Taking Chances Pt. 02

LONG AND WINDING ROADS

Kelly met Jodie at a pub in Ringwood and after discovering that Jodie's friend, Scott is just a boarder the two become better acquainted. Kelly has opened her own tattoo parlour after doing a government retraining course. Jodie is an accountant and she proposes a deal. She will do Kelly's books if Kelly will do some tattoos, a deal Kelly agrees to because she is attracted to the older woman. A few days after the session, Jodie asks Kelly to take her on a bike ride. It causes Kelly to get her hair done in an attempt to look her best.

Now as previously mentioned, I'd taken a bit of time over my wardrobe that morning although not nearly as much time as I took getting the bike ready but I considered myself well dressed enough to meet Jodie. I was wearing a white shirt with a mandarin collar under a black jumper, I was also wearing full leathers, jacket, pants and boots. I thought the white shirt was a fashionable touch, I'd picked it up at a second hand clothes store in Bayswater the day before.

However I paled into insignificance. I've always had a thing for white shirts, but Jodie's was fairly distinctive. The paired buttons were diagonally opposite so that to take it all in your eyes were forced to move back and forth all the way down. It was open to the second pair of buttons. The shirt was tucked into black Levis adorned with a black belt and gold Live to Ride buckle. Her black suede boots came halfway up her calves and were adorned with fringes and buckles.

"Nice boots," I managed.

"Thank you," she had a piece of toast in her hand, "nice hair," she reached out with her other hand and flicked at my hair, "where'd you get it done?"

"The one in Mountain Gate."

"Deirdre's studio?"

"Yeah," I looked at her.

"I do her books," she stepped back, "come on in, welcome to my parlour, again."

The lunch consisted of pasties and a side salad, washed down with Coke. We chatted a little about our week. She'd even been working on Saturday.

"Much to my disgust but thank God it was only three hours and then I was off to the gym," she pinched her sides, "I'm planning on losing weight."

"I didn't know you had any to lose," I replied.

"They love my tattoo," she straightened up, "I think every man was looking at my back and here was me trying my best to work on my crunches. You'll have some extra work coming your way soon enough, I gave a couple of your cards out and pinned one to the notice board."

"Thanks," I replied, "hopefully they'll notice it."

"Oh they will," she smiled slyly, "the men noticed me pinning it to the board and two women took a picture of it for future reference," she drained her Coke.

"Still you don't look like you need to lose weight," I countered.

"I need to get fit enough for my medical," she replied, "I want to join the local C.F.A."

"Oh right," my eyes widened, "good for you, I was thinking of joining a few years back but I baulked when I saw the police disclosure form, I can just imagine their laughter when I write accessory to armed robbery on it."

"It was years ago, you were young and stupid."

"Well there is that as well, I mean I know the local captain well enough but I think it's more that it might get out on social media that a convicted armed robber is now with the C.F.A. That's the problem with being charged as an adult, the record stays with you for years, maybe in a few years time I'll look at it though."

"I could just imagine you in a fire fighter's uniform."

"I can't imagine you in the same uniform," I studied her, "still, it's good you've applied."

"So, are we leaving already?"

"Yeah, let's get cracking."

The ride that afternoon took us into Cockatoo and then back around the southern shores of Cardinia Dam, north through Narre Warren East and back eastwards to the northern shores of the dam and Bobs Park where we stopped for a breather. The park was filled with people gathered around a small lake that is one of Melbourne's favourite swimming holes. The people on the shores were all part of some church group because as we watched, a young woman waded out to a man standing some ten or fifteen feet from the shore. He said something to her and then plunged her beneath the water before pulling her up again to the cheers from the shore.

"Well that's another soul for Jesus," she pinched my elbow, "you look like you've seen a ghost."

An appropriate comment given the sight of another woman on the outskirts of the crowd. I knew Xanthia from a few years ago. She and I were never an item, I was going out with one of her friends and she was going with my ex girlfriend as I explained to Jodie. I'd just finished telling her about it when Xanthia turned and upon seeing me, left the group and made her way over to us.

"Hiya," she grinned, "fancy seeing you here," her eyes flickered to Jodie.

