The Boys from Binjiwunyawunya (46 page)

Norton slipped his hand up behind Dixie and started gently massaging the small of her back. He had his eyes closed but he was positive he could hear her smile; he could definitely hear her purr. She turned away from him to put the tube of lanolin down by the side of the bed. Norton was laying back, eyes still closed, half asleep when he felt a lovely, soft pair of lips on his. They were beautiful. Dixie began kissing him, gently at first, gradually becoming more eager, more intense, firmer. Her tongue, the sweetest, pinkest tongue Les thought he'd ever felt, darted inside his mouth and played around the corners. He ran his hand up and down her spine. Dixie sighed and arched slightly. A gentle pressure undid her bra and that same sweet tongue whipped into and around his ear. Norton felt as if he was going to burst into flames. A hand slipped down his Speedos as he kissed her delicate pink nipples and softly stroked her ted. Dixie spread her legs then brought them together as Norton eased her knickers down past her knees and over her ankles. Dixie did the same to him, kissing his neck and mouth at the same time.

Dixie was warm, firm and moist and ready for him. She lifted her knees and Les entered her, slowly, gently, then he gave a couple of thrusts and they began making love. Dixie shuddered and moaned in his ear. Norton had to bite into the pillow or he would have screamed out himself it felt that good. Before long they were moving almost as one.

Stoned or not, it was beautiful love-making. Whereas Mrs Perry the previous night had been a bit on the wild side and could be regarded as just an outrageous screw from out of nowhere, Dixie was sensuous and caring. She genuinely liked Les and he fancied her. It may not have been love, but there was quite a lot of affection there.

They writhed away beneath the bedcovers. Norton was in ecstasy, completely oblivious to everything around him; he could have been a million miles away when a sudden thought occurred to him. What about Mia and Penny? Taken right away by the smoke and Dixie's charms, he'd forgotten about them. This could be embarrassing.

Without stopping what he was doing, Norton slewed Dixie around beneath him to have a bit of a peek over his shoulder to see if they were watching. He managed to inch around to his right a little more when over the music he began to hear this slurping, sucking sound, interspersed with a lot of muffled moaning and groaning. It sounded like someone eating thick soup with a leaky spoon. Slowly, Norton slewed his head around further.

Someone had turned the lights down a little more and he had a bit of trouble focusing at first. When he did, Norton's eyes nearly fell out of his head. It looked like one white writhing form on the ottoman, then it began to take shape. He could make out a head at one end with a bum underneath it. And a bum at the other end with a head above it. Legs and feet were going everywhere. Hands and fingers were probing and squeezing. Mia and Penny were entwined on the ottoman, stark naked, having a furious sixty-niner. Who was doing what to who Les wasn't quite sure. But a burst of straggly pink hair at one end suggested Penny was on the bottom. Norton stared and blinked for a while, out of amazement more than anything else. Then the whole thing dawned on him. Mia and Penny were lovers. Liberated women. Gay ladies. Lesbians. Call them what you like. It was a scene Norton had never come across before. No wonder they seemed to distance themselves from him. But they didn't remind Les of the horrible-looking hairy-legged crew-cut things in army shorts and overalls he'd seen now and again hanging around pubs in Balmain and Surry Hills in Sydney. Mia and Penny had a certain amount of femininity about them. However, he could understand their indifference towards him. Fair enough. But conservative bloody Melbourne. Pig's arse. The place is a cesspool.

Mia and Penny's squeals and moaning began to grow louder
and their probing and clawing seemed to intensify. Beneath him, Les could feel Dixie starting to wind up too. Well he thought, they're certainly starting to get restless in the mounting yard aren't they. Oh well. If we're gonna go off, we all may as well go off together. He stiffened his legs and went for his life.

Dixie gave a little scream, wrapped her arms around his neck and kicked the bedcover up towards the ceiling. The next five minutes sounded more like a torture session at KGB headquarters than four people having a good time. It ended in a crescendo of screams, howls and writhing bodies, with a final ‘aaahhhh shit!' from Norton. He rolled off onto his back with his arm around Dixie's shoulders. She threw an arm over him, dragged the bed cover back over them and snuggled into his chest while they got their breath back.

