Saving the Starlight

Fenton composed an email next morning, feeling like a man reborn after a highly physical night with Lisa who had grunted and groaned with him into their final climax around dawn before he staggered off home and went to sleep for another three hours.

He emailed a message to all trust members but excluding their patron the Mayor. He was livid that their first meeting had been a no go wrote with restraint. The note read:

Hi guys. Our first meeting of the extended trust board last evening was cancelled because so many of you couldn't make it and that is understandable because it was called at short notice. That cancellation devastated chairman Sally and really made me think we have to all be very pro-active on this huge venture to resurrect the Starlight as a working cinema. On behalf of our devastated chairman Sally I'm calling a champagne breakfast meeting at my home at 9:00 on Sunday. Just remember there is no way Sally and I can engineer the raising of $3 million bucks without support. I hope to see heroes and heroines my place Sunday at 9:00 sharp. Fenton.

Within the hour he'd received 100% acceptances including from Trinity who must have checked her emails from her Auckland Hotel.

None of the replies were critical of his comments and Sally's reply had intrigued him, beginning 'Dear Fenton' rather than 'Fenton' or 'You Bastard Fenton' or 'Heartless Bastard Fenton'.

Did that 'Dear Fenton' mean a warm friendship would continue to bind them? He thought it did but then guys never really knew where they were with women. Sally concluded her message with thanks to him for acting so strongly and so relentlessly in a manner she could not have achieved. She made no mention of the previous evening that must have disappointed her.

Fenton felt like whistling so whistled a bouncy tune he was unable to recognize.

A courier delivered a bottle of a highly-regarded pinot noir wine while he was having lunch. The attached card read,

Thanks again. Regarding last evening, I'm glad in some ways that our relationship remains virginal so to speak, as you had earlier made yourself clear about that. Your Friend, Sally.

He grinned thinking wasn't she something!

Feeling free, nothing he could do until Sunday morning, Fenton switched off his phone, left it behind and visited Gavin Robinson to check on progress with the drawings and beamed with pleasure.

Gavin had most of the team working on them and they'd made excellent progress. After having afternoon tea with his mother, who declined to accompany him at short notice, he drove inland for forty miles to his Aunt Beth's sheep and cattle station (big ranch).

Although Aunt Beth had remarried he knew there was always a bed for him so hadn't bothered to call her. But no, all beds were taken as her stepdaughter Paula who was amid marital problems was home and also staying with Beth were a married couple from a horse ranch in South Australia.

While Fenton was drinking coffee after a very friendly welcome by his aunt he could hear Paula and Beth speaking with voices rising in disagreement and his ears burned.

"He'll be fine on the sofa or down in the shearer's quarters."

"Those narrow sofas are not made for sleeping. I'll say it again, let him sleep with me."

There was a long pause before Beth answered. She'd greeted Fenton warmly as he was her only nephew.

Beth suggested the two women sleep together, leaving Fenton to sleep with Beth's new husband Frank. He heard 'he snores' and then more about sofas.

"All right on two conditions: that you promise you are still on contraception in case anything happens and that your father approves to avoid him creating a scene."

"Oh something will happen Beth, I'm horny. I'll ask him now."

Paula must have turned away because her voice sounded muffled. Then, "Dad says he couldn't care less because Fenton and I are not blood cousins."

"Is that all he said, the insensitive brute," Beth whined. "All right but you'll have to tell Fenton."

"Fine I'll do that later - he may wish to go out riding."

A minute later Beth appeared and not meeting Fenton's eyes said, "Paula is on her way to the stables. Go after her if you wish; she'd in bad need of happy company."

Fenton raced out after Paula and looked at her ass cheeks, wobbling a little despite being held in very tight jeans. Paula was only twenty-four but was all woman. Her black hair flowed from under her Akubra (Stetson), making Fenton think why wait until bedtime.

He began running, calling, "Wait for me Paula!"

She turned, saw him charging, squealed and hot-footed it to the stables. She turned the corner with a long lead and he reached the corner of that building but couldn't see her.

"In here," she called.

He found her on a horse blanket on loose straw in the feed store at the front of the stacked bales of straw and bagged oats.

"Hi," he said.

She stared at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly from her brief spurt of running.

