DD’s eyes smiled, but her lips didn’t. ‘You’re not lying down on my bed, sunshine.’
Norton shrugged again. ‘Fair enough. I didn’t mean anything by it. Just on the lounge for a while’ll do.’
‘All that’s in my room,’ said DD, ‘is a bed, a bare mattress, an old blanket and a skinny pillow.’ Then DD did smile. ‘But Karen’s room’s got a nice big double bed and a stereo. I don’t think she’d mind if you used it for a little while. As long as you took your boots off.’
Norton tried to look weary, slightly puzzled and in pain all at the same time. Somehow he succeeded. ‘Okay. You want to give me a hand up? I’m knackered.’
DD took hold of Norton’s arm and helped him to his feet. ‘Come on, you poor old thing. Nurse Donaldson will look after you.’ Les let her help him along the hallway, to the first room on the right. DD pushed open the door. ‘God, you really are a mess, aren’t you?’
‘You better believe it,’ replied Les solemnly. ‘At least the nurses were very nice to me.’
‘Oh they were, were they?’
Karen’s room was airy and bright with one or two rock posters around the wall and the odd indoor-plant. An old double bed with a wooden railing at one end and a white cover ran alongside a window, a dressing-table was against one wall and a small table with a ghetto-blaster on it next to the bed. Norton kicked his boots off and settled back against the pillows, his arms by his sides. DD switched the radio on and sat on the edge of the bed, resting her hand on Norton’s knee; an ad for some car-yard on the Gold Coast was about the only sound in the room.
Les rolled his neck around the pillows and closed his eyes. ‘Ohh yeah,’ he crooned. ‘How comfortable’s this bed.’
‘Feeling all right now, are you?’ smiled DD.
‘Yeah, reckon.’ Norton scrunched his head back into the pillows and smiled. The bed certainly was comfortable, better than he’d expected. A bit too comfortable. He snapped his eyes open. ‘Hey DD, don’t let me go to sleep. I’ve got to be out of here by six.’
‘That’s all right. I have to start getting ready myself around then.’
‘Ohh yeah, I forgot about that. What time’s Steve Stunning coming round to take you out?’
‘About eight.’
‘Fair enough. It’ll take you at least two hours to look any good.’
DD looked at Les. Les looked at DD. You could almost say they were both looking at each other. The commercial break on the radio ended, the DJ gave a time call and the next song cut in. It was an old Bob Dylan ballad — ‘Tight Connection to My Heart’. Apart from being a nice enough song, the words seemed very appropriate. Especially, thought Les, the bit about the bloke getting beaten up wearing a powder-blue wig.
DD started to rock her shoulders gently, and softly sing along with the lyrics: ‘You’ve got a tight connection to my heart.’
Before he knew it Les was crooning back. But in a much worse voice: ‘Has anybody seen my love?’
The Captain and Tenile they weren’t. But it seemed to work well at the time. Both people exchanging looks, both people knowing they were moving along very dangerous ground. The song hadn’t finished when Les made a kind of beckoning gesture with his hands and his eyes and possibly just a tiny bit of his heart as well. DD didn’t have to be beckoned twice. She lay against Norton’s chest, her hands on his shoulders, her eyes about two inches from his. Les slid his hand over her back and placed it gently round her neck. Norton’s eyes and nose might have been a bit belted about but there was nothing wrong with his lips. And there was definitely nothing wrong with DD’s. They met, softly at first then intensifying, each kiss as exquisite as the last. Les held DD’s shoulders and massaged them, DD scrabbled her hands through Norton’s red hair. Someone’s tongue zipped out — it might have been DD’s. Before he knew it, Les had his hands up under DD’s T-shirt, over her brown, smooth back and around her breasts. In all the carry-on in the kitchen Norton hadn’t even noticed DD wasn’t wearing a bra. He tenderly massaged her breasts and let his fingers run over her nipples. DD’s tongue went that far down Norton’s throat he thought he could feel it in his toes.
DD broke away from him and sat up on the bed. ‘Environmentally friendly or not, this T-shirt’s coming off,’ she said.
‘Yeah, mine too,’ croaked Les. ‘Stuff the wilderness. I never did like trees.’
