CRYSTALLINE - 1. The Mail Arrives

Carol was excited when her online purchase arrived by mail. When Dante handed her the parcel, she blushed a little, prompting him to ask “Sorry if I embarrassed you, but...”

“Oh it’s not you. In fact I’m completely over you now and have no further need of your services”

“That’s good to hear, I have made a commitment to Thomas and would like to honour that promise”

“Good for you...and Thomas. I hope you will both be very happy”

“Thank you Carol, that means a lot to me, especially coming from you. I thought you might be disappointed”

“Not at all, and by the way, don’t flatter yourself so much, it’s very boring to hear”

“Fair enough, but you seem very up today, could it have something to do with this parcel?”

“It does as a matter of fact”

“Good to hear, is it a gift from a distant lover?”

“Something like that”

“You’re being very mysterious”

“Girls are allowed to have their secrets”

“OK, I’ll leave you with your secret. Got to get started working”

<>

As Dante left, Cook said to Carol “What was that all about?”

“Oh he can be so full of himself sometimes”

“Or Thomas” Cook added with a smirk.

“Yes that too, but I’m over him now”

“Good girl, we’ll find someone for you soon”

“I’ll be fine, but thanks for the thought”

“Always willing to help”

“In that case, can I have a half hour off now, I want to be alone for a while”

“No problem, but are you OK?”

“Yes, of course, why”

“You said you want to be alone”

“Oh it’s nothing like that. I just want to open my parcel”

“Is it something exciting?”

“Yes, a little present for myself”

“OK, take your time. It’s quiet here today. Mr P. is out and I’m just doing a cold platter lunch for the boys, so if you’re not back in time I’ll get one of them to collect it”

When Carol left, Cook said to herself ‘Poor girl, I hope she finds happiness soon’

<>

Carol returned to the kitchen an hour later, just as Cook was about to call Dante to collect the lunch.

“Is that the boy’s lunch” she asked

“Yes, but Dante can come collect it”

“No, I’ll take it down to the pergola. I feel like a walk in the garden”

“I don’t think you need any more sun my girl. You’re already aglow”

“Me...oh...must have been the hot shower”

“If you say so”

<>

Thomas, Dante and Lachlan were enjoying their beers, while waiting for lunch to arrive.

“Where’s Jonathan today?” asked Dante

“He’s at his solicitor’s finalising the transfer of the new property” replied Lachlan

“Why didn’t you go with him?”

“I wanted to but he asked me not to. Said he was preparing a surprise for me”

“Buying you a new piece of jewellery?”

“I don’t really need any more”

“Maybe he’s buying you a new car”

“We did speak about that, but nothing was settled”

“Well then, let us know as soon as you find out”

“Sure will. Oh here comes Carol with lunch”

“You know, she was behaving very strangely earlier today when I delivered the mail. She was very excited about a parcel she received”

“Shush, she’ll hear you” added Thomas

“Here you are boys. I didn’t bring any drinks as I assumed you would take care of that. Do you want me to bring coffee later?”

“No thanks, we’ll be fine with the beer” said Thomas.

“Did all go well with your delivery?” asked Dante

“Yes, excellent. Thanks for asking”

“And....”

“And what?”

“Aren’t you going to tell us what it was?”

“No, it’s private”

“I knew it; you have an admirer who sends you gifts. When are you going to tell us about him?”

“Why do you think that?”

“What else would excite you so much when the mail arrives?”

“Never you mind about what excites me, you’ve had your chance at that and blew it”

“Ouch!”

“Oh, I’m glad it hurt a bit. Enjoy your lunch boys”

“Thanks”

As Carol was about to leave, she added “And if you need anything else, you know where the kitchen is”

When she was out of earshot, Dante said “She’s prickly today”

“She’s only like that when around you, Dante” said Lachlan, “Do you two have some history, I don’t know about?”

“Very brief history and I suppose she was disappointed, but she’s a lovely girl really, I hope she finds a man soon”

“Tell me more” asked Lachlan

“It was just after I arrived

and .....”

<>

When Carol returned, Cook said “Our lunch is ready, sit down and we’ll have a long slow girlie lunch”

“I’ll be right back, I’ve got a surprise for you, so I’ll go get it while you serve the lunch”

“Goodie, I like surprises”

Cook was not in the kitchen when Carol returned, so she put the surprise on the table, where cook usually sat. Cook returned from the cellar shortly afterwards.

“Are we having wine with lunch?”

“Why not” replied Cook “If you’ve got a surprise for me, I thought I would give you one in return. Albeit at Mr P’s expense”

Cook opened the wine and asked “Can I open my surprise now?”

“Of course, I’ll pour while you do that”

The parcel had obviously been wrapped in a hurry with previously used brown paper. As Cook unwrapped, Carol said “Sorry about the sloppy wrapping, but it came in the same parcel as mine”

“No problem, it’s the thought that counts”

“I hope you like it”

“I’m sure I will when....oh my god!....does it come with an instructional video”

Carol chuckled and added “Now that I would like to see. Do you like it?”

“I think I will, when I work out how to use it”

“I can show you, I’ve already tried mine. It’s easy”

“You got one also?”

