Disclaimer: This story contains explicit sexual content of a Sapphic disposition, as well clever stunt work. Do not proceed to read any further if either could

a) Cause alarm.

b) Be illegal in your hometown.

3) You are too, too young (see b).

Warning: This story may contain characters who are not six foot brunettes with blue eyes and who are not five foot four blondes with green eyes.

You can rant at the author at mailto:msprism@btinternet.com

Part Two: Week Two

Sunday.

      “Oh Holy Crap!” Solley scrambled upright adjusting her dishevelled clothing, her face scarlet, her eyes looking anywhere but at Gins half-naked body. “Half-naked cos I stripped her!” Solley wanted a meteor to fly out of the heavens and hit her now. “Oh fuck, she’s not gay and you pawed all over her. She’s not gay and you ripped her shirt to bits; there’s probably buttons on the other side of the bay!” She wanted to crawl into the sand-dunes and curl up and die. “She’s not gay and you practically sucked her tit off. She’s not gay and…wait a minute…how can she possibly not be gay?”

      “You’re not gay? But everyone thinks you are…I mean… I did…and Janie certainly does...I thought…well… Marsha never indicated otherwise… and there were rumours…and gossip… oh…never-mind…oh…hell...” Solley’s sentence dribbled to a merciful end.

 “I don’t know anything about any gay rumours…but this is show biz so there has to be some crazy shit going round I suppose.” Gin straightened her torn clothing as best she could and continued to sit quietly beside Solley who radiated a humiliation that she felt could probably been seen from space. “Why isn’t she running for the hills? After all a big fat lezzos just jumped her.” she thought miserably.

      “What I don’t understand,” Gin continued quietly, “is why you want a lesbian affair? Are you tired of men? Has this divorce soured you, made you want to follow your sisters lifestyle?  Or was I supposed to be some kind of experiment?”

Solley looked at her in total confusion. “What I suppose I’m asking,” Gin expanded carefully, seeing Solley’s confusion, “is that if I had been gay, would this have been anything other that a…a… risqué holiday fling to you?”

 “Risqué! Risqué! This is my life you idiot. I am a bloody lesbian! So no need to freak out …at least one of us was gay; and that, of course, makes it all sooo much better! ” Solley’s humiliation and hurt suddenly turned to angry sarcasm. “Believe you me, if I’d have thought for even one second you weren’t queer I wouldn’t have touched you with a gaiter pole never mind…”

 “Torn my clothes off?” Gin raised her eyebrows, bemused at Solley’s sudden mood swing.  “She’s gorgeous when she’s angry. Unfortunately I’ve had a lot of opportunity to appreciate it this week. And I don’t think it’s going to stop now!””

      “So, please explain this Dan to me. I’m a little confused, I understood Dan was your husband and he had run away with another woman. I’m setting the blame for this at Marsha’s door, somehow she has managed to make you think I’m gay and me think you’re straight. She’s obviously some sort of twisted genius.”

 “Yea, truly she was  blessed by the Dumb-Ass fairy as a baby.” Solley sighed, “Dan is Danielle and she’s my wife. I had Jed from an earlier heterosexual relationship, his father is long gone. The twins were AI babies that Dan and I planned for; much like Janie and Marsha are doing now for their own family. But not long after we had them Dan found she couldn’t settle into parenthood and we started to drift slowly apart.”

 “She’s an idiot!”

 “That’s what I think too, and unfortunately she’s found another younger idiot who has no kids, plans to have no kids, will never ruin her perfect body by having kids, but likes the idea of playing dolls house with mine! So I’m about to start a very bitter custody battle, Dan wants the kids fifty percent of the time, but also plans to move to the other side of the country. It’s stupid, disruptive and impractical but if she gets her way the kids will be out there for half the year.”

 “What will you do?”

 “Well, I’ll probably have to relocate there myself. I can’t have the kids spilt across an entire country, it’d never work. Better I was close by so the disruption would be minimal. I work in HR, well part-time at the moment, but I should be able to pick up another job easy enough.” She concluded miserably.

 “But your life is here; your family and friends are here. How can she be so selfish?”

 “More importantly the kid’s lives are here. They need the support of family and friends more than I do. It’s not easy having same-sex parents, no matter how liberal your neighbourhood, or the schools you send them too. Dan just doesn’t see it. She wants her new life and also the best bits of the old one. It must be nice to be able to shed your skin like that. Like the snake she is!”

 “So you’re worried she may use the kid’s holiday injuries as leverage against you?”

 “Well I’m the birth mother so she’ll have to get down and dirty to get her way.  Unfortunately she’s also been the main breadwinner for the past few years so she’s afforded herself a killer attorney. I’ve got to be so careful. That’s why I freak out each time a little bit of a baby falls off, ya dig?” she smiled ruefully at Gin.

      Gin returned her rueful grin, “It has been a little uncanny.” She stated, “But I adore them, and these mishaps would never have happened if they weren’t such vibrant and intelligent and inquisitive children. Does Dan really know what she is asking for when she wants custody for half the year?”

 “Oh, she has no idea! No idea at all, much less that air-head, bimbo, big-tit bikini model she’s prancing around with. I’ll give them two weeks and Della will have them both catatonic. It’s almost worth letting her have her way. Teach the bitches a lesson.” Solley expounded with a wry smile.

     Gin smiled ruefully, “I can see you’re not very impressed with her choices. But, if I may say so, I think she’s staying true to type on one thing, you’re absolutely beautiful… you could be a bikini model…” She finished with forced playfulness. “Oh Sol, you’re obviously so deeply hurt and undermined, and you desperately want your family to stay together. This Dan is so stupid.”

Solley looked down at her own generous curves, “Considering you haven’t even seen mine I think that comment’s a little under-qualified. Also I called her an airhead, you want to draw a comparison on that too?” she challenged, amazed at how quickly they had moved on from the painful awkwardness of earlier.

 “I wouldn’t dare draw a comparison.” Gin answered truthfully.

 “Well I think you did. And lets face it I’m the only one round here equipped to compare body parts…after all, I’ve seen yours!”

Gin blushed so fiercely Solley immediately regretted her joke.  “Obviously too soon to go there.” She scolded herself, “In fact, never go there, never ever go there ever again. Not even in your wildest, horniest, hottest dreams. It simply never happened and isn’t happening. You were not that shameless, brainless harlot! Christ you might as well be an air head bikini model!”

       “Anyway, despite all the lumps and bumps...and breaks and blindness, the kids seem to think you’re the best thing ever.” She rapidly changed the subject. “Seriously, this may end up being one of their last summers here, but at least, thanks to you they’ll always remember it happily. You’ve salvaged summer.” She looked across to Gin Ito with genuine warmth and affection.

 “No,” Gin held her gaze and responded quietly, “you’ve salvaged me.” And with a small, shy smile she stood up, wrapped her tattered shirt around her and headed off into the night.

      “Whose voices are those on the deck at this time of night?” Janie sat up in bed sleepily. Marsha was hovering near the balcony, she’d awoken to take her pills and found her second wind in the balmy night air. Now she was more than glad her lover had also awoken to keep her company.

 “It’s your big sis and Gin Ito. I think they’re getting it ooon!” she wiggled her eyebrows at her bed partner. “I did good.”

 “You did good, did you?” Janie snorted, “And just how did you arrive at that conclusion?”

 “Cos I didn’t meddle, unlike some, I just sat back and let it all work out beautifully. And we all know good girls get a reward; especially good girls high on painkillers.”

 “Oh, I see. A little frisky are we.”

 “Oh, so much more than a little, enough for you to be I big, big trouble!  ‘Now roll your fat ass round so I work on that zipper baby.’” She quoted from her favourite Prince track.

 “How romantic! I wonder just how many proposals of marriage have been initiated by that song…”

 “I have been in pain with this ankle for days. I have missed out on the stunt-work I so wanted to do. I have been practically drowned and terribly abused by your family’s little demon spawn. Now I want sex, I want hot sex, and I want you woman - on top, now!”

       Solley turned off all the downstairs lights and checked all the locks, before dragging herself dejectedly upstairs. Passing her sisters bedroom she heard the repeated thudding of a bed-head against the wall and the muffled moans and groans that accompanied the rhythm.

 “Brilliant, all the world’s bonking except me, Miss Spot the lesbian and Misses by a mile! Will I ever be able to look at a Havana cigar again and not cream my jeans?” She moved heavily towards the bathroom in a miserable mood.

       Marsha’s long muscular frame lay prone on the bed, her ankle slightly elevated on a pillow. Her naked lover sat straddling her as Marsha’s large hands massaged her thighs. When she was satisfied that the trembling muscles underneath her fingers were close to collapse she reached down between their suspended bodies and directed the tip of her dildo towards Janie’s slick, sodden folds. Adjusting the position of the silicon head she centred it on her lovers sopping centre. Janie moaned with want, but hovered obediently even as she felt the probing shaft head touch her aching labia.

 “Okay, baby. Now I want you to suck it up and rock. Gently…I’ll tell you when.”

Janie moaned and quivered, poised on the tip, every primordial nerve in her body screaming at her to plunge down and fill herself to the brim.

 “Now baby, slide down now. Take it all.”

Janie complied, a long low moan stretched out over every tormenting inch. Marsha’s hands on her hips guided her, controlling her slow descent.

 “Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh Mar, Mar.”

 “Rock now baby. Rock on it for me.”  Janie’s hips swung back and forth in a slow sway as the dildo embedded itself further into her centre. Her internal muscles clasped and clung to the shiny slick length, adjusting to the width, adjusting to the depth, her wetness encouraging the rhythm, the extra lube Marsha had pushed into her relaxing the friction. Suddenly she was at one with this alien, suddenly she understood it, her walls mastered its dimensions, its pace, its hardness and it became a slave to her desires. Confident and comfortable with its subservience to her needs she rode it harder and faster.

       Leaning forward Janie placed her hands on Marsha’s broad shoulders as her hips ground and swayed back and forth. Moaning heavily, fingers biting into the muscular flesh, her wetness flowing down the shaft, the stickiness clinging to her lover’s sex and belly.

 “No, baby,” Marsha whispered, “lean back. Put your hands on my thighs. I want to see you arch that back. I want to see your tits stand out. I want to see them shake in the moonlight. Come on baby, bounce for me. Bounce”

     At her lovers instruction Janie changed from her rocking motion to an up and down bounce that covered the entire shaft length. A deep growling moan reverberated in her throat. She leaned back wards her hands balancing her weight on Marsha’s strong thighs, her back arched, her breasts pushed up into the night air, nipples puckering, soft breast flesh quivering and bouncing with each thrust.

 “Oh baby, baby. Oh baby.” She chanted, her fevered brain frozen on this mantra.

  “Bounce for me Janie. Bounce hard girl, let me see those titties jiggle.” Marsha’s hands were cupped round Janie’s ass, her fingers biting into the soft flesh, assisting in her plunging motion and allowing room for Marsha’s own upward thrusts. “Come on girl. Slap down hard. Let me hear it. Let me hear my dick slapping into you.” Janie’s moans became louder and sharper, moving from groans to cries to tiny little screams. Her bouncing became frantic her breasts ricocheted in the moonlight as requested.

    Marsha freed her hands from Janie’s soft backside and reached up. Both hands enveloped a heaving breast each and squeezed cruelly on the nipples. Janie gave a short little scream.

 “No soft nipples baby. Not in my bed, not on my dick.”  She began to gently massage the soft full breasts, rolling the nipples in an unforgiving pinch until they stood hard and proud again. “You ready to come.”

Janie moaned deeply and nodded her head, her hips still plunging.

 “I didn’t hear you. You ready to come. Do you want to come.” Her grip on Janie’s breasts tightened.

 “Oh yes, God yes.”

 “Yes?”

 “Yes, let me come.” Janie spat out in a strangled whisper.

 “I’ll tell you when. You just keep grinding. Fill that pussy, suck it all up.”  Her hands returned to Janie’s ass lifting her slightly to allow for an increase in her own upward pounding. Janie’s rhythm was fierce and out of control. Her breathing was ragged, her cries hoarse and incoherent, her sex juices soaked down across Marsha’s abdomen and into the bed linen mixing with their sweat. Marsha knew Janie was on a knife edge.

    Using the wet flow from her lover’s cunt she thrust one well coated thumb deep into Janie’s ass as they rose and fell together. Janie jerked at the new and intense sensation. “Now baby, now. Go for it. Scream, scream it out.” The extra stimulation pushed Janie over that edge, she cried out as she rose and fell, her vaginal muscles spasmed, her clitoris exploded, and she was sure her heart momentarily stopped. One long scream escaped from her, it was just a noise, not a word or part of a word, just a long hard noise from her aching lungs.

     She fell forward into the gently cradling arms of her lover. “I love you, I love you, I love you” whispered repeatedly into her ear. Slowly her breath returned and she slid off the redundant member, still wrapped in Marsha’s arms, her dazed eyes slowly focussing on her lover’s lust-filled indigo gaze.

 “Hey babe, you were fantastic.” Marsha smiled at her sweetly, “I know people think you’re the boss and that I’m pussy whipped at home, but admit it, when I strap on, I’m the bedroom daddy!” she gave a cheesy grin. Janie smiled back and kissed her long and slow.

 “Sure you are, sugar. But just remember, with my invisible dick, I can fuck you all day long. Now kiss these nipples better and show them how sorry you are for pinching them so tight. Maybe if you suck up just right they’ll forgive you.”