Paula hadn't answered him so he challenged, "Want me to get you out of those jeans?"

"You and who's Army," she replied defiantly, cheeks burning.

He dropped down on to her.

She squealed and hugged him and from then it was all on.

All the sex was a bonus, and with Paula working on the farm as a shepherd, riding every day with Sundays off, she was horny. She'd not been with her husband for some time on his farm almost thirty miles away. Fit and wanting to make up for lost bedroom time she gave as good as she got which suited Fenton just fine.

His main purpose for the visit though were the horses. Beth had three of Garfia's mares and a stallion which had been given to her by her brother not long after Garfia's death, her last foal.

Fenton rode the eleven-year old stallion, the two mares in between but returned to ride the older mare Tarfat thereafter for the remainder of his stay. Unlike her late dam, Tarfat was light grey but carried her mother's looks and especially mirrored her temperament. More than once Fenton's aunt had said to him, "She's yours- your two are made for one another; take her with you and arrange grazing."

But Fenton said he'd never do that, knowing Tarfat would never be the horse she was without other horses around her.

On Saturday before dinner he sat with his aunt.

Beth smiled and said he would be leaving behind a very exhausted woman.

"Exhausted but I feel she has taken a turn for the better. I've been talking to her about dumping Vince as I believe it will never work."

"Oh thank you darling, I believe that too but as soon as I when I began going down that line she walked from me, slamming doors."

"I had the advantage of talking when we were both so knackered and couldn't move."

"Fancy talking to your aunt in that disgusting manner," Beth laughed. "When she makes the break I'll have bachelor's calling."

"Excellent but don't overlook divorcees. Some people say those who try it second-time round often succeed very well because they try harder."

"That may well be. So Fenton - what about you?"

"I may have met her, we're only just started circling. Could I bring her out here to ride?"

"Yes do that please and stay with us; a shared or separate rooms? "

"I'll let you know - she has yet to make the move."

"Fenton, she's waiting for you to nail her."

"Perhaps so, but I want her to be very sure so nothing happens until she makes it happen."

"Well...oh, there's Frank arriving. I'll tend to dinner rather than deliver what may well be misguided advice. Fetch drinks to the kitchen love."

Love? That meant she was pleased with him, helping to jolt stubborn Paula from the hole she'd dug for herself as her short marriage began cart-wheeling out of control.

Taking the drinks to the kitchen he said to his aunt, "Look, encourage Paula to resume coaching at the pony club and to go trail-riding."

"What so that she has the opportunity to meet divorced fathers?"

"Yes there could be a bit of that but there's also older brothers, male coaches and it kick-starts her social life as a woman searching for a new mate. She won't have to say anything - the matchmakers will know what to do. Also in getting out and about will take Paula's mind off herself. "

"You're talking sense again. I'll ask Cynthia to offer a coaching job."

"Good girl," Fenton said, whacking her butt as she bent over the oven to pull out and turn the roast.

"You bastard," Beth said happily.

Next morning Fenton slipped away, coasting down the track in his SUV before turning on the motor. This avoided the tears and long farewells. He left a note on his pillow that he was sure Paula would touch when reaching for him:

Dear Beautiful Young Woman. Don't ruin your life; dump him and position to find Mr Right. If he's only a farm worker so what? Grow him into greater responsibility to he eventually will become a farm manager should he have that ambition".

"If Aunt Beth talks about selling the property please come and talk to me. My father financed his much younger sister into purchasing Shoukran Station and Arabian Horse Stud and it would be my desire for the property to continue in Murdoch ownership in memory of my father with you taking up a financial interest in the property if desired with payments as you can afford it working as farm manager. Keep in touch. From now on I love you very much like a beloved sister. Fenton.

Fenton arrived home to find a note,

Where are you? Please call.

There was a lipstick impression over the signature of Trinity. He'd hoped that his absence of several days would sharpen her focus.

Fenton called Trinity, expecting her to act like a lawyer and not an emotionally over-charged female. He received what he wanted.

"Oh hello, are you well?"

"Yes, just scampered out to my aunt's farm to recharge batteries."

"What to be with Garfia's progeny."

That floored him.

"To ride them, yes, but who told you about them?"

