by N. Schwalbe
Tom raised his thumb.
Then, he looked out of the window, admiring the landscape underneath them.
»Outside, you see Queensland,« the pilot explained, »the mountain range of the Great Dividing Range is occupying almost half of the area and is stretched along the coast up to the north.«
Tom looked down at the dark-green area. Behind them lay the Pacific Ocean with a fantastic white sandy beach, broken by grey massive rocks. Sheep grazed on green lush meadows which stretched through the wooded mountainous country.
»Over there, you’ll see the Daintree National Park, one of the oldest rainforests of the world,« the pilot further explained while pointing into the distance. »It’s worth it going there, but one should never do this without a guide.«
»May we employ you?« Luca called over the noise.
The pilot grinned and reached out his hand. »Sure. I’m Jim. I’m available to you as long as you want.«
»I’m Luca,« they shook hands, »And that’s Tom.«
Jim nodded towards Tom who sat behind Luca.
»Where do the Aborigines live?« Tom asked interested.
Jim shrugged. »Well, that’s not easily said. They are spread all over the country. Though, approximately fifty percent live in the Northern Territory. They mostly live in reservations. Their culture was destroyed as far as possible in the Eighteenth Century by the immigrated Europeans.«
Tom felt sorry for them.
He had already suffered as a child because the Europeans had killed, expelled or cooped up the Indians into reservations in North America.
»We’re arriving at the Northern Territory now,« Jim called and pointed downwards. From a distance, the Ayers Rock soared into the sky.
»You can climb up the Uluru, that’s how the Aborigines call this monolith, at one side along an iron chain even though it was the Aborigines request that the holy mountain won’t be climbed anymore.”
Luca turned to Tom. »Now, we’re in a quandary, aren’t we?«
»Why?« Jim asked astonished.
»It’s difficult to behave like a rude tourist when you know that the mountain is a holy place for the Aborigines,« Luca exactly expressed what Tom felt.
»Then, join a guide. Some of the Aborigines use their knowledge to guide tourists through the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. I could pick you up this evening.«
»We gotta go to Western Australia, but not until tomorrow. Are there any places to stay for the night?« Luca asked.
»Sure. The Ayers Rock Resort is pure luxury.«
»Sounds terrific. Could you pick us up tomorrow morning?«
»Probably we’ll see some crocodiles before we have to return?« Tom said hopefully.
Jim turned his head. »We could make a quick trip to the Kakadu National Park if you like. The Arnhemland is also run by the Aborigines, many of them are working there as rangers. But be careful, the crocodile-signs aren’t set up for fun! Swimming is taboo as well as leaving the paths. Tourists are killed again and again by these big saltwater crocodiles because they disregard the rules.«
»Saltwater crocodiles,« Tom said thoughtfully and immediately thought of Benno. He would have enjoyed being here.
Jim landed the sports airplane and let them get off. »I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning at eight o’clock!«
»Okay!« Luca gave him high-five and headed to the Uluru together with Tom.
»Do we need a guide or do we terrorize the neighborhood on our own?« Tom asked.
Luca smiled. »I’ll do anything you want as far as I may stay with you.«
Tom looked back at him. »God, I’m the happiest man on this continent!« He tenderly took Luca’s hand and kissed it.
Luca swirled him around and hugged him. Despite some curious tourists, they kissed each other fervently and did not note how a savvy paparazzi took one photo after the other.
***
»Mom, Dad, nice, you could come!« Zoe embraced her mother and intimated two air kisses. Afterwards, she hugged her Dad.
»Thank God, your lord and master isn’t home,« Stefanie said, still insulted. Her husband rolled his eyes and gave the bouquet to his daughter.
»Thank you, Dad! You really shouldn’t have to bring flowers.« Zoe got a vase while Sandra led her parents to the terrace where they were greeted by their grandchildren.
The doorbell rang and Sandra went to open.
Zoe looked out of the window and noticed that Sandra had also invited two men. She almost felt like betraying Tom whereas she met them only once in the café.
»Hello!« Sandra let Kim embrace her.