      The better part of Sunday passed quietly. Solley had risen early from a tortured sleepless night where she re-ran the past week over and over trying to figure out how she could have made such a huge ass of herself. She cringed inwardly on remembering her behaviour from last evening. Finally, having beaten herself up enough she packed the children into the SUV and they all headed off for the day to a nearby theme-park. By careful manipulation of space and time she managed to avoid bumping into her sister and Marsha, and, more importantly, bumping into Gin, “Yes, no more bumping into Gin, no more bumping Gin ever. Gin and her rock hard, poke your eyes out nipples.” she sighed heavily to herself.

Monday.

       “Hey, where were you all day yesterday? I missed you guys.”  Janie greeted her sister at their customary early morning coffee catch-up.

 “Oh, when we got back from the park the kids were spent and I was more than wiped out myself, so we all went up to bed early. I take it you and Marsha went out.”

 “Yea, we met up with Jeff and Gin and a few others from the studio. Had dinner and then on to a club. It’s been ages since Marsha and I have gone out.”

      Solley felt an unexpected stab of jealousy at the thought of Gin out dancing while she tossed and turned alone full of misery and remorse. “Oh how the other half lives. The straight half that is!” she scowled into her cup.

 “What’s up with you? You look pissed.”

 “Nothings up, slept badly that’s all.” She stretched and yawned to throw Janie off the scent.

      “Sol? Marsha seemed to think you and Gin were,” she hesitated, “‘getting it on’ the other night?” Janie asked the question tactfully, conscious her sister could be up and storming out the door before she got the information she required.

Solley suddenly looked hot and angry, “Actually we were just getting a few things straight.” She sipped her coffee and countered. “I was explaining Dan’s position, and why it’s so imperative that the kids don’t go back home looking like broken biscuits.” At least she wasn’t lying. “I think she got the point.”

 “Oh she got something alright!” Janie came back, Solley jerked involuntarily. “She looked absolutely miserable last night. You couldn’t get a smile out of her for love or money.”

 “Oh dear.” Solley immediately brightened. “How awful.”

Janie’s eyes narrowed, “Sol…” she began.

       “Hey, how’s my two favourite Rayner girls doing this morning?” Marsha hobbled in, plonking a warm kiss on both women. “All you’re missing is the delightful Della and you’d have a coven.”  She poured herself a coffee.

 “Believe me if I knew any witchcraft you’d be the first to find out!” Janie retorted, her attention thankfully distracted from her sister for the moment.

 “Well, since you supposedly can’t read my mind, well at least not yet, I guess I’d better tell you all my news.” Marsha returned smugly. “Sol, your favourite heroine in coming to visit later this week.”

 “Heroine?” Solley replied confused, a series of rapid flashbacks flew across her mind; Gin plunging into the sea from a helicopter, Gin diving into the water from a moving speedboat, Gin abseiling freeform down a cliff-face, Gin spread naked across the sand-dunes, her hot tits stretching for the sun… “Shit. You promised you wouldn’t go there.” She scolded her dirty mind. “I never left there.” It answered.

     “Yea, Kelly Rose, dufus.” Marsha glanced across, “She’s dropping in this week to meet the stunt crew. Gin and her team work on a lot of Kelly’s films so it’s important for her to keep things sweet. It’s just a PR exercise, but I thought you and the kids might like to meet her.”

Solley visibly brightened the day was getting better and better. First Gin Ito was miserable, for whatever reason, Sol didn’t care if her kitten was dead just as long as she felt as crap as she did. Then her favourite actress was coming to Wandanna Beach and maybe Solley would meet her. “Yup, no Monday morning blues here! Things are definitely improving.”

     Filming from the cliff-side location halted by mid afternoon as the light began to fade rapidly and a cold-front blew in across the bay promising rain later. Marsha and Gin sat side by side a little further along the cliff-tops as the crew rushed around packing up gear before the threatened weather finally arrived.

      Boots swinging a hundred and thirty feet above sea-level, the views spectacular, the cool breeze ruffling their hair, they sat in companionable silence.

 “Marsh, tell me about how you and Janie met.”

 “You were there.”

 “Yea, but I didn’t pay attention until you were…well...just… there, as a couple. Sort of solid and complete…like you’d been around each other for ever. Know what I mean.”

 “Yea.” A soft grin covered Marsha’s face. ”You know sometimes I have to think really hard about life before her. It’s like I was just arsing around the frigging world waiting for her. Only I didn’t know it. I didn’t know I was waiting, I didn’t know I wasn’t happy. Shit I didn’t know what happiness was. She expanded my emotional vocabulary.”

Gin looked over at her goofily grinning friend.

 “Didn’t know I could wax lyrical, did ya.” Marsha grinned even as her eyes clouded over. “Some mornings I wake up so light and happy I could write sonnets. I look out the window and I bless all my days since finding her. Some nights I fall into her so deep I’m scared I’ll lose my soul and I’ll never find my way back.” She turned serious eyes to Gin. “I’m so in love it scares me, even after all these years. And it’s not because she may leave me, because she never would. It’s because I never ever thought someone like me; who I thought I was, could feel so much, so deeply…and I know we’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of what we’re capable of.”

Gin held her friends steady gaze with quiet wonder and understanding.

 “So…what troubles you friend?”

 “Solley Rayner. Solley Rayner troubles me very much indeed.”

Marsha’s eyes questioned her friend silently.

 “It’s like I’ve woken up. She’s revived me, like I’ve been asleep for a hundred years, and suddenly life is vibrant and new and fresh. Even the day smells different. And the kids, I look at them and I’m filled with laughter and joy. No tightness, no pain, no guilt.  I’m light, Marsha, I’m happy. Because of her.” She looked across to her friend mystified at her own words.

 “I knew you two were getting it ooon!” Marsha crowed her lyrical seemingly all waxed out.

Gin shook her head ruefully. “No, not getting anything on. I think she’d like me to be with her that way. But it’s just sex to her, just a fling to ease her through these bruising times.” They sat on in silence until Gin felt she could continue. “Why do you think she thought I was gay?”

Marsha shrugged, “Well, you know the film industry…if you don’t have a man on your arm they assume you’ve a woman on every finger! Does it bother you she wanted you that way? What’s wrong with having sex with her, God knows she’s gorgeous…you both could do with some!”

 ”Cheers, Marsh” Gin rolled her eyes at the flippant advice. They sat in silence watching the crashing waves below them.

      “You know that soul thing you were saying, about falling into someone and losing yourself? Well, I know what you mean…if I were to be with her, like she wants, sexually, would it even mean anything to her? Because I’m afraid I’d… I’d fall into her...I know I would… and what if I never came back?  And Marsha, I’ve been away for so long already…What do I do?”

Tuesday.

     Kelly Rose arrived in a black limo with a small convoy of press and studio reps following behind. The trailer camp had a heightened buzz to it as word of her arrival spread and people began to orientate to the main drag to catch sight of the star of the movie they were all making.

     After what felt like a reasonable length of time Solley ambled down towards the camp. The kids had gone down earlier with their Aunt Marsha; Janie deciding not to lower herself with such ‘bullshit’ had headed into town.

 “This is the side of Marsha’s business I just can’t stomach. That someone gets paid that much money just for looking good and acting stupid. At least Marsha has truly earned every bruised and bloodied cent they pay her!” she had sermonized as she checked her purse and headed out the door.

     Solley had no such compunctions and looked forward to meeting her favourite over-paid, good-looking, stupid acting, idol. She arrived just in time to see a small public presentation in full swing. In front of rolling cameras and a barrage of flashing press photographers Kelly Rose was presenting Gin Ito with a trophy shaped like a silver pendant flag, however Solley wasn’t close enough to hear the speeches the smiling pair were making to the cameras.

She spied her family group, and sidling up to Jed she whispered, “What’s going on?”

 “Gin’s just won the Indie Pendant Film Award for Best Stunt Director on Russian Rebels.  The Award Ceremony’s in New York tomorrow night and Gin can’t get there so Kelly Rose is presenting it on behalf of the Academy. Marsha says this is a Thank You video clip for the show.”

 “Wow!” Solley was impressed she had often watched the prestigious red carpet event live on TV. Suddenly she realised that to the rest of the world, and not just her children, Gin Ito was a pretty impressive person, with a massive fan following all of her own. “I guess with her being a friend of Marsha’s, and getting to know her up front as a real person, I forgot she’s actually pretty god-damn famous.”

     As she continued to watch the impromptu show that was so delighting the studio crew around her, Solley became uncomfortably aware of the body language between Kelly Rose and Gin Ito. The star seemed to be clinging to Gins arm like Glad wrap, the side swell of her impressive bosom crushed up against Gin’s tight bicep, not to mention flashing a humongous amount of dental porcelain into Gins face. Still unable to hear the speeches Solley decided that the physical message she was reading spoke more than words.  “The decent words you’d find in a dictionary that is!”  Yes, these two were just a little bit too close for comfort. Watching the two stars smiling warmly at each other Solley’s hot temper surged fuelled by a gasoline surge of jealously, “And you wonder why everyone thinks you’re gay? Maybe it’s because you trawl round like an in-heat meerkat! You flirty little tramp!”

     The little scene before her was winding down, and as the crowds began to drift off Solley fell in with them, any desire to move forward with Marsha and the kids to meet the simpering floozey hanging on Gins arm like a loose thread had completely disappeared. Plus the temptation to thrash Gin Ito with a camera cable was too much.

     Deep in murderous thought Solley found she had fallen in behind a couple of familiar looking young women. “Are those the two who were bitching about Gin last week?”

Sure enough she began to pick up parts of their gossipy conversation… “Apparently they’ve been an item for years, right back to ‘Princess of the Pacific’ where Gin Ito did all her pearl diving stunts for her…if you know what I mean.” One sniggered to the other.

 “Oh my God, it is them, don’t they have anything better to do?” she manoeuvred herself closer so she could hear better.

“Well, I heard she does more than her fair share of sucking up to Ito!” she friend replied giggling. “You mean she likes to eat o’ Ito!” the other smirked at her terrible pun. “Yea, like it’s ‘All you can Ito’ for five bucks!” ”Five million bucks! You need to suck up real good if you want Gin Ito to dive for you, she’s not cheap you know.” “I’d let Gin Ito dive on me anytime. And Plunge!”

“Oh for god’s sake, she wouldn’t plunge your kitchen sink! People might think she was gay!”

 “It must be a hard life when you’ve got Kelly Rose constantly kissing your ass.” “It’s a hard something!”

 “It’s hard luck… cos the woman’s straight. She thinks ‘Down’ is a dog command!”.”

 “Did you see her rubbing her tits all over Ito’s arm back there?” “Talk about marking your territory! Why not just pee on her and be done!”

  “I knew it! That horny, fake bitch is panting after Gin. Not that I give a rats-arse…” Solley had heard enough to make her mood even blacker, and swung away through the dunes towards the house.

     Her face like thunder, huffy steps kicking up sand, she didn’t see the other woman lying belly down in the dune-grass until she nearly fell over her.

 “Hey! Watch it! What’s with all the sand-kicking I’ve valuable equipment here, not to mention my eyesight!”

 “God, I didn’t see you there. Talk about camouflage!” Solley staggered to a halt and took in the lean young woman sprawled in the sand. Surf-dude baggy desert fatigues, ex-army tank top on a tanned muscular physique, her brown, blunt cut hair framing expressive grey eyes. She also had a very expensive looking camera and telephoto lens pressed against her shoulder. “Not too smart to roll around a grassy knoll looking like an assassin.”

 “Why don’t you just stick a big fat marker in the sand so everyone knows where I’m at! Get down woman!”

 “Well, I never thought I’d hear those words this week!” Solley complied feeling rather silly to be prone in the sand next to a stranger, and an extremely attractive stranger at that. “I take it you didn’t get a general press invitation then?”

 “Oh the invitations I usually get involve the use of forceps just to extract my camera!”

 “Paparazzi?”

     The young woman offered her hand with a generous grin, “They call me Sniper, but you can call me anytime.” She said with easy confidence.

Solley shook the proffered hand, “Solley Rayner and maybe I’ll just call you fresh. So Sniper, why are we belly down in the sand?”

 “Right now I can only think of one good reason, and at least forty positions!” Sniper continued to flirt outrageously.

  “What I mean is half the world is going to see the presentation tomorrow on TV, hardly ground breaking news, now is it?” deciding to ignore the grey eyes twinkling at her mischievously.

 “Ah, but you see that little orchestrated love-fest down there doesn’t interest me. I’ve got bigger and better prey in my sights.” Sniper gently tapped the lens.

 “Like what?”

 “Ah, that would be telling. And who exactly would I be telling it too, Ms Solley Rayner. What exactly is your job on this movie?”

 “None at all. I’m just a gaping by-stander. I’m vacationing here and thought I’d drop by to see the illustrious Kelly Rose in the flesh.”

 “Well, watch the nationals tomorrow and you might see just that. I’m targeting that trailer there.” She indicated the trailer Solley knew to be Gin Ito’s, “My hunch is Ms Rose will be in there ‘in the flesh’ sometime soon, along with her intense little ‘cunning stunt’ buddy, and I intend to peg it.”

 “And how did you come by this Top Tip?”

 “Oh it’s just general knowledge in the industry.” She shrugged casually. “Hard to prove though, but maybe this time I’ll score…so to speak.” She turned smokey grey eyes on Solley, a crooked but thoroughly charming grin lit up her face.

