Drifting and Waiting Pt 2, a short story by KiwiDreamer. Date added: 2012-06-20. Times viewed: 781.
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- Intro: Charles visits the island and reconnects with his wife and after he departs and his wife claims paradise is only in one's mind, Phil realizes he's learned a lot about the emotional complexities of women as a result of that visit.
Part 2
A month after Marlene and Della’s arrival they were back at the main island of Viti Levu waiting in the airport terminal for the arrival of Charles with two of his top executives he wished to reward with a week in Fiji.
They arrived in the morning just after 9:00 at the seaplane base. As Charles’ flight wasn’t due till 1.30, mother and daughter stepped on to the jetty and boarded the taxi that that been ordered ahead and went shopping in Nadi (Nandi).
There was great excitement when the visitors emerged from the restricted area and Marlene gave a good impression of not having sex since she’d left England, although she’d been with Phil eleven times (he’d counted). Della had still not got that close to him but her behaviour had improved quite significantly.
They were introduced to Charles’ director of sales, Morgan Lees and to Charlotte Smile, director of marketing. According to what Charles had said when Marlene had called him from Nambuna Village, those two executives had performed beyond the call of duty to help get the company back out of the red.
Charlotte took more interest in Marlene than in Phil. Morgan and Della had locked eyes when being introduced and one didn’t have to be Einstein to figure out what would happen between those two. Phil had already observed Marlene was holding on to Charles and rubbing herself against him in a wifely manner.
When they arrived at the seaplane (meaning any type of airplane designed to land on water) base and saw the beached float plane, Charlotte was suddenly all over Phil. The 28-year old quickly confessed she was a student pilot and just adored flying.
Phil taxied into the water and came back in to dock at the jetty to allow a dry boarding.
Charles was about to take his customary seat beside Phil when Charlotte slipped in ahead of him and said sweetly that she’d take that seat, allowing Charles to sit beside his wife after almost six weeks’ separation that must had hit them both hard.
She said that so flatly without emotion that Phil wondered if Charlotte had been substituting for Charles’ absent wife.
Charlotte watched him at the controls so intently that he accepted she must indeed be a student pilot and began explaining to her what he was doing. Charles put on one of the other two headsets and the others didn’t bother claiming the only other headset.
Once they were well clear of regular air traffic and at cruising altitude he said to Charlotte to takeover. She looked at the duplicated controls in front of her and said, “Oh my giddy aunt. Well you keep the instructions a-coming.”
“What’s it worth?”
She’d seen Charles put a headset on so she turned to Phil, cupped the side of her face to conceal her mouth to passengers behind her and slowly licked her top lip lasciviously, looking at him intently. Phil was totally taken by that slick performance.
He instructed her professionally and encouraged Charlotte to try some manoeuvres and she performed credibly. He was pleased with her performance and pleased with his standard of instruction. He complimented her and failed to note her triumphant smile.
When they reached the house Charlotte chose the guestroom next to Morgan’s that had a connecting door between the two rooms.
Later Phil became more than suspicious about Charlotte’s implied commitment to him when he found Della on the veranda sitting in almost total darkness, sniffing and dabbing her eyes.
“Oh Della darling, what’s wrong.”
“Morgan dumped me to go to that hard-ass bitch who’s promised him more than I can give him, or so she claimed.”
“Hard-ass bitch is right. She was giving me the come on. I’ll get even.”
“How?”
“Just you watch.”
They went to their respective beds.
At breakfast next morning Phil said, “A great day. Who’s coming fishing?”
“Me,” Charlotte said excitedly and the tired-looking Morgan said he’d like to go.
Della said she wouldn’t because she was needed to help her mother colour her hair and Charles reluctantly elected to stay with his wife.
Phil went off grinning triumphantly with his party of two.
They had a smooth trip 10 miles to the channel between two nearby tiny islands.
Phil lied, “Best fishing spot off Fiji’s 332 islands.”
There was a heavy swell in the narrow channel because of the incoming tide.
He knew that of course but was quite amazed with they hauled in twenty-two fish in just on an hour but he only kept seven of quality eating specimens.
Then like music to his ears Charlotte said she felt sick.
“The swells will calm down soon,” he lied.
Actually the swells became worse.
“Charlotte come over and have a look at this,” he called.
She walked timidly, her face was pale.