Shy, Emiliano greeted both sisters.
Zoe smiled vaguely, trying to have a facial expression as indifferent as possible.
Sandra drooled over Kim, taking both men to the terrace. »Mom, Dad, these are Kim and Emiliano, our barbecue masters.«
Stefanie raised her brows in surprise. »Why do we need barbecue masters?«
Zoe did not fail to notice the lewd look her mother threw at both very handsome men – her husband neither!
Jacob made a face as if he bit into a lemon.
Kim reached out his hand to Stefanie who grabbed hold of it a few seconds too long. »I’m Kim, Kim Walther and that’s my colleague Emiliano Geranini.«
»An Italian?« Stefanie asked surprised while Sandra showed the barbecue utensils to Kim.
After three quarters of an hour, the food was ready and her mother didn’t have any opportunity anymore to bombard both officers with questions.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang again.
»Do you expect more visitors?« Stefanie asked annoyed.
»No.« Zoe looked at Emiliano and went into the house.
Since she did not come back, Sandra followed her after a while.
Zoe stood in the utility room in front of some gossip rags. Pamela stayed next to her, looking triumphantly and keeping on at her friend. »I’ve said that your husband looks more innocent than he is. Now, look how they lick each other all over! That’s disgusting.«
Zoe said nothing.
Curious, Sandra peeked over her »Oh…my…God!« Taken aback, she looked at the photos. Then, she squeezed past her sister and took the upper magazine as if she was shortsighted. »Oh…my…God!«
»You’ve already said that, Sandra,« Pamela said sarcastically. »Can’t you think of anything better? After all, the husband of your sister is fucking a man!« She turned her nose up disparagingly.
»I didn’t think he was the sort!«
»You gotta get divorced, sweetie! You got to fleece him, take away his kids and let him bleed white for what he did to you,« Pamela kept on at Zoe.
Sandra frowned. »Could you shut up for just a moment, please?«
Pamela »How are you talking to me?«
Sandra did not answer, but made a face which said more than thousands words.
»Zoe, say something!« Pamela urged her friend who could just shake her head in disbelief.
What should she say?
Luca had a cock.
She had none.
He had an obvious advantage over her.
»Holy shit,« Sandra said and embraced her sister compassionately. «I’m so sorry!«
Pamela clicked her tongue. »She should be happy he’s gone.«
Zoe let go of her sister angrily. »Why?«
»Queers have AIDS, love! That even knows my Grandma.«
»Then, the intelligence freedom runs in your family,« Sandra replied snappily.
Pamela fell silent, thoughtfully, and Sandra used the opportunity to maneuver her out of the room. »Pamela, it’s wonderful you brought us this very important news, but now we gotta take care of our guests.«
»You’ve got visitors? That’s why the cars are standing outside.«
»Well combined, Mrs Watson!« Sandra opened the front door. »Zoe will call you tomorrow, okay?«
»Okay.« Pamela waved, then, she swaggered to her car.
Relieved, Sandra cl
osed the door. »Thank God, she’s gone! She’s worse than a whole swarm of mosquitos!«
Paralyzed, Zoe stood in front of the washing machine and stared at the photos incessantly.
Sandra picked up the gossip sheets. »›Luca Steffen and his lover Tom W. have a real binge. Obviously, they haven’t expected paparazzi and so they exchanged intimacies which even hardened ones have to get used to.‹ God, what a dirty paper!«
»Where did they get Tom’s name?«
»I’d like to know that, too, sweetie! Come, our guests are waiting outside - and your staggering admirer. You should keep in with him in any case.« Sandra pushed her sister out of the room.
Kim came to meet them. »Girls, the meat is ready.«
Sandra waggled her brows coquettishly. »Which one?«
Kim laughed happily and patted Sandra’s butt. »Do you have time tonight?«
»Not, if we won’t get rid of my parents as quick as possible!«
»Guess that won’t be a problem.«
They walked on the terrace as soon as Zoe had hidden the magazines in the last kitchen cupboard and sat down at the laid table.