 “Well, I hope you have more luck than Kelly Rose is going too.”  

      Solley smiled ruefully at the young woman and her suggestive eyes, “Well, I’ll wait with baited breath for tomorrow’s press releases. I’d better be getting along.”

 “Hey, maybe we’ll see each other again?”

 “If we do you’re obviously doing something wrong, Commando Joe.” Solley flung over her shoulder as she crawled away on hands and knees, unwittingly giving Sniper a delectable view of her swaying rear.

 “Well, I’m determined to see a little more of you! Where are you staying?”

Solley just laughed and crawled away through the sand feeling like a D-Day veteran. No way was she going to play with this dangerous young charmer, she was horny not stupid.

      Later that afternoon Solley sat on the veranda swing chair with her second large spiced rum and coke, and replayed all the conversations from earlier that day. Something was not adding up. ”Gin told me she was straight.” she pondered. “Yet it seems the whole world thinks she’s a big ole lezzer. A big ole hottie lezzer; having it away with one of the sexiest women on the planet, according to the magazines. Well, fifth sexiest woman on the planet, to be exact. I wonder what number I’d come in at? Three trillion and fifty-two!” she snorted to herself, “Hey, I’m a little tipsy. This rum is gooood!”

      Looking out across the sands she suddenly spied Gin Ito walking towards her, a big smile on her face, her arms filled with several packages. The warm breeze ruffled her black hair as it shone in the sun, moving it fluidly, like liquid black ink. Her sky blue cotton shirt thrown casually over a white tank top fluttered away from her body, displaying tantalising glimpses of muscular shoulders and chest. Sea-green bikini shorts hugged her firm butt and enhanced the well toned sweep of her muscular, tanned thighs. A hot little sigh escaped Solley as she watched the subject of her agonised thoughts approach. “Here she comes, the Goddess of Tiny, Horny and Breakable. Why does she have to be straight, it’s just not fair.” She took another deep swallow of her drink, “So why does all the evidence point to the contrary. In fact it’s only her word…”

     She thought of the never ending gossip on Gin’s sexual preferences, of her supposed ‘affair’ with Kelly Rose. Then she thought of Sniper, at this very moment lying half-buried in a sand dune like a sexy little sphinx.  “It is only her word! Paparazzi always have their finger on the pulse. Well, that Sniper would have her finger on everything she could…” Solley gave a sharp gasp, “Gin Ito is lying to me! She doesn’t fancy me and this is her weak ‘non-gay’ excuse to get rid of me and my old, done- in, people carrier carcass…bastard!”

     Meanwhile a happy and confident Gin Ito had reached the veranda steps and mounted them, her arms full of the body boards and kites she’d ordered as gifts for the kids, the wide smile on her lips fading rapidly as she meet Solley’s stormy glare head on. 

 “Umm, is something wrong?” she queried falteringly, her eyes clouding with anxiety.  “Has something happened to one of the kids…again?”

 “Have you seen the kids recently?”

 “No. Not since this morning…” Gin felt stress mount in her body.

 “Then they’re probably alright.” Solley dripped sarcasm.

 “Sol, what’s wrong? Has something happened? Where are the kids?” Gin felt panicked now.

 “They’re still at the camp with Marsha. Why aren’t you there…with your girlfriend?”

 “Sorry?”

 “Not yet, but maybe later!”

     She flung herself to her wobbly feet and stomped off to the kitchen to re-fill her glass. Confused Gin deposited her packages on the veranda floor and followed. Entering the kitchen she saw Solley mixing a very generous rum and coke, frowning in concern she also noted the slightly unsteady gait.

 “How many of those have you had.” She braved.

 “Enough to make me finally smart! You think I don’t know your little game...well…me and everyone else too it seems! Ha!”

 “What are you talking about? What’s got you so mad?”

 “I think most of today got me mad. I met a photographer, all snuggled down in the sand dunes; a lovely sexy woman, interested in me”, she slapped her chest, “and she gave me the low-down about you and Ms Kelly Slut-Rose; not that its news, half of Thrash Town down there,” she waved vaguely towards the movie camp,  ”was bitching about it!”

 “Who was in the sand dunes?”

 “A lovely, sexy woman, interested in me.” Solley repeated, this time pointing to her chest. “Sneeper, with the beautiful eyes.”

 “Sniper!” Gin was suddenly alert, “God don’t tell me she’s snooping around. Keep away from her Sol, she’s dangerous. She wants insider information on the movie. She’ll use you to get”

 “She can use me any which way she wants. After all she is a lesbian…and that’s what lesbians do you know…fuck each other, frantically, on the floor, four maybe five times, ferociously…” “Why am I stuck on words beginning with F? Oh fart.” She took another big gulp. ” Hey, this rum really is potent! I’m buzzin, I’m on fire! I’m not gonna be pushed around and lied to anymore, not by Dan, not by Gin Ito, not by no-one!”

 “Stay away from Sniper, she’s real bad news, and she’s shooting in the dark.  There is definitely nothing going on between Kelly and me.”

 “Don’t you tell me what to do!” Solley waved an angry finger. “In fact I’m going down to the dunes right now to find Sneeper…and maybe get some sand up my crack!” she leered what she thought was suggestively and swerved towards the door.

  “Solley…no…Sol.” Gin grabbed her upper arm as she weaved past, holding it in a firm grasp that more than hinted at the underlying strength of the smaller woman’s physique. Solley nevertheless tried to struggle free.

      “Hey, you can’t stop me!” she realised very quickly she was going nowhere while her arm was clasped in Gin’s grip. “Why’d you lie?” she suddenly turned on her captor. “It’s not like I’m afraid of rejection you know. For five years I’ve watched my partners desire for me atrophy, after the twins my body disgusted her; stitched cunt, breasts seeping milk, stretch marks, and never the same tone afterwards. She never touched me, or wanted me the same way again.” Anger ran away with her words. ”So I understand lack of desire, I understand the loss of passion, and love, and respect, I understand losing period! …I really don’t understand is the energy it takes you all to lie being wasted upon me, when ‘I don’t want you’ can always be said straight to my face!’”

 “Solley…” Gin was stricken.

 “Oh forget it; fuck off back to your trailer. You can bend your little starlet and all the other camp whores over backwards as far as I’m concerned. Just don’t ever lie to me again, you’re really not that important.”

     Gins shock allowed her to finally shake loose. She moved forward towards the door, no longer sure where she was headed, a little shocked herself at her outburst. “What’s wrong with me? Where did that come from? She has no right to know those things. Shut your stupid mouth Sol.”

     Firm hands on her shoulders spun her round, their angry eyes locked and she was instantly drawn down into the inky, infinite depths of her dream.  Her breath caught, her chest tightened.

“You’re the liar! I have no starlets, no whores. I am alone. My man is dead. My child is dead. And no-one will allow me respect to grieve. If I’ve no male lover then I’m gay, and clowns like Kelly want a media circus about invented relationships. I can’t find space to heal, I don’t know how to heal.  And then I met you, you stupid, fucked up, hot-headed, mad woman, you and your crazy children.” She spat, her eyes gleaming like a demon. “But you, you’re so wrapped up in your little quick fuck, and your quick fix, and your instant gratification…so go on, go find Sniper and let her shove her sandy fingers inside you…I hope it soothes your ego if nothing else!”

     Solley slapped her before she even realised her hand had moved. She stared aghast at the reddened marks of her fingers staining Gins cheek. She’d barely time to register her shame before strong hands grasped her upper arms and she was forcibly slammed against the larder door. A calendar and several small leaflets shook from their pins and scattered across the floor-tiles. Gins hard thigh rammed through hers to support her weight as she was pressed against the hard wooden surface. She pushed back unbalancing them against the table top where several dishes rattled and smashed to the floor. A hot tongue and unforgiving teeth mauled her neck, nipping and sucking from her shoulder up to her earlobe and back down again. Then the same wet heat was drawn along her jaw-line, and suddenly her gasping mouth was filled with a hot thick plundering tongue that drank from her, and demanded from her, and utterly owned her.

     Gin drew back, gasping for a steady breath her hands still holding Solley’s biceps, her thigh still pushed hard against her crotch, their foreheads pressed together, their eyes inches apart.

 “Take me to your bed.” Gin breathed. “I want to kiss your breasts that held milk, I want to touch your cunt now, after the birth of your babies. I want to lick your stretch marks, see them shine silver with my spit.” Solley shivered at the whispered intimacies, “And you can do the same to mine.”

Her eyes locked with Gins, remembering the woman’s earlier comment about her own losses.

“Gin, she breathed, aching with every word. “What have I done.”

 “You’ve made me change. Take me to bed.”

      There was no lovemaking, no gentleness. Solley wanted, needed, demanded sex, just pure sex.  She was exploding with need, burning up like space junk. She could give Gin Ito slick techniques, and humid dirty talk, and good old-fashioned cunt crushing sex, but she couldn’t give her gentle caresses, she couldn’t give her tenderness, not here, not now. There was no time for tenderness in Solley’s summer affair.

     Solley straddled Gins shoulders, her wet folds pressed down into the eager devouring face. Rocking gently back and forth, hands gripping the bed-head,  forehead pressed against the wall, she felt her lovers tongue deep within her sucking the salt and sweat and cum out of her, for she had already come earlier, several times, head hung back howling at the ceiling like a caged wolf.

     Now she was sated, now she was gently swaying on her lover’s mouth for dessert, a long, slow savouring. Achingly slowly the pressure in her lower belly mounted with the gentle rocking rhythm, like a roller coaster car climbing up to the ascent, before the uncontrollable wailing plunge over the top, and down, down, down. Because her aching cunt had this one last ride left. Because she understood, this very first time, her lover could never get enough, and needed to take her again and again. And finally, because she at last felt desired and a little less scared and alone; and because of all this she couldn’t help but give and give and rock and give.

     Gin trembled on all fours. She felt Solley’s hot breath on her back, a small trickle of saliva pooling near her spine. Then hot lips swooping to lick it away and bite her tanned flesh. Her lovers fingers rammed into her from behind. She felt so exposed, so vulnerable, but long thighs covered hers, rolling and rocking with hers, forcing her rhythm, controlling their motion, blanketing her with care and desire. Two long fingers plunging in and out, in and out, their wet sucking audible above her low moans. Only two; they had established earlier that three were too uncomfortable, too tight. “Later, her lover had whispered, later.”,  and then said words that had made her flesh tingle with silken promises, how, with a little work, a little persuasion and kindness and lube, maybe three fingers, a dildo, a fist. “Later”, a promise of more, more of this sweet aching, sweet longing, sweet…togetherness. There would be more, later.

     How unsure she was of her sexual body. How old the memory of his little black shock of hair pushing out of her as she screamed and breathed and pulsated him into this world. Now she rocked on her lover’s hand, and her sex rolled away from the memory and plunged back along these fingers to another new beginning and she was coming, coming, coming…and it was suddenly all so simple.

     Solley lay with her head on her lovers shoulder, casually playing,  post coitus times seven, with the small taut breasts and the long dark nipples.

 “I was so jealous first time I touched these. I thought about how many lovers had pinched and squeezed and sucked and clamped them into being so long and sexy and…and chewable. I just want to light them up and smoke’em!”

Gin laughed, her small breasts quivering with the effort, the motion rocking Solley’s head.

 “They’re never like this unless I’m sexually aroused. I was mortified that night  when you pulled my shirt open and there they were, soaring like a couple of heat-seeking missiles straight for your mouth. That’s when I  should have known I was in big, big trouble. Seems my tits knew more than my I did!”

 “Girl, if you only knew my dirty plans for you that night. You were so lucky to pull away, I was going to devour you, cannibalise you, extend these for my pleasure alone.” She idly tugged a nipple. ”Make them mine all mine.”

      “Shit, I forgot I was to meet Kelly later this afternoon.” Gin suddenly realised she had a calendar, and a job, and an existence outside of this bed.

 “Oh dear, how sad, never mind.” Solley tightened her hold, Gin relaxed into it overjoyed to be held onto.

     They lay in each others arms in silence watching the afternoon shadows creep across the wall, idly wondering how much time they had until the others began to drift back home.

 “Tell me about your child.” Solley asked softly.

Gin lay silent, continuing to contemplate shadows.

 “Did you have a boy or a girl?”

 “A boy, Miki. Miki Kin. He was four and he contracted meningitis and died two days later.”

 “God. I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you. It happened over five years ago, and I’m okay now. Just sometimes it floods back, like a big wave, no pattern to it, no reason that I can see, and it just crashes over me and I think I’ll drown in sea of sadness. This summer was like that, but your kids sort of pulled me out of it. It’s hard to be in a funk when they’re around.” She smiled in the soft light.

 “Where’s his father?”

 “Hoshi? Hoshi Kin. Hoshi died of meningitis too, the same week. Three days after Miki.”

Solley raised her head to look at Gin, shocked at the story. “They both died the same week, of the same disease. Oh God, Gin, you poor, poor pet.” Her eyes welled with sympathy, impossible to imagine such horror and pain.

 “Hoshi and I were together since college. We hung out with Marsha, there was a gang of us all into the martial arts. I got pregnant by accident after college, but we were happy to have a baby together. We both worked stunts and travelled round the world. I was finishing some work off in Melbourne, Hoshi and Miki travelled ahead to Stuttgart, and that’s where they became ill. By the time I arrived Miki had already died. I sat with Hoshi…” her quiet level voice stilled.

They lay in silence for the next hour just holding hands, words seemed so useless, presence the only comfort.

