A week after D day found Kerry sitting in her study again looking out of the window thinking about the future, she wanted to be more than just a salesperson for Bill’s company but lacked formal qualifications in any area apart from Engineering. The one thing she needed to secure was employment for the next ten months then two months off for surgery and recovery, Bill had given her an undertaking that her job would be safe as long as the sales kept going up and the business could sustain two sales people. Her doubt was due to cycles in the marketplace that meant a company had to constantly keep looking for more market groups and then come to terms with that group and their direct needs. Marketing in general was one thing that Kerry loved but had limited knowledge of the technical side of marketing and targeting a demographic with real success.

It was during one of her weekly management team sessions that she expressed her thoughts and asked Bill for input, “you could always go back to University and do a post grad course” he replied. It was almost like having a flood light turned towards her, “duh, why didn’t I see that” she mumbled while her head was already thinking of which URL to type or which of the five universities in her state that she would prefer. Bill had to snap her out of her dreaming before continuing “and of cause there is study leave for some of the time as long as figures don’t slip.”

And so it started, a quick search of the sites found a self paced study option that drew on several other Degree courses for modules and intensives but built on a theoretical project and a work based project that had to be implemented and reported on after six months. Study leave amounted to time off in lieu that had to be made up during the week, more like flexible hours than leave but Bill was keen to see what Kerry could come up with and told her to keep him informed about her work hours. The actual modules could be done in almost any order as long as the basics came first and this module had already started so Kerry had to cram two weeks of work into the first four days, hard work and little sleep but she caught up and actually enjoyed the pressure.

Attending lectures on campus was slightly unusual as the other students all wore jeans and t-shirts, i-pods stuck in their ears and seemed twenty years younger, actually it was more like thirty three years younger but Kerry was feeling young again. The tutorials got arranged at several times to allow for those in work placements and Kerry found early mornings much better for her timetable. The people seemed more mature in these groups as they talked about how they had already applied what they had learnt in their normal jobs. The tutorials resembled a sharing of experiential knowledge rather than a forced feeding of geese, something she found very helpful as practical application would help her understand quicker.

The timetable required some long assignments to be completed within the first six weeks with subject material being covered each week or gained from several large volumes on marketing, advertising and demographics. Her reading pile seemed to grow rather than shrink, Kerry had never been a quick reader and this subject was far from sci-fi or robotics that had been her reading style. The first assignment was only four thousand words but getting the format right and making sure the bibliography was correct seemed to take as long as the actual writing. Words kept being typed wrong and the grammar checker kept painting green everywhere but slowly she got it together and submitted to her lecturer about thirty minutes before the deadline.

For the first assignment she was rather happy with her effort but looking at the results a week later made her realize that far more would be needed, she had only got a pass grade with comments about needing to do much better if she wanted to achieve the best out of the course and the requirement to be more specific with examples.

Kerry decided to contact her tutorial group leader and asked about getting some advice on how to improve her work. Peter had done a double degree of Commerce and IT with a Masters in Marketing under his belt and was doing a post grad thesis on “Change in the Workplace” with this year’s spare time. Some would call him a perpetual student except he had already landed a very good job with the government and had offers from a number of interstate companies.

Kerry met him in the student lounge near the Marketing faculty, his warm smile and gentle handshake made her feel nervous being so close to him. They talked about her assignment and what was lacking from it in way of technical input and format, the words and how it went together. Peter turned around towards her and looked in her eyes and asked “I have to ask this, sorry but why are you doing this course?” Kerry stopped and just starred into his face blankly.

Shaking her head she mumbled out “to learn about marketing, why?” “it just seems to me that you have something else going on” Peter replied knowing that the words came out wrong.

“Let me rephrase that better, forget about the assignment and tell me about yourself, please” he asked looking at her with large brown eyes that seemed to almost beg.

Kerry thought about what to say for a minute then asked for clarification “do you mean my work my background, my future or who I really am?” He just sat there and looked at her face, he didn’t push or get nervous in her presence or the noise of the student lounge, he just seemed to be totally at ease, “who is Kerry?” he asked again. The famous words of Jack Nicholson rang through her head “you can’t handle the truth” but something about his eyes made her feel very safe so she started.

It must have been nearly two hours later that she finished talking about her life and her future, her hopes for surgery and full transition. Peter had asked several questions along the line, never to interrogate but more to lead her towards the full disclosure of details. He sat quietly for most of the time just listening and giving nods of understanding or acceptance of what was being said by Kerry as she unpacked her life in all of its gory details. He waited for Kerry to stop before suggesting that a drink may be in order, the student tavern was open 24x7 or so it seemed so they walked around and found a table outside under the shade while Peter ordered two glasses of white wine.

