Wombat Bill

Oh yes, but thankfully, we're not yet a republic yet. I'm not a monarchist, but if it aint broke, don't fix it.

The political party's name here is a misnomer. Here in Australia we have two major parties, Labor and Liberal. Labor is left leaning and Liberals are actually our right wing conservatives. The only thing liberal about them is their attitude to big business. They are pro coal, anti green, anti workers and such. I won't go on any more, but I hope that clears it up for you. They simply have the wrong name.

At dinner Jared was very quiet and Thomas had to carry the conversation. But, Jared seemed disinterested in Thomas’s conversation and was pre-occupied. Finally Thomas asked “Is there something bothering you or have you just lost interest in me?” “How could I lose interest in you my love? You’re what keeps me going these days.” “Then tell me what’s bothering you. If it’s not me what is it that has you so distracted?” “It’s work issues.” “And you can’t talk about it because it’

What are your thoughts on writing stories on the run. I did this with 'The Covids' and found myself responding to readers comments. I then decided I would not do it again. I am currently publishing stories that have been pre-written, however readers still make comments that I take on board, and sometimes respond to those comments by adding to the story. This was especially so when I published a couple of short stories with new characters. Readers requested to see more of those characters, so they will appear in future chapters of the ongoing story 'Catering with Benefits'. While I don't expect readers to influence the direction of the story, it s rewarding when they voice their approval of new characters and want more of them. Is writing on demand a thing? Readers and writers please let me know of your experiences on this subject.

Maybe, suggestions welcome

Justin continued with his dance lessons because the exercise was good for him and the techniques he learned helped his posture and movement for his special service performances. He now called them performances as he had gone beyond offering a waiter’s service. Also he valued his friendship and time spent with Tristan each week. Justin thought Tristan was a very attractive man as well as being an accomplished dancer and good friend. Tristan was not tall, had a slim build with a lightly muscled, b

Thomas’s Friday evening trips to Leichhardt were becoming regular and he was now spending every weekend at Jared’s home. The three friends were getting on well as housemates, but Andy knew his place and made sure to give Jared and Thomas enough space for their intimate times together. As was usual by now, all three would go out for dinner on Friday nights and then return to the house where Andy would go to his room leaving the rest of the house for Jared and Thomas. This night the two sat i

When Edward’s drag queen program aired on 2GAYfm it was well received by the community. The listener comments on the station’s website and social media were mostly favourable and this boosted Edward’s confidence about the new project. Edward already had two programs recorded for the premier of ‘Edward Listens’, so he started setting dates for further interviews, to ensure he could always be a few weeks ahead. While scanning through old copies of the Sydney Star Observer he found this a

I had the same thought about the title and discarded it for the same reason, as being too long. I have created a series and hopefully that will give readers some idea as to what order they should be read. I am still considering the title issue. Maybe change it to 'Catering - The Second Course' still with a reference but not so long. Other than their ongoing lives, there seemed to be no unresolved issues at that point, so if there was to be a break, that seemed like a good point. You may be wondering why a break at all. I had the short story about Rani and a few others, but did not know what to do with it, so I thought us it to punctuate the parts. It fits into the series timeline. Also, some readers don' t like ongoing stories and will only read them when completed.This might encourage more readership. It's all part of the learning process here, so all comments are considered. PS. I had some good feedback about Jeremy and Brett, so it's a good way to test drive new characters. BTW - Are there any characters that anyone would like to have disappear?

Jeremy and Brett are preparing for their appearance in chapter 11.

With all the events surrounding Andy over the previous week, Thomas had forgotten to give Andy his design for the nipple clips he wanted made for Jared. So, first thing on Monday morning he emailed the drawing to Andy, who called him back about an hour later. “Hey mate! Are you trying to get my job?” “Why?” asked Thomas. “This design for the nipple clips is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it before where did you get the idea?” “Firstly I wanted to give him a gift to sh

All the characters from Catering with Benefits return to cope with the ups and downs of their daily lives and loves. Craig and Justin continue to grow their business as Justin bares all for Liberace. Jared and Thomas' encounter more snakes and their relationship faces some difficult times. Will Andy find true love? Will Edward's program premiere? Virginia Price looks for a new lover. Edward has a special house warming surprise for Justin and Craig.