     “Saturday night.” Solley suddenly asked in a small voice. “Why did you stop me? Considering forty-eight hours later look where we are. We were a wreck waiting to happen.”

Gin paused before answering, “Because..” “Because I think I’m falling in love with you.”  “…despite all the rumours I didn’t sleep with women. I slept with nobody.” ”Because I suspect I’ve already fallen in love with you.”  “And I didn’t want to be a summer distraction.” “Because can’t believe it could happen so quickly. This must be a trick. But I do love you, so please don’t let me be a distraction, please let me be real to you.”

 “Oh darlin, you drive me to distraction. As soon as this divorce is over you and I are going to have some serious fun. I’m gonna be your alpha-girl groupie. Your tits won’t know what hit them!”

     “What the hell happened to my kitchen?” Janie’s angry screech floated up the stairs jolting them both into the immediate. “Nelson! Have you been chasing squirrels through here again!”

     Gin shuffled guiltily down the stairwell, hearing the excited yips of the kids as they discovered the goodies she had left for them on the veranda. She found a flustered Janie sweeping her kitchen floor, Marsha hobbling round picking up whatever she could of the larger dislodged objects.

Marsha looked up, “Hey, I think the rug rats found your booty out on the porch. Where were you today? Jeff and Kelly were doing a flip looking for you.”

 “Hmmm. I sort of got a migraine after all the excitement earlier. You know the Academy should have told me I’d won instead of leaving it to Kelly to land in on me like that.”

 “Yea, but you know what a nose she has for self-promotion. As soon as she got wind of your success she was all lined up to piggyback on it.”

 “I also heard that Sniper was floating around on the dunes today. What do you think she’s after?”

 “What do you think!” Janie proffered with exasperation, “To get you and that tramp with your knickers down! And with Kelly in the picture I’d say she was fifty percent of the way there already!”

 “You already know the rumours about her working too close with Kelly, right? Sniper might as well be her private photographer.” Marsha supported Janie’s statement. “Are you alright dude? You look a little down.”

 “Just a sore head, like I said.”

 “Has anyone seen Sol?” Janie asked.

 “No.” came Gins too rapid reply, “No, idea at all where she is. No idea at all. Why would I know that!” And with that Gin Ito moved quickly towards the deck and the children’s excited voices.

 “I was only asking.” Janie looked after her guest with surprise. “What’s eating her?”

 “No-one. I keep telling her that’s the problem!”

     While Gin had gone down to the kitchen, Solley quickly scrambled into her clothes and slunk out the front door to circle round the dunes and return as if she’d been out on a long, invigorating walk. “Might explain the state of my hair.”

     Passing by the old jetty, deserted now in the early evening, she was surprised to find Kelly Rose, wrapped in a beautiful silk shawl gazing moodily out to the horizon. “Ah, this must be the ‘Rendezvous that Will Never Be’.” she thought smugly.

      “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” She couldn’t help but speak up for the beauty of the place; she also wanted to mark her passing with Ms Rose for some obscure childish ‘up yours’ reason she couldn’t quite fathom.

Kelly immediately swung round, the welcoming smile on her face stiffened when she saw who had addressed her.

 “Are you supposed to be here! This is private property you know. Not open to the public.”

Annoyed Solley moved further onto the jetty until she faced the icy starlet. “As a matter of fact I do know that; my sister owns this part of the bay.”

Something registered in Kelly’s cool blue eyes, which immediately sparkled with malice. “Ah. The one who sleeps with Marsha Bren.”

 “Actually she’s Marsha’s partner, not her concubine!” Solley retorted, her dislike for this woman going all the way down to her tap-root.

 “Honey in this business they’re all concubines.“ she smirked coolly, starting to turn away with feigned boredom, “Rich or poor, they’re all alike, all whoring for a piece of Hollywood ass.”

 “Well you can vouch for that better than most. I saw you doing some pretty hot whoring for Gin Ito this afternoon! How did that work out, by the way? Get yourself some?” “Cos I got myself plenty!  Ha! Bad-mouth my sister, would ya!”

 “Why you fucking little bitch!” Kelly spat, “I should get Security on you.” She spun round violently to leave.

 “And what’s Security gonna do, throw me off my sisters property!” even as Solley retorted Kelly tried to indignantly swoosh past but the narrow jetty inhibited her angry movements. She spitefully elbowed Solley in the mid-section in order to clear her path. “You cow!” Solley swore at the dig in the ribs, responding with a little retaliatory shove of her own. But being a big-boned, bad-tempered red-head she managed to send Kelly Rose spinning into space and off the edge of the jetty in a graceful arc of silken squeals. Solley knew the water was warm and barely waist deep, even so she struggled with the option of apologising and easily helping the actress out of her predicament. After a nano-second of soul-searching Solley simply spun on her heel and marched off, leaving the howling woman splashing and cursing behind her. “Welcome to the Rayners, bitch!”

Wednesday.

     Early next morning Solley and Janie took their coffees out to the deck to sit and watch Gin Ito body-boarding with Della and Will in the surf. Jed, confined to dry-land by his cast, much to his chagrin, was still having equal-fun learning how to fly a kite one-handed with his Aunt Marsha.

      “Ah. This is what vacationing is all about!” Solley sighed and leaned back contentedly watching her new, hot, secret lover splashing about dressed only in red bikini trunks and a tight T-Shirt.  “Hey, I’ve a new, hot, secret lover!” She was glad her sunglasses hid the lust she was sure burned holes in her eyes.

 “You’re in good form!” as usual Janie’s snoop-o-metre had picked up on some buried emotional vibe. It was an uncanny skill, but never put to use in the fight against evil. Rather it was employed for gossip, rumour, innuendo and Janie’s vicarious thrill-seeking through the sexploits of others.

  “I slept well.” Solley countered. “And I had hot, hot, hot sex all afternoon; not too mention polluting the bay with Kelly Rose’s sleazy carcass. All-in-all a tiring, but most excellent day!”

 “Mmm-hmm.” Janie looked at her suspiciously, her super-senses on alert. She knew something was up, and given a little time she’d get her answers; her sister was just too easy to play.

      By mid-morning Gin and Marsha had been summoned by Jeff back to the movie camp. It seemed Kelly Rose had departed abruptly last night, and the window this provided bumped the schedule forward a few hours.

Leaving the kids under the watchful eye of Janie, Solley decided to go for a short stroll to the top of Wandanna Rise. The views were spectacular, and she needed some exercise to stop her body twitching with the build up of intense sexual energy she was experiencing.

      She had barely gone several hundred metres when she heard a “Pssst!” from one of the nearby dunes. Grinning to herself she mounted the crest of the nearest sand-hill to meet with the soft grey gaze of the local paparazzi.

“Hi Sniper. What, no twigs in your hair, boot polish on your face?” she glanced around theatrically a hand shading her eyes from an imaginary glare. ”Hey girl, where’d you park your tank!”

 “I don’t need the army surplus gunk, thank you; I got skill sweetie. And the Harleys safely tucked away up the hill, thanks for asking.” She grinned back cheekily, her eyes openly roaming over Solley’s soft curves.

 “Indeed, so much skill in fact that I’ve been warned to keep away from you. It seems you’re a little bit sneaky and you’d lure a nice mid-west farm-girl like me into all sorts of lurid trouble.”

 “Never! I don’t do lurid or sneaky. Well, definitely not sneaky. Those are awful lies, and I suffer terribly because of them.” She clutched her poor tender heart. “Have you any idea how lonely it is when no-one believes you’re simply offering friendship, and maybe, just maybe, looking for love!”

 “You’re looking for something, and I’m sure it’s not love. Maybe lurid, are you looking for lurid?”

Sniper shrugged, “Love lurid. Eye of the beholder!” she answered, suddenly swinging her camera around and shooting off several shots of Solley in quick succession.

  “Hey, quit that!”

 “My back catalogue, it keeps me warm on cold winter nights!” Sniper smirked. “Don’t suppose you’d contemplate taking your top off?” she raised her eyebrows hopefully.

“Do you want a smack?” Solley’s green eyes glinted dangerously.

 “Okay, okay! Talk about feisty; you mid-western gals!” Sniper flung her hands up in a conciliatory gesture. “Look, come here. Let me show you something.” She nodded Solley over to her side.

     Solley scooted over, settling beside the photographer. “Here,” suddenly the camera strap fell over her head and the full weight of the apparatus rested in her hands. “Put your eye here,” Sniper levelled Sol’s head with warm gentle hands, “and look out there, across the bay.” The telephoto lens zoomed in on the waves in amazing detail.

 “Wow, this lens is powerful.” Solley stated, “What am I meant to be looking at?”

 “To the left a little...” Suddenly she felt Snipers weight stretched full-length over her body as she lay belly down in the sand. The brown head rested along side of hers, she could feel Snipers warm sweet breath near her ear. A smooth tanned hand directed the camera. “See, a little ways out…dolphins!”

 “Oh, yes, I see them now.” She felt Sniper’s supported weight push gently down onto her buttocks. Then a very slow, undulating grind pressed into her behind, once, then twice. She pulled the camera away from her face. “Sniper, get off my ass or I’ll shove this lens all the way up your aperture to where your flash won’t shine!”

      “What the hell is going on here!!” Janie’s indignant voice boomed down from the crest of the dune directly behind them. They both jumped guiltily, Sniper flying off Solley’s prone body, grabbing the precious camera from her companions shock -slackened grip. “Brilliant, while you’re up here having a sneaky little love-picnic your daughter has just drifted out to sea!” Janie barked out.

 “What!” Solley leapt to her feet immediately clawing her way out of the sand-dune. The photographer forgotten she and Janie jogged back down to the shoreline.

       “Why the hell can’t you take your cell phone with you like normal people.” puffed Janie jogging alongside her, “I tried calling you and it rang in Della’s shorts right beside me! I came after you because I knew you couldn’t have gotten too far away.  Luckily, for some,” she added sarcastically, “I heard voices just off the path. Little did I know you had a secret artists-model session going on!”

 “Oh shut up Janie!” already they could hear the yells and squawks of Della before they could even see the surf.

 “Don’t freak, Gin’s swum out to her and is dragging the board back in. She was never in any danger. Except she may have broken her drama-bone!”

 “What!”

 “You’ll see soon enough.”

     Rounding the last clump of tall dune-grass Solley could see the small melodrama unfolding before her. Marsha, Will and Jed stood on the beach along with several onlookers from the movie camp. Out to sea a few hundred metres Gin was swimming while skilfully re-directing a body board back to shore. Astride the board sat a semi-hysterical Della. Despite Gins reassuring croon her operatic weeping and wailing resonated along the cliffs, scaring nesting birds from their perches. Nelson dementedly dashed in and out of the surf barking with a hysteria matching the little girls until Gin had manoeuvred close enough inshore for him to swim out and add further to the chaos. Finally a few other brave souls paddled out into the shallows to secure the body board as Gin lifted the wailing child into her arms. Legs wrapped around Gins waist, her arm curved under Della’s bottom, Gin waded ashore and headed directly to where Solley stood.

 “What on earth…” Solley began to reach for her daughter.

 “Nobody saved me Mommy!” tears were running down her little face, breaking Solley’s heart. “There were sharks…and…” here hysterical hiccupping started, “and…shrimps. Only Nelson saved me! Hic...Only Nelson cares!”

      Solley reached for her, as her brothers gathered round her round-eyed with anxiety and concern. Gin held onto the little girl, grabbing Solley’s hand with her free one.

 “Not here.” She murmured. ”Lets get her into the house and calmed down.”

 “Don’t leave me Nelson!” Della tearfully flung her arms over Gins shoulder, crying out beseechingly to the dancing bundle of useless fur.

      Looking around Solley knew she was right, as long as there was an audience Della’s dramatics would only continue until the child was truly hysterical. She needed peace and quiet. Grabbing Wills hand with her own free one and calling Jed to follow, they all trudged through the small crowd of onlookers back towards the house. Solley making sure all her brood were in tow.

       “They weren’t sharks honey, they were dolphins. And they were probably coming to save you but Gin got there first.” Solley held the cup of warm milk and honey while Della took another sip, cuddled in her mothers arms, wrapped in her Aunt Janie’s super soft chenille shawl.

 “How do you know they weren’t sharks?” she still hiccupped slightly.

 “Mmm. It was on Discovery, they were definitely dolphins.”

 “It was a discovery alright!” Janie muttered. Gin glanced up at Janie’s curious comment. Solley threw her a hard look and Janie backed down. Nobody needed this right now.

     Later that evening they all chipped in to prepare supper on the deck. Della held deference as the latest victim of the Rayner clan’s vacation of doom, and as such she was allowed to demand ‘real ribs’ for barbeque. She and Nelson were also allowed to cuddle up on the swing chair and rest, both now wrapped in Janie’s expensive shawl, much to her displeasure. “I hope they can dry clean the red dog hairs out!” she groused, as Della, on hearing her, wrapped the shawl even cosier around herself and Nelson, smiling at him sweetly. “Child’s a witch!” Janie huffed off to the kitchen.

     Solley sidled up to Gin where she sat perched on the veranda railings sipping a beer, looking peaceably out towards an azure horizon.

 “Thanks for hauling her back in. I take it she wasn’t in any mortal peril, despite the stage school audition!”

Gin grinned, shifting over to allow Solley to sit beside her. “It would certainly be worth considering investing in Stage School for that one. She’s got more than her fair share of charisma never mind dramatic talent. She’d never starve!”

