Because of a Rotten Fish

It was not a large or powerful boat, and was used only for slow trips along the river and at such times as Prue tried her hand at fishing. The ten horse power engine puttered into life and Prue turned the boat upstream.

Pat had taken her station in the bows and surveyed the passing scene in a casual if haughty manner; she was, after all, an experienced traveller on the river. David sat facing Prue and for once was gazing at her intently. Prue, who was already drawn into his atmosphere, tried to concentrate on steering the small craft.

A passing houseboat tooted them and they waved a reply, then the houseboat wake sent them heaving and rocking for a few moments as if intending to swamp them. Before they had stopped rocking a ski boat roared by towing two heroic figures, and there was another bout of heaving up and down. Prue got some mild satisfaction for this disturbance of the peace when one of skiers, in a flurry of spray, fell over.

After about twenty minutes they came to a bend in the river and a sandbar. Prue turned the boat and ran it into the shallows. She raised the outboard and David jumped into the water and pulled the boat right up onto the sand. That was the signal for Pat to leap from the boat and go hurtling across the bar in pursuit of some imaginary quarry, while Prue and David off-loaded the food and drink.

It was very quiet and still with no habitation in sight and no boats moving along the river. There was a screen of gum trees and low bushes backing the sandbar, and on the other side of the river where the water flowed faster, were old gnarled gums clinging to the very edge of the bank and threatening to collapse into the water. It was as if they were thousands of miles away from the rest of the world and the only people on this ancient and primitive continent.

The sat for a while, taking in the scene like newly emerged Adam and Eve wondering at the garden they had been placed in. Even the normally ubiquitous flies seemed to have deserted the place.

"No wonder Arnold and Cindy got to know each other on a sandbar," thought Prue, "It has all the primordial ambience that goes with man and woman in the act of love and passion."

She looked across at David and found that he had ceased taking in the scene around them and was looking at her intently. His magic was working and she felt a wave of heat engulf her and knew her face was flushed.

"It's…it's very beautiful here, isn't it?" she said, trying to steady a voice that threatened to quaver.

"Yes, yes it is, it's just the right setting for you, " David said very quietly.

Prue's flush deepened and to cover her confusion she leapt up and said, "Let's have a swim."

She slipped out of her dress and without waiting ran into the water. Its coolness eased the heat of embarrassment she had been experiencing, and she heard David enter the water behind her. Pat, who had continued to rush up and down the sandbar, spotted them in the water and joined them.

They swam around for a while, and then David swam to the other side of the river. Prue went back onto the sandbar and sat drying herself in the sun and watching him make the return journey. Pat seemed to have exhausted herself and had gone to sleep.

It came as something of a shock as David waded out of the water and she saw him clearly for the first time since he had stripped down to his bathers. He had a beautiful physique, and the time paddling down the river had tanned him and firmed his muscles, but what she could not avoid seeing, and what riveted her gaze, was his bathers.

If her's were modest, his were of the minimalist style popular with young males. But it was what was outlined by the wet, clinging cloth that concentrated her attention. Even if the bathers had been equal in modesty to her own they could not have concealed David's huge phallus. It was clear that this mighty organ was halfway to a full erection and Prue realised that the only person who at that moment could have inspired that was herself.

She tried to look away – to pretend she hadn't seen, but her gaze was dragged back to him, unable to resist looking at the display of his manhood. She felt a lurch in her lower abdomen and knew she was lubricating and her nipples had grown firm.

"Dear God," she thought in the torment of the arousal he had inspired in her, "I should never have come here with him," but in her deep self she rejoiced that she had.

She sat, waiting for what might happen next. David came and sat near her, but not right against her. "That was good," he said, and his words only added to Prue confusion and distress. Perhaps it wasn't she who had caused David's arousal. "He might be thinking of some girl back in the city, or perhaps it's the weeks of sexual abstinence paddling that canoe," she thought.

That was the trouble, she hadn't been able to read David right from the start and with most people she didn't want to or try to consciously read them, but with David it had been different.