After a few minutes or so there was a discreet rustling from the ottoman, followed by a discreet rustling from under the bedcovers as Dixie wriggled back into her underwear. Norton slipped his Speedos back on. The sound of zippers being zipped came from across the room and then Dixie had her clothes on as well. Norton didn't bother about his. He just lay back with a grin on his face like a crack in a sheet of perspex. Dixie was on the edge of the bed running her fingers through the stubby red hairs on his chest and smiling down at him.

‘We might get going soon Dixie. What do you reckon?' He heard Mia's voice.

‘Yeah righto,' replied Dixie.

The two others got to their feet and Dixie joined them. Norton got out of bed and wrapped a towel around himself. ‘You sure you wouldn't like another drink?' he said. ‘Or a cup of coffee.'

‘No thanks. It's all right,' smiled Penny.

‘Okay. Suit yourselves.'

There was an awkward silence for a moment. Mia and Penny certainly didn't know what to say; they were certain Les had seen what was going on and weren't certain what he thought of them. Not that it would have worried them all that much what he did. Norton sure as hell didn't know what to say. It was definitely a new one on him. Though somehow a joke or a flippant remark didn't seem appropriate. He decided to keep his mouth shut and just smiled at them.

‘Well,' he finally said. ‘It hasn't been too bad a night I s'pose.'

‘No. It was good,' said Penny. ‘Thanks for the drinks. And the smoke.'

‘That's okay. It was a pleasure.'

Mia looked at him for a moment. ‘Hey...ah, Les,' she said.

‘Yeah?'

‘Do you think we could have a little piece of that Johnny. For a smoke when we get home.'

Norton glanced over at the piece of black hash sitting on the coffee table. ‘Take the lot with you,' he said. ‘I don't really want it.'

‘Are you sure?' Mia sounded genuinely surprised.

‘Yeah. Go for your life.'

‘Gee, thanks Les.'

Norton smiled and shrugged a reply. Mia and Penny shuffled towards the door and Les opened it for them.

‘We'll wait for you down in the lobby,' said Penny, turning to Dixie.

‘Righto. I won't be long.'

‘Well girls,' said Norton, framed in the light from the hallway. ‘Don't know when I'll see you again. But it's been nice to meet you.'

Mia and Penny stood in the corridor looking evenly at Norton for a few seconds, then their faces burst into a grin.

‘Hey Les,' said Mia. ‘You're all right you know.' Both of them then grabbed him round the waist and kissed him on the cheek.

‘Yeah. I s'pose there's worse blokes round than me.' He grinned.

‘And it doesn't worry you about us at all. Does it?' said Penny.

Norton gave his shoulders a nonchalant shrug. ‘Well, some girls I know in Sydney reckon lesbianism leaves a nasty taste in their mouths. But it's never bothered me.'

Mia and Penny shook their heads. Mia punched Les lightly in the stomach. ‘Dixie was right. You are a cheeky big mug.' They tossed a grin each over their shoulders and skipped off down the hallway, leaving Dixie and Les alone. She moved into him and Les put his arms around her waist.

‘Well Dixie old mate,' he said awkwardly, ‘I don't know when I'll be seeing you again.'

‘No, I don't suppose there's much chance of you coming to Melbourne for a while, is there?'

Norton smiled down at Dixie, unable not to feel a little
sad. She might have been a bit of a rough diamond, but there was no doubt she was genuine and had a good heart. Somehow the little Melbourne punk had managed to pluck at the big Queenslander's heart strings.

‘Hey just hang on a sec,' he said.

Les broke away from her, went across to his overnight bag, shuffled around for a biro and something else then came back.

‘Here,' he said, handing her a piece of paper. ‘This is my phone number in Sydney. Ring me. Reverse the charges. And if you can find the time, come up for a few days. I'll pay your air fare. And you won't need to bring any money with you either. And here. Stick this in your kick too.' He pushed a hundred dollars into the front pocket of her recycled jeans skirt. A bit of a frown crossed Dixie's face. ‘Now don't go getting the wrong idea. You're battling and I just got a big earn down here. You take it.' He stepped back a little from her and grinned. ‘Even if you don't buy any food or clothes with it. At least buy a couple of cook books. Do Melbourne a favour.'

Dixie shook her head at him. ‘God you're a cheeky boof-headed big bastard.' She then threw her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss that nearly took his face off. Norton immediately started to get ideas. ‘You just stay near that phone Les Norton,' she said. ‘You never know when it might ring.' Dixie kissed him again then danced off down the hallway.

