The Yellow Cottage

They'd stopped for some road works and waited to be waved on.

"I have to confess that I'm embodied in Alexis -- she is me and everything I aspire to be."

"I knew that. Thanks for being honest enough to confess," he grinned.

After momentarily biting her lip, Jess said, "You are rather a strong character yourself."

Knowing she'd survived that little disclosure, Jess found courage to press for more revelations. "The developing romance between Karl and Alexis: I imagine you found fault with the early caressing leading to foreplay and then the big event that was repeated a few more times?"

"I slowed to read those juicy bits to test your knowledge and emotive writing. You received excellent pass marks."

"What, no criticism?"

"No, but possibly a couple of tips. With them described as working up to hot passion. I had to ask what was Alexis doing -- waiting to fall asleep? Your description was all about what Karl was doing and thinking. Secondly, where was the sense of adventure? They seemed confined to missionary, definitely in two of the three very passionate scenes and in the third what they were actually doing was lost in an excessive description of sensations, especially with Alexis, as if you were making up for her being blandly impassive in earlier encounters."

"And that's not criticism?"

"Not really. My impression is that you are not overly worldly so have limitations on what you can write about passionate sex."

"I see. And this trip is all about taking me to bed and teaching me new moves?"

"Not at all. But it's about living with a man for a week, with or without sex, and how we relate, think and feel when locked together. For example, have you ever watched a man shave? How close has a male been to you -- really?"

"Twice I been overnight with a man and we didn't rise until late morning."

"After nights on the booze and or drugs?"

"Yes, but I don't do drugs."

"But on both occasions you have great sex and were bouncing around at it again in the morning?"

There was no immediate response but finally Jess said the sex had been less than memorable. In both instances after a boozy night they'd climbed out of bed next morning like survivors of a train crash.

He grinned at said he rather liked that description. He'd had that experience himself and even worse twice had no recall of the previous night's action and in one instance managed to recall the woman's name by looking at her driver licence in her handbag.

"And men call women sluts," Jess laughed with real oomph.

"Careful, are heroines supposed to comment like that?"

Her laugh disappeared abruptly as if suspecting he was beginning to cast her as a heroine. She sat silent, allowing him to concentrate on turning safely into one of the two left lanes giving access to the route to the airport.

* * *

Early summer had bared the lower peaks of snow but the scenic grandeur impressed Jess and flying into Queenstown over a mountain range with ranges looking rather close on both sides had her agog. "Imagine flying in during the peak of winter snow?"

"I have," Scott said, "and snow all through the town. It sure looks picture postcard but getting around is slow going, I'm telling you."

"I'll remember that...look, is that woman wanting you?"

Scott looked where she pointed and grinned. A woman in front of two other couples was holding a sign with names: J Blackman, S Street, L Love. He went up to the woman, Jess following. She was thinking one word, communication. Mr Talkative had not told them they would be met or even outlined their programme. As he'd not offered information she'd not asked, being subservient because this was his show and he was paying for everything apart from meals. She didn't doubt for a moment he would be all over her, despite his disarming manner about the subject of them having sex. Only if she was the initiator, he'd said, not that she believed that for a moment. Didn't men just love to play their games? But this diversion had flummoxed her as she'd been expected they'd book into a hotel and would then be ripping clothes off each other in their room.

Jess didn't know whether to scowl or to throw a real wobbly in frustration. She'd only just decided to tackle him about lack of communication when the woman no longer holding up the sign was kissing her cheek and saying with a Scottish burr -- at least that was what Jess imagined it was, "Welcome to the real New Zealand my dear. Oh good gracious, aren't you really a pretty one? I'm Fiona Macdonald and expect to be called Fiona or you stupid bitch, you've made us miss our booking."

Jess stood with her mouth open before remembering her manners and said, "Hi, Fiona. I'm Jess."

"Ah so you are, the spitting image of a real Jessica," Fiona said with a sly smile and introduced Jess to Bernie and Diana Love and Leon and Jessica Blackman. That other Jessica was pasty-faced and over-weight so perhaps Fiona was signalling some sort of approval message after looking at the face and athletic body of Jess. Who knows and would Jess ever know? Fiona appeared to be a real darling and being in her early fifties could be expected to reveal character traits the young author could use to build on to portray the dynamic character of the heroine's mother or perhaps the hero's mother.

