Next Time In London

Those who want to know about the Hebrides will search in vain for my Island on a map, it is Tír na nÓg, where I grew up and discovered my self. It is many Islands and many people. There is no one Sarah, just several people who educated me.

As Willy Nelson sang,

"To all the girls I've loved before

Who travelled in and out my door

I'm glad they came along

I dedicate this song

To all the girls I've loved before

To all the girls I once caressed

And may I say I've held the best

For helping me to grow

I owe a lot I know

To all the girls I've loved before"

The boat ran down the face of the wave, and I stood there resting the tiller on my backside. I looked at the watch, and noticed that we were going to be late for the evening meal, so I lent over and pushed the engine control forward a bit. Immediately the noise of the engine changed, and as the boat went faster, there was a splash of spray came over the side of the boat. One of the girls screamed. Suddenly I was carried back almost 40 years to when I was working in the Islands.

After my first summer working on the islands managing a coffee shop I went back each summer working somewhere else, in the same area, but doing different jobs in Hotels, until in the year that I graduated, I got a job working in the conference centre. There was quite a big permanent staff as the centre was open all year round, but in the summer they employed, as their advertisement went, "Students of relevant disciplines with relevant other skills" as temporary staff.

I was quite good at my subject, and in my final year had written my dissertation on the relationships between the Islands and Ireland and when I had been doing it, I met up with some of the academic staff of the centre and was known as someone who was really quite good all round. I also had a boatman qualification and a driving licence. I therefore found my self in an interesting position, on both the academic and the temporary staff. I gave lectures and helped with practical work at the academic end, but I also drove and was in charge of the boat belonging to the Centre, which was also on occasions used as a ferry.

There were two ways to get to the Island. One was by car ferry from the mainland to the north of the Island. The other was by a passenger ferry from the mainland to the south of the Island. We usually brought our students across on the passenger ferry, and got them to walk up to the Centre. The road from the North End left a lot to be desired. Usually there was only one ferry boat in operation at the South End ferry, when things were busy; the Centre boat was used as a ferry for the students.

One Saturday in late August, everything which could go wrong had. There was a summer gale kicking up a sea in the sound, which meant that the ferry couldn't be run until the tide turned at about 4.00 pm. There was a crash on the main road south which meant that cars couldn't get through to the vehicle ferry which was still running. It was going to be a long evening. We got the students over to the Island as quickly as possible promising them that their baggage would follow later. Eventually it was nearly finished. The regular ferryman had gone off to moor up the main boat, and I was left with one more trip to do with a load of baggage.

Bill my crew member and I had just finished loading up when a small balding man hurried down the jetty.

"Is this the ferry for the Conference Centre?"

"That's right."

"I'm very sorry to be so late, but we had a puncture on the A74 and we were held up". Can you take us over?

"How many of you are there?"

"There are four of us"

"Well just get your baggage down here and we'll take you over. Bring the car down the jetty, it'll be quicker"

The man's face fell.

"I don't think that any of us would want to try reversing the car down the jetty."

"All right, I'll do it.

I got out of the boat, went up to the car park where there was a Volvo with three women standing, leaning against it.

Its funny how people treat you when they think that you're just one of the workers. I was simply ignored by three of the people, while the blond with the acne scared face, gave me a smile.

"Ah!" I thought, "you might do."

I checked that I was insured to drive the car, jumped into the car, and reversed it down the jetty, with the passengers followed. We opened the boot and unloaded the luggage.

"Do you think you can get the car up the Jetty?" The man shot me a look of pure loathing. He jumped into the car and with a screech of tyres -- made worse by the weed on the jetty, headed off to the car park.

I turned to the three women, "Well you'd better get on board, and make yourselves comfortable, it's going to be bumpy."

Two of them hung about irresolutely obviously waiting for their leader to come back. The blond came to the stern of the boat and stood beside me.

"Do you mind if I stand beside you?" she asked me "I've never been in as small a boat before."

I smiled, I thought of learning to row aged about 6, in an 8 foot pram dinghy, compared to it the 40 foot ferry was enormous.

"This is like a liner. I could take you out in a much smaller boat then this, though not in this weather."

