CHAPTER 1
Sue Chung, face lined with fatigue, shook her companion awake and growled angrily, "You pig."
Eyes fluttering, a pain stabbing behind them, Jimmy Crowley's brain brought him into real-time to establish where he was and with whom. Ah the drunken slut and they were on the deck of the wrecked fishing boat to fish off it when the tide covered the reef. They'd gone out to the reef the previous day when the pretty travel agent's rubber inflatable had blown away in a gust of wind when her knot tying it to be hulk had slipped undone, marooning them.
"Pig?"
"Yes and don't flash those baby blue eyes at me so innocently. You had sex with me during the night without my permission."
"I regarded any request for permission as unnecessary: you were pushing me in." "Well what about the mess on me. You ejaculated on to my stomach and left it to dry."
Jimmy scratched his balls and ran his tongue over his dry lips. "Well, we weren't on a bed with towels handy, we were?"
Sue sighed. "I concede that."
"I withdrew, not knowing if you were protected.
Sue sighed.
Jimmy, now wider awake, looked around and saw the change of tide and change in wind direction overnight had returned the inflatable and it was now left hanging off the far end of the reef by the receding tide. He smiled, "Now we have that sorted do you want another one?"
Sue climbed on to her hands and knees and complained, "Well come on, I haven't all day."
Fortunately for Jimmy she was facing away from the inflatable. He grinned, wet his lips and moved in saying, "It's my pleasure to service you ma'am."
Later Sue found a pool on the reef in which to clean herself β the sea was shark-infested β and Jimmy, energy depleted, clambered over the reef to retrieve the dinghy.
Jimmy slept the day away in his hotel room. Sue called to say her husband had returned home but she could still take him to the airport for his flight to Sydney. When passengers were called for boarding, Sue wouldn't be kissed, bawling and her husband looking at Jimmy frowning, and that changed to deep suspicion when Sue shrieked, "I love you Jimmy" and she shrieked again as her husband whacked her. Jimmy sighed and boarded, concluding that spending sunny days in peace and harmony on the idyllic island in the South Pacific had been rather over-stated in the travel brochure. Everything had been unsatisfactory or gone wrong for him and he was returning to a similar mess.
* * *
The usual lively eyes of Jimmy Crowley were dulled when two days later he appeared before the senior partners of the law firm to be disciplined. The only partner absent was Jimmy's father Charles, the managing partner.
Convener Mary Calder said icily, "You have brought out firm into disrepute, not only losing the case against the director of operations of one of our largest fee-paying clients but being found by him in bed with his wife less than twenty-four hours later was incomprehensible and disgraceful.
"Mary, there was nothing incomprehensible about it; she's a real babe."
"Shut you mouth Jimmy," she snapped. "That is an insolent and uncalled for response. The purpose of this meeting is to hear your explanation and appeal to retain your position and to show contriteness."
"Is that so? Perhaps my resignation is the best way out," Jimmy said, milking the situation. He concealed his smile when he saw Mary the old bag lick her lips. So the partners had already decided that.
"Well I suppose that would bring closure."
"I'll go for a severance payment of $50,000 plus all other entitlements."
Mary's tongue almost reached her overly prominent nose. "Well, that could be a consideration. Please leave the room while we discuss that."
"No, I'm comfortable here. You guys leave if you don't wish me to hear the squabble."
The five other partners followed Mary out. The Minutes Secretary came over and poured blond and now very tanned Jimmy coffee, snapping her legs shut when he went to touch her. "Stop it Jimmy, you know I'm Mary's girlfriend."
"Oh yeah, what a criminal waste Jennifer."
Jennifer hesitated and then came in closer and stood with her legs apart but just then the solemn-looking group of partners filed back in with Jennifer having leaped back two feet like a gazelle. Fortunately for her Mary came in last and seeing the coffee pot in her lover's hand said, "Yes, I'll have more coffee Jennifer."
The meeting reconvened. Mary announced Jimmy's demand for a $50,000 payout had been accepted providing Jimmy now called Mr Duke and apologized, saying Jimmy's indiscretion had cost him his job with Chas. Crowley & Partners, Attorneys at Law, and then he'd vacate his office and in building within ten minutes of completing that call.
"Hi Mr Duke, it's Jimmy Crowley."
"Why the fuck would I talk to you," Phil Duke said, on speakerphone, his voice venom-filled.
"No, don't hang up. I wish to apologize and to advise I've been fired."
"Fired? Oh you bastard, you've made my day. I'll never forgive Megan for giving herself to a creep like you."
"Oh don't blame Megan Mr Duke. Her problem is she was not getting enough. She needs sex two or three times a day. Your second wife is a powerhouse woman Mr Duke."
"You don't say. Well Megan told me you were next to useless."
"Oh what a disappointment for Megan," Jimmy grinned. "Goodbye."
"Two or three times a day?" Mary said weakly and the one other female and four male associates looked rather troubled.
"Well, give me the letter confirming our agreement Mary and I'll be off. You guys will regret missing the lift I gave this firm."
"So your father says," Mary said flatly. "I'll have Jennifer prepare the letter for signing while you clean out your desk. Please take nothing belonging to the firm."
* * *
Twenty-four hours later, tired of listening to his distraught mother saying her son had ruined his brilliant career, Jimmy rang the front door bell of the small mansion on Brighton's Hill. A tall, pale but beautiful brunette he knew was thirty-seven answered the door.
"Oh hi Jimmy."
"Hi Mrs Hawke. This is just a courtesy call to check out that post-divorce is treating you well and the good life has returned."
Farrah turned her troubled grey eyes on Jimmy. "It's been a fucking disaster. Come in and have a drink."
Jimmy took the Martini and said smoothly, "God you have a great body Mrs Hawke."
She looked at him startled and said, "Well I suppose as I'm an ex-client you can talk to me like that."
"Thanks Farrah."
"And call me Farrah."
He grinned. "Your ex husband called you useless around the home but I'll say this Farrah: You look great around the home and this Martini tastes perfect."
"Oh Jimmy. You have no idea how appealing it is to have someone other than my parents say lovely things to me. Most of my friends have gone."
"Where?"
"They've dumped me."
"Well they can't have been your friends."
Farrah dabbed at her eyes. "You have no idea what it's been like Jimmy."
"Perhaps I do."
"Do you?"
"Yes, practically no one calling, you feel confined to the house. You social life and sex have been non-existent."
"Well yes but ought you be talking to me about sex?"