Due

Shortly before Friday's management meeting was due to start Neville entered Duke's office and closed the door.

"The worst has been confirmed for Charlie and he's resigned. The job is yours if you want it?"

"Yes please."

"That pleases me Duke. You will be right for the position with higher promotion within your grasp if you do well. Your salary will increase by $32,800 in line with seniority and responsibilities. Your company vehicle will be a new Holden 2 litre Captiva 7 AWD diesel sports utility, your choice of manual or auto and it will have company naming on it. Our fleet is all black so you choose black. Your occupancy of the apartment ends in two weeks from Monday with is the day your promotion commences. Come on, time for the meeting. I'll announce your appointment then."

After the meeting Duke left a message for Lisa to call him and she did almost three hours later.

"Sorry not to reply sooner but we had a bunch of people, happily all without life-threatening injuries, from a bus that failed to take a bend in the highway."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes and thanks for asking but this is just routine. We young doctors are placed in hospitals to toughen us up as well as to advance our training."

"I like the way you are now. Don't change too much."

"Oooh. That's nice. Oh we've had bad news. The owner of our rental house is returning so we have four weeks to make alternative arrangements."

"Good then move in with me."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Wow. Um you mean to also sleep with you?"

"Yes."

"Wow. I have been thinking of that prospect quite a bit lately. You are aware I have another three months to go to complete my internship and then I start a new level of training as a resident medical officer, hopefully at Dubbo base but not necessarily here?"

"Yes," Duke said vaguely, not really taking that in. All he thought was for the next three months things should be static.

"And after every six weeks I am scheduled to work 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. although I usually get some sleep during the night but at the hospital?"

"Yes."

"You asking me before was I all right is an example of how I'm thinking more positively about you."

"Well don't make errors of judgement."

She laughed and said also few people made her laugh as often as he did. "Could I have twenty-four hours to think about your offer and talk to my flatmates?"

"Of course. Take as long as you wish."

"Thank you. I'm sorry to be chewing in your ear but I'm also seizing this break to eat. Oh why were you calling?"

"To tell you I've just been appointed to my temporary position permanently and a new Captiva goes with it and my salary tops 100 grand. It will be all-wheel drive because two of our mines are in rather remote territory. I am required to make bi-monthly routine visits to each mine and of course go in to assist if the resident electrical engineer runs into problems."

"Oh congratulations Duke. I'm so proud of you."

"Aw shucks."

"Come on, stop clowning. So what will happen to Gipsy Rose?"

"I'll sell her but not to a young hoon."

Lisa asked could she mention the availability of Gipsy Rose to her mum.

"The so-called new engine was actually a reconditioned engine and while the Rover was great for traversing the station it was coming to the end of its useful life as an adequate highway vehicle. Mum was talking about getting a pre-owned Toyota Land Cruiser but I recall how her eyes lit up when I told her you call your ute Gipsy Rose."

"Yeah why not tell her. She can come to town and take it for a spin and get a couple of prices from dealers and then tell me how much will she pay me for it. I'm the only owner."

"That's rather casual."

"We'll I don't aim to do a hard deal with a woman whose daughter I'll be fucking."

"God Duke, you are so embarrassing. Mum already likes you and said to me you were the kind of guy people associating with you know what they see and hear is what they get. Mum is a great judge of character."

"You wouldn't be lying to me would you little darling?"

"Duke of course I wouldn't and you know that. I call you later with details. I'm taking you out for a swanky dinner tonight to celebrate your promotion."

"Shouldn't I be taking you?"

"No of course not."

Duke scratched under his chin thoughtfully and said he didn't understand.

"I asked first Duke. Don't you comprehend simple logic?"

He laughed and called her a cheeky bitch and she laughed and said she must go.

They had a great night out and some cuddles. Duke made progress in the ute later when he dug out a tit and worried it without Lisa resisting. When he'd developed a boner and the nipple was hard he pulled Lisa's hand on to his dick. She left her hand there and made no protest but the hand stayed lifeless as if set in stone.

Duke knew he had to force the pace so when pulling away after she finally tongued him, he deciding not to push in his tongue, he whispered, "Suck my cock."

"Very well. Pull it out for me."