He gutted a big Trevally and blood spurted and he pulled out the guts and Charlotte rushed to the side of the launch and vomited her breakfast.
Charlotte appeared to be settling down, seated with her head on the saloon table, when Phil offered her an anti-seasickness pill. She went to pick it out of his palm, smelt fish oil and saw dried blood on his hand and she moaned and headed back out to the deck and to the side of the boat.
She vomited and Morgan who’d gone to comfort her suddenly bent over the railing and lost his breakfast.
“Hi guys, how are you doing?” Phil said. “Would you like to try raw fish soaked in coconut oil and garlic?”
They both turned to lean over the rail again, not answering.
Phil decided not to take the long way back when Morgan, looking gutted, asked to be returned to shore. Phil returned slowly to maximize the pitching of the vessel.
He left them in the back of the old Jeep almost asleep as he made the launch shipshape before winching it into the boatshed. They were both asleep when he returned almost an hour later.
The others came out to greet the victorious fishing party, eyeing the seven fish strung together that Phil was struggling to carry. They then looked at the other sorry pair.
Phil winked at Della as she approach and she looked surprised but when she smelt the vomit on Charlotte as she helped her into the house, Della grinned to Phil and said, “You bastard.”
Morgan and Charlotte dined only on chicken broth that evening and had no wine.
Three days later, when the visiting party had only next day as their last full day in Fiji, Phil suggested to them they should return to Viti Levu next morning by boat and spend the day shopping.
They thought that would be lovely and said they should catch the 7:00 am sailing.
“Phil has kindly offered to get us to the wharf in time to catch the boat, and said we’d see wonderful sights including coral reefs, marine life and call into a few colourful village ports,” Charlotte said brightly.
Charles looked at her strangely but made no comment.
After waving the couple off next morning as Phil drove off with the couple, Charles asked Della, “Did Phil explain to Morgan and Charlotte that the Friday sailing goes to some of the outer islands and they won’t make Viti Levu until about 8:00 tonight?”
“I have no idea,” said his stepdaughter and suddenly she twigged and broke into near hysterical laughter. “God that cunning bastard is so delightfully vengeful.”
“What?”
Marlene and Charles heard the full story and they hooted in laughter.
“He’s a very resourceful bloke,” Charles said, “and I’m incredibly lucky to have hired him. I’m surprised Della to find the relationship between you and him is, well, a little cool.”
“He’s disciplining me Charlie.”
Charles almost spluttered his wine and Marlene explained what Della meant was Phil had insisted Della had to learn to control her temper before he could respect her.
“Respect her, what the hell does that mean?”
Mother and daughter giggled and Charles grinned and said, “Oh I see. Well to tell you the truth Della I must say I’ve noticed you appear to be displaying your softer side. Keep up the good work if you really want him meddling with you. He’s a great guy.”
“Well he’s attractive and looks physically good apart from his right hand but it would appear he lacks financial substance.”
“Well what you don’t see you probably don’t know,” Charles said. “After his seaplane crash off the coast of southern African Phil received pay-outs totalling almost a quarter of a million pounds, most of which he told me is invested in England and America.”
“Omigod,” Marlene muttered. “Then he’s not penniless.”
Della licked her lips.
After Charles left to return to England, Marlene was quiet for a few days, or depressed was the word Phil used when Della said her mom was just sad Charles had gone.
“Come on, cheer up,” he laughed and kissed her. “You are supposed to be in paradise.”
Her return kissing was indifferent and she explained that by saying, “Paradise is mainly in your mind.”
He thought about that and nodded but then thought in no way could Birmingham, England, be called paradise despite Della having spent most of her life there. But he had to admit that colourful and abundant bird life plus the occasional sighting of humpback whales, rain forests and unbelievable exotic flowers and views weren’t everything. One also had to consider familiar environment and factor in family and friends and factor real purpose in life into the equation. If Della and her mother didn’t see real purpose in living at Lahood, then that environment would never seem like paradise.
“Come on, let’s go for a walk along the beach and a swim.”
He held out his hand.
“Yeah right. Wait for me to fetch my swimsuit and a towel.”
“Just grab a couple of towels.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes it’s about time I saw what you’ve got.”
She ran off giggling and looked to be recapturing her good humour.
Phil was wearing only shorts that he tossed on a long on the beach before Della had her bra off. She saw what was hanging off him and thrust a hand over her mouth and her eyes bulged above that hand.