Kerry suddenly found herself feeling very exposed after saying too much to a perfect stranger, she was about to get up and leave as Peter returned with the drinks. Kerry stood up and turned to him “sorry I feel totally stupid after telling all of my crap to you, I should go” Peter grabbed her hand “please don’t feel like that, let me explain.” Kerry sat down and grabbed at her wine glass and took one big swig, again a sign of nerves, Peter jokingly said something about drinking like an Engineering student but Kerry was trying to compose herself.

Peter started to talk about his life and how he had done so much study and was so deeply involved at work that he found little time to socialize and Kerry had seemed so easy to talk with. The main reason for wanting to hear her story was that yes he had spotted some of the tell tales signs that Kerry still had but only because he knew about such matters, in fact he had done months of research on the entire transgender issue and the workplace. He was surprised how the company had taken on board the RLT without sacking her or reducing her to a lower paid job away from clients. His research was based on several legal cases from around the globe but had limited real input from Australia; Kerry was the first person he had been able to talk to while actually transitioning.

“By the way, your story is totally safe with me and it won’t affect anything that we have to do” Peter added hoping to reduce her fear of rejection or failure. Kerry wanted to know more about his thesis and where it would be published, mainly out of interest but also to decide if she wanted to be involved. Peter answered all of her questions and even talked about how the government wanted to use it as a basis for policy development within the equal employment opportunity framework.

As Kerry relaxed she saw the passion that Peter had for forming policy and making a difference through his work, his desire to give accurate information based on facts rather than hearsay. She understood more about him as the drinks went on, and when he suggested that it was time for some food it seemed natural to just accept the invitation. They chatted over dinner and a few more drinks as Peter asked plenty of open questions for Kerry to answer, the type that makes a person feel appreciated and listened to. By the end of the evening she had accepted an offer to help with the thesis as well as agreed to get a meeting with Bill so Peter could ask how he saw the whole subject.

Peter stood up and offered his hand to thank Kerry for being so open with her comments, she held his hand just a shade longer than normal and suggested “anytime you feel like dinner just call” not realizing that she was probably flirting with him. Peter looked at her and promised to do so, if Kerry had subsonic hearing she would have heard his heart racing and beating in his chest cavity. They each turned and walked in different directions one towards the staff parking and one towards the student area, Kerry never saw him turn and watch after her with those gorgeous brown eyes.

A couple of weeks after her first meeting with Peter he called Kerry and asked if she felt like going out for dinner, his treat. Kerry wondered why he was asking her out since he already knew who she was or more importantly what she wasn’t and it didn’t seem to make a difference to him. She accepted and suggested her favorite restaurant near the office, the same one that Bill and the staff used quite frequently since the service was both good and reasonably priced.

She arrived to find him standing at the front door for her, he had been waiting so that she didn’t have to enter by herself. The waiter greeted Kerry as a well known client should be and showed her to the best table in the room, dimly lit, away from the noise of the kitchen and music, privacy without being forgotten. The meal was superb as usual and over a couple of glasses of fine white they talked about university and the project but very quickly Peter turned it around to talking about Kerry and sat there listening to her just talk. Kerry caught herself smiling and starring into his gorgeous deep brown eyes that begged her to talk, he was so easy to get along with and she enjoyed just being there without any agenda.

Kerry finally got to ask an open question about his thesis and he was off talking about the research and how much she had helped him with her comments and the talk with Bill. Again she found herself just gazing into the depth of his eyes and wondering what he would be like. The evening finished with coffees and then a farewell in the car park, he asked permission to kiss her, very gallant and gentle so what could she do but accept and enjoy it. For no apparent reason this was the last time Peter called her, she called him and left messages but he always had too much work to do on his thesis and she started to wonder if she was part of his research work.

Work on the other hand was progressing well even if at times she had to work all weekend to get a project finished or complete sales preparations ready for the Monday meeting but all up she had a solid amount of work and study. When the end of first semester came around Kerry asked for a week off to catch her breath and maybe some sleep time as well, since it was also at the end of financial year the entire team had been working flat out with finalizing client sites ready for the start and now they would have some slack time. Jo had also asked about a week off and with Kerry had planned a few days down south at a winery and country farm stay, as far away from computers as possible but very close to some great wines and good food.

Jo and Kerry left work early on the Friday and hit the road around 2pm, Jo’s little car was zipping through traffic and found itself out on the main highway going along at 110km per hour with the radio blasting and the pair singing to the tunes. The B&B had offered a hot bubbly spa, wine and chocolate for the girls on arrival after a long day at work and travelling. Lunch had been missed and their stomachs were getting rather loud as they pulled into a service station for coffee and petrol, “let’s grab some wedges and chili” said Jo heading for the hot food stand. Kerry ordered coffees and wedges just for her little sister, while Jo turned around and selected a table out under the shade cloth but away from the wind.

