Next morning, as she loaded her suitcase on the bus, she thought about Grumpy and wondered where he was. She had calmed down considerably since their parting, and now, on the way to Tennant Creek, she wondered if any part of the rest of her holiday could top the last two days. The next stop was a kind of campground, as she understood it, and she would be sharing a cabin with another single female on the tour, a woman with whom she had spoken fleetingly. She guessed it would be okay...hadn't she swum with an almost-stranger in a gorgeous natural pool only yesterday? And hadn't he been au naturel for the swim? Camping would be a breeze! She sighed, squelched the thought thatif he were with her, it would be DELICIOUS fun, and boarded the tour bus.
Just as she was about to board the bus, a desk clerk ran out and told her there was a call for her, and the caller had said it was urgent.m So, she went in and picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"G'day Miss America!" said the voice. Her heart melted. "I just rang to ask you if you people are stopping at Tennant Creek tonight."
"Why, yes, I do believe we are," she said, her voice quivering. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh nothin, just thought I'd ask. By the way, you missing anything?" he asked.
"No, I dont think so."
"Oh okay. Well, see ya at the creek, hun. Bye!"
"Bye!" and she hung up, and re-joined the bus tour.
Sitting on the bus, she wondered why he'd rung her, and why he wanted to know about where they were stopping. Their tour took them out to a place called Glen Helen, a picturesque place, with willow trees all around a billabong, with all sorts of birds flying about, and a lot of white parrots, known as Major Mitchells, squawking and screeching. After lunch, it was back to Alice Springs, then on up to an afternoon tea stop at Barrow Creek, before stopping at the famous 'Devils Marbles'. Legend had it that during the creation of the Earth, the devil played marbles here, while waiting for the right opportunity to give Eve the forbidden apple. Eva smiled at that...yeah, right! The rocks were round, just like marbles, and there were quite a few there. The tourists took photos, wandered about and re-boarded the bus, before continuing on to Tennant Creek. As the bus pulled into the parking lot, Eva caught herself looking for the red Kenworth, but it wasn't there. They unloaded from the bus and found their accommodations...
Meanwhile, Grumpy was out delivering to the stations, some as far as 100 kilometers off the main highway, others within sight. He was just coming back to the highway, from the Willowra homestead, when he saw her bus cruise by, and he couldn't help but smile. He still had one more stop to make, and then he wheeled the triple-trailered-roadtrain into Tennant Creek, just after dark. As he drove into the truck park, he looked through the windows of the restaurant, and yes, she was there! He pulled the rig up in a straight line, then skillfully reversed it away from lights, so he'd be able to sleep in darkness. As he alighted from the cab, he reached up, and hung her swimsuit on the aerial of the radio, laughing to himself. There was still enough light for her to see what he'd done. Laughing to himself, he strode into the showers.
Eva looked up when she heard the sound of a truck pulling into the parking lot. She had chosen a table by a window, hoping against hope that Grumpy might stop by, on his way to make deliveries. She knew it was a faint hope, at best, but she needed something to make her stay with the tour, and not just chuck it and go home in despair. At first she saw nothing, and then the red truck appeared, and the driver backed it up as though it were a car. She knew it was Grumpy by the chrome on the front. She watched as he got down from the cab, stopping on the way to hang something on the aerial. She looked closely, and her jaw dropped in amazement and embarrassment. That was her bathing suit! Oh my God! She averted her eyes, torn between laughter and anger. How dare he...? How did he...? Why did he...? God, he confused her so much!
She finished her meal quickly, and decided that, while he was wherever he had gone, she would take a couple of pictures of the truck. Luckily, she still had her camera, and she walked out through the side entrance to the spot where he had parked it. Trying to decide on the best angle, she walked around in front of it, and then, satisfied with her position, she aimed and took a shot. One more...Strong arms caught her from behind, and she squeaked in surprise and outrage, trying to turn around to see who had caught her off guard like that.
"Stealing piccys of my Kenworth, then, Miss America?" Grumpy's voice shook her to the core.
"Uh...sorry! I didn't know you were around. I hope you don't mind...?" Her voice held uncertainty.
"No, hun, I don't mind!" He turned her around and stared into her eyes. "Finished your dinner?"
"Yes, thanks!" She lowered her eyes, unable to hold his gaze.
"Where are you staying?" When she looked puzzled, he added, "So I can come say goodnight after I'm done eating."
She gave him her cabin number. "But I'm sharing with someone," she informed him, "so you won't be able to stay."
As she said it, she flushed. He hadn't said he was going to stay. What was she thinking?
"How did you get my bathing suit?' she demanded, changing the subject.
"Are you mad at me?" he asked, ignoring her question. "Do you want it back?"
"Not now," she answered immediately, looking with distaste at the scrap of material clinging to the aerial. "I'm going to have to get another one."
"I'll take you shopping if you like," he offered, his tone innocent, his eyes not.
Suddenly, he pulled her into the shadow of the building, out of immediate sight of anything or anyone, and kissed her soundly.
"I've been wanting to do that since I watched you watching me leave yesterday." He kissed her again. "Mmmmm! You taste good!"
Eva felt the tension in his arms and knew he was holding his emotions in check. How she knew this she couldn't tell, but she felt good to know he felt so strongly about her.
"Wait for me! I'll be along to say goodnight soon, love!"
He let her go, and walked into the restaurant through the entrance she had just used to leave it. He ate his meal , watching the news on the television, but his mind was else where. it was in that cabin, kissing those warm, inviting lips... Damn!!! What was it with this bloody woman? She invaded every corner of his mind. There was no getting away from her!
Finishing his meal, he went out to the truck and pulled the bathers down, laughing to himself at her reaction to his bit of fun. He splashed a bit of Imperial Leather aftershave on his face, then went in search of Eva. He knocked on her door, and her roomie answered, so he asked if Eva was in, and was told she had gone to the bar. He walked to the bar, and saw her perched up on a stool talking with a man.
Rather than interrupt, he went back to the truck, and fired up the engine, so he could run the air conditioner for a bit, trying to cool it down in the cab. He had some bookwork to do, and then he lay back on the bunk, watching a DVD on the small screen. It was his favorite, 'Convoy' with Kris Kristofferson. Suddenly, there was a tap-tap-tap on the door. He got up, and opened the door. It was Eva; he invited her in, but she declined, instead asking him to join her in the bar.
He followed her in, and they had a couple of drinks, with light conversation about how their day had been. She told him that she'd been in here earlier, asking the coach driver where their next stop would be, and he'd told her Mataranka homestead. He was starting to get really relaxed and comfortable being with her, and hoped she felt the same way with him. At about ten o'clock, he said he had to go to bed, or he'd be too tired to drive tomorrow, and walked her toward her room. As they walked through a dark patch, he grabbed her and kissed her deeply, intensely, a tongue-in-the-mouth kiss. Her right foot curled up behind her, her arms curled around his neck, her breasts pushed against his chest. He could feel her nipples digging in, through all the clothing.
His cock began to stir, rising to prod her just above her pubic bone, stirring her juices. She felt herself getting wet and broke the kiss, laughing. He looked into her bright eyes, and she told him that his whiskers were tickling her. He told her that he'd shave them off then, causing her to laugh more, because she just didn't believe him. Then he said,
"Hun, I don't like you calling me Grumpy. That's for the punters out there. Why don't you call me Alfie?"
"Alfie? Gee, where did THAT come from?" she wondered.
"From Alfredo, on my dad's side. It's Italian, but I'm only quarter Italian. Grandma was English, and my mum was of Scots/Welsh descent."