“Yes, it was a two for one sale and I wasn’t really sure what I would do with two, so I thought of you”

“How sweet, my girl”

“You’re welcome”

“But why is it called The Rabbit?”

“Because that bit looks like rabbit ears”

“Ok...but what is that bit for?”

“It’s explained in the instructions”

Cook read “The phallic shaped part is the vaginal stimulator and the rabbit ears can be used simultaneously to stimulate the clitoris. Very interesting”

“So you do like it, then?”

“Of course I do. Mind you I would never have thought of buying one for myself. I would even know where to buy it”

“It’s easy on line, there’s a huge range of sex toys for women without men”

“I guess that’s what we are here, women without. You know Mr P. should provide them as an employee fringe benefit”

“What men?”

“That would be nice too, but I meant vibrators”

“Given the range of toys he has up there in Jared’s old room, he probably would if asked”

“Oh my girl, you do make me laugh at times. Now drink up, I need to loosen up a bit before I’ll be game to plug this thing in”

“No need for that, they very generously threw in a pack of batteries as part of the deal”

A few glasses later, Cook said “You know how you said you wouldn’t know what to do with two of these”

“Yes”

“Well, I was thinking, once you become proficient using one, then.....”

That evening, Jonathan and Lachlan ate at a nearby restaurant, while Thomas and Dante ordered home delivery, as the kitchen was in complete darkness and silence.

***

Cook was testing her gift when she heard a knock at the door.

“Um..er..j j just a sec”.

Thinking it was one of the men enquiring about dinner, she added “I’ll be right down and get something started immediately”

“Sounds like you’ve already started without me”

“Is that you Carol?”

“Yes, can I come in?”

“I’m a bit busy, can you wait a sec?”

“I know what you’re doing, it’s alright. After all, it was my gift to....”

Before Carol could finish her sentence, the door opened, then a partly dressed Cook grabbed Carol’s arm and dragged her into the room. “Quick, before any of the boys see you”

“No worries on that matter, Mr P and Lachlan have gone out and I just saw a Pizza delivery bike over at the garage flat. I think they all got the message that there will be do dinner served from your kitchen tonight”

“Shit! What will they think?” asked Cook.

“Probably that we’re too drunk to be let loose with sharp objects and hot surfaces”

“What do you mean girl?”

“I heard Lachlan on the phone saying, Judging by the empty wine bottles on the kitchen table, I don’t think we’ll be getting fed from this kitchen tonight”

“Are we that drunk?”

“Let me put it this way. If I were to take off all my clothes and then take off the rest of yours, would you object?”

“Oh...come to think of it...no”

“I rest my case, and now I’ll rest my body on your bed and let you take the lead. After all you are the senior and more experienced”

“Not with women”

“I’m sure with a little imagination to can convert your sexual skills, if you take my meaning”

“I take your meaning very clearly my girl”

“Good then, we’ll work this out together”

***

Jonathan chose a top local restaurant and insisted on a table in the corner with a romantic setting.

“This is a pretty swish place” said Lachlan “Is this a special occasion?”

“Dinner with you is always a special occasion” Jonathan replied

“You have turned into the romantic, what’s going on?”

“Nothing’s going on, that is, haven’t I always been a romantic?”

“No Jonathan, a caring lover would be your best, but not a romantic”

“Maybe I just need the right person to bring out my romantic side”

“Thank you and what I said was meant as a compliment, not a criticism”

“I appreciate that and can distinguish between the two”

“Now let’s look at the menu”

“Just wait a bit, till our drinks arrive. Where’s that waiter with the Champagne?”

“We’re having Champagne?”

“Why not, you’ve earned it”

“What did I do?”

“Apart from making me truly happy for the first time in my life, you’ve come up with an amazing business proposition that I think we will enjoy working on together”

“Thank you for that and also for trusting in my proposal. So when can we start talking to an architect and look for a project manager?”

“As soon as you like, but before that I want to give you something” Jonathan replied as he waived to a waiter, who Lachlan had not noticed had been standing by waiting for Jonathan’s signal. The waiter approached and handed Lachlan a large envelope from a silver serving tray.

“What’s this?” he asked Jonathan

“A token of my love for you”

“It’s not a written marriage proposal, is it”

“What nonsense. Marriage is irrelevant, but it is meant to say how much I love you, so just open it”

“OK, here goes”

As Lachlan was breaking he seal on the envelope another waiter arrived and poured champagne for the two lovers.

“Shall we toast first?” asked Lachlan

“No, I want you to see your gift and then we’ll toast”

Lachlan withdrew an official looking document from the envelope and read the heading “Land Titles Office”

After checking the address he said “This looks like the title to the new property; why are you giving it to me?”

“Read further”

“Bloody hell, it’s in my name”

“Of course, it was all your idea, so you need to have your name on the project”

“When you said you had a surprise for me, I was thinking a small gift, or maybe even the car we discussed, but a property. That’s too much Jonathan”

“Not at all, you deserve it and you’ll now be fully invested in the resort project and have equal decision making powers with me”

“I don’t know what to say”

“You can start with thank you, then propose the toast and see where we go from there”

***