Sitting there drinking her coffee Kerry turned to Jo “you know I’ve really missed our times together sis” “me too, I just love taking you shopping” Jo laughed. “Ok I know you love my money but I have missed having you around and making me laugh at the weekend and after work on Friday nights” Kerry repeated hoping to add impetus to her comments. Jo looked up at Kerry just as she wiped at her eyes to remove the tear.

Jo shifted around to the same side as Kerry and gave her a hug, “you could always adopt me then” she chuckled trying to lighten the atmosphere. Kerry would have done so straight away if she thought Jo had been serious, “well at least take me home” Jo said after Kerry had made no comment.

“Would you like to move in or are you just joking around?” asked Kerry without thinking, “not sure, would you set me a curfew and kick the boys out at ten o’clock?” Kerry bit into a wedge dipped in cream and chili, “could I keep you out of my lingerie drawer, I know how much you liked my corset last time you stayed over?” Jo smiled at her, “no need to, I bought my own just after the night out” Jo stuck her tongue out to Kerry. The wedges had all been eaten and the coffee had been drunk as they climbed back into the car for the final two hours of driving.

The farm stay was close enough to the main road and only a short drive to the town centre and plenty of cafes and food outlets. They had requested a double room with two beds but instead it came with a very large King sized bed and the extra large spa in the corner of the bathroom looking out towards the cows and sheep as they grazed in the green field. The candles had been placed around the spa and a bottle of wine in the chiller, chocolates sat on the bed along with scented bubble bath oils and soaps. A log fire was roaring in the hearth and the room was already quite toasty when they placed their bags into the wardrobe after unpacking. Kerry had brought a hamper of bread and cheeses with meats and olives for the lunch on Saturday so unloaded them into the mini bar fridge.

“This is so cosy I reckon we could just stay here for a week and get everything brought in for us” Jo suggested as Kerry pulled the toweling bath robes out of the wardrobe. “What about we eat the picnic tonight, have a spa and watch the movies on the box?” Kerry offered as she put the robes on the bed.

“Done, I’ll pour the water while you pour the wine” Jo said heading for the curtains and the spa taps. The room was getting warm but Kerry chose to put a few more logs on the fire before pouring two large glasses of wine and cutting up some cheese. The spa had a small table next to it for a wine chiller and towels, the plate sat on top of the towels resting gingerly atop the soft fluffy towels, Kerry hung the robes on the door hangers and latched the room front door.

Jo had already stripped to her pants by the time the bath had filled to the middle line and was ready to jump straight in, “don’t forget the bubbles sis” shouted Kerry from the kitchen. Kerry walked in a few seconds later carrying the glasses of wine and wearing just her pants, Jo was already in the spa and the bubbles were starting to grow wildly. Kerry climbed into the spa after putting the wine glasses on the table, she just slipped down into the water and felt the warmth encompass her body and mind. Jo had found a large sea sponge and proceeded to let water flow over her head as the spa jets pummeled her body, she needed this as well. They sat there for nearly twenty minutes just soaking before Kerry reached over and turned the bubbles off. Jo reached over and picked up both glasses.

“Cheers big sis” she said holding her glass up for Kerry to click, “cheers and here’s to a great long weekend.” The combination of hot water and wine went straight to Jo’s head making her feel light headed, “how about some cheese or meat before I start giggling?” Kerry handed her the small tray and they sat there eating cheese and drinking wine.

“Got to go somewhere” said Jo stepping out of the spa, it was only then that Kerry realized that her pants had not made it into the spa. “Jo, you know not to tease me like that” she said throwing the sponge at Jo as she headed to the toilet, “sorry sis, just close your eyes I’m coming back any second.” Jo jumped back into the spa and hit the button for the jets again to cover herself with more bubbles, “thanks for the warning Jo.”

The evening was very relaxed around the fire with the picnic hamper and more wine, the girls sat there in the bath robes and cushions on the rug talking about work and clothes. Kerry took another sip of wine and seemed lost in her thoughts as Jo stoked the fire and put another log on to keep the room nice and warm, the winter rain beat gently on the tin roof but inside they were safe and dry. Jo asked about a DVD for the TV, the choices were older and some classics the type that comes at $10 for ten movies at the cheap shop. Jo pulled out a black and white Hitchcock movie as being the best of the bunch, “at least the story line should be good for a rainy night like this.” Jo flicked on the TV and DVD player as Kerry moved the leftovers back to the fridge.