Next thing Les and DD were grabbing at each other, kissing, caressing, as their passions and emotions came to the boil. DD was sighing; all Les wanted to do was kiss her sweet face off. It wasn’t long before their T-shirts weren’t the only things that came off. Norton got a brief glimpse of a pair of orange and black knickers as he eased them down over DD’s legs; about a micro-second before he had his jeans and Speedos off and Mr Wobbly was out of his cage, roaring, banging his little hands on his chest, telling the world he was raring and ready to go. DD gave Les a few delicate kisses before her mouth opened up and her tongue nearly sent Les into a frenzy. Norton ran his tongue over DD’s breasts, down over her navel and returned the favour. Their lips met again. DD brought her knees up and Les got between her.
The first few shoves sent poor Les cross-eyed. If Thursday night was good, this was nothing short of sensational. But now they knew each other and had a feeling and understanding for each other which made it so much better again. It’s hard to say if they were in love. But if anyone had looked in the window, by all the sweat and movement and the way the bed was rocking, they would have soon realised that Les and DD were definitely, very definitely, mates again.
Norton went for as long as was humanly possible; sweat was running down his spine, tingles were running up it. DD was under him, moving with him, squealing and just having a good time in general. However, it couldn’t last forever, though Les would have liked it to. It finished with DD holding onto the bedstead behind her, her legs up round her head and Les gripping the top of the bedstead above her head, going for it like there was no tomorrow. Les gave a final roar, DD screamed and it was only by a stroke of luck they didn’t rip the back right off Karen’s bed.
Both being non-smokers, they didn’t lie back and have the cliched ‘cigarette after’. But DD found a towel and a bottle of cold mineral water, which had to be twice as good. They lay there in each other’s arms, listening to the radio, enjoying each other’s company and drifting into a bit of pillow talk as the late afternoon sun spilled in through Karen’s window.
‘Well, for a bloke half dead in a car accident, Mr Norton, you made a sudden and dramatic improvement,’ said DD, gently picking at a scar on Norton’s chin with her index finger. ‘Miraculous, really.’
‘It must have been those two Panadols.’Norton rubbed the back of DD’s neck with one hand and her backside with the other. ‘I think I’ve got a reaction to them.’ Something told Les it might be an idea to switch back into Basil Fawlty mode. ‘Anyway, you needn’t talk. I only came round to explain things and say hello. Then I felt like… a bit of a rest.’
DD smiled. ‘It could’ve been those red roses. I think I’ve got a reaction to them. And to a certain red-headed bloke as well.’
Norton’s face suddenly turned into a dirty grin. ‘I can always go and get another bunch of roses.’
If Norton’s grin was dirty, DD’s was absolutely filthy. ‘I can always go out to the bathroom and get you another couple of Panadols. I’ll bring back the whole box, if you want.’
‘Did you happen to say ‘box’, Miss Donaldson?’
Number two finished about quarter to six in a lather of sweat and all the cold mineral water gone. DD was asleep alongside Les, looking like she’d just been pack-raped by a West Indian cricket team. Next to her, Norton was feeling like having a bit of a sleep himself and wondering if he might not have over-done it this afternoon and left nothing for tonight. He gritted his teeth and smiled mirthlessly to himself. No way. This afternoon’s wasn’t a bad effort, but it wouldn’t stop him from going flat out for ten minutes in a pub brawl. He looked at his watch an
d tapped Desilu on the shoulder.
‘Hey DD, I have to use your phone. All right?’
‘Mmmhhh? Yeah, okay.’ Desilu mumbled sleepily.
Norton climbed into his Speedos, got the phone number out of his wallet and walked quietly out into the loungeroom. It felt a little strange sitting there with hardly anything on, and he half expected one of the other girls to walk in at any moment. Certain Desilu couldn’t hear him from Karen’s room, Norton pressed the buttons and waited.
The phone rang for almost a minute before it was answered, and the woman’s voice at the other end sounded kind of strained or as if she’d had to run to the phone. But Les still couldn’t mistake the soft, mid-west American accent.
‘Hello. Boarding House.’
‘Yes. Could I speak to Mr Thomas, please, Mrs Llivac. It’s Mr Menzies.’
‘Yes. Yes… just a moment. I’ll… put you through to his room.’
‘Thank you.’
There was a bit of a clicking sound, then a very cool, very laid-back voice answered. ‘Yeaahhh. Hello.’
‘Muzz, it’s Les.’
There was a bit of a chuckle at first. ‘I thought it might have been you. How are you, son?’
