Wondrous Fusion

Chapter 1

Brigit Day emerged from Jenny's Deli, carrying her usual mid-morning coffee and chicken sandwich flavoured with a little mayonnaise and chopped fresh herbs, when she noticed the same fresh-faced guy in need of a haircut staring at her.

It was a replay of what had occurred two days earlier when she'd noticed him for the first time. Once again, he was about to enter the deli and stood aside politely to allow her to pass freely. This time she smiled, acknowledging her appreciation.

He scowled.

Brigit was horrified, thinking he believed she'd attempted to hit on him.

She hurried off but moments later thought that would not do and returned to stand outside the deli.

He emerged carrying four coffees in a tray and a box of food.

"Hi."

He nodded.

She said awkwardly, "I wish to make it quite clear I smiled to express my thanks because you stood aside instead of pushing past me."

"Okay."

Puzzled, she growled, "Okay what?"

"You have made yourself perfectly clear Brigit."

She retorted, "How is it you know my name?"

For the first time in her life, Brigit wished she was carrying pepper spray although she had to admit she didn't feel threatened. Her preference would be to move about virtually unnoticed and certainly not have every Bozo in the city knowing her name.

He elaborated.

"Initially, I figured you may have smiled at me, attempting to get me to date you. However, inside the deli, I pointed at you as you walked off and asked Katie who was the great-looking redhead dressed in white. She said you were Brigit Day, home for the summer break from law school and working at her parents' boat chandlery."

Brigit scoffed, "Well, who needs Google when all personal information is readily available at any deli?"

"Katie's not a motor-mouth. I went through high school with her and dated her occasionally before her marriage. She probably thought I was your kind of guy."

"Katie and I were close friends before I was bundled off to boarding school. To keep that connection, that's why I go to her mother's deli, to say hi to Katie even if she's unable to serve me."

"Good friends can say hi just with their eyes and familiar all-embracing smile."

"What? How on earth could a guy..."

She stopped.

He said, "Not all of us are insensitive bastards."

Feeling somewhat aggrieved, Brigit snorted, "How dare she tell you about Dirk Moss."

She stomped off and to her amazement before she knew it, the grinning ape was standing in front of her, blocking her way. It seemed impossible that anyone could have moved that fast.

"Wow, you are short-fused even for a redhead."

She was confused because he'd said that sounding more impressed than being critical.

"Katie was flat-stick serving with no time to really talk. She made no mention of a Dirk Moss or suggested he'd harmed you."

Brigit sniffed, "He broke my heart, promising to wait for me but he's fallen to Moira Evans."

"That's a damn shame, Brigit. Just look at you; he was either insane or she's a witch."

Brigit's mouth dropped open. How could he be so sympathetic when he didn't know her?

Also, he was so expertly intrusive.

Here she was, on the verge of thanking him instead of hissing to him to get lost. She felt vulnerable despite being trained at law school how to think and act in adversarial mode. It was as though as if he'd touched her core of femininity.

She shook her head and thought what rubbish and looked up to see him striding away.

"Who are you?" she yelled, attracting stares from two guys and several females.

He was within hearing distance but chose to ignore her call.

She felt a surge, knowing she was angry enough to cut glass with fingernails.

Slowly she relaxed, knowing where to find him if she did decide to invite him to meet somewhere for lunch.

However, she couldn't wait till next morning to find out who he was. She returned to the deli knowing the mid-morning peak would be tailing off.

Katie darted around the counter and pulled Brigit to one of the tiny side-tables and said almost breathlessly, "Well?"

"Who is he?"

"What?"

Katie looked at her friend and saw the look of confusion.

Omigod, was the fucking know-all Barbie Redhead as she was called at high school, emotionally stupefied?

"Didn't you ask him his name?"

Brigit opened her hands helplessly.

"Omigod, he's more than right for you. I had flash-vision of immediate fusion between you two when he asked me did I know your name."

"I-I don't know his name."

"But I saw you two together on the footpath for at least two minutes."

Brigit faltered, "I-I don't know what happened. He appeared to over-overwhelm me."

"Mum, please order us two double expressos."

"Coming right up darling. Hi Brigit."

"Hi Mrs Summers."

Katie frowned and said, "But Wade is never overly-aggressive to females."