The complimentary chocolate was sitting on the bed ready to be eaten, “how about a hot chocolate drink with marshmallows?” silly question given the rain and the fire so she made two large mugs and sat down with the bag of fluffy white and pink marshmallows. “We could do with some toasting forks” said Jo looking around for something to use, the best they found was a few twigs in the wood pile but they only worked well for the first five minutes before they were consumed in the fire. The girls sat against the settee and drank their hot drinks and stuffed the fluffy balls of marshmallow into their mouths as the movie rolled along. Jo suddenly jumped as the main character was attacked from behind without warning; she buried her face into Kerry’s side.

“I know you need your big sister to protect you” chuckled Kerry putting her arm around Jo, and that’s where she stayed for the next hour safe and secure. The fire was starting to die as the final death blow came on the movie and the hero saved the day and the maiden, the music had risen to show the tension and then changed into gentle love sounds as they embraced then kissed gently as the scene dimmed, The End, and the credits rolled up the screen. Kerry leant forward and placed another log in the fire grate.

“That should keep it going for another hour or so” she said sitting back next to Jo. Jo snuggled back into her “place” just under Kerry’s arm “this is so good after all of the stress of the last few months” said Kerry but Jo was already half asleep and just stirred and snuggled in deeper. Kerry sat watching the fireplace, the embers slowly lifting up the column of heat towards the chimney stack, the glow of wood as it turned red then black. She wondered about Peter and why he had not returned her calls, was it that he knew she could not offer him anything and how did he really handle the fact of her being still physically male. Her mind mulled over the thoughts trapped between two worlds but desperately wishing for the next world, but that was at least another six months off.

The sun came up around seven in the morning but the chickens had been making calls since well before that time, the fireplace was cold and mugs and glasses lay around the floor. Laying in bed covered by the weight and warmth of the doona Kerry tried to grasp at the shadows of her thoughts that had flown around like the embers and ashes of last night's fire. Her gender issue and the future, her peace of mind and why Jo always wanted to snuggle into her side as Jo moved and buried her face into the warmth below the covers. Kerry slipped out of bed and wrapped her dressing gown around her body as she closed the bathroom door. Twenty minutes later she came back out showered shaved and wearing some makeup, her hair was now long enough to be tied into a pony tail and bobbed behind her as she walked.

Kerry opened the wardrobe and took out some clean underwear without thinking about Jo lying in the bed, her eyes now open and watching as Kerry pulled up the white silk pants to cover her “abnormality” as she had heard it referred to by other t-girls. The matching bra and camisole covered her hybrid body and outwardly there was very little difference apart from the shrunken penis and empty sack that were pushed and tucked away so neatly. Kerry looked in the mirror to check herself out for the day, a far cry from the day years ago when she stood before the mirror wearing black lingerie wondering if she should have been a girl from birth.

Jo sat up in bed “I can see what Peter would be interested in sis” she giggled, Kerry spun around “I hope you weren’t peeking all of the time” she asked while half knowing that she probably had been watching the whole time. “Don’t worry your secrets are safe with me, anyway who would believe me” Jo replied as she settled her pillows against the wall.

Kerry triggered the kettle for tea and poured some milk into two clean mugs, the breakfast would be ready from eight up in the main building so they had at least twenty minutes to get ready or as presentable as they needed on a farm stay. Sitting alongside Jo in bed Kerry talked about the features of the area and what Jo wanted to do with the next few days. Wine tasting would only take up a day at the most, Kerry still only drank small amounts of alcohol to stay trim, the chocolate factory and cheese makers in the area could supply refills for their picnic hamper along with the wine.

Jo sat up quickly noticing the time, “I have to get ready for breakfast we only have five minutes” she said jumping out of bed. Kerry just sat there, “we can go anytime between eight and nine thirty on weekends, this is a holiday farm not a prison farm.” Jo jumped back into bed and pulled up the doona again “well in that case what’s on tele?” Kerry gently pushed her “no Saturday cartoons for you, we didn’t pay all this money to sit and waste time in front of a goggle box.” In reality Jo hadn’t paid for any of the accommodation at all, Kerry said she would sort it out later which possibly meant never if the past was anything to go by.

“Lets do the wineries today and collect some nice things for the hamper again then go sightseeing tomorrow after a sleep in” suggested Kerry. “What about tea tonight, are we going out somewhere special or dining in?” asked Jo always thinking about food. Kerry picked up one of the obligatory “what to do now that you are here” folders from the bedside table and tossed it to Jo “you choose” she said getting out of bed. While Jo flicked through the folder Kerry tidied up the room collecting the dishes and empty wrappers from chocolate and sweets. Thirty minutes later Jo had scrubbed up nicely and was ready to eat a horse as she put it, not a difficult thing being on a farm.

The farm stay had eight chalets scattered around a courtyard area with a large central dining room and lounge for guests to use. The stables and farm building lay to one side away from the guests quarters but well within the overall facility. Tractors could be heard in the fields and puddles of water lay on the tarmac roadways after last night's downpour, more noise than soaking rain, the farmers would still be praying for rain to break the drought.