"You know I think that might be fun.

The small bald man came down the jetty and the two other women seemed to fuss around him.

"The tall one is Jenny, she's his wife, the other one is Joan and she'd like to be; by the way I'm Sarah."

"I'm Euan".

At a nod, form me, Bill got out of the boat, undid the painter pulled the boat back down the jetty, jumped in. I pushed the tiller hard over. I put the propeller into reverse and gave a kick on the engine. The stern of the boat came round. I pushed the Tiller over, changed gear to forward, and we set off across the sound. While it was navigateable, there was quite a sea running and the boat splashed spray over us all. The blond woman who was only wearing a light turquoise raincoat, was getting wet, her colleagues we much more sensibly clothed, though personally I wouldn't have stood where they were standing on the windward side of the boat. Bill crouched under the foredeck of the ferry where there was only room for him

I throttled back to reduce the spray coming on board.

"Come here" I said to the blond. She moved closer, and I placed her to my lee, took my hand off the tiller, and sat on it. I opened my black PVC oilskin coat, and drew her in to under my arm.

"Sorry, it's so friendly, but you are otherwise going to get soaked." I raised my voice over the noise of the engine. "I'd move over to the other side of the boat if I were you, it'll be dryer there." I gunned the engine, going that little bit too fast for the conditions so that there was a continued sheets of spray coming on board the open boat. The three up forward moved over to the lee side of the boat. The bald man turned an interesting shade of Green, and began to throw up with that abandon of those who are suddenly struck down with sea sickness.

"Keep it off the deck, Bill will have to clean that up" I shouted, "be sick down to Leeward."

Sarah nudged me in the ribs.

"That'll take him down to size."

After about 15 minutes, we came into the jetty, set the boat along side. One of the centre drivers took the lines, I handed the passengers ashore, where they were taken off in a Land Rover to the Centre, while the other driver and Bill and I unloaded the baggage. The driver spoke to me.

"John asked me to tell you that the welcome meeting has been put back to 19.00, so that you can't skive it."

I smiled, I was notorious for missing the introductory meeting so that the students got a surprise when the boatman and van driver came in to the core lectures on the Sunday Afternoon to give a talk, "Sea routes of the Isles."

I finished unloading the luggage, Bill threw some water over the leavings of the bald man, rubbed it with a mop, and ran the electric bilge pump for a moment while I manoeuvred the boat out to the moorings. We moored up and then rowed ashore. Bill went off to his home, while I walked up to the Centre.

I was just in time to go into the meeting. I was looking particularly rough in what the other members of the staff called my boating cloths, tattered jeans, and fisherman's jersey and boots. The rather scruffy look was set off with a fairly full beard and hair which was on the long side.

The Director, John, looked at me when I come in.

"Ah you made it. It looked pretty bad. Pity you haven't had time to tidy up."

"Tidy Up? I haven't even eaten" The man had the grace to mumble an apology.

The meeting started and John introduced the staff and then the Students introduced themselves. As well as the four whom I had brought over, there were another four who were also from the same school in England. The bald man described the purpose of their visit as being curriculum preparation. The blond caught my eye and winked.

Having been introduced and met the students I was able to slip away and clean my self up, shower the salt out of my hair, and dress, and became quite presentable. I then went into the Kitchen where Jack the caterer was still working, checking off the stores which had come over by container on the Car ferry.

"I suppose that you are wanting fed! What's wrong with ordinary meals on a Saturday night?" I let Jack rave on, it was the same every Saturday evening when things had run behind schedule".

Actually Jack had a very fine plated salad put aside for me, and we sat and talked.

Eventually when I'd had my third cup of tea, and Jack had finished checking off his stores, I got up and walked out of the Kitchen door and bumped into the blond, Sarah.

"I hardly recognised you." She said,

"Oh I scrub up well," I replied, "Have you found everything?"

"Oh yes, I'm in with Joan, who is not a happy person. I'll be able to see just when she comes in late; she and Jonathan have been at it for years. Jenny at least has suspicions which is why we are here, as the Curriculum planning meeting is now a big show rather than those two going off for a weekend." She looked up at me, "well where is the night life round here? I was just going out for a walk."