He almost said don't bother but remember what he sometimes told himself, that all women were different. His goal was to fuck Lisa, and fuck her regularly, and it was clear if there were to get to that stage it would be at her pace. So he pulled out his dick and she went straight down on it once they adjusted to avoid the protruding console between the seats.

Her lips went down it so smoothly that Duke figured she must have worked up some saliva beforehand and that mean she wasn't a novice. And that proved to be correct. She bobbed up and down on it for quite some time and as she began slowing he said kindly that would do for her trial run.

"I'll jerk you off providing you don't wet me."

"What will you swallow it?"

"You have to be kidding."

He said he didn't have a towel so not to bother. "You did fine Lisa. I like you sucking my cock."

"I'll try to be more satisfying for you next time. I'm really tired tonight."

"Oh goodie, there is to be a next time?"

She giggled and he kissed her before she'd reached up with her handkerchief to wipe her mouth wet with saliva.

She said as they broke apart and she wiped her mouth and chin, "That wasn't very hygienic kissing me."

"Well Doctor Fulton, you ought to know sex is not hygienic."

They laughed while straightening their clothes.

* * *

Lisa called he mum next morning after completing her routine duties.

"Oh hi darling. It's nice knowing you have some downtime allowing you to call."

"Indeed. Mum Duke 's has accepted his temporary position on a five year contract."

"Yes I know. Jean has only just finished talking to me. She said he's doing very well and Neville had no hesitation in promoting him. He gets a rise of more than $30,000 and a company vehicle."

"Mum that is so unfair... you know what salary I'm on and have to slave to earn it."

"Yes dear, you ought to have qualified to become a mining engineer."

"Like hell... my heart is not in a hole in the ground."

"Just remind yourself of that darling and also think ahead to the times when you'll be heading for a salary of $200,000 if you tailor your career path and make the right decisions, for example because a specialist consultant."

"It's not only about money."

"I know it isn't darling. Your dad and I farm because we chose it as a way of life. Just remember that. This will be a useful little chat for you. So you now have a permanent boyfriend."

"Mum, don't pressure me."

"Are you two having sex?"

"Mum!"

Patricia clucked. "What? That's a perfectly normal question for a mother to ask an adult daughter who dates infrequently."

"If you must know he's only touched me twice but we do have phone sex."

"Phone sex. What on earth is that?"

"Oh god," Lisa wailed. "Me and my big mouth."

The thirty-minute phone call finished with Lisa unable to believe her mum's claim that Lisa was in love with Duke whom she'd unwittingly described as more like a Ferrari than a family sedan. Naturally her mum pounced and said never, never had Lisa made such an impressive comparison with any other male she'd ever dated.

Lisa put down the phone and thought in future when with her mother she'd just listen rather than chat. Her mum was too street savvy for her. Lisa giggled thinking that was a rather inapt description for a woman who lived in near isolation on a farm but she knew what she meant.

* * *

It was late afternoon and Lisa was on night duty for the next two weeks. Duke sat in the office of Mrs Lewis of Chong and Lewis Real Estate while she completed a phone call to a vehicle panel repair firm. He'd heard he say she'd hit a roo (kangaroo) the previous night.

"Chuck please repair the front end and fit roo bars ASP."

Duke looked through the glass partition some of the ten to a dozen real estate salespeople he could see at work. Three pretty blondes were nearest him and one looked up and smiled through parted lips. He thought about asking Mrs Lewis for that woman.

Mrs Lewis registered Duke as a client and said the salesperson would take further details.

"So you require quick positive action working with a switched on salesperson who is professional to the core and who want bother taking you to view crap?"

Duke looked surprised. "Yeah that's exactly as I put it when you were writing. I thought you'd only be half listening."

"I deal with thirty or so new prospective clients every day Mr Caine."

"Well you have skills Mrs Lewis. Um could you assign that lady the third one down on the left behind the half-screen? She's on the phone now."

"I really don't believe I can Mr Caine," Mrs Lewis said drolly. "Jessie has just become engaged and besides she works in rentals. I'll give you Bell."

Duke thought well at least she knew to give him a blonde.

Mrs Lewis picked up her phone and called the salesperson. "Bell could you come and qualify a new client and then look after him please."

