A chorus of maniacal screams cut off Dani's question.

"Kookaburras." Rod said reassuringly, feeling Dani gripping him tightly. He then pointed up ahead and whispered, "There they are."

"Ohmigod."

Most of them lay on the ground but a few were raised upright, scratching with others stood motionless just watching the intruders.

"Watch for snakes," Rod joked.

"What!" Dani yelled and the bush fell silent.

"Where are the roos?" she complained, not longer seeing any.

"You scared them away. They just ghosted into the bush. It was my fault with clowning around. Sorry."

"It's okay. At least I have seen roos in the wild."

Rod pulled Dani around and kissed her and she kissed him right back.

That night the sleeping quarters were rearranged with Bevan moving in with Michelle and Dani sleeping with Rod.

Dan blew Rod and then blew him away with her fucking. He confessed he'd never had it so good and had never had a woman who appeared to enjoy it so much and not only that, she was so good at it. 

Elizabeth Stewart had to go in late next morning and practically pull those two out of bed as they all had been invited to a lunch barbie.

* * *

In Colorado Claire Buchanan was beginning to worry because Dani called or sent a long email every Sunday without fail. Two weeks had gone by without hearing from her daughter.

At 6:30 that evening when Claire and Robert were having a martini before dinner the phone went.

"Hi mom, ready to pack your bags."

"Excuse me darling?"

"We want you and dad and Nigel and anyone else you wish to bring to come to us for Christmas. I'll put you across to Karen in a moment. She has plenty of friends willing to help out and accommodate visiting Yanks. Remember Christmas is summertime in Australia. Then on December 28th you guys dress up and attend the joint weddings of my two best friends, Kylie and Michelle and I'll be the third bride."

"Ohmigod!"

Dani held the phone away from her ear until the screaming died.

"Where, when?"

"On Bondi Beach, Australia, mom but if it's wet in a beer garden."

"Oh god, what have those Australian's done to you? I wanted your wedding here, in Denver, with all the trappings not on a fucking beach."

"Mom you said fucking. That's not like you. Has American society disintegrated that much since I left home?"

"No it hasn't and young lady I'm not very happy about this. Is your imminent husband that attorney or someone else you have picked up on the beach?"

"Yes by they call them lawyers over here and his name is Rodney Stewart as I've reminded you each time we are on the phone. I love him immensely and he can't get enough of me."

"I bet."

"Mother."

"Just a moment while I brief your father. He's looking at me as if I'm going nuts."

"A loose kangaroo in the top paddock."

"Excuse me?"

"It was nothing."

"Yes Christmas following by the wedding is fine by him. He asks should we book Qantas or United?"

"Go for the best group deal mom but book now because Australian's fly home for Christmas. Come Boxing Day if necessary and we'll hold Christmas festivities until them."

"Oh darling, you sound so happy and I'm so happy for you and yes I'll gladly come to your wedding and hope the day will be fine so you three couples have your great day on the beach."

"Thank you mom. Love to dad. Here's Karen."

"Claire!"

"Karen!"

"Isn't my darling niece a little ripper!"

THE END