"Well there is a dance Wednesday and Friday, and the Hotel serves drink, would you like one?"

"That's very kind of you."

"Just hang on, I'll grab my oilskin it might get cold later.

As we went through the entrance hall I nipped into the staff cloakroom where we kept our wet weather gear, and picked up my oilskin.

"Its quite light," Sarah said. "I was expecting it to be all dark and wet"

As often happens in the Hebrides, after a daytime gale the weather improves in the evening, and as it is light until about 9.00 at that time of year it is a beautiful experience. I didn't really need the Oilskin just then, but I had my hopes of a use for it later.

"Tonight is going to be a good night, there is a full moon, which will rise just after sunset."

We set off for the hotel which was about half a mile away, along the seashore. It was beautiful, the setting sun illumined the hills of the Mainland and there was the peculiar light which there is in the Hebrides in the evening. God it was good to be alive.

I looked at my companion. She just about came up to my shoulders, quite slim, she was still wearing her turquoise rain coat and her legs were bare. It was hard to quite work out her shape, but I had ambitions of discovering that for my self.

At the Hotel we went into the Lounge. Sarah wanted a G & T -- I won a bet with my self, my second favourite was a half of lager, and I had a half and a half. As we had left our coats at the door I was able to examine her figure. She was wearing a pink coloured blouse, and a shortish denim skirt, with Dr Scholl sandals on her feet.

We talked, at least Sarah did, she taught English and RE in the school had only been there for two years and came from London. Sarah was beginning to discover her way in the world. She had been disappointed about coming to the Conference centre, When the staff had talked about coming to the Islands for their conference she had wanted to go to Iona, but the rest of the staff had vetoed it as at that time Iona didn't have a pub.

It only seemed a few minutes until Donald the Barman was shouting.

"Time Gentlemen, Time".

Sarah drank up and got up to go.

"What's your hurry?"

"They've just called Time"

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that the nearest Policeman is in Oban, and we are not due for a visit for another month. However as you have put your drink away, and You've had a long day, I'd better escort you back to get some sleep."

"Thank you very much kind sir."

"We got up, collected our coats and went out into the night.

It was one of those unforgettable Hebridean nights. The gale had blown itself out completely, the sky was clear, and there was a great big moon rising. The hills of the mainland were dark against the sky, but it was bright enough to be able to see all around. We set off back towards the Centre, walking together in the middle of the road. In the gloaming a night bird on the shore made a noise and we paused, looking at the sandy beach which we were passing.

Sarah turned to face me, and looked up at me, she had a look in her eyes, and she placed her hand on my shoulder. I bent down and kissed her lightly on her lips. Enthusiastically she reached up, put her both arms round my neck and pressing her body against mine, kissed me long and hard, with passion, her tongue darting between her lips into my mouth. I put my arms around her and held her tight. My tongue explored her mouth and I felt her soft lips on mine. Eventually she ran out of air.

"Sorry I don't know what happened there I just had to kiss you, thank you for doing it for me. That was nice." She put her arm round my waist, I put mine round her's and we set off down the road again.

"This is the most heavenly place, are you in a hurry to get to bed?" Sarah asked me.

"That is the perpetual story of the Islands, every morning you get up tired and resolved to get an early night, and every evening something crops up, and it doesn't work out like that. What do you want to do?"

"I'd really like to go somewhere where there is a view. I've never seem such bright moonlight before."

"Ya wee beauty, I know just the place, with a nice view and great privacy." I thought.

We walked along the road, each of us on one side of the grass which grew along the middle of the road, until we came to a gate. I opened it and we walked across short, springy grass. The field began to slope upwards until it was quite a steep climb, and we had to help each other up the almost vertical hillside. About 50 feet up there was a ledge the remnant of an old landslip, cut into the hillside on three sides, and on the fourth there was a magnificent view across the coast of the Island, across the Sound to the hills of the mainland.