What do you like about Brett especially?

Who wants to see Jeremy and Brett again?

Thank you Palantir. Even I was surprised at how active they are at night.

No plans at present, but you never know. This happened with Max and Charles. They were loved enough to make it into the main story. So maybe......

Wombats have always been my favourite native animal. My name is William, but always known as Bill. I chose the name when I got my first email address, way back when. I have mostly lived in the suburbs so only saw wombats at the zoo or wildlife parks. Twenty year ago my partner and I bought a property in the country and guess what? - it came with many resident wombats as a bonus. The image banner on my profile is a stock image, but the small round image is a grab from a video of one of our wombats recorded by our night camera. You can see my wombat video on my YouTube channel. Video title "Home among the Kangaroos".

Two years after Rani started at the salon, Sandra planned to open another salon across town, and she offered Rani the senior hairdresser’s position. “I’m honoured to be asked Sandra, but there are other women who have more experience than me, shouldn’t you offer the job to one of them?” “I know that Rani, but two of them don’t want to travel across town to Bondi and besides you are so popular with the clients and not only a good hairdresser but have a flair for management. That is what

Six months later, Rani moved into Daniel’s apartment. On their first night living together he cooked a celebratory meal for them while Rani went down to the local liquor store for wine. While browsing the red wine selection she was approached by a shop assistant who offered to help. “Yes, I’m looking for something special as I have just moved into the neighbourhood and my boyfriend is cooking a meal to celebrate.” After making a selection the assistant asked. “Is your place nearby?” “Wel

Raj’s younger sister, Rani went to hairdressing and beauty therapy college after finishing high school. To celebrate her graduation, Rani’s parents treated her to a business class trip to London provided she stayed with her family there. Her aunt and uncle had migrated to the UK a few years after her parents migrated to Australia but she had never met them or her cousins. Rani was thrilled to head off on her great adventure. With airfares paid by her parents and free accommodation in London

Rani graduates from hairdressing school and heads off to London.

I hope you all enjoyed the first 47 chapters of Catering with Benefits. Up next is a short story (3 chapters) about Rani, the sister of Raj, one of the characters from Catering. I call this story 'Mile High Benefits' and is the first of the short stories from my 'Side Salad' collection that will punctuate the ongoing story of 'Catering with Benefits. These short stories will feature characters that have appeared briefly in the main story. Please enjoy this slight diversion. The main story with all your favourite, and some not so well liked, characters will return after the short story. Please let me know what you think about any of my writing. Comments are always welcome.

Back at Jared’s place that night, Andy went to bed as soon as they arrived, claiming he had not slept much the night before and had a gruelling day. Jared and Thomas sat on Thomas’s favourite sofa and had a de-brief of the events of the last two days. After that Thomas asked, “What did you mean at the pub when you offered Andy the chance to live here but said we would talk about me later?” “I wish the subject had not come up, I wanted to do this in my own time.” “It was you who made the

Back in their car the two police officers discussed the case on the drive back. Lee asked “Are we going to confront him now Sir?” “No, I will leave that until tomorrow. I have another few things to check, but I think we can get him on lodging a false report, wasting police resources, and if as I suspect he has lodged an insurance claim then the insurance company may wish to pursue a case of attempted insurance fraud. That poor Murphy guy may also have a civil case of false accusations or har

Andy was welcomed back to work by his colleagues and he concentrated on catching up with the workload that had built up in the days he was away. By late morning he had not seen or heard from Price, so he asked Alma if she had seen him. She said she had not but if Andy wanted to see him he should ask Miss Prism. Andy then said to Alma, “I need you to do me a favour and I don’t want you to ask for any explanation or tell anyone else”. “Sounds mysterious, but OK, what do you want?” “I need