Jacob had already distributed sausages and steaks and waved at the kids. »Dinner!«
The four Weidemeyer juniors stormed onto the terrace like a wild mob of hungry killer bees.
Emiliano followed them hesitatingly. He ate in silence and looked over to Zoe from time to time who looked as if something had bitten her.
Zoe’s heart felt heavy and she really did not feel like smiling – and certainly not like flirting around.
Her marriage was in tatters. She did not stand a chance with a man. On the other hand, she was relieved, since she had felt all along that something was wrong with Tom. He had had no nerves for her anymore and when Luca flew to Australia, Tom had a low even though he had always been the epitome of bliss. He was only in a good mood when Elsenhauer’s letter came. Nobody could have talked him out of following Luca.
Sword fight training – what a joke!
Zoe bit into her baguette angrily.
»Darling, the baguette has already been shot,« her father interjected. He looked at his daughter with concern.
»I know, Daddy.« Zoe made a face. Her grief mixed up with a fair bit of anger.
Suddenly, everything fit together. His aloofness, the abstinence – Tom had always been wild about sex – his dreamy look, the dildo!
Oh God!
The dildo!
Did he pop it into his ass?
Ashamed, Zoe looked over to Sandra who felt her look. »Zoe, would you please show me where I’ll find the mayo?«
»I’ll do that,« Anton said helpfully but Sandra made a gesture of refusal.
Disappointed, Anton sank back into his chair.
Both women went into the house. »The dildo,« Zoe said breathless, »Did he push it into his ass?«
Sandra hugged her. »I don’t know. To be honest, that thing looks as if he has made it out of these strange molding powders. Probably, it’s a copy by Luca’s best piece?«
Zoe looked up. »Good Lord! Thank God I haven’t used it! Probably, I should buy one for myself.«
»You don’t have one?« Sandra asked as if it was the most natural thing to have a sex toy in the house.
Zoe shrugged. »I haven’t needed it up to now.« She grabbed her forehead and moaned. »For goodness’ sake, he’s an asshole! He is falling in love with Luca Steffen, letting me behind as thick as two short planks and as if that wasn’t enough he’s having a photo taken by some paparazzi.«
»You actually don’t believe he has fallen in love with Luca, do you?« Sandra laughed softly. Suddenly, she got serious. »Okay, I guess you’re right. Tom is no type for doing anything by halves. Nothing would bring him to betraying his wife or even leaving his kids in the lurch…unless…«
»He’s seriously in love,« Zoe concluded.
None of them noticed Anton who had crept up to eavesdrop on them. Deeply shocked, he went back to the terrace and did not even note that his mother went along with Emiliano’s attempts to flirt to kill the pain inside.
***
Boisterous like kids, Tom and Luca left the sports airplane, waved at Jim for a last time and marched towards the tent city which was built up in the middle of the semi-desert landscape of the Kimberleyregion.
Red desert sand crunched underneath their feet while a kangaroo jumped around in the far distance. »What an idyll,« Luca went into raptures.
The next moment, Elsenhauer emerged from behind a tent, glaring at them and holding several German gossip rags. »Where the devil are you coming from now?«
»I let John know that I would come a little later,« Luca replied brusque.
»A little later? A whole day is a little later? What have you done? Screwing around through the whole continent?« Elsenhauer raised his voice. Some of the shooting assistants curiously peered around the corner.
»How are you talking to me? You’re my manager, nothing more or less. And if you have any objections concerning my love life then go to hell!« Both men stood facing each other like two fighting cocks.
Tom was the only one looking at the magazines. Elsenhauer noticed his look and banged them against his chest. »Here! This might interest you, Mr Weidemeyer!«
»What do you want actually? It was your idea to go for Tom. You sent him the ticket. I would have fulfilled my contract and, afterwards, I would have flit to Germany to see him again.«
Tom clung to the magazines, starting to flick through them. As he saw the photo of Luca and him standing in front of the Uluru, snogging, he closed his eyes, horrified by it.
Holy shit!
If Zoe found out she’ll have his guts for garters!