As Jo and Kerry walked into the dining room arm in arm they were greeted by the hosts who were serving behind a bain-marie filled with bacon eggs and lots of greasy comfort food. The pot of simmering porridge was being attacked by a couple of kids intent on making a mess, the sugar and honey spilling onto the counter as they returned to their parents oblivious of the mess left behind.

“Did you sleep well last night dear?” asked the hostess, “really well thank you, the rain effect drumming on the tin roof was fantastically soothing” she replied.

“Did your partner sleep ok?” she asked referring to Jo, Kerry shook her head “sorry my adopted little sister could sleep anywhere as long as I fed her.” Kerry had not realized the connotation of two women sharing a double bed, even if she had requested two singles, but made sure there was no doubt in her comments after that.

Jo dug into porridge and brown sugar then bacon and eggs followed by a Danish Pastry and after all that she washed it down with more coffee, Kerry chose yoghurt then a couple of eggs and a slice of toast and juice. The two girls had so many contrasts it was surprising they enjoyed each other's company so much. While Jo finished her plate Kerry talked with the hostess to find out where the best wineries were located and any suggestions for dinner tonight since the farm stay had no evening meals planned or on offer.

The town had several world class eateries that sported walls filled with awards from around the country to show how much they had to offer the culinary tourists visiting the town. A new place had opened only a few weeks earlier and was being operated by a couple returning to the region after years away, their reputation was outstanding and the prices were more than realistic for the quality.

“Let me call them, I know them quite well and get you a table for two tonight” the hostess offered. Before Jo had finished her breakfast Kerry had arranged a tour, dinner and even some nibbles for later.

The wineries had good offers but nothing like the prices that could be had in city wine stores operated by a multinational chain, even for the same produce. Kerry now understood the power of alliance marketing and the need to keep distribution separate to cellar door sales, still a couple of bottles or even a box of twelve found their way into Jo’s car boot. By lunch time they had only done two wineries and one chocolate factory and it was now one o’clock in the afternoon. Jo found a small café and pulled the car into a parking bay near the front door.

“Lets have something to eat I’m famished” she said getting out of the car. Kerry wondered where she put it all, her figure gave only a slight hint of excess fat and Jo never seemed to be one for great exercise. The café had alfresco tables in the sunshine and Jo motioned to Kerry to find a seat, it was her turn to order the food. Surprisingly Kerry just sat down and let Jo pick, the choice proving very close to her own choice if she had done the ordering. The meal was small and simple with fruit and cheese platter accompanied by a small loaf of crusty bread, fresh farm butter, chutney and pickles.

“Excellent choice dear” Kerry remarked eating more fruit than bread and watching the coach tourists walk past the café carrying bags of cheese and wine. The rest of the afternoon was spent selecting cheese and wine for the picnic hamper as well as a tour around a perfume factory some distance from town. Kerry chose a collection of bottles of scent for family members and Christmas gifts as well as a nice spray bottle of cologne that she thought would suit a certain boss at work.

Arriving back at 4pm they opted for a feeding tour around the farm on the back of a tractor throwing bales of hay out for the horses. Afterwards the girls chose to sit and relax on the porch of the chalet and watch the sun go down while they drank one of the bottles from the last winery. The wind seemed to rise at the same time as the light dropped sending a chill through their thin sweaters and making them rush inside. The fireplace had been cleaned and re-laid ready for the evening, the bed sitting neat and tidy with two small chocolates on fresh towels. The bathroom sparkled again except for where Jo had left her mess which sat exactly where she had left it untouched by the cleaning staff.

“What time are we booked in for tonight’s meal?” she asked Kerry after checking the mini bar, “around seven thirty why?” Jo felt like getting all dressed up for dinner but wanted a bath first “if I pour a spa will you join me?” looking at Kerry.

“Go on then but make sure it’s got enough bath scent to get rid of the horse smells” she said turning to the wardrobe and the bathrobes that had been replaced with fresh white robes. Stopping at the stereo she selected one of her own CD’s and set it for repeat, “come on granny” shouted Jo from the bathroom remarking on her choice of music as being some twenty years older than Jo’s choice.

Jo triggered the bubbles before Kerry could get into the spa and just sat there relaxing in the hot water, Kerry stripped to her pants not quite comfortable enough for Jo to see the other bits.

“I have seen it all before you know so why do you have to wear the pants?” Jo asked blunt as always. Kerry sat down into the water and looked at her silently thinking, she had to admit that being naked with Jo was no real issue anymore but having someone see her problem or abnormality just reinforced the fact that she was not who she wanted to be. Trying to get the words right she started to talk.

