Aware that during the evening when Paul Wentworth introducing his 'special' new woman and the liquor had flowed a little too liberally, Fenton Murdoch was careful when driving to where Trinity had left her car as he had no wish to be stopped by police and breath-tested and in effect to be found driving while drunk.
Trinity looked tired and he caught her by surprise when he asked, "Do you ride?"
"You mean Cowgirl?"
Paul almost failed to take the bend and croaked, "I mean horses."
"Oh that's so hilarious." Trinity, screamed in laughter to cover her embarrassment.
"Yes I do ride a horse," she said, enunciating carefully. "Why?"
"Would you like to hit the saddle next weekend?"
"At your aunt's sheep station? Yes, I would be delighted. I want to see Garfia's last foal."
"Has my mother been talking to you?"
"Yes dummy, how else would I know?"
"Lawyer intuition?"
She cackled in laughter and he said they better have coffee and talk until she sobered up.
"I'll stay the night."
"Okay but no sex. I've something in mind for next Sunday. We've both had too much to drink to have good sex so I want you to sleep in the spare room."
"Okay providing you put me to bed and kiss me."
"Yes, that would be lovely," he said.
They reached home without incident.
Trinity was carried her to the spare bedroom and undressed her to her underwear. Fenton kissed her navel and had to pull her fingers out of his hair as she'd fallen asleep.
Trinity stirred as she heard Fenton yell from the doorway, "Trinity - wake up! It's almost time to go to work."
She was so disappointed hearing the front door slam and he hurried off.
Trinity yawned her was to the kitchen where she found a light breakfast ready for her and a note saying to have a great day darling, She said aloud, "Yes darling, I do Cowgirl. Come on Sunday!"
* * *
Ten minutes after leaving home Fenton sat down for a business breakfast at the Events Centre with Malcolm Stewart, executive chairman of the centre's board of directors, his daughter Blanche Pennington, creative director of an advertising agency and Shirley Gill, events and displays general manager at Events centre.
It was a very productive meeting.
Malcolm Stewart agreed to hire the stadium with the roof closed to the trust at cost for three hours on a Sunday afternoon. The estimated cost for staff including parking attendants, lighting, cleaning up, a revolving stage would be between $6000 and $8000 depending on attendance. Food and drink would be charged to patrons at commercial rates by contract operators.
Fenton was told the seating capacity of the stadium was 43,000.
"We'll fill the stadium, you can count on that," Fenton said.
Malcolm smiled.
"We've only had a complete sell-out twice since we opened. You might do it if there was no charge and good entertainment but you plan to ask for a minimum donation of twenty bucks per person with children sixteen and under being admitted free."
"Malcolm," Fenton said patiently. "We need to fill the stadium and so we'll fill it."
"Dad I'm on salary and I'll organize the event including entertainment without you charging out my time and use of resources, Shirley said."
"Okay agreed. Email me an agreement to sign to pass on to accounts."
"It's already in your mailbox dad."
Fenton thanked Malcolm for his tremendous support.
He asked Blanche is she had the idea of the scale of the presentation and could she work in with Shirley and fundraiser Eric Yarrow on that event as a three-person executive, with Shirley as convenor.
"Yes of course and Shirley has already agreed to meet tomorrow to help me sell the idea to my partners to provide input as a community service. She already uses our agency a great deal so comes with clout."
The Sunday chosen was just six weeks away.
* * *
The next Sunday Fenton and Trinity, after a busy week for both of them and dinner with Paul and Kimberly the previous evening, left early for the sheep station to arrive in time before his Aunt Beth and husband Frank left at 9:00 to go for the second day a regional horse show jumping.
The greetings between both Beth and daughter Paula with Trinity pleased Fenton because his two relatives were obviously very impressed by the visitor.
Paula, turning quite shy, introduced 'a friend' Owen Tancred and Fenton made the most of the occasion to signal to Paula he approved of the blond shepherd who worked on an neighbouring property.
Paula took Fenton and Trinity down to the stables and introduced Trinity to the line-up of eleven including two mares visiting for mating. Paula then left saying she and Owen would leave soon to meet friends to go somewhere for lunch.
"Go anywhere and take any horse except the visiting mares," she said.
"All the bulls are up the hills in two of the back paddocks and so everywhere else is safe riding. I've packed you lunch in two saddlebags. Have a bath or a shower when you return. Bye guys."
Paula looked pleased when Trinity darted forward to kiss her and said she and Owen must come to the city for a return of hospitality.
Paula looked at Fenton and he smiled and nodded, confirming although their naughty affair was behind them he wished to remain socially bonded.
Trinity made a great fuss of Garfia's progeny and was disappointed that the stallion Bashir remained less than interested in her.
Trinity sensed there was something between Fenton and Tarfat and when he said she could choose any horse she opted for Bayda.
"Why her?"
"Because she's white, like her mother and seems to rather like me. What does Bayda mean?"
"White."
"Oh how lovely."
They wandered hand-in-hand up to the house for coffee and returning with the saddle bags, saddled up and were off.
After about half a mile Trinity asked Fenton very casually, "Have you had sex with Paula?"
