Note to the prospective reader: This story was submitted under a different pen-name last year and after numerous requests by Part II readers who have had trouble locating the original, I have decided to re-submit in an attempt to give some clarity to my recent story; 'Final Act of Revenge -- Part II"; and also in a prelude to closure in a future Part III.
This version of the story has also been slightly modified and re-edited in an attempt to improve how it reads and I hope it is a little more enjoyable.
*
The music suited the atmosphere of the darkened Clubrooms -- I thought it was a bit too loud -- but of course I realised almost instantly about what they said about that line of thought. Yes, I guessed I was a bit too old for it all now. It was alright every now and then -- but there was no way I could do this sort of thing every weekend like I once did many years ago.
I took another mouthful of beer from my stubby and looked over toward the small bar some ten metres away. She was still standing there talking and laughing with two men -- one of them a bit of a youngster that I didn't know, and the other was someone I had known for nearly twenty years, although I had not seen him for the better part of the last ten. Something to do with moving to another State could do that to a good friendship.
I continued to watch the trio with an almost casual disinterest -- once upon a time if she had been flirting like she appeared to be now, I would have been getting wound-up big time!
I smiled at how jealous I once could get -- and then skolled the rest of my beer, another one sat on the arm of the old couch that I was lying back on -- I had fallen behind in a shout with my old friend and he was having a 'wedgie', waiting for me to catch up.
I picked up the other beer and took a mouthful -- I already felt a bit pissed and knew I wouldn't be driving to the motel we'd booked into for awhile now -- something that I hadn't allowed for before coming here with my wife earlier -- of course I should have known better and just left our car at the motel and booked a cab!
Taking another swig, I thought briefly about our impromptu visit here...
We'd just been passing through the town on the way back home via the coast (the long way by about a day, but far more scenic than the alternative inland route), and it was sheer coincidence that as we stopped to fuel up our car, my old friend had pulled up alongside on his bike.
When I realised who it was I was a little nervous at first -- I guess that was partly because of the long gap in our friendship -- but mainly because of a much deeper concern than that. Well Mick had acted totally rapt to see me, and had soon put my mind at ease with his usual friendly, easy going manner that I fondly remembered him for -- and I felt convinced that he still didn't know what had happened over a dozen years earlier, just before Claire and I had packed up and left for interstate...
Lounging back in the chair, I looked at my watch; a quarter past three in the morning. Fucking late enough for me usually -- but it was a once off I knew. The Friday night crowd had thinned out a bit since we'd arrived around nine -- with the party waxing and wanning as they did. Still, I guessed there to be around thirty or so people settling in -- mostly blokes, but there were a few women about too, and a couple of them quite pretty!
I looked back up at my wife and found myself comparing her to some of the other women nearby -- and felt proud that she still stacked up pretty well -- all five foot three of her! She was dressed in her tight hipster jeans and her little white crochet top, which showed off her tanned midriff nicely. I knew she had only put on a couple of extra kilos since I'd first met her nearly twenty years earlier -- but I reckoned she looked better for it anyway. Her tits were now a nice looking 'C' cup and her arse far shapelier too -- pretty much the almost perfect hourglass figure. Yep, she looked fine still to me -- and apart from her great tits and butt, her long auburn hair was really my most favourite asset of hers -- that and her sparkly blue eyes. It was no wonder I used to get jealous of her talking to other men!
I watched as the barman lined up three shots in front of Claire as she laughed at something Mick had said to her. The other fellow picked up one of the shot glasses and handed it to my wife, and then picked up one for himself, as did Mick. All three of them thumped the glasses down onto the bar top almost simultaneously and skolled them in an instant. It just had to be good ol' tequila slammers, I thought, some thing's never change.
Mick looked over at me briefly and smiled, then nodded his head and at the same time he winked at me too, in a friendly gesture.
I couldn't help it -- but I suddenly found myself thinking about Mick's wife again -- and the age-old guilt I'd been harbouring all these years was upon me instantly!
Sighing deeply, I found my mind drifting back to a sorry episode in my life that had happened over a decade earlier...
* * *
I'd loved my old bike -- I'd loved her because she was a bit different -- and she went well. I loved riding her almost anywhere and almost anytime. But most of all, I loved to ride her on my own over the hills in the country -- around fast corners and steep roads where her torque gave me a thrill whenever I opened her up. Brilliant stuff!
It was even better when there was a rice-burner or two in the way to blast past -- ball-tearing fun at its best!
And that was what I was doing that warm summer's afternoon when I had seen the old station wagon in front of me. I could see clearly the driver was a woman with a big mop of curly strawberry-blonde hair cascading over her shoulders and blowing out of her open driver's side window.
I'd quickly checked ahead and dropped my old girl back a gear and cranked it past the wagon -- grinning.
But as I drew alongside the car, the driver stuck her arm out and waved more than friendly-like and I glanced in at the woman.
Well fuck me, I'd thought instantly as I'd recognised her, it was Kim!
I hadn't seen her in around a year since I'd last stayed at Mick's house and here she was driving down a quiet country road -- well, quiet except for the occasional noisy motorbike -- pretty much miles from her home!
I smiled back at her instantly and powered around in front of her car for a bit, but just keeping in front and looking at her in my mirror.
I liked Kim -- there was just something special about her.
She was still waving -- and I noticed her indicator go on and she slowed down to pull off the side of the road. So she wanted to say hello hey?
I stopped just a few yards in front of her car and put down my stand -- switching my bike off at the same time.
Getting off my bike and turning to walk back to Kim's car, I watched her open her door and get out. Honestly, she looked about as happy to see me as I was to see her!
"Garry!" she exclaimed as we embraced warmly, "Long time no see you bastard! How come you haven't called in to see us lately?"
I looked down at her fondly -- I'd known Kim for nearly as long as I'd known her husband Mick. She was one of those people you sometimes just click with -- but so was Mick.