His effect on herself, Sally, Cindy, the elderly lady in the clinic and the women in the pub had intrigued and even troubled her. That aura, the atmosphere, from the start it had aroused her female instincts; in his presence she had been intensely aware of herself as a woman.

It was not that David fitted into the popular image of the sexually macho male. He had been gentle and polite even to the point of irritation, yet she had been very aware of his maleness, as if behind that quiet exterior there lurked a powerful sexuality. Yet even now he made no move.

He was lying on his side looking at her and it a was a look she could not be mistaken about. He wanted her, and glancing down once more at his sex organ this was confirmed. It had hardened into a full erection and was almost spilling out of his bathers.

It was one of those moments between a man and a woman when both know what they want, but fear to make the move in case of rejection and it's consequent humiliation. Less sensitive men than David might have taken the plunge; might have kissed her, fondled her breasts and tried to play with her sex organ. If they were rejected they might shrug and comment, "There's plenty more where you came from," and even walk away. But Prue knew that was not like David.

An age seemed to pass as they lay looking at each other; then Prue couldn't stand it any longer. In a very low voice she asked, "Why won't you touch me David?"

"I don't want to spoil what we have. It's only been a couple of days."

"It won't spoil anything," Prue whispered.

He came over her and kissed her very tenderly and she responded, parting her lips for him to admit his tongue. It was no wild tongue thrusting, but a gentle exploration of her mouth, and his hand reached inside the top of her bathers to fondle her breasts.

Waves of love and passion coursed through her, and she reached down to take his penis into her hand. Feeling its size she wondered if her tight vaginal tunnel would be able to receive it – if it would hurt – but in that moment she didn't care. The years of her abstinence were over and she would be whole again.

She was ready for him, her tunnel soft and wet; she wanted his foreplay, his kissing, touching and to feel him sucking her nipples, "But that can wait," she decided, "We need each other too badly to wait now."

"Take my bather's off," she whispered.

He carefully peeled them off to reveal her nakedness, and then slipped out of his own bathers.

"Don't wait this time, David, Prue gasped. "Come into me now, I need you."

She parted her legs and he came to lie between them, yet even in that moment he seemed to doubt.

"Do you really want this?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Yes…yes…very much."

She felt the crown of his penis press against her swollen vulva; for a moment she held her breath, waiting for the pain, but there was none. With a groan he slipped into her easily. His shaft was tight against the walls of her vagina and she waited until his full length was in her, and then she flexed her vaginal muscle around him.

This drew another groan from him and he began to move in her, drawing back to thrust in deep. She moaned, "David….oh David…" and he echoed her cry, "Prue, I love you."

His movements became more rapid and urgent. She cried out to him, "David, I'm going to come…come with me…"

He gave a powerful thrust into her and she felt the power of his first ejection burst into her. In that moment she released the orgasm she had been fighting down, and with a cry like a wounded animal she let it overwhelm and possess her.

The noise of their copulating as it reached its climax woke Pat, who lay watching them curiously.

They clung to each other, struggling to force the last millimetre of David's penis into her, and then they began to calm. Prue made slight movements for a while, keeping David in her as she experienced the aftershocks of her orgasm. Then it was over and Prue knew this would be the moment of truth.

All too conscious of the short time they had known each other; she had not given herself to him lightly. For her sexual union was an act of love as well as lust. The moment of high arousal past, she still felt an intense love for David. In the throes of their passion he had declared his love, but she knew how in that moment men could so easily speak the words that afterwards they regret and want to deny.

He had not withdrawn from her and she waited for him to speak…tried to sense whether he was now regretting what they had done – whether he had feelings of revulsion for her who had offered herself after so short an acquaintance.

He was looking down at her and she tried to read in his eyes what he was thinking. He brought his lips close to her ear and whispered, "I love you very much, Prue."

A wave of relief passed though her; like her it had not been for him a passing moment of lust, but an act of love.

He withdrew from her and lay beside her, his hand touching her breast.

"You have lovely breasts," he murmured.

It was that moment that Pat chose to start nudging him. He laughed and said, "Pat, you would choose now to be hungry."