"We're just going for a ride," I replied, "I was surprised to see you here, how long has it been?"

"Four and a half years. I'm a Christian now, I found Jesus a year or so ago."

"That's nice," Jodie smiled, "I didn't know he was lost."

I had to look away at that moment because the look on Xanthia's face was bloody priceless, her mouth dropped and she turned red.

"He wasn't lost, I was lost."

"Oh," Jodie took a swig of water, "well, whatever rocks your boat. Have you been baptised yet?"

"Six months ago, it was the most amazing experience of my life, I'm straight now."

"Well good for you," I propped against the bike, "I'm still as bent as a banana and quite enjoying the view from up here but whatever turns you on I guess."

The conversation petered out after and she went back to her church friends.

"I was surprised to see her there," I told Jodie as we prepared to leave, "she was out and out gay when I knew her."

"You never know with some people, maybe she's searching for something, they say God works in mysterious ways."

"Too mysterious for me," I muttered.

Jodie was right however, God does work in mysterious ways because that chance meeting with a 'reformed lesbian' led to a startling revelation back at her place as we sat drinking green tea.

"I kissed a girl once."

"You did?" I looked over the rim of my cup. "When and where?"

"At the Coffin Cheater's clubhouse. I was only going out with Animal for a few weeks before dad stepped in and did his thing, but at this party the guys put up money for me to kiss this straight girl who'd been invited to the party."

"Sounds like a plan."

"To be honest it's one of those things I'm not proud of. One of the things the guys would do if they wanted to see if you had the potential to be a nominee was to give the guy a tongue kiss. If he flinched then he couldn't be one of them, but if he reciprocated then he had potential. This girl was hanging around, much like I was at the time and the guys wanted to see how she'd respond, so I was roped in to kiss her. In hindsight I can see they were also testing me out as well."

"Or maybe they just wanted a laugh or a quick turn on," I grinned, "so, why does it make you feel bad?"

"Because it was designed to humiliate her, she freaked out, the guys laughed and she left shortly afterwards but I felt sorry for her. Linda was a sweet girl, so maybe I did the right thing now I think about it. I was young and stupid, and trying to fit in with the bikie scene."

"I've got no intention of fitting in with the bikie scene," I winced, "some of the club members have started bringing their girlfriends to me for their club tattoo, property of and then the name of the club. I always feel weird doing those tatts. Muzza calls it the slave tattoo because once she's got the tatt there's only one way it comes off and that's with a razor blade."

"Do they still do that?"

"You never hear of it because the women are too scared some pissed off patch member will take a razor to some other part of their anatomy. I've had invites to club parties but I'm always too busy to attend."

"I have had the occasional offer from patch members to do their books," she smiled, "but I always say my books are either too full or if they're really insistent I multiply my highest quote by ten. It usually puts them off," she fluffed out hair, "so, you staying for dinner or not?"

"Sure, I'll phone my nanna just to let her know I won't be home for dinner."

It wasn't the dinner invitation, it was more her whole outlook that night that told me she was starting to warm to me. The dinner was a quick stir fry, chicken with a korma sauce, steamed rice and vegetables, washed down with red wine. She talked quite a lot, mainly about herself, which I appreciated because she had a lot of information about me and I had none about her.

She had two sisters, Roberta and Carla.

"Roberta's two years older than me. She's just gone through a divorce settlement last year, she's a sergeant with Dandenong C.I.B and has two kids, Daniel and Elena. Carla is two years younger and a lawyer, she handles criminal cases so it makes for interesting conversations at family get togethers."

"So your parents have a copper, a lawyer, and an accountant to carry on the family name."

"Something like that. Carla was living with her boyfriend for two years but they broke up when they got engaged, she's got one on the way to some guy she had a one night stand with. She'll be ready to drop in two months so she's looking forward to her maternity leave and I'm looking forward to being an aunty for the third time. I love kids."

Which begged the question. Why didn't she have kids?

"Colin and I were okay at first, I mean we certainly connected on an intellectual level but sexually it just wasn't happening. He would freeze up and say he wasn't in the mood and in the end the only time I got satisfaction was on my own with a dildo or a vibrator. Towards the end we did try to resurrect our dead sex life with toys but I could see it wasn't happening and then he came out and said he'd found someone else. I thought it was some woman at work but it turned out to be a man instead," she managed a crooked smile.