Well bloody well beat that one thought Norton as he closed the door and came back inside. Does it ever bloody stop down here. I miss out on Pamela, and I get her. I think I prefer oP Dixie too, just quietly. He pulled a can of VB from the bar fridge and sucked on it lustily. Feeling sweaty and sticky he got under the shower, taking the can with him. He was still laughing about the night's events when he got out, towelled off and remade the bed.

And what about those other two? The two Jimmy Pikes. You're all right Les. All right? Why wouldn't I bloody well be all right. What other bloke would shout them drinks all night, buy them a hundred bucks worth of hash, take them back to his home and give them more drinks, then lay back and let them perform lewd and obscene sexual acts on his lounge? All in front of a girl he's trying to impress. All right? Norton chuckled out loud. I reckon I'm all right. But what about that poor little Dixie? Wasn't she a sweetheart. I wonder if she'll ring? I hope she does. Yawning like a cavern now,
Norton crawled under the sheets and switched off the light. His head was on the pillow about four seconds and he was dead to the world.

Norton woke up about eight-thirty. He was right again about the tobacco in the joints. After running his tongue around his teeth he couldn't decide whether his mouth felt like Typhoid Mary had pissed in it or her cat had shit in it. He blinked around the room for a few moments then got up, cleaned his teeth twice and had a very tender shave. A quick shower made him feel good and the happy memory of the previous night's events, plus the knowledge that he'd soon be flying home, made him feel even better. He also felt hungry.

No, said the girl on the desk, it wasn't too late to order breakfast. Sausages, scrambled eggs and just about everything else on the menu plus a Melbourne Sunday paper would be at his room before nine. The car company had picked up the Ford earlier and he didn't have to be out of his room until three. Thankyou Mr Norton.

Well that's okay thought Les. I can take my time getting ready, go for a bit of a walk around St Kilda, have a nice lunch somewhere, then piss off about two in time for my flight. A nice easy day.

He'd just got dressed when the phone rang. ‘Hello,' he said, picking up the receiver.

‘Mr Norton. A call for you from Sydney. A Mr Edwards.' ‘Yeah righto. Is that you Woz?'

‘Yeah. How are you Les?'

‘Pretty good. What's up?'

‘Ohh, nothing really. I was just wondering if you could catch a cab back from the airport when you get in.'

‘Sure. That's no problem,' replied Norton. ‘Just as long as you're paying for it, you little weasel.'

‘Don't worry. I anticipated that. And the agency will reimburse you.'

‘So they bloody well ought to. How come you've given me the heave?'

‘I'm staying at the boss's weekender at Palm Beach. I'll probably be here till Tuesday.'

‘Basking in the glory of all my hard work eh. Who's the sheila?'

‘Rebecca,' laughed Warren. ‘She's English. Works for
Cleo
.'

‘Half your luck,' chuckled Norton.

‘So how's things anyway. What's the weather like down there?'

‘It's been unusually warm and sunny to tell you the truth.' Norton took a quick look out the bay window. ‘Looks like it's gonna rain now though.'

‘That'd be Melbourne.'

They chatted on for a few more minutes till Warren hung up saying he'd see Les on Tuesday.

Norton smiled at the phone. Bloody Warren. He pulls these sheilas out of his arse. He was still chuckling to himself when a knock on the door told him breakfast had arrived. He slung the girl a couple of dollars and put the tray on the bar.

Shit! this looks great he thought, and plenty of it too. He speared a piece of sausage with his fork and flipped open the Sunday paper. He'd just taken a bite when the front page made him drop his fork and his eyes bulge right out of his singed red head.

If Melbourne wasn't such a fanatical Aussie Rules town Norton would have made headlines. As it was, he got a banner across the bottom of page one and plenty of spread and pictures on pages two and three.

CHURCH BOMBING OUTRAGE was page one. Police link Whittlesea church blast to last week's bombing at Turkish Consulate in Toorak.

‘Holy fuckin' shit,' said Norton. ‘What in the fuck's this?'

The journalist's report went on roughly to say that a Middle East terrorist group with links with an Armenian cell in Sydney was alleged to have blown up the Church of Scientific Achievement because two of the founders were of Turkish parentage. The bomb used was equivalent to ten kilograms of gelignite, it went on. Police wish to question a tall solidly-built redheaded man in his late twenties or early thirties. Dark, olive complexion. Possibly of Middle Eastern appearance, the man was seen in the area earlier driving a late model white Ford or Holden Sedan.