I took off my oilskin which doubled very well as a groundsheet and put it down. I helped Sarah off with her coat, she sat down and I sat down beside her. We looked at the view. The moon had just cleared the hills across the sound and was still quite large and red. The moon track was broad on the sea which because of our height looked quite calm. We sat with our arms round each other simply enchanted. There is nothing like a Hebridean moon rise to bring out the romantic. I looked at Sarah in the bright moonlight and we clutched each other and kissed. I gently, slowly leaned down so that we were lying down, and began to slip my hand round her ribcage, until I could feel her bra cup. She stopped kissing and sat up.

"OK, a few ground rules. I'm still a virgin, and that's how I'm staying, I'm not on the pill and I have no intention of getting pregnant. When I tell you to stop, you stop or I'll break your balls. OK?"

I nodded my assent.

"OK?" she demanded

"OK, I'll stop when you tell me."

Sarah turned to me and continued to kiss me in the same enthusiastic way that she had been before she gave the ultimatum. I continued to explore her rib cage, and played with her nipples which I could feel through the fabric of her shirt and bra.

Sarah gave me the hint as she tugged at my denim shirt and the poppers which acted as buttons all opened. She ran her thumb over my nipples. I undid the buttons of her pink blouse and slipped it over her shoulders. She pulled my shirt off, only pausing when the cuffs got caught on my hands. We giggled. I then reached round her back and with well practised ease opened her bra strap, and pulled it over her arms. Her breasts lay there the araura only slightly darker then the surrounding skin.

I lay down and with a hand on a shoulder licked her nipples which were rising nicely. I then licked along through her cleavage and kissed my way up the other breast until I reached the nipple which I licked and suckled.

Sarah kissed the top of my head and I moved so that I was again kissing her mouth. I put my hands on her breasts again and I felt her slip her hand down to my hard erect prick. I decided to play follow my leader, and slid my hand under he skirt and slid it up her inner thigh until I came to her panties, which felt wet. I slid my finger up so that it was going past the elastic in the leg of the panties Sarah took her mouth away from mine, we had been making mouth music.

"Not yet, not this time, just keep outside my knickers."

So I lay there tracing the shape of her cunt, rubbing on her clitoris and pushing the already damp fabric round the mouth of her love passage while she worked enthusiastically on my prick through my jeans, rubbing and squeezing it. I don't know how long we lay there pleasuring each other, her skirt had ridden up and I could see her panties and tiny wisps of blond pubic hair coming out on either side There was a haze of fine hair along her thighs. However we were both concentrating on each other until with a cry and a shudder she came and redoubled her efforts on my prick until I came in my pants.

We lay there for a while, kissing with my hands gently rubbing over her breasts. Sarah broke the silence.

"What will you think of me? That was absolutely wonton."

"No just moon struck, isn't it wonderful"

"I've never really heard such silence. The truth is that I've never felt so sexy, this is a wonderful place."

We sat in silence, and all of a sudden we noticed that is was getting cold. Sarah put on her bra and her shirt. I put on my shirt, and then we helped each other down to hill, and we waked back to the Centre. I kissed her good-night quite chastely, and went back to the staff quarters, where I had another shower to wash the cum which was drying on my stomach and sticking my Y fronts to my hairs.

The next morning I happened to notice Sarah going out of the Centre grounds and with one of the staff who happened to be religious obviously going off to the Kirk.

"Well," I thought, "I wonder how she will get on with Dismal Jimmy." The Island minister was a caricature of a minister who spent his time shouting at his rapidly dwindling flock because so few people went to Church, and warning a congregation which had an average age of over 60 of the dangers of the sins of the flesh.

By long tradition after the Sunday lunch was an introductory lecture for the week, and also by long tradition it was given by one of the junior members of staff, while his more junior colleagues sat in the back row trying to make the lecturer laugh. The forfeit was a round for the other staff members in the pub on dance night. It just had to be me who was the lucky lecturer, but this time by concentrating on Sarah, or to be more exact on her tits I was able to give a completely straight faced lecture.

There was the usual running about after the lecture while people tried to decide how they were going to spend the rest of the afternoon. Some one suggested that they should walk over to the Machair on the west side of the Island, and have a swim there. Sarah looked across the room at me and gave me a knowing look. When the party for the Machair assembled ten minutes later I was there with my swimming trunks neatly folded in very large towel. Sarah was wearing a short blue denim skirt and a sleeveless t shirt.