     Solley smiled back, watching the sunlight play across the angular handsome features, sparkling like a million stars in the deep, dark eyes. “Where have I seen this image before? It’s déjà vu, sitting in my gut like an old familiar and very content memory.”

 “What’s wrong? You’re frowning.”

 “Nothing, just a silly thought. What ya doing later hot-stuff?” she lowered her voice, “Wanna meet ‘Midnight at the Oasis’?” her eyes twinkled suggestively. “Or maybe we could ‘sneak off to a sand-dune real soon’?” she continued to quote from the song.

Gins hand crept round to secretly cup the buttock that perched on the railing next to her. “It depends. Will you be my ‘belly-dancer, and I can be your sheik’?” she part quoted the Maria Maldaur classic back.

The small caress sent shots of electricity through Solley’s groin and thighs. Moaning gently she prudently slid slightly away. “Careful”, she threw a glance towards the others, “I’m burning up here, baby. That succulent charred pig smell is me, not the barbeque! Later”, she breathed, “later, I’m gonna suck on you like cooked bone-marrow.” Then she moved away, swaying her hips for Gin as tantalisingly as decorum would allow.

     “Can you come to my room later?” Gin whispered after supper as Janie and Sol prepared the kids for bed.

 “What, here in the house! Janie and Marsha will be up and about until late.”

 “I’m on the other side if the house. I just need to hold you. It’ll be okay.”

 “Okay, give me an hour to finish up here.”

     The children were deposited to bed with whirlwind efficiency. Dorothy couldn’t have got to Kansas any quicker. “Thank god they tire themselves out each day and haven’t the energy to complain. Back home I’d be in the middle of World War Three, putting them to bed at this time.”

      The house was settling into its pre-bed time lull, when Solley finally scampered quietly along the landing to Gins room at the front end of the building. She slid in through the bedroom door, clicking it quietly closed behind her. Gin Ito came through from the bathroom, naked after a quick shower, beads of water snaking down her dark skin. Seeing Solley a shy, happy smile crossed her lips and she opened her mouth to speak words that were never to be delivered.  An entire day of pent up sexual energy suddenly ripped through Solley’s body and she launched herself towards her lover like a hungry lioness at a startled gazelle , bringing her prey down-splat on the carpet in one lusty, fluid movement.

     Gin gasped as the air was knocked out of her lungs and she was pushed back onto the floor. Solley growled, crawling over the body lying prone beneath hers, eyes glittering with a primitive, harsh energy. Swooping with a hard mouth she snared a nipple, sucking on it roughly. Her hands forcibly pushing the damp thighs as far apart as possible, giving her total access to thick black silken hair and the soft flesh beyond. Gin moaned deeply as molten lava coursed through her veins, pulsating with the rhythm of the persistent tongue tugging on her nipple. Her hands tried to bury themselves in the curtain of flame coloured hair that draped silkily across her shoulders and chest, but Solley pushed them back to rest on the floor above her head, out of the way.

     Next Solley pinched the moistened clitoris between thumb and forefinger, vigorously rolling it causing Gin to jolt at the rough treatment of this sensitive spot. Pulling her mouth away from the proud, extended nipple Solley locked eyes with her lover, and placing her hand dead centre of Gins chest she pushed her back onto the carpet as her other hand continued to roll the hardening nub of nerves. “I’m gonna fuck you hard tonight baby,” she murmured, “cos thinking of you made me in so horny all day long. And I want your little cunt to be so sore tomorrow so that whether you’re walking, sitting or standing, it throbs, and aches, and makes you think of me and how I fucked you so god-damn good.” 

Gins dark eyes widened slightly and she swallowed hard. “Relax baby,” Solley smiled down at her, her fingers never once ceasing the rolling movement, “let me take you for a little ride.” With that her fingers released the swollen clit and scorched down through the sopping crack becoming slathered with sex juice as they slowly passed. Then one long soaked finger pressed against Gins ass and slowly and persistently forced entry. Gin gasped and squirmed, her face flushed, her eyes hooded with uncertainty. The hand on her chest increased its pressure telling her to be still as this new sensation unfolded.  “Come on babe, give it up. Your tight little ass is loving it. I know you think you’re not sure, but your clit just grew to ten times its size. What’s it gonna do when I do this? Go pop?” The sodden finger was now pushed up to the hilt and Solley slowly began to pump. Gin uttered a strangled cry, “Sssssh!” Solley whispered, “No screaming… you’ll just have to moan quietly baby. Moan and groan can you do that for me? Can you moan…”

     The hand pushing down on Gins chest moved away as greedy fingers were once more magnetically drawn to the stiff nipples.  “I just can’t leave these babies alone. I swear if I could put them in my pocket…” With a deep groan Solley reached forward and again nuzzled the delicious tits spread out before her. Her finger continued its slow ass pump while her hot mouth ravished the firm breasts under her tongue.

     Gins head swam, her skin felt so hot and burnt she swore it could crawl of her body and curl up under the bed until it was safe to come out again. Her rasping breath seemed to be solidifying in her lungs, her chest heaving just to suck air in and then force it out. “Sol, what are you doing to me. Oh baby,  oh Sol, Sol, I love you baby, I love you so much…oh fuck,  I’m dying here, I’m dying. Sol…”

     Then cool air spun across her chest as Solley broke her mouth away plunging downwards on to her sodden sex. The same hot tongue that had thrashed her nipples senseless was now lavishing long firm strokes along her labia and up over her totally engorged clit. She thought her head was going to explode, white light shone behind her eyes. Her juices, mixed with Solley’s saliva poured down lubricating the finger in her ass, as it increased its pumping rhythm. Her clitoris was now also being pumped by strong and possessive lips. Her hips were rolling uncontrollably, bucking up into her lover’s mouth, tits pushing up into the cooling air, the drying saliva on her nipples puckering them rigid. “I love you, I love you, oh Sol, oh baby…”  More white light, then flashes, coloured flashes, beautiful… “I’m coming, coming, oh god…” she managed to grunt before exploding into a deep soul-ripping orgasm, “Aaah! Aaah! Aaah!”

She shuddered and jerked, contorting on the carpet, gripping Solley’s hair, keeping her mouth glued to her pulsating sex, allowing her lovers tongue to draw every last heaving pulse of come from her shuddering body.

     At last totally spent she lay gasping and twitching on the carpet. Solley slid back up her body, a satisfied smirk on her face, she leaned down to at last kiss her lover on her soft exhausted mouth.

 “God, you’re gonna kill me if we keep this up’” Gin moaned, still panting for breath. She wrapped her arms around her lover, planting a gentle kiss on her brow. “That was fantastic. You’re fantastic. We’re fantastic. Sex with you is so fantastic.” She snuggled her head into Solley’s cheek as the other woman stroked her sweat saturated hair. “Maybe we can get onto the bed now? I’m sure I’ve carpet burns on my shoulders. And maybe you could take off your clothes, now you’re freakish testosterone levels are balancing out? Mmmm? I’ve heard of Top, but you’re Everest!”

 “Hey, don’t be so quick to judge. You never know what you might do if I was, say, all tied up to your bed, wearing nothing but a skimpy little negligee, and a tiny little thong, and maybe there were nipple clamps on the nightstand…”

 “Okay, okay.” Gin felt a surge of heat rush through her body. “Let’s get up off the floor and into bed. I want to talk to you before we get all…sticky again.”

     Snuggling up on the bed Gin sighed contentedly as she pulled her big bundle of flame haired love towards her. Strong arms cradled Solley tenderly as Gin desperately scoured her mind for a way to open her intended topic. She cleared her throat, “You know how we’ve only known each other two weeks…”

 “Umm.” Solley cuddled down further, tiredness suddenly catching up with her.

 “And you know how the kids just sort of accepted me in no time at all, and forgot all that fanzine stuff and just started treating  the same as their Aunt Marsha…like they’d known me for ages.” she was rambling a little now.

 “Umm.” Sol gave a soft snort and settled in deeper to Gins side.

 “You see I believe in karma. It’s a kinda cultural thing…it supports me, brings the people and circumstances I need into my life… so I my spirit can evolve…and I can live well…and also help others…and I know you’ve got to go back and deal with things, unpleasant things with Dan and all…” “Rambling here big time. Focus, Gin, focus.”

 “Don’t talk about that, baby.” Sol murmured softly, her eyes closed with fatigue, “It’s awful out there, in the real world, and I don’t want to go back. I want to stay here in Wandanna Beach where nothing is real…it’s all just a beautiful fairytale...” Her words drifted off.

Gin frowned, this was harder than she expected. “Fairytale? Like being rescued and the prince falling in love with the beautiful princess and saving the day sort of stuff.”

 “Umm.” Solley had slipped back into her cosy cocoon.

 “Because, Sol. I really do love you. I know it’s very sudden, and it’s a confusing time for you and the kids, but I can offer you that fairytale…maybe…and the happy ending…if you want it. Sol?”

Her answer came as a gentle snore, Solley had drifted off to sleep mid-ramble. Sighing Gin squeezed her closer, her love for this crazy woman brimful; but deep down she had the nagging feeling that her karma was telling her what she had to offer was not what Solley was in need of right now.

      “Mommmeeee! There’s a shark under my bed!” Della’s scream had Solley leaping out of bed and onto her feet before Gin had time to even freeze at the sudden shriek.  Hauling Gins silk kimono over her nakedness she bolted to the kid’s room in double quick time, to gather up her tearful daughter into her arms.

 “Sssh, baby, it’s just a nightmare.” She rocked her child, amazed at how her brothers had managed to sleep through the clamour.

      Janie and Marsha peeped into the room to assure themselves all was well, and a hastily dressed Gin Ito brought up the rear of the little posse of anxious adults loitering in the doorway.

 “Can I sleep with you tonight Mommy” she sniffed tearfully.

 “Of course you can sweetie. It was just a nasty old nightmare that’s all.”

 “Can I sleep with Nelson?” a little hiccup accompanied this obviously orchestrated request. Solley hesitated “Well Nelson can’t sleep in my room. It’s not what doggies do. They have their own beds, near the backdoor so they can chase away those sneaky sharks if they try to get under peoples bed for a quick nap.”

Della seemed to ponder this information. “Nelson could sleep at my bedroom door and keep away all the sharks and shrimps and I wouldn’t have nightmares anymore.” she suggested.

 “Well, I’m not sure…” Solley knew already she’s lost these negotiations, she’d allow anything that gave her daughter comfort after her scare today.

 “Please, please, please mommy.” came the plaintive cry.

 “Well, okay, but he’s not allowed on your bed. Okay!”

Solley glanced askance at Janie and Marsha at this total spoiling of their pup. Rolling her eyes Marsha made to go downstairs and collect him.

 “Mommy,” Della had now recovered enough to resort to type, “Why are you wearing Gins jimjams?”

     All froze at the innocent question, Janie’s eagle eyes narrowing as she took in her sisters attire, Marsha looking dumbly at the same article of clothing and her sister-in-laws obvious nakedness underneath, Gin shuffling clownishly from foot to foot. “I lost it in the wash.” she blurted.

 “I must have grabbed it out of the dryer without looking.” Solley gushed back, her face flushing. “Now, young lady, Marsha’s going to get Nelson, and remember, he’s not to get on the bed!” she masterfully she thought re-directed the conversation.

 “Kay, mommy, “ two little arms wrapped around her neck in a warm hug, the earlier night terrors resolved with the furry arrival of her adored protector, released from his down-stair duties by Marsha.

     Janie had already gone down to the kitchen to prepare a pot of tea after all the commotion so Solley quickly nipped into her own room and threw on some sweats before joining the others downstairs for a cuppa.

      “You realise he was on that bed before your foot hit the stairs.” Gin murmured.

 “Yea,” Solley sighed tiredly, “but at least she’s settled now. It was very frightening for her this afternoon.”

 “Maybe the twins are a little too young for the body-boards.” Janie ventured.

 “Aw come on.” “Not one bit.” Marsha and Gin burst out at the same time.

 “You can’t wrap them in cotton wool.” Marsha stated, she thought rather maturely for a soon-to-be-planned parent.

 “Excuse me but I think I’ll make that decision. You get to fret over Junior, whenever he or she arrives, and begins to immediately dismantle your life piece by piece! It’ll be interesting to see which one of you will need to be wrapped in cotton wool then!” Solley responded smartly, her maternal feathers ruffled.

 “Okay, okay, just saying.” Marsha sensibly backed off.

 “With proper instruction they should be absolutely fine.” Gin continued, unwilling to surrender up the fun of body-surfing for the kids just yet.

 “Gin, no offence, but every-time you come anywhere near my kids something catastrophic seems to happen. I mean you might as well have gotten them a nuclear submarine as a body-board! And sure Della wasn’t in any real danger, god knows she can swim like a sewer-rat; it was the ‘sharks and shrimps’ that caused her to freak out. But even so she was truly terrified, and that’s an experience I don’t want my kids to suffer, at least not this summer!” Solley was exhausted now and knew she sounded ratty, but she was tired of what she saw as a recurring pattern between Gin and her kids, and Gin’s failure to recognise it.

 “I love your kids. I would never knowingly cause them harm!” Gin replied back, genuine hurt giving her words an edge.

 “Oh for god’s sake I’m not saying it’s planned! “Solley snapped back. “I’m merely asking you to be a little more aware, a little more responsible!”