"Which was a relief to discover that it wasn't all my fault."

But since then? She'd kept to herself. Scott was an old school friend who'd lived and worked in Britain and Europe for years before returning to his roots.

"He came in the back door as Colin was leaving by the front door. We went out a few times and then he went over to W.A for six months, came back and moved in with me."

"But you and Scott are just friends?"

"Oh there's people out there say he and I could be together and I get that. We're the best of friends but you know what they say about fucking your friends."

"Sometimes it makes it better."

"I know but it's not a path I want to go down. Scott is my oldest friend. I had my first joint with Scott behind the shelter sheds at Ferntree Gully High. He was my date to the end of year dance in Year Twelve when my actual date dumped me for his ex. With Scott I'd gain a partner but lose a friend and as much as people might wish it on me, I just can't magic up romantic feelings for him. He's with Kerry now. She's got three kids and needs to spend time with them but when they go to their father she gets Scott time."

Nevertheless, Jodie had been sexually active since Colin moved in although they tended to be a series of brief affairs.

"I attract younger men and repel older men, which pisses me off because I like the older men."

She stared out the window at her dog, who'd just gotten up to drink some water.

"I like older men and younger women, now there's a bloody contradiction," she looked at me and smiled slyly, "not that I've been with a woman yet but I do look at younger women. There's a nice little blonde woman at my gym now, I check her out whenever I'm there but so far she hasn't given out any signals and I'm not about to make an approach."

It all made sense on the surface but it didn't mean she had her eye on me, or so I thought until I farewelled her at the front door. I remember a fire truck had just gone screaming along the road because we both turned at the same time even though the bushfire season was months away. I turned back a moment or two later and she leaned over and kissed me on the lips.

"I'll see you Thursday," she took a half step back and smiled.

"No worries," I touched my lips and she managed a crooked smile.

"You'll never wash that spot again."

"Ha ha," I replied and then she stepped forward again and grabbing my jacket, fastened the zipper and zipped it closed while I watched.

"Stay safe on the road tonight and thank you for today, we'll do it all again soon."

As I touched my lips that night in bed I smiled as I recalled her comment that night. Okay, so she kissed me but didn't take it further. So where did I go from here?

She sent me a good morning text on the Monday and signed it with a kiss. I replied with my good morning, also signed with a kiss but there were no other texts that day. The next morning there was no good morning text and I composed one but deleted it without sending it and went to work. If it's one thing I love about work it's being able to shut the world out and just focus on work. In my line of work you can't afford distractions when a client is lying on a bench. There were no texts on Wednesday either but on Thursday morning I got a text from Jodie.

Jodie: We still lunching today?"

Kelly: Sure, no worries. What time?

Jodie: About 12:30.

Kelly: 12:30 is fine, see you here?

Jodie: Looking forward to it. xxx.

Which made me laugh out loud, okay, so I got three kisses today. The sky was blue I could smell freshly cut grass in the air and life was good.

Jodie knows how to make an entrance, it's one of those things she does best. Men look at her and want to be with her or in her. She has a hunger about her that needs to be filled and if you've got a pulse you'll find yourself hoping you're on her menu.

She was wearing a red blouse with loose billowing sleeves fastened with French cuffs tucked into a black satin pencil skirt, a necklace of black beads hung down to her breasts. Muzza was sitting reading Live To Ride while one of his mates was being tattooed and his eyes never left her front as I sidled around the counter and collected my handbag.

"Hiya, Muzza," she raised a hand and smiled, "how's the chest?"

"It's fine," he pulled at his beard, "why? You wanna take a look?"

"Sure," she reached me and Muzza lifted his tee shirt to show a magnificent beer belly that has taken years to create and she peered at the tattoo.

"Great work, I'd show you mine but I might get arrested," she slipped a hand into the crook of my arm, "come on, let's do lunch."

The last time we'd had lunch had been last week and we sat in her car with chicken and chips, but this time she headed on down the road and I thought we'd just grab something from the Indian take out or maybe more chicken and chips but instead we hopped into her car and she drove me down the road to the local R.S.L club.