»Obviously, it was an extremely stupid idea, but you know well how bad you felt. We wouldn’t have fulfilled the contract if you let yourself go like this. I had to do something. I couldn’t foresee that you would make a quick getaway with your lover and wouldn’t come back.« Elsenhauer turned to Tom. »What does your wife say to all this, Mr Weidemeyer?«
That hit home!
Tom’s expression spoke volumes.
Luca watched him but Tom played his cards close to his chest.
You could tell just by looking at Luca that he was suddenly questioning Tom’s love. After all, Tom had never claimed that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Luca.
»I’ve no idea, Mr Elsenhauer! But I’m sure she’ll nearly fall over backwards if you send her these stylish photos.«
Luca took the magazines away from him. »Well, I’d say now the cat is out of the bag. And Franz would send these pictures nowhere, would you, Franz?« Luca smiled careworn. »At the very least, the game of hide-and-seek is over. And if the film industry won’t take me anymore now, then c’est la vie, who cares? I’ve quite other qualities.«
»None with which you could earn money…respectively should earn money.« Elsenhauer looked at Luca, Luca waggled his brows and grinned at Tom and, suddenly, all three men lay in each other’s arms, laughing.
Afterwards, Elsenhauer shook hands with Tom. »I’m Franz! Welcome in our world!«
»Call me Tom, thanks!« Tom smiled vaguely. He was not sure whether he was up to this new world but sooner or later he would have to take up with it – unless he was willing to let go if Luca.
Luca caressed Tom’s arm. »However you’ll decide, whatever will be, Tom, please remember that I love you! I haven’t changed my mind – I’ll take you with bag and baggage. I can’t imagine my life without you.«
»God, me neither!« Tom and Luca embraced and kissed each other passionately.
When they let go of, Tom wiped away some tears. Suddenly, he felt as if someone had burdened him. His whole life would change now!
Franz cleared his throat. »Okay, guys, if you’re ready, we should go to the set. On our way, you could tell me how many crocodiles you’ve seen out there.« He laid his arms around their shoulders and let them to the location.
7
> Tom grabbed his bag and marched over to the taxis. Although, he would not see Luca for the next three weeks, he was only half as sad as before Luca’s departure.
He drove home with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he could hardly wait to see his kids again. On the other hand, he was afraid of Zoe’s reaction – if she had seen the headlines at all.
Several cars were parking in front of the house.
Loud music came out of it.
Zoe seemed to give a party.
So much the better, Tom thought and ran up the driveway. Then, at least, she would not ask any questions. In addition, there was still a flicker of hope that she has not heard about the newspaper articles as yet.
Tom put down his stuff in the hall and went into the living room. The light was subdued and a horde of women were busy admiring colorful sex toys. A young woman raised a shocking pink something into the air and told them about the merits while the other women giggled.
»This dildo, ladies, will cause you a completely individual pleasure. The balls inside ensure a very special pleasurable sensation. Oh, we have a male guest?« Surprised, she looked at Tom, who raised his hand sheepishly. »Hello ladies!« He went over to Zoe and kissed her cheek she was holding out to him grudgingly. Did she see the photos or was she cheesed with him because he had gone to Australia for two weeks leaving her and the kids behind?
Tom discovered his sister-in-law within the crowd and hugged her quickly. He had the strange feeling to have burst into a party he had no business being on. »I’ll better go,« he said smiling artificially and turned around.
»No way, young man! Stay here! We’ve also something for men.« The seller smiled at him disarmingly. Thus, Tom sat down on a stool and listened to her lecture.
»Here we have something for the man!« She gazed at Tom.
»Really?« Tom smiled an affected smile. »Super!«
»I’ll explain any minute what this is about and, then, you can take it into your hand.« She breathed in. »The man penetrates with his penis into the toy, whereas the glans extrudes the soft silicon which arouses the man immediately,« she twinkled at Tom who deeply blushed, »Since it’ll surround it tightly. Powerful motors ensure a pulsating vibration underneath the sensitive glans. This is a real must-have!« She jumped towards Tom, who almost fell off the stool, and held the miracle thing under his nose. »I don’t have to try this out now, do I?«