      Janie and Marsha exchanged glances, surprised at what looked to be a full-fledged argument blowing up out of nothing. They couldn’t place the dynamics between these two, everything felt out of balance.

 “I’ll have you know I am fully responsible! My family are descended from Samurai, and we Ito’s adhere to the samurai code of protection and social responsibility!” Gin drew herself up to her full height, bristling with hurt and anger. “This woman never listens to me, no matter how important the things I want to say!”

 “Ha! More like the Kamikaze code!” Solley spat out and promptly stomped out of the kitchen and back up to her room.

Gin sat and stared after her in deflated shock, where had their anger come from?

       “Don’t worry. She does that a lot. Stomp off.” comforted Janie, “She’s a little tense today.” she added thinking about what she had witnessed earlier in the sand-dunes.

Gin sighed and stood up from the table. “Guess we all are.” She slowly exited the kitchen.

 “Gin?” Marsha called her back from the doorway. “Are you okay.” She nodded at Gins slow slightly clumsy walk, “You hurt your gluts or groin or something?” she frowned, “You’re walking funny; is something sore?”

Gin reddened, “Just a small pull,” she mumbled,” from this afternoon, nothing to worry about.” And she quickly exited carrying her throbbing reminder with her, just as Solley had intended.

     Janie and Marsha sat at heir table, sipping their tea and quietly contemplated their guest’s behaviour.

 “I caught Sol in the sand-dunes with a woman this afternoon.” Janie stated simply.

 “No shit! Who was it? What were they up too?” Marsha asked her lover all agog.

 “Looked like a photographer, and they were grinding away back to front like humping ponies.” Janie replied.

 “Aw fuck! It has to be Sniper Jones. She’s such a little shit!” Marsha groaned.

 “Well she better not screw around with my sister. Solley’s very vulnerable at the moment. I wanted her to have a little fun this vacation, but not with some-one like Sniper. If she hurts my sister I swear I’ll bury her in these dunes so deep an archaeologist couldn’t find her.”

 “Poor Gin.” sighed Marsha. Janie swung round on her.

 “Gin?” she queried.

Marsha sighed again, “I wasn’t to tell you this but Gin’s a little bit sweet on your sister. Seems the whole family thing hit her hard on the heart.”

Janie blew a long, low whistle. “Good job Sol ignored my advice to jump Gins bones. Sols so fucked up at the moment that would have been a right mess! Maybe its better that she’s fooling round with that little slut Sniper after all!”

Thursday.

     The day began with coffee on the veranda again for the sisters. Gin was on the shoreline teaching all the kids how to fly their kites, deeming it wiser to keep them off the body-boards today, if only to mollify their mother. She enjoyed her new morning ritual of playing with the children before heading off to work. Her heart was secretly fantasising it might become a permanent chore.

     Marsha had already nipped into town to collect her painkillers at the pharmacist and to collect the papers and do a few other errands for Janie.

 “I swear she’s getting addicted to those painkillers.” She moaned. “This next batch I’m gonna replace with something safer like breath mints and see if she even notices.”

 “But she’ll be in pain!” Sol looked at her sister quizzically.

Janie rolled her eyes, “It’ll help her adjust. Besides she gets all horny when she’s pain free, and while I’m not complaining I do need my beauty sleep. She can go all night if she gets the dosage just right, and believe me she’s getting pretty good at measuring out those dosages!” They giggled conspiratorially.

      “Hey Marsha was right. Gin really has hurt herself.” Janie suddenly levelled her eyes at the beach, “You can see it in the way she’s walking this morning. Sort of stiff…must be a groin injury from the looks of it.”

Solley spluttered into her coffee mug. Just then both sisters heard a swift clump, clump, clumping along the side veranda that announced Marsha’s rather rapid return.

      “Sounds like Hoppity got back early.” Janie turned in her seat to witness her agitated lover swing round the corner and onto the decking. She waved a bundle of newspapers in her hand.

 “Holy shit Janie, come see this. Fuck, Jeff is gonna go ballistic!” she muttered spreading the papers across the big outdoor table. “Hey Gin”, she bellowed across the sand, “Get over here now!”

     Solley and Janie gathered by the table concerned at what could be causing Marsha such consternation.  Sensing a problem Gin jogged over from beach, leaving the kids to continue playing with their kites.

     They all gathered round as Marsha began to frantically page through the papers for the section she was looking for. “I only had a quick look,” she muttered, “Then I just grabbed a bundle and got back here quick as I could. I’m not sure what damage control we’re going to need.” Her eyes locked with Gins. ”Jeff is gonna have a blue poo over this!” Gin blinked looking very worried; in Marsha’s vocabulary blue poo was positively apocalyptic!

      Increasingly concerned the others all crowded in around Marsha, “There,” she shouted triumphantly, slapping a page covered in glossy colour photos, ”the Entertainment section!” In their business the Entertainment Section was to Gin and Marsha what the Wall Street Journal was to a stockbroker; the news that could make or break an investment and therefore the success of a movie or show.

They all gasped in unison…

‘ALL NOT ROSIE IN KELLY’S LOVE BED!’ the main banner screamed, with a smaller headline underneath…

‘Mystery Mother replaces Kelly Rose as Ito’s Love Interest.’

They all gasped in unison…

Underneath the writing was a huge glossy of a grim Gin Ito striding across the sand, a tearful Della perched on her hip, Gin’s free hand dragging Solley along, she in her turn holding onto a one-eyed Will, all followed by a shoulder strapped Jed. The photo was cropped in such a way to suggest an intimate family unit, a celebrity family no less, but a tightly unified one, pushing through a crowded beach to sanctuary.

 “Crap, breathed Gin.

 “There’s more,” Marsha thumbed over the page, ”I didn’t see these ones, I just grabbed the paper and ran.”

They all gasped in unison…

‘EARLY BATH FOR KELLY!’ with the sub-title ‘New Lover Sends Kelly Home Early.’

There etched against a perfect setting sun was a picture of Solley, her hair shining in a flaming luciferous halo, casually pushing an arm-failing, mouth-gaping, thoroughly shocked Kelly Rose off the old jetty and into the waters of the bay.

A second picture, entitled ‘New Girl Cools Kelly’s Ardour!’ showed the almighty splash, revealing only Kelly’s feet as the rest of her plunged under the waves, it was almost cartoon-like, and Solley had to fight to subdue a huge smirk.

A third called ‘Alls Fair In Shove and War!’ showed a bedraggled, screeching Kelly standing waist deep, her shawl billowing out around her, her sodden blouse clinging revealingly to her bra-less breasts while Solley strolled away unknowingly towards the camera with a truly evil dominatrix grin, her eyes gleaming passionately in the lowering sunlight.  It was sleazy and looked like a poster advert for some lesbo porn site, and probably would be tomorrow.

      “You dunked Kelly Rose?” Janie just gaped at her sister along with the others.

 “She called you a concubine!” Solley attempted to justify herself, feeling truly mortified at being caught red-handed…by the entire nation.

 “No wonder she left early.” Marsha muttered. Gin was absolutely dumbfounded.

 “Who took all these?” Solley spluttered hoping she could move the blame and shame along onto another.

 “You’re bleeding girlfriend, Sniper Jones, that’s who!” Marsha snorted with anger.

 “Girlfriend!” Gin’s head snapped up. Marsha rolled her eyes at her friend, shrugging in a half-hearted apology. Janie kept her eyes averted from the other woman’s confused hurt and indignation. She was on Gins side on this one. “Girlfriend?” Gin turned to Solley for clarification.

 “I barely know her!” Solley bleated, weakly defending herself. Now Janie rolled her eyes in disgust at her. “What! What are you implying with your rolling eyes and…and everything!” Leaving her sister fuming, Janie turned to the second paper, rifling through it to the entertainment section.

They all gasped in unison…

‘WHO’S THE THORN IN KELLYS SIDE!’ the headline screamed over a beautiful head and shoulders photo of Solley in her bikini top. She recognised it as one of the ream Sniper had shot off yesterday afternoon out on the dunes.

 “Ooh,” she cooed, “I look like a model.”

Gin turned angrily towards her. “When did she take that one?” 

Another page turned.

They all gasped in unison…

‘FAMILY AT WAR?’ this time it was a snapshot of the deck where the entire family were having a barbeque. The kids all had eye patches, and arm slings, placing the timing as last week. Marsha lay grumpily on a low deckchair, her broken foot resting on the railings. Gin sat gazing anxiously at Solley who was angrily serving food with Janie who was gazing moodily at Marsha’s foot. Nelson scratched his ear like some old fleabag. This did not look like a united celebrity family, this looked like a very bad soap-opera.

 “Bastard!” Janie exclaimed. “She took this one from just outside of my house. Now every nutter in the country will be camping down there,” she nodded towards the movie trailers, “alongside all those other nutters!” She took a deep breath and turned another page, “Please god let it be over!”

They all gasped in unison…

‘IT’S HOT, HOT, HOT AT THE BEACH!’ with the sub-title ‘Summer Sizzler!’

Solley’s blood ran cold, then hot, hot, hot, then cold again. There were two photos on this page the first was atmospherically shot due the lack of light. It was of her and Gin on the moonlit deck the first time they’d kissed. “Well, the first time I jumped on her and turned her straight!”

Gin was flat on her back her beautiful profile raised in ecstasy to the moon, back arched, her shirt unbuttoned. Solley lay draped over her head buried in the naked torso, there was no doubt that she was kissing Gins breasts even if they couldn’t be directly seen through the fiery curtain of her hair. It was so erotic it almost looked staged. “Another one for the porno sites.” thought Solley glumly.

Gin and Solley’s faces burned with shame under the shocked and questioning stares of Marsha and Janie. When would this misery ever end?

The second photo was again of the veranda, taken yesterday afternoon. Gin sat perched on the top railing, she looked so butch with a beer bottle in one hand the other wedged up the panty-line of a smiling Solley, who simpered at the handsome stunt woman as she happily accepted the grope. “Oh shit, I  really do look like a concubine!”

 “You little whore!” Janie spluttered.

 “I knew you guys were getting it ooon!” laughed Marsha, having the audacity to give a stunned Gin a one-handed high five.

 “Well I hope you’re enjoying your break from the brothel!” Janie harangued Solley, “Just how many ‘flying, stationary or otherwise’ fucks have you been enjoying on your ‘family holiday for rest and recuperation’!” she was furious and wheeling on her heel exited with great aplomb.

 “Those Rayner girls,” Marsha broke the stunned silence, “they sure know how to stomp!”

      Gin and Marsha rushed off themselves soon after to try a reconcile things with Jeff and have a quick Disaster Recovery session. Gin gave Solley a hard unrelenting stare as she marched off, a promise of a hard talk later no doubt! “What’s her fucking problem? Not as if I brought Sniper down to the beach and said, ‘Hey would ya shoot me sucking my secret lovers tits, and while you’re at it slap it all over the national papers so my kids school-friends can see it and beat several shades of crap outta them! Jeez, you don’t know what a problem is, Ms ‘But, I’m a Samurai’!”

     She found Janie slamming round the laundry room, trying to break as many white appliances as humanly possible.

 “Sis,” she queried apprehensively, “what’s eating you? I didn’t bring Sniper to your door. Those shots were from last week and I only met her this Tuesday.”

Janie paused in her strangulation of a fabric softener bottle. “I saw you two grinding in the sand like a couple of horny donkeys.” She stated clearly.

 “No, you saw me looking at dolphins through her lens just as she jumped onboard and attempted to rear-end me!” Solley’s eyes blazed, she had nothing to apologise for. “That’s when I told her literally to get off! It’s obvious she thought she could use me to get at everybody else.”

Janie mulled this over as she prepared her whites. “What about sucking tit with Gin?”

Solley sighed, “I sucked tit with Gin.”  She acquiesced. ”Tit and a whole lot more, if you want to know.”

     Janie turned to look at her. Solley sighed again and meet her sister’s gaze squarely. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. But it was a little rocky right from the start. And when we spoke about having sex with her, well it hadn’t happened yet, and I wasn’t at all sure it would be a good move.” She wasn’t lying, she just didn’t want to reveal any more, she already felt so raw and violated today. Nor did Janie need to know she’d single-handedly, so to speak, initiated Gin Ito into the Carpet-Munchers Club. She could crow about that one later, maybe on a paid porn-site, if her life kept going on down the tubes as quickly as it seemed to be these past two weeks. 

     Janie softened, like her hand-wash woollens, and dragged her sister into a hug. “I’m sorry Sol. I thought you were fooling around with that little bitch in the dunes, and then those photos of you and Gin. I was worried you were going to smash her to bits…and she’s such a brilliant friend to me and Marsha…I guess I love her too. She’s the sister I never had!”

 “Bitch!” Solley pushed her away. “Gin and I aren’t serious you know. We’re just helping each other through a hard time.”

     Just then the phone rang out through the kitchen. “I’ll get that.” She turned and left leaving Janie staring perplexedly behind her. “But Marsha said this was something big for Gin. What the hell are these two playing at?”

      “Hi, Rayner-Bren residence, can I help you?” Solley answered the phone.

 “Yea, you most definitely can. Perhaps you can tell me why my children are in chunks and the Karate Kid has her hand wedged up my wife’s butt crack!” asked Dan.

Friday.

      Dan arrived at eleven thirty on the dot as promised or dictated depending on the point of view. Her Beamer had no sooner glided to a halt before the house when the kids bounded down the steps surrounding it.

 “Mommy, mommy.” they squealed excitedly, pulling her by her arms up the veranda steps to where an anxious Solley and Janie stood waiting.