She continued undressing, looking away and make no comment.
Phil saw that her former pale complexion was now olive after nude walks, often twice a day and by herself, and probably thinking her mother wasn’t writing because he’d arrived to fuck her mom. But no, the truth was Marlene had kept her demands for sex quite restrained.
Della’s tits were small but stood proud and he licked his lips when noting the nipples were quite large and appeared swollen. God she was aroused.
“Nice tits,” he said, attempting to keep rising passion from his voice, now accepting he really wished to screw this woman.
“Thanks, here comes pussy,” she said, sounding a little excited.
He eyed the fat shape covered by trimmed auburn hair. His dick rose to half-mast and when he saw her eyes on it, he practically drooled.
Phil held out a hand, “Come, grab the towels and come into the shade.”
“What for?” she said, now sounding highly emotional.
“You probably haven’t had a male penetrate you for at least six weeks. It’s my wish to remove that neglect. You have tried hard to improve the harshness that so often burst forth in your behaviour. I arrogantly asked for improvement and you have improved noticeably. So now I aim to hump you if that’s what you want.”
“I want,” she said simply, and stopped.
They swung into each other and kissed and she dropped a hand to begin jerking him into full erection, although by then not a great deal of jerking was required.
“Let’s get into the shade,” he said hoarsely and they practically staggered the short distance and lay on one of the beach towels.
Phil found she was surprisingly tight and congratulating himself on that discovery, unexpectedly blasted into her.
“Oh shit.”
She said kindly, “It’s okay.”
“It was so early. We only just got going.”
“You became over-exited, that’s all. You are able to continue I hope?”
“Yes. Um I wasn’t wearing a condom.”
“I was aware of that but it didn’t bother me.”
Della emerged from having a shower and dressed in fresh shorts and top and turned the music up loud and danced around her mother who was reading one of the newspapers that had come with their weekly mail drop.
“Omigod,” Marlene said. “You’ve had sex at last.”
“Oh mother, isn’t it just the most wonderful thing in creation?”
Marlene managed a laugh. “Well it is good when everything goes well.”
“I asked Phil would he would be interested in the occasional three-way and he just grinned.”
“He just grinned? Well I assume he’d think Charles wouldn’t approve”
“He wouldn’t, positively not,” Phil grinned, coming in with wet hair and wearing a clean pair of shorts. “Does anyone want a Martini before lunch?”
“Yes,” chorused the women and they went out to sit at the cane and glass topped table under the wide veranda of the front deck to wait for their drinks.
“Ask Lulu to serve lunch out here today,” Della called. “It’s almost cool out here.”
Marlene asked, “Did you enjoy being screwed?”
“Oh mom, I was hanging out for it. And he’s so good at it, isn’t he?”
“And I’m expected to answer that,” Marlene giggled.
“God mom, this has brought you out of your cave. That’s twice within several minutes you have laughed. I was beginning to worry your humour had deserted you. I was only half expecting Phil to agree to a threesome and didn’t think you would find it acceptable. I hadn’t thought that Phil would also consider Charles’ attitude.”
“Well that is a mature response darling and I admire you for not over-reacting. I’m sure you will be disappointed. Regarding me being in a hole, I must say having my husband leave me again after such a short stay is not exactly heart-warming.”
“No but you know we have only four and a half months left here.”
“I know. I also made him angry when I said I didn’t like the long travel involved in getting here. He said angrily would I prefer a place on a Greek Island and I said yes but Spain would be even better because we could fly ourselves there and his scowl went and suddenly he thought that was a great idea and would think about it.”
“So what’s bad about that?”
“I didn’t expect Charlie to accept my spontaneous suggestion and now if he goes ahead and sells up here, I feel I would have betrayed Phil and put him out of work.”
“Shhhh. Here he comes now. We’ll talk later.”
During lunch, conversation fuelled by two strong Martinis and now wine, Phil asked Marlene how her writing was going?”
The alcohol encouraged her to become talkative.
“Quite well really. But I’ve been thinking I should contact my publisher about putting this draft novel aside and begin one set here in Fiji.”
“Great idea Marlene.”
She looked at Della who nodded and said that made sense.
Marlene had a sudden thought.