"Your mother."

"My mother? How did that come about?"

"She became tired of you talking about me when not accompanied by me and invited me to lunch with her. I gained the impression she thinks I'm very nice. That's interesting isn't it? I know what your mother thinks of me but not what her son really thinks of me."

"I had no idea this association was happening."

"Well I wonder why; perhaps we both concluded you wouldn't be interested?"

"I'm interested."

She laughed and said perhaps he could consider accompanying her on one of her visits.

"Yes okay."

"That doesn't sound enthusiastic but never mind. What are we having for a pre-breakfast snack before others arrive for the breakfast meeting?"

Fenton said he didn't know, he hadn't thought about it.

She sighed and said it was almost 7:00.

"I'm already out of the bath. I'll be with you soon, stopping on the way at the supermarket to buy items for breakfast and our snack."

Fenton laughed and said, "Thanks because I was thinking I'd have to go out and buy something."

She scoffed, "Saying thank you darling Trinity would sound more enthusiastic."

"Thank you d-darling Trinity."

"Oh my, how exiting. I'm racing to get to you."

Felton shaved and sulked, wondering why she was playing with him like this.

* * *

Trinity had gone with her father because he'd invited her to help him chose the suits for him, something he'd never done before.

Until now it had been her mother's job and in as a consequence there had been a long gap. The fact that he was into buying suits again suggested one of those women in the background - or a new conquest - was about to be brought forward. That had excited her because her father needed to have a woman telling him what to do which was quite the opposite to Fenton.

Paul's call came late to go with him to buy suits and so she scrambled to free herself of appointment to accompany him. She'd called Sally to apologize for being unable to attend the trust's first real working meeting. Sally had been on the phone and Trinity sent the apology by email, thinking that as she was on the board as a lawyer, with establishment legalities already completed, her attendance at that first meeting would have required slender input from her anyway. Further if legal considerations arose Sally only had to wait a couple of days for Trinity to attend to them.

When in Auckland, Trinity had been horrified to learn the meeting had been cancelled.

It appeared that Fenton had been the only one willing or able to join Sally, much to Sally's distress. She'd read Fenton's email feeling dreadful, knowing he'd made a huge financial sacrifice in his last-ditch attempt to save the cinema and had voluntarily given huge time and effort since that to initiate and support the fund-raising effort.

She was aware he wasn't even a trustee as he'd said his appointment as a trustee would be inappropriate, being the developer, and Sally and Trinity had agreed to his suggestion of being involved as an active consultant to the trust.

After re-reading Fenton's uncompromising email she was pierced to the heart, thinking he would have written it thinking of her in particular and thinking the fund-raising effort was on the brink of foundering through the combined circumstances affecting the trustees.

Guilt consumed her and she assumed he now regarded her as the treacherous Trinity. Fortunately her father asked what was troubling her. She told him and Paul asked to see the email.

He laughed, irritating his daughter.

"There's nothing wrong with this, a typical male reaction. He was pissed off and wanted to kick butt, vented and realized he would be rattling kind souls finished off with that heroines and heroes bit to demonstrate he really wasn't intending to be nasty and was seeking to re-empower you all."

Trinity had felt cheered.

She really wasn't sure about 'typical male reaction', not being particularly experienced. But then Paul almost sent her into tears when he laughed again and added, "Fenton would have popped around to comfort Sally and she would have rewarded him the only way Sally knows how."

Her father saw her head drop, laughed again and gave her a horse-bite on the thigh, something he hadn't done since her teenage years.

"Come on baby, loosen up. You can't be angry for a bloke taking it if it's on offer - it's in his genes."

She laughed saying did he mean genes or jeans.

They both laughed and she snuggled up against him saying, "I love you daddy," and that caused Paul to sniff because it had been sometime since she'd last said that other than mechanically.

Trinity then though that she'd not really been attentive to Fenton and wondered what she meant by that and then her cheeks began to burn.

"Daddy, would you accept Fenton as your son-in-law?"

Paul snorted. "Sure baby, he's the man but perhaps not for you. Guys like Fenton prefer their women to be hot, like Sally."

"What do you mean?" she asked trying to sound innocent and knowing she'd dread the reply.