 “I’ve got a broken arm!”

 “I’m a pirate! “

 “Sharks nearly ate me!”

 “I’ve only one eye!”

 “I had to go to hospital!”

 “Sharks nearly got me…and Shrimps!”

 “I can jump off balconies! Gin Ito showed me how!”

 “Aunt Marsha fell off a jet ski and broke her lucky ankle!”

 “Can Nelson come home with us? Pleeeaaasse!”

 “Well, that all sounds lovely. I’m so glad you’re all having a great holiday with your mother and Aunt Janie.” Dan drawled, her cool blue eyes locking with Solley’s. “Hello sweetheart.“ she said before swinging a casual glance towards her sister–in-law, “Hello, Janie.” She smiled and nodded coolly, “What, no Marsha in the welcoming committee?”

      Marsha had removed herself for the day, her problems with Dan’s attitude well documented within the family. Gin had also planned to be off-side too, but for some unfathomable, masochistic reason she found herself quietly and unobtrusively watching the arrival from the shady depths of her bedroom balcony. She qualified her actions to herself as honourable, just in case this Dan got nasty and upset Solley. After all it was the result of her own behaviour with Solley and the kids that promoted this impromptu, fraught-filled visit, and she wouldn’t let Solley suffer for it alone.

     Moving further onto the porch Dan leant down and kissed Solley deliberately on the cheek, slowly removing her cool lips, allowing Solley enough time to breathe in her scent and feel the heat from her skin.

  “Mommy, mommy” Della still cried for attention. “This is Nelson. Can he come home with us, please, please, please. He’s my best friend!”

 “He could protect us” Will ventured in support of his twins passionate plea.

Dan smiled and indulgently ruffled his hair. “We got a Pirate to protect us now.” She smoothly responded. “Del get this animal off me. He’s putting dog hair all over my slacks. And he can’t come home with us. He’s a beach dog and he wouldn’t be happy in the city, you should know that.”

Della almost immediately accepted this. “How does she do that?” Solley wondered for the millionth time, “She just says something and the kids accept it, whereas I get into all sorts of tears and snot and tantrums with them if they don’t get their way.”  Her guarded eyes watched Dan’s every move with apprehension. Dan looked directly at her, blue eyes drilling down into her own. Solley was tall enough at five eight, but Dan was a well built six footer and easily overshadowed both Solley and her shorter sister.

 “We’ve got to talk.” She simply stated, “I have a few…concerns.”

      “Come on kids,” breathed Auntie Janie excitedly, “I’m heading into town for cheesecake. Who wants to come along? We can bring some back for your mommies.” It was an easy bribe, the kids and Nelson had all piled into her car before her sentence even finished. Opening the drivers door Janie rolled her eyes in a Good Luck show of solidarity with her sister before leaving her and her soon to be ex to talk.

     Left alone Dan gestured towards the house. “Shall we?” she raised a dark eyebrow. Following Solley towards the cool of the hallway Dan hesitated for a second and raised her eyes to the upstairs balcony off to the left. Gin Ito stood ramrod straight, arms crossed over a muscular chest, biceps bulging with tension, jaw firm and eyes glittering with enigmatic blackness. Dan’s icy blue stare locked with hers, a flicker of cold contempt flashed between the two. Dan could sense the raw power and anger of the smaller woman and had no doubt that she could leap from that height and cheerfully throttle her given half the chance. “Play daddy with my kids and fuck my wife! You little pissant, we’ll see who gets fucked alright!” and with one last blaze of blue hatred she continued after Solley.

      “You are one real motherfucker! I hate you. I hate you so much. I hope I get to break your evil back!” Gin’s eyes glowed viciously, even as her heart ached with confusion at the obvious joy the children displayed on seeing their absent parent. “You don’t deserve them, you freakishly tall bitch!”  With those white-hot thoughts she swung away to join Marsha over at the camp.

      “So.“ Dan sat comfortably on the smooth leather settee, one long leg elegantly crossed over the other, “It seems you’ve been a little busy.”

 “Not that it’s any of your business!”

 “The minute it made national headlines and affected my kids I think it became my business!” she snapped.

 They sat in terse silence for a moment.

 “So where’s Trixie? I’d have thought she’d be sucking all this up, trying to  milk it for all it was worth? A tenuous connection like this is bound to promote her ‘porn stroke modelling’ career!”

 “Jealously looks so clichéd on redheads.”

 “Excuse me, I’m auburn and I’m not jealous of that skinny bitch!”

 “You’re Hell on Heels, is what you are.” Dan cut back at her. Relaxing again she repositioned the conversation, “I haven’t see Trixie in over six weeks; she’s moved across to the east coast.”

 Solley mulled this new information over. “Are you going to follow her?”

 “It seems unlikely. Something has opened up here. It’s a good opportunity and it’s local.” Dan owned a computerised special effects company relying heavily on contracts from the local studios. The move east had originally been to follow up on several pending TV commercial deals. “I decided it would be better for the kids if I could stay hereby. Less upheaval.” She finished quietly, contemplating the toe of her immaculate loafer.

 “So now you’re staying?” Solley demanded.

 “Now I’m investigating a new business opportunity. I need to set up a finance plan, and look into the contractuals. So, yes, for now I’m staying.” Her blue eyes narrowed.  ”Needless to say I don’t need pictures of my wife chewing the tits of some bungee jumping butch splashed all over town. Cuckolding doesn’t sit well with my Armani business suits.”

 “You’ve a nerve talking about cuckolding! And you damn well know that was a paparazzi set-up.”

 “Oh yeah, you just happened to fall forward mouth first onto her naked chest. Happens all the time.”

 “Happened to you whenever Trixie showed up…though god knows you didn’t have to fall very far onto those silicone hillocks, did you?”

Another terse silence.

 “This is getting us nowhere. How are what’s left of the kids? I trust you’ve been keeping all the pieces in a bag for re-attachment later!” Again she took a breath to curb her sarcasm. “That’s the main reason I’m here. Not for us to scratch each others eyes out over …our little…flirtations.”

     Solley sighed this was going to be the hard part, explaining the run of events over the past few days..

 “Well, as you can see they’re having an incredible vacation. Gin being here has just blown them away.” “Oops, back choice of words.”  “But…” she continued  ”we did have a series of unfortunate incidents, so to speak. Jed foolishly tried to copy a stunt, Will stuck a pencil in his eye, and Della, Della has a thing about shrimp. It just looks a lot worse than it is because it all happened within days of each other…and it doesn’t help they all wanted to be bandaged!”

 “Hmmm.“ Dan didn’t sound at all convinced. “And what exactly had Ito to do with all of this…especially the stunt?”

 “Jed saw her leaping off Janie’s balcony for a bit of tomfoolery, and unfortunately got the idea there was nothing to it, so he tried to copy her the next day.”

 “For God’s sake, he could have broken his bloody neck!”

 “Gosh, I never even thought of that!” Sol answered sarcastically, “You better believe me I went down that road a long, long way with all responsible adults in this house!”

 “And Will, and Della; was Ito involved in any of their …incidents?”

 “Will was mucking about with her make-up in her trailer when he stuck the eyeliner pencil in his eye. Seems he thought he was Johnny Depp or something.”

 “So he was actually in her trailer, unsupervised.”

 “And Della floated out too far on her body-board; Gin actually swam out to rescue her.”

 “The twins are too young for body-boards, why the hell did you buy them! I suppose they whined enough and you caved in as usual.”

 “Actually they were a gift from Gin, along with some kites…and no-ones took off into military air-space yet! “ She snapped back. “Touch wood.” Solley actually tapped the coffee table.

 “Oh, I see. She produced the boards. Seems she’s had a hand in everything hasn’t she?” Dan sneered looking at Solley’s shorts.

Solley reddened with embarrassment and anger and looked away from the angry blue eyes.

 “So,” Dan continued in a softer, conciliatory tone “Where do we go from here.”

      “That is one black-hearted bitch. I could sense her lack of pulse from one hundred metres! How the fuck did someone warm and sweet like Solley end up with that monster? She’s like Lurch, with a pony-tail!” Gin fumed into her coffee.

Marsha’s blue eyes twinkled from over the rim of her cup, she’s never seen Gin Ito jealous before; and she did it sooo well! “Maybe you didn’t notice bud, but she’s a black-hearted, no-pulse Babe with a capital B for Body. I mean I don’t even like her but I’d sure as hell fuck her even if she was a vampire.  And anyway maybe the Rayner women like’em tall.” She snuck in a little jibe, just for badness.

Gin shot her a truly venomous look. “She wouldn’t be tall if I broke her legs. And what do you mean ‘fuck her’, does Janie know your secret lust for her sister-in-law!” she demanded. “Anyway it would be too weird, you look like you’re out of the same pod. Twins, one Good, one Evil. Yuck!”

 “Hey, hey calm down. I’m only yanking your chain. And boy, are you ever chained, like a junk yard dog…and just as mean too. Anyway Janie can’t say nothing, she’s a little bit of hush-hush history with that one herself before Sol met her.”

Gin looked aghast.  “That’s practically incest! Yhew!” she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

 ”And when did you become Judge Judy!” Marsha came back at her. “Also…when did all this happen?” she gesticulated into the air.

 “What happen?” Gin scowled, refusing to be mollified.

 “When did you fall hook, line and sinker you big Guppy? We talked about this only last week and you were gonna leave it alone, remember? Next thing I know there’s pornography all over the papers! Gimme the inside scoop; what the hells going on with you two?”

     Gin sighed her head leant back against the padded upholstery of the restaurant booth. Staring up at the dusty rotating ceiling fan she said flatly, “Nothing’s going on Marsh, it’s just a summer fling. I’m finally having the same-sex affair people presumed I’ve been having all these years. And suddenly it’s all over the papers. No wonder I never bothered before.”

 “Yea real shitty luck. But Kelly had Sniper down here from the start, looking for angles to push herself as your love interest. Pity it backfired on her so beautifully!” Marsha smirked into her latte. “Boy does she look like a national idiot now!”

 “You’re no help at all.”

 “Honey, there are occasions in life and love when there is genuinely no outside help available. You just have to tough it out; and you know that more than most. It’s karmic, you just gotta battle through.”

     Gin sighed frustrated, “Do you think all this has fucked up Solley’s chances for custody?”

 “Royally.” Marsha replied confidently, not noticing Gin closing her wounded eyes. “This is just the opening Lurch was waiting for. The only way Sol can hope to get a foothold is to suck up big-time and hope Dan’s new tootsie-roll doesn’t want the brats living with her half the year.”

Gin laid her head on her arms on the table top. “What have I done?”

“The thing about Lurch”, Marsha continued, warming to her nemesis new nickname, “is she’s very, very shrewd and manipulative. That’s why she’s such a good businesswoman. You know ‘Ego FX’, that’s her company.” Marsha mentioned a well known studio supported business. Gin raised her head at this news, there was a link, and that was interesting. In Gins own shrewd mind the little karmic cogs and wheels began to spin.

      Gin and Marsha walked back along the beach as the sun began to dip below the horizon. Before they could see them they heard the excited yips and yells of the kids along with the excited barking of Nelson. Cresting the last dune before home Gin paused for a moment, her heart thumping as she watched Solley gambolling happily through the surf with her children.  Further along the shore stood the tall dark figure of Dan, hands in pockets, observing the fun from a safe distance.

 “You don’t deserve this.”  Gin thought again, “Look at you, at least roll your pants up, kick off your Italian loafers and play with them! You’ve a beautiful family, beautiful.” Her eyes locked onto a laughing Solley, dancing in and out of the waves with her children.

     Rather than suffer an awkward dinner, Gin decided to dine alone in town leaving Marsha to do the family thing and support Janie. It was much, much later when she finally drove the studio car down the drive to Janie and Marsha’s house. Before she’s even stopped her eyes froze onto the Beamer, still sitting where it had been parked all day. Her heart grew cold, why was that woman still here?

     Carefully she entered the house. A soft sound came from the kitchen, the clicking of the refrigerator door. Standing back into the shadows Gin watched as a butt-naked Dan moved through to the stairs, a glass of water in her hand. Gin silently observed her quietly pad upstairs and turn towards Solley’s room. After a second she too followed, her heart thumping painfully in her chest with an erratic, panicked rhythm.

     A crack of light shafting across the floor drew her eyes like a magnet to Solley’s partially opened bedroom door. Dan and Solley stood naked beside the bed in a soft and intimate embrace, their kissing deep and tender. Dan stroked her hands idly up the planes of Solley’s back until, hands on her shoulders she slowly pushed her down to sit on the edge of the bed. As she slowly descended under the pressure of Dan’s palms, Solley gently left a trail of kisses all the way down Dan’s flat stomach to the shaved pubic mound, sighing and murmuring softly.

     Just as Solley began to tentatively taste Dan turned her head and stared squarely, with absolutely no emotion, into Gin Ito’s dark eyes. Gin stood frozen in the hallway, stricken by the tenderness and devotion Solley lavished on this cold, cold woman. Her lover distracted and unaware of their voyeur,  Dan casually lifted a lazy arm and slowly swung the door closed on Gin’s face.

     Shame and humiliation swept over her in a heated and hateful rush. “She knew I was there, even as she left the kitchen, she knew. And she wanted me to see that; to see how much Solley still loved her.”

Saturday.