‘Good.’ Les smiled. He could just picture Murray lying back there grinning. He was also relieved to find his brother had arrived safe and sound. ‘So you got here all right?’
‘Yeah, no worries. I left not long after you. Got here about eight this morning. Did you see the helicopters?’
‘Helicopters? I saw a convoy of Air Force cars screaming towards town.’
‘I saw four helicopters this side of Goonda.’ Murray chuckled over the line again. ‘I think our little fireworks display must’ve stirred some of the natives up a bit.’
‘You don’t think anybody saw it, do you?’ answered Les sarcastically.
‘One or two maybe.’
‘Anyway you got here okay, that’s the main thing. How’s the boarding house? You getting on all right with Mrs Llivac?’
‘The landlady? Yeah, she’s all right. Good as gold.’
‘Good. Okay, now you know where this place is and how to get there?’
‘Yeah. The Boulevarde on Begonia Street. Quiet lookin’ sort of joint. Stained-glass windows. Couple of balconies. Bar out the back with a long mirror and a big glass door or somethin’ in the corner. Bit swish actually.’
‘You know it?’
‘Yeah. I checked it out this arvo.’
‘Ohh, good on you.’ As well as being a little surprised, Les was also happy to see his brother was right on the ball. ‘Well, that’s the bar they’ll be in out the back. You just be there having a drink and I’ll start the ball rolling.’
‘No worries. So what are you up to anyway?’
‘I’m round a girl’s place, she’s asleep. I’ll tell you about it when I see you tonight.’
‘Okay. So what time do you reckon?’
‘Get there about nine and when it’s all over I’ll see you back at the boarding house at eleven. And we’ll sort things out from there. And keep your fingers crossed, Muzz. I got a feeling there just might be a nice little earn in this for you.’
‘Sounds good to me,’ answered Murray. ‘You know how tough things are out in the bush at the moment.’
‘Yeah, you’re all starving. Especially the Nortons.’ Les heard his brother chuckle again. ‘Okay then, Muzz, I’ll get going, I got some things to do. And I’ll see you at nine o’clock. Okay?’
‘No sweat, Les. I’ll see you tonight. And wear your dancing shoes.’
Now Les had to chuckle. ‘Count on it, Muzz. See you tonight.’
Norton looked at the phone for a moment then returned to Karen’s room. Desilu looked to be still asleep though she’d put her knickers and T-shirt on. Norton put on his T-shirt and jeans and slid alongside her. He flicked some hair off her forehead; Desilu lazily draped an arm round his waist.
‘Listen, DD,’ he said softly, ‘I have to get going, mate.’
‘Yeah, okay,’ mumbled Desilu sleepily.
Les looked at her for a second and raised his voice a little. ‘Are you asleep or awake?’
‘Desilu blinked her eyes open. ‘I’m awake. I’m awake. What…?’
‘Good.’ Les looked at her and smiled. ‘Listen, DD, I’ve got a sensational idea.’
‘Mmmhhh?’
‘I’ll be finished this dinner thing by about eleven or so. I might call back here around then. Do you reckon you could have the fiance kissed good night and out the door by then?’
Desilu smiled up at Les. ‘Yes. I think I could get awfully tired or develop a splitting headache by then. Plus I do have to get up early in the morning.’
‘Okay. Now you’re only staying here to get a few hours’ sleep on that daggy little bed till you get the bus at seven — right?’
‘Yeah. That was the idea.’
‘When this dinner thing’s finished I’ll tell Kramer to shove it. I’m sick of the pair of them anyway. I’ve hired a Ford LTD. I’ll call back here, well load your stuff up and piss off. Drive for an hour or so then book into a good motel and get a good night’s sleep. And have a champagne breakfast or whatever. Then well just take our time driving back to Taree. What do you reckon?’
Desilu still smiled up at Les as her mind flashed to the bag of dope she had stashed in her room. She had figured on a quick trip home and getting rid of it. But a couple of nights with Les shouldn’t be a problem. It’d be quite nice actually. And a lift home in a new car would be a heap better than a bumpy eight-hour trip in a bus. And what Les didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. He’d be pretty cool anyway, if he did find out.
‘Yeah, all right,’ she answered. ‘Sounds like a good idea. And I haven’t got much gear.’
‘Okay. Well, I’ll see you back here around eleven, eleven-thirty.’