"Oh, so you are a daydreamer are you Jess?" Fiona smiled, coming to retrieve Jess with her feet anchored to the floor while daydreaming. The others were already walking out the exit, Scott in deep conversation with Bernie Love.

They piled their luggage into the rear compartment of the rugged-looking 8-seater and stood about like sheep, waiting to be allocated their pen. "Sit where you choose, gentlemen and be kind to all ladies and young Jess you are invited to sit alongside me."

"Oh, teacher's pet are we?" someone called. Jess half-turned to give the fingers to the guy whose voice she easily recognized but decided against it. Hadn't Fiona given a clear message she didn't want women behaving with bitchiness on her tour by labelling them ladies?

A tour? Yes, it appeared her South Island adventure was to start with a tour, rumbling around the countryside stopping for coffee, stopping for toilet relief and stopping to smell alpine wildflowers though Jess although it was unlikely flowers would be scented. Bright yes, but without perfume. Perhaps.

Fiona jumped in behind the wheel and started the diesel motor. "Right," she yelled, "Let the adventure begin!" Fiona made smelling wildflowers so exciting, perhaps too exciting. Perhaps she had something more vigorous in mind? Fiona pulled out to pass a taxi. The taxi driver blared his horn and yelled an obscenity that Jess only just heard and watched with a grin as her driver calmly opened her window and gave the taxi driver a disgusting one-finger gesture. So much for Fiona being a lady.

"Tell me about yourself darling," Fiona said, flicking an encouraging smile at Jess.

"Oh, there's nothing interesting about me," Jess indicated doubtfully.

"Now that's the biggest lie I've every heard," Fiona pushed. "Just let it unfold -- leave the details about sex experiences until the end of the day when everyone back there will be in exhausted sleep."

"When I was three my aunt gave me a tricycle."

Fiona was no longer grinning. "Would you like to get out and walk darling?"

"She's a published author," came the call from the back, resulting in other conversations ending abruptly.

"Oh is she now? Tell me darling, is smart-mouth Scott back there your husband, another woman's husband or just a guy you're having it off with?"

"H-he's j-just a f-friend."

Fiona acted horrified. "What, are you ignoring that beautiful specimen of manhood to have the family jewels shrivel from neglect because you have some sort of romantic notion that heroines don't have sex?"

Jess looked at the door handle and then outside, only to judge they were travelling much too fast for her to jump out safely. She thought of praying but decided help might not be available from that direction because her sins were mounting. Anyway, her sense told her that spirituality was not on order to be self-serving. She knew she was about to be hung out to dry. Fiona was such an awesome character. The sound of the grinding motor as they powered up a steel incline sounded like the guillotine blade being sharpened.

"W-what would you like to h-hear?"

"What inspired you to write darling? Please tell all. Everyone is listening."

"Well, when riding my tricycle..."

"Jess!" growled the redhead driver.

"When I rode my tricycle up and down, up and down the driveway between the street gate and our garage it became so boring, at least I seem to recall it did, and I began to image the pictures in my favourite story books and began re-arranging the stories, I guess to suit my mood. Soon instead of my daddy always reading to me at bedtime he'd lay back on my bed, hands behind his head, listening to one of my new stories. They were short but I kept on creating them. Soon my mother sat in the bedroom at evenings, listening to me telling daddy my stories. At school everyone always clapped loudest when I told my stories and even when we had morning talks and had to deliver real news I usually got the loudest applause. So I grew up never wanting to do anything else but write. I had to find a job of course, so I chose school teaching because I thought I would write children's stories although I never did -- at least not commercially. I was pulled in to write school plays. At high school I'd fallen in love with Victorian writers and that's when my eyes had opened to the whole world of literature..."

"Oh dear, sorry Jess. Here we are for your jet-boating adventure. Then it's white water rafting and you'll finish up making one of the momentous decisions of your life -- whether to take the bungy jump."

* * *

Fiona dropped them off at their hotel, which surprised Jess as she'd expected they would be staying at a motel but hopefully not at a backpacker's facility with its all-night noise. The other two couples had already been dropped off where they'd booked to stay.

"What do you guys have planned for tomorrow?"

"Nothing," Scott yawned. "I thought's we'd do the body-bashing stuff today and take it easy tomorrow."