     The next morning Solley did not keep her routine with Janie and instead lay on in bed with Dan. The kids were delighted with this outcome and kept running in to bounce on the bed with Nelson until Dan blew a fuse and chased the whole lot out.

 “Dan, “Solley protested sharply, “they’re only glad to see you. You’ve been away over two months, it seems like a lifetime to them.”

 “Sorry, you’re right and I’ll spend some time with them today, promise. But I cannot stand that stupid dog. He needs to be trained”

 “He was trained until we arrived. He got destroyed by Della-love, a truly destructive force of nature.”

 “Destroyed. There’s a word I could easily associate with him.”

 “Dan! Nelsons sweet, and he adores the kids.”

 “He adores licking his own ass too. Do you really want him slobbering all over them. God knows what diseases they’d get, especially in this House of Horror. You have to admit it hasn’t been exactly a Luck Temple for any of you.”

 “They love it at their Aunt Janie’s and Aunt Marsha’s.” Solley defended.

 “Yes, well.” Dan suddenly surged from the bed and stood stretching her long, naked, well toned body, yawning deeply.

     Solley’s eyes ran over the pleasing frame. “It’s so different from Gins. Gin is small and tight and sexy with loads of muscles. And so cute too.” the thought appeared from nowhere. “It’s funny how I’ve never had a comparison before. I’ve had Dan as a partner for over seven years, but as a lover? Well not for the last two for certain, and barely in the years before that. Until last night! And suddenly in one week I’ve two lovers to compare, an old one and a new one.  And the way I feel about them is so different. Dan is… well Dan’s comfortable, like an old shoe, an old shoe that still can give you a blister! But our passion has well and truly gone,  last night proved that, we were just going through the motions. It’s quite sad really after all this time, but we had to at least try, and now I know, now we both know.” She thought glumly. “But with Gin. My god, the energy that woman gives me. She turns in into some sort of sex-starved, rooting beast!” a small intimate smile spread across her face. “When this is all over I hope she’s still interested in me. Maybe we could try dating, and maybe… a relationship, or something…if she wants.” The smile was now replaced with another glum frown. “Who knows where we’ll all be after this vacation. Gin could be anywhere in the world, with any body. Probably another leech like Kelly Rose, perish the thought.”  With a sigh she hopped out of bed and followed Dan to the bathroom.  “I’m a fool to even think of including her in my future, even in my wildest daydreams.” 

     It was mid morning by the time Dan had finished her ministrations from the small overnight bag she’d had the foresight to pack. Rather than brunch with Janie and Marsha she suggested they head into town.

 “Yea, the kids would love that. We could take them to a lovely little waffle bar I know.” Solley grinned happily it was nice for the kids to get to spend fun-time with Dan. There had been so little of it recently.

 Dan cleared her throat. “I was wondering of we could go alone. I’ve something I’d like to talk to you about.” She shrugged, “We can take the kids out later.”

Frowning Solley followed her to the car after clearing the babysitting duties with Janie.

     Silently they drove to the restaurant, not speaking until they’d settled into their booth and placed an order. Solley was beginning to wonder what on earth Dan had to say that took such staging.

 “Solley, I want to discuss our future. This deal I’m interested in would set me up for several years on this side of the country.” Dan began as their food arrived.

Solley frowned and nodded, anything that kept the kids closer to home was a bonus to her.

 “I know it’s important for you to keep the kids nearby, and I thought this might be a possible answer. “ She looked intently at the woman opposite her.

  “Of course I don’t want them disappearing for half the year to god knows where.”

Dan shifted uncomfortably, “Well, that’s probably not an option anymore now that Trixie and I are no longer together. Though I suppose I could still pick up business over there.“ Her eyes caught Solley’s, “But I’d rather get the deal on this side. Like I said it suits everyone.”

Solley waited to see what the deal actually was as far as she and the kids were concerned. Dan took a deep breath and hit Solley square on with her intense blue eyes.

 “I need a quarter of a mill to land this. I’ve already raised that much but I need the same again. The total output is going to be approximately half a mill to me; but it will start to pay back a percentage almost immediately.”

Solley looked confused, “But I haven’t got that type of money. Are you talking about mortgaging the house?”

Dan gave a small smile that informed Solley that it had already been done; after all Dan held all the papers on their material life as a couple. Solley had concentrated on being the mother, but in the end Dan had come after the kids too.

 “No, I’d something else in mind.” Dan shifted again and Solley could feel the crunch coming. The leaden feeling in her stomach told her she was probably not going to like it. “If, if we were to stay together, for convenience sake… for the kids. We could each turn a blind eye to the others little…adventures. I mean we’ve already proved we can do that! You could continue to see the Karate Kid if that’s what you want. We’d just be opening up our relationship, accepting how we’ve evolved emotionally over the years. But staying together for the kid’s sake.”

     Solley looked absolutely stunned. This was so much what she didn’t want to hear. Their relationship had been unofficially open, in a one-sided way, practically since the day she’d left hospital with the twins. Sometimes she’d felt her heart lived on a prairie, so ‘open’ was their relationship tumbleweed frequently blew through it! But she also knew instantly she didn’t want their relationship to be closed either, she simply didn’t want it at all!

     Dan continued, oblivious to the reaction her words were having on her  luncheon companion. “Of course for this to work we need the extra cash, or it’s all pointless and I might as well move.” Her eyes glittered. “So, considering how much our kids have been but through recently I thought we should see a lawyer and see if we can gain some financial recompense from Ms Ito.” She paused here, unsurprised at the look of shock on Solley’s face. “Sol never could see the financial plus lurking within most of life’s stinkier situations. You just had to have the smarts and the balls to extract the gold fillings from out of the jaws of death and damnation, even as they tried to bite your hand off.”

 “Dan! I couldn’t possibly…”

Dan held her hand up, she had expected this. Solley had neither the smarts nor the balls. “Okay, okay, there is another way.” She exclaimed.

     Sipping her coffee she began Plan B. “Perhaps a more socially acceptable avenue for you would be to explain to Ito that suing her is what I intend to do. And believe me I do. But if she were to cough up the required investment, not only would she have no adverse publicity, but the kids stay here, and you do too. I can turn a blind eye as we’ve already discussed.”

 “That’s blackmail!” Solley hissed.

 “No, it’s business! I need that money and you have happily provided a means of getting it. What we decide to do with this opportunity will affect not only our relationship, such as it is, but also the future for our children. I’m trying to do the right thing by us here Sol. I want us to be successful as a family unit. I want my company to grow from strength to strength. I want the kids to be happy that their parents are still together and financially stable. I want my kids to go to the best colleges and drive preppie cars and have gap years in Europe.” She played her proud parent ace.

      “Bullshit!” Solley stood, “you don’t give a damn about anyone but yourself and your fucking deal. Don’t give me any crap about how much you care for the kids. If you ever did you would never have let a vacuous, self-centred twat like Trixie play with them like they were Barbie and Ken dolls for nearly two years. You’re a prick!  Gin Ito loved those kids and they loved her back, she would never harm them…”

 “That’s what I mean. She’ll pay up to keep them close and you happy.” Dan butted in, “God this woman was thick. Solley had no idea Gin Ito was a Golden Goose ready for them to pluck.”  “Sol, she knows she’ll have to pay anyway one way or another whether we sue or not. She’s not stupid. The real crux here is for us not to sue, but for her to …oblige!”

 “Its blackmail anyway you look at it. And you can go to hell!”

 “No Solley, I can go to east and I can go to court, and I can get custody of my kids. After this week’s little fiasco I have no doubt a good lawyer will paint you as the unfit mother you are, unable to care for your kids because you’re so wrapped up in being a groupie to some little macho stunt queen!” Dan too leapt to her feet. “So you think about it Solley. But be quick, those pictures of you and Ito are already plastered over the on-line porn sites. I checked this morning, and that’s not really going to look too good at a custody hearing now is it!” With that she swooped regally from the restaurant.

 “I can’t believe she’d do this to me and the kids, never mind Gin. I can’t believe she stuck me with the bill. And I’ve no way home!

    The taxi dropped Solley outside the house and she quickly ran through to the back deck looking for Gin. Janie sat reading a magazine keeping a lazy eye on the kid’s beach activities.

 “Janie, have you seen Gin?” Solley blurted out.

Janie sat upright immediately sensing something was badly wrong. “What’s up? Where’s Dan, the kids are waiting for her, she promised them an ice cream run.”

“Dan’s gone. She stormed off because I wouldn’t help her blackmail Gin.”

 “Blackmail Gin! What on earth are you talking about!” Janie was seriously alarmed.

     Solley sighed and sat down with her sister. “Dan wants to sue Gin for all the kid’s injuries. At least she wants to make threatening noises about it, in the hope than Gin will cough up the required cash she needs to do a deal.”

 “Gin won’t fall for that, she’ll get a shit-hot attorney and blow Dan out of the water. Anyway Dan can’t sue without your help; she wasn’t even here when the accidents happened and knows diddly about what went on. If you stand by Gin she doesn’t have a leg to stand on and she knows it!”

 “That’s what she’s banking on, that I stand by Gin. Then she’ll make moves to fight for custody and have a good chance of winning because of all the hands-in–knickers publicity. If she wins then she’s threatening to take them to the east coast and complete on the other deal she’s brokering there. Basically if she loses the west coast deal then I stand to lose the kids. She’s banking that Gin will pay up rather than chance an embarrassing custody battle, and will pay to keep the kids here for me. Between being sued and a nasty divorce and custody battle either way its terrible publicity for Gin and the movie on top of all the paparazzi stuff.. Dan hopes she’ll simply go along the ‘Pay and It goes Away’ route.” Solley explained miserably.

 “That’s rather a big gamble. Why does Dan think Gin is emotionally invested enough to pay out that kind of money for you and the kids?” Janie frowned. “I don’t mean to be cruel Sol, but you yourself said it wasn’t serious…and…well, Gin packed up her things early this morning and moved back down to her trailer.” She cast concerned eyes towards her stunned sister. “Is there more to you and Gin than you told me?” she asked softly.

     Solley’s stricken eyes told Janie all she needed to know. “You better get down there quick and do some major explaining after last night. I’m not sure Gin is as casual about all this as you tried to be; and Dan seems to think so to.” She told her sister straight. Watching her sisters retreating back as she tore down to the movie camp Janie shook her head sadly, “You really know how to fuck it right up to the max!” Her eyes swept across to check on her nephews and niece. “Let’s hope it’s a dormant gene.”

     Solley pounded into the trailer camp before she suddenly realised she had no idea where Gin or Marsha might be working today. They were always out on location somewhere around the bay, but where? She idly plucked at a long stem of blackened sand grass. Maybe if she went directly to Gin’s trailer…

     She was pausing to consider who to ask for information when two young women walked nonchalantly past her, slipping sly sideways glances in her direction before lowering their heads in conference, “I’m sure that’s her!” she heard one whisper to the other.

  “I don’t believe it. It’s those two bitches again. Does their entire job involve waltzing up and down this trailer park talking absolute shit?”

      Slivers of their conversation drifted towards her.

 “…and apparently she could hardly walk for days; broke some sort of bone in Ito’s pubes!” “Oh my god…they say she’s a professional dominatrix Ito had flown in from Rio.” “I heard she’s a stalker, been following Gin Ito for days, I just know I’ve seen her somewhere before!” “Kelly Rose has fluid on her lungs and might die!” “She has her own S&M porn site…called ‘Rayner Terror’.”  “Don’t look now but I think she’s following us!” hissed the other. They both threw a cautious glance over their shoulders to see Solley bearing down upon them a look of pure fury in her fiery green eyes.  “Aaaaaaaah! I think she’s got a whip!!” they screamed and took to their heels running up and over the sand dunes into the middle distance.

     Solley stood mildly stunned at their OTT reaction, dropping the grass stem ‘whip’ she ginned evilly, “Rayner Terror. I kinda like that!” she mused. “Now, how the hell am I gonna find out where they’re working.” Turning her mind back to her real problem.

     The answer came almost immediately with a shout of, “Hey, sis!” She turned round to see Marsha striding down the main drag towards her. Sighing at the first break she’d had all day she smiled and turned to her sister-in-law.

 “Mar, have you seen Gin anywhere? I really need to talk to her.”

Marsha’s face stilled. “Oh Sol, I’m afraid you missed her. She left for Auckland this afternoon; she’s starting on a job in New Zealand.”

She held up a selection of packages she had cradled in her arms, “She asked me to give these goodie bags to the kids. Plus some extra stuff from the movie…as promised.”

      Solley sat late into the night, long after her aggrieved children had gone to sleep. Not only had Dan let them down today, but the wonderful, marvellous Gin Ito had disappeared too, leaving only a mesmerising, but ultimately unsatisfying selection of movie memorabilia to replace herself. Gazing out towards a waning moon reflected on an ebbing tide she had never before felt so alone, not even after all her emotionally inert years with Dan when only the kids had kept her going.

     Solley glanced up at the starlit heavens; with or without stars the night sky now reminded her of Gin Ito’s eyes, inky black with the intensity of her emotion, or exploding with a million points of light whenever she and Solley had touched. “I wonder what she saw in my eyes whenever she touched me. Probably just ugly, raw desire and bottomless need.” She sat looking up, and imagined the plane taking Gin Ito far away from her, and from all this mess. And who could blame her.

 “You’re such a loser Solley Rayner, you’re such a fool. You’ve thrown it all away!”

End of Week Two…gosh Sol’s really fucked this one up. Thank goodness there’s a Part Three.

©msprism 2006

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