Duke was disappointed the other two nearest blondes had not picked up their phone. Then from a side office came a woman as tall as Duke with shoulders just as wide and close-cropped hair the colour of burnt barely. She smiled at him as she approached while fiddling with an earring.

"Mr Caine, please meet our residential sales manager Isabella Street."

"Oh hi Mr Street, you look dashing. I've seen you around town... you drive a red ute."

Duke had walked to the agency so she couldn't have seen him drive into the car park. Perhaps big babe was switched on?

They shook hands. Her grip was firm and she said to call her Bell and he said to call him Duke.

"I'd like you to fit me out."

She looked at his chest so he looked at hers and their eyes met. "Oh I'm sure we can do that Duke. Where would you like to buy?"

"How do you know I'm not a renter?"

"Mrs Lewis wouldn't have bothered calling me to service a renter."

Ah brains.

They looked at properties on Bell's computer, sitting very close. At one stage Duke sniffed her hair and pulled back wondering what the hell he was doing but noticed she hadn't pulled away.

He was looking for a 'do-up' with big potential and it had to be in a good location, traditional in design, preferably double-brick and with a swimming pool.

"I get the picture, one of the worst houses in a good street."

"That's it."

"And you don't want to look at new houses in new subdivisions that we are acting exclusively for the developers?"

"That's it."

They ended up with a list of ten.

"Well let's take a look at two and then we can do the same tomorrow late afternoon and then complete the next afternoon."

Duke countered. "Let's drive by all ten and perhaps I can then shorten the list and allow you to get back to running your people and attending to half a million plus buyers."

"Don't you think I'd rather be driving and looking with you Duke?"

"Meaning?"

"Well I'm at a lose end at present. My partner is in Tasmania working on a contract."

"Partner?"

"Well lover if you wish. We are both divorced."

"Then I guess you are free for dinner this evening?"

"I was hoping you'd ask."

They sat at a bar with cocktails. Duke had been home to shower and shave and call Lisa. She was not available so he left a message to say he'd be out and wondered if she would think that was code for him saying he'd be with another woman. Well she had the answer, if she wanted to commit he'd commit, at least that was how he felt at the moment.

Bell arrived in a blue wrap thing with a little jacket of the same material that didn't have buttons. She looked stylish although she couldn't do much with the mess she called hair although it was tidy. Her make-up was superb.

They greeted and he said smoothly, "Are you wearing perfume?"

She took the hint to invite him to find out. He kissed behind an ear, kissed her lips and they parted slightly and then he kissed at the top of her quite noticeable cleavage.

"The verdict?"

"Lilac water?"

She simply giggled and said yes to a drink and chose a Bloody Mary. He chose Whisky Sour.

They sat facing each other, resting an arm on the bar.

Their knees touched. He thought she must have moved forward. They looked down at their knees. Bell's were exposed as the hem rested just above them but his were under his cream pants. He wore a tan shirt and a darker brown light jacket but no tie.

"No tie," she said. "Will they allow you into the dinning room here?"

"God Bell, this is only Dubbo. Will they allow you in without panties?"

"Oooh, how did you guess that?"

"I caught a whiff."

"Liar," she giggled and they were away, knowing what would be coming up later.

As they were leaving, arm in arm he said, "I'm actually courting at the moment."

"Well these things happen. Tonight you are mine. My place or yours?"

"My place."

"Nice size," Bell said as she pulled it out and blew on Duke's dick. "I'll need you to use a condom. I have..."

"No problem," Duke said and reached for his pants and pulled out his wallet.

Bell proved to be a really strong and active woman. She was thirty-nine and said she played senior-grade tennis and indoor basketball and swam a lot.

She got off both times, but each time after him and that really impressed Duke.

The next evening Duke inspected three properties. He saw so much potential in the third that had a new swimming pool surrounded by trees with the sides raised to reduce fallen leaves being blown into the water that he asked Bell to take him back to the office to prepare a formal offer, which he signed and asked her to present it.

She warned him the owners were very conservative people and might take a couple of days of dithering to make up their minds.

"Tell them this offer is non negotiable, that I said to accept it or reject it. They have forty-eight hours to decide."