"He wasn't; he just seemed so kind and understanding as it was like he could almost read me."

"He's great in bed darling."

"No, no. It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"He-he appeared to consume me."

"Omigod, you two in for a wondrous fusion."

Their coffee arrived.

"Well darling, his name is Wade Kelly and his family roots go back to the earliest days of Australian European settlement. His parents sold their huge pastoral holdings in South Australia and relocated in Sydney where Wade and his older sister Kirsten enrolled in their local high school here, declining to be dumped in posh boarding schools in Melbourne. Initially. Wade refused to sit next to a girl at our co-educational school but I pulled him into the vacant seat next to me and we've been friends ever since."

"Oh, is his sister is Kirsten Kelly, the ace tennis player now located in LA?"

"Indeed, but she already has a famous girlfriend as her partner; go for her gorgeous brother instead darling. He's left a thousand broken hearts in his wake but lucky you appear to have smitten him with your hair and obviously unbroken spirit as well as your wild beauty."

"Close your mouth darling. My guess is he's never been confronted by that combination in such a perfect package before. But you'll have to woo him and remain aware he's no pushover."

Brigit shrugged and said, "No problem, we already appear to have imminent fusion as you call it. But the question remains does Wade Kelly's interest in a female extend much beyond her pussy?"

"Of course. He yearns for a mutually appealing consummate relationship... amounting to almost rivalry."

"I imagine Wade has found such a rare combination occasionally but the relationships failed to endure. As we are aware, the quest to sign off on what appears to be the perfect relationship often crumbles within sight of the finishing post."

Brigit confessed she'd mentioned her failed relationship with Dirk Moss.

"Holy shit; were you in self-destruct mode with him? How on earth could you discuss the treacherous Dirk Moss when you didn't even know Wade by name?"

"It popped out by misunderstanding. I thought he was being sympathetic because you must have told him about Dirk and Moira."

"No way would I do that sweetie. That situation is entirely your business I'd never..."

"I accept that. I lost the plot a little and Mr No-Name left me flabbergasted by suggesting Dirk must have been insane in dumping me and that Moira was probably a witch."

"Wow Brigit, do you know what that means?"

"He's sympathetic?"

"It means you have presented yourself as a tragic figure to add to your endearing attributes and that he knows he must save you and rekindle your love. All you need to do know is to lay back with your knees spread."

Bridget looked tragic.

"Thanks darling, a lovely thought and a timely coffee. You need to get back to work as do I and no guy on earth will be offered my pussy if that's his only interest in me. Furthermore, my legs would slam shut if I thought his sole motive was that he feels sorry for me. Please don't contact him about me."

"But I was thinking of a double date of you, Wade, me and Paul."

"No, please don't. I have what I came here for, Wade's name. He knows where I come to collect coffee and will find me if he wishes to learn what other interests I have besides sex."

They stood and kissed.

"Good luck Brigit, a bit of romanticism is the way to go. If he wants you, he'll have a woo you. But don't forget I told you I remember him as a great fuck."

"What does he do for a buck?"

"Wade returned from America six months ago with a master's degree in naval architecture and studies in marine engineering. His parents bought him a partnership in a boatyard on Sydney Harbour that designs and builds small boats and another division repairs and services small boats. Wade's position operates in tandem for a year with the outgoing retiring director of design and construction of new watercraft and co-supervision of refits and upgrades of existing craft."

"Ah, then he may know my parents own a number of boat supply depots around the harbour and our warehouse is in this locality."

"I did mention that in passing, darling."

Chapter 2

Brigit entered the admin offices of Day's Boat Chandlery & Marine Supplies. Her mum Heather smiled at her, drawing a finger across her throat and inclining her head toward the managing director's office.

Slipping into control mode and accosting her father head-on rather than waiting to be called to his office, Brigit walked in and said cheerfully, "Hi dad, busy, busy?"

He looked up with a scowl that disappeared at the sight of the stirring beauty before him.

"You've been away an hour instead of being here chasing up compulsive slow payers. Normal working women chase after sex in their own time."

"Dad, had I been that way inclined you wouldn't have sighted me until late afternoon."

Kevin smiled and then said thinly, "Phil Rowlands called me pissed off that you threatened to take him to the Small Claims Court over non-payment of his debts to us that are up to eight months old."