"Do you ride a horse Jess?"

"Ooh, yes."

"Scott?"

"Sure, what do you have in mind?"

"Angus my husband does our tour thing tomorrow -- we do it day about which allows us to offer 7-day service. I'm going riding tomorrow and invite you two to join me. I'll meet you in the foyer at 6:00?"

"Six?" quavered Jess.

"Morning is the magic time for riding," Fiona said. "Then we'll lunch in the cool of the orchard where you can doze to prepare for your big night."

"Big night?"

"You'll be too tired for great sex tonight Jess, believe me."

They waved goodbye as Fiona took off.

"That woman has taken a real liking to you," Scott said. "Do you think she's gay?"

Jess didn't bother to berate him. "I remind her of herself when she was young."

Scott shook his head and muttered how on earth could she know that.

"Because I know."

He asked what sort of answer was that and was told it was the answer of a creative writer. "Your vocation is philosophy so think on that!"

Jess was disappointed that their room had single beds, and said so.

"I, er, decided to take things slowly."

"We can sleep in a double bed without having sex unless I want it," she flared.

"Oh can we?" he grinned. "I'm having a shower and then going down for a beer. Coming?"

"No, I'll have a bath but first will take a wee rest. Should we eat in?"

"If you wish. You look stuffed."

"We mostly sat all day with some paddling but the fresh air, excitement and adrenalin surges leave one rather tired."

"And the screaming."

"Oh yes, I was rather full on, wasn't I? The jet boating up against those canyon walls started me off and the rafting had me going again but I did save my best for the last, didn't I?"

"You sure sent the people laughing when you jumped off the Kawarau River Bridge. One of the bungy operators grinned and told me he's never heard a woman screaming her head off so loudly asking for it."

"Asking for what."

"You kept screaming 'Help, oh fuck me!"

"I didn't"

"You did."

"Oh God. How despicable of me."

"Yeah, we all thought you were gross."

The next thing Jess knew Scott was shaking her awake. It was daylight and she found she was under a light blanket in yesterday's clothes.

Yawning and scratching under an armpit, she said: "I don't remember having pizza or having sex?"

"You didn't. I returned to take you to the hotel restaurant and found you deeply asleep. I waited an hour and when you didn't wake-up I went off to dinner."

"Oh I'm sorry. Did you find another woman for company?"

Scott looked surprised. "I don't need another woman, I have you."

"But, but..."

"You're not a disappointment to me Jess. You are lively, talkative and soak up action adventure like a sponge. I've been so happy being with you and dining alone was no problem. I'm used to it."

"You are so kind to me," she said, holding up her lips to be kissed.

"You're worth it," he said, drawing away after pressing lips. "I'll grab some rolls and a couple of coffees while you shower. We can breakfast in the vehicle."

* * *

Scott returned with the smile of a successful hunter, their breakfast on a cardboard tray. Jess emerged from the bathroom unclothed and faced him confidently.

"We have ten minutes," she said, her eyes searching his. "Is that enough time for a quickie and for me to dress?"

Scott froze, eyeing the tuff of trimmed hair at the apex of her trunk. He then addressed the situation in a way he never expected in his lifetime: "No."

Disappointment swept Jess's face as she interpreted that croak correctly.

"Oh Scotty, mummy was trying so hard to please you and her."

He swallowed hard, still coming to terms with the unbelievable: Scott Street had said no to a golden opportunity for sex.

"I want our first time long and memorable," he said, this time speaking a little clearer as his seized throat had eased.

"I, too, would like it long," she giggled wickedly. "Tonight then -- promise?"

Scott nodded, not trusting his voice and watched hawk-like as she walked towards him.

"Say hello to titty," Jess said softly, holding up a breast.

He licked across the nipple, just the once, and they watched the nipple stiffen a little.

Scott knew that she'd now reach down to feel if he'd stiffened and closed his eyes almost in dread -- whatever for, he had no idea. Instead he felt Jess's arms go around his neck and she kissed him ever so sweetly. Her lips opened and their tongue tips met.

"Oh, what a promising start," she said breaking away. "Has your erection commenced?"

They looked down and sighted the beginning of a promising bulge.

"Oh God, I'm going to be sexed up all day," she giggled. "Be a good boy and go down to meet our hostess as she arrives. Otherwise I'll waste time teasing you as I dress."