"If I'd known we were going here I'd have put on some better clothes."

"Sorry, I should have warned you but you are a tattooist, it's not like you can turn up in a three piece suit is it? You want to go some place else?"

"No, here is fine, I know them all anyway."

It's not as posh as the bigger R.S.L clubs but it has a nice atmosphere, there were kids playing on the tank outside and a rather frazzled looking mother trying to supervise them and text at the same time. We sat down at a table and she folded her arms and leaned on it.

"My shout."

One of my more attractive features, apart from my breasts and long legs is the fact that I'm a cheap shout and seeing as I had to work in the afternoon I didn't even have a beer. I had the fish and chips, she had the most expensive meal on the menu, I know because I'd mentally checked that one off.

"So, what are your plans for the weekend?"

"I was contemplating the Great Bookie Robbery Part two but if you've got a better idea?"

"My parents are throwing a barbecue to celebrate Carla's birthday, so far no one's met this mystery man of hers yet. It's an informal thing, I'm planning on staying until seven but after that we'll go back to my house."

She had the fork at her mouth and caught the look on my face.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

"You want me to meet your family? Do they know anything about me?"

"Of course they do, it's what I was about to say next," she put the food in her mouth and chewed slowly, leaving me to wonder what was coming next.

"I was thinking about you all week," she finally went on.

I thought of the kiss but said nothing.

"You said something about wanting to join the C.F.A but you couldn't because you had a record, so I called dad and he got in touch with Roberta and then Carla. Between the three of them they think they can pull enough strings to get you past the Disclosure obstacle. All you need are two reliable referees who'll vouch for you."

"Except they don't know me."

"So who's to know?" Jodie took a mouthful of Coke, "dad's done this before, so has Roberta and as for not knowing you, they trust me. If I say you're fair dinkum then that's good enough for them," she put her glass down.

"If you think I'm going too fast then stop me."

I wanted to say yes she was going too fast but I didn't.

"So, I turn up to this birthday bash, talk to your family and put in my application?"

"Something like that. I mean it doesn't mean you'll get in," she pinched my upper arm playfully, "you'll need to get yourself fit and lose some of that flab but I think it'd be a good move."

"I've always wanted to join," I finally admitted.

"So do it, look, I know you're embarrassed, it's written all over your face in red. I'm determined to get into the C.F.A, more now than ever now that I've got my first tattoo. I've been sitting up there in Selby, all safe and warm in my cocoon and after all these years I'm going out of my bloody mind. I need to get out and start living again, get a few tattoos, flush out the plumbing, sleep with a woman if that's what turns me on. I loved that ride, most Sundays I sit at home on the computer liking people's posts or browsing."

She eyed me for a few moments.

"So, what do you say? Are you with me or is this too much?"

"I'm with you," I sighed, "talk about being hit by a freight train, you don't do things by halves."

"So, who's the butch now," she kicked me gently.

"I'm just looking out for you. I swear to God, you must be the most principled ex crim I've ever met. When I make the offer I just made all you can think about is the ethics of my father vouching for someone he's never met."

"Thanks," I replied, "you're all right, you're fair dinkum."

"I'll drink to that," she raised her glass, "and on the other matter," she took a mouthful of Coke, "I know I swung a little to the left on Sunday but I'm still straight. It doesn't mean I won't take a sudden turn to the left but give me space there, I don't say what I did was wrong but it took me by surprise that's for sure."

"That's fair enough, it was a nice kiss."

"Thank you," she smiled, "I always was a good kisser or so I was told but give me time to sort things out in my head. I just wanted to throw that one out there in case you got your hopes up and found I wasn't as willing as I seemed on Sunday."

"That's almost worth another tattoo," I replied.

"I still haven't printed the next one out yet, but I'm thinking of a white rose on my arse, the one on your wall just by the door."

"I can do that."

"Perfect," she smiled.

"So, what time Saturday?"

"I'll text you in the morning," she patted my hand, "don't work too hard."

There was no goodbye kiss when she dropped me off but considering what she'd just told me I would have thought it kind of dishonest. She did point out the tattoo she wanted and Muzza asked where it was going.