“I feel that the rest of my body is right but that one area still proves the rest a liar, does that make sense to you?” Jo could see that Kerry was still thinking about her next sentence.

“I really don’t see anything other than a girl, a friend, a big sister, and a great looking woman” she said looking at Kerry. Jo moved around the spa next to Kerry, “heck you are more woman than some of the girls back in the office” she joked. Kerry was sitting there very sullen with her thoughts running around her head, Jo grabbed one of Kerry’s arms and put it around her shoulder and neck, “cuddle please, you need it” Jo said.

The spa was getting cold when Kerry finally came out of her slump and stood up and stepped out of the spa, as she stood there on the tiled bathroom floor she looked into the mirror. The hybrid body was a mockery, the breasts had been filled, the hips had been injected and her face had been adjusted to suit the image she wanted, actually not much more than several girls had performed on them every day without being seen as abnormal. Jo saw Kerry standing there silently looking at the image in the mirror and came up behind still dripping water on the floor. Kerry turned around and flung her arms around Jo, she held tight and started to sob, the tears dropping hot pools of salty water on Jo’s clean shoulders.

Jo was slightly stunned and not sure what to do in the situation with Kerry being the one that normally comforted her. The pair stood there for a few minutes while Kerry cried out some of the pain she had been holding in, she wanted to be the full woman she felt she should have been since birth not this cyborg of parts. Jo stroked her hair and let her sob, she wanted to let Kerry know she cared and would have given anything for her but just hugged her tightly. Kerry stopped and pulled away from Jo just a little embarrassed at the thought of hugging Jo like this, she was still someone that Kerry had to work with.

“Talk about letting it all come out” said Jo handing Kerry a towel “sorry, I shouldn’t have made you handle that” Kerry sniffed as she wrapped the towel around her breasts and body.

Jo and Kerry got ready to go out more subdued than before, Kerry brought her brown calf length skirt with medium boots two layers of cottons tops and a white cotton jacket, her cleavage showing out just below her special K necklace. Jo had decided on more stunning, a pair of boot cut jeans, high boots with a body stocking black bra and a bomber jacket in matching denim. Their makeup was bold and beautiful fit for the two girls to hit the night life if they found any in the town. Both of them had on parts of the jewelry they bought for their night out several months ago. Jo threw Kerry the car keys, “your turn to drive tonight, I know you won’t be drinking much. Kerry snatched the keys “drats, just when I felt like getting plastered” she laughed, the truth not that far away.

The drive to the café was only five minutes so they very quickly found themselves sitting inside the café close to a roaring fire and some gentle music playing through the speakers. The waiter came back with water and fresh glasses putting a wine list on the table before each of them, “two lovely ladies and no one to keep you company, such a waste” he said fawning tears into his napkin. As he took their drinks order Kerry watch his eyes drift towards Jo’s black bra that seemed to have crept out of her jacket more than normally. As he turned and walked back to the bar Jo followed his figure like a cat stalking a mouse.

“Down girl, you’re not bringing him back into our bed tonight.” “Since when can you read minds” chuckled Jo but still straining to watch his cute rear vanish behind the bar.

The food was good quality and very reasonable portion size which seemed to go against the flow of many chefs preparing small almost miniscule portions to show how good their food was. During the night the waiter kept coming back and was blatantly flirting with Jo asking about her life her friends and her plans for later on tonight.

“We haven’t thought about afters, did you have something in mind for us?” she asked rather coyly looking at him while trying to flash her eyelashes at him. There is a bar down the road that some of the café guys end up at after work, for a drink, if you’re interested making emphasis on the you part of the comment. “What about my friend, what can she do?” Jo asked playing with his mind, “I am sure that two lovely women like you would not have any trouble mixing with the café guys.”

They finished the meal and after paying the bill promised to seriously consider the offer for drinks and afters down at the bar around ten thirty if they could stay awake long enough. They left the café with Jo blowing Henri kisses and Kerry dragging her by the arm, “if you want to stay up all night that’s fine by me just don’t bring him home” Kerry said. The town had several bars and a couple of dance clubs that had good patronage now that several cafes had fed and watered the tourist trade. Jo found one that looked more like her style and asked about a night cap if Kerry didn’t need her beauty sleep.

The band was actually very good for a country circuit and they found themselves enjoying the atmosphere and drinking more than they had planned on. Not enough to make them over the drink drive limit but more than enough if they wanted to meet Henri after work. Kerry switched to water and Jo went for soft drink with another cruiser an hour later, just as Jo looked at her watch “time for afters, are you game or do we go home?” Jo asked. “What’s the we go home thing this is holidays kiddo, lead on” Kerry downed her glass and stood up ready to go. Jo was taken aback by Kerry’s almost brazen approach at the thought of being picked up “well if any of them try anything they can only blame themselves for what they find” she laughed.