Scott was out of there like a bolting rabbit.

The transformation of Jess had all but shocked him. The supposedly rather shy schoolteacher cum novelist was unveiling herself as being a rather convincing replica of a saucy seductress with the wherewithal to bring a guy to premature ejaculation. Well, probably that was an exaggeration but she'd sure as feathers on a hen had displayed sufficient promise to rather stagger him. But then the more he thought about it as he went down the three flights of stairs, ignoring the lift, the more he concluded that while showering she'd composed a script and acted it out when she had him arrive back as her audience.

Scott also accepted he was going to be a little sexed up throughout the day. In the foyer he asked for the number of a car-hire firm that allowed one-way hires to Blenheim and completed the booking just as he saw Fiona stepping from her blue Volvo.

"Hi, Fiona."

She replied and kissed him, not quite a motherly kiss.

"May I be personal?" he asked.

"Go ahead but don't ask for sex -- I'd not do that to Jess."

Scott saw by the smile he was being teased but still coloured. "Could you explain why you seem to be so attached to Jess? By the way, she awoke late and will be down in a minute. This is our breakfast."

"As soon as I saw her I thought I was looking at myself as a young woman in her prime, although I'm much bigger boned than Jess."

"That's exactly what Jess had figured."

"Does that surprise you or are you not aware she's a very intelligent young woman? What was your theory?"

"I had wondered if you were gay?"

"Oh yeah," Fiona said, cracking her knuckles. "I ought to drop you on the deck but without teeth you might be less attractive to Jess. I wouldn't want that to happen."

"I'm not apologizing Fiona. I had the thought and replied to you truthfully."

"Well now, at least you have grit. I now like you too much Scotty to hit you."

"I'm relieved about that Fiona."

They grinned. Jessie arrived and said they both looked happy.

Fiona kissed her on the cheek and told her to sit in the back with Scott and have breakfast. "I carry sheep on the back seat so don't worry about making a mess with crumbs and coffee slops."

The northerners looked at the immaculate backseat and became aware they were being teased.

The arrived in a valley and drove up to a very modern house constructed in stone, stained wood beams and dark glazing. "We have almost four hundred Merino sheep and specialize in breeding pedigree rams,"

"Wow," Jess said excitedly. "Four hundred?"

"This is our retirement home built last year on our hobby farm," Fiona said kindly. "For nineteen years we built up a high country station that with additions of leased land at its peak five years ago carried 22,000 sheep, four hundred breeding cattle and almost two hundred deer."

"Wow," Jess said.

"As a novelist you will be aware that, big or small, just brave or heroic, it's only a matter of perspective," Fiona said, philosophically.

Jess sighed. "I'm still young with so much to learn. That's why I find Scott is becoming such a prop to me, being so worldly."

"Oh, worldly in what way?"

"He's well-travelled as a lecturer in philosophy at universities."

"Oh," Fiona said with great interest. And thereafter for much of the morning Fiona and Scott engaged in concepts and fundamental that soon had Jess isolated so she rode her quiet brown horse with coal black mane and tail, looking at grand vistas and thinking about where her life was taking her, and why, and did she have a great novel within her. That was rather ironic of course, given what her two companions were discussing. But as soon as Fiona had asked Scott to name his particularly branches of interest and he replied ethics and social-political philosophy Jess soon allowed her mind to drift.

At Jess's request Fiona had called Angus and arranged him to meet them for dinner at the hotel.

Angus arrived, displaying a barrel chest, heavy shoulders and a fading red beard speckled with white hair. If that weren't enough he was two metres tall and had amazing timbre in his deep voice. What a character, thought Jess with delight, almost gurgling. He matched her concept of a Highland warrior she'd read about as an impressionable teenager.

Angus eyed her but not like a dirty old man. "Ah, so this is Jess my Fiona talked so much about last night, in reliving her past." He picked Jess up like a doll, without bending his back, and kissed her.

Fiona was amused and Scott watched with his mouth open, as if amazed at the strength of the benign giant.

Three hours later after waving goodbye to their most entertaining guests, Scott and Jess rode the elevator. Although an elderly couple were beside them, Scott kissed Jess and brushed back her hair with obvious affection. Jess pulled him too her, pressing a leg hard up against his groin, sending a clear message.