"Wall-to-wall-sex and if they argue the guy wants to be smacked back hard rather than face a waterfall of tears."

Wall-to-wall-sex?

Trinity's mind boggled. Exactly what was that? Her father would know for sure although those days could be behind him as he was now into his more benign era - she knew that from his general behaviour.

No, she wouldn't ask Sally. She'd just wait until Fenton led her into such debauchery if that's what her father meant. Damn, there goes her cheeks again, thought Miss Very Red Cheeks.

Breathing a little heavily after recalling that conversation, Trinity entered the supermarket thinking that little bit of aggro on the phone seemed to have wrong-footed Fenton and he had obviously boggled to learn that she had been visiting his mother and neither thought it necessary to tell him.

She fancied that had almost turned him from stallion into a gelding. Her cheeks burned and she thought why was she being so disgusting and thinking that way? Oh no, she groaned to herself, now aware she was preparing to throw herself at him.

"Come on slut, buy the breakfast things."

An elderly woman looked at Trinity pitifully but she held the woman's gaze until the poor woman nodded and hurried off.

Trinity returned to her car with croissants, bacon, tomatoes, sprigs of fresh parsley, eggs, yoghurt, plunger coffee and three types of cereal. She hitched up her skirt to show at least two more inches of thigh and messed her carefully combed hair.

Once seated, she struggled and removed her panties and unbuttoned her shirt until her lacy bright red bra was very evident. Driving from the car park she groaned. "This is not you darling" but resolved to give it her best shot.

By the time she arrived at Fenton's house her heart was pumping and she felt great, believing in her new self.

Trinity stormed up the path with the two bags of shopping and fortunately Fenton opened the door as she arrived before she slammed against it. She kicked it shut with a leg, clutching him to avoid losing balance and kissed him wetly saying that she'd missed him so much.

He kissed back, appearing delighted, but when she snaked down a hand to his groin she found nothing at the ready.

Gently he pulled her hand away and stepped back. "My God, what's got into you Trinity?"

Dumping her purchases on the kitchen bench she pulled off her jacket and unfastened the last buttons of her shirt, crying, "We have almost an hour to spare - come on Fenton, let's fuck. It's what you want isn't it?"

Oh damn, she thought. She shouldn't have tacked on that tacky question as tactically it gave him an option. She screwed her eyes closed in embarrassment when she heard him say, "I do Trinity, oh God I do. But not this way; his really is not you."

She felt ready to wail in frustration but took hold of herself and croaked "Coffee?"

Fenton went into the kitchen to make it, she following, buttoning up her shirt and then excused herself and went out and retrieve her panties which she found hanging over the foot brake of her car. For a moment she contemplated driving off into tomorrow but decided that was a cowardly action. She returned to face him, chin up.

He met her at the door and grinned.

"You really had me going for a moment and then I twigged you were putting on a show, asking to be forgiven for missing the meeting."

She glanced at his expression and decided it was less than convincing. The darling had made that up to let her off the hook! He walked her back to the kitchen, cupping a breast, much to her relief.

"I really have missed you," she said plaintively.

He looked at her closely and read her eyes. "I know." He kissed her so sweetly that she melted.

Sitting on his knee where he'd pulled her, Trinity watched fascinated as Fenton slowly and without fumbling undid her shirt buttons and eased free a breast, the nipple still aroused. Why was he doing this?

"This is where we were at - remember?"

She nodded, turning for a kiss.

"Well?"

She murmured, "Go one more step darling."

Excruciatingly slowly he pulled up her skirt and slid his hand under her panties.

Her cheeks burned as she congratulated herself for having the brains to put her panties back on. She felt a finger hook into her, but only just. She remained motionless. Her mind screamed, willing him to progress, but she knew this as far as they'd be going this session; it appeared to be how he wanted it: to fasten into his mind as a memory of a seduction that had been so different to all other females that he'd had.

A roaring sounded in her ears and she cringed until realizing it was a rush a blood and that's all; she'd not released over his hand thank goodness.

She turned to kiss again and for the first time he allowed her tongue to seek his. She made a very brief connection, not wishing to leave him with the impression she had sluttish ways or however he viewed robust tonguing. He obviously wanted a very slow wind-up and that's what he'd get.