“Look why don’t we go over to Viti Levu on Monday and stay in Suva until Friday afternoon. You two could do things tourists do while I research archives and get some old books on Fijian culture on long-term loan if I can. I’ll pay for the flight and two hotel rooms with a connecting door and…”
“I know a former girlfriend’s mom who runs an apartment letting business in the capital,” Phil said. “You’ll need to be in Suva for your research. I’ll try to sew something up. An apartment will be larger than a hotel room and will give you a workroom as well. Ah and with us being a week away, that will give Lulu the opportunity to return to the village because she’s missing her family so all round this is a great idea.”
“That sounds excellent,” Marlene said.
Warming to his role, Phil continued, “We could stay the full week so we could leave touring the island till the Saturday so you can come with us. You may not have to pay for the flight because a schedule service is due in three weeks. I’ll try to get that brought forward.”
“Oh my, you are good at planning,” Marlene smiled.
He grinned and said that’s what pilots did.
Next morning Phil arrived for breakfast and Marlene said, “Oh my look what the cat’s dragged in; where’s Della?”
He looked slightly bashful, speaking to her mother. “Um catching up on sleep. She stayed the night with me.”
“That’s good. She’ll have a lot of catching up to do although I’m sure it’s impossible to catch up on missed sex.”
“That’s a quotation for your writer’s log.”
Marlene had been working on her diary and turned to a back page and made a note.
At the village later that morning, Marlene called Charles and it didn’t surprise her to be told by a phone message he was out of phone contact, somewhere in Spain. Charles was a full-on person.
Marlene’s commissioning editor was a little grumpy as being awoken by a call at 11:15 pm but became rather excited when she heard details of the proposed switch of novel. Marlene said she was sure she could finish the draft of the new theme within the current schedule.
“Yes, let’s take the gamble. You have not failed me yet and this sounds like a very promising project. Go ahead. I’ll confirm acceptance by letter since you don’t have home phone or email connections.”
Marlene came to where Phil and Della were sitting in the shade sipping chilled orange juice.
“The change of novel setting has been approved. Your turn Phil, try to get an apartment for us otherwise it will have to be a hotel.”
He returned smiling and both women saw that and clapped him as he came up and kissed them.
After hearing details, Marlene said she didn’t care that it didn’t have grand views.
“I’m there to work and you two will be out and about or in bed. The great thing is it’s large with a spa pool on in the bathroom in lieu of a bath and the shower is big. What more could we ask?”
* * *
After they landed on Monday Phil left the Beaver for seaplane base staff to tow it to a secure area at the airport for servicing and outside storage. They drove around the island to Suva and the women found the city of the republic still displaying its colonial links with the United Kingdom.
Marlene told Della and Phil dreamily, “My heroine’s family’s home will be based on LaHood and one day a young lawyer from Suva is washed ashore from his launch that is grounded and breaking up in heavy seas in a reef out from her family’s home. My heroine finds him on the sands and revives him.”
In the air-conditioned comfort of their rented SUV, a Hyundai Sante Fe, Della asked, looking at buildings in the tropical setting through rain, asked: “What is the proposed name of the heroine?”
“I’m thinking she is London born Catherine Devine, youngest daughter of an Earl, who in Fiji calls herself Lulu.”
Phil asked the choice of name for the novel.
“My publisher chooses that but I get to name what is called the working title. I’m thinking of Magic Island or Tropical Island Romance but who knows?”
“Why no simply, The Island?”
Marlene said, “Yes that will do Phil. It’s only the working title but fits well and that ends my indecision.”
They ate out that evening and returned to the apartment block, Phil with a woman on each arm, and sounding rather merry. Well they knew what was about to happen.
They all went to the spa pool, entered it nude and chatted until Marlene left for bed.
He kissed Della and asked softly, “Have you two ever been at each other?”
She coloured and her body language indicated affirmation. He laughed and said there was no need to answer but Della confessed, “I had to learn about sex from someone. I was surprised you didn’t jump in at the opportunity of having a threesome. I can’t see how Charles would have found out.”
“Well it was something both your mother and I had to work out and we individually based our decision on what we’d be comfortable with. I would think most people wouldn’t feel comfortable about indulging in a threesome which must be a little like jumping into the pit morally compared with taking a slippery step forward in indulging in adultery.”
“I see.”
“Good but do you understand?”
“I think so. May we drop this discussion?”
“Yes of course. You don’t have to sleep with me if you wish. I could take the sofa.”
Della was firm in her reply. “No it’s fine. I’m comfortable having sex with you.”
(more coming)
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