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."