"Ah, and he told me he bawled me out when I'd told him to pay up and fuck off and freeload on one of our competitors?"

"I told him to accept that you were only acting in the interest of your future inheritance."

"Wow, did he cry?"

"We abused one another for ten minutes and he reminded me the Rowland's had been one of our major clients for three generations."

"Oh dear, and he exploded?"

"I repeated what you'd told me to say, that his grandfather and his father had meticulously paid within 30 days of receiving an account and that you wondered if his maternal side of the family were studded with a long line of convicts and pirates."

"Christ dad, I added that last bit for your ears only and you knew that."

Her father chuckled and said, "Phil practically blew a head gasket. He said, 'Get that young bitch off my back Kevin. She's lethal. Sybil made our life at home a misery for three days after your lass dropped our son for vomiting over her party dress before they got to the party.' He added that instead of being deliriously happy that my stroppy daughter was out of their lives, Sybil ripped into their son for spoiling his matrimonial chances with your daughter."

"I was about to drop everything and tear that cur to pieces when as calm as a windless day Phil checks his phone and said, "There you do Kevin, a transfer of the outstanding $58,765 has just gone into your bank. I guess you are waiting to thank me."

"Dad, why is it that the assholes of this world are invariably male?"

Her father almost fell out of his chair laughing.

As Brigit was leaving the office smiling, Kevin halted her in her tracks by saying, "For goodness sake Brigit, take your phone when you go to morning coffee. A Bozo called me asking why you wouldn't answer his calls. He's called you three times in the past ninety-minutes. Who the fuck is this pushy Wade guy?"

"Oh, just some Bozo I met at the deli. Possibly he'd infatuated with my pussy."

"Christ, do what your mother says and wear your skirts longer. You obviously are showing too much at the deli."

"Dad, I'll keep that advice in mind. Get back to work and feed me more bad debtors that the experts we employ have failed to get traction with. I have only two left on my list."

"Look, I have a bigger priority. Take your mother shopping this afternoon and kit her up in new gear."

"Does that mean influence her to upgrade her wardrobe with more modern and stylish clothes with a touch of sexiness?"

"Christ, we don't speak the same language but you understand exactly. Of course, you do have the brightest brain of any female I know well."

"Oh dad, that sounds like you need to upgrade your floozies."

"Shut your mouth vixen. You know your mother takes your jokes seriously."

"Oh, but I wasn't joking."

Kevin scratched under an armpit. He sighed and said, "Darling, spend up to a grand on your mother's card on yourself."

"Oh thanks, what a surprise."

"Bitch."

Brigit received three more calls that afternoon from an unknown caller showing on her phone's screen and left them unanswered. Like the other messages he left, Wade had sounded a little breathless.

She was leaving the warehouse just before 5:00 when Wade appeared at her side.

"Do you have a policy of not answering your phone?"

"Oh, hi Wade," Brigit said, cupping her left breast long enough to ensure he didn't miss that action, and the glean of him exposing teeth confirmed she'd pulled the trigger successfully.

"I'm sorry, did you call?"

"Yes, several times. Didn't your father say I'd called him too?"

"Perhaps not."

"Perhaps not; what does that mean?"'

"In standard English, perhaps not means perhaps not."

"Ah, I understand."

"Do you?"

"Perhaps not."

She giggled and said it was lovely to find he had a sense of humour.

"Wade, our wee chat this morning left me somewhat confused. I decided not to pursue you."

"Ah, then you had thoughts about me?"

"Yes, and I decided I should not waste your time."

"And why would that be?"

"For a start, I have little to offer you apart from being able to smile nicely, be polite and well-spoken, activate intelligently and believing you'd want much more than just good sex."

His eyes narrowed and he almost whispered, taking her arm and moving them along, "You are confident about delivering good sex?"

"Oh god yes, but I have no references to give you and anyway my potential to leave you exhausted would scarcely flatter a manly man. And my behaviour, if I'm goaded into going into aggressive sexual pushback could possibly disgust you. Moreover, it you slap me I'm capable of slapping back with surprising force and I can argue hotly, be physically challenging in swimming and other sporting activity, perhaps drive your car better than you can and I have a fetish for blue movies and prefer males cooking for me rather than me exhibit my culinary inadequacies. The message here is I'm too overly competitive as well as being somewhat inadequate in some areas for some males to stomach."