The bar they wanted was only across the road from where they had been drinking and Jo quickly found Henri standing with several similarly dressed waters, the black pants, safety shoes, clean cut and neat hair just the tops changed with different café names or brands of coffee that they served. Henri introduced the girls to his mates and asked what they wanted to drink then vanished to the bar leaving Jo and Kerry surrounded by a group of strangers. One of the older guys introduced himself to Kerry asking where they were staying in the town, it was obvious to all of them that the two girls came from out of town and must have been looking for some action given the way they looked.

Jo’s bra had popped out of her jacket into visibility again and nearly every guy in the bar must have noticed, I guess that’s the power of good advertising thought Kerry. Henri returned with two drinks in hand for Jo and Kerry although neither really needed any more alcohol, Jo was already getting loud and Kerry was falling asleep. Kerry’s admirer continued to make small talk asking her about herself but was getting nowhere with anything else, Jo on the other hand was getting on fine with Henri who was singularly focused on her smile and well presented features.

The music was getting louder when Henri asked Jo to dance and dragged her off to the small dance area, Kerry got a similar request but couldn’t find any reason to say no and ended up dancing with a very tall waiter by the name of Mark. Not that much younger than herself but still well under forty she thought, sort of cute looking but a strong smell of coffee from his shirt. More small talk until Mark suggested that Kerry may want to step outside for some fresh air, she was getting hot but missed the question Mark was really asking her.

Stepping outside into the beer garden, which was mostly empty by now, Mark pulled Kerry around and towards himself, lowered his head and tried to kiss her. His hand had magically found her rear at the same time as he tried to drive home what felt like a foot long tongue into her mouth. The combined actions caused her to move forward at the hips and at the same time stopped her from moving backwards from the tongue. Kerry was caught by surprise and her hands flew up to his chest.

“Hang on I came out for air not what you are thinking about” she gasped as she shook loose from his claws. Mark looked shocked as if why would a girl refuse his advances, Kerry just stood there with her hands still poised at the ready in case of further moves.

“Sorry, I thought you understood my question inside” Mark spluttered out thinking quickly of how to rescue anything for the night. Kerry looked at him, cute and well built.

“I just think you moved too quickly, a girl likes to be wanted not taken”, “does that mean slow down or go away?” he asked her. Kerry looked again at him, a stranger, quick bit of fun, no afterwards, “just take it slower, that’s all” she said forgetting that to a man that meant two minutes of foreplay, at the most.

He went to hold her gently with open arms to dance with her in the garden, she allowed him to continue and found his arms around her waist then her cheeks with a gentle pressure towards his pelvis. She felt his hands then his body then his surprise, “you have left something in your pants I think” Kerry laughed realizing that the number of drinks she had consumed after several months of very limited amounts was effecting her far more than normal. Her arms slid around his neck and Mark felt the small almost indiscernible move of her hips towards him, by now they had danced towards the rear of the garden.

The crowd had all gone inside as Kerry felt one of his hands at her chest, then being kissed far gentler this time, she responded as they found the back wall. “Mark, you need to know that sex is out of the question for me, I’ve just had surgery” she said in his ear “but I can help you if that’s what you want?” Her hands slipped down to his zip without even waiting for an answer knowing that he would either respond or get very sulky, his jeans opened up as he continued to kiss her harder with more emotion. He moved his legs apart to allow her fingers to take hold of what was getting harder every second.

“Do you have anything with you?” Mark flipped open his wallet and handed her a condom, “will this do?” she took it, bit open the packet and rolled it onto his now very hard member. As she continued to kiss his neck and ears he played with her breasts and moved slowly in time with her hand, the music was lost as they rocked back and forth until Mark stopped suddenly while pushing hard into her hand. He exploded and filled the tip with white liquid, hot to touch, the basis of life, the core of every man.

She held him and kissed his lips gently “isn’t it worth slowing down?” she smiled at him, his penis now deflating rapidly. Kerry kissed him once more “better go and clean up before you make a mess” she kissed him again and tucked everything back into his pants.

Kerry walked back into the dance area as Jo was coming in from the toilets, “what have you been doing, or should I say who have you been doing?” Jo smirked at Kerry with a smile on her face. Kerry blushed, “poor lad had a problem in his pants that needed fixing that’s all” and walked straight past her to the bar.

“Two vodka cruisers please” Kerry told the bar tender, “since when did you drink those?’ asked Jo, Kerry turned towards the toilets as Mark was coming back from cleaning up “who said they were just for me.” Mark walked up and kissed her full on the lips right next to Jo who just starred at Kerry “so who are the drinks for big sister?” “Jo, this is Mark the lad I just told you about” Jo held out her hand “feeling better now Mark?” Jo giggled. Kerry slapped her and then handed Mark one of the drinks “pay no attention to her she gets very silly sometimes.”