Prue laughed with him and said, "I've got something for her," and sitting up she took out a bowl wrapped in foiled, and taking off the foil offered it to Pat who immediately tucked into the dog food.

"We'd better eat too," Prue said, and started to open plastic containers while David opened a bottle of wine.

As he poured the wine into plastic cups he said, "It was beautiful with you." Prue responded, "And with you, David."

Nothing further was said for a while as they munched in silence, and then they heard a distant throb.

"Bloody houseboat coming," cursed Prue, and there was a flurry of dressing and then the houseboat came round the bend, its diesel motor pounding and its passengers waving to Prue and David. It throbbed away into the distance and they tried to resume their former tranquillity, but the sun was going down.

If Prue and David had thought they were in Paradise they were soon reminded that there is always a snake to spoil things; well, not exactly a snake. Certainly there would be snakes around the place, but it was not they who disturbed the tranquillity.

As the sun descended Prue and David found new friends – very ardent friends – who insisted that they had close contact with our Adam and Eve. The mosquitos arrived in their swarms to feast upon bare flesh.

There was hurried packing, loading and pushing out of the boat. The engine started they headed back down river to Queens Bend. Thus it was demonstrated that even the most ardent love can be set aside in the face of nature's assault.

Chapter 8. Lovers' Talk

They were in the process of winding the boat onto the trailer when the elderly prophetic lady came by with her dog. She paused for a moment looking at them, then made a noise that sounded like, "Hee, hee, hee," and walked on.

"What was that about?" asked David.

"Oh, it was just someone who feels that her words have been justified," quipped Prue.

"Ah," said uncomprehending David.

They drove to the house and for the second time that day Prue took the initiative and asked, "Would you like to stay here tonight with me?"

"You mean in your bed?"

"Of course."

"I'd like that very much, but I think we need to talk."

"Yes, I suppose we should."

They unloaded and went into the house. Pat was given more food and put into the area where patients recovering from operations were normally kept. She seemed to be a trifle put out by this, possibly sensing that the hitherto one to one relationship she had shared with David had now been complicated by Prue.

Prue and David settled down in the lounge and finished the last of the picnic food and consumed the remaining wine.

It was David who took the initiative this time.

"Prue, I don't think that it was casual sex we had, you're that sort of woman."

"No I'm not," shot back Prue, slightly offended that the matter had even been mentioned at all. "If you must know there's been no one since Jerry."

"I was wondering, do we have a future…I mean...together?"

"Do you want one, David?"

"You might not believe it, but I don't do those sort of things casually either. But what I do want to ask is - and I know that this might be painful - about you and Jerry…"

"He's been dead for four years, David."

"Yes, I know, but I wondered if you still…still…"

"David, I loved him very dearly, but I can't go on grieving for him for ever. I think I shall always treasure the memory of our love, but I've got on with many other aspects of my life, and this afternoon was another aspect…another new beginning."

"This may sound silly Prue, but from the first moment I saw you…I won't say I loved you, but there was something special…something different."

"Yes, I know what you mean," replied Prue, thinking of David's atmosphere. "The trouble is lots of other women feel something special when you're around."

He didn't respond to Prue's words, but went on, "The thing is, can we…I mean…is there more to it than this afternoon?"

"I've invited you into my bed, haven't I?"

"Yes, but…I don't know how to put it…as I said it might sound ridiculous, but I really do love you."

With some hauteur Prue asked, "Why is it ridiculous?"

"After a couple of days?"

She let the matter pass and said, "And you want know if I love you?"

"I didn't ask that."

"No, you didn't, but if it means anything to you, yes, I do love you."

David looked relieved. "The point is, what are we going to do about it?"

"As I said before, what do you want to do about it?"

"I think I might stay here. I could get work and…"

"And what about Baxter, Baxter and whoever and granddad's money?"

"Oh, sod the money."

"No David, I won't ‘sod the money'. You say that now, but how will you feel in a year's time, or in ten year's time? You'll think, ‘That bloody woman cost me a fortune'."

