Chapter 1
It had seemed a strange advert. Not even in one of the pornographic magazines - it was in the local newspaper "personals" column. "Couples: We can help you have the experience of a lifetime. Would you like to get roped in to something magical? You are bound to enjoy it. For more details, phone..." And it gave a local number.
It wasn't that Tim and Julie were not getting on, but they had been together for 20 years, and everything was a bit "samey". They had their routines for work. Tim left at 8.00am every morning for the government office, did the same sort of work, went home, got home for six, ate, watched the telly... And there was the prospect that for the rest of his life that was how it was going to be - he had reached the limits of his promotion, and now there was little else new. Tim wasn't unhappy. Weekends could be fun. Barbeques, friends. Take in a game. Holidays were always there to look forward to. But now at 44 he was at the age where middle age had taken over. Or rather, as he thought, swamped him.
For Julie it was the same. Married from the age of 19, she had blossomed into a beautiful woman, and now at 39 she should be at the peak of life. She was slim, tall, long dark hair. She could make people look at her but she wasn't interested in straying - she was crazy about Tim. But somehow the middle age had taken her over as well. A receptionist in an optician, there was little new to look forward to. Julie also enjoyed the holidays, the weekends, but she felt like Tim - there should be more.
Julie had picked up the paper to read - it was Saturday morning and Tim had gone to the shops to pick up some timber for the kennel he was making. Julie normally skipped the ads, but this time it was different - someone had ringed one - it looked like Tim's hand. She stopped to read it - read the advert: "Couple..."
Why should Tim ring that?
Julie read on through the paper, but several times returned to the ad. It didn't seem to say anything. She couldn't make sense of what it was about. Couldn't think what they might be offering. She would ask Tim...
Just that moment the door opened and Tim walked in. He put the timber in the garage, put the coffee-maker on and made both of them a coffee while Julie kept her head in the paper. At last she looked up.
"Honey", she spoke in her normal uncharged voice. "What did you ring this ad for?" She pointed at the ad in the paper.
Tim didn't look shifty, or uncertain - just his normal self as he replied: "Dunno. Just saw it there. Wondered if you knew what it was."
For the next ten minutes they chatted, neither having any clue. They had all sorts of guesses - rock-climbing? Gliding? Learning to be a magician? Neither could work it out.
At last Tim suggested: "I suppose I could phone them. You know, withold my number, find out a bit more..."
"No..." Julie was equally matter-of-fact. "You've got the Kennel to build, we've got the supermarket. Barbeque at Sue's this evening. Round at Kelly's baby-sitting tomorrow. Kelly was Tim and Julie's daughter - 19 - who worked weekends, living in her own flat with her 6 month old son..."
Suddenly something clicked in Tim as he heard the litany of his weekend. "Is that all there is...?"
Julie was resolutely cheerful. Somehow she knew what Tim meant, but they had to do it so they had to get on with it - no use moaning.
It was later that evening that the conversation returned to the advert, after they were home from the Barbeque. It was Tim who raised the subject. "I phoned that ad."
Julie looked at him scornfully: "You shouldn't have done that." But Julie was intrigued. "So what did they say?"
Tim paused. He obviously couldn't say what they said on the phone. It was a friendly woman's voice who had been on the other end of the phone. Tim hesitated before replying: "They specialise in organising, err..." Tim struggled to find the right words. "...unique family parties." He daren't use the word they used - orgies.
Julie didn't pick up that there might be something more as she replied casually. "Like what? What sort of things?"
Again Tim hesitated before replying. "Well, they don't give a specific theme at this stage. They talk to us to see the sort of things we are interested in, talk to other members of the family. Put a plan together and make it happen. They reckon it is a surprise because they don't tell us what it is to be - we have to just experience it."
Julie frowned. "That's all a bit vague."
Tim spoke again. "I know, but the lady I spoke to seemed very nice, but emphasised that it was special, and that we had to accept the surprise party they would give us. Um..." again Tim paused before finishing "...they will charge us $1,000 for it!"
Julie laughed. "You're mad!"
The conversation changed and the advert was forgotten, so Tim thought. It was over their evening meal on the Monday that Julie mentioned it again.
"I've got that birthday present - that cash from my parents - which they said I had to spend on something special, something for me to enjoy. We could use a thousand bucks of that." Julie said it in such a downbeat way that it took Tim a couple of minutes to realise what she was saying, what she was talking about.
Now it was Tim who felt more reluctant. "No, you can't spend your money on a party for us..."
He was surprised that Julie seemed so enthusiastic now as she continued. "Why not? There is no more joy than seeing my family enjoy themselves. It would be a great way of spending the money..."
Two weeks later Tim had returned home from his appointment at the home of Barry - one of the couple who was offering the parties. His wife (he heard Barry call her Eileen) whom Tim met only briefly but had spoken to on the phone, had seemed really nice.
Julie asked him a few questions, but Tim couldn't find the answers. He repeated some of the questions he had been asked - what Julie had been like, who at work and in the family would they like to invite. Some of the trivial questions he had forgotten. Some of the questions he was surprised at, but daren't repeat. Barry had asked him a bit about their sex-life, the exciting things they had done. But Tim was sure of one thing: "I think we should go through with it. I think we should have the party." He had been impressed by Barry and Eileen and felt they were doing a professional job. "If we want to, I have to phone him back tomorrow. If we say yes he'll then contact those people we've mentioned. Eileen will meet with you. They'll arrange it for about three weeks time at their house..."
Julie felt out of her depth - things were moving faster than she reckoned for. "Well, whatever you think darling..."
The next two weeks were strange. Julie had met with Eileen and had been surprised at some of the personal questions she had been asked. Surprised at how much probing Eileen had done into her personality, into her likes and dislikes. They must have chatted one evening for over two hours before Eileen left to go home. This time it was Julie who felt she couldn't say very much to Tim about what had happened.
There were also other comments made by Julie's manager at work - about how he looked forward to seeing her at the party. Her step-father said he was surprised she was having that sort of party. She still didn't know what he meant.
Somehow events took over, and Tim and Julie found themselves signing the contract for the party, paying the money over. The party was now like a tide which just swept them along... The party was organised for a Saturday, starting about 6 in the evening, going on to the early hours. Tim and Julie was pleased, but as the time got closer nerves took over them as well - constantly they asked each other about what was going to happen; neither had an answer...
They had been told to arrive promptly, and knocked on the door at five to six. It was then, together that they realised...it was Julie who put it into words. "Barry and Eileen have done a lot of ordering us around."
Before Tim could answer the door was open and Eileen was leading them inside. They entered the hallway, Barry coming to meet them from the kitchen. Barry commented: "Just getting some refreshments ready for later - you'll need them. Tim, why don't you come with me. Eileen will sort you out, Julie..."
Before she realised what was happening Julie was being led away off one side of the hallway, Tim being led the other way to a room where there was a lot of noise and chatter, some voices he recognised. Tim entered the room to be greeted by about ten people he knew. Julie's stepfather Tom was there. As was her brother Pete and sister Rachel. There were the two opticians from where Julie worked - Brian and Mike, people that Tim liked immensely - real gentlemen. Kelly - their daughter was there. Joe and Michelle, their neighbours from two houses away - good friends. Tim spotted Paul and his wife Joan, their neighbours and still good friends from where they had lived before. Finally Tim greeted Tony, his best friend from work. It was clear Barry had known some of these people for some time.