‘All right.’
Norton slid his hand between Desilu’s legs, stroked the silkiness of her little pussy for a second or two, then pinched a few pubic hairs and gave them a bit of tug. ‘Just one thing before I go, DD.’
‘Oooohhh!’
‘Just make sure the fiance only gets a kiss goodnight too.’
‘Oooohhh!’
‘If I come back here at eleven-thirty and find this has been tampered with in any way, shape or form, Miss Donaldson, there’ll be trouble.’
‘Oooohhh!’
‘Big trouble. You got that?’
‘Oooohhh!’
Norton let go of her ted and ran his hand gently through her hair, tidying it up just a little. ‘So what are you going to tell the fiance tonight, when in the way of polite conversation, he asks you what you’ve been doing today?’
Apart from a little flutter of her eyelids, Desilu managed to keep a straight face. ‘I’ll… tell him I’ve been packing my gear.’
‘And that’s all? I don’t even get a mention?’
‘Well, what do you expect me to bloody tell him?’
‘Well, I think the truth would be nice, wouldn’t it?’
DD’s eyes narrowed a little. ‘Jesus, you’re good.’
Les nodded. ‘Yeah, I have to agree, I’m not bad. But there’s one thing I definitely am not.’ He tapped DD lightly on the tip of her nose. ‘I’m not a liar.’
Les let DD go, put his boots on then sat on the edge of the bed. He grabbed Desilu tightly around the waist and kissed her full on the mouth. DD kept kissing him back until Les let her go.
‘I’ll see you tonight,’ he said, and moved to the door.
‘And don’t let anything happen to you this time either — boofhead.’
Les winked and smiled and then he was gone, closing the front door as quietly as he closed the one to Karen’s bedroom.
Well, what about that, Basil? Les couldn’t help but smile at himself in the rear-view mirror of the Jaguar. The Elastoplast over his eyes was just holding on, the strip on his arm had been torn off and his hair was just one big mess. I managed to lie my way out of that all rig
ht and I wasn’t quite expecting the end result. Norton’s smile got wider. Not a bad effort for a Monday afternoon. Now a pleasant couple of days or whatever driving back to Taree with DD in that LTD. Bloody DD. Jesus! What a woman. Norton’s smile started to turn into a laugh. And what a weird relationship. She’s out with another bloke tonight and I’m going out to get into a monstrous fight. At least she’s the one cheating. Not me. But what a babe. Les winked up at the sky. Thanks, boss, I knew you hadn’t forgotten me. Just be in our corner tonight though — if you can. Les hit the ignition and the big car purred into life. It was all right sitting there full of love, karma and ideas, but there were things to be done and much dirty work afoot before he knocked on Kramer’s door at eight-thirty to take them for a quiet drink at the Boule-varde. Les hit the blinker and eased his way onto the highway, then drove straight back to the flats.
Norton pulled up on the driveway to find a light grey Ford sedan parked there with two people in it, a man and a woman. The man stayed behind the wheel while the woman got out. Les at first thought they were journalists, but their sober clothes, sober appearance and the woman’s polite smile told him different.
Norton got out of the car and smiled back at the woman. ‘Don’t tell me. Let me guess. You’re from the car rental company?’ The woman nodded. ‘Mr Kramer was expecting you and ordered me to have the car washed.’ Les made a gesture with his hand. ‘There you go. Good as new. The keys are in it.’
‘There was really no need,’ said the woman. ‘The…’
Norton held up a hand. ‘Mr Kramer insisted. Anyway, I have to go inside. Thank you. I’ll see you some other time.’
‘It was a pleasure. Any time Mr Kramer…’
Les waved from the door and disappeared inside.
Norton left the lights off in the flat when he stepped inside. The first thing he did was to toss a cushion on the loungeroom floor. Bloody women, he laughed to himself. The afternoon’s intense porking had left him a little more tired than he thought. He kicked his boots off and lay down on the carpet with his head on the cushion, his arms by his side. It was a trick Eddie had taught him that he learnt in Vietnam. Crash sleeping for thirty minutes at a time. A kind of self-hypnosis. If you set your mind to it and do the right breathing exercises to start with, you could crash out for half an hour and wake up feeling fresh as a daisy. The idea was to put your mind completely at ease but don’t make your body too comfortable.
White Shoes, White Lines and Blackie Page 24