* * *

Lisa came off night duty on Friday morning for the luxury of a three days off and so slept for most of Friday but had Duke around for dinner with her two flatmates Julie and Sue who were still undecided where to relocate. Then on Saturday morning Lisa and Duke were booked with two other unmarried doctors with partners to kayak down the Macquarie River that cuts through Dubbo, paddling with the flow for 22 miles with a long spell for lunch on Saturday and then camping in small tents overnight and then paddling a leisurely 13 miles next day to Camping Reserve where they would call to be picked up and returned to Dubbo.

Duke had already briefed Lisa about putting an offer on a solidly structured home off Fitzroy Street, so over dinner with her flatmates when the subject of relocating came up she said, "Duke is waiting to hear about his offer on a do-up on Tamworth just off Fitzroy Street and has asked me to move in with him."

Julie and Sue looked stunned. "You of all people intending to move in with a guy?"

"Well yes... mum likes Duke."

"Well who wouldn't," Julie said. "But you're never brought a guy to this house, ever."

"I have a big dick," Duke said, thinking it was time to enter the conversation and watched the three women looking at him horrified.

He scratched an ear and said sheepishly, "I think that rather back-fired."

Julie couldn't help herself and began giggling and within seconds the other two women were laughing.

Lisa said, dabbing at her eyes, "You guys can see I have some training to do on him."

Sue said it would appear Lisa would have an interesting time ahead of her. "Perhaps Duke will be more than a handful."

The women shrieked in laughter and ears burning Duke dug in the bag he'd carried in and said, "We'll here are a couple of fine reds and two sparkling wines to get this party underway."

Julie looked out the window and said Tim and Alfredo were arriving with beer, nibbles and ice cream. "Yeah, let's party! Please hold dinner back Sue."

* * *

Duke called for Lisa in time to be at Lions Park for the riverside briefing at 7:15.

He kissed Lisa and grabbed a breast and wriggled it.

"God how can you be so bright after putting so much booze away last night?"

"I'm used to belting the grog along and you're not. Simple as that. Here drink this sports drink, it will give you the boost you required."

"I really don't think..."

"Drink it," came the command and Lisa sipped away like a good girl.

They reached the launching spot and parked. Duke wrongly assumed the two women were doctors when actually one was a computer IT manager and the other was a Government conservation officer. Their male partners were young doctors.

The six of them were experienced paddlers so the guy gave a short lecture on water safety, to drink only bottled water, to light no open fires and then demonstrated how to assemble and erect one of the tents.

"They are very small," Deborah said.

"Lady you'll be so tired paddling and calling out to the other women in their kayaks you'll be too tired for sex or walking about inside a tent."

"Oh no sex? That makes this excursion a bummer," Deborah complained straight-faced.

"Well perhaps a little."

"How far in should John insert?"

"Well guys," that completes the briefing, said Evan the embarrassed hire centre assistant manager. "You guys are now on your own. Take care and don't ram anyone."

"Does that apply to John?" Deborah said sweetly.

Evan said oh crikey and hurried off.

The team had no support crew in land vehicles to service them and so had to stow their provisions and change of clothes plus smaller equipment inboard and then attach the tents and basic bedding in waterproof packs at either end of their kayaks.

There was a discussion about kayaking experience and clearly Duke appeared way out ahead. He was voted team leader.

"Okay, on one condition," he said. "On the water you guys do what I say which won't be much."

Everyone agreed. They knew they had a weir to negotiate.

Good progress was made because everyone was fit and although it was summer there was sufficient depth of water, x, to keep them clear of submerged snags and rocks.

Bird life was abundant and they welcomed the shade at times from overhanging red gums. At one stage Lisa spotted something in the water and Duke held up his hand as arranged and the other two kayaks behind in a line were brought up beside him and everyone watched a fox swim across a pool to a bank, shake itself and disappear into a thicket.

They went past a group of ten canoes and kayaks of families with young children who chatted with them as they went past and later four very fit looking women in double kayaks overtook them.

Duke wanted to take the women on at a paddling dual but Lisa said no, she was tiring.

They had cold salads and wine on a sand bank a couple of miles after stopping at Terramungamine Reserve where there were toilets. After lunch it was a steady non-stop paddle of just under four hours to their overnight camping site on Dickygundi Reserve.