"I'm intrigued to learn you believe you feel combative when it comes to the opposite sex."

"I understand that but why are you whispering?"

Wade looked around almost furtively and said firmly, "The discussion we've been having doesn't rate as normal street chatter... I mean it's rather intimate, upfront and personal."

"Omigod, I apologize for embarrassing you."

Wade looked at her closely and replied, "Wow, you weren't being sarcastic; that was a genuine apology. You must be a nice person."

Brigit giggled and Wade flushed.

He said he'd never met a young woman quite like her.

"Meaning?"

"You are full of surprises and most of my first impressions of you appear correct. What's more, you've projected a concept of yourself designed to sound like a put down but with the aim of increasing your appeal to me. I find that artful and unbelievable intelligent of you."

"Omigod, you're on to me," Brigit said, faking surprise.

Wade grinned and pulled her into him.

"Omigod, are we to have sex on the street?"

He dropped his hold on her arm and moved a little sideways to establish a clear gap between them.

"Christ, give a guy a break. You're lethal."

Brigit smiled, grabbed his arm and pulled him back against her.

"Press your arm against my breast to experience a touch of possessiveness if you wish. I believe we have made sufficient progress to exhibit an easy relationship now exists between us."

"Are you intending to date me?"

"Yes," murmured his companion.

"Christ, even the simplicity of that response was a surprise. I'm now optimistic I'll be your best pal within days."

She thought she would have preferred the word girlfriend and suggested dryly, "I suggest you don't get ahead of yourself. Perhaps if you are free, you'll allow me to take you somewhere for a drink and a light snack and then take you to a movie. Later we could go to a restaurant."

"That's a great idea," Wade said smoothly, applying a little more pressure against her breast and grinned when she muttered, "Nice."

They'd just sipped their drinks when Wade took a call.

He sounded surprised and glancing at Brigit shrugged and then walked off to continue the conversation out of earshot.

Brigit saw him gesticulating and speaking intensely and thought perhaps it was a business call about a deal that had gone wrong.

Wade returned to his barstool, looking crestfallen.

Taking a big intake of breath, he apologized that he must cancel their first date together because his mother wanted him home.

"That's a shame," she said, patting his cheek lightly and walking off.

"Bridget," he called, as if summoning a straying dog.

She walked on.

Wade's brain worked deviously and he called meekly, "Bridget darling."

She stopped.

He rushed to her.

"Mum and dad have been rowing fearsomely. Dad was last-in-line in our attempts to get a bastard to pay the money he owes us. Mom yelled they'd now have to take the fucker, um I mean bad payer, to the court and called dad a negotiator's arsehole. The row erupted."

"Oh, is that all? It appears your mother has a bad mouth."

"What, don't defame my mother. She only exhibits a foul mouth when she's more than upset."

"I understand. What's the size of the debt?"

"It was a major refit of a luxury cruiser. The client owes us $2.7 million. He'd paid the two earlier payments without a month after due date."

"Frigging fuck."

Wade eyed her but didn't comment on Brigit's bad language.

"I must go, before they begin demolishing our home."

"I'll come with you."

"No, you'll only be a distraction."

Brigit asked quietly how about taking the risk?

Wade, walking around a dilapidated American monster pick-up to the driver's door and called, "Okay, in you hop."

"Ugh, this ugly heap smells like it's rotting into self-extinction," she hissed.

Pulling on a bunch of the driver's long curls, she jerked him toward her and leaning over kissed him fully on the lips -- their first kiss and then pushed him away, saying, "Come along, you're wasting time if you want to prevent home demolition."

Wade fired the big diesel and grinned, "Beautiful but fucking lethal."

Not replying to the compliment, she said, "Winches front and rear, I guess this heap is used to haul smaller craft ashore in sticky situations and then to winch them on to a trailer."

Wade's lips fluttered wordlessly and he said, "Among other things, this 'heap' as you call it is submersible up to the bottom of the rear-view mirrors. As well, with a removable steel tripod with lifting arm bolted to its chassis, lifts out the engine of any smaller recreational or work boat and transports the engine to our workshop overland. That saves owners sometimes hours of cruising or having their boat towed considerable distances when taking the long way around."