The rest of the night was fairly uneventful until the guys decided they wanted to go out for some late night food. Henri offered to drop Jo off at the farm stay if Kerry wanted to go home early, Jo looked at Kerry “unless you wanted to come with us” Jo added. Kerry said that her beauty sleep was far more important than food and she would leave the key under the mat, “don’t stay out too long little sister” she said picking up her keys. Mark walked her back to the car, hoping to change her mind rather than go alone, Kerry kissed him again and opened the car door. Mark pushed his point again, “I could always come back to your place if you wanted” suggested Mark trying one last attempt at getting into her pants. “Good night Mark and make sure Jo doesn’t get hurt please” he kissed her and walked off to the car park where Henri was waiting.

Kerry was sound asleep when Jo pushed the key into the lock, she was still asleep when the table was kicked but woke up suddenly when the pewter vase hit the hard tiled floor. “Sorry it’s only me” Jo giggled loudly, it was close to three in the morning and Kerry would have killed her if she thought Jo would have felt anything. Jo collapsed on the bed with more giggling, she rolled over and faced Kerry as she lay on her side and made it very clear that she wanted to talk. “Jo it’s three o’clock you should be in bed” Kerry told her “I was in bed by two o’clock, what’s the problem?” Jo laughed. It took only five minutes for Jo to climb into bed and fall fast asleep but it took far longer for Kerry to go back to sleep after being disturbed and cleaning up the water from the vase.

The sun came up at seven but Jo didn’t surface until long after Kerry had come back from breakfast, it was more like ten thirty before Jo sat up and asked what time it was. Kerry shook her head “so did you enjoy yourself last night?” frowned Kerry towards Jo who looked like the proverbial bus had hit a combination of makeup and hair cuttings. “I guess so but not quite sure what I finished up agreeing to for tonight” Kerry looked at her “are you saying that you want to repeat last night again tonight?” Jo looked very sheepish, like the kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, “not sure but I think I said we might meet the guys at the same place if we weren’t too tired.” “Well don’t complain to me about feeling bad it’s all self inflicted” then handed her a cup of coffee and a plate with two apple Danishes on it.

The Sunday tourists normally left the town after four to make sure they got home before it was too late so the town became quieter apart from the locals and those people staying longer than the weekend. Kerry and Jo walked around to the movie hire place and selected a couple of good movies, latest releases to fill in the time. The farm stay hosts had a family bar-b-q planned for the birthday of their oldest son so Jo and Kerry had been invited since they were staying over for another two days. The bonfire was raging as they came back to the farm carrying some wine and the movies, “better just get changed I can feel the cold coming in for the night” said Kerry heading to the chalet.

Jo followed and put the movies on the bench, again the bed had been made perfectly and fresh towels folded and placed on the bed. Kerry changed out of her dress into a pair of jeans and thick polo neck jumper and a heavy coat and boots. Jo also thought about her outfit but was torn between the body stocking that Henri liked so much and keeping warm. In the end the order of day was for simple and warm ahead of sexy and skimpy, Henri would just have to work around it.

The mealtime was very family friendly, the hosts brought out a birthday cake and bowls of salad, bread and plenty of meat, basic but good for a cold night. The wine and beer flowed for quite a while with Jo and Kerry offering some of their own collection towards the party supplies. When the guitars came out it was like watching a re-run of some 50’s TV show, ma and pa strumming the strings while the kids joined in. Kerry remembered some of them but Jo was totally lost and just sat there waving her glass around, which promptly got filled by one of the older boys. It must have been the fire and the wine but Jo slowed down gradually falling asleep in one of the chairs while the party went on around her. Always the perfect hostess, Anne brought out a couple of blankets and covered Jo, who kept snoring along with the music and the fairies.

As the fire died down and the dishes had all been carried inside Jo stirred just enough for Kerry to guide her back to the chalet. “Come on little sister, it’s long past your bed time” Kerry said unlocking the door and turning on the lights. Kerry pulled back the bed sheets while Jo slipped off her boots and jeans then her jumper and skivvy and socks. Kerry turned her around and lifted her feet into bed then covered her with the blankets and doona, the fire was still going so she kissed Jo gently on the forehead and sat down near the fire. A glass of port and a piece of chocolate before bed she thought, a log on the fire to keep the room warm and just one more glass of port. Too many thoughts were bad for her state of mind, but they still kept popping up and as yet unanswered.

Next time - Kerry defines love and her ideal "lover", Jo talks about her pain that she has kept hidden.
Only three more chapters to the end.