"But I can't just walk away now, Prue…I just can't…I love you."

"There's often a price that comes with love, as I well know."

"I will not walk away, Prue."

"All right, let's look at it another way."

"What other way?"

"Good God, David, you're the lawyer, you're supposed to be able to see all the angles."

"What angles?"

"When you join the family practice you get the money, right?"

"Yes, but I don't care about the money I want…"

"Will you shut and listen, David?"

"We're not even married and you're nagging me."

"Who said anything about marriage?"

"No one, but I thought…"

"You're a romantic, David, now listen. Does it say how long you're supposed to be with the practice in order to keep the money?"

"No, only that I have to join the practice."

"Right, so you go back, join the practice…"

"And then come straight back here."

"No you won't. You join the practice and give something back to your father for all the money he must have spent educating you."

"But…"

"A year…"

"A year!" exploded David.

A year, that's all, and then we decide whether we to continue or not. It's then we can talk about marriage if you want to."

"Why not leave here and come back with me?"

"Hey, I've got my profession too. I've worked hard to build up this practice and I'm not going to just walk away from it."

"Then you don't really love me."

"David, you're talking like a kid. Just like you might regret losing your money and start blaming me in years to come…"

"There will be years to come then?"

"Let me finish, David. Like you, if I leave this practice I might start blaming you in the future."

"You want us apart for a year?"

"Would that be such a bad thing? We hardly know each other and a year would give us time to consider."

"I don't want to consider."

"You may not want to, but that's my offer."

"You make it sound like a commercial deal."

"Well, it is in a way; and just look at all the marriages that break up these days. We can write to each other, email, telephone and you can visit whenever you've got the time."

"And at the end of the year we get married."

"I told you, we can talk about that when the year is over."

"You're a lot tougher than I thought you were."

"I've learned to be. Look, when I married Jerry it was for life; that's how I am. If we get married it's for life as far as I'm concerned. If you don't want that then screw me…"

"Don't talk like that Prue, you're too beautiful to talk like that."

"…If you don't want that then screw me for the rest of your stay here and then we'll say goodbye. But if you do decide you want more than that, there's one thing you've got to promise me."

"What?"

"You won't go glider flying. Now are you coming to bed with me or are we going to sit up talking all night?"

"Let's go to bed."

"Right, shower first."

Chapter 9. Bedtime

They showered together but did to copulate. Prue did toy with David's penis however and asked, "Where did you get this great thing from?"

"It came with the rest of me I suppose," laughed David, as his fingers explored her vagina.

"I was a bit frightened when I first saw it, I thought you might kill me with it."

"But you still went ahead."

"Yes, well, we often have to take a chance on whether something is going to be pain or pleasure."

In bed David began kissing her and went on to suck her nipples. They were more at leisure this time so Prue said, "As we've got to get to know each other, now is as good a time as any to start."

"I thought we were, David replied, removing a nipple from his mouth"

"Yes, but I think we can get more intimate than this."

"With that she moved her sex organ up to David's mouth and said, "You'd better find out if you like my taste and smell," then thrust her labia against his mouth. "Lick me darling," she commanded.

She felt his tongue enter her tunnel and then move in and out. After a few minutes his tongue was transferred to her clitoris and the quivering began. As her orgasm blossomed she began to whimper, and then as her climax came she screamed out, "You devil, you've got me in hell," and she burst into a paroxysm of weeping.

Had David been in control of the situation he might have stopped since he was troubled by her weeping, but Prue continued to press down on him, forcing him to continue his licking and tongue thrusting.

When she had calmed a little she withdrew from him and he asked anxiously, "Did I hurt you?"

"No…no…you did it so beautifully, darling. Now it's your turn, lie back."

She moved down to his penis and took it in her hand. She pulled back his foreskin so the crown of his penis stood up clearly. She thought it looked like a large ripe plum. She knelt looking at it for a long time as if fascinated, then bent to sniff it rather like a wine taster savouring a bouquet, and then licked